Rising Stars: Meet Kevin Gardner Jr.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Gardner Jr.

Hi Kevin, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Where do I begin? I have always had an affinity for the arts. From a very young age, I played piano. As I grew older and growing up with the beginning stages of most of the technology that we have today, my interests migrated into computers. By the time I started college at Morgan State University, my initial academic path was in TV/Video production. I really enjoyed what I was learning but was deterred from pursuing that path under the guise that I would not find long-term financial success. I switched major several times before landing in a career path general enough (Business Administration) that has since aided me very well in my professional career.

As a teenager and into my early 20’s, I started making music; chronicling my journey on the internet (MySpace and YouTube). Unfortunately, these videos that have now aged more than a decade still exist for anyone who knows my old rap name. Don’t ask, I’m not telling. I used to edit these videos and post them with such excitement and watching the quality of my work then versus now really demonstrates my creative and technical growth.

I started my very first web series, Harlot’s Webb in 2017. I had never directed, produced, wrote, or handled camera work for any other project. Although I am very critical of my work and don’t think this project was my best; it was met with critical acclaim and garnered more than three million views on YouTube. This has been one of many successes I have had as a creative. It has since spawned a spin-off series, Savage, and now my first film, Oscarville, which begins production in Spring 2022 in Atlanta, GA. The Oscarville project was brought to me by fellow Atlanta-native Raènique Dawson, who presented me with the idea to develop. I wrote the script and will be producing, directing, and editing that project. Raènique and I are both very excited about Oscarville!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are many roadblocks when following a career path in entertainment. One of the biggest obstacles is finding genuine people to work with. For example, several years ago when I was pursuing a music career, I was very excited to receive a Facebook message from Scooter Braun; the manager of Justin Bieber. We spoke for several weeks and one day, while I was working at a job that I hated, he called me and told me I could walk out because I was getting a record deal that day! To a 21-year-old, naïve, aspiring musician that was the best news, I could ever hear. Unfortunately, “Scooter” said that all I had to do was wire him $5,000 to cover some made up costs to finalize the deal. Although I was eager, I have never been a stupid person. I decided to do more research to find that “Scooter” was not communicating with me from his verified page, his phone number was registered to a different person and various other red flags. I’ve come across nothing but scams while pursuing an entertainment career and that has been one of the biggest challenges that I’m still encountering. There are thousands of websites that promise contacts, referrals, career advice, and everything that appears to be helpful; when in fact – it is bulls**t. One thing I have learned thus far is that if opportunity does not exist, create a lane for it yourself.

Another obstacle I’ve faced has been money. There’s a saying that it takes money to make money. That saying is 100% true. There are millions of creatives all chasing after the same dream. When it comes to content creation, having a budget is required, as no one person can do it all on their own. Luckily, due to my professional career that still pays the bills, it has afforded me the opportunity to invest in myself so I can continue to make power moves so I can reach my ultimate goal.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a jack-of-all-trades. A lot of people use that term, but it really applies to me. I am a songwriter, graphic designer, videographer, cinematographer, video editor, producer, director, screenwriter, executive producer, social media marketing specialist, music scorer, and actor. I specialize in all things involving content creation. One of the best ways to learn this business is to learn what it takes in order to create a production. In my first project, Harlot’s Webb, I literally performed all of the aforementioned functions. It was TAXING, but it gave me great experience. Harlot’s Webb is really my biggest accomplishment of my young career. I realized that when people started recognizing me from that project, I had done something special. One thing that sets me apart from others is my determination. I have a tattoo on both of my arms; one says “perseverance” and the other says “everything.” When I cross my arms, it represents my perseverance over everything. This is my artist’s name, given to me by my best friend Aaron. I have experienced quite a few hardships, but one thing I do not do is give up. I have a very good understanding of the entertainment industry and a clearer understanding that one “yes” is all it needs, even if it is preceded by 5,000 “no’s.”

What matters most to you?
One thing that matters most to me is energy. I’ve come to learn more about this in recent years and have seen how good and bad energy manifests itself. Being around positive energy is crucial to me at this point of my life. I only want to be around good, genuine, positive energy. One of the reasons I enjoyed working on my second series, Savage, so much was the positive energy. While it was grueling being on set for 12-15 hours at a time, I was surrounded by people with good energy. I’ve become familiar with energy readings and can read people’s energy to determine if I want them in my space or not. All projects are collaborations amongst creative people. It is very important to me that everyone has good energy in their core. It can translate on screen. I think of all of my cast and crew as family.

Speaking of family, that is the other thing that matters to me. I LOVE my family. Even the ones I don’t talk to much or at all, I still love them. I am very protective of both my mother and father. I love them dearly and remain blessed that they are both still actively in my life. You only get one family. Our time in this world is not promised. There are only a few people in this lifetime that will love you unconditionally and that is family. My family is very important to me. One of the reasons I have pursued this path is to make sure I can take care of my family and make sure they are set for life.

The last thing that matters to me the most is legacy. I want to be known as a person who positively impacted other people. I want to be a positive impact and influence on others. I want the work that I put out to be remembered for its quality and message. When my body is no longer here, I want all of the work that I have done thus far to be my legacy – demonstrating my capabilities, craft, ethic, and creativity.

Contact Info:

• Email: info@kevingardnerllc.com
• Website: www.kevingardnerllc.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/thekevingardnershow
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamkevingardner
• Twitter: twitter.com/oscarvillefilm
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/savageseriestv