We had the good fortune of connecting with Jasmine Vaughn and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jasmine, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Coming from a long lineage of artistic/creative people, creativity is in my blood. My great grandfather owned his own dance studio, his son (my grandfather) performed as a backup dancer with the legendary, Eartha Kitt, and my father was a DJ. I was first introduced to the artistic world as a child playing with my dad’s DJ equipment and listening to his many records. Seeing my interest in this my dad started to introduce me to the history behind these artist and give me a better understanding of the music. While my love for music began to grow my love for performing also grew, which is where my passion for entertainment started. I never truly knew what exactly I wanted to do in entertainment until my dad showed me the Thriller music video at the age of 5. Seeing these lyrics being brought to life in this way changed my world. As I got older and my passion for filmmaking grew I was introduced to directors like John Singleton, Spike Lee, and Hype Williams. I fell in love with their vision and capability to tell the story of “the everyday black American” in a way that made us real. Seeing how they were able to bring the “silenced American” to the big screen and give a marginalized group a voice impacted me to want to tell the stories of the voiceless. In this country there is a huge spotlight on the negative of underprivileged communities, but growing up in one of these communities myself I saw the heart of the people, the pride, and the camaraderie of the community as a whole. Seeing that there is only one side being told I wanted to join these examples of storytellers by creating works of art that told THE TRUTH, and also made “us” real and not just another sob story.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Being a filmmaker in todays society is a lot easier than it was 20 years ago. Due to the fact film became more expensive and dslrs became more accessible the overflow of videographers grew and filmmakers became more extinct. What sets me apart from some of my fellow creatives in this industry is that I make it my goal to not only tell a story, but also remain authentic to the craft of filmmaking. There are a lot of productions I have done that I am proud of but the three I am most proud of would have to be my shoot with Paper Magazine for Lil Durk cover shoot, shooting, QC (Quality Control) artist Lakeyah Danae, and my interview with Mara Brock Akil who’s the writer/director of shows such as Moesha, Girlfriends, and The Game. All those accomplishments came with a lot of hard times. It hasn’t been an easy journey but definitely worth it. While in film school in Winter Park, Florida I would make 8 hour trips between Winter Park to Atlanta to come and build a network and clientele before relocating here. It was difficult getting out here in a new city and having someone take a chance on you, especially as a woman in a predominantly male industry. My determination and passion to achieve my goals is what helped me to overcome alot of challenges. Within these challenges I have also learnt a lot of great life lessons that have helped me both in business and personally. I have learnt to remain humble, loyal, and to always be open to learn. Dealing with so many different personalities and seeing so many success’s and failures has taught me that you can be on top one day and down the next but as long as you remain humble, loyal, willing to learn there will always be a spot for you to remain successful. If there is anything I would want the world to know about my brand/story is that even while being the black sheep amongst family, while having friends betray me, and struggling internally somedays I never lost hope or my faith in God. In those low days I leaned to my faith and the support of those that genuinely love and care about my well being.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Spending time in a new city with my bestfriend is always an adventure. Its even more special now that she’s a new mom. As kids we would always talk about moving to different cities and exploring the world together. Whenever she comes to visit me in Atlanta from Philly there are 3 places that are definitely a must. I have fallen in love with Korean BBQ so our first stop would definitely be Miss Gogi’s in Doraville. One thing about me and my bestfriend we love to have a good time and like to do it on a budget. With that being said I always know that we can go to Ponce City Market and get some good drinks while enjoying beautiful city views. It wouldn’t be a true trip if we didn’t go to at least one lounge/club. So for that Cru Lounge is a must. We enjoy the hookah, music and drinks. The atmosphere is unlike any other.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I wouldn’t be where I am or have accomplished the things I have without God. He has been my rock, confidant, and greatest supporter on this journey. Being an entrepreneur may be one of the most difficult occupations. Guarantees are far and few, sleepless nights, doors being shut in your face, and having to sometimes walk alone. Throughout all those ups and downs God has always been the one constant thing. He has opened so many doors I could have only dreamed of walking in. He also gave me two amazing parents who have been supporting me mentally, emotionally, and financially since my film school days. If it weren’t for my mom pushing me to do a film internship in high school or my dad encouraging me to go film school, I would have probably given up on myself or not even pursue my dreams of becoming a filmmaker and starting my own entertainment company.

Website: www.blksheepent.com

Instagram: instagram.com/blksheepent

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1kt9sf-oIV8sN3l14lc4Cg

Image Credits
Nathan Pearcy Photography Hitman Company

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.