Today we’d like to introduce you to Ar’Darius Stewart.
Hi Ar’Darius , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Coming from Abbeville, SC football was life. I wanted to be a professional athlete which was a dream passed down to me by my Dad. We were good, we won multiple state championships but that wasn’t what my father God had planned for me. I tore my ACL two years in a row playing the same team during regular season play. That was a pivotal moment in my life. After tearing my ACL twice in high school playing football, I started to develop a relationship with God. I was at my lowest point and I started praying everyday and talking to God. Somewhere between my Mom giving me an ultimatum of choosing either college or the military, God placed on my heart to pursue professional acting. So, that’s what I did. I consider it my biggest blessing. After barely qualifying to make it to Claflin University by making exactly a 17 on the ACT, I went to my beloved HBCU proudly. Upon arriving and learning more about different majors, I realized that Claflin didn’t actually have a theatre major, only a minor. I originally started as a Studio Art major because naturally I can draw, paint and bring pictures to life in that medium. However, one day during tutoring for one of my general ed course, I didn’t have any work to complete and my tutor (Jerilyn Coleman) decided to have a moment with me where we talked about my visions. I simply told her that I wanted to be a professional actor and she encouraged me that because we didn’t have a major that I could have visions bigger than simply being talent. She encouraged me that I could be the one producing the films and even have my own production company. That was a pivotal moment where she spoke over me and opened my mind to the endless possibilities. Shortly after, I learned about Panther TV, which was the campus tv station, I went to a meeting and did more research on the major Mass Communications. And from there I switched to Mass Communication with a focus on Digital Media and volunteered my time to Panther TV. That was a pivotal moment as I also left the track team to be able to commit more time to Panther TV which turned into a job as a Mass Communications Lab Assistant that I kept for the remainder of my time at Claflin. I went on to create Broken Stereotype Productions which is what my first couple of films and projects went under. While at Claflin, I became a visionary, I was an active member of the Claflin University Theatre Ensemble, I started to develop the tangibles of a great filmmaker, I also hosted most events on the campus, from campus parties, to step shows, to fraternity pageants, and I even became Mister Claflin University 2015-2016. Claflin truly was a blessing to me and simply put, I love my beloved Claflin University. After Claflin I worked in news as a Photojournalist at WCIV ABC News 4 in Charleston, SC. While there my love for storytelling deepened and I even became a better visual and auditory storyteller. Not only that but I became a better video editor. While I was sharpening my tools, I knew my time in news wouldn’t be forever. My whole time in Charleston, I was steadily creating, I even created my first web series which is a street narrative that I shot in my hometown with all of my brothers who simply believed in me. The project is called Mentality and literally I did all of the major roles. I directed, wrote, shot majority of it, audio mixed, scored and edited. It was just me, my camera and my passion for storytelling. While still in Charleston working for the News, the opportunity to go to grad school appeared as I was offered the opportunity to audition for a program. I won’t mention the name of the school but I was accepted and they didn’t offer me any financial assistance. I spoke to my mentor Annette Dees Grevious and she simply told me, “Tell them no. You are too talented to not receive a full ride and more.” And so I did. I told them no and I simply stayed at the news station for another year and prepared to go audition at URTAs. When I went to audition in Chicago, I received several callbacks and was even offered 4 full ride scholarships. I ended up choosing the University of Florida where I majored in Theatre Performance. When I went to Gainesville and started my journey in Grad school, I felt out of place. But my gift is in “showing up.” And that’s what I did. I showed up and little by little I got better and better. I performed in a show every semester and even ending with a bang where I performed the role of Kreon in Antigone as my thesis role. I learned how to develop and articulate my thoughts more effectively. I also became a great teacher even winning “The Graduate Student Teacher Award” for the School of Theatre and Dance for exceptional teaching. Most important, I found a deeper love for my voice and what I wanted to say in the world through my art. Moving forward, my program had a really cool feature which is you can intern anywhere you want in the world and they continue to support you financially with the Graduate Assistantship. I ended up getting a manager here in LA in March of 2021 and so I decided to intern here. Little did I know I would soon meet my soon to be wife. One of my good friends invited me to his play and I sat down right beside her. After realizing I was sitting right beside her in the peak of Covid, I asked her, “My apologies, do you mind if I sit right here?” She responded, “You good.” I then asked her where she was from and she went on to say, “I’m from South Carolina.” We grew up 5 to 10 away from each other in SC. She’s from Greenwood and I’m from Abbeville. We know so many people in common, our dad’s work together, she came to my little brother’s probate and I was there filming it (I’m a member of Alpha Phi Alpha btw), she even went to the College of Charleston while I was working in Charleston but we never crossed paths. Truly God had us meet at the right time. After we started dating God soon gave us Lamp Feet Productions. Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp for my feet, and a light on my path.” Through our company we highlight God’s word through unorthodox scenarios as God does in the bible. In fact our first film under Lamp Feet Productions follows my real life testimony where a man went above and beyond to try and get my hat from me. It appeared passionately, annoying and even love filled. I didn’t budge until I heard God’s voice telling me “It’s alright to let go.” And in return I gave him my hat. That film is called “Uncle Bryan,” in homage to the real Uncle Bryan whom I gave my hat to. This was simply a Moses and the Burning Bush moment where God spoke to Moses in a very unorthodox way giving him a command. He had a choice, obey or disobey. That’s what our films intend to highlight. God’s word! Since being in LA, I have EP’d and DP’d for several projects. Our projects have been in several film festivals and currently we are in pre production for a feature film that we’ll be producing in our home state of South Carolina. One day we will also charter schools around the world called Lamp Feet Academy which will be lead by my fiancee Shermera. As I stand today I am a Filmmaker, Actor and Educator.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s been a road filled with learning opportunities. Each obstacle, I stand up, show up and do better than previous moments of adversity. The biggest moments of adversity were simply not having as many resources to be a filmmaker at the highest level back home in South Carolina. I’ve always known there were levels to filmmaking and simply put I’m grateful to be in the space where I get to learn and become better at what I was called to do. My goal is always to be better than the last project.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Lamp Feet Productions is a God assignment for my fiancee, Shermera and I. Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” We specialize in film production. From Pre-Production, Production to Post-Production we can come in and help anyone with their vision. There is no limit to what we can achieve from film, tv, to theatre and events, we do it all. Simply put we help visionaries strategize and execute. One of our biggest tenants of business is that we lead with love and light. Our productions are intentional with love, filled with light, efficient in communication and overall effective in the world. We facilitate spaces where creatives can be their highest creative selves. We believe in brave spaces where people feel confident and liberated to create as passionately as they want and deserve. We are always open to consultations and seek like minded individuals and entities that create with intention and purpose. Our email is [email protected] and our instagram page is @lampfeetproductions
What does success mean to you?
Success to me is knowing that I’m following God’s path for my life. As long as I feel God’s presence in my life and my work, I’m successful. I believe in the process of trying and learning. No losses, only lessons. Always forward on the righteous path. Nothing more, nothing less.
Pricing:
- Consultations are free
- We break down our prices based on the needs of 3 categories. Pre-Production, Production and Post-Production.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darius_dreams/ & https://www.instagram.com/lampfeetproductions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darius.stewart.14
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ar-darius-stewart-mfa-00b89a100/
- Other: [email protected]
