Thank you for joining the self-love movement. "The Skin You're In" is so many of our stories; it encourages Black women to acknowledge what we've been through, heal old wounds, and celebrate our wins. The reward is worth the journey. This movie inspires us to keep loving ourselves - UNCONDITIONALLY!
Thank you for joining the self-love movement. "The Skin You're In" is so many of our stories; it encourages Black women to acknowledge what we've been through, heal old wounds, and celebrate our wins. The reward is worth the journey. This movie inspires us to keep loving ourselves - UNCONDITIONALLY!
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Story
Mission Statement
Ron Ash creates films about Black women, by Black women, that encourage us to share our self-love journeys, inspire each other to learn how to survive life’s isms (racism, sexism, ageism, colorism), and thrive as empowered women, with a strong identity, support system, and great love of self.About The Project
A narrative feature film about Sasha Staye, a successful fashion photographer who yearns to be a photojournalist, despite being continually denied opportunities.Sasha had a tumultuous childhood; she was abandoned by her mother and had an absentee father, yet she is humble, selfless, patient, and empathetic. Sasha, like so many of us on our self-love journey, operates in fear, which impacts her ability to love herself. While struggling to land her dream job, going on denial dates (she’ll always find a reason to keep a guy at arm’s length – why let anyone get close to you if he’s gonna just ghost you in the end)...
Sasha's father, after no communication for 17 years, pops up on her doorstep. He is sick and needs her.
The Skin You’re In follows Sasha as she tries to balance her busy life; failed attempts at switching careers, and maintaining relationships — both romantic and friendships, and advocating for female survivors of domestic abuse.
Suddenly confronted with the care and responsibility of her father, who is rigid and ornery, Sasha must slow down and realize her emotional wellness, her self-worth/esteem is at stake. Realizing that she can’t be the best personally and professionally if her esteem/self-love is non-existent, then she can’t be a good caretaker (evident when she puts her father’s life at risk more than once) Sasha decides to work on loving herself by healing childhood wounds (prayer, therapy, meditation).
Through this film, we continually find ourselves asking; can we learn to love ourselves despite our past experiences and society constantly telling us we’re not enough?
Black women, more often than they speak about it, are going through abusive relationships, fertility struggles, and severe mental health issues, amongst other things; their race and gender are the unifying themes. Black women are taught to keep silent, not realizing that suppression does even more damage. Ron Ash seeks to break this cycle of silence through film.
My name is Sauda Johnson-McNeal and I’m the Founder and CEO of Ron Ash, LLC (named in honor of my father Ron Ashford - who raised me to love myself, unapologetically). Our mission is to deliver thought-provoking, authentically honest feature films that leave moviegoers with such a lasting impression, they want our films in their home collection.
If I’m being honest – you couldn’t have told me in a million years that I would share my self-love journey. I mean who shares that she thought she was ugly or hated her personality and tried to kill herself?
Therapy, awesome parents, and my love for the Lord, in addition to sharing with my friends, helped me shift from self-loathing to self-loving. I started mentoring other women, letting them know they’re not alone – we've been there; the journey is worth the reward. My mentees started working on loving themselves, graduating, starting families, becoming BOSSes – and this made me ecstatic - like I'd hit the million-dollar jackpot!
I realized my life purpose is to inspire other Black women to start or stay on their self-love journey by fostering a universal healing circle - through sharing and learning from each other.
Film is my passion, as a child I loved movies. I obtained a degree from USC in acting (joined Alpha Kappa Alpha) and I became an attorney because I met a BOSS Black female attorney/producer and decided – that’s what I’m going to do.
Bottom Line: I started Ron Ash for two reasons – FIRST – I needed a way to reach Black women, our younger ones in particular, on a massive scale. I can’t count the number of young women I've met who didn't love themselves because of their skin color, nose, hair, and I wished I could help in some way. SECOND - we are not often represented positively in mainstream media. I decided to fuse my passion with my life purpose to reach more Black women. My films are solution-based, you never know whose life you may save, just from sharing.
Thank you so much for joining our movement and helping us spread the self-love agenda! With your support, we will be able to hire marketing, legal, and production professionals for this pre-production phase of our film. These funds will also help us expand our network and level of exposure, thus making us more attractive to investors as we work on raising our production and post-production funds from May through September 2021.
Our ultimate goal: release our film on a streaming platform such as Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu.
We will shoot principal photography in Atlanta, GA, in one studio location, while following strict COVID-19 guidelines. We care about our cast and crew and with your help, we can focus on taking care of our team.
2020 was a difficult year, emotionally, physically, and racially. This film explores how to practice self-love and there's no better time for Black women to feel inspired to love themselves than now.
There are 2 main ways you can help us make this self-love story a reality!
1) CONTRIBUTE AND RECEIVE REWARDS! We have incredible rewards to thank you for helping us shoot our shot. Check out our incentives list and please become a beloved backer!
2) HELP SPREAD THE WORD! Word of mouth never goes out of style and can have an enormous impact on the success of this campaign. Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@ronashllc), and share our campaign and our posts about the film and the movement.
Incentives
$15
Social Shout Outs
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We will add your name, picture, and a thank you on our IG page.
$25
Get Recognized!
Are you ready to get recognized? As a thank you for your contribution we will put your name on our website acknowledgment list and give you a social shout out!
$50
Self-Love Digital Art
Not only will you receive the social shout-out and get recognized rewards, we will send you a digital download of this beautiful artwork (the original was handpainted by a local female artist) at the close of the campaign.
$100
Self-Love Zoom Series
Did you miss our Intimate Conversations - A Self-Love Series with professionals dropping knowledge on ways to love yourself - infinitely? Not to worry, we've got you covered. We'll share our full series with you (at the close of the campaign), and reward you with you a social shout out and website recognition.
$250
Self-Love Sneak Peek
Be the first to see "The Skin You're In" before it's released, virtually meet other backers, and ask the filmmakers questions. PLUS as an added bonus, you'll get your name added to the film closing credits and the social shout out and get recognized rewards! What could be better than that?!
$500
Seat at the VIP Table
Of course, we're giving you the social shout out, get recognized, digital art (at the close of the campaign), self-love sneak peek, and name in credits rewards; ANDDD you will also virtually attend a table read with the full cast. Plus you will attend the WRAP party as our VIP guest (travel not included).
$1,550
Your Product On The Big Screen!
Make your dreams come true, feature your product or business name in our film for 3 seconds in one scene.
$5,000
Become an Associate Producer
Snag your chance to earn an Associate Producer credit in our film...you're one of us NOW... you can visit us on our last shooting day on set and attend our WRAP party as our VIP guest (travel and accommodations not included).
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$15
Social Shout Outs
We will add your name, picture, and a thank you on our IG page.
$25
Get Recognized!
Are you ready to get recognized? As a thank you for your contribution we will put your name on our website acknowledgment list and give you a social shout out!
$50
Self-Love Digital Art
Not only will you receive the social shout-out and get recognized rewards, we will send you a digital download of this beautiful artwork (the original was handpainted by a local female artist) at the close of the campaign.
$100
Self-Love Zoom Series
Did you miss our Intimate Conversations - A Self-Love Series with professionals dropping knowledge on ways to love yourself - infinitely? Not to worry, we've got you covered. We'll share our full series with you (at the close of the campaign), and reward you with you a social shout out and website recognition.
$250
Self-Love Sneak Peek
Be the first to see "The Skin You're In" before it's released, virtually meet other backers, and ask the filmmakers questions. PLUS as an added bonus, you'll get your name added to the film closing credits and the social shout out and get recognized rewards! What could be better than that?!
$500
Seat at the VIP Table
Of course, we're giving you the social shout out, get recognized, digital art (at the close of the campaign), self-love sneak peek, and name in credits rewards; ANDDD you will also virtually attend a table read with the full cast. Plus you will attend the WRAP party as our VIP guest (travel not included).
$1,550
Your Product On The Big Screen!
Make your dreams come true, feature your product or business name in our film for 3 seconds in one scene.
$5,000
Become an Associate Producer
Snag your chance to earn an Associate Producer credit in our film...you're one of us NOW... you can visit us on our last shooting day on set and attend our WRAP party as our VIP guest (travel and accommodations not included).
- Updates
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Current Team
About This Team
Kenn Michael
Director
Kenn Michael (previously known as Kenny Blank) is a multi-hyphenate that takes the term ‘multi-hyphenate‘ to the next level. As an actor, writer, director, producer, DP, composer, editor, and sound designer/mixer, his ability to helm technically challenging projects and effectively communicate with collaborators is unmatched.Composing and recording music since the age of 4, Kenn developed an addiction to technology and began acting in commercials to fund his habit of buying equipment. Landing acting roles in many national spots (Bubble Yum, Pepsi, Lego, General Mills Foods) and scoring jingles, Kenn bought himself a video camera and taught himself how to shoot, edit and score to picture.
As a teenager, Kenn landed the role of Michael Peterson in Robert Townsend’s WB Network show “The Parent ‘Hood.” Kenn not only acted in, but scored 50 episodes of the long-running sitcom.
Over the next decade, Michael would continue to expand his craft and broaden his creative reach by executive producing and directing various formats — from docu-series, features and multi-camera, to scripted (short and long-form) and web-based for BET, MTV, Discovery, TV One and VH1. He would compose and produce music for a just-as-varied slate of projects. Sound consulting and mixing would also be a focus, earning him a Daytime Emmy nomination for best sound mixing.
Kenn, whose passion for the place where science and technology meet up with spirituality and creativity, created the media and technology company RTEKA to provide innovative tools, applications and transformative technologies, for transcending into the next phases in the evolution of human expression and creativity.
Brittney Murray
Co-Producer, Head of Branding
Brittney Murray, is a brand strategist, entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of Mogul Behaviour a full-service branding and digital marketing firm located in Los Angeles, CA. She helps businesses grow their brand, audience, impact, and influence. Prior to founding Mogul Behaviour, Brittney excelled as a senior-level television professional. She is a native of San Diego, CA; she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Television, Film, Communications, and Directing from San Diego State University.Brittney has years of experience as a creative and business strategist. She integrates her passion for branding content, a keen sense of business, and acumen of digital marketing to propel the business to excellence. Brittney brings her vast knowledge of film, branding, and social media to Ron Ash LLC as co-producer of “The Skin You’re In” and crowdfunding campaign manager, branding strategist, and social media manager photographer and content creator. She will not only ensure Ron Ash thrives in the digital world by increasing its brand visibility, but she is also providing the tools and the know-how to make Ron Ash, LLC a leader in the film industry. Brittney is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
LeTonya F. Moore
Executive Producer, Fundraising Strategist
LeTonya F. Moore, JD is an attorney-entrepreneur with almost twenty years of experience building and helping build successful enterprises. She is the visionary behind 360° Brand Protection Strategies™, developed to provide asset protection, mitigate the risk of losses, and increase business profitability for the emerging brand. LeTonya is a former federal government attorney, turned “Brand Builder” and works with emerging brands to build, grow, and protect their brand.LeTonya is passionate about teaching legacy driven professional and the entrepreneur how to leverage their knowledge, skills, and expertise to leave the breakroom for the boardroom and take control of their future. She assists clients in getting “fundraise-ready” by providing strategic planning and infrastructure support to help them achieve fundraising goals through various mechanisms.
In 2020, LeTonya founded the International Brand Protection Institute, a virtual legal training program developed to teach individuals and business owners from underserved and economically disadvantaged populations basic legal concepts in the areas of business law, asset protection, contract law, intellectual property, employment law, tax law, international business, and investor relations.
Patricia Moore
Associate ProducerPatricia Moore is CEO of Patricia Moore Business Solutions (PMBS), a luxury business consulting group. PMBS’ moto is “We help REAL businesses with REAL problems by providing REAL solutions”.
Patricia is a native of Los Angeles, California. She has a Bachelor of Science from San Diego State University and a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. Patricia is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., with over 25 years of experience serving the community.
Kara Sax
Marketing ManagerKara Sax is the CEO, President, and Co-Founder of the Sax Agency. Kara works closely with her clients drives all divisions to flawless execution, ensuring they produce for all of our clients. She works closely with all of the multidisciplinary divisions to set strategies and create forward-thinking campaigns.
Kara has served hundreds of companies, organizations, and individuals in virtually every industry as President, Consultant, Project Manager, Strategist, and Volunteer and is strongly committed to the call of duty. She has solid leadership experience in event production, strategic planning, finance, sales, and brand management. Kara has a proven track record of creating brand recognition, expanding company vision, and increasing revenue streams and profitability across dynamic environments. Kara is serving as the Fundraising and Marketing Manager for "The Skin You're In."
Nikiah Hawkins
Head of Legal
Nikiah Hawkins is an attorney in Los Angeles, CA. His legal areas of expertise range from entertainment and business to ethics and criminal defense (state and federal). He also served as a Legislative Aide in the Nation’s Capital for a U.S. Congress Member. Nikiah is a native of Los Angeles, California, and a graduate of Alabama State University where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.He received his Juris Doctor from Thurgood Marshall School of Law – Texas Southern University. Nikiah is actively involved with programs geared towards improving the plight of African-Americans and he is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
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