Stacey Davis: FACES of Birmingham
An attorney by day and screenwriter by night, Stacey Davis' intelligence and wit shines through in the courtroom and on the silver screen. Find out her first impressions of Birmingham when she moved here ... and so much more in today's article!
Stacey Davis is no stranger to taking risks. The talented screenwriter and attorney-by-day left her comfortable job at a large law firm to launch her own boutique entertainment law firm, representing the artists whoΒ inspire her to fire up her writing fingers as soon as her workday ends. Then, buoyed by the thrill of taking oneΒ exciting risk toward fulfilling her dreams,Β this driven, award-winning screenwriter decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign to support the production of her latest short screenplay, The Sibling Code. We are delighted to learn more about todayβs FACE of Birmingham,Β Stacey Davis!
Are you a Birmingham native? If not, what brought you here?
I grew up in Michigan in a town called Grand Haven, about two-and-a-half hours north of Chicago on Lake Michigan. When I was in law school in Connecticut, I met some folks from Birmingham, and I came down for a visit. I just fell in love with the city. The next summer, I applied for a summer associate position with a law firm here. At the end of the summer, they offered me a full-time job, and I moved down here following graduation. That was 2002. So itβs 13 years later, and here I am!
So what did you love about Birmingham?
Well, growing up in Michigan, I definitely had these preconceived notions of what the South was like. I had never traveled to the South other than Florida, and, as everyone says, that doesnβt really count. But the whole thought of Alabama and Mississippi did not conjure up a positive image. And then I came down here, and I was just blown away. I mean, first of all, it was visually stunning with its rolling hills and lush greenery, and the weather was particularly nice. And it was so much more modern than I thought. All of my biases were blown away. The restaurants were pretty fantastic, too!
What came first, law or screenwriting?
Itβs funny, I feel like I have been writing and creating stories in my head for as long as I can remember, since I was a little girl, and I also always wanted to be a lawyer from a really young age. They both were always there. Itβs like the chicken or the egg; I could not tell you which came first.
Why the shift from a large law firm to an independent law firm representing artists?
I had been with a large law firm as a commercial litigator for about 12 years. And over the years, I was growing and developing the entertainment law practice on the side. I reached a point where I wanted to solely practice entertainment law. I was just ready to do something different. It seemed like time to jump off the bridge, so I did! And, honestly, it is the best decision I have ever made. I am so happy now. Itβs just incredible. Iβm so thankful.
Was it scary?
Of course, yeah! But the possible upside was too much to not even take the chance. And I have a super supportive husband, which made it all the better.
How did your interest in film begin, and when did you know that writing was your connection to film?
When I was a kid, I was a really avid reader, and my mom is a huge film buff, so I was raised on Doris Day and John Wayne and all the classics. I mean, movies were always a part of my life. And I think reading a lot and enjoying stories just naturally led me to writing stories the way Iβve always experienced them.
You also took the leap from writer to film producer. What was that like?
Yeah, you canβt wait for someone to say, βOh, you have an awesome script and we want to buy it for a million dollars!β You know, at some point, you have to take a differentΒ approach. I had been writing scripts and sending them out and trying to get an agent and all that, and it wasnβt working. It was time to do something different. And I thought, βWhy the hell not?!β So we did!
What would you say to people who want to take an exciting, yet scary, leap of their own?
I think a recent panel for aspiring filmmakers at the Sidewalk Film Festival had a really good running theme, and that was βJust Do It.β I mean, at some point, you are going to be ruled by fear and intimidation and you just have to say, βNo, Iβve had enough, and I can do this, and, if I fail, so what? At least I did it. And, if it is horrible, so what? I can learn from it.β Because thatβs the kind of mindset you have to have. You canβt go into it thinking, βIβm going to make the best short film ever. Iβm going to write a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel,β because thatβs setting yourself up for failure. My mindset was, βI just have to get something completed.β So itβs a much lower bar, but if thatβs what enables you to get it done, then thatβs the important part.
How does your legal practice inform your screenwriting and vice versa?
On a practical level, they both involve writing, whether itβs writing scripts or writing contracts. Any time youβre writing, youβre getting better as a writer. But more importantly, itβs my clients. I see what theyβre doing, their work and their art, and that inspires me. So when Iβm working as production counsel on a film and Iβm helping them do everything from getting the financing and drafting the deal memos to working with the talent and securing the locations, all the way through to seeing my name in the credits, it is such a thrilling feeling. And that really keeps me going and inspires me to keep writing. I want to do what theyβre doing. They are doing it on a daily basis. Thereβs no reason that I canβt do it.
Tell us about your film, The Sibling Code.
Itβs a comedic short about a brother and a sister whoΒ have to come together to plan a funeral. Itβs really about the dynamic relationship between siblings and this idea that siblings are both private tormentors and public protectors. For me, personally, I didnβt always get along with my brother growing up, but if a third person came in and messed with me, I knew heβd have my back, and that is what The Sibling Code is all about. It explores that theme in a really funny way, we hope. Weβre excited about it!
Whatβs the best piece of advice youβve ever been given?
Every βnoβ gets you closer to a βyes,β and I firmly believe that, because from every rejection, I learn something new and I create something better. I think it is definitely true.
Favorite thing to do on a Saturday night?
Other than Netflix on the couch with my family, probably going out to dinner with friends and family. We are fortunate to have really awesome, hilarious friends, and every time we go out with them, we just have so much fun.
Whatβs your favorite local restaurant?
How do you choose your favorite? Thatβs like asking for your favorite film or your favorite kid. Um, itβs a tie right now, either Bottega or Bettola.
Name three frivolous or lighthearted things you canβt live without.
Chocolate, sunglasses and Michigan State basketball
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Learn more about the Law Firm of Stacey A. DavisΒ and Staceyβs short film, The Sibling Code.
Thank you to Meg McKinneyΒ for the terrific pictures of Stacey in her element at the 2015 Sidewalk Film Festival in downtown Birmingham.
Lauren Helmer
Lauren Helmer is a writer, editor, and artist with a passion for food, the arts, interiors, and the people who create them.