Award-Winning Director: JAY “JVY” RICHARDSON with New Short UNCAGED
Jay Richardson was raised in Philadelphia, Jay escaped his challenging environment through basketball and YouTube, where he taught himself graphic design. While pursuing a degree in film and media, he launched “Ammo Stilo” to showcase his skills in art direction, design, and film/photography. His mantra, “LIFE IS ONLY UNDERSTOOD BACKWARDS,” drives his unconventional creativity, fueling his upcoming film and art projects.
Known for his quiet presence but loud impact, Jay became the creative director for FaZe Clan in 2022, where his innovative designs, like FaZe’s first Disney capsule, “Mickey on the Grid,” feature his signature green accents and introspective themes. He has collaborated with Nike, Adidas, Porsche, and Roc Nation, infusing his unique style element – encrypted, upside-down, introverted tropes.
Jay’s highly-anticipated Short UNCAGED premiered at Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) on February 12, 2025.
UNCAGED dives into the mental toll that young athletes face—navigating newfound opportunities, survivor’s guilt, and the conflicting social issues that linger back home.
“UNCAGED was inspired by my personal experiences as a student-athlete—being the first in my family to leave home for college and the weight of expectations that came with it,” shares Richardson. “It’s about ambition, sacrifice, and the silent struggles of young athletes beyond the game.”
With powerful storytelling and raw emotional depth, UNCAGED adds to the national conversation on mental health, sports, and identity.
Jay, known for his visually arresting and emotionally charged narratives, cites Barry Jenkins, Ryan Coogler, and Gaspar Noé as major influences. The film’s basketball sequence, he notes, was pulled directly from a pivotal moment in his life—a tribute to a close friend who pushed him toward the game but left him navigating grief and anger after his passing.
“This isn’t just a film—it’s a movement,” “My vision is to develop it into a feature film and eventually a series that explores these themes on a larger scale.”- Jay Richardson
Drawing comparisons to Spike Lee’s New York, Donald Glover’s Atlanta, and Paul Thomas Anderson’s San Fernando Valley, Richardson aims to champion Philadelphia’s stories—shedding light on its beauty, resilience, and complexity.
Tell us about growing up in Philadelphia.
Growing up in Philly made me who I am, the good and the bad, and I’m proud to be from such a city. I was fortunate to go to school outside of where I grew up, so being able to experience a new setting and culture before coming back to where I grew up gave me an advantage to some extent.
When did you discover your passion for design and film?
I would say around 8th grade is when I discovered my passion for design. One of my classmates had an older brother who had a popular brand within the city at the time. I would always ask her how he did it and started applying whatever info I could get from her and Youtube. For film, it was pretty early as I can remember since birth. I used to live with my grandparents and my grandpop was fascinated with DVD and had over a thousand my cousins and I would watch.
Tell us about work as a creative director for FaZe Clan and how this was a catalyst to collaborate with major brands.
Incredible. I’m forever for FaZe taking a chance on me and allowing me to learn. I’m a student and always approached the role of boot camp to continue strengthening my craft. I’ve learned so much and what’s required to create at a high-level and collaborate with such household brands.
What was the inspiration for UNCAGED?
Uncaged was inspired by several personal experiences as a student athlete, my first time leaving my friends and family behind/ first in my family to go away and graduate college, the mental health challenges that came with balancing expectations, survivors guilt and navigating the pressure to succeed.
The basketball scene stems directly from a moment in my life after losing a close friend (who actually pushed me to play basketball) and the encounter I had with another friend I grew up with and the mixed emotions during the moment of grief and anger.
How does UNCAGED add to the national conversation on mental health, sports, and identity?
UNCAGED highlights the often-overlooked emotional and psychological toll that young athletes face. There’s a narrative in sports that focuses on physical endurance and performance, but not enough attention is given to the internal battles
What is your mission for UNCAGED and your vision for the future?
The goal has always been to start meaningful conversations and inspire ne
w perspectives. I’m also developing more stories evolving from this proof of concept. One being a feature film and another a documentary highlighting the underlying mental health theme and mission of the film.
Uncaged Instagram: @persp3ctive.co
my personal Instagram: @thisnotJvy
The trailer can be found here: https://vimeo.com/1044173731
