The Beginning of Fragrant
The true beginning of Fragrant started with Cinnamon’s mother, Suez Smith. From a young age we can recall her heart for this industry as she started ‘Hearts for Hollywood’ and encouraged those around her to pray for celebrities and those with cultural influence. For years, she sowed seeds of prayer that rose to the throne in which God responded through her descendants like the scriptures model. We are so thankful for a prayerful mother!
As a production company owner and director, one day I found myself burning out. That was until I heard the Lord say “your burn out is because you are treating the business like it’s yours and it’s not, it’s mine.” Mic drop. He doesn’t often talk to me so articulately with words, I am more of a vision and inner-knowing kind of communicator but these words were as clear as day.
The next project that came in just so happened to be the largest budget I have ever had. I asked, '“Okay Lord, it’s your company… how would you like to allocate funds?” Like a rushing wind I immediately heard, “hire intercessors.” That was never a thought I’d ever had in my mind, I hadn’t been dreaming about it… He just responded with what would please Him. I wish I was the strong faithful son who ran head first with no questioning but I began to fight thoughts like, “They didn’t sign up for their money to spent that way… you can’t afford to loose this client, you can’t line-item “intercessor” in a commercial budget…” If He hadn’t been so clear I would have been too nervous to move forward but I took it out of our production fee and hired my buddy Darre’el to be our ‘Spiritual Advisor’ like a chaplain.
The crew was roughly 90% unbelievers, 10% believers and when I told them I hired a ‘Spiritual Advisor’ to be praying over the set, over their families, and to come hang out with us while we film… 100% of them were uncomfortable. That was until there was a joy and peace that covered the set... and a person came in with a stomach problem but felt no more pain when he drove onto the property.. and when filming a hunting scene early in the morning a live deer walked right into the perfect composition for the closing shot… or the sunrise rising perfectly down river as if we had scouted and planned to shoot that shot in the only week of the year it would look like that. I sensed the crew asking themselves, “…maybe they really do know God.” Last but not least, one of the heads from the client (whom I was so nervous to offend) asked for prayer saying, “I’m ready to believe like you guys believe… I’m ready to have faith like you guys have faith”.
That’s our beginning with Fragrant. We sought God’s heart for the production, incorporating heaven’s values on set, and the miraculous busted out by the Holy Spirit being invited and so tangibly close.
Professional sports teams have chaplains, artists and productions can now be supported spiritually as well.
On the set mentioned in the article. Darre’el Caldwell (left) was our “Spiritual Advisor” and Aiden Franklin (right) the Director and production company owner (now called Fragrant Film).
