[THE KEM LAB] ORIGINAL PRODUCTION
Black background with white text that reads "A LIMITED SERIES MY UNCLE CALLS ME SPIKE."

THE STORY

Joi is a sharp, creative 16-year-old in early 2000s New Haven who doesn’t quite fit in, until a dusty camcorder, a summer arts program, and a few mixtapes flip her world upside down.

As she records the streets, the store, and the people she thought she knew, she finds her voice behind the lens, and the nickname that changes everything: SPIKE.

THE SERIES TRAILER

WHY THIS STORY NOW?

In an age where teen voices are filtered through algorithms and likes, we’re forgetting how powerful it is to simply observe, remember, and create.

My Uncle Calls Me Spike is a reminder that storytelling isn’t just survival, it’s how Black girls build futures, claim joy, and archive truth.

This series fills a gap in coming-of-age television, centering a creative Black teen not as a sidekick or trauma vessel, but as the storyteller herself.

SPIKE AT THE YALE SUMMIT

"My Uncle Calls Me Spike" series trailer debuted at the 2025 Yale Innovation Summit, and writer/director Christina Outlaw was named an Art Innovator.

The project's message was shared with over 2,400 attendees. The next step is to go into production to shoot the series pilot and pitch the series to streaming platforms for distribution.

See SPIKE page at the summit
A woman wearing a red cap holding a video camera and smiling at the camera.

Witty. Restless. Observant.

Joi doesn’t fit into anyone’s mold, and that’s her power.

She’s the oldest sibling, the quiet rebel, the film nerd who doesn’t yet have the words for what she sees.

But one summer gives her the tools and the focus to tell her story her way.

Joi is Black girlhood in motion: thoughtful, funny, a little messy, and deeply magnetic.

MEET JOI

CONCEPT IN MOTION

This story began as a personal reflection, first published in Artique Magazine, Issue 007 (2023), where it became one of the most saved and shared features of the year.

In November 2024, a heartfelt Instagram post about the origin of My Uncle Calls Me Spike sparked thousands of shares and comments, especially from educators, storytellers, and Black creatives.

THE PRODUCTION CREW

Christina Outlaw

CREATOR | DIRECTOR | WRITER

Trevaughn Grant

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Brysen Moore

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Christopher Kendrick

SOUND ENGINEER

Derek Oxley

PRODUCER \ PRODUCTION CONTENT

Carly Barnes

PRODUCER \ VISUAL CONTENT

Natacha Jean

WARDROBE STYLING

Desirée Upchurch

WARDROBE STYLING

A film crew filming a young woman standing on the sidewalk in front of a brick apartment building, with crew members recording and directing her.
Filming of a scene on a city sidewalk with a camera crew filming two women, one applying makeup or adjusting something on the other, with a professional camera mounted on a tripod, and a boom microphone operator capturing audio, trees and buildings in the background.
Group of people filming a street scene with a man speaking into a microphone, there is a woman in the background, and the street has cars, buildings, and power lines.
A woman in a camouflage jacket looking at her phone outdoors in front of a red brick building.
A man operating a professional video camera outdoors on a rainy day, with a woman looking at her phone and a man with a microphone in the background.