City of Ink

We spent some time with co-owners Miya Bailey and Corey Davis of City of Ink to learn how they got started and the ways these creative tattoo entrepreneurs are making it in Atlanta.

We’re not waiting.

For six years, we have been making excuses about why we haven’t produced our breakout film and come up with countless reasons why we should hold off on executing our big ideas. In all honesty, we weren’t wrong for some of that time. It takes a lot to build the infrastructure of a film company. You need equipment, processes, a wildly creative crew, and a fine-tuned production staff.

Well, we have all that now. So, we’ve run out of excuses. Not that we’re perfect (what would be the fun in that?), but our rocket works and it’s time to launch this thing.

You should get on board.

We have already reached over a million people with our films this year. This is far more than the entirety of last year and it’s because we are putting out bigger work. We started the year with a look into the world of minor league bull riding, which just got selected to a national film festival. We then transitioned to poverty, race, and economic standing within our hometown of Athens, GA. That film has been seen by over 80% of the Athen’s population.

The spark of humanity is working.

We entered Atlanta in early January with a plan to dive head first into the city’s culture. As a starting point, we wanted to talk to people that worked at places that served as a meeting ground or crossroad for different communities. So, we looked for barbers, tattoo artists, restaurateurs, etc. Fortunately, we found them all.

Our first film is about Corey Davis and Miya Bailey. These two seem to know everyone and have the spark inside them as well.

We brought our cameras to capture the story of City of Ink. Miya Bailey started out in Asheville as a gang member slinging needle-and-thread tattoos for other gang members. His life changed when he moved to Atlanta and found a breath of fresh air and the friendship of a young artist that looked up to him. Miya credits Corey for changing his life, and together they pushed their art forward into the iconic tattoo shop that City of Ink has become.

The story doesn’t stop there.

Corey and Miya have already connected us to many tastemakers and influencers throughout the city. Atlanta films are getting put into the can faster than we can edit. And we’re so excited for what will be coming out next.

Atlanta is only the beginning.

While the Atlanta film series is poised to be some of our best work yet, our search for the big one will continue beyond the state of Georgia. We are pushing ourselves to simultaneously tell stories in other parts of the country as well.

This March one of our crews will go on a month-long expedition from Idaho to Southern California to meet up with Avalanche-Rescue Dogs, Professional Climbers, Surfers, and many more! We can’t wait to share what it looks like to go big in our beautiful western public lands. More information to come!

We hope you enjoy where we are headed. It’s time to get on board!

See more of our work here.

Posted in Originals

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