Black Women Making Movies

BWMM Has Moved

2010-03-05T07:58:00.000-08:00

You can find the blog's new home at http://blackwomenmakingmovies.wordpress.com

Angelique Short Film

2010-02-24T21:07:00.000-08:00

I saw a clip of this short film about a month or so ago. It's based on the true and tragic story of Marie-Joseph Angélique. A black slave women acused of burning down Montreal. She was tortured and hanged. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie-Joseph_Ang%C3%A9lique

http://www.canadianmysteries.ca/sites/angelique/accueil/indexen.html
http://www.thebukowskiagency.com/ Hanging%20of%20Angelique.htm (a book writte on the subject)
http://www.hour.ca/news/news.aspx?iIDArticle=8387

Supehero Series Created by a Black Woman

2010-02-22T19:12:00.000-08:00

I was just sent this to post on my site

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/divablue/genesis-the-beginning-the-worlds-first-team?pos=2
Teresa Dowell-Vest created her own superheroes for the AA audience. She is looking for donations to help her series get off the ground. Anyway check it out. We need all the positive images we can get.

Everyone who reads this post please spread the word by posting this on your. Sort of like a tag game. Or more precicely the Filipino Tag Game on YT. If you read it post it on your blog then send and email informing someone else and ask them to put it on theirs and so on. I guess it's also sort of like a chain. The person you send it to has to do the same with another blog, website etc. Oh and I nearly forgot you can repost this whole posting on your site. I have not problem with it.

Those who read this pass it on

Why We need to Produce Our Own Films

2010-02-21T18:24:00.000-08:00

This is why we need to make our own films. Check out who produced the film and you will understand. We have to stop letting others create images of us but us.

This one doen't look bad. I want to check this out.

This movie just rubbed me the wrong way.

Hated this movie

I love Nollywood, but at least they have love stories. They have their crazy drama, but we have jacked up drama.

What's sad is when we start emulating instead of making the films that would benefit us.

A movie about two women fighting over a man?

Many of these films though are good inspirations to make a film. Many of these films were made on very low budgets. A Good Man is Hard to Find was made for 3mill so right now that may be out of our leagues, but we can produce a decent movie for way less than that.

Movie Assignments

2010-02-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

Sorry been busy everyone, but movie assignment time Don't know the costs of these movies
Can't remember the country I think China, but not sure

Kollywood
My Favorite Kollywood movie. I love Jane Austen in any form. Well Bride and Prejudice was okay

Nepali movies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_Nepal

Uphaar is the first Nepali movie I'd ever seen. They can be crazy than what we are used, but they are hella fun. It's not in English so it's up to everyone to come up with the what you think is going on. They also have a hell of a lot of drama. Have no problem with this myself.

Uphaar

Samjhana

Now this movie is just crazy, but hella fun

Actually they remind me of those old movies with the damsel in distress about to get run over by a train and the hero comes in and saves the day. Sorry for so many, but I want everyone to see as much as they can of other movie industries from around the world. Also don't know when I might be able to post more. Hopefully soon. Just look at is a way of being exposed to new ideas.

Movie Assignments

2010-01-27T09:41:00.001-08:00

Sorry didn't put up the assignments yesterday.

No buget movie made in the U. S. they has have a vid about making no budget movies

Nollywood

Watch Watch Watch Just Remember to Detox

2010-01-25T16:34:00.001-08:00

For a few weeks I've been watching no/low budget African American movies to low budget scifi. Many aren't great. The point though is to see what many have done with the no budgets and low budgets they have been given. I've also been watching no/low budget movies that not geared to AAs as well. I watched a movie all though low budget to Hollywood standards and maybe not so for independents french action film District 13 or Banlieue 13 €12mill or around 17mill USD. I keep a list of movies (I make it myself) of movies and their budgets. Now I will say that after watching crap movies (not all are and many aren't that loveable fun cheesy campy fun either)you have to seriously detox yourself. I'm serious ya'll! Watching a crap movie makes you want to ring your neck and get your tortured now derranged ghost to heat the oven and stick your head in it.lol Some of these movies are like dead Armadillo. They stink. If you don't believe me watch Vampyiaz.lol Then there are the ones that are good even though the production values don't look topnotch. There are also movies like Facing the Giants, Monsoon Wedding (shot in India) and many other no/low budget movies that you don't feel like you are watching a movie that has a no/low budget.

Then there are movies that are cute

boy why can't we make movies like this. It might not be some big Hollywood romance drama, but It's still one of my faves.

I would also say if you get a chance watch movies from Korea, Japan etc. especially the love stories (I know.lol)but many are too cute.lol Also watch movies that are more outside of the commericial arena.

And Remember that bfilm just means budget film it doesn't mean bad.

Wanna Make a Movie in 2 Weeks

2010-01-21T10:56:00.000-08:00

check out the 2 week film challenge called 2wkfilm http://www.royalbaronialtheatre.com/ http://support.technorati.com/videos/article/twitter-inspires-feature-filmmaking-2wkfilm/

Movie Viewing Assignments #2

2010-01-19T09:03:00.000-08:00

Nollywood

Made for 400k British pounds

Haiti

Kano, Nigeria known as Kanywood
I am going to warn you now that you have to remember that the culture is different so the marriages are going to be different etc.

Afghan

Nepal

Okay I am thinking of making these assignments private. I think I will make a private forum for viewing assignments and possibly for film assignments if I decide to have a collab. I will create the private blog and post an annoucement here as well as other places and those interested please email to be joined to the group.

What's up Hollywood? Why No Black Women Interracial Movies?

2010-01-18T19:23:00.001-08:00

We should also have more films such as Something New. There are so many stories that could be told from the past, the present and even the future. All of these black women white men/non-bm romance novels and we don't have more IR movies even if they are straight to video? Everyone look at these photos from Jet Magazine on Black Women IR in the freaking 50's.
http://evolvingslices.typepad.com/.a/6a00e554e3a2a588340120a7b7aa64970b-popup
http://evolvingslices.typepad.com/.a/6a00e554e3a2a588340120a7b80c2f970b-popup
You can read her article at http://www.blackfemaleinterracialmarriage.com/2010/01/bfim-gazette-bwwm-marriages-are-not-new-at-all-and-will-greatly-increase.html I've been wanting to write a story about an IR (that isn't tragic) between a black woman and a white man and doing the research on such unions is hard. It's hard to believe that in a country where people barely listen to their own laws that there wouldn't have been those that defied. Richard vs. Loving anyone.

Okay so I know that something New made back $11 mill or so, but there could at least be straight to dvd features. Hollywood does it all the time. When a movie doesn't do as well at the boxoffice (and I guess does do okay on vid)then they will make a movie that is about the same production budget as what was made on the first movie. Check out Dungeons & Dragons and then Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God, Mimic and countless other movies. So why hasn't this been done with black women IR films. And I'm not talking about movies that are straight to video that you feel it's straight to video movie. Now yes some of these movies are made to be cheapies. Movies such as Soul of the Game, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (yes made for tv by HBO)as well as other films by HBO made you feel like these movies should have been in the theater whether they were about white, black etc.

So why haven't features been made? There are so many black women IR novels it's ridiculous. New books are coming out everyday so what's up? If it's budget I am so for a movie that is the budget of a teen movie or movie with unknowns just as long as we get some decent movies.

In a later post I will post budgets of movies.

Movie Viewing Assignments

2010-01-12T11:20:00.000-08:00

Movie assignments to watch. I think I will do this every week. Everyone must watch the films within a the alloted week and write thoughts on the movies as well as what you think we could do to make our own films. Right now I am posting Nollywood, Ghollywood, I'm also going to be assigning other African films from industries like Nwood as well as movies like Sia the Myth of the Python. I also will be assigning films from Haiti etc. I will also be assigning movies from other continents/countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India etc.

Nollywood (Amstel Malta Boxoffice, basically it's a program where contestants compete to become the next Nollywood Star (there was actually a show by that name as well) Anyway every season there is a winner and they get a lead role in a movie produced by Amstel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSy5C-dCzYs

Ghana
Beyonce President's Daughter

The Return of Beyonce

Princess Tyra if you can find it.

Diversity in Our Movies

2010-01-12T11:01:00.001-08:00

I like this article about how black films need to be not only diverse with black stories, but with people as well. http://www.eurthisnthat.com/2009/02/19/now-is-the-time-for-black-filmmakers-to-step-outside-the-box/ I have to admit. I have been wondering about this as well. I mean yeah it's cool to have black films like Soul Food etc. but we also need to have movies that have not only diverse black people. We also need diverse groups who aren't black as well and also who aren't African American. There are many types of black people within the African American community, but also within the world as well. And that goes for other races as well. Being what the situation for Black Women's image in America mostly black America this might be something we should be looking into. Seriously we need to get out of movies like Diary of a Mad Black Woman and Diary of a Tired Black Man (Seriously?). Yes Precious is a good movie, but is that what we really want to show of Black America and black women. I'm not saying that those movies should never be made, but we don't have many diverse stories and images as it is now. I've often talked to black people who don't understand why black people get upset with our images and say, but white people show the same etc. White people also see movies that are comedies, dramas, dramadies and countless other images. They might have those gangster type movies, but they also have love stories. Just look at the old studio system. Certain studios were known for producing certain genres so you still had more diversity. White people have a diverse image as does many other movie industries such as Nollywood, Bollywood etc. Black Americans image tends to be either hood, comedy, or jacked up drama.

And seriously can we get out of the inner city and the city all together. I mean damn not every black person ever lived in a city, the hood, or even a suburb, are going through baby mama drama etc. Many black people lived on farms and have had many other diverse lifestyles as much as any other group of people. Just watching history of old race films and it just saddens me how far we he degressed when it comes to films and our image.

2010-01-06T19:52:00.000-08:00

A pretty cool vid on Nollywood.

Snoop Dogg - 'Male Oprah' Ambition!

2009-12-31T02:31:00.000-08:00

Snoop Dogg - 'Male Oprah' Ambition!

Is he serious? Do we really want this man to be a replacement for Oprah?

Is it Possible to Create a New Industry?

2009-12-23T15:30:00.001-08:00

http://www.superhighmemovie.com/share/rollyourown/
http://www.videomaker.com/article/13882/
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how_to/4216446.html
http://filmlinker.com/blog/2009/06/diy-screenings-distribution/
http://mobmov.org/manifesto/
http://web.archive.org/web/20080229114135/http://www.guerilladrivein.org/start-your-own.html
http://www.driveinworkshop.com/

I have been looking up ways for distributing movies especially on the big screen. One way is four walling where a filmmaker rents the four walls of a theater. The creator Tom Laughlin Billy Jack movies changed the business of how Hollywood after creating the four-walling formula because. He was not happy with how the studios treated his movie so he went out and showed them himself by renting the theater. Now Hollywood does it on a large scale. http://www.doubletongued.org/index.php/dictionary/fourwall/

There are Guerilla Drive in movies
http://www.podcastingnews.com/2008/07/15/mobmov-dedicated-to-guerilla-drive-in-movies/

So many ways to show movies. The one that really impressed me is
http://www.superhighmemovie.com/share/rollyourown/ now imagine if this was done as a business model especially for a film industry separate of Hollywood. Can you imagine what these people could have done if they haf used this as a business model? I mean seriously they could be some major competition for Hollywood by creating a whole new film industry.

These people also have a cool idea as well http://foureyedmonsters.com/love-o-meter/

I also have been thinking about the idea of screening films at schools auditoriums. Some schools even have theaters as do hotels. Also hotel conference rooms somewhat like what the films festival and other independent filmmakers use. There have also been screenings in art galleries. locally owned, non profit or independent theaters, theatres etc. I have been thinking on this quite some time and trying to see how it could work.

I've always had this thought that the drive in theater or other indie theaters could have changed racial and many other views in America by having it geared to everyone unlike Hollywood. Many movies at the drive in were movies that would not have made it in Hollywood (before Hollywood discovered they could make money with most those these genres especially what is considered the bfilm by todays standards)let alone most multiplexes. Night of the Living Dead etc. While black Americans had Blaxploitation movies (which weren't called that at the time)white Americans had Hicksploitation that mostly showed at Drive in Theaters. Many were crazy. Some were about showing skin, some horror and movies such as Smokey and the Bandit etc. Giving as said before many Americans (mostly southern whites) heroes that they would never see in Hollywood and could relate to. http://www.briansdriveintheater.com/index.html (I know I know b-movies) So they found an alternative the drive in and other places to show their movies. These movies created heroes that would not have been in the mainstream. Everytime I watch docus on America and Americana such as the ones either http://www.usanetwork.com/characterproject/ I realize how much we don't relate to most of what Hollywood has. Now that's funny isn't it. Old Hollywood was a dream factory, but they managed to tell stories that others could relate to. Yes many were in New York mainly telling stories of immigrants and their trials in coping with living in a country that looked down on them and also coming to a new country and having your dreams squashed when they saw the realities of the life in the U. S., but they also made movies set in the west, east, north etc. They had movies that were set all over. Todays movies seem to be only about California or New York. There was an American documentary about Americans in which a black gospel singer for the Mississipi Mass choir was portrayed (now deceased) wonderful documentary that made you want to see more.

For the USA American Character Project. Didn't post the video becauset there are many of them on Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFX0ti0fTUs

A really cool site is http://www.backyardtheater.com/
Sorry some of this is ranty.lol

If anyone has any ideas please feel free to post them.

A Wake in Providence

2009-12-02T19:30:00.000-08:00

Starring Victoria Rowell

Vinent Pagano

"Anthony (Vincent Pagano) is a white fledging actor who is in a happy relationship with Alissa (Victoria Rowell), who is beautiful, gainfully employed, and black. In spite of being sharply reminded that it has been 30 years since Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Anthony is reluctant to introduce her to his large traditional-minded family. Yet when Alissa does accompany Anthony home when his grandfather dies, he learns that race is only one of many issues this eccentric family contends with; two of Anthony's cousins are under the mistaken belief that they are wanted by the mob, his uncle talks endlessly about his testicles, and his aunt takes Alissa aside and tells her that the only way to survive in this wacky family is to drink. A Wake in Providence was screened at the 1999 Boston Film Festival."
http://www.fye.com/samgoody-is-now-fye-com_stcVVcatId542418VVviewcat.htmA-Wake-in-Providence-Occult-Horror_stcVVproductId5293181VVcatId457014VVviewprod.htm

I watched this movie last night on Netflix and absolutely loved it. I can't believe this movie has such little exposure. It's sure better than most of the drivel out there posing as feature films. I loved Victoria Rowell and Vincent Pagano (what a hottie). I'm definatetly watching this move again.

The Picture Perfect Ghanian Movie Produced by a Black Woman

2009-11-25T19:45:00.000-08:00

Produced by a black woman. This is what I am saying. Yes there are some scenes that go on a little long at times, but I like the movie. This is what we need to be doing. This woman is making movies for African audiences. What I like about this like I like what Stephanie is doing as well is that these women are taking the power they have to improve and take control of women's images in the media. For all of those out there check this movie out if you are able to.

I'm also thinking about making a sort of assignment of films to watch from industries such as Nollywood, Ghana, Kano etc. as well as industries such as Bollywood. Not sure though. I want people to get a grasp on how these industries make their films etc. and how we could do the same. And yes they have their flaws, but as I have noted before they have a industry to improve upon. Do we want to be people complaining about Hollywood and it's portrayal of bw or how they barely cast us in the first place or do we want to get out there and portray our own selves and cast ourselves? Do we want to wait for someone to approve of what's greenlighted based on their notion of black people let alone black women or do we want to have the power to greenlight our own movies?

The Amazing Grace produced by a Nollywood filmmaker Jeta Amata (not produced by a black wmen), I liked this movie. There are comments like Sankofa (which I do love, great film) is better etc, this movie is diluted or watered down etc., but I think this is a great movie. I think they both have their own merits. This movie was made for around 400k on 35mm. Anyways I give Jeta Amata kudos for making this beautiful film.

Chat Experiment

2009-11-21T13:20:00.000-08:00

Okay so I'm experimenting with chats. I have two chats in the blogs. I want to see which one everyone likes. Now I can't really post the chats on the blog, because it cuts stuff off. So one is a link to a chat and the other while it is uploaded in the blog has a floating window option. I also might have to make a link to put the other chat with the floating option on another site. When I have it on the site it takes a way the other gadgets I have on the blog.

Anyways everyone check them out and tell me what you think. If you have any ideas for other chats (free) then please tell me.

New Screenwriting Chat

2009-11-12T19:09:00.000-08:00

Check out a new screenwriting chat at chatroll.
Just to let you know I just started a chat since the site no longer has one. http://chatroll.com/fade-in-fade-out

FilmmakingCentral Episode 9 – Distribution Podcast with Maverick Entertainment Chief

2009-11-10T10:38:00.001-08:00

This is a very good discussion on distribution from the founder of the distribution company Maverick Entertainment. http://www.maverickent.cc Yes I know many of the movies aren't always the best, but Mavericks gives indies a chance especially black, latino etc. filmmakers. It's also good to understand the distribution world.

FilmmakingCentral Episode 9 – Distribution Podcast with Maverick Entertainment Chief

I'm a Warrior Queen La La La La

2009-10-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

Okay yes I have issues.lol This is what we should be doing. Seriously I remember the creator of mayhem aka Grafikdon at http://www.naijarules.com check it out. It's so cool that someone is working on creating animated movies and series by Africans for Africans. We cannot say that it can't be done.

Check out http://www.mayhemproductions.org/
a past movie Chika: The Rite of Perdition
http://www.amazon.com/Chika-The-Rite-of-Perdition/dp/B000BTM0NA

How Exposure Can Change Perceptions of Desirability

2009-10-13T22:05:00.001-07:00

Shahrukh Khan

Kajol

Shahrukh and Kajol starring in

Have you ever seen a movie from another country and it ruined you on Hollywood films or a Hollywood film in particular. Take for instance the thief of baghdad. I loved that movie as a child even a teen and even in my early 20's around 19/20 ish. That is until I watched my very first Bollywood musical(s) and other Indian cinema as wel as movies from Turkey, Macedonia and countless movies from around the world and all of that flew out the window. Now I can't even look at it. Now I know Bagdhad is in another country now Iran, but anyway you get my point. I just find it hard to believe that the people in the movie represent Indians or Arabians. It's like when you watch a movie that is about martial arts pre Bruce Lee in America and then watch Hong Kong cinema and you are like yeah the hell right.lol

As I mentioned above about Bollywood turning me off of Thief of Baghdad this goes for seeing someone romantically, but instead of turning you off it turns you on (get your mind out the gutta yau'll.lol) What I mean is that when you see a woman or a man in a romantic role (that is good or that the person has chemistry, stage presence to pull you in which I do feel most Hollywood stars are lacking these days) you see that person as desirable.

Case in point My first actual Bollywood film was an SRK movie that played on TCM that I stayed up from 12:ooam to 4:am to watch which was Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. Great movie one of my favorites by the way. Anyway in the beginning I didn't see him as hot, but it was just something about him that made me kind of fall fall for him. Not to mention it was just a cute movie and ooh a fight scene at the end where he fights for his girl Kajol (whom I love). But that is when I realized especially with Kajol is that I saw Indians in a different light (we don't really see most on American movies and TV especially then 01/02 etc. and the ones who did were usually sterotypical roles.) It wasn't until I saw a film made by Indians for Indians that it really hit me. What really made me fall in love with SRK was Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham another one of my favorites. That movie really did it for me and I was hooked on Bollywood. They have a standard of beauty that can parallel Hollywood (sad to say especially some of these new films, plus there are other Indian cinema that are un Bollywood, Kollywood etc. like regional cinemal, but in a way too it also made me appreciate the beauty of Indians whatever shade. Seriously that the dark skinned warrior in the war scene of Ashoka with the long hair and the symbol on his head was hot as hell!!!!!!

I went Bollywood crazy and loved http://www.bollywhat.com/ (premier on bollywood for those not in the know) and http://www.planetbollywood.com/ before I'd ever seen one, but had heard about them. I discovered that my local library had many Bollywood movies like Anand. I had seen Amitabh Bachan in K3G and thought wow what a good looking older man and he's like 60. I wanted to watch more movies, because I knew he was a big star and had many films under his belt. Anyways watched Anand and that was it I was in love with Amitabh Bachan.lol

The reason I also think this made the impression it did is because Bollywood films can show some romance in movies you wouldn't believe (now some can be cheesy, but you feel more than you do with some Hollywood movies)Hollywood romcoms or romantic movies at times get remade (illegally sometimes), but to me it's sad when a film industry with a 3rd of the budget of a big Hollywood movie can remake a film from Hollywood and make it better, and more romantic than most of the films that are made here today. Seriously think about it. the old studio system to about the 60's 70's and maybe even 80's when you had romance or any kind of drama you felt the people now it's just like okay. You might not know what you're missing, but you know you're missing it. Then you watch a Bollywood remake of the same movie and it's like oh yeah the romance and the drama.lol

Another example I am going to use is Nollywood. Nollywood has actresses (huge stars) such as Genevieve Nnaji, Stephanie Okereke (made her own movie where she was the love interest of a WM, because she can being that it was her movie)Regina Askia and many others who are big I mean huge stars in Nigeria and many parts of Africa. Many of these stars are known outside of Africa and are seen as beautiful and desirable because of the parts they play. The movies are not always the best movies or have the best roles for women, but watching them makes you really appreciate the stars and actresses who haven't reached star level yet especially the finominal ones this goes for actors as well. This also goes for Gollywood too.

http://sangraneth.blogspot.com/2007/10/why-arent-there-more-black-cheerleaders.html had a discussion on how there is a lack of black cheerleaders. This can also go for pageants, movie roles etc. were black women are seen as desirable. There were many ideas from income to black women just not being interested. There was a comment that really sang out to me by Sangraneth

"By not even attempting to increase black female representation in "feminine" or attractive, desirable roles such as cheerleading, black women are giving up the chance to REPRESENT themselves as attractive and desirable.

Simply put, if bw aren't even willing to portray themselves as feminine and attractive, how can they complain if the media and society does not see them as feminine and attractive?"

And that's my point of the post. Images where men/women are seen as desirable can change someones perspective. I have a hard time watching a movie like the Thief of Bagdad, because I want to see the people that would have really been in the story. Not some American Hollywood ideal of beauty. I also think that these films made Americans and others see actresses like Kajol, Ash and many other actresses and actors as desirable. We need to start making movies, tv shows whatever were we are seen as desirable. We are always upset that we are seen as undesirable or not shown in a positive light, but like Sangraneth said if we don't do the work that we need to do to change people's perspectives then how can we complain?

More Goodies for Ya

2009-09-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

Really good vids on Low Budget Filmmaking

I've just discovered some pretty cool free web-based or browser based screenwriting software.

http://www.scripped.com/
http://www.zhura.com/
https://adobeshuhpoonu.adobe.com/
http://www.plotbot.com/
http://www.fivesprockets.com/
http://www.scriptbuddy.com/ (Actually I've known of this one for years, but now you have to pay for it in order to get better features. You can only have one script at a time with limited features)

The others I joined all last night. I am still learning the programs. I used Scripped to write a short for my Production II class. Anyways so far this program has proved to be pretty good. Next I'm working on ideas to try on the others.

Now I'm looking for web based free budgeting and scheduling software. Don't know if there are any available.

Sorry everyone for not posting as much, I have school and production 2 class. I hope to post more.

Lack of Black Women Representation

2009-09-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

It's sad that black actresses have such a hard time in movie industries all over. We really need to create an industry that black actresses can look to. This goes for the lack of representation of black women models as well. You know what's even more sad? There are so many beautiful black women are actresses and models and yet rarely get any type of exposure or at least not adequate. Viola Davis went to Juilliard. Julliard for goodness sakes!!!!! You know she had to be great in order to get in. Hollywood has this way of tricking us into thinking changes are being made when it's just the same old same old. Hollywood will waste the talents of the actresses by giving them parts here and there. This is what I think happened to actresses like Angela Bassett, Vivica A. Fox and countless black actresses who have unfortunately graced the screen of Hollyweird. That is really why I have mixed feelings about black actresses joining guilds like SAG /AFTRA (which don't like to tell them, hell most actors at that) that you may make more, but get less jobs where as non union get more jobs(this goes for equity (theatre) as well), but can make less. Plus what It would cost to cast huge stars or actors period with SAG. I think that's why there were actors/actresses that didn't want to join SAG when AFTRA became a part of SAG. Many new they had a hard time even with AFTRA is was really going to be hard with SAG.

I understand why you need the unions, but many actors and actresses I know didn't renew with AFTRA before SAG because they saw no point in paying dues when they barely got work. I think they are like any other business. They will exploit black people. A black actor or actress gets a part and then they show look that person is doing well so people keep renewing, but much of the same keeps happening. Nothing or almost nothing. Not to mention SAG has that limited agreement. You get SAG actors scale, but you can only show it in a limited number of days/places etc. I don't know I just know that I don't want to be a part of some of these unions and Since AFTRA.

This also goes to the discussion on the lack of black women models as well.joined SAG that pretty much sucks. I think frankly we would have to start a union separate of SAG/AFTRA. Frankly I would rather just start the way Nollywood started without any of the BS, plus we could discover new talent, but we would need representation at the same time.

Don't Complain Compete

2009-09-09T03:47:00.001-07:00

http://www.micheauxfoundation.com/ceomessage/arcmessage1.html
http://www.micheauxfoundation.com/ceomessage.html

This is a non-profit I've known of for a while. I remember reading that message on the OSB board. I was so estatic to someone finally said what I had been thinking. We need to stop waiting on Hollywood and just do it ourselves.

For those who don't know who Oscar Micheaux was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Micheaux her was the Spike Lee of the black film industry that black people ran up into the 1950's maybe 40's.

DIY Cheapo Filmmaking

2009-08-30T09:39:00.001-07:00

How to Aquire Your Filmmaking Equipment for $750 USD article
http://downtownwestcliffe.com/socofilm/750dollars.htm

http://www.stormforcepictures.com/
http://www.microfilmmaker.com/
http://www.indieclub.com/
http://www.indietalk.com/
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/
http://hv20.com/
http://forum.fanfilmsforum.com/
http://fxhome.com/
http://likeastory.com/
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/
http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/
http://www.digitalcinemapictures.com/
http://www.nobudgetfilmschool.com/

http://www.ehow.com/how_5045422_make-low-budget-movie.html

http://filmmakeriq.com/general/featured/202-diy-filmmaking-tutorials.html

Other Lighting
http://www.scottspears.net/Lowbudgetinglighting.htm
http://takezer0.com/2009/01/low-budget-lighting.html
http://www.internetvideomag.com/articles2003/LowBudgetLighting.htm
http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?t=20501&highlight=lighting
http://www.sublime-light.com/index.php/2007/08/10/diy-make-your-own-light-reflector-for-5/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7762644@N04/2519135991
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickwheeleroz/3591329425/
http://www.lighting-academy.com/index.php?id=691&L=1
http://www.diyphotography.net/homestudio/blz/soft-panel-frame-design
http://www.rockfordimages.com/outdoordiffuser.htmed-for-hotlight
http://www.diyphotography.net/homestudio/blz/soft-light-panel-frame
http://www.diyphotography.net/homestudio/blz/cheap-diy-reflector-stand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bri3rP5nT7k P1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWQWyQgOb5Q P2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTN2rSIG1iQ P3

Sound
http://www.dvuser.co.uk/content.php?CID=6
http://www.uwm.edu/~type/audio-reports/DIY_NT4_3inchPVC_ShockZep/DIY_NT4_3inchPVC_ShockZep.html
http://www.wiremonkey.com/index2.html
http://www.wiremonkey.com/index2.html
http://www.wiremonkey.com/index2.html
http://www.wiremonkey.com/index2.html
http://www.cartala.com/micboom.php
http://www.instructables.com/id/Microphone-Blimp/
http://www.videomaker.com/article/14073/
http://www.videomaker.com/article/14073/2/
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/963275/diy_microphone_blimp/
http://www.microfilmmaker.com/tipstrick/Issue8/shotwind.html
http://martinpaling.com/articles/home-made-microphone-windshield/

http://www.basslinedigital.com/learning/tutorials/appleboxes/

Costume (told you guys I have weird tastes.lol)
scifi/actiony ish

http://www.indymogul.com/backyardfx/episode/BFX_20080825
http://www.padawansguide.com/
http://www.tk409.com/tk409.html
http://www.studiocreations.com/howto/index.html
http://community.livejournal.com/steamfashion
http://www.mcp-concepts.com/works/works-stargate-costume.htm
http://www.sg-soc.com/
http://www.sithvixen.com/
http://www.cosplay.com/costumes/
http://www.instructables.com/id/CloroxBot-Recycled-Giant-Robot-Costume!/
http://triggur.org/costume/mech/
http://www.cosplaylab.com/contests/winners/index.asp
http://thecostumer.today.com/
http://www.angelfire.com/pa2/jdoud/costume.html
http://www.threadbanger.com/episode/THR_20080829
http://www.hi-impact.org/
http://filmmakeriq.com/production/costume-design/halo-armor-diy-master-chief.html
http://www.bobafettfanclub.com/manual/costume/
http://kellilla.com/me/costuming/
http://www.browncoats.com/index.php?ContentID=42ea91a36257b
http://browncoats.com/gallery/Fan-Made-Costumes?page=1

Reg
http://www.newenglandfilm.com/magazine/2009/06/costumes
http://www.debsrecycledsewingpatterns.com/Main/index.shtml
https://sewing.patternreview.com/
http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/reviewgallery.pl
http://www.ericabunker.com/2007_08_01_archive.html
http://thesewingdivas.wordpress.com/2006/07/04/knock-off-dress/
http://www.kerry-litka.com/main/wordpress/2009/06/25/whats-black-and-white-and-lime-green-all-over/

locations
http://www.ehow.com/how_2129154_freebie-locations-nobudget-filmmaking.html
http://www.rivalquest.com/guerilla/

Other DIY
http://filmlinker.com/blog/2007/11/diy-filmmaking-make-your-own-equipment-tools/
http://www.vfx.co.nz/build.html sites
http://www.diyfilmgear.blogspot.com/
http://www.dvcamerarigs.com/

Fog Chiller
http://www.gotfog.com/fog_machine_chiller.html
http://www.geocities.com/liemavick/Fogchiller.html
http://www.hauntproject.com/projdetail.asp?category=Fog
http://www.wildrice.com/Halloween/Construction/FogChiller/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Multi_Color_LED_Fog_Spreader/
http://www.kickthefog.com/chiller.htm
http://www.halloweenforum.com/general-halloween/77556-fog-chiller-question.html
http://www.instructables.com/id/SHTC0KTF7OAIFJ2/
http://www.kennymester.com/fogchill.htm
http://www.finkbuilt.com/blog/diy-fog-screen/
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/408511/how_to_make_your_own_fog_chiller.html?cat=30
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=166432.0
http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=HALLOW07

Graveyard
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/380010/diy_haunted_halloween_graveyard_for.html?cat=30
http://www.hauntedwisconsin.com/information/links/diy/
http://www.squidoo.com/halloweengraveyards

Low budget Screenplay
http://www.freelancewriting.com/articles/writing-low-budget-screenplays-that-sell.php
http://www.blackmeadow.com/2008/06/writing-a-low-budget-screenplay-that
http://www.ehow.com/how_2054832_cut-production-costs-screenplay.html
http://www.online-communicator.com/scriptip.html
http://screenplay.com.au/articles/low_budget_hc_tip.htm
http://ezinearticles.com/?Low-Budget-Screenplays---From-Blank-Screen-to-the-Silver-Screen&id=2489271
http://www.writemovies.com/article_glenn.htm

There is a book Planning the Low-Budget Film by Robert Latham Brown
Film & Video Budgets Deke Simon and Michael Wiese
Here are the budget spreadsheets from the book
http://shop.mwp.com/pages/film-making-resources/

http://www.reelgrok.com/file.cfm?CurrentPage=1&search_filter=budget (from what I've seen I think you have to pay for them)

Sorry this is a long post. I will find more to post.

Film Funding

2009-08-23T21:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.ehow.com/how_2110501_raise-money-independent-film.html
http://www.microfilmmaker.com/tipstrick/Issue17/FundRai1.html
http://www.ehow.com/video_4395526_what-budget-first-time-film.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,804696,00.html
http://www.sistersincinema.com/info/faq_fundraising.html
http://www.newenglandfilm.com/news/archives/98july/funding.htm
http://www.newenglandfilm.com/magazine/2009/06/slayers
http://www.newenglandfilm.com/magazine/archives/2009/01/fundraising

The Art of Film Funding: Alternative Financing Concepts by Carole Lee Dean
Shaking The Money Tree, 2nd Edition: How to Get Grants and Donations for Film and Video by Morrie Warshawski
Filmmakers and Financing, Fifth Edition: Business Plans for Independents by Louise Levison

Here's some info about film funding. Hopes this helps. I will try to post more.

Learning About Film Budgets Can Help us Create an Industry

2009-08-16T23:04:00.000-07:00

I love to find out budgets of movies especially the low budget ones. I have to say I do love to find out what black movies like Nora's Hair Salon, Nora's Hair Salon II, A Good Man is Hard to Find (that's another post all together), Phat Girlz, Love for Sale even TP's movies. I also watch movies from http://www.theasylum.cc/ (which can be very bad.lol but I have a weird love for bad genre films)also http://www.maverickentertainment.cc/ which is where you get movies like Nora's Hair salon etc. (but we all need our starting point.lol this goes for York as well) http://yorkentertainment.com/ Also Bollywood movies like Bride and Prejudice (more of a Bollywood Hollywood collaboration which was around 7mill. A movie like Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham around 7mill USD. Yes filmed in India, but I think we could film movies for the same. And Seriously a 7mill movie that is around 3 hours and 25min. and Hollywood can't even do that with 150mill.lol. Movies like El Mariachi which cost $7k, but ended up being 250k or so in post (but just getting in the can and distributed the way RR intended would have been around 7k maybe a little more but not $250k) I actually make a list of movies and go to http://www.imdb.com/search http://www.boxofficemojo.com/ or http://www.mooviees.com/
http://www.scriptsecrets.net/articles/blockb1.htm
http://www.scriptsecrets.net/articles/blockb2.htm

I would also got to some famous celebrities imdb pages and see in their bio how much they got paid for a particular movie (not all have this)and then subtract that from the budget.

Also tax incentives
http://www.slate.com/id/2117309 I can't remember if some of this has stopped, but Hollywood finds all kinds of tricks as do indies.

Filmmakers also have to be careful when you hear that a movie was made for free or on nobudget/lowbudget. Many get euipment, actors etc. for free/deferred or low pay. What many don't realize is if you started paying for these things then the movie would be higher. This can be deceptive because many forgot that the actors aren't getting paid or they are getting low pay.

I also think it's very important that filmmakers, writers etc. watch movies from the classics to international. It amazes me how many people don't watch movies other than Hollywood. Just watch movies period.

My blog is about making a film industry that is not a part of Hollywood literally starting from scratch. Anyways that being said those who are interested in Hollywood are going to have to realize that as black filmmakers making predominately black films you are going to get low budgets (there is nothing wrong with that it makes sense. Most of black films make around 40-50mill or so back so don't expect 50mill)that being said many black filmmakers in Hollywood get upset about the fact that they get around 3-19 maybe 20mill for a film mostly the films are cheaper than $20mill. We can make really good films on low budgets. Tyler Perry has proven that films can be made for low-budgets and make a good amount of money back (not into his films that much, but I do have to give him the credit.) Hell a movie like Bride and Prejudice puts us to shame. Not only was it made for around $7mill, but it was around 2hours (the hindi version I believe)shorter for the U. S. version and it has musical numbers/lavish sets etc. The teen movie Drive Me Crazy cost around $8mill. 10 Things I hate About You cost around $16mill. She's All That cost around $10mill. I know teen films, but many were shot on lower budgets (which are usually the budgets black movies get anyway.) More grown up market films like The Wedding was made for $15,000,000 or Under the Tuscan Sun and reduce the 5mill Diane Lane was paid and it becomes even lower. What I'm saying is that we could take these budgets and make great films that people would want to see.

Black Women and WM in Movies in Predominately Black Settings

2009-08-09T15:27:00.001-07:00

http://www.blogtelevision.net/ The design of the website is pleasing to the eye. The colors are eye catching and gain the attention of the viewer. Searching through the website is as easy as turning on the television. The website is very well put together with contact information being one of the first things you see as well as the 5 months free package.

Blog Television has a partnership with direct TV. The 5 months free premiere package comes with 265+ channels free when you get NFL Sunday Ticket for only $59.99/month for 5 months. There are also other good packages to choose from that might interest the viewer or the family. This way the viewer can choose a package that fits them. There are such a wide variety of channels for different interests. Viewers will be able to watch shows, movies and countless other programs that they would other wise not be able to see if they didn't have Direct TV. Got to http://www.blogtelevision.net/ for more information.

http://www.blogtelevision.net/

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http://zabethblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/are-they-hatin-on-black-girl.html and Marshana my reply about Marshana on the Bachelor

"But anyways has anyone noticed that movies with white men and other non-black men (just added that) going to the bahamas, Africa etc for visiting or living there always seem to be with white women even though the majority is black or other non-bw/poc women. Take case in point a white man lives in Jamaica or the carribean or something ( I know other races are there, but if the movies has the man surrounded with nothing, but black people then what gives?) Case in point The Paradise Virus yes corney diease is going to kill everyone if we don't find a cure fast b-film, but still. First you have Lorenzo Lamas who lives in a country filled with it appears majority of black people yet he doesn't have a black wife, girlfriend nothing. Then you have Ralf Moeller (the man coming out of that water was like woa!!!! hmmm) anyways the dudes been there like forever. Now I know he was a man of g, (can't remember if he was a priest), but why not have a black wife/ biracial family if he is not a priest. (And believe me that would have made by day(besides T. J. Storm he was the main reason I watched Conan.lol) Lets not forget that Tarzan the 1996 Joe Lara series ( yeah I know Tarzan, hey I was a kid and the Tarzan and the brotha on the show were two hot guys)anyways there no way that dude spent all those years around sistahs (whom he mostly I presume saw all of his life) and hooks up with Jane.

I've noticed in these movies/tv shows that the man somehow ends up with a ww (nothing against them), but if a dude ended up in Ireland etc. he would be with an Irish woman like that movie Irish Jam with Eddie Griffin, Hill Harper movie The Nephew , or if he was in Asia and Asian woman Bollywood Hero with Chris Kattan, Mexico etc., as well as countless other movies whether they are straight to video, small screen or big screen.as well as countless other movies whether they are straight to video, small screen or big screen. Yet when the man is in an environment filled with a majority of or nothing but black people he doesn't seem to have any romance going on with the bw there. Now you can't say this about Hotel Rwanda because there was Joaquin Phoenix and the African Girl that he had to leave and probably a lot of other movies. But from what I've seen it's mostly ww/wm in a mostly black enviroment getting together."

I also made a similar comment on another blog (can't remember which blog) anyways I added that the woman that the guy ends up with in the movies are the zany, spunky, sparky, hippy chick, teacher/missionary/adventurer that comes in to save all the little ghetto children, find the lost treasure of whatever and tells the guy essentially how much dudes are loosers or are chauvanist etc. This also applies to the hippy chick, spunky, zany teacher who or even sweet angelical teacher who goes in to teach and save all the little downtrodden African children (believe me Africans notice this image of themselves as a people in the media)

On my new add with movies like Best of the Best is because how the movie started off you would have expected to see more interaction with the black community and possibly having to working with them. For anyone who hasn't seen it watch it and see what I mean.

There are Hollywood or A list films that do this mos def. but I think it's definately sad state when no budget/low budget movies do this. It's sad that even in the indie world you can't show a bw/non bm romance.

Independent and Webseries TV Part II

2009-08-06T21:08:00.001-07:00

I'm going to also mention I loved watching Stark Trek Hidden Frontier as well as Star Trek New Voyages, Star Trek Starship Exeter
Okay and that gets me on fan films and fan film series
Doctor Who

a little too much music etc. but kids mad their own 2 seasons of a show.
There are a group of kids who went to school together and made shorts etc. and they also would make productions of their own doctor who series and work with each other etc. Pretty good idea. Anyways one of those kids ended is Tony Coburn I believe in the New Harry Potter movie. I think he's since taken his series down, but he does great vids. He also does parodies.

Then there are others

what got them was the budget etc., but look at this by no/low budget filmmakers

http://www.hgpdoc9.com/

Of course we can’t forget Star Wars

Star Trek

A fan film with Stars from Star Trek seriously and it's pretty good too.

http://startreknewvoyages.com/
http://www.starshipexeter.com/

I got to do PA work on Star Trek Exeter (the second ep. Only a day, but it was a learning experience.)

Star Trek Parody

Firefly

Other

Not a fan film or webseries, but really cool

I liked the the info on how the set construction was done.

This is the site for Broken Allegiance
http://www.brokenallegiance.net/

Yeah everyone now knows my love for fan films. Especially for the Star Wars and Star Trek ones and I can’t forget Doctor Who. Oh and Doctor Who has fan films (professional) called Spin-off Films like Shakedown, the Auton Trilogy, The Stranger Series etc. Yes I am a geek maybe not in the tech since, but in the scifi /fantasy since hell 2 the yeah!!! Okay so I know a hell of a lot of videos.

I’m not saying that everyone should go out and make fan films. What I am saying is to look at these videos as inspiration what could be done on no/low budgets. I want you to watch as many of these fan films as you can as well as others not posted. And if you find ones you like then email them to me so I can make a mention of them. That goes for the original series as well from part I. Now yes many of these films had to be done every once in a while etc. and some couldn’t be finished, have cheesy acting etc, but the point is that if this was done a professional scale it could be done cheaply. Guess what? You’d have control.

But on the off chance that anyone does want to make fan films then checkout
Homemade Hollywood: Fans Behind the Camera by Clive Young and Chris Gore

Independent and Webseries TV Part 1

2009-08-02T18:00:00.001-07:00

A big interest for me along with movies is television. My sole goal in the past was to work in television, but seeing how most television has become I began to loose interest. Most webseries are usually short daily, weekly, monthly or whenever the creators have the time. I have to say I am still interested in creating television weekly series mostly 1/2hr-1hr dramatic series or even sitcoms/comedy made for the internet or other avenues as well.

It's sort of more of an tv pilot inspired by shows like Firefly etc., but it was a pilot for a series that was an original. Too bad they never were able to do the series. Sort of how The Adventures of Stephen Brown was inspired by Doctor Who and Damon Dark shows like UFO, The Prisoner etc.

no/low budget indie public access series in the style of the Twilight Zone very good show.

Another webseries in the style of the Twighlight Zone, OT etc.

a low budget indie scifi series called Damon Dark. These are the early eps made for public access.

indie soap pilot from New Zealand

The original web series of Sancutary. Yes it helped that Amanda Tapping was in it, but I also think it was picked up because of the time length of the episodes.

Short film from online comic book

This is just too cool.

http://reservation.blip.tv/ http://www.thereservation.tv/index.html
http://mikedaviesjrfilms.blip.tv/
I think this was actually a good idea, but maybe they should have charged monthly instead of per ep.
http://irvingrenquist.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLlYM-3uQik a local soap in Britian
http://highrise.blip.tv/ http://www.highrisetheseries.com/
http://www.webserials.com has good series my favorites are cataclysmo and Black Dawn
http://www.beacontv.co.uk/ cheesy, but so cool and it's supposed to be cheesy
http://www.powerofcohesion.com/
http://www.strangerthings.tv/

Internet TV The Next Wave

2009-07-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

I am a big proponent for internet tv. I love the idea of 24/7 or less linear streaming online tv station. With internet tv someone could have a channel from everything from sports to science fiction.

There are many ways to create an internet tv station.
http://www.browzerbooks.com/freebo/station.pdf Info on creating a radio station and tv
https://www.tvstartup.com/ has info on various types cable, satellite, internet etc.
http://www.cablemaven.com/ has info on various types cable, satellite, internet etc.
http://www.multicastmedia.com/ solutions/itv.php
http://www.howtolaunch.tv/ It's focus seems to be more on the U. K.
http://www.sourcecodegoldmine.com/v1/NetTV/reprint-rights.html
http://www.arqiva.com/media/dContent/mediaCentre/SMS/PDFs/howtolaunchatvchannel.pdf can't remember if this is targeted at the U. K. plus because I don't have adobe right now (old comp crashed) I can't read it.

http://www.livestream.com/ I started with this site when It was Mogulus. Anyways you have free or pro. Right now I have a free account.
http://www.justin.tv/ This one is okay, but I like livestream for the linear style more
http://www.ustream.com/ haven't tried, but looks okay

More of inspiration for an internet channel
http://www.3btv.com/ was my first inspiration for internet tv
http://watch.tidaltv.com/ I frankly would like the lineup where only the creators of the site can see it.
http://www.suedburgenland.tv/ quality is wonderful even when in large screen
http://www.playtv.tv/
http://www.3sat.de/mediathek/mediathek.php?mode=liveplay&x=51&y=43# is wonderful even when in large screen
http://www.americafree.tv/ cool site again I would have the playlist where only the creators could see it as well as disable the chat.
http://www.sit1.tv/ love the quality of the vids
http://www.backspace.tv/ this is an even bigger inspiration. I would love to have an online cable company or something like TVUnetworks

Anyways hope this is an inspiration to others. Like I said my old comp crashed. I had websites just for this blog post and those are on the other computer.

Hollywood's Lack of American Film Industry Competitors

2009-07-21T15:39:00.000-07:00

You know as I've been reflecting on film making, film industries from America to India I have come to wonder how in the world is it that America doesn't have more than one film industry? In India as well as neighboring countries alone there are several not just Bollywood http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinema_of_India . In Africa Nollywood is not the only industry. There are others and some starting up because of Nollywood, but there are other film industries or cinema cultures. So again how is it that we have just one industry. Asia has many different film industries period sometimes within the same country, state, group etc.

Frankly I think that's why Hollywood is the way it is. No competition on it's own soil. Well indies somewhat, but most independent filmmakers work on indies as a step into Hollywood. Why don't we have an film industry that started from scratch and is separate of Hollywood? At one point though one of the biggest competitors (made Hwood real nervous)was European film industry.

With how big this country is and the lack of representation of the people you would think we would have more film industries. In the 70's and 80's there were hickploitation movies like blaxploitation films had audiences craving for something for them. And they had big fans too. Smokey and the Bandit, White Lightning, Deliverance,Walking Tall, Fight For Your Life etc. gave many of the South as well as others in rural eras heroes they could relate to. Seriously America isn't just big cities (and even so can't a movie be set in other cities), California and New York. We have so much in Americana that is just not told. Yes in documentaries or campaigns (little snippets)on the web to show Americana, but people need more. I also think that's why peoples interest in movies is slipping. Even in old Hollywood like they showed a gangster movie set in NY or Chicago they showed ones set in the mid-west.

I'm most definitely surprised that black people don't have a film industry. Even if the movies were low bud. This is surprising especially with the surge of digital technology making it easier and cheaper for independents to make films. Not only that, but it could create jobs for crew as well as directors, producers, writers, actors etc. I mean seriously countries poorer than U. S. are doing more with less. As stated before Nigerians are recreating Nollywood in America for Nigerian Americans as well as for Nigerians and others in Africa. So we really need to step up on our A-game.

But overall the fact that the whole of the U. S. hasn't started a separate commercial movie industry to Hollywood is even more shocking. The same reasons as stated above apply. So many are work to get into Hollywood they don't realize they can just totally say screw you and make a whole complete new industry. It might have to start small, start on the low key to gain momentum so that Hollywood doesn't take it over, but I do think it can be done. Nollywood wasn't known about outside of Africa for years main reason being they paid for the movies themselves or used funds of others (like Bwood sometimes thugs)keeping the movie relevant to those of the audience or at least close.

Every time I see other states in the U. S. saying that they are starting, creating, building a film industry I then read on to find out they are just becoming an extension of Hollywood. Why not literally create a film industry from scratch that has Nothing to do with Hollywood. I'm not saying build studios etc. (because studio building is costly and most films might have to be on location and that's fine)but have an industry that we created on our own.

Black Actresses as Desirable Leading Ladies

2009-07-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

couldn't find a trailer for this movie, but this video is hott!!!

Okay so yeah monster of the week cheesy scifi well now SYYYFFFYYYY (with sarcasm)channel

Okay yes this is a cheesy no budget scifi horror film. The filmmaker even claims this.lol Cool guy btw. There is an implied BW/IR. But this will be a different post about no-low-budget/indie filmmaking and BW/IR in films.

cute movie

Cute little short film

Why can't black women be seen as desirable by all types of men in movies? We are just as beautiful as any woman. We have to make movies that show us as desirable, marriageable to men of every race. No one can do that, but us. Well not totally just us, but other filmmakers non black and black alike that love us and see us as beautiful. We are worthy to be leading ladies with leading men of any nationality or race. These movies could run the gamut from a dramatic romantic drama/comedy Jane Austen style to science fiction ala Star Trek. It's up to us. We have to stop letting others control our image. We have to stop being our worst enemy. And we most definitely have to get out of our own way. If we don't think we are beautiful, wonderful, lovable, marriageable and etc. then who else will?

The Beauty of the Old Hollywood Studio System

2009-07-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite books. It's about the old Hollywood studio system and how it operated. When you learn how the old system work you realize the genius that went into it. Yes it had it's flaws. The way studios treated it's stars, because they signed contracts with them, having to be loaned out to another studio if that studio wanted them to star in a movie or if an actor or actress did, not being able to do a project with another studio because the studio you are signed with says no. Or as in Clarke Gable's case having to be in a movie which you think is a stinker (It Happened One Night, but we all know how much of a classic that is now)because the script is so bad every other actor and actress turned it down, but you have to do it, because you've been turning down too many movies. I didn't know that the studios didn't know what to do with Bettie Davis. They couldn't place her talent. The studios of course made it hard for filmmakers outside of the system. Let us also not forget the portrayals of black people as well as other non white people in Hollywood.

They also had great aspects of the system. For one thing they controlled the hell out of it. It was a cheaper system (yes monopoly when you look at it)because they controlled the studios, the distribution (most studios had their own theater chain) It was run like Ford assembly line (that can be good and bad), but each studio had it's own feel and style of movies. Star making in the old studio system is both fantastic and crazy as hell at the same time. Coming up with names and even a crazy back history that most people today would laugh at intrigued the American movie going audience. The studios realized that people wanted someone who seemed mysterious. They would come up with the story of the person an exotic name and then find the right actor/actress to play the part, and this is just the actor/actress. They were not playing the character for a movie. They were the character. Of course people would later find out that a certain star wasn't a love child of dancehall girl and a maharaja, but it would just add more mystery to the person and make people want to see and know them even more. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_system_(film) for more on the star system. Hollywood also controlled newspapers, magazines for a time to control what got out about their stars. They also had wonderful movies during those years (yes along with some stinkers)they made smaller pictures inorder to make bigger ones. Not only that unlike the Hollywood of today the had an apprenticeship system. New filmmakers, writers etc. would work under others. In order to write a feature you had to write shorts first. In order to direct you had to direct shorts and docus etc. and some did the b movies (real b movies, not as what we associate with bfilms today, bfilm was just a movie that wasn't A list) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-movie

I loved reading about Irving Thalberg. Talk about hard worker and someone who created many of the lessons I had to learn in screenwriting. As in watch movies of others to see the talent/style, learn to be a better screenwriter as well as to know what the competition was doing. He also believed that just because they were an asembly didn't mean that the movie shouldn't look beautiful. His hard work is also the reason for his life being so short.

I would urge many interested in getting into Hollywood or any other film industry, filmmaking or creating an industry to read this book on how the old Hollywood system started from it's silent days to talkies to 1948 ruling against it being a monopoly. It's a wonderful read.

Oh and did you know that both John Wayne and Humphry Bogart were b movie actors for years before becoming A list.

Beauty Standards and Black Women in the Media

2009-07-09T10:50:00.001-07:00

http://abagond.wordpress.com/2007/10/16/the-most-beautiful-black-actresses/#comment-20930
http://hubpages.com/hub/Sexy-Black-Actresses
http://www.blackweb20.com/2008/10/01/black-actresses-ranked-by-google/
http://abagond.wordpress.com/2007/12/18/black-actresses/

Do you know that black people had a film industry that we actually ran? Black filmmakers got to show a way or ways of life that they wanted to show and not what others wanted. We for a time controlled our images. They were called race movies, race films, separate cinema http://www.separatecinema.com/ has posters from different eras of black movies (I don't consider the 70's black film movement or blaxploitation movies as a black controlled film industry) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_movie . The problem is not every ones image was in their control. By That I mean black women. Even though it was mostly a black run industry black women still didn't get to show themselves or see themselves the way they wanted to be seen or the way they wanted to be shown. In many race films black women (love interest, hell most of the black women)were light skinned while black men could be dark as midnight. Of course there were dark skinned women, but they were more like the mothers, grandmothers, or big momma. This wasn't always the case, but I sure saw enough of this in these movies to see that we were already creating this type of media influence that is hurting us today. Light skinned black men such as Herb Jeffries was considered to light so his skin was darkened.

I was casting a fantasy movie (a game some of friends play)and it was hard, because many of the actresses don't represent the women I see on the daily either in my family or on the street. I yahooed black actresses. I clicked on Mahogany Cafe. As I was going through http://www.mahoganycafe.com/ love that site. It's a tribute to black women actresses in Hollywood I couldn't help but think were are the dark skinned actresses? I began to notice they were in short supply. If I notice this from a website that is a tribute to black actresses then what does that tell people watching movies, tv etc.? I see the gamut of all shades of black women, but I don't mostly see light and nothing else. So I left this site and in the search engine (of which I searched black actresses)I came across Abagond's posts black-actresses, the-most-beautiful-black-actresses and I noted that out of all the dark skinned actresses there were only four Jill Marie Jones Gabrielle Union, Aissa Maiga (and she is a French film actress), Angela Bassett on the list. Even the Honourable mentions don't represent most black women. Most black actresses whether they are light skinned are dark skinned barely get screen time and when they do it's so treasured we still talk about them even when they are doing movies and shows every once in a blue moon.

The black-actresses topic was the one that really hit me. Because it's what this blog is about and there was a quote that really caught me.

Spike Lee: “The way for black actresses to start getting more roles is for black women to start directing and producing their own films.”

There was a comment I especially liked and made me think in a way that I hadn't before.

Today I think it’s critical that BW take charge of our image, especially in the media/entertainment industry, and hammer home the fact that Black actresses are beautiful, desirable, and talented enough to play any role opposite any actor regardless of race. If I had the money, I would set up a production company that would feature films where today’s most talented Black actresses would be mainstreamed by being given the role of leading lady opposite the hottest White/non-Black actors. These films would be written/directed by Europeans and Americans who have a pro-BW perspective and would present IRR’s in a positive, matter of fact manner as opposed to the tragic manner IRR’s involving BW and WM/non-BM are typically portrayed in Hollywood. I would also strive to end the unequal PAY Black actresses receive by insuring they receive EQUAL wages to what White/non-Black actresses are being paid.

Black actresses have a hard time getting roles whether in Hollywood or other industries. Beautiful actresses such as this lady http://www.dayan-kodua.com/ shouldn't have to struggle to be seen. There are so many wonderful and beautiful black actresses that talents have gone to waste not only in Hollywood, but other industries as well. We have to stop this. We have to come in and take command of our image and say no more. No more to waste talent. No more to degrading parts. No more to being the best friend. No more to be seen as undesirable. Hell I most definately urge black filmmakers to get these women, before Hollywood or SAG gets their hands on them, because then we'd barely see them at all. Create an industry where there talents will be cherished and nurtured not let go to waste.

The second sentence in bold is what made me think in a different way. It just didn't occur to me that we are not only going to have to have African American women as well as other black women make movies that show us in a better light and give us better roles, but also those other filmmakers from other countries and even races who see us that way too. That just seriously didn't occur to me. And it makes sense. Why would do we expect those who continually make movies that show you in degrading or undesirable fashion to make movies showing us as desirable or as any other woman. These filmmakers white, black etc. have proven that they don't have your best interest at heart with these types of images. So it would behove black women to only work with those black, white filmmakers and others etc. who do have your best interest at heart and want to show you just as any other woman in the world wants to be seen.

And here is something for actresses struggling out there. Yes it is hard, but you can do it. You aren't getting the roles you want. Make your own movie and cast yourself. The movie doesn't have to cost a lot. It also doesn't have to be Oscar worthy. It just needs to get made. With digital cameras now you can make a movie cheaply sometimes not even spending money at all. At least you'd have a film under your belt and more to add to your reel. And if you don't want to do it yourself get with other actors and actresses and make a movie. There are so many books websites, youtube videos that are about no/low budget film making.

We can make black films by black women all we want, but if we don't stop being our own worst enemy then it won't work. In order for this to work we absolutely have to to stop being our own worst enemy. Will Smith said that the studio refused to consider an African-American woman for Hitch. Partly due to the movie being seen as a black film and not being able (or so called able I don't even think they try)overseas (We have to remember certain White Hollywood films don't always sell overseas either, but they won't tell you that bit)and the other part because they found that if they cast a white women there would be hell from black woman. Then they found that if they cast a black women there would be hell from black women. So they had him choose a Latina. Then they found the got hell from black women anyway. I mean look at the ugly comments with Tameka Foster and Usher. I think them divorcing has a lot to do with the ugly comments coming at her from all directions. There have been ugly things about her skin tone to her being a gold digger when we all know damn well that a white women wouldn't be treated this same way. We even partake in this type of behavior with the women in our own group and then have the gaul to get mad when others do things based on how we respond or behave. We have to seriously think of our words and behavior ladies. Seriously I have found the most detractors with the Black Princess Disney movie to be other black people.

Books to check out

Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player By Robert Rodriguez

Feature Filmmaking at Used-Car Prices: Second Revised Edition By Rick Schmidt He also has a book called Extreme DV

Digital Filmmaking 101: An Essential Guide to Producing Low-Budget Movies (Paperback)
by Dale Newton

Independent Feature Film Production: A Complete Guide from Concept Through Distribution by Gregory Goodell

Voice and Vision: A Creative Approach to Narrative Film and DV Production by Mick Hurbis-Cherrier

Jumpstart Your Awesome Film Production Company by Sara Caldwell
http://www.ehow.com/how_2124232_start-production-company.html
http://www.ehow.com/video_4774273_creating-production-company.html
http://www.ehow.com/video_4872058_start-run-film-production-company.html

Science Fiction and Other No/Low Budget Filmmakers as Inspiration

2009-07-05T21:54:00.001-07:00

Or just me showing my strange tastes.lol

cheesy, but pretty cool especially when you learn about the making of it.

(this one took a while to make. What Jason Tamoric was able to accomplish was outstanding.

(pretty good fan film)

fan film done within the Scottish filmmaking community pretty good.

I love finding no/low budget science fiction movies. Later you will find out how much.lol I love to watch all types of no/low budget movies from romcoms to scifi. Yes some are horrible and some are great films. The point is that the filmmakers achieved the making of the movie. I also love to watch short films to give ideas on what I could do for when I want to make a scifi movie. I do this with other genres as well. I love to watch fan films if you can believe that.lol Yes fan films and as stated above there are those that are good and those that are just well horrible. Seven of the films I know the budgets of. The one from Australian I don't know about. I can tell you that the first one is a short film and was done on a really low bud. It's not the greatest film ever, but it was cool what was done on the budget. The second one is damn cheap I know that. I don't want to post it on here in case the filmmakers don't want it known, but it is very no/low budget. The War of the World's movie was done on the cheap. Hines used friends, family and other types of ways to keep the movie on the low budget. CL. One as is stated on the yt site was made for around 25k with dv cameras, free locations and free help. Now it took a while to make this happen, but the movie got made and the filmmaker ended up working on Star Wars. Terrarium was made for around 27k on 16mm. The set was built in Mike Conway's backyard, but he had to take it down because of complaints so he had to shoot fast. Yes it is a bit cheesy not the best acting, but then again I have a strange love for no budget scifi horror. Give me Roger Corman or Lloyd Kaufman anyday. The short film fan film The Rage was done for 1,000 pounds in Scotland that's around 1,633.76 US I guess. Primer was made for around 7k (Like El Mariachi)it was slow in some parts, but all around pretty cool film. I just heard about the Enigma short film. It's pricey in the short film range mainly because to make a good impression with festivals etc. you need to spend the money. Whatever this film looks cool.

Anyways what I am getting at is that it is good to watch other no/low budget short films, fan films, features even webseries (of which some are hella bad.lol) (and I mean suck.lol)to get inspiration for what you as a filmmaker could do with the movies you are making. Low budget doesn't always have to mean from 0-100k it could be a 100k or more. Many movies under $100k are just look just as good and are just as good.

This movie was made for around $980-$1k

I can't remember how much, but I know it was either free or cheap. Anyways they have a vid on about making a microbudget movie.

Cinderella Dressed in Yellow Went Upstairs to Kiss a Fellow

2009-06-30T20:42:00.001-07:00

For everyone who has heard of the Princess and the Frog it's sad that we waited on Disney to do something we should have done such a long time ago. You can't wait on Disney or any film studio, company (which are mostly run by white people) to give our black girls a black princess when the majority of the people in this country are white and run the film industry. We are the ones who should have been giving our girls a black princess film. Disney finally did it and now black people are complaining because there is no black prince. Well so what? I for one am happy she has a non-black love interest. I think it's high time black girls see men of other races seeing us as desirable. Not only that the complaints of the girl being a maid, her name (which ended in being Tiana in a time I don't even think that girl would have had that name, but anyway)that is it any wonder. And why do we expect Hollywood to give black girls good, beautiful images of black women when our own men don't when they make movies as well. (that's another post)

The cool thing about making your own films and images is that you control the images coming out. (This is also why we need film disribution companies run by black people, but that's another post.) We greenlight our own movies, by having control.

On the subject of Nollywoods Cinderella (there are other versions as well)it doesn't look Hollywood and can be cheesy (especially the badly lipsynced singing.lol), but it is a great story for black girls to see.

Through The Glass

2009-06-24T16:49:00.001-07:00

Stephanie Okereke a black African woman and Nollywood star made and directed her own movie in which she was the lead and desirable to a wm. This is the power of anyone who controls their own image. You can make yourself the bitchiest woman ala Alexis Carrington and have every guy want you, you can make yourself the sweetest girl next door type and have every guy want you too. It's up to you

Now I haven't seen the movie yet. I'm not going to lie, but I respect this woman emensely. She survived an accident, divorced and went to film school NYFA to be exact
http://nigeriamovies.net/news/news159.php
http://www.nigeriamovies.net/news/news303.php

This is what we seriously need to do. We have to stop worrying about what the black community and even others outside of the bc think about what our movies should be and how they should be. We need to chose what our stories are as black American women filmmakers, writers yes and even the audience.

Take Advantage of Our Right to Create

2009-06-17T09:25:00.001-07:00

These videos are songs from Hausa movies from the Kano movie industry before they were banned. There were filmmakers being arrested because they made a film with this style until they just decided to find ways around the system. I believe I read somewhere that these films are cheaper than that of Nollywood films, but the fact they are able to do musical style to it is inspiring. I mean seriously making musicals on no-low budgets. I also like how they took something inspired from another industry and made it their own by fitting it to their culture.

This is why we need to do what we can and tell our stories. We are blessed to be in a country that doesn't ban a style of movie because it doesn't fit the culture. A government telling an artist how to do art, what they should and should not be influenced by because it's not of their culture is ridiculous. I'm not sure if Somalia still has the ban on films or if they have lifted it yet. I will post some videos in another post. We have many resources that we could be taking advantage or right now. So lets start doing that.

Somali movies I could find.

Somalian films are a mix of Hollywood and Bollywood. As I said before not sure if the ban has been taken off yet.

There are other movies on YT that are Somalian films if you want to check them out same with Nollywood, Ghollywood

Third Largest Movie Industry in the World

2009-06-10T23:15:00.000-07:00

Yes I know a lot of videos, but it's very interesting and inspiring. Nollywood may have it's issues in production quality right now. The industry is new, but Nigerians got out and created an industry out of nothing. Most of the funding was out of pocket or from others. That's the reason the industry was so low key to many outside of Africa (which Nollywood is watched all over Africa). The reason Nollywood grew is because it catered to African audiences. Yes there are African films like Sia Myth of the Python, Guimba The Tyrant, Little Senegal, and many others that are made more for the festival market, but most Africans really don't ever see. The big problem they have is pirating, but the point is they have an industry they control.

We Can Create The Industry we Want

2009-06-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

Okay I know you will be thinking what's up with all of this Nollywood, Ghollywood, Riverwood, Kanywood, Bollywood, Lollywood,Kollywood (Nepal), Kollywood (Tamil), Tollywood, Sollywood, Pastho Films, etc. I know lol? I am going to have a few posts on these industries to show what we can be doing now if we put our minds to it.

Really there is no excuse now for not having a film industry. Hell it really wasn't an excuse in the past with the advent of the VCR. The problem was that many filmmakers from white to black looked at straight to video movies as subpar. You were looked down upon if you took this route. Not only that but making a film on video was even worse even in the early part of the new millenium. With all the DV craze that was going on you'd be surprised at how many people got much disrespect for going the digital route. I have nothing against film I love the look of film and my goal is to learn film, because I started on video. I would love for my films to be in the theater, but I think started in the straight to video market is a better starting point. What I am saying is that these filmmakers closed their doors to the options of making movies for the straight to video market and producing them on video.

Nollywood has proven that you can make a successful industry making movies not only using video, but have it as a straight to video market. Now Nollywood has it's flaws with poor quality productions and scriptwriting, but that comes with building something especially when it's being built from scratch.

You also have Kanywood (which right now the style in which these movies are made is banned because of Sharia Law in Kano) they make movies like Bollywood well that's been banned. I'm not sure if this is still the case in Somalywood, but that would suck. Which that brings me to

Somalian films which are somewat a mesh of Hollywood and Bollywood.

Kenya has started Riverwood. Ghollywood there movies are a bit more like Nollywood, but to me and this is just me seem more glossy. You will notice a few movies like Beyonce the President's daughter, Princess Tyra, Rihanna

Cameroon is working on starting an industry. Haiti has similar style films as well.

Now for film you have of course Hollywood (but they are on the high side lol) Bollywood (same but cheaper than hwood) Tollywood (man call this Bollywoods cheap cousin, but whatever I dig them) Nepali most I've seen are made on 16mm or at least the last time I checked. They make low bud movies in the style of Bollywood althought that seems to be changing, but that could just be some films. Some of those movies are crazy, but they are so much fun. http://www.realbollywood.com/news/2006/10/death-of-sri-lankan-film-industry.html Tells how much movies in Sri Lanka can cost and how hard it is just to make one.

The point of this post is to show that we could make a film industry if we really wanted to. It might not be screened on a big screen in a theater, but it would still have an audience. We can't make excuses anymore.

It's Time to Take Conrol Of our Image

2009-06-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

Hello my name is Amanda and I started this blog for black women interested in filmmaking. I also started this blog for the betterment of black women's image in the media. I think it's high time we take control of our images. We have to stop waiting on other people to do stories about us and for us. We have to stop expecting others to show us in a positive light. We have to do our own thing. Nigeria, Ghana and many other African countries have film industries where black people greenlight the films. This is a wonderful thing and I wish black Americans would do the same. Own our own images. Yet in many industries it is often the men who run the show. Meaning that bw end up depending on the men to show them in a positive light, give them good roles etc. The problem is then we are letting others tell our stories or shape us in the way they want to instead of how we want to be seen.

I would like people to send pics as well as topics of interest, but also appropriate for the blog. I cannot guarantee the pics will be used or the topics discussed, but I will look at and consider them for the blog. Please do so at blackwomenmakingmovies@mail.com