Deep-throating Jesus

It’s not that I don’t want to, my gag reflex just won’t allow it.

When it comes to Jesus, religious zealots are not satisfied with you just nibbling on the head. They are committed to forcing their lord and savior down your throat. So much so, at times it feels like rape. Recently , one of my roommates decided it was okay to host a prayer meeting in the living room. This lack of consideration for others who may not practice Christianity is common, especially in the bible belt. I was drawing storyboards and people are outside my door crying and speaking in tongues. That was a very uncomfortable experience.  I did not want to endure it any longer so I devised a plan to make it stop. I said to myself ,”Chief Keef to the rescue!” I knew the rapper’s unintelligible lyrics would make them scurry like roaches. I quickly connected my iPod to my speakers and turned the volume up to the max. Sure enough the freaks and geeks cleared the room. Before you call me a Satanist, please understand a couple of things, I hate my roommate and his friends,  and those losers use their religion as a scapegoat for not getting any bedroom action.  I respect religion, however, none of those posers were having a real breakthrough.  People seem to think just because they are “doing God’s work” it’s okay to be intrusive.

That unfortunate event reminded me how tactical writers are when developing characters whose cores are religious values. I’ve never been turned off by a character’s relationship with God, Except for Piper Laurie’s character in “Carrie”

Piper Laurie and her Jesus Hair

There is a necessary balance of personality traits for viewers to continue to watch without becoming uncomfortable with a character’s religion. Viewers don’t want to feel like they are being sold Jesus or made to believe certain beliefs. My favorite characters all have an inferred respect for others regarding spirituality by praying in private. Because I am on a quest to improve my writing, I am challenging myself to develop a script for a short film immersed in religion that includes characters who will satisfy Christian and non-Christian audiences. As a writer I vow to make my Jesus appetizing and ready for your consumption. My Jesus will melt in your mouth and glide down your throats like soft-serve ice cream.

Thoughts?

How do you like your Jesus best served in the media?

How Important Is Equality In Children’s Programming?

For several decades children’s television shows have attempted to promote diversity and represent all ethnicities. The cast of characters resembling a UNICEF ad is now the expected norm, but is it enough?  Diversity has been redefined since the 70s, and  it takes more than mimicking the united nations  to reflect that. What about the children who are excluded?  Every child cast in children’s programming seems to perfectly fit in with societal norms,  however that’s not every child’s reality.  Some children are faced with learning disabilities that extend for longer periods than “This week’s episode” .  Some might say that I’m over analyzing the situation, but I can’t help but think that I would feel alone If I had been a child diagnosed with Asperger’s. It seems that it would  have been difficult to not see anyone who looked like me on television.  I’m wondering is the world ready to see kids who have autism, turrets or who identify as same gender loving represented in children’s programming?

The Halle Berry of Porn: Heather Hunter

The Actress, Rapper, Author, Model, Photographer, and Philanthropist has been on my mind all month-long. I was given the assignment to choose a public figure to do a documentary on, and I chose the legendary Heather Hunter. I love Heather Hunter, because she’s a smart businesswoman. She built a brand instead of  falling victim to the darker side of the adult film industry.  She paved the way for a lot of the new girls by becoming the first black woman to sign a contract with Vivid Entertainment.  Heather was determined to receive the same treatment as her blonde counterparts.  

I first saw Heather on Pay Per View’s The Peep Show. My curiosity was peaked while watching the scrambled channel and I was determined to see what this woman looked like. I made up in my mind that I would hit the watch button and tell my parents I accidentally sat on the remote. Interestingly enough they believed me lol. I was either 10 or 11 so I hadn’t gone through puberty, but I was entertained through her personality. She was the host of the show and I continued to see her throughout my teen years in other forms of media besides adult film scenes. I heard her referenced in several songs by artist because Heather Hunter’s name is a brand. People always attempt to degrade women in her industry, but Heather defied the odds by making the most of it and becoming the best at what she does. I’m extremely excited to complete the script for the documentary and it’s a personal dream of mine to one day produce it. The research is obviously exciting. Not only do I want to make myself proud, but also Heather Hunter, A woman of many talents who inspired me to never settle for mediocrity.

Editing on the fly.

Are you proficient in Final Cut, Premier, and Avid? Have you edited hours of footage into minutes of complex art? I’m sure a lot of editors answered yes to these questions, however how many of you can edit on the fly? If you’re confused by what I mean just take a look at this.

A-h-h! The wonderful world of sports broadcasting. Can you smell the testosterone and sweat? These highlight reels like the one posted above take natural ability, and quick thinking. They don’t have days, nor do they have hours to produce these packages. They have to pull the right footage immediately and within minutes make decisions that will air on network television for millions to see. This isn’t like a journalist writing a column for the next day’s printing press,because there is no room for error.  Notice how the editing makes the athletes look like gladiators by showing their victories and them celebrating with strategically placed slow motion on the playback. There is definitely a trust and comfort level in the abilities of the hired staff from producers. Any form of media involving news, because it changes so quickly, it’s important to be quick. You can spend years in post-production on a movie, because it’s art. Art doesn’t have a deadline (unless it’s backed by a major motion picture company), however news does. As I edit more footage throughout the year I’ll  keep a log of how long it takes me to edit quality work. My goal is to become that guy who doesn’t need a script or a storyboard in front of him to know what needs to be shown to the audience.

Sidenote: I’d give anything to sit in the control room while a NBA, or NFL game is taking place.

Now I’m curious, can any of you media junkies edit on the fly? What techniques do you use to edit quicker?

Christina Kissed Madonna Too

Flashback to the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards when this infamous kiss took place.

Britney kissing Madge

This image made its rounds all around the world. The two lip locking was shocking and considered sexy enough to bond fathers and sons by watching both of their teenage dreams sucking face. Reportedly Ms. Aguilera was angered with all of the publicity Britney got because she too kissed Madonna. In case you didn’t know here’s physical proof.

Xtina Kissing Madge (The image they didn’t want you to see)

Christina’s shining controversial moment was stolen from her when the cameras cut away to Justin Timberlake’s reaction.  Here’s the video so you can see for yourself. Please excuse the grainy quality

As you can see viewers only got to see the end of the lip-locking between Christina and Madonna. Aguilera had every right to be upset, because producers could have warned her that her “moment” wouldn’t be televised. Christina was a victim of scripted television. Yes, the kiss was real and it took place live, but this is an example of producers following a script. They were aware the kiss would take place during the performance, therefore they strategically placed a camera in front of Justin Timberlake to get a reaction shot, since he and Britney dated. Producers obviously felt that would be more interesting to viewers than showing Madonna kiss Christina as well. Maybe  producers thought since X-tina already had the bad girl image it wasn’t as shocking to audiences at home. Well executed  multi-camera productions generally have a well written script. Scripts are used for more than dialogue. Producers took a chance to get a great reaction shot from Timberlake  and they failed, because of his stoic facial expression.  Were you satisfied with the finished product? Can you think of any great examples of perfect shots captured during live tapings?

Learning from your peers

I know I’m not the only one that does this. I’m always looking at visual media asking myself, how did they do that? Right now I’m mesmerized by this video from DMV artist Tabi Bonney featuring Fat Trel. (This song is on constant repeat btw). Tabi Bonney’s a breath of fresh air that I can’t stop inhaling.  This is a Must Watch! This visual orgasm was directed by 6ix Shoota!

The Colors, The Women, The B roll! I’m a sucker for beautiful B-roll! Too often people ignore the importance of it, but its the b-roll that brings the viewer into the world of what they’re watching. Those shots were so spot on that I forgot I was watching a music video, and more importantly, none of the women looked like they were shooting a music video. Those carefully chosen frames are making me melt! This has shots highlighting the artist and took the attention away from the setting. I saw the urban, but not the grit, rust, or any thing else that might tarnish the visual. I’m not sure what their concept was, but everyone looked like they exploded out of Instagram.  This video is an example of when you don’t solely rely on the talent to provide the creativity, but your creative editing skills get to shine! I’m not sure if Tabi Bonney realizes just how much went into the Post-Production. This video could have been a disaster, however 6ix Shoota did an excellent job with this video, I am amazed! I don’t have any intentions of mimicking what he’s done, but its inspiring to see someone create the type of art that I aspire to create. 

I’m curious to know what facets of media have inspired you lately?

Gays are the new crocs?

The LGBTQ presence in media is growing day by day, but why?  Is there pressure from American audiences? Are television networks passionate about representing our country’s diverse citizens? Is there some sort of hidden agenda to push the “gay lifestyle” on to Christian America?  I’m sure you’ve heard one of those ridiculous conspiracy theories before lol.  I’m convinced that media outlets are simply seeing dollar signs. Gay seems to be the Go-To for methods of shock value, edge, and a way to secure good PR with liberal audiences.

I’m not convinced that Americans are as accepting of the lgbtq community as the media would allow you to think. There are still just as many hate crimes taking place it seems as there were pre Matthew Shepard’s murder. Some people may argue that seeing more members of the glbtq community helps queer youth adjust. I do agree that queer youth seeing more “people who look like them” in media is helpful to build self-esteem, however, I think the sugar-coated stories are misleading. The idea that the presence of Chris Colfer’s character Kurt on Glee and his fame are a sign of things getting better is just as ridiculous as the notion that President Obama’s  position brings an end to racism.  Media corporations have the power to tell untold stories , but they’re not being responsible with that power. Networks like Fox, NBC, and MTV are designed to be profitable, money-making machines. They are in the business of selling dreams and giving the public what they want, which is whatever provocative, edgy, unexplored topic they can find.

The trend is currently retelling stories we’ve seen repeatedly , but making the characters same gender loving to convince you its new. The media’s not only telling us , but they are showing us that gay is the new black. Gay is in style. Gay is in vogue. To put it simply gay is a Fad.

So let me know what you think, Is gay here to stay?