Tagged with: Filmmaking
So...a lot has been going on and I'm happy to report that Team Sizzle has completed shooting a pilot titled, "Shade." If you'd like to follow along with the process, follow us on Facebook and Instagram for details. Such an exciting project with an extremely talented cast! Looking forward to sharing it with you guys as soon as possible!
Facebook: Shade.TS
Instagram: Shade.TS
Raise your hand if you have multiple projects going on right now. LOL! I know I do. It's how I don't SNAP.
Yesterday, instead of focusing on what I already have going on INSIDE, I decided it was the perfect day for OUTSIDE projects so I got up and headed to Lowe's not once, but twice and did a lot of Spring time sprucing up outside. I started seedlings, did container planting and laid out a design for color throughout the year. By nightfall I was covered in dirt from head-to-toe and smiling like crazy happy with what I'd done.
And then...I settled in for the Oscars. I never said I was boycotting them even as I understood why so many felt it was the only way to get their voices heard. I always felt like the Oscars wasn't the problem. The Oscars was simply the end of a very long Monopoly game complete with folks stealing from the bank and straight up angry board flipping when the cheating is figured out. I watched because I'm a fan of film. I watched because I've made 4 short films and one feature film and I'm hoping to get the chance to learn from my mistakes and make another feature film soon. I watched because noting what filmmakers do with $150 million makes me laugh in comparison to the $350 thousand folks offer up filmmakers who look like me and then have the nerve to say, "Maybe if Black filmmakers made better movies...yada, yada..."
I thought Chris Rock's opening monologue was spot on but, as the production progressed, I became more and more offended. I posted my feelings on Facebook:
There were the typical comments, of course and...I just started deleting fools because if you are going to seriously sit here and tell me that you don't understand why people of color feel some kinda way about this...you're already telling me all I need to know about you and I'm good on you.
Folks ain't trying to get nothing for free. Folks ain't trying to take away from Leonardo and Cate and the filmmakers behind their performances. Folks just want an opportunity to showcase their talents as well. Folks want an opportunity to grow and learn from their mistakes too same as Steven Spielberg got to do with his evolution from "The Sugarland Express."
Hey...you can't get better if you're not give the opportunity to continue on.
Ah well...whatever. Let me get back to the project I want to finish today. I need to run out and get some Brasso after I put on the final coat of paint. And I need to finish choosing from my storage box of plant pots what I'd like to put some new plants in. And then I need to start stripping all the stain off the unique table I plan on using as an end table in the room this piece is going in and I gotta get outta here and hit up the sale at this upholstery fabric store that is going out of business so I can get some good deals on some fabrics for some window treatments my mommy-in-law is going to help me with.
Oh...here is something that I saved to my 'FAH' (Funny As Hell) folder on my phone. It's a folder that I keep with all the things I run across which me laugh like crazy no matter what else is going on. I hope it does the same for you. I don't know this guy in real life, but if you do, thank him for me for this laugh cuz baaaaaaaaaby...those hashtags tho! LOL!
I wasn't very surprised at the Academy Award nominations. Did I think Kevin Hart was going to get a nod for his role in "Get Hard?" No. I didn't.
Who in the world is going to argue that Cate Blanchett and Leonardo DiCaprio don't deserve awards for their performances? Crazy people ONLY cuz yeah...they brought it as they always do. Matt Damon in "The Martian?" Dude did that. I loved that movie and loved his performance. Very seldom do I enjoy a movie as much as I enjoyed the book and I did here.
No surprise.
I haven't seen "Room" yet but from what I understand, Brie Larson showed out. She prepped for 8 months for that role and I'm kinda scared at what that means based on what I know the movie to be about. I'm sure she was paid enough to not miss a mortgage payment in those 8 months of prep work too. You'd expect that right? Hell...I hope so.
I'll be honest when I say I didn't really think Jennifer Lawrence was going to get a nod for her performance in "Joy." Not that I don't like Jennifer Lawrence because I've truly loved all of her previous performances but I just didn't care for the "slowed down" version of her that was in this movie. I mean I know an actress has to show range in all of their projects...it just didn't do it for me and hell...what do I know and yeah...she's the current golden girl so I wasn't surprised.
I'm also not stupid.
I know there weren't a lot of movies with Black people in them again so I wasn't expecting more representation during the nominations. There was "Creed," and "Straight Outta Compton." Those were pretty much the only two widely released films with significant roles for Black people in them directed by Black people. Both good movies...to me. Did I expect "Straight Outta Compton" to get more nods? Honestly...no. But "Creed?" Yeah...I did.
I'm constantly trolling The New York Times' Opinion Facebook page and read comments I expected to read about the "blacklash" regarding the nominations. And a lot of people didn't seem to get it. I'm talking White AND Black people.
It's not about the nominations. I honestly hope they really try and be inclusive. It's about the filmmakers and casting directors and the people with the clout to greenlight films. It's about OPPORTUNITY.
One commenter got a lot of likes for saying something like...it's about talent. If you're not talented, you don't get nominated, simple. People were like...YEAH! SAY THAT! NO AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN MOVIES!
And I rolled my eyes because...DUH...it is about talent and, more importantly...the opportunity to showcase that talent. You can be as talented as Denzel, Cate and Leonardo but if you're not getting the opportunity to show you're talented...THEN WHO IN THE HELL KNOWS YOU'RE TALENTED EXCEPT FOR YOUR MAMA???????????
So yeah...I was/am salty. All of that talk that went on last year based on the success of the first season of "Empire" which blew the viewing numbers out of the water was just that...TALK. While folks were talking and celebrating yet another magazine cover with a Black actor on it, movies were in full post-production about to be rolled out for awards season. The same names had the same opportunities to show how great they are. The same names DIDN'T have opportunities.
Same old, same old.
I was only surprised that so many people were surprised.
Still doesn't mean I wasn't salty though.
What say you? Were you surprised? Were you salty? Do you care?
