Thursday, July 23, 2015

RIP Jacques Edmond AKA GraciƩ

 
La Vi Nan Bouk

Une etoile s'est eteinte. Jacques Edmond star of "La Vie Nan Bouk" passed away in Florida today. Best known for his role as Gracie in "La Vie Nan Bouk", Mr. Edmond always kept audiences laughing with his trademark 'fro and hilarious pranks on Bos Masel and Frederic.


Jacques Edmond as Gracie in 'La Vi Nan Bouk'.
"La Vi Nan Bouk" was a revolutionary Haitian TV show that put rural Haiti front and center and confronted social issues with humor and dignity. Mr. Edmond was 70 years old. 

Check out one of our favorite episode of "La Vi Nan Bouk" titled "Fifty fifty". This is part 2. Part 1 is available on Youtube as well.

 


Saturday, July 18, 2015

The Silent Treatment is back on television!

I shot this film almost 3 years ago. It had a great festival run followed by another great run on Aspire Tv's short film showcase hosted by Omari Hardwick. Thanks to Badami Tv's African American Short Films, 'The Silent Treatment' is getting a second wind! It will air as part of a short film series on different television stations across the U.S. This morning, friends and family sat in their homes and watched "The Silent Treatment" on CBS in Los Angeles. How cool is that! It was a lot of fun making the film and it's so rewarding to watch it on the small screen. 

Below is a link with updated cities and air dates every Thursday. 'The Silent Treatment' will air in different cities and stations every week until September. It stars Emayatzy Corinealdi ('Middle of Nowhere', 'Miles Ahead', 'Hand of God'), C. Malik Whitfield ('The Temptations', 'Tyler Perry's If Loving You is Wrong') and newcomers Jacoby Mosby and Mo. E. (I'll be sure to keep you posted as much as possible. This week's remaining air dates and cities are below.

Check dates and cities every Thursday --------> HERE


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Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Make a movie with your phone

Sundance hit "Tangerine" was shot on an iPhone. Not just any iPhone. An iPhone camera "enhanced" with anamorphic lenses. This reinforces the notion that you can make a movie anywhere you are even with very limited resources. Filming in the mountains or in rural parts of Haiti could be less of a challenge with the iPhone and the correct accoutrements. 

"Tangerine" is about two Trans women prostitutes in Los Angeles on a mission to get to the bottom of a rumor. It's a colorful story both in tone and on screen. The colors pop on the big screen (it was released theatrically!). So if you're a Haitian filmmaker in Haiti or anywhere in the world for that matter, how do you accomplish the same feat? 

First, Tangerine was shot widescreen, 2:35:1 aspect ratio. Second, the filmmakers used a steadicam to minimize shakiness. Third, they used an app to control the focus and color temperature. There are a few apps out there but the Tangerine filmmakers used Filmic Pro. And last but not least lenses. Even with DSLR cameras, there is a dizzying array of lenses: macro, zooms, super telephoto, primes, tilt-shift etc. Your choice of lenses depends on what you're shooting, how you want to capture it and your location. Tangerine filmmaker Sean Baker says he used a set of anamorphic adapter lenses from Moondog labs to create the look for the film.

All of that being said, you'll need a solid team of pros for post production. You'd need one anyway, but when using a camera phone you have to make sure you get the same quality you'd get from professional cameras. 

More details on Moondog Labs website. http://www.moondoglabs.com/blog/sundance-premiere.html

WATCH THE TANGERINE TRAILER BELOW.



Sunday, July 12, 2015

The.Haitian.Is.Back

"Heroes: Reboot" is upon us! Of course, Jimmy Jean-Louis is back as The Haitian, trusted right hand man of Noah Bennet, erasing memories left and right. Jimmy will reprise the role when the series airs on September 24th at 8/7 central on NBC. The trailer for the show was posted just moments ago on Shadow and Act. Check it out,scroll to the bottom for the trailer -------> HERE


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