PHIDEO: The Future is Now (via B&H)

In this snippet, B&H talk to crossover artist, Vincent Laforet. Laforet started in photography [things I WISH I'da had sense enough to know in undergrad {dot} com!] and with the evolution of still and video camera technology that brings photography's crisp finish to HD video, he's become a 'Phideo'-phile. 

It would be wrong if you didn't check out the whole feature in B&H's Interactive Student Buyer Guide. The rest of the article features some equipment you NEED TO KNOW about if you plan to hop on the Phideo movement (p. 34-35).

▌ROUNDtheWAYroundUP ▌DMV Fest Goodness

It's the most wonderful time of the year--for DMV filmmakers and screenwriters! Here are three reasons why you need to get up off that script and MOVE!

1) 2010 Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest 

The first Capital Hip Hop Soul Fest took place on Sat. July 26, 2008 in Washington DC's Marvin Gaye Park and has become an annual tradition in the community. The event features artists from the Washington DC metro area and beyond. The Fest is looking for performers and vendors NOW! Selected acts will be notified in May. LiberatedMuse members get a $50 vending fee. Send all inquiries and artist EPKs to CapitalHipHopSoulFest@gmail.com, and join the Fest's social networking arm via CapitalHipHopSoulFest.ning.com. Follow @CapHipHopSoul on Twitter!

2) DMV International Film Fest (DMVIFF)

The First Annual DMVIFF 2010 is June 25th-30th!
DMVIFF selects 25-50 Feature Films and 15-30 Short films to play in one of 5 Festival programs. "We strive to keep our selection process as fair and democratic as possible, all films are viewed in their entirety. Films that are selected to be in one of our five competition programs are eligible for Jury Prizes in their respective categories. Eligibility requirements for each competition program vary." Learn more about Fest Founder, Tanecia Britt, and the First Annual DMV International Film Fest at www.DMVIFF.com, and become an active member of the Fest's social networking community at www.DMVFilmFest.ning.com to stay up to date about upcoming events in advance of the summer fest. Check out this event from DMVIFF coming April 22, 2010 (the day before SOMEone's born-day...)

DMV International Film Festival presents "The Greenhouse Effect" Music Showcase 

Pure Lounge

April 22, 2010 

8P - 2A 

$10 before Midnight

18+ to enter

Hosted by MINDSTREAM RADIO's Adam Butler

Learn more at http://www.dmvfilmfest.ning.com/, and Follow @DMVIFF on Twitter!

DMVIFF Teaser from Tanecia Britt on Vimeo.

3) DC Shorts Film Festival & Screenplay Competition 2010

The DC Shorts Film Festival (September 9-16, 2010) turns the spotlight on truly independent short films, created by new and established filmmakers in an era when the art of filmmaking is opening to all. We select films of every genre and niche for our competition screenings — with a special focus on films created by metropolitan Washington, DC-based directors and writers. The DC Shorts Screenplay Competition (October 2010) is a very different kind of screenwriting competition. A panel of judges consisting of filmmakers, screenwriters and critics will review and provide coverage (feedback) for scripts of 15 pages or less. 5 - 7 finalists will be featured during ScriptDC — a weekend of screenwriting events for DC regional writer and filmmakers, where their scripts will be read in front of a live audience — and one will walk away with $2,000 to shoot their project! FINAL DEADLINE: MAY 15TH for FILMS, and MAY 31ST for SCRIPTS! Follow @DCShorts on Twitter!Learn more at www.DCShorts.com.

FINAL WORD: BWAAAHAHAHAHAHHA

You must read 7 things i've thought about erykah badu and her "window seat" video from Very Smart Brothas {dot} com. 

This post is pure, 100% comedy central. And I think it aptly sums up my own internal Scooby-Doo arrr-errr...?'s in the aftermath of addressed hallabaloo. 

There are several money shots in this post, but here's one to consider if you're quick to erect dichotomies of Kulcha versus Culture:

"The overwhelmingly positive response (and condescension towards those who disagree) to this vid is more proof that, in the “cultured” corner of the black community, the headwrap gets you a pass.

mind you, i’m not passing judgment on the artistic merit of the video, but there’s no doubt in my mind that the general sentiment would be much less supportive if keri hilson or nicky minaj or ciara or anyone else not named erykah badu or india.arie or jill scott pulled a similar stunt."

▌VOCAB ▌Somewhere in Advance of Upfronts

I'm in a teachable mood...

both in the giving and receiving sense. (Rare when they align...)

Today, I want to explain a term you may see on the blog a bit in the coming weeks.

I've used it once in referring to BET's effort to resurrect 'The Game,' and now I feel like I want to talk about it more in depth. 

Time permitting, I'll keep my word when I say I'll do this more often. But if I don't, here's a handy reference to keep in mind when you see entertainment jargon spewed wildly about without interpretation: Variety's Slanguage Glossary.

I will use the Glossary now to give you a nutshell definition of the term under discussion in this post: upfront.

The upfront is commercial time sold in advance of the TV season. The Variety Slanguage Glossary offers these words in context, and if you follow the pretty green link, you'll see how you can expect to hear the term "upfront" when used by folks who know what they're talking about.

The purpose of an upfront presentation is all about securing advertising moolah for a network "up front," or in advance of a programming season.

If you're looking for a sign of just how old television's way of doing business is, the upfronts are a good one. All the original broadcast networks, (CBS, NBC, ABC), plus the newbies (FOX, then SUPA nube CW) present rather lavish previews of their fall programming in May. This year, the week of May 17th.

This is when they 'sice' [DMV vocab] they're programming--and demographic appeal--in order to sell off those ad spots. In any article about an upfront presentation, you're very likely to see at least these pieces of information: network viewers in a particular salary range,  age bracket, show genre and length, stars who are on board with a specific show.

You can take a gander at just how frou-frou-chic-chic past upfronts have gotten over at the New York Times Media Decoder blog, devoted to such a time as this.

(I hear Bravo's NJ Housewives are helping the net' do it up real big...)

Cable doesn't necessarily have a designated time period to shake a leg for ad dinero, but  you BESTA BUH-LEEEEE they get it in, too. (Check B&C.) Whether they have to hack their time or straight up take it.... TBS is best known for mischief started during upfronts, but I've said enough. 

Check back often with NYT and Variety, as well as Broadcasting & Cable (who are veerrrrry comprehensive in their cable upfront reporting) for new news where upfronts are concerned. It may get your gears turning, so that when your time comes to pitch your extremely amazing idea, you know where your listeners' heads are at.

▌BIOPICS ▌Will Smith says "naaahhh" to Crowe's Marvin Gaye

The round-the-way crooner, who would've been 71 last week, is the biopic subject of director Cameron Crowe.

Electronic Urban Report gabs (via Daily Variety) that Will Smith ended months of negotiations over the lead role yesterday. He will NOT mouth Sexual Healing or any other form of lyrical n' lusty-froth a la Marvin Gaye! Sorry! (Unfortunately, I keep thinking about the opening sequence to "I, Robot"...oh dear...mercy.)

While reasons for the deal's failure are unclear, USA Today says, Crowe has been trying to get this project off the ground for four years. Hm...ain't that every major Black biopic in the streets...? (*cough*Nina*sputter*cough*Simone*hackingcough*)

An interesting thing, ain't it? Big Willie, TP, Oprah, and maybe Halle-Denzel are the consummate Blacks in film to defer to if you can't get a pic off the ground. Not saying that  entirely because I think Crowe employed that tendency, because I really think he'd pull it off, but where financiers are concerned, they need a face they know will do well at the B.O. 

And in the meantime, these stories keep collecting dust, falling deeper and deeper into the recesses of collective memory...

dramatic sighs.

MIDDAY RANDOMNESS: Keys & Minaj

Meet Keys from Baltimore.

Now that Nicki Minaj has released a "statement" not addressing, but addressing her Hatership, everyone will remember Keys henceforth and forever more as the chick who dissed Minaj.

I'm sure many a true-pink Barbz is mad, but ladies, please...it is NOT like the game is brimming with females! Cease and desist!

Keys is tight. Somebody should make that happen. I still heart Minaj. (She said her haters are her sons...?? BWAAAAAHAHAHA...) And now that we've had this conversation, can the next lady NOT have to make a diss track before folks put her on??

MIDDAY RANDOMNESS: Frangela's Cause

Pray tell, is your skin

a) ashy and faded

b) rougher than sandpaper

c) dry like a camel who can't even spit

d) puckered like a raisin on the blacktop 

OR

e) scaly like a horned toad?

Oil of Olay wants to know. Really. This is why they've created this stimulus package featuring comedienne duo (that you probably know from VH1) Frangela (Francis + Angela). Learn more at Quench for clunkers {dot} com: 

▌UPFRONTS ▌BET to revive 'The Game'

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mara Brock Akil's husband, Salim Akil (who directed most of the series, and co-wrote one episode with his wife) will take over development of the fourth season at BET, and Mara will serve as Executive Producer. (Mind you, Mara is probably the single most important name in Black television over the last decade...#icalledit)

Money quote:

"The cable network is expected to announce at its upfront presentation this month that it is resurrecting the CW sitcom with original episodes."

The article says most of the cast will be returning. No specifics on who'll come up absent, but this is definitely news for BET, who as a network, has very few original scripted series under its belt. The article is sure to point out the 2008 effort, 'Somebodies' which had been set to appear for a second season, but...

Yeah. About that.

My big question, though, is will Kelsey Grammer cross over to BET, too??

LEAKED: Season 3 of the Boondocks!!

YES! It IS so...

Check it out, and become a profile-holding member of, yeah I said it, Boondocks Bootleg Ning Community. Til then, enjoy!

▌AFTERWORD ▌Follow-Up From Badu

@fatbellybella 

"They are not angry we are nude. It angers them that we are awake."

- E.Badu on 'Window Seat'

▌BALLER's 401K ▌Ron Artest to get own reality series

Ron Artest to get own reality series via The Hollywood Reporter

Well alright.

I mean...here's the money quote (if anyone's surprised):

"The series will document the ups and downs of Artest's life, allowing him to 'make amends for past transgressions,'"

 Join the band, fella. Join the band.

:::read more after the jump:::

▐ IN DECENT EXPOSURE▐ "Sita Sings the Blues" Sheds Its Copyright Grief...Draws Lotsa Hindu Grief

Of course...

I know NOTHING about the epic nature of "The Ramayana"...

But while we're on the topic of exposure and its decency--and my titling the allegedly sensational as if it were "decent"--here's some news and a look at the animated feature, "Sita Sings the Blues."

Watch the entire feature here after the jump.

:::read more:::

I'm as good as a New Testament Gentile to a Jew where a rather significant deal of griping is concerned about Nina Paley's take on the tale. (See YouTube aqui!)

Nevertheless, I really appreciate Nina's animated interpretation. Prolly because I know nothing to begin with. And can totally relate...

in ways...

Watch it here!

And support artists who GIVE you stuff and are friendly to the idea of Creative Commons licensing and sharing.

Learn more about "Sita" and Nina Paley on her site: www.SitaSingstheBlues.com. Enjoy!

RUNNING TIME: 81 minutes (2008)

SYNOPSIS:  

"Sita Sings the Blues" is based on the Hindu epic "The Ramayana". Sita is a goddess separated from her beloved Lord and husband Rama. Nina Paley is an animator whose husband moves to India, then dumps her by email. Three hilarious shadow puppets narrate both ancient tragedy and modern comedy in this beautifully animated interpretation of the Ramayana. Set to the 1920's jazz vocals of torch singer Annette Hanshaw, Sita Sings the Blues earns its tagline as "the Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told." It is written, directed, produced and animated by American artist Nina Paley.

YOU SHOULD WATCH THIS ON A BIGGER SCREEN! HINT. HINT...

▌LESSONS LEARNED▐ Erykah Badu, Matt & Kim, & In Decent Exposure

I'm just getting around to watching "Window Seat", brought to you by one of my personal fave firestarters, @Fatbellybella, Erykah Badu. Check it out for yourself below, and participate in the invigorating discussion taking place across the cinematic-friendly blogosphere.

:::read more::: after jump

APOLOGIA: Hey! Love

*no thanks to #TeamBlackberry...

So yes.

I've been AWOL.

I'm sorry.

I still love you.

New news and developments on The Master Plan, though: bytwenty8!

So I'm likely to have some kids again. (YAY!)

At least one set of DMV non decaplets to call my own--

--and return to their parent or guardian at the end of each day.

Additionally, I gotta share how movies like 'Alice in Wonderland' are life changing, as well as put you on to PART TWO of my 'Avatar' gripe--made relevant again by James Cameron's middle digit to everybody's favorite runner-up jerk: Glenn Beck. [He GETS NO BOLDFACE on my blog!]