Preparing For The Next Scene

As 2013 comes to an end. I have so much to be thankful for. Being able to release our film, Depravity, and submit it to like four major film festivals was a total blessing. On top of all that, we were able to produce another stage play, Thicker Than Water, which was just another amazing experience. I am so excited to see what God has in store for next year. Launching my new website was probably one of the most exciting things that happen to me this year. I would like to give special thanks to Pierre Drummond for blessing me with his talented gifts on his best work yet. I have had the pleasure of working with some talented people. Special thanks to my partner, Ashton Kristopher Bracciodieta, for not only putting up with me over the last two years, but for also believing in me and my work, and helping me take my career to the next level. I am looking forward to our next project, The Donor, which will go into production in January 2014. We say it every time, but this will be our best work yet. It is definitely one of the most emotional pieces I have had the pleasure of writing. I am so thankful Jay D'Alba thought enough of me to bring such a project to my attention. I am also thankful that Ashton took the time to help me build the skeleton for our film. Katrice Galloway, you have been here since my second film. Thank you for sticking by my side through all the ups and downs. Kasheed thank you for always being there and giving my productions a special heart beat. Keri Hollingsworth, you know you are amazing as well. Thank you for helping me make every production smoother. Uriah Peterson, you give me a lot to look forward to, with your breath-taking art designs and heart-felt composing. Steve Rose, we wouldn't have a film without you!!! Thank you for your passion and dedication on every project. Stephanie Williams, thank you so much for blessing us with your amazing presence and your amazing creativity. We look forward to working with you again. Stacy Williams, thank you for all your support, and for also coming on board and blessing us with your amazing gifts. Last but not least, I want to thank all those talented actors I had the pleasure of working with this year. You guys brought it this year!!! To the most amazing parents in the world, your son loves you dearly. His biggest goal in life is to continue to make you both very proud!!! Well, 2014 is almost here, and all I can say is I am so thankful God has allowed me to make it this far. I have so much to be thankful for, and so much to look forward to. It means the world to me to have all your support. Happy Holidays to you all!!! Let's make sure we give to someone in need and spend plenty of time loving on our families!!! Blessings!!! Blessings!! Blessings!!!

The Internet Movie Database

The Internet Movie Database is a place where all films are hosted. This database is very important to the entertainment production world because every production is added into this database, and is access easily through the Internet. On this website you can find what films or TV shows are in production. You can also find out who’s on the cast or the crew. This is also a great resource to see what films or TV shows have been done, and what titles have been used. IMDb is a great resource for all filmmakers.  

A major program that IMDb has had for quite sometime is the ability to give credits on their site on independent short films. This resource is great because it allows up and coming filmmakers to get their name and work out there. In this industry credits are very important. Not only are the credits important, but the type of credit is important as well. Companies can easily research the work of any actor or crewmember on this site. They are not only looking for what productions you have worked on, but they are also interested in seeing who you have worked with. This website allows this to be an easy process.

Overall, IMDb is an important resource because it allows industry-qualified artist to connect and network. The online profile is like an online resume for each artist.  I think this resource encourages more work from every artist. For an example, if one of your classmates is an inspiring director, just as yourself, you are going to be checking out their credits on IMDb to make sure you are putting the work in you need to stay on top of your game. Since I started my IMDb page, I am eager to get more solid credits. Though I have done short films, and I have a couple more in the works, I am more eager to get some feature film credits on my page. IMDb has motivated me and I look forward to adding up more credits on my page.

Steve Jobs' Inspiring Speech To Stanford University

Steve Jobs speech was empowering to the graduates of Stanford University. He broke his speech down in three parts, which I felt was a great way to get his points across. He started out with his life in the beginning and why college was so important to his biological parents. Though they were giving him away, that wanted to make sure he had the best future he could have. He talked about how he never graduated from college, but how things still fell into place because of risk he had taken. Because he didn’t see how college could benefit him and help him decide what he wanted to do in life, he decided he would drop out. This opened the door for him to stop taking the classes that didn’t interest him and check out the one that seemed more interesting to him. He ended up falling into classes that would later help him create the applications for the Macintosh computer.

His second story talked about love and lost; living a life and building a group of friends and building a brand. Sometimes as a company grows, relationships begin to differ, and become broken. Jobs found himself being kicked out a company that he helped started. Little did he know, being fired from his own company would be the best thing that happened to him. It allowed him to start from the bottom and build up again. This gave him a chance to fill in all the blanks, as he grew wiser and bolder. 

His third and final part of his speech talked about living every day as it is your last.  This was definitely something to be heard. It is very important to encourage yourself and each other to spend every day like it is your last. If you were to die today, would you be happy with the way you lived your life? If not, then now is the time to do something about it. Don’t let others determine how you will spend the rest of your life. Don’t give up on your dreams because one person had something negative to say. Learn from each situation and live each day, as it was your last. Jobs definitely inspired me to keep pushing forward.   

http://www.ted.com/talks/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die.html

The Final Steps

You are in enrolled in the school of your dreams. Everyone there shares the same passion for the arts as you do. You have classmates that want to work in the same industry, and some in the same position. The equipment you learn how to use is the top of the line equipment in your industry. Time swiftly passes by and you make new friends, you invest in equipment, you party, and most of all you live life to the fullest. Then reality hits.  You are reminded that graduation is in a month and you need to pick up your cap and gown for the ceremony. You finally realize that you will be graduating soon, and that you will be thrown out into the real world. Many students find themselves in this situation. They are left feeling nervous about the next chapter of their lives. Unlike most colleges, Full Sail University has a career development department. This department is designed to help our graduates build their resumes, demo reels, get leads in the industry, and guide them to a successful future. Finding a job after graduation is already a difficult task. With your career development Advisor, each student is given an extra set of eyes that is looking and seeking job leads that fit each student’s resume. We inform our students of job sites that they can check out. Some of these sites list jobs in  Los Angeles and some in New York. It is very important for each student to take full advantage of the resources they are given. Each student at Full Sail University is given an Advisor three months before graduation. If you take advantage of this resource, by the time your graduation date you will have a completed quality looking resume, a demo reel if needed, and an idea of what is going on in areas of your interest. Each student deserves the right to experience success. It’s your dream and your future. Go after it with all you got.   

An Independent Filmmaker’s Paradise

Film festivals are an independent filmmakers paradise. Since more and more filmmakers are aiming towards making a brand and a name for themselves, a lot of them are producing their films independently. With the hope of getting their films seen by the masses, these filmmakers shop their films around the world in varies film festivals. Some film festivals are Oscar boasters, and allow the filmmaker’s film to be qualified for the academy awards if their film is a winner. The Florida Film Festival is one of those film festivals. Like most other film festivals, the Florida Film Festival brings out a very popular crowd to view these films. Many people are excited to see the next big producer or director. Those producers and directors are discovered at the film festivals. A film festival like the Atlanta Film Festival, brings stars from all over the world. Atlanta is booming with talent. With major companies and studios already in the area like Tyler Perry Studios and Rainforest Films, the Atlanta area is already swarming with talent. This talent is eager to see what films are being made as well. Every independent filmmaker is looking for an opportunity to showcase their talent, and to possibly catch the eyes of a big producer or studio. To have the opportunity to get a feature film released in theaters is every filmmaker’s dream. Film festivals make this dream a reality. With film festivals in almost all the major cities, film-goers are eager to see the work of this new generation of filmmakers. Do you have a film that you think is worth seeing? Now is the time to dust that film off and get copies of it and send it to as many film festivals as you can afford. You never know what could happen. If you have a film idea you been sitting on for some time, now is the time to build a crew and get the ball rolling. Opportunities could be missed out on just because you are sitting on an idea. Let’s all encourage these filmmakers and support these film festivals. One day we may just see one of those filmmakers win an academy award.          

LIONSGATE UPCOMING FILM RELEASES

Lionsgate is releasing some new intriguing films this fall.

Escape Plan is one of their new films, which releases October 18, 2013. This film, which stars Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, is about two con men that have to join forces in order to escape the most secure prison in the world. Stallone and Schwarzenegger have both been brought to this prison as someone’s sick game. They both have big plans to escape, or at least die trying. I definitely think this will be a great movie to see. It would be nice to see the two legends come together in a film such as this. I am most looking forward to seeing the action they plan to squeeze in this film.

The Hunger Games:Catching Fire is another exciting movie releasing this fall on November 22, 2013.  The Hunger Games took me on a wild journey in their first installment. When a young girl becomes a hero for her family and her town, you can’t help anything but cheer for her to win the competition. Now she is back and is a hero among many. But with all fame comes more problems. The dictators are annoyed by all the attention she is getting and decides to enter her and her partner, Peeta back into the game, where the challenges will be harder than ever.  

You're Next is a new horror film releasing this month on August 23, 2013. I’m not really sure if I am too excited about this film. It’s only so much you can do with a horror film in order for it to be a real thriller. I must admit the idea of animals hunting people is interesting, and it gives you a different perspective of how animals most feel about being hunted. I think it’s still another killer in the mask type of movie. This has been done a million times. I am looking forward to seeing the reviews on this one. 

GOLDENCHILD PRODUCTIONS

"We don't just produce films and plays, we change lives." 

Ronald Diltz II