Chat w/ Deon Taylor, director of 'Black And Blue'

October 25, 2019 @ArtShrian

Black and Blue is a 2019 American action thriller film directed by Deon Taylor from a screenplay by Peter A. Dowling. The film stars Naomie Harris, Tyrese Gibson, Frank Grillo, Mike Colter, Reid Scott, and Beau Knapp, and follows a rookie police officer who goes on the run after she witnesses the murder of a criminal informant. The film had its world premiere at the Urbanworld Film Festival on September 21, 2019 and releasing in North America on October 25, 2019, by Screen Gems.

Deon Taylor is a man with many talents - a director, producer and screenwriter. He is the founder of Hidden Empire Film Group. He’s well known for his successful Nite Tale film and series, followed by Supremacy and Meet The Blacks amongst many. Art Shrian had a wonderful chat with the director Deon Tayor, you can hear it below.

Chat w/ Nafessa Williams - star of 'Black Lightning' and new film 'Black And Blue'

October 24, 2019 @ArtShrian

Nafessa Williams is well known for her 2011 role as Nicole Gordon in the Meek Mill film Streets, her 2011 role as Deanna Forbes on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, and her 2016 role as Dr. Charlotte Piel on the CBS drama Code Black. Since 2018, she plays Anissa Pierce in The CW's Black Lightning. She also stars in the new film Black And Blue directed by Deon Taylor, that releases Oct 25, 2019.

Art Shrian had a chat with Nafessa Williams, during recent press tour of ‘Black And Blue’. You can hear it below.

A conversation with Jay Dockendorf, from Naz and Maalik #myNewYorkeye

January 24, 2016 @ArtShrian

Naz and Maalik is a multiple award winning movie by writer/director Jay Dockendorf, with lead actors Curtiss Cook Jr and Kerwin Johnson Jr. A relevant look at two closeted gay teenage African-American Muslims in Brooklyn who are under surveillance by FBI, this narrative film was inspired by real life stories of LGBT Muslims, as told to Jay.

Art Shrian from myNewYorkeye had a conversation with the wonderful filmmaker. Here are the excerpts.

Art Shrian: How are you doing Jay?

Jay Dockendorf: I’m great Art. How are you?

Art Shrian: I’m great, thanks. So, you’re based in New York?

Jay Dockendorf: I live in Brooklyn. I used to live in Bedstuy, and I moved here. I’m currently staying here, and I think next project will be here.

Art Shrian: So what do you think of the weather here?

Jay Dockendorf: I actually enjoy it more than I Thought. I’ve been here 4 years, I grew up in LA, went to school in CT, and now I’m here.

Art Shrian: So congratulations on wonderful movie. It’s very captivating. The subject of the movie is very interesting, but also the visuals of New York City are great. Like a New Yorker sees it. SO how did you shoot it?

Jay Dockendorf: We shot Guerilla style. We shot on location. I acted as location scout, and most film was shot on real locations, except the mosque scene. The style of the film has a lot to do with camera work, and cinematographer Jake Mickey and Production designer who worked together to create a look, of seeing New York that’s reflected in the shots, but also matches what’s happening with the characters. I have to give them full credit for the look of the film.

We shot with a lightweight camera Canon C300, which let us spend long days hand held. That was good for the guerilla style filmmaking.

Art Shrian: New York City itself plays a character and you guys have done a great job of it. About the story, its very complex. It has various layers, like subject of sexuality, subject of religion, subject of racial profiling. It brings multiple layers of emotions and journey of the characters through this story. So how did you come up with this story?

Jay Dockendorf: This is not a story of myself. It’s a story of many people how I thought deserve their story to be told. The sources are events that I saw on street, on subway, in homes where I have stayed in. Particularly, a gay couple I lived with inspires the main character. It’s not a documentary, but things gave me lot of inspiration. I started writing this 2012, and I had my experience in Bedstuy with the African American community, which inspired me and became source of some of the story.

Art Shrian: As a filmmaker and writer, what was the most difficult thing or biggest challenge? And what was the most rewarding outcome of this project?

Jay Dockendorf: Most rewarding was creation of this film. We rehearsed the film together, walking through the city, for 3 weeks. The actors were so giving and committed, was great help. It allowed building characters in a way, which would not have been possible otherwise. The various challenging aspects were also very rewarding. Like shooting in subway was hard. To get right angles, right sound, everything was tough. Our sound recorder, Joe, was wonderful. Getting the camera to not shake much. And for actors to perform in front of live audience and strangers, it was all very challenging, but truly rewarding.

Art Shrian: The scenes on the street, with the guys selling things, were very cool. We see these folks in subway or street, selling stuff. But we usually don’t think of there backstory. This was cool to see. Were the others all actors, or real people?

Jay Dockendorf: It was a combination. We cast some people on the street. Some people reached out to us. Or actor’s improvised. People were very supportive.

Art Shrian: I really enjoyed the positivity and optimism of the film. Lot of dramatic stuff could have happened, but movie keeps a positive direction, avoiding the drama.

Jay Dockendorf: Thanks; I’m glad to hear that. It’s controversial aspect of the movie. Some people feel it could have been exploited more with potential conflict and drama, or thriller.

Art Shrian: So what’s your overall message for your audience, from this film and in general from your work?

Jay Dockendorf: I would want the film to speak for itself, and let people decide. It might be limiting, if I blurted it out, in few words. I would like to hear the audience’s interpretation of the film. I think it’s more powerful that way.

Art Shrian: That’s wonderful, I completely agree. The movie does speak for itself and shows your care and concern for the wonderful characters, the subject and everything else around it. Thanks a lot for talking to us, and making this beautiful film. Congratulations!

Naz & Maalik opened in select cinemas on Jan 22, 2016. It’s also be available from Jan 26, 2016 on DVD via Wolfe Video and many major retailers. And also on VOD via www.WolfeOnDemand.com and additional digital platforms.

The Future of Film is Here!! Team Oscar 2015 Talks to myNewYorkeye!

February 20, 2015 Art Shrian & Lapacazo Sandoval

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continues to make investments in the future of the industry and one of the best places that demonstrate that sincere effort is expressed in Team Oscar.

The opportunity to become a Team Oscar was open to U.S. citizens, ages 18 to 30. Plus it was easy, aspiring film-makers submitted, through the Academy’s Facebook page, a creative 60-second video on the subject “The best piece of advice I've ever received.”

What the Academy is doing is an amazing thing — to me— because it’s an investment in young storytellers and despite this being an over used cliche— the future is now!

“Now" is Team Oscar 2015 and despite this just being the third year, it’s quickly becoming a “new" Academy tradition.

The 2015 Team Oscar winners are Chris Carmona – Hometown: Bell, CA; Justin Craig – Hometown: Ballston Spa, NY; Kelly FitzGerald – Hometown: Geneva, NY; Justin Floyd – Hometown: Compton, CA; Rhianna Shaheen – Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA and Patrick Walker – Hometown: Atlanta, GA. They were all selected by Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the Academy and Channing Tatum who unveiled the winners on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” last month.

The winners’ videos can be viewed here:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJ8RjvesnvDNtu87Xi7bV-iVDo7yRRH9F

The “lucky six” have boarded United Airlines (the official airline sponsor of the Academy and of the Oscars telecast) and will have an an opportunity to explore the renowned collections at the Academy’s Margaret Herrick Library, tour motion picture studios, and participate in meet-and greets-with film-makers at Oscar Week events.

When covering the 2014 Oscars, I connected with Team Oscar and was impressed by the young storytellers and how the program was being shaped.

So, I took the opportunity to ask Team Oscar 2015 a few questions before they become completely immersed in the Oscar experience and here is what they had to say:

Q: Patrick Walker – (Hometown: Atlanta, GA): If you could pick one director to work with who would it be? If you could pick a single mentor, who would it be and why?

Patrick Walker: If I could work with one director I would choose Quentin Tarantino! He is amazing and his risky, gory style is very attractive and artistic!

If I could pick a single mentor it would definitely be Denzel Washington because he is one of the best actors of this generation and has paved the way for African American actors like myself and I believe he would give a great amount of information to me seeing as how I am following in his footsteps!

Q: Chris Carmona – (Hometown: Bell, CA): Why do you want to tell stories? If you could pick one mentor, who would it be and why?

Chris Carmona: I personally love storytelling because it’s something I love doing and something I think I'm really good at. I want to tell stories that connect with wide audiences – grounded stories – and present them with characters that they can easily relate to. I’d like the viewers of my films to learn certain lessons so that way they themselves can avoid falling into the same conflicts as the characters on the screen. I strongly believe that all stories contain some type of lesson – whatever it may be.

If I could pick one mentor to guide me in my film-making career, I would have to say David Fincher. He’s known for shooting more shots than the average director, because he’s a perfectionist. I know there’s no such thing as perfection but I think we should always aim for excellence. That’s what makes his shots so sleek and so beautiful – not to mention incredibly directed.

Q: Justin Craig – (Hometown: Ballston Spa, NY): Why is humor important in storytelling? If you could make one person laugh, at the 2015 Oscars who would it be and why?

Justin Craig: To answer your question I would say humor is important because it is universal. A laugh is a laugh in any language. Not only that, but laughter itself brings a lot of lot to people. Storytelling is a way to allow the reader or viewer to escape their own reality for a while. Many times reality can be tough, so humor provides a nice break.

As for the second question, that is tougher. I can't think of one specific person that I would love to see laugh. I feel if I can get anyone who is attending the Oscars to laugh, that would give me a great sense of satisfaction as it would allow me to relate to that person, and since they're a celebrity that could be hard otherwise.

Q: Kelly FitzGerald – (Hometown: Geneva, NY): Why is a smile important to share? If you could pick one person, at the 2015 Oscar celebration to start the "smile" selfie, who would it be and why?

Kelly FitzGerald: My best response to the first question is, why ISN'T a smile important to share? It doesn't hurt anyone, it can make other people happy and you can give and receive endless amounts of them. There is more good than harm from sharing a simple smile.

You never know who might need one :) If I could choose one person to start the "smile" selfie it would definitely be Neil Patrick Harris. His happy and charismatic personality perfectly reflects the message I tried to get across in my video. Seeing how successful Ellen's Oscar "selfie" was last year, I am very confident that Neil Patrick Harris would successfully share his smile (and mine) with the rest of the world.

Q: Rhianna Shaheen – (Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA): Ext. Outside the Kodak Theater. The screenwriter (you) is poised to enter with five other winners of Team Oscar 2015 and the interior monologue is?

Rhianna Shaheen: SCREENWRITER - Heavy Breathing. Shoulders back. Take my picture? Ok. Say Prune?? Sure. Oh, oh, that's Meryl Streep. No biggie. Just one of the greatest trailblazing women in Hollywood. I'm cool. Werk. Werk. Are we almost in?? Let's start the show!

Social Media Links Are Below:

Host

Neil Patrick Harris: http://twitter.com/ActuallyNPH

Oscars Producers

Neil Meron: http://twitter.com/neilmeron

Craig Zadan: http://twitter.com/craigzadan

Hashtags

#Oscars

Academy

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