Yasiin Dey forced fed like Guantanamo Bay

Yesterday, Yasiin Bey, aka Mos Def, shock the internet by deciding to volunteer himself in undergo an irregular procedure that most prisoners under hunger strike in Guantanamo Bay go through on a daily basis. The video is disturbing, but I did watch it in its completion and I wanted to share my thoughts about what I say.

First off, I commend Yasiin for his bravery to go about this procedure; even just going through a fraction of the process seemed challenging enough. It seems like he took part in this experiment to spread a message of awareness about how these detainees are treated, especially for those prisoners who are going through Ramadan, when members of Islam fast for the day.

When it comes to "Gitmo," most people know it's the place where the most dangerous terrorists are held. Despite the talks of the prison being shut down and prisoners relocated, this practices are still carried out and a lot of people have mixed reactions to what they've seen. I've seen a lot of anti-Islamic comments saying these prisoners deserved being tortured and their practices shouldn't be respected. On the other hand, most people defiled the inhumane act, saying that no one deserves to be treated like that, prisoner or not.

I agree with the later. Treating these people as "lesser beings" doesn't make us (USA) any better in our standing as those who enforce the laws and morals in this country (if there are any). If these prisoners can be treated in this fashion, imagine those who are innocent, but have been made out to be a public enemy by the government (Ex: Eric Snowden). At least someone decided to bring this procedure to light and sparked a dialogue about it. It takes a strong man to hold up a mirror to the behavior of those in power and show the rest of us what really goes on behind closed doors. Thanks you Yasiin for shining that light.

What are your reactions/opinions on this video?

-Video Vix[o]n

Short Films: Robot Tears

I watched these two shorts recently that involved robots or droids in them and they both have dark endings, so I decided to share them with you all.


Dr. Easy from Shynola on Vimeo.

For this short, the intentions of the robot meant well, but it goes to show that human trauma can't be
rationalized, even through logic and reasoning.


TONIGHT I STRIKE from Dan Gaud on Vimeo.

Though robots weren't the focal point, I like the futuristic feel to this short and though the ending sad, the main character reminded me of "Kick Ass" in his intentions. Really powerful.

What would you do with your own robot? I would make it assist in my video making, of course.

-Video Vix[o]n

Short Review: Inseparable

I'm not all that familiar with Benjamin Cumberbatch and his acting skills, though I heard great reviews about his show "Sherlock" and his performance in "Star Trek into Darkness" was extremely compelling. But, after watching this short that he starred in, which was released earlier this year, I have to say that I should been on the lookout for this British bombshell of an actor. Not only did he manage to portray twins, but the emotion that he put into the story made it emotional and amazing.

It couldn't even imagine how hard it must be to hear life-threatening news, and the fact that this man had a plan to assure his passing by using the loyalty of his brother was remarkable. I know there have been roles in other movies where one actor/actress has played two separate roles, but Cumberbatch did a good job portraying each character. I'll definitely be looking out for more of his work in the future.

-Video Vix[o]n

Short Review: Cul-de-Sac

Cul-de-Sac from Connor Simpson on Vimeo.

I've recently started watching more videos on Vimeo, as a way to gain some inspiration for my own work and take a visual break from Youtube, and I regret missing out on some of the amazing work that is on that site. With that being said, I watched this short film recently, which did a fantastic job with storytelling, minus the dialogue and mainly relied on the visuals to get its point across.

I have to admit that I didn't see the ending coming. I expected that the Black kid was automatically up to no good and that he would be caught by the cop, case closed. It's probably sad that I lead to that conclusion even before seeing the ending, but the director did a good job throwing a raw situation in another direction. I'm not sure if a situation like that would have happened in real life, but I'm pretty sure the Black kid in this case would have not made it home in one piece, if it were up to a itchy-fingered cop. But the main message I got from this is that you should always expect the unexpected and nothing is as it seems.

I can't wait to share more shorts that you've probably never seen before and be amazed with.

-Video Vix[o]n

Everyday I'm Vloggin'

Last month, I decided to do something new and take on the task of doing daily vlogs on my other channel "Vidvixvlogs" for the whole month, which I respectfully called "Vlog All May." On Youtube, there are many channels whose main focus is to post daily vlogs of themselves talking about their awesome day or something new in their lives. When I thought of doing this, I first thought of what would I talk about. I don't exactly describe my life as eventful; nonetheless, on May 1st, I posted my first day of this month long series.

DAY 1


Before I started this, I would hardly vlog, mostly due to me forgetting or not having anything to talk about. As the month went on, I found that it was easy to just pick up my phone and just talk about what was on my mind. I discovered that I had more to talk about then I had thought. Thirty days, and a scruffy beard later, I got through the month, happy with completing my goal.

DAY 31


It amazing what you can find out about yourself when you share each day with an audience. You go through the good and the bad and everyone hears about it. It's a modern day version of "The Truman Show," except you know when the cameras are rolling and there's no 24/7 loop. I don't know if I will be doing something like this again, but I do know now that each day is unique and worth sharing.  Life is never really boring, it's just a matter of seeing it through a different lens.

-Video Vix[o]n

Production Vlog "E" - #VideoDictionary

-Video Vix[o]n

Super Trailers 2013

There are a lot of superhero movies coming out this year and watching all of these trailers have gotten me excited. Most of you know I'm a superhero buff, so the movies coming out this year are immediately on my radar. Let's start with the one coming out soon.

IRON MAN 3


So far, I have liked the Iron Man series, but this one looks like they're pulling out all the stops. With a new director and new Iron suits, this third installment is not meant to disappoint. Plus, we'll be seeing the Mandarin and Pepper in an iron suit, which sounds like a good deal to me.

MAN OF STEEL


After the fail which was "Superman Returns," (which is along the lines of the first Hulk movie), this movie will replace and become the Superman movie we need and deserve. With an actual worthy opponent, General Zod, and a whole new cast, this movie looks amazing. Plus, Christopher Nolan is behind it so far, and we all saw what he did with Batman, so I'm excited to see possibly the greatest Superman movie ever made.

THOR: THE DARK WORLD


Though coming out later this year, Marvel keeps consistent with the second installment in the Thor series. I liked the first one, and this one looks good too. This is just a teaser trailer, so we'll have to see what new things are released for this movie.

So far, Marvel has been winning in the movie department, but Superman may take it for DC this year. Either way, I'm excited for all of these movies. Which one are you waiting for?

-Video Vix[o]n

Frame x Frame: Shooting on Location

Photos by Joshen Reborn

In my film making journey, I am constantly learning new things about the production phases, especially with pre-production. Pre-production is the most important phase because it involves planning everything about a project, from casting talent to story boarding the scenes for a script. The most challenging part of planning my short films, so far, have been finding locations to shoot the various scenes my story needs.

In my earlier productions, I would always shoot in places that I had access to (a friend's apartment, my house or outdoors) because it was easy. For the past couple of short films I've produced, I took the same approach in finding locations and shooting on the fly (some people call it guerilla filmmaking). For the latest short I'm working on, I experienced being my own location scout and asking permission to shoot in different locations, with no success. For example, for my short, I needed a bar for a scene I'm working on and I reached out to different bars, only to receive one response where the bar asked for a production insurance fee, which was way above my budget. I try to keep my production as no cost to low cost as possible, but I realize now that some money needs to be thrown into the production pot in order to make a project work.

The main scene for my short is an apartment setting, which I didn't know how I was going to secure it. I searched for locations online for a long time, until I finally found a place that was suitable for my needs. I had to pay for the space, which I made sure to get my money's worth while shooting. I achieved the looks for the scenes, even though it wasn't what I envisioned in my head, but I made it work. As I get to meet new people, I will keep in mind for my future shorts that locations are important to lock in early so the production phase doesn't take too long. All of these experiences are helping me become a better filmmaker, which I appreciate with each short I put under my belt.

-Video Vix[o]n

Finding Your "Gratitude"

This video comes from the visual genius which is Joe Nation. He used old footage from things he shot throughout the past year to express the "beautiful things in this life, big and small." I've always admired Joe for his video skills, but he does bring up a good point about being grateful for the things in life. Outside of being able to wake up everyday, I always have to remind myself of what I'm grateful for:

-When it comes to my video work, I'm grateful for the resources I have, what I'm capable of, what I've accomplished, especially with my short film series, #VideoDictionary. There was a time where I wasn't sure of my professional direction and I never felt confident in what I was good at.

-I'm grateful for Youtube being the platform I can use to share my work and show others what I can do. Without it, I wouldn't be able to show off who I am as a content creator, and now a Youtube partner.

-All of my subscribers, especially those who continue to support my videos and show support for my work.

-My family and friends who understand what I do when I am always out and about, shooting a video or producing content.

-My new (part-time) job, which I'm starting to feel comfortable with. Being out of a job for a while made me feel incompetent, but my co-workers have welcomed me well and now I feel capable of accomplishing anything on the job.  

We should all take more time to being grateful for what we have and what we've accomplished in our lives. We tend to focus on what we don't have and makes those things overshadow the good things. I'm being more positive these days and this video was a nice reminder of staying grateful. Are you grateful for what you have?

-Video Vix[o]n

WINNER - Firmoo "First Free Pair" Giveaway

Congratulations to Melissa M. for winning a free pair of glasses from Firmoo.com! You will be in contact with a Firmoo representative soon. I hope you enjoy your new pair of glasses!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thanks to Firmoo for the giveaway and I hope that other people will take advantage of their designer glasses and eyewear. I'll be seeing you all again soon.

-Video Vix[o]n

Seeing Through New Lenses: Glasses Review + Free Pair Giveaway (Firmoo.com)

***All opinions expressed in this post are of my own and not paid for by Firmoo.com***

When people meet me, they automatically associate me with a pair of glasses on. I've been wearing glasses for as long as I can remember; mainly to see farther and more clearly. So when Firmoo contacted me with an opportunity to receive a free pair of glasses, I was more than excited.

Firmoo is the "world's most popular online glasses store," that carries a wide variety of frames and styles to for people to choose from. Their "First Pair Free" program allows you to choose a style and color for your desired pair of specs that you would like. There is even a "Virtual Try-On System", where you can upload a picture of your face and the site will place the desired frame you've chosen on you to see how it looks before you choose. I had a hard time choosing myself because of all the good frames that they carries. The system was a big help to finding the pair I liked, though all the frames were nice. Afterwards, I simply submitted my prescription, and days later, received my free pair of glasses in the mail. 

(Click picture to view glasses)

I have to say, I made a good choice in the frame I wanted. These new glasses make me feel smart, sexy and super all at once. At first, the glasses felt weird to my eyes because I used a slightly older prescription than the one I have now, but after wearing them a few times, my eyes adjusted and they feel comfortable. Firmoo's customer service did a good job contacting me and walking me through the steps to place my order, track its delivery and provide me with a glasses case, cleaning cloth and keychain screwdriver. Overall, I had a good experience with Firmoo and would recommend that everyone try their "First Pair Free" program. If you have any questions about the program, you can get some answers at Firmoo's help page

Firmoo has also decided to sponsor another pair of glasses to me, so i'll be giving away a FREE PAIR OF GLASSES to one of my U.S. readers/viewers. Follow the instructions in the giveaway widget below as well as my Firmoo video for a chance to receive a pair of your own. I'll be "seeing" you all again soon. 

-Video Vix[o]n

League of Extraordinary [Women]

One of my fellow geek/Whovian/blogger friends Jamila (Girl Gone Geek) had the opportunity to be a part of a "Women in Comics" panel recently to discuss the role and depiction of women in comics and other media.

The panel brought up a lot of issues that I have thought about when it comes to how women are visualized in comic books, video games, art and other forms of media. They are either over-sexualized or seen as the 'damsel in distress." The issue of a lack of female characters of color was brought up as well, revealing that there are few examples of black and Hispanic heroines in comics and media for young girls of color to look up to. All of the heroines of color I can name off the top of my head are Storm (X-Men), Vixen (Justice League/DC), Martha Jones (Dr. Who), Zoe Washburne (Firefly), Sheva Alomar (Resident Evil 5), Michonne (Walking Dead) and Fire (DC). The problem is that the majority of heroes that young girls are exposed to (primarily in comics) are white males figures like Superman and Batman, while female heroes like Wonder Woman and Batgirl aren't marketed as much. It's worse for heroines of color because they are placed in a smaller category whom are forgotten or looked over. Other topics that were discussed were the trend of "fake nerd girls," discrimination of women in the comic/animated world and how being a female geek is something that shouldn't be proven, but respected. What I mainly got out of the panel is that it is important to be yourself, be the change you want to see, and seek out others who you can express your "geekiness" with. Being a geek myself, I related with everything the panelists said and I'm happy that the discussion is being brought more to the forefront.

Women in Comics Panelists

Geeks United!

Finally, I want to share a video for a trailer I saw long ago for a documentary about the image of Wonder Woman and the role of super heroines in the media. It addresses the same issues discussed at the panel. The documentary will be premiering on the PBS channel on April 15th.



-Video Vix[o]n

"And the Winners Are...": Oscar's 2013

I watched most of the Oscar's this past weekend, not for the fashion or the corny jokes in the host's monologue, but to see which nominated actors and films would win the accredited award for the best in their category. Some may say the awards are superficial and that "the academy" shouldn't be able to determine what movie/actors deserve an Oscar, but to me, it's more than just the award, it's the honor of being recognized for their hard work.

Here are some of the winners from the big night of the movies I've seen:

LIFE OF PI - BEST DIRECTOR/CINEMATOGRAPHY/FILM EDITING



I didn't see all of this movie, but the visuals and story was really good. While watching it, I connected with the main character and even the tiger and it was a beautiful story of connection and perseverance.

DJANGO UNCHAINED - BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR/ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY



As this was another Tarantino production, I loved the style of this movie. Many people complained about the subject of this movie revolving around slavery, but I realized that this movie wasn't suppose to be historically accurate and more focused on the hero's journey. Christoph Waltz and Jamie Foxx also did an amazing job acting in this film.

SKYFALL - ORIGINAL SONG/SCORE



I loved this movie, the opening sequence and the song by Adele. When I heard it, I know I had to get it on my iPod. Though her Oscar performance of the song, to me, wasn't as powerful as I would have imagined, it's deserved its awards.

ARGO - BEST PICTURE/EDITING/ADAPTED SCREENPLAY



Argo was a great film. It was shot well and Ben Affleck did a good job as a producer. It was entertaining, thrilling and based on a true story, so that gave the story more merit. Definitely a must watch for those who haven't seen it.

Those are my favorites from the Oscar's. Which ones are yours?

-Video Vix[o]n

Short Film: I'm A Queen!

This short film has made me think about watching/posting video on Vimeo again. I forgot how impressive some shorts can be, and this one is no different. I didn't see the twist at the end, but it was well shot and with all the awards that it received, I wish I had thought of it myself. Enjoy.

The Queen from Christina Choe on Vimeo.

-Video Vix[o]n

Harlem Shook Up!

I've been hearing the same question from  lately: What is this Harlem Shake thing? Welcome to the new internet meme that puts the "random" in random. All I know is the song used for the meme is by a group named Baauer. When I first heard of the video, I was thinking "Did the Harlem Shake dance come back into style?" I immediately thought I was late to the party. Then after I watch a couple of videos, I realized it was an excuse for people to act random and go crazy. I seen a lot of internet companies, as well as a group of friends getting together to make this meme what it is and I've seen some funny and crazy stuff. What makes this meme so viral is that these videos are so short; 30 seconds and you can make some hilarious content. I was thinking of making my own version, but I decided that I would rather watch them and enjoy them for what they are than take part in them (plus I wouldn't have enough people to make it happen). So, enjoy the "Shakes" while it last. Can't wait to see what the next meme to pop up will be.

-Video Vix[o]n

Short Films: Rock, PAPER, Scissors

For Valentines' Day, I want to share these two short films I seen recently that are all about love (and paper too).

The first one is an animated short from Disney, which has been nominated for an Oscar. I like the fact that is a noir silent film, with a small touch of color, which symbolizes the love interest. The lack of dialogue makes you pay attention more to what was happening and it's simplicity and "magical" elements makes it a tough contender for an award.



The second short is one that my girlfriend sent to me from "Free People" about this Brooklyn couple who uses "rock, paper, scissors" to dictate their fun, romantic evening. I loved the shots and editing in this short and it had a warm ending.



Which short was your favorite?

-Video Vix[o]n

Superbowl Ad Favorites 2013

When it comes to the Superbowl, I'm not really invested in betting for sides and the winning team, but for me, I'm all about watching the commercials and seeing which one will have the most lasting impression on the audience; which spot is the most memorable. Outside of the memorable moments in the game, Beyonce's performance and the "unexpected" blackout, these are some of the commercials I liked and remembered from the Bowl, in no particular order:

MOST CLEVER


MOST "AMERICAN"


BEST CAR AD


BEST SUPERFAN AD


MOST INSPIRING


Which ones were your favorite?

-Video Vix[o]n

Would You Pay for Youtube?

When I first heard about Youtube introducing paid subscriptions for certain channels, I was initially surprised and confused about how Youtube can charge people to watch content on their site. After thinking about it, I had to consider that Youtube (ultimately Google) is a business and their main goal is to make money, so testing out a subscription based model for channels on their site isn't a bad idea for them. A lot of people, however, don't feel the same.

Youtube has always been a platform for people to watch and share videos for free, so many people don't like the idea for paying for free stuff, respectfully. For me, I had to really think about would I really pay for Youtube. From the amazing things I have seen from some creators on Youtube, I feel guilty that I'm not paying for some of the content. According to the article, certain channels are going to be a part of this paid subscription program, charging $1-$5 per month for a subscription to the channel. For me, as "economically aware" that I am, I wouldn't mind paying for a Youtube channel, but it really depends on what content the channel is offering.

For example, if a Youtube channel was going to show old television shows that can't be found online (such as Netflix, Hulu Plus) or high quality content from independent creators (I honestly feel YOMYOMF is worth a paid subscription based), I wouldn't mind paying a small low-end fee a month. This system is going to be implemented this Spring 2013, so we'll have to see what channels have the paid-sub model and who will be willing to subscribe and pay. In the end, I will be upset if certain channels receive this model that I feel don't deserve it, but then again, I don't have to sub to pay; the magic of Youtube. At least we still have the power of choice.

What do you think? Would you pay for Youtube?

-Video Vix[o]n

FullScreen: The bigger picture

Being a part of a Youtube network hasn't changed anything for me so far (except having a banner on my YT page and a few more opportunities), but it's the small things about being in this new community that count; such as having the opportunity to meet up with new people. Luckily for me, after a few messages and emails later, I had the chance to meet with two cool Youtubers that lived in the NYC area, Janice (left) and Samore Love (right).



After hanging out with them for the afternoon, I realized that, even though our content is different, we share similar feelings about Youtube and how we interact with our audiences. The best part about Youtube is being able to meet people outside of the screen and knowing them for who they are. We talked about who we are, to what videos we like to make, some of our Youtube experiences, and what videos we can possibly collab on. For me, that was the major reason for wanting to meet up with new Tubers, to work together and help  promote each other to keep growing. Of course, we all have our strengths and weaknesses, but as long as we keep consistent, everything will work out great.

As we continue to have meetups in the future, we hope that we can reach out to new people and make the network in NYC become more active. Nothing great is built overnight, so it may take some time for this movement to pick up steam. But, as long as I'm able to work with others for the sake of creation, my job will never be done.

-Video Vix[o]n

Frame x Frame: Freelensing My Shots

I've noticed lately that I am getting more and more into photography (which I make sure to claim to people that I am not a photographer because of my camera), so while I was looking at my Youtube subscriptions, I came across a video from DigitalRevTV explaining a different photography technique, which I felt inclined to try. The technique is called "Freelensing" and it involves taking pictures with the lens not attached to the camera.

I didn't know that my camera was capable of functioning without the lens attached, so I was curious to try this technique out, and I was impressed with the results. To explain the effect, when the lens is detached, the field of focus can be manipulated, so certain parts of the image are out of focus, while others are. It can even work with video, which I'll be excited to use for an upcoming project.



Learning new things to apply to my work is exciting and can lead to improving the production quality of my videos. As a creator, I need to constantly improve my craft and using new techniques can help make my work stand out. I will make an effort to seek out new skills and show it off to you all when I get the chance. Improvement never sleeps.

-Video Vix[o]n

Rewinding Back 2012, Going Forward 2013

It's been a while, but another year is done and new opportunities await us.

As I look at this video rewind I created, I feel a sense of pride for all the things I accomplished, especially with all of the trials and tribulations I had to go through recently. A year of content creation is never easy, especially when you're constantly trying to climb the Youtube totem pole. But, I did become a Youtube partner (which was the main goal for me starting back on Youtube in the first place) and successfully created four films for my short film series #VideoDictionary. All in all, I would say it was a good Youtube year for me and 2013 shouldn't be any different.

Last year made me realize that as much as I love making videos, there are still a lot of things I would like to learn in order to be the best videographer/filmmaker that I can be. So far, I am on the path to taking some production courses to get certified in editing and television studio work so I can beef up my resume. Also, I am aiming to finally become a part of this production assistant training program, where I can gain experience being a P.A. and eventually work my way to being placed in an actual production project. Of course, these are all of my plans for the future and there's no guarantee that things will go as planned (especially if I get a job), but it's a start to realizing what I really want to do.

It would be easy for me to say that this new year is going to produce a new me, which I am hopeful for, but I don't want this new year to shadow the progress that I've made in 2012. Most people think that a new year must be the reason to change themselves, but a change in the calender shouldn't mean a change in self. Change can never be set on a calender, so why should we wait to change ourselves? This year looks promising, but I am staying realistic and keeping in mind that anything can happen.

P.S.: I've been treating this blog like an abandoned step-child. I need to do better, new year or not. Here's to more blog posts in the future.

-Video Vix[o]n