Frame x Frame: Barclays in Brooklyn

The opening of the Barclays Center has dawned upon Brooklyn for about 2 years now. Finally, it is done and standing in all its glory. All of Brooklyn has been anticipating the stadium, and I must say, it's a beautiful structure indeed and the feedback from most of the public has been positive. While shooting my latest Internet show in front of the center, I got into a conversation with some local Brooklynites (all more experienced than me) about the changes in Brooklyn, from the past to the present. It was nice hearing their stories and relating to these people about the borough, and ultimately, the city we love. However, this new stadium has brought together people in more ways than one.

I knew about the stadium's arrival back in 2008 when I had to write a journalism report about the upcoming changes in the Downtown Brooklyn community. When I first heard of the stadium, I didn't know how to feel about it. I knew it was a big project and a lot of the community members weren't alright with the project going underway and changing the community for the worst. Concerns were higher property values and lack of affordable housing, not to mention that the stadium was the catalyst for other smaller businesses around the area closing down and being replaced by more "mainstream" establishments. The time I spent around the Downtown area, collecting the story of people and places in the area made me appreciate Brooklyn more. There's a spirit to the place that doesn't like to be altered, and all of the changes happening down there is turning that part of Brooklyn into "Little Manhattan," with the stadium being the final nail in the developmental coffin.

There are some people who are still protesting the failures of the development company in charge of the Barclays Center (Forest City Developers) by not fulfilling their promises of affordable housing, jobs or paying workers their compensation when it comes to the project. Nevertheless, the stadium is here to stay and it has become the beacon for what I like to call the New Brooklyn. Will I ever get a chance to go inside and have an experience there? Who knows, but for those who will be going to see Jay-Z perform there soon, the stadium does have the capacity to hold many memories of Brooklyn to come.

-Video Vix[o]n

Production Vlog "D" - #VideoDictionary

-Video Vix[o]n

"Red Hook Summer" Off the Hook

When I first saw this trailer, I thought "... oh boy, here comes another over exaggerated 'Spike Lee Joint' again." But as they say, you should never judge a book by its cover, or in this case, a movie by its trailer.

After watching "Red Hook Summer," I can safely say that I enjoyed it. It was a bright mix of comedy, realism and just deep enough that you can tell only Spike can write it. I don't know whether you can classify it as a "coming of age" film or an overall tale of different characters who lived in this Brooklyn neighborhood during the height of summer. All in all, there were a lot of truths spoken in the film, especially with the strong motifs of religious faith, hiding one's demons and looking beyond the bad things to find the good. The main character, Flik, captured all of this through his trusty iPad 2 and it helped him to understand and adjust to the new environment he was dropped into; coming from Atlanta to New York for a summer vacation.

I don't want to give too much of this movie away, for those within the NYC area who wish to watch it (though I believe the movie will stop showing soon), but if anyone does get the opportunity to see it, it is worth every laugh, thought and nod of agreement with the dialogue that is raised in this latest Spike Lee Joint.

-Video Vix[o]n

(Video) Resume Building

In my journey to finding a job in the corporate world, I've ran into dead end after dead end from not receiving any responses for job offers. This has lead to me being discouraged and a bit depressed (which is a reason for my lack in blogging, on top of laziness). I was reaching the end of my desperation when I realized that I have the tools necessary to give myself a creative and competitive edge in the job application process; a video resume. Here's what I came up with:



I realized that when applying for jobs, I was just another sheet of paper on the heap of  resume one poor soul must sift through in order to find the right candidate. With this visual representation of myself, employers know exactly what they're getting; a young man with enough experience and drive to work hard and become an asset to one's company. If they do choose to watch it, then it's up to them to decide if I have the right look and attitude for their business, something they couldn't do by just reading my name and previous work experience.

I don't know why I didn't come up with the idea before. I guess I never considered that my professional and personal realms can collide. From the interviews I've had in the past, I've always avoided mentioning my interest in video production to not alert potential employers that I have a deeper involvement in something else besides their business. It's sad that I have to through my passion under the bus in order to seem more invested in another person's vision. But, for me, the most important thing is to secure a position and work hard for a paycheck, which in these hard economic times, I'm okay with. There is always going to be a way to either incorporate or fit in my video work outside of work hours.

Ideally, if I had a choice, I wouldn't dismiss trying to finding a "9 to 5" and continue to be a starving artist, reaching for my goal, but I have to be realistic about my current situation and find a way to support my desires monetarily, while not sacrificing my dreams to the corporate realm. It all comes down to balance. If this video resume gives me the advantage to tip the scales, then consider me employed sooner then you think.

-Video Vix[o]n

A Dark "Night" in Aurora, Colorado

You're sitting in a movie theater at the midnight screening of the highly anticipated film, "The Dark Knight Rises." The movie starts and about 20 minutes in, a man bursts through one of the exit doors, dressed in all black. You're think they've found a way to make the premiere more interesting by having someone become a part of the action. Suddenly, the man throws a canister into the crowd and it explodes, spreading gas all over the theater and then you hear gunshots, people screaming and others running for their lives.

For moviegoers in Aurora, Colorado, this was real life and it was not apart of the show. 59 people were injured and 12 people killed after a guns man, James Holmes, entered the rural theater and shot the patrons trying to enjoy the movie.

I woke up to this news as I was preparing to view an early morning screening of the same movie hours later in New York; another timezone. As far away as this incident was, entering the theater, I was immediately cautious of what was happening around me; surveying the exit doors as I watched the film. The news predicted that there may be copycats who would attempt to do the same thing at another and I didn't want to take that chance. After the movie ended (and it was a great movie, by the way) and I exited the theater, it was hard to accept that other people didn't receive the same experience I did, vice versa.

It made me think of the shooter, James Holmes, and how he robbed people of this experience and their lives in the process. Reports say Holmes' hair was dyed red, resembling The Joker, as he was quoted saying he was The Joker.

 

James Holmes, BATSHIT CRAZY

It's disturbing to know that someone took a piece of a fictional world, applied it to real life and tricked people who was trying to submerge themselves into this universe, through the movie, to harm people. This is one reason why I wish superheroes existed; to stop tragedies like this from happening. Why couldn't Holmes be inspired by Batman and burst through the door in a Dark Knight costume, rather than be inspired by evil and kill people? I would never understand what was going through Holmes' head or experience what those people in Aurora, Colorado went through, but my thoughts go out to the families affected by this tragedy and I hope them a genuine recovery.

In the movie, Gotham City experienced their darkest hour and eventually overcame. I hope Aurora  can do the same.

-Video Vix[o]n