Unknown Speaker 00:04 Since this is March 22, Saturday, I'm hoping that you're recording ready which is great. I am also a teacher at this time, an assistant professor at Tilburg University and I'm teaching I started freelancing independently as a producer director about three years ago. Prior to that I had rotate using commercial broadcast media as a television engineer named it and I had my affiliations. And I decided somewhere in that process of like getting a job for the commercial broadcasting, and then in my off hours making films or videos, to at one point decide to do either or, and I made that choice about 10 years ago to seek providing sacred soil. And I am here to witness and I'm floating, I'm not swimming, but it is my cause and creativity. Image making this power film in video the most powerful and expensive visual arts or sophisticated tools of political persuasion in history writing as well. As for the US to mutilate, and stereotype. Mass media has been killing women and people of color softly for some time. But the Independent Film and Video community particularly black independent and feminist filmmakers create with an understanding that film and video no longer serve as mere entertainment is dangerous time. For many independent film and video making, the choice in our work stands often between cause or creativity, sometimes between cause or funding. Though the decision to produce alternatively, outside the mainstream is essentially a political choice. Independent sometimes find themselves prioritizing creativity over calls, that is focusing on technology or aesthetics devoid of message to attain in quotes, universality or saleability. Or conversely trivializing substantive material with the didactic or amateurish use of media. I'm interested in film and video as a vehicle for social change in alternative vision of our lives or voice for the silenced. My work focuses on the depth and diversity of black women in non traditional roles, with a specific item and the accounting process embodied in the lives and contributions of unsung black women artists. Cause is a personal Foundation who didn't concerns and issues that motivated me to struggle for change. Politics is not simply ideology or affiliation or slogan in his daily life, is how I meet and experience the world black, female and lesbian. It is where I spend my money, who I sleep with, where I eat, where I live, how I interact with each of you. It is the films and videos I commit myself to making. So in this regard, cause is the source of my creativity. commercially speaking, the personal vision that independent film and video makers are committed to highlighting that is the extraordinary lives of ordinary people is our most marketable asset. It offers imagery alternative to the status quo of mainstream media, and audiences appreciate the choice. As a producer, I'm keenly aware that show business is business. The average cost of most important broadcast quality independent productions is $2,000 per minute, and rising. This at a time with public and federal support for the arts and social services are disappearing under the Reagan administration. Creative funding strategy, including foreign CO production deals, limited partnerships, working with and for open independence, corporate underwriting Public Television funding, private support, are being utilized in various combinations to produce independent work based on political causes. The tapes you'll see this afternoon are cases in point. The first one that you've seen stormy the lady of the jewel box is a work sample of a video in progress. It chronicles the history and grand jewel of the jewel box review and infamous integrated troop of female impersonators that played the black theater circuit in the 50s and 60s. For me, the lady of the jewel box is a profile of and reviews MC stormI. Elaborate, a 65 year old mulatto woman and former male in person. She was the only woman in America's most unusual show of 25 men and a girl Unknown Speaker 05:23 Funding for storming the labia the jewel box for it as it will be formally called is full length productions swarming a life into. The funding comes from various sources because of the range of issues addressed in the documentary, the largest donors and Corporation for Public Broadcasting but other funding sources include fundraising benefits. The DC commission on the arts getting the project grant and the gay education for the Washington DC is also one of the funders of this program. Got to make this journey as it is a video profiles with Honey in the Rock, who describe themselves as a radical black women's acapella ensemble. All six of its members live and work in Washington DC, now embarking on their 12 year together this week, honey as music internationally serves the cause of social activism, while the context of it remain rooted in black traditional and civil rights. So journey revolves around the honeys ninth anniversary concert and highlights the history and diversity of their individual lifestyles and concerns, and their unprecedented outreach to the deaf community are featured as well. The documentary is a closed captioning on PBS. The program's intent was not only to document the cross cultural impact as we heard his work, but also to present a larger statement about how black women are empowering themselves. Additionally, Journey gives an alternative perspective of music as a weapon for social change. In this regard, there's a correlation between sweet Chinese music and the mandate that motivates the feminist and black Independent Film and Video communities. It is an understanding that our culture must sustain our conditions and poor with our struggle. Journey was funded by two grants. The initial money was awarded by weta independent minority producers laboratory that eta is the local PBS station in Washington. matching funds were solicited from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Finally, I'd like to place myself as one of a growing number of black independent filmmakers who are expanding into video. I'm one of roughly 15 Black women across the country who are working independently in Film and Video. Among the most innovative and prolific black woman film video makers are calculated columns, with two award winning features to her credit. Monica Freeman has filmed Valerie set a precedent for documentaries about black women RS Aiyo. Kitchen zero who works in both film and video, Sharon Larkin, Julie bash and Carol blue, who are on the West Coast base, and UCLA Film School graduates. After the screening of story in Germany, I'd be happy to answer any questions that you might have. I came to film and video making theater. And my fervor for these mediums was fueled by my mother who was an avid movie fan and theater goers. It was her passion for the art of filmmaking an actor that first introduced me to names like Vincent De Nellie Frank Capra, Edith had Adriana and movie stars like Joan Crawford, already known and Dorothy Dan, Hollywood's first black film after becoming active in Washington, DC community theater during high school, and majored in film production at Temple University. My decision to switch from theater to film study was deeply influenced by the urgency of the black nationalist, and women's movements of the early 70s. The impetus to control one's body history, Destiny, filtered through these concurrent liberation struggles of black people when and left an indelible mark on black nationalism and feminism kindled my political awareness, and they ultimately were the catalyst that keep me seeking the synthesis between politics in my daily life and work. In a sense, the word screen here today can be categorized as documentation that is reworking the documentary genre with performance elements that convey the convictions of women who are the focused and narrators of the production. On the other hand, I work in several mediums and various formats as the subject matter dictates. I avoid self categorization and pursue the risks and challenges that film and video present to me medically and artistic. As a black, lesbian, feminist and filmmaker. I have a passion for redefining the mediums capacity to communicate disenfranchised. I have a passion for creatively utilizing technology as a tool for activism, visibility and history rewriting big Because at best the beauty and power of film and video making mesh for cause Unknown Speaker 10:06 the first I'll show you eight minutes. And that will be followed by an hour. Take any questions that you might have had an open Unknown Speaker 10:18 discussion, let me feed this well it slips out of the pause when it in a mode either play rewind, but it's on a station that is not an accurate Unknown Speaker 10:37 it just slips back into Unknown Speaker 10:38 this these were originally produced a three quarter inch, but this is a half inch coffee, suffering translation. Unknown Speaker 11:33 Winter It took four months actually the concept of time, it's the fastest I've ever done in production before I get a fan of Sweden for a long time, especially living in Washington and local, local monuments of our own. So I had the chance to work with them as production coordinator in his second home in the late 70s. And that's where I got to see how steepening works as a new collective, how the music is formulated how to pick the songs rehearsal process. And that was even more fascinating in translating where that saying comes from when you pay $2 to hear just seeing things and working within who they were individually was such a cross rate of black women embodied. And it was just there for me. So I kept kept, kept the idea long time told them I was interested in doing stuff, don't lose the faith, and I try to find the money. And that actually came through in at once I said, Well, during these grants, the idea is still fresh and still want to work with me. And they said okay, they had they had been approved several times while other people want it. But they were waiting for the right producer. They felt they had some political alignment, and effects and more collaborative collaboratively with so in this instance, creative control toward a new dimension in that in six other voices besides myself. And that was a learning process for me as a producer. So that get through it. for better and for worse. The downside of that. And they are pleased by the evidence to do it was just because I take the people humans fan and Unknown Speaker 13:35 there were, of course 12 is made SRE the rest of us Unknown Speaker 13:45 your fundraising efforts. How was that during the blackout anything? Unknown Speaker 13:51 Well, because we know you already have a following as its own a cult following that by mainstream standards. There was already some impetus and recognition to fund an idea like this because of the Smithsonian rockins. But initially, I got three 530 $1,000 from the minority producers Lab, which is still being credited, which is a local grant laboratory of sorts, where minority producers in the Washington area have worked with the local PBS station to produce a show or to complete one that's a project. So the $30,000 grant was $10,000 in terms of cash, but 20,000 in terms of personnel. And did they get their funding from PDF? They got this some of their funding from PBS from CPB. Right Okay. CPB fund is the mothership CPB funds PBS TV is a government agency. PBS is the network and our tax dollars go into keeping public broadcasting on the air and, of course funds the programs that it feels for viewership and ideals other matching money was which was 35,000 was secured for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting from the program. They have cycles I think three or four times a year, you are interested in the categories break down into children's programming, news and public affairs programming. cultural programming was dramatic, dramatic and simple was a slash from actions for making music or in special events, so CPB seen that already had the endorsement of the VTA, which is local PBS station, and not knowing me personally as a director except to a previous film I had sold to PBS. So then Carter said, Okay, we'll take a risk. And he liked the idea. Of course, money has its own track, it fell right into place one behind the other and started shooting in September and finished. Until production was sending $1,000 But that was because in large measure, part of those fees reflect working with the union. And an extensive crew of debt. I mean, good lighting directors for five cameras here. We I picked the freelance cruiser I came up here to New York station that Seamus Carroll needs over Boston, Dallas was teaching in Cambridge. So I also picked up freelance cruisers, I had to pick up the different cameos and commentate people that may come to Unknown Speaker 16:36 new construction, Unknown Speaker 16:38 well, part of the proposal process for the prospectus that you give them include your version of the treatment, or the story outline what you want to do. So they already have in hand on paper, how you conceptualize the idea, the history of it, why it's important that it's programmed in time, and how you will render that Unknown Speaker 16:58 vision. And here they can Unknown Speaker 17:05 they can do that. No, it did not happen. In this case, I experienced no pressure to change my concept or take out certain political points of view or cover up this part of it that some of the the issues that I wanted to address within the context of the food could not be addressed within the form, it was a time. And that's where I get to my into pain, that I will not get any questions Unknown Speaker 17:35 from the group who said you better Unknown Speaker 17:40 struggle with it? You know, the question is, you know, there's no, there's nothing without struggle. There were opinions as to who should be in my particular profile, who I want and what I want my sister in and I said, Well, it's great. I like your sister in law. But here's our in your particular problems we minutes. And I want everybody to know about you getting your family in three minutes. So that I think it'd be take your sister, no, no, I really must have my sister. Those kinds of there was some there was not much discussion around music, the selection music that was a music experience each year. And let me preface all this by saying that you must need to be putting the rock in person, there is no technology yet made that can produce the experience of being there. So there were those kinds of personal concerns that were issued. The selection music is not often on a one except if they felt they were off key on a song and they gave me all the things that they did not want included at the top of the process. Everyone's got to screen their own particular footage individually. They got the screen together, the six of them all this footage into some time and commitment on their part because you're always traveling or working so in your market hours to just sit in screen raw footage. And I was at just wanting to live 24 hours a day they wanted to see the footage at three o'clock in the morning, you know how to see that you see, so that we were constantly communicating that they were you know, those kinds of questions, issues that arose or concerns about who to select and sometimes the order in which people appear what they felt were best or who they felt politically they were aligned with it. But they would not have a discussion. But when you explain against six, it seems to me that most often that most people feel strongly story. I was wondering Unknown Speaker 19:54 whether you were into some kind of discussion about it But Unknown Speaker 20:05 yes, I thought I thought it's really important that I as moved into a film, I wanted to be like, I want to attack some of the myths I have in my own head in my own fight. It's just because we don't know what the art floor of it is about, as opposed to people that take it on as a lifestyle. But within the longer version, it will be a history of female persuasion from its roots in, in Asia, Middle East and Africa. Going up to the Shakespearean setting on your own and how to do box fits within that particular history. There will also be a discussion of valen personation because we don't often see any male or female prisoners. Being the cause is great twist on its head, he's had some success and public recognition in the global scene. But male impersonation is not in why, right. And it's different when you see a 65 year old drag queen or male person as opposed to seeing on stage you know, something that's pleasant in the actual tool, when you're dealing with people's lives and their experiences in the art form and how they took you a lapse in the process and feel good about that. And now suddenly, again, I'm 60 years old and it's a different thing really is a different thing. And that's why sometimes just funding gets a little while people you know, maybe I can't invest in in you know, in a drag show, I don't know and have a story where you're like, yes, yes, she goes born it's a lot longer and a lot more time to do it but she talks more in depth about the childhood experiences being a father was way in Unknown Speaker 22:03 serving so Unknown Speaker 22:06 fascinating. And then you'll also do vignettes but of course members Unknown Speaker 22:24 and mostly most of them Unknown Speaker 22:27 most of it they do sometimes they adapt other people's words like 70 kisses in June Jordan full of stuff which means that they weren't born with the musical concepts and be aware of the background so they adapt the Unknown Speaker 22:45 original concepts and shape it to their own Unknown Speaker 22:50 Yes, that's going to kick this thing Unknown Speaker 23:01 off shown not to do the Irish thing Unknown Speaker 23:09 No, they you have no guarantee that even though they've invested in your show, this will make you want to use it production is a family that we've been through but when I apply for grants, I usually applies to individual artists or apply for a nonprofit organization. And that organization acts as a fiscal agent for that nonprofit status if the money was saved doesn't make money because I know there's wild Unknown Speaker 24:06 production, which is also Unknown Speaker 24:08 producing agencies that they produce shows real world action books before and sometimes Unknown Speaker 24:23 other things that you would like to do that had been postponed because of not getting any funding at all, or any kind of support I this very card as we put it in the June box are children Unknown Speaker 24:41 of yours, and each one in their time has come to fruition. So I really can't say that feeling like it's been a lot more difficult to get money for this idea, because it deals with the gay experience or does the trans person or male persuade, you know, this is this is the rise of the right wing that Unknown Speaker 24:59 is as they return the guns, it's certainly a quickie. Unknown Speaker 25:05 And so it's been a little harder. It's taken us about two years later, that's a little shorter in the deadly car and it took two and a half Unknown Speaker 25:17 to three days to get Unknown Speaker 25:23 an independent filmmaker truly this is your institutional creation help you with either contract or your fundraising. Or is it strictly on string? Unknown Speaker 25:37 Yeah, it is, of course, when you're working you see, I think that my work would not have a venue I don't see how you I mean, the understanding of it in terms of racism and sexism is quite apparent when you decide that you're filming a video the history of you standing there before you even understand what to do. But I think that I looked at public television as a way for people to have access to work from massive levels that you never know where he's you've seen it and it's a venue that has some range of because of voices in hopes to be heard on the station the network Unknown Speaker 26:26 it doesn't have that worship factor. Thank you. So it's not that I'm saying that I'm not you know, interested in you know, I've worked in the networks and stuff that I'm that I'm interested in tackling all the things that I'm not interested in pursuing. But they come to me great you know, we like my ideas and allow me to gain control over against the other end and lots of people can see because most black people and most women are watching it to the network's even down to down to healthy people. So you gotta go with people are too I mean, it's not gonna happen some verified screens like this room that's denigrating Unknown Speaker 27:13 but to say that this was a very specified and verified not everybody's running out there watching ABC occasionally you will get so now I'm working with a dramatic teacher that deals with a relationship with two black males and that may take some time that may be the case Unknown Speaker 27:43 but it will be a personal to Unknown Speaker 27:46 me no producer then you learn to drive. Well, I let people speak. And I'm not about forcing people Unknown Speaker 28:16 to express themselves in any way that I would like to say that I do think that some information comes across without even having sweet honey. It was a case where you're dealing with six people so to go get the time. And it was one of the issues that I wanted to bring up in the film but time that screen I would have had to allow everyone a voice on the subject. And that would take up a huge amount of time of course the situation with people change over time and the sexual preferences change over time. So now it's not it's not dated Unknown Speaker 28:53 in terms of Unknown Speaker 28:57 so many will probably we had the kind of gear I brought so me now from your losses. In Well, our hearing and I brought storming down to Washington. GTA provided me lots of money to make that work sample. So I'm here if you're a Washington hotel being and how to theaters, movie Unknown Speaker 29:18 theaters, and certainly Unknown Speaker 29:22 so we kind of geared it towards generic topics that would give funders or any kind of benefit of screen audiences an overview of what it means for Unknown Speaker 29:40 the documentary for educational you know, Unknown Speaker 29:45 I think that I think it's how the film will begin to make the news, whatever you're involved with, and I think subject matter dictates what knowledge certainly is easiest to document in here. So, but I think that the thing about documentaries is lifting the format you know mundane in fact making it a living format can people talk about their own experiences as opposed to Narrator giving you what you supposedly analysis and summarizing you do that the artists is that those kinds of choices don't select not only that the bulk of the audio Unknown Speaker 30:33 track commentary I've seen some pretty cool Unknown Speaker 30:42 moving feature content this one is best Unknown Speaker 31:05 academic to be Unknown Speaker 31:13 honest with you is real man. Because the artist wants to work and do some things that are really not only where it is now. But I've got to teach it next more than there is a grand plan in trying to get the best that way also just trying to break down into some systematic explanation what you do when you take it with relevant seven cents and then just do it try and explain it class by class Unknown Speaker 31:44 it's really hard. Unknown Speaker 31:45 But the main lesson Unknown Speaker 31:48 is organization Unknown Speaker 31:53 just hours for this like 20 minutes of phone calls followed by really just sick I'm into that class. And I think it's possible because you get feedback. Now in situations like this with students who are coming to you in the open, they know more than you know, they're educating you as opposed to dealing every day in the business whereby it's kind of jaded when you when you check for wondering what's next it's it's good to me it's my sphere. And you know, that's another component of this process of reducing nets because that's the process you can teach people working with their own intuition listening to voices around you the spiritual part of the equation is still hidden behind process Unknown Speaker 33:09 of how did you decide we're not in a little bit how did you decide Unknown Speaker 33:19 know we definitely will put this in the show. I have my list Okay, when the rough cut, I did the individual profiles first. So each of the new profiles so the old profiles together with each other, discussed, we discussed it. Unknown Speaker 33:40 Alice Walker, the did you have any systematic way of deciding? Unknown Speaker 33:46 Yeah, I tried this, I tried to look at the areas that used this we could easily use it. So evidently, black people those kinds of references page Seagull, this one ended up getting lifted out of version. But yeah, I tried to do it by having a representative cameo that we speak to different areas that Siemens uses a castle. And I presented him with a list of people that I wanted to deal with and they gave me a list of the people they work with and now we're down to we're always working collaboratively was great in the course of me very mad at the elective classes you may look at today, so a generic version of what it could be like oh, it's really good. Okay, that was it. Focus on individual payroll. And last, but yes, I did in fact think that it was very important for audiences to those weakening the concept because the individuals feed what ultimately is the routine rotation, the energies of each of them in the order that they're in the surfaces of voice and personal experience that makes me also when you saw them working process, film is not very much different than any other board movie. They're all sitting around the table, because they had a certain attitude about how they wanted to do this. So you wouldn't say wouldn't give me any red tag first. It was very formal and systematic by Unknown Speaker 35:53 clicking to look and enjoy meanings. To see you Russell was as good as Unknown Speaker 35:58 it performs. You know, the meetings were Wardman, so it did not translate. So I try to rely on just the interactions of the concert network. And so mostly effective way Unknown Speaker 36:14 for Unknown Speaker 36:20 additional sets of three shows a little pencil, but nothing really, I think individually has been talked about a little bit more. And I hope that as we get more and more of the pieces of what it takes to get ready. So of course, talking about the history of the movement, I think in that way how they did what they did, and what we had in music is how long they like that they employ that. And they liked the concept a lot of people and it makes a little personal as well. I mean, I felt the only way you can really yes make money was to be right up on va homes, watch the day, you know, that kind of thing. It makes it more personable as well. And that's also as with the videos, I mean it's very cars with 30 years and jazz and roses film the project that 16 feet, you know, you see a strain you know, that kind of immortalization process of projection you know, you can still Unknown Speaker 37:36 continue for me Well, good Unknown Speaker 37:53 morning, I think about what, what level of sophistication the CMA says this is our enemy film with Stephen Covey blog, night video and so I think it's where you spend your money, I think that you spend more money up front with the test equipment and stock stock of course being made out of silver and silver rising to cause the the stock is always rising. So I think that the way to spend money in this video is a lot more transparent with Unknown Speaker 38:43 special effects to the public out in an art I'm really encouraged by the fact that you're black and white. Unknown Speaker 39:02 And I think that's going to stretch the meetings themselves because they expand to technology and new life technology. I think that the technology is being modified to such a point that every especially now be submitted, Unknown Speaker 39:24 really to break down Unknown Speaker 39:27 and to but the size of the technology is such that everybody can shoot. It's not a matter of lugging around air to Gale thing. Anybody can shoot it and anybody can shoot successfully. Because it says to the point that the home video market is one of the largest elements of media right now. The ability to do it If you can certainly make an offer to refine your need to get your hands on air. The spring Unknown Speaker 40:30 so access token IP Fs will continue to be a political issue and even if because, based on Unknown Speaker 40:51 the theory that was really individual, Unknown Speaker 40:58 powerful people who collected Unknown Speaker 41:01 the data that you want. And how did you do it? Because you did it very well. incredibly empowering. It's only a conscious thing. They just were. Unknown Speaker 41:13 They think, I think it's conscious in that they are. Unknown Speaker 41:19 But did you want to? Know, maybe my question is, they are, but how do you? How do you be the difference between people being powerful and looking happy, and you being able to communicate that in a video? It could, you know, I couldn't just walk, I mean, you know, they could be in, but you have to go see him to see that. But then how you communicate with them. And I was wondering if that was a conscious thing that you did to editing, you know, to try to convey that power? Unknown Speaker 41:51 Well, I think it is one of the major themes that I wanted to get across, I think the audience is doing something to that equation too, because I can design in certain ways. And if it doesn't move you, so you bring something to it, to contrast it to the Unknown Speaker 42:06 screen. Huge response. Unknown Speaker 42:09 But yes, it was a matter of seeing an individual, highlight individual strengths. And then in the concert, say, seeing that as a collective and then seeing how it affected also as a matter of having music, music bills that are in that was calculus started out with gospel sound, which is of course the route in terms of Afro American to black music. Just totally generic here, like if you know, go for that. And it's an indication of a journey, but assuming way it builds up into my little tree so we start building up to Morales and traditional congregational singing. So it builds to do this slowly. Hopefully by study during the morning you wake up and you feel. The same way the process of wandering the streets are Unknown Speaker 43:26 naturally open to the patient Unknown Speaker 43:27 before getting to see the veteran to keep an eye on the patient Unknown Speaker 43:42 Thank you