R.I.P. martial arts legend Jim Kelly.
I wanted to honor one of my childhood heroes the martial arts, bad brother, Jim Kelly who passed recently.
Jim Kelly was a tall, handsome, afro side-burn wearing, bad brother that legitimized being a martial arts star for so many young kids especially black boys.
He has a legion of fans and his appeal crosses race, class, gender, age and culture. He will be missed for his amazing contribution!
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Hey guys check out the article that was written about our film in The Charlotte Post!
A big shout out to dicrector Narcel Reedus for getting the media packages out about our upcoming fundraising event this Friday!
I hope to see you guys there to support a great film being produced by a talented group of artist including yours truly...lol.
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Hey guys I am so excited about the film I am working on "One Day In June."
We are working tirelessly towards our fundraising event later this month on June 21st.
I am working with a wonderful group of creative folks. The film is about one father's journey to find the children he abandoned.
Narcel Reedus is the director and I am working as producer, co-writer and editor on the film.
Please check out and like our Facebook page for "One Day In June."
You can also check out more information about the film, filmmakers, characters and support the film through donations on the site www.onedayinjunethemovie.com.
This is the latest character trailer for Lisa, played by Erin Monet,
who is the youngest daughter of the father character,
Russ. Lisa is a introverted, book work single woman that avoids relationships, especially with men.
We will preview various trailers as part of our drip campaign to promote the film..
It is very interesting to see how each tailer develops uniquely for each character. I hope you enjoy the trailer as much as I enjoyed putting it together."One Day In June" Lisa Character Trailer from Charles Easley on Vimeo.
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I am working with a wonderful group of creative folks. The film is about one father's journey to find the children he abandoned.
Narcel Reedus is the director and I am working as producer, co-writer and editor on the film.
Please check out and like our Facebook page for "One Day In June."
You can also check out more information about the film, filmmakers, characters and support the film through donations on the site www.onedayinjunethemovie.com.
This is the latest character trailer for Chris, played by a wonderful young actor Drew Thomas, who is the gay youngest son of the father character,
Russ. Chris is a young very good looking gay dude that uses his looks to get men to take care of him and to support his addiction.
We will preview various trailers as part of our drip campaign to promote the film..
I hope you enjoy the trailer as much as I enjoyed putting it together. This might be my best trailer I have edited yet....smile."One Day In June" Chris Character Trailer from Charles Easley on Vimeo.
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I am working with a wonderful group of creative folks. The film is about one father's journey to find the children he abandoned.
Narcel Reedus is the director and I am working as producer, co-writer and editor on the film.
Please check out and like our Facebook page for "One Day In June."
You can also check out more information about the film, filmmakers, characters and support the film through donations on the site www.onedayinjunethemovie.com.
This is the latest character trailers for Keisha who is the eldest daughter of the father character, Russ. We will preview various trailers as part of our drip campaign to promote the film..
I hope you enjoy the trailer as much as I enjoyed putting it together....smile."One Day In June" Keisha Character Trailer from Charles Easley on Vimeo.
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Hey guys I am so excited about the film I am working on "One Day In
June."
I am working with a wonderful group of creative folks. The film is about one father's journey to find the children he abandoned.
Please check out and like our Facebook page for "One Day In June."
Narcel Reedus is the director and I am working as producer, co-writer and editor on the film.
You can also check out more information about the film, filmmakers, characters and support the film through donations on the site www.onedayinjunethemovie.com.
This is one of the first character trailers for the main character Russ. We will preview various trailers as part of our drip campaign to promote the film..
I hope you enjoy the trailer as much as I enjoyed putting it together....smile."One Day In June" Russ Character Trailer from Charles Easley on Vimeo.
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Hey guys I am working with a wonderful group of creative people. We are shooting an independent film, "One Day In June." I am acting as Producer, co-writer and editor for the project.
"One Day In June" is about a father's journey to find the children he abandoned.
Check out the "One Day In June" new website!
One Day in June is an independent feature film and documentary. The
feature film is produced by Charles Easley, Angela Washington, Arritta
Pruitt and directed by Narcel Reedus. The One Day in June documentary
is directed by Charles Easley and Narcel Reedus. Both films are
currently in the fundraising pre-production phase. The mission of ODIJ
is to create more than a movie; we want to create a movement of fathers
taking the step to reconnect with their children.
We are dedicated to producing unconventional and unique documentaries and groundbreaking independent feature films that provoke emotion, reflection and encourage action. We will operate ODIJ on a sustainable financial basis of profitable growth with increasing value for our investors, stakeholders, partners and contributors.
For more information on how you can get involved please contact Charles Easley or Angela Washington.
"One Day In June" Teaser Trailer from Charles Easley on Vimeo.
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This is the latest in the Professor Locs "On the Yard" series. I was stuck in registration hell so this was my way of coping....lol. I am still searching for a character with actual locks...lol. Enjoy!
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Just in time for your holiday shopping: A classic collection of Warner Brothers cartoons, The Censored 11, is being discussed for release on DVD.
I know the title sounds like a scandalous collection of maybe closeted actors from the silent era, but they are actually animated shorts with racially charged images.
In 1968, United Artists made a stash of Warner Bros. cartoons available for television, but due to the politics of the era they withheld 11 that were deemed unfit for broadcast because of their racist content. Those 11 shorts, including one of the most infamous titles, “Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs” (this is not a typo but historically accurate Ebonics), were essentially locked away in a vault for decades
I find this topic fascinating for multiple reasons. You guys know that when I am not fighting crime as a columnist, I chair a film program. The debate on the release of the Censored 11 is ongoing with passionate stances on both sides. Some argue that these films are extremely racist and should never see the light of day. Others argue that this is part of the history of animation and should be studied as an important era in this art form.
I tend to lean toward the later.
Birth of a Nation is one of the most racist films ever made, yet its director, D. W. Griffith, is still hailed as the Father of Film in most traditional film programs. I have shown this film to students but used the opportunity as a teachable moment to discuss others who also contributed to the genre – people like filmmakers Oscar Micheaux, an African-American who produced films around the same time as Griffith.
The real question is, what statement are we trying to make as a society by trying to censor historically racist content?
There was a similar debate earlier this year during television episode of “The View.” Apparently there was a forthcoming edition of Mark Twain's “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” that replaces the N-word with the word "slave."
Whoopi Goldberg was incensed. “When you read Huck Finn, and you read the relationship between Huck and Jim -- who Huck does not see as anything but his running buddy -- it is an extraordinary story," she said.
Whoopi basically believed that the editor had no right to tamper with a classic.
Can we apply the same editing to most rap lyrics that refer to women as bit---s and replace that with diva? Are we prepared for this line of censorship? If we go down that road, then we could witness the demise of BET, The Source Awards, Little Wayne and the entire series of “Basketball Wives.”
I don’t know about you but I am much more concerned with contemporary references. I believe part of the problem is that our youth have no historical concept of how these stereotypes and derogatory images are so insidiously entrenched in our culture and how they continue to have negative implications.
Case in point: One of my African-American male students asked me to review a short script for a class assignment. His script included themes exploring thug behavior, crime, a disdain for education and copious amounts of the “n” word thrown in for good measure.
My first reaction was to assess the logistics of delivering an open-hand slap to the mouth without leaving a visible mark for future witnesses. I instead took a deep breath and asked him several pointed questions.
Do you act like this? Do you speak like this? Do you hang around other people who conduct themselves this way? He sheepishly answered no to all of the above.
I continued, “So you don’t talk this way or act this way or interact with people who conduct themselves this way. So why, when given an opportunity to tell any story of you’re choosing, did you opt to write about such clichéd and stereotypical characters?”
He had no answer, but I did.
This young brother is a perfect example of how historical stereotypes continue to have contemporary negative connotations. The real nefarious power of racism is that the oppressed begin to consume, believe and eventually portray the same negative ideology without question or examination.
So I say let’s open the vaults and inspect these dusty distressing artifacts in the hope that they provide a keener insight into where we come from, who we are and maybe what we can ultimately achieve. What say you?
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This film was produced in Charles Easley's Intermediate Editing SU 11 class. The film is an experiment in elements and theory of continuity. This is part of the Chase Film Project series adopted from the opening sequence of Guy Ritchie's, Snatch. Each group was responsible for the transitional element that led or "chased" into the next vignette.
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