THE LA WEB FEST WAS AWESOME!!!

What an phenomenal experience we had at the LA WebFest 2011!

I’m proud to say that the Brown Betties Guide: How to Look for Love in All the Wrong Places is now an award-winning webseries!!!!

Peppur Chambers and I arrived at the festival on Sunday in time to mingle with a few people before we went in to speak on the panel “How We Made Our Web Series.” It was so inspiring to be on the “other side of the table” talking about a project I’d directed, produced and co-written. We were in great company. The other panelists included former EP and showrunner of Quantum Leap, Deborah Pratt and her producer Lana Bettencourt, who discussed how they made their sci-fi series Warrior One. The wonderful director Tony Clomax and his equally wonderful producer Emelyn Stuart, whose project 12 Steps to Recovery was fantastic and funny! Also on the panel, former commercial director Tim Devitt, whose project Not! was in the festival. Comedian Andy Lazarus spoke about his hilarious series Man-Teen and Brian Ross, who’s drama Big Country Blues did big things at the festival!

It was interesting that everyone on the panel with the exception of one team, shot on Canon 7D or Canon 5D (we shot on both!) Some people had large budgets of up to $20,000 per episode or for their full series.. Peppur and I have shot 4 episodes on less than 500 bucks total. But the great thing is—you can’t tell the difference because the quality is there! I’m so very proud. As I mentioned on the panel, the biggest thing for me with these webisodes was having a change in my mental processing.

Given my background in film and TV, I at first was hesitant to put something on the web or youtube, because you find so many people have access to a camera and just throw anything up there! But I realized, with all of this new technology, combined with my skills and creativity and a wonderful team to work with, you can do quality work that you’re proud of! Once I realized that I didn’t need a gigantic crew to get the series done, I was all in. I had my own professional light kit, we had access to a camera, I had the experience and skills to direct and oversee the final cut in post. That combined with a great producing and writing partner in Peppur Chambers—who created the Brown Betties Guide.

Still the shoots were difficult, we had no crew except me and Peppur and the occasional PA/friend. We had to remain organized, make sure we casted correctly, that scripts were printed, that, make sure we had props. It was difficult sometimes switching gears from producer, to Production Assistant, to Camera woman to Director to Coordinator--but we did it!

After the panel was the screening. Yemi, the creator of our music soundtrack and theme song joined us for the screening!

There’s nothing like people laughing in the places they’re supposed to! It was the best experience EVER!!!! We were floating with excitement after our series was well-received by the audience. And we had no idea what was in store for us later at the awards ceremony.

It started with the announcement that Peppur Chambers won for Outstanding Supporting Actress! I screamed like a fool. But that was only the beginning! Here’s the list of the awards we won last night:

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN COMEDY SERIES (YASMINE RICHARD)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN COMEDY SERIES (PEPPUR CHAMBERS)
OUTSTANDING WRITING IN A COMEDY SERIES (PEPPUR CHAMBERS & MORENIKE EFUNTADE EVANS)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING IN A COMEDY SERIES (MORENIKE EFUNTADE EVANS)
OUTSTANDING THEME SONG IN A COMEDY SERIES (YEMI ADEGBONMIRE AKA EMMI DEBEAU)
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES (PEPPUR CHAMBERS/CREATOR & PRODUCER AND MORENIKE EFUNTADE EVANS/PRODUCER)

UNBELIEVABLE!!! We’re still recovering from it all!

I wanted to share some of the inside story with you and encourage you to check out ALL of the series in the festival at www.lawebfest.com

This is a revolution. It really is. Producer and Directors and Writers able to tell their own stories and get them out to their audience….

With that in mind, I invite you to check out our lastest episode of the Brown Betties Guide. Tip #1—Be The Last One at the Party!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEvz9dV4auE

Follow the entire series and learn more about the women behind it at www.BrownBettiesGuide.com

Laughs, Hugs & Blessings!

THE BROWN BETTIES GUIDE WEBSERIES!

In April of 2010, I began collaborating with a group of fabulous women, my LA support group that we affectionately call BGRLA--Black Girls Rule LA!!! We meet monthly (if we can) and just catch up on what's going on in our lives, discuss our goals and projects, and support one another along the way.

Well one of the women, Peppur Chambers, has a caberet show called Harlem's Night which features the sexy, sassy and sultry Brown Betties. She wrote the show and then wrote a funny book called The Brown Betties Guide: How to Look for Love in all the Wrong Places! BGRLA realized that it would be great for all of us to make this book into a webseries! I was called in to direct and shoot. Our girl Yasmine Richard provided the kick-ass Canon 7D camera, the location and her fantastic acting skills. Yemi Adegbonmire hooked up the soundtrack for the series, including the memorable theme song, and it was on!

We've been working tirelessly to get this project completed while we do our "day" jobs. We had just begun post production on a few of the episodes when I became aware of the LA Web Festival. I sent the Festival Director, Michael Ajakwe a link to our rough cut and he loved it and suggested we submit. Well, here we are, weeks later and not only has The Brown Betties Guide been accepted into the festival, Peppur and I are speaking on a panel about it!

So excited to do creative, funny and positive projects with such talented people. You can find more information on the Brown Betties Guide at our website.

www.BrownBettiesGuide.com

And here's the link to the debut of our latest episode: Tip #1, BE THE LAST ONE AT THE PARTY!!!! ENJOY!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEvz9dV4auE


Will let you know how the festival went! Stay tuned!

Long time no talk! 2010 was a transitional year for me as a writer, director and producer. I worked on several new amazing projects, wrote a screenplay and directed and shot my first webseries, the Brown betties Guide!





One of the highlights was directing and producing a music talk show hosted by Wendy Williams for BET International! I had an awesome crew and my right-hand at BET Int'l Lilian Bossman really helped me pull it all together!

And guess what! Just recently found out that my show has been nominated for a NAMIC Award!!! That's the word on the street! How YOU doin?!!



I also had the chance to work on a wonderful series for moms for the internet television network DECA TV. The series was called HerStory, and I found some wonderful and inspiring stories. Recently, the series was picked up by Nickelodeon's Parent's Connect, where it's getting phenomenal feedback! Check out the two episodes I did! In fact, checkout the whole series!!!


http://www.parentsconnect.com/videos/her-story/herstory-adoption

http://www.parentsconnect.com/videos/her-story/herstory-my-son-has-tourettes

I also got the chance to work with some of my favorite women on the talk show series My Black Is Beautiful. Hosted by the hilarious and wonderful Kim Coles, and the vivacious Vanessa Williams! I helped produced 6 episodes of this series, now in Season 3, which was a branded entertainment show sponsored by Procter & Gamble.


Another amazing experience was working on TV One's primetime talk show "Way Black When"! We took it waaaay back by celebrating black history month in this innovative way. Looking at the culture of music, politics and film during the1970s, 1980s and 1990s. As a producer for the 1990s, I worked with host Christopher "Kid" Reid of Kid N Play fame. Our guests included Mario Van Peebles, Malik Yoba, Lynn Whitfield, Robert Townsend, Bell Biv Devoe, and Yo-Yo! It was a blast! And my favorite band of all time, Mint Condition was the house band for the series!


In 2011, I promise to keep you much better up to date on the happenings of Black Pearl Filmworks--we have some great things coming up!


~Black Pearl

TYLER PERRY DONATES A MILLION BUCKS TO THE NAACP!

Wow! Check out this article below that I received from the Hollywood bureau of the NAACP. I'm honestly surprised that this is the largest donation by an artist in their history. That's fantastic!
I'm sorry to say I have not yet seen "Precious" but it's still in my plans. I really didn't want to see it alone, but it seems that may be what I have to do. Hope I can handle it! In other news, I'm closing out the year on a high note and continuing to write, create and produce. At the top of 2010 I'll be shooting the web series for Reality Check. But more on that later--right now, it's all about Tyler!

THE NAACP HOLLYWOOD BUREAU APPLAUDS FILMMAKER TYLER PERRY FOR HIS DONATION OF ONE MILLION DOLLARS TO NAACP
Gift is the Largest Received from an Individual Artist in the NAACP's History

Los Angeles, CA - The NAACP, the country's oldest and largest civil rights organization, announced yesterday that acclaimed filmmaker Tyler Perry has donated one million dollars, marking the largest gift ever given by an individual artist. This donation continues an ongoing relationship between Tyler Perry and the NAACP - from the NAACP Hollywood Bureau assisting in the negotiations between the Tyler Perry Studios and the Writers Guild of America, West agreement, to Perry co-hosting last year's 40th NAACP Image Awards, as part of the 100th Anniversary celebration of the NAACP.

"We are honored that Tyler Perry chose to support the NAACP," said Julian Bond, Chairman of the NAACP. "Tyler is a courageous pioneer in bringing positive images of African American culture and struggles to the screen. His remarkable journey from poverty and childhood abuse to become one of the world's most successful filmmakers and entrepreneurs is an inspiration to us all," Bond said.

"Tyler Perry exemplifies an unyielding commitment to uplifting and bringing hope to the disenfranchised and those less fortunate," stated Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP, "Both in his films and in his life, he reflects an impressive ethos of caring and conscientiousness. We are deeply grateful for his support."

"I feel so honored and blessed to be in a position where I can give to the NAACP." Perry said. "Had it not been for the perseverance and vision of the thousands who came before me in the 100 years of this legendary organization, I would not be in the position I am in today. I continue to be thankful for the tireless work of the NAACP, and I am proud to be able to help in their mission to fight for the equality of all people, and to work towards the elimination of discrimination against race."

"This is a paradigm shifting moment in black philanthropy. Here is a civil rights organization that is receiving a donation that is usually targeted only at education or cultural institutions. Tyler Perry is setting a high standard for others to follow," said Maxim Thorne, Senior Vice President of the NAACP.

"The generous gift by Tyler Perry will be used to support our Second Century Society advocacy programs on economic equality, education, health care and criminal justice" stated Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP.

FOX NETWORKS, KEEPIN IT REAL?!!!

Tonight, Fox’s new sitcom “Brothers” premieres and I’m looking forward to it.

I saw a sneak peak of some scenes and it was pretty funny. Plus, the cast is stellar—I’ve always been a fan of Darryl “Chill” Mitchell and commend his determination to keep his life and career on track after an accident left him wheelchair bound. And of course the talented Carl Weathers and CCH Pounder. That on top of what sounds like an interesting premise should be enough to carry newcomer/star Michael Strahan if his acting isn’t quite up to par. But let’s be real, many a rap artist and athlete has transitioned successfully to acting and this shouldn’t be any different.

But there are some other interesting things going on which makes tonight’s premiere especially exciting. The number of sitcoms is dwindling each season, and family-based ones are truly suffering. This season, "Brothers" is the ONLY sitcom on broadcast network television featuring an African-American family. Period. Amazing. But here’s a twist. There’s one other show featuring a black family on network television, but it’s animated! “The Cleveland Show” a spin off of “Family Guy” features soft-spoken Cleveland Brown, who’s now moved to Virginia after his wife cheated on him with Quagmire to start a new life with his first love. Can’t wait for that either. But really, who would have thought that Fox would be the only channel to keep black folks in the mix on network television? This is such a big deal that the NAACP Hollywood Bureau sent out a release giving Fox kudos. (http://naacp.org/news/press/2009-09-23/index.htm)

What does this mean to you? Well it’s just like in the movies where box office numbers determine success. Except in this case it’s ratings. So if you want to see more shows about people of color, you have to support. That means at least watch the first episode and see if you like it. If you don’t, keep it moving. If you do, don’t just watch it—let the networks know you love it!

I recently went to an entertainment summit where an executive from The CW explained this in no uncertain terms. Having just seen the demise of Girlfriends and The Game, she explained that if you want a show to stay on the air, ratings is great but it’s not enough. You’ve got to chime in and let studio execs know that you love a show while it’s on. Write them letters, leave posts on the show website, Twitter about it and really stand behind the show. She said this did not happen with The Game, but it did and is happening with “House of Payne” Tyler Perry’s hit sitcom that airs on cable station TBS.

I’m not an advocate of supporting a wack show just because it’s black. If you hate a show, you’ve got to do the same thing—send letters, posts etc and let them know what it is you are looking to support.

One thing’s for sure, this new television season is exciting for many reasons. I love premiere time! Hit me back on the blog and let me know what you think of the shows. I'll have a review also.

Brothers premieres Tonight, 9/25 on Fox at 8/7c
The Cleveland Show premieres Sunday, 9/27 on Fox at 8:30/7:30c

Laughs, Hugs & Blessings!

Bitch is the New Black

Wait. It's not what you think! Just interesting breaking news!

Bitch is the New Black is the title of the book and upcoming film written and produced by Shonda Rhimes, creator and Executive Producer of Grey's Anatomy and The Practice. The book, repped by Gail Ross Literary Agency and the film which will be produced by Miramax Films and Shondaland revolves around a new generation of young, successful black women in Washington DC! The film/screenplay will be adapted from her memoir which is set to be published by Harper Collins next year.

Me likes! Did I mention that Reality Check takes place in DC also? And Oil & Blood? If Bitch is the new black, DC is the new.....fill in the blank!

The Good, the Better, and the Crappy

First off--Be prepared for a less animated entry--I'm typing with remnants of the flu. Energy is low. But the week was pretty damn good!

I kicked it off going to a networking event in West Hollywood called "Launch Mondays." It was created by my friend Tony P. in an effort to connect folks in the media, PR and entertainment.

A friend of mine was in town--the fabulous TOY (singer, voiceover diva: http://www.teeohwhy.com/) and so we went together. I had a blast--thanks to the wine, the great atmosphere and old friends. And can you imagine--I actually networked instead of staying in my comfort zone.

I'd recently begun subscribing to this newsletter on screenwriting and success in the industry called The Business of Show Institute and have been following the advice of Marvin Acuna. (http://www.thebusinessofshowinstitute.com/) He's says networking is essential, but not in the "in-sincere, what can you do for me" type of way. Just in the "getting to know you and perhaps I can do something for YOU" type of way. Most may not know this, but I'm a bit of a shy girl if I don't know people. I mean really. It has kept me from going out. Sometimes I just can't fake it. But I felt pretty secure this Monday night and had been practicing just starting small talk with people (strangers) over the past few weeks, so I was prepared. And like I said, I was surrounded by good people, and wine.

I met a few new people in the production business that I am hoping to give leads on jobs (as if I don't need a lead myself!) And I linked up with a guy I met a few weeks back who has special knowledge of the new media, webisode/sponsorship world. And he's helping me out!

THEN, I met this guy who is in money management. He, I and Toy had great convo and I was pumping up Toy as a great singer and the casually sassy voice of Michelle the Old Navy Modelquinn. It never occurred to me that maybe he could help me. Then Toy mentioned to him that I was looking for funding/investors for my film and maybe he could help me out. And wouldn't you know we have a meeting today at 1 pm to discuss? YAAAAY!!!!

So I'm getting my mind right for our lunch meeting. Wish me luck!

Well that was just Monday. On Tuesday I did family home stuff--the dog was washed and my son's room was finally decorated and organized into a baby room though he's at the ripe age of 1 year 3 months!

Wednesday night, I got all jazzed up in a cute little black short set that looked like a dress and some killer red heels and pranced my way over to The Improv on Melrose--where my friend Kimrie would be performing for the first time! Let me just say--she was amazing. Especially considering the fact that all the other performers that night have been doing comedy forever--one was a finalist on Last Comic Standing, the other is a comedy writer/producer for Ellen. And then there's Kimrie, who's also the star of my film "Reality Check," who decided to take an improv class to continue growing as an actress, and was so damn good they invited her to perform with these comedic professionals. Wowee. Amazing. She did great, was hilarious and didn't make me anxious or uncomfortable when she was on stage. (You know how someone is just not that good and you just are sitting there wincing inside wishing for it to be over--yeah, that didn't happen...Thank goodness!) Check her out http://www.kimrie.com/

OK, one crappy thing did happen this week. I had applied for a Producer's Lab with Film Independent. This program helps director/producer pull their project together, meet the right people and learn the tricks of the trade necessary to get your film off the ground. You can imagine how badly I wanted to be down. I put so much effort into the application, paid the app fee, submitted my script, business plan everything. Only to get an email Thursday evening saying "Thanks so much for submitting, unfortunately you have not been selected." I wanted to throw my blackberry out the window.
Do you know how tired I am of being rejected? Do you?? And still no word from the writer that's supposed to be my mentor but doesn't know it yet. But big shout-out to my friend Elon who's response to my rejection was: "F**k those film programs who don't see the light. They are insane. It is a great film." Ahhh---friends!!

I start a day job on Monday for the next two months. Which is great because I got bills to pay. But is definitely going to take time away from my film hustle. I'm gonna have to figure out how to balance.
Regardless, I'm praying for an even better upcoming week, and that my meeting with the finance man leads to FANTASTIC things!

Feel free to pray on my behalf as well!
Have a great one--

Laughs, Hugs & Blessings!
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