Below I've listed three things I'm going to do differently on my next film.

1. Compression: I like working in several programs. Final Cut Pro, After Effects and iMovie. I find integrating FCP and AF with iMovie gives iMovie the pop it needs. However, the mistake I made with my previous film was not being mindful of the compression rates before transporting from one program into the next. With the compression rate being consistent in each program I can expect better clarity throughout the entire film.

2. "Thou Shalt Not Zoom". Instead of going from a wide shot to zooming in on a close-up, I will pause first and zoom second. No zooming! Why? Because it's all wrong! Over all, things will generally look better and be easier on the physical eye.

3. In this next episode I will bring in a different Zimbabwean Artist, Thomas Maphumo and his band, along with Africian American trumpeter Khalil Shaheed for the integration of African Music with American Jazz. Since my mission involves the Ntengwe Children of Zimbabwe's Orphan Project, the music from their CD will also be used as a backdrop. The results: melodies and beats that one will always remember.

Peace Out!

The programming for HDTV article from the Mark Cuban weblog "blog maverick" is all about marketing and not digital workflow per se, but it is when you look at the future of technology which is marketing, marketing and more marketing. Just more creative, more expansive and very different.

Production of Series 1 has been ongoing for sometime now. Approximately a month. I had been very busy rolling with my crew "It Donned On Me" Productions. We've been on a roll since the summer and we are now known as an "award winning" film crew, "I know that's right! More on IDOM later. As for the current episode I'm working on: It is a continuation of my shorts done on the African Diaspora. I've been at 4 minutes for the past week. Because it was not screened last week at CSM as planned, I've had an extra week to bring it down to 3 minutes. It's not been easy.

I've actually done two individual projects that are basically the same. The first one started out in FCP. I also did some editing in iMovie and exported that media into FCP, and also dropped in some AE. I have had some technical problems with my computer running slower than normal, files going off line and problems editing the audio in FCP

In the second one I exported some FCP and AF media into iMovie. Here, the audio is easier to work with. I managed to get more done in less time.

I actually like combining all three programs, FCP, AE and iMovie. Sometimes iMovie alone can be pretty weak. This is when I call in my back up team (FCP & AE). It is when I enjoy working in iMovie the most. I do however, know of some dudes that can work the shit outta some iMovie. Have you thinking you're having a conscious awakening while still in the dream state kinda lookin film. I'm talkin bout Joe Kirsch, Apple Store, Burlingame; and Lucky, Apple Store, Cupertino...yeah, he's that good. Lucky is really Da Man, he is also a DJ. Anyone who crosses paths with him knows it. Joe Kirsch did. Lucky was the first person I met when I lived on the penninsula. I guess there are no accidents in the Universe.

Gotta work out the kinks with the audio and be ready for screening tomorrow night.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Since last year I've become a fan of Josh Oakhurst, kindred sprit to many of us. He is the perfect example of making shitty video look worth it. He literally turned shit to sugar in his "5 Star Basketball Camp" video made with shitty MiniDV. For me, it is the key to creativity. That's right...letting the creative juices flow. I am learning there are lotz o ways to get your work out there and money should not be an issue. You just gotta do something. Actually, I think it's not a bad way to start out. The more mistakes you make...sometimes...the better you get, and the more costly your project if you're working high end. And mind you, mistakes...they do happen. Sometimes they are blessings in disguise and sometimes not. I've learned that when you work cheap and get good, by the time u get the higher end equip, you're rocking and rolling. It's just a matter of "working that timeline" or making the timeline work for you. The secret is in the "keyframing" BA-BE...the keyframing. I'm working it.

Gone Y'all!

Since the release of the music CD of the children's recording with Oliver Mtukudzi, Tuli Bumachala (We are the Orphans) I have worked diligently to promote the music of these beautiful children whom I spent time with. Aside from using their photos and songs as a backdrop for my previous short films, each year since my visit I've done a radio talk on San Jose, California's Radio Station KKUP's Monday show "Echoes of Africa". The show is hosted by Emmanuel Nado (a native of Cote Avoire). It is a music and news talk show on the "Continent".

Last year Oliver Mutazudzi once again made his annual pilgramage to Oakland, however, this time he'd joined forces with an African American Doctor, Dr. Scott and the community of Allen Temple Baptist Church of Oakland who journeys to Zim several times a year to bring medical services to the people and the area surrounding Harare (the capital of Zimbabwe).

The first of this series focus is Oliver Mutakudzi and his band, the Black Spirits and their visit to Oakland, CA. in 2006. I was first acquainted with Oliver during my Ntengwe Visit in 2004. Ntwengwe Community for Development is a not for profit organization based in rural Binga. (See Photo) I spent time in the bush with the people and their experiences with HIV and AIDS. Around that time Oliver recorded a CD with the Ntengwe Orphans entitled Tuli Bumachalla which translates to "We are the Orphans". When I spoke with him in 2005 after his Oakland performance he told me personally that he was amazed at how these children wrote and composed their own songs and how talented these children are in their expressions of being alienated from the rest of society because their parents died of these deadly diseases.

A TASTE OF WHAT'S COMING!

As previously stated, the next five series will represent different view points and experiences consisting of art as culture and entertainment, weaving stories of experiences to the connection that is a direct result of the "middle passage" from Africa to America. Let's face it, we are living proof of the ancestors dreams. We all have come a long way baby. I will now reach back to Africa with the emphasis on Zimbabwe as we bridge the gap to modern day rural Zimbabwe, (a country governed by dictatorship) and the psychological and social issues surrounding these experiences as it parallels to what's happening in modern day America. Featured live musicians are Dominion A Capella and the TKO Project. Also, music from the CD "We are the Orphans" performed by the Ntengwe Orphan Choir featuring Zimbabwe's own Oliver Mtukudzi.