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This was shot this summer whilst I was working with my friend and fellow filmmaker, Javier Goin, in the South Bronx on our joint project: SKILLZ DVD magazine. If you have watched my previous 2 videos you saw a bit of another shoot that was done in Queens with guys from Zulu Nation. This video captures a moment of neighborhood closeness with Andy of "Andy's Barbershop", J Gutta (rapper) and the owners of the Chinese Restaurant beside Andy's place. Andy has a great relationship with the restaurant owners and employees and often times cooks his own food in the kitchen. This shows his light-hearted nature in a way that only Andy, J and the hood can represent.
We shot this during a very late night shoot, approx. 1 a.m. on the streets of the South Bronx with J Gutta for SKILLZ DVD magazine, a joint effort between Javier and me. All of this footage will be being released as part of SKILLZ in January '06 or so. SKILLZ is an ongoing project that covers the 4 elements of Hip Hop (Graffiti, MCs, DJs, and bBoys). It is an exploration into the hip hop culture and finding those who affect it today and created its past.
This is an extension of a broader view on what I find interesting about being a documentary filmmaker. I find it fascinating to delve into a culture and learn it's history as well as meet the people who make up it's members. Hip Hop is one of the few genres of music and parts of our culture where you can literally walk the streets of the South Bronx and meet the people who are considered the pioneers. That's what this project, SKILLZ, is really all about. It's about taking the time to talk with those founders and hear their perspective on where the music has come from and where it is going. This adventure has also taken me into the recording studios of "Ruff Ryders Records" (home of DMX, etc.) where I was able to speak with various recording artists, engineers etc. and here there perspective on the state of the Hip Hop industry, their influences and the culture as a whole.
One of the greatest interviews I have been able to capture during this project was with Old Dirty Bastard's (WuTangClan) mother and cousin. I'll try to get a snippet of that up in the next couple of days. The whole interview was truly fascinating and will be included on the SKILLZ DVD.
3 comments:
solynna....thanks for taking the time to check out my vlog. Yes, I edit with Final Cut Studio. I use Motion and Live Type on some of these. Basically I am just cutting some short stuff together for my vlog and am having fun with it. Please keep checking it out, I'll be posting videos more often. Some on the street stuff coming soon.
Lynn! Is that on 161st near Yankee Stadium? I swear that's the Chinese take-out place I used to go to when I lived there. Nice vlog btw! :)
zadi...Thanks for checking out my vlog! That Chinese take-out place is located at 168th street. I think it is a different one than the one you are talking about. Where did you live when you lived in the Bronx? I may have shot in your old neighborhood at some point. I'll be shooting quite a bit there this fall and winter on a documentary as well as a feature that will start soon after.
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