I've been a bad blogger... but sue me... I've been busy!
I'm currently working at the Boys & Girls Club in South San Francisco as their clubhouse coordinator/technology director. Right now we're doing a lot of animation because unfortunately, a lot of our video production and audio production got jacked (before and after I got hired). This stuff includes 3 24" imac computers, 1 korg triton extreme synthesizer, 2 miniDV camcorders, and countless copies of Windows XP and various 3d software, and our OSX Adobe Design Premium installers. But On the bright side, we have a lot of our Windows installers for stuff like Adobe Web Standard and MS Office 2007.
So I've also been working slowly on getting the film together, but I recently took a big hit and didn't get a grant I applied to. It sucks, but hey, I guess I just need to do a few fundraisers. I also will keep my rights to sell it to whomever I wish (assuming there's a distributor that will be interested). But that's all to be seen later.
I've also been helping with Hella Hung and his Hung Dynasty's SOLO DVD, called "The Return of Animal Chin" Please watch it... it's the SH!#!!!
A DVD featuring high quality footage of the entire Among B-Boys - special Hmong New Years battle and select battles from the first two events, and bonus videos and battles! It will be on sale this weekend for $15. The proceeds from the DVDs will go towards the completion of the documentary film in progress. Please come support and buy one!!! the link will be up after this weekend on the website, too. Check out this teaser for the documentary that will be on the DVD in FULL QUALITY!
Stop sleepin! Benson Lee's documentary Planet B-Boy is a groundbreaking film helping reintroduce the world to Breakin' as we know it today. Planet B-Boy has been getting great press in a bunch of syndicated movie review programs, Ellen, Carson Daly... don't sleep on this. Hopefully supporting this film will also help start creating more viable business outlets for B-Boys themselves!
Flew down to check out the West Coast premiere of the film "Inside the Circle", directed by Marcy Garriott, at the San Diego Film Festival on 9/27 and 9/28 (the screening we went to), where it won the audience award The film features lots of really dope B-Boys, featuring Omar, Milky, Romeo and B-Boy City! It was a great opportunity too because I brought Mpact and his roommate/crew member P-Rock. Mpact got a chance to see what the film festival experience would be like, complete with Q & A. Other noted attendees were Cros-1 of Freestyle Session/Armory Survival Gear fame, and RockSteady Crew's DJ Charlie Rock.
This meeting was especially special because Marcy Garriott is a filmmaker whom I have been corresponding with and receiving extra support and wisdom from, on top of that from our CAAM mentorship program's Vivian Kleiman. She has been not only supportive of my film and efforts, but also of the B-Boy/B-Girl scene overall. It was great to finally see her film, and I definitely wasn't disappointed. Not only was I there to see and enjoy another great Hip Hop/Breaking Documentary, but I was there to learn and see how Marcy put her story together. There's definitely some differences in how here story is put together narratively and how she approaches her character development with Omar (Jive Turkeys/Zulu Kingz), Josh (Milky, Masters of Mayhem/Mind 180) and Romeo (B-Boy City), but there are some great similarities in the multiple storylines (three, to be exact) and she does a great job of getting at the heart of their motivations for B-Boying.
A lot to think about with how mine is going to be, but thank goodness I've set a lot of the groundwork to make the process of editing I've been going through, more manageable. Which brings me to where the film's at now. It's been tough getting through all the material, making tough decisions on what to keep, what must go... how to portray certain segments, how to pace it... trying not to get too distract from the task at hand, fidgeting on the little stuff such as how the music/audio will be mixed down, sound design, etc... those can be taken care of later.
So that's it for now... I'm back dedicated to getting this first rough cut into a digestible form... I had a nice nearly week long excursion to clear my head before continuing, but I'm back refreshed, and this phase is nearly there! I'll get back to ya'll later.
At the Hollywood Film Festival:
INSIDE THE CIRCLE United States (PROGRAM TITLE = INSIDE THE CIRCLE) 5:00 p.m. Oct. 19, Friday. 102 min. ArcLight Cinemas 6360 W. Sunset Blvd Hollywood, CA 90028
Capturing the raw power and defiant creativity of a homegrown hip-hop movement, Inside the Circle charts the journey of talented b-boys Josh and Omar, best friends turned rivals, as they struggle to keep dance at the center of their lives.
this SATURDAY..check it out if you can..go to redbullbcone.com for the info..Culture Shock LA Audition this Sunday for BBOY/BGIRL TEAM, POPING AND LOCKING TEAM, and COMERCIAL HIP HOP..thanks..
WELCOME to the Brand New Official AMONG B-BOYS Movie Blog! Thanks for checking out Among B-Boys. This blog is intended to serve as not only a running production blog from myself as director and from co-producer/cinematographer R.J. Lozada, but also a way gain to further insight beyond the film, from Hmong B-Boys around the country as guest bloggers. The kind of insight I'm hoping to provide is not only about the filmmaking process I'm going through, but the process through the perspective of the B-Boys, from the B-Boys. Also keep an eye out for special events and promotions which will be announced here too! peace -Chris
added: 6/7 - also, the rest of the new website is on its way up soon, either once I get back from Oklahoma on 6/11 or after I get back from traveling with family on 6/18. look out for it!
