Visual Intonation

What's the most important thing you can do consistently? What's the foundation of all your work? 

Being a black filmmaker can come off as being an unrewarding venture if you don't tick some boxes and ask yourself specific questions. 

Black filmmakers are marginalized in the film industry, and black film projects are not given the attention they deserve. Black directors are not left out; they account for about 2% of directors who collaborate on projects worth more than $1 million.

It's safe to say that the film industry does not treat black people as well as it should.

In this episode, I discuss the constraints that the black film community is facing, as well as how to overcome them and achieve success.

Key Talking Points Of The Episode:  

[03:43] The gender gap faced by black filmmakers. 

[05:00] The role of limitations in the film community. 

[09:18] Stay true to yourself and your craft. 

[12:05] Keep in sight your reason for making films. 

Magical Quotes From The Episode: 

"Taking a few steps towards your goals is an essential moment, but going further in anything is rarely done without taking a few small steps back." 

"Limitations are the only thing we have to work with… also, we need to think bigger, more broadly, and as humanly as possible." 

"Limitations shine a light on answerable questions, and it filters out what doesn't work for you, and mainly what you have to do to take principal-based risk in your work." 

"Do not stagnate in the planning phase. Create a schedule and follow it. The more practice you get, the better you will be" 

"Be true to yourself and never stop experimenting and learning." 

"Filmmaking is a collaborating act." 

Support the show

Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/

Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/

To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations

Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation

Who are you?

How does your identity influence who you are and what you do? 

Have you heard of dana washington-queen (they/them)? They are a queer, research-driven writer, lens-based artist, director, poet, photographer, editor, and screenwriter who examines power, memory, and spirituality in place through narrative, blackness, and visual culture. dana explores blackness, cultural/knowledge production, and power systems through narrative, image, performance poetry, and video. Their research and practice integrate embodied knowledge with experimental approaches to investigate figuration of blackness, queerness, knowing, and being in the world.

Also, they are a self-taught artist. They recall 2012, when they got into the editing space. Their friends introduced them to a cracked version of the Adobe Suite. dana invested into their filming and learned how to edit.  They used various videos and photographs to create narratives. In this episode, dana takes us through their journey to becoming the fantastic artist and writer they are today. They share what time means to them and how they have built their brand through identity. 

When it comes to the black body and politics, dana believes you cannot separate one from the other unless the gaze audience is black. They also share how they are changing the black body narrative through their work. washington-queen received a Bachelor of Art in English from California State University-Long Beach and a Masters of Fine Arts in Visual Arts from the University of California-San Diego. 

Would you like to hear more about dana's story? Listen to this episode. 

Key Talking Points of the Episode: 

[01:33] Getting to know dana 

[05:00] What does time mean to dana? 

[07:18] How dana got started with their work 

[10:11] How dana built their brand through self-identity 

[12:16] dana's experience in academia as a queer black artist in white spaces 

[17:40] How identity influences dana's work 

[22:15] How dana takes up space 

[23:29] dana's view of the black body. Is it political? 

[24:37] How dana is changing the gaze narrative 

[28:25] How dana unwinds 

[29:22] dana's favorite basketball team and player 

Magical Quotes from the Episode: 

"I think a lot of us can be considered archivists who may not consider ourselves that because your Instagram feed is an archive. Essentially, it just depends on the value of what that archive." 

"Usually, when you're queer, the church is in opposition to you." 

"I try to be authentically myself and that my work is authentic. I feel like if you see my work, you have an idea of who made that because the voice is so strong." 

"I'm very shy, and quiet. I want my work to be loud in the ways that loudness can be, and hopefully, you hear and receive it." 

Connect with Dana Washington Queen: 

Website: https://danawashington.com/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danawqueen/ 

Vante's Website: vantegregory.com
Visual Intonation: visualintonations.co
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyvante/

Support the show

Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/

Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/

To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations

Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation

Sean Woods is a filmmaker, photographer, and teacher. Sean is the person to contact if you need someone to handle your commercials. His love of cinematography drives him to tell your brand/product story perfectly. 

Are you about to have a wedding or an event? You need Sean to help you perfectly capture the special moments of your day. Sean has been practicing photography for over seven years. One thing I admire most about Sean is the fact he appreciates no two clients are the same. Every client has unique expectations and needs. Besides cinematography and photography, Sean offers mentorship to upcoming photographers and cinematographers. 

Sean and I share a humorous episode from his childhood in Florida in this episode. He will recount everything he did as a child, as well as the role the church played in his upbringing. We'll also discuss Sean's journey into photography, cinematography, and much more. 

Listen to this episode and learn from Sean Woods. 

Key Talking Points of the Episode: 

[01:24] Sean’s experience growing up in Florida 

[12:29] Sean’s worst client story at the radio station 

[14:50] Sean’s photography passion 

[22:56] Sean's creative process 

Magical Quotes from the Episode: 

“The bad part about the losing time is you never get that back. The good part about the money is you can spend it and make more money.” 

“I will tell people straight up that I know a lot. And I know a lot because, man, I run into walls weekly.” 

“You’re not going to get better because you won’t even give yourself a chance to grow.” 

“You can’t do what they do because you don’t know how to do it.” 

“Business people always buy with the eyes first. Yep. If they see stuff that doesn’t look like anything, they think, is this worth it?” 

Connect with Sean Woods: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanwoodsmedia/ 

Website: https://www.seanwoodsmedia.com/ 

Connect with Vanté Gregory: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyvante/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/

Support the show

Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/

Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/

To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations

Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation

How old were you when you discovered what you wanted to do with your life? I know we have many people who are yet to unearth their passion. Our guest today, Shea Stephens, discovered his passion when he was a kid. He was into films, and he could grasp scripts easily. 

Shea's mother didn't think film was a good career path for him at first, but after seeing how confident her son became by participating in plays, she changed her mind. Shea's mother became his number one supporter and accompanied him on his journey. He attended Louisiana State University for theater before transferring to Savannah College of Art and Design for his Master's degree in film.

Shea has a long history in the film industry. He has identified flaws in our film industry and how we can best correct them in order to improve the industry. One of the flaws Shea mentions is that most directors and screenwriters stick to standard procedures because they don't take the time to research black people's history. He believes that we must return to our roots and study our history.

In this episode, Shea will discuss his journey in the film industry, how he found his voice, and the flaws in our industry. Shea Stephens, a director, screenwriter, and incredible actor from Louisiana, now divides his time between New York and Atlanta.
 

Key Talking Points of the Episode: 

[02:47] Shea's experience growing up in Louisiana 

[05:54] How Shea knew he wanted to act 

[08:29] How Shea balances being self-aware and acting 

[10:23] How fearlessness is the key to success 

[14:39] How Shea found his voice 

[17:11] How actors can become more professional on set 

[21:12] Directors who influenced Shea 

[22:39] Top five narrative films of all time 

[25:10] The role of intuition in filmmaking 

[26:13] Intuition versus criticism 

[30:47] How the film industry is highly flawed 

[31:38] Shea and his mother's relationship with film 

Magical Quotes from the Episode: 

"My self-awareness came from several years of not being myself." 

"I used to be a people pleaser all the time. I wanted people to like me, to be accepted, but at the same time, I always did crazy things to be accepted." 

"Reading is taking the information, and the knowledge, and being able to metabolize it." 

"When you find something, you love to do, just try to get paid for it." 

"White people don't want us to know our history." 

Connect:

Shea's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shea.prophecy.stephens/ & https://www.instagram.com/prophecypicuturesandmedia/

Vante's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyvante/
Vante's Website: www.vantegregory.com
Visual Intonation: www.visualintonations.co
Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/

Support the show

Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/

Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/

To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations

Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation

Meet Dominick Cormier. He is a director, screenwriter, and actor. He was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Dominick’s passion for the film industry is peerless. Today, he will be sharing his journey in the film industry and helping me dig into how to empower locally produced filmmakers. 

According to Dominick, he believes Atlanta has many talents but lacks opportunities. For instance, he points out that when people come to shoot in Atlanta, they come with their teams; hence local talent is never used. Yet, the same people use local talents when they go to New York or Los Angeles. 

Dominick encourages creatives to stick with what they believe because, at the end of the day, it pays off in one way or the other. For the filmmakers, Dominick argues them to tell their story, and somewhere along the way, they will find a way of telling it better. 

In this episode, Dominick will share his experience working in the corporate world versus small companies, who inspires him, how co-writing works, what’s missing in Atlanta, and how it can be developed, among other interesting topics. 

Listen in and get inspired. 

Key Talking Points of the Episode: 

[00:57] How Dominick and I met 

[02:02] How Dominick got into the film industry 

[10:04] How corporate life can be unfulfilling 

[12:07] Who inspires Dominick and who he likes about their work 

[15:41] How Dominick met Christian Nolan Jones

[18:32] How easy is it to have a co-writer? 

[20:22] Dominick’s best video 

[23:15] Are black video music directors stunning? 

[24:20] What’s the Atlanta community missing from its film world? 

[26:41] How Dominick is connected to 85 South 

[35:12] How Atlanta has shaped Dominick as a writer and director 

[40:04] What Dominick focuses on most in a frame 

[41:35] Dominick’s inspiration to start motion pictures sheet and peace of me 

[42:59] What features is Dominick currently working on? 

[44:26] Is Dominick looking to work with artists? 

[47:24] Dominick’s message for creatives 

[49:13] Dominick’s advice for young filmmakers 

[50:46] If Dominick had one biopic to write indirectly, what would it be? 

[51:51] Dominick’s dream camera lens setup 

Magical Quotes from the Episode: 

“I think a lot of the corporate world is suffering because they’re not catching up with what’s happening right now.” 

“If we got an opportunity to be able to put our imprint on things ourselves, and tell our own stories, then we would be able to prosper a little bit more.” 

“I think Atlanta, as many resources as we are lacking, we still are the only place where you can come and make it as an independent.” 

“I appreciate Atlanta for just being authentic.” 


Dominick's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/domallcaps/
Dominick's Website: https://www.motionpicturesh-t.com/

Vante's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyvante/
Visual Intonation: www.visualintonations.co
Vante's Website: vantegregory.com 

Support the show

Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/

Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/

To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations

Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation

Welcome to the Visual Intonations podcast's debut episode. This is Vanté Gregory, your host. I am the podcast's host in addition to being a screenwriter and director. The field of film production is very diverse, and there are many opportunities available. For instance, you might choose to pursue post-production, which offers a variety of opportunities. 

The highly skilled Brittney Turner joins me on the show in this episode to educate us on the process of post-production editing. Brittney has over ten years of experience in the field, and she's here to express her professional journey and offer some advice for those looking to break into the field. 

Brittney had no idea what she sought to do when she started working in post-production on movies. After researching the various post-production tasks, she decided editing is just what she desired to do. Ten years have passed since she first began. Brittney wants to work as a voice actor within the animation industry. 

 

Listen to this episode to learn more. 

Key Talking Points of the Episode: 

[00:49] How Brittney got onto the industry 

[03:09] Why is it difficult to get into post-production? 

[08:40] Why do women shy away from post-production? 

[13:32] Brittney’s first foray in filmmaking 

[17:39] Traits of a good editor 

[23:03] Are there gigs that Brittney turn down? 

[30:53] What’s a well-edited film to Brittney? 

[33:02] Which movie would Brittney wish to edit? 

[37:28] Brittney’s advice for anyone who wants to get into the major corporations for editing 

Magical Quotes from the Episode: 

“Personality will get you places that experience won’t.” 

“Time is money. You must respect everybody’s time.” 

“I don’t take being in post-production lightly because post-production is hard. It is specifically as a black woman it is very difficult, is null and void.” 

“Once you get your feet wet, swim.” 

“The more you know, the best you can be.” 

“Getting your foot in the door is the hardest job. Keeping it in there, that’s a whole other job.” 

“Nowhere, it’s too small when you’re trying to climb.” 

Support the show

Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/

Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/

To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations

Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation