What I've learned in my 20 year video career

August 2002, was the first time I ever did anything professionally in the world of video/TV outside of college. I interned on “Rap City The Basement” on BET. I was young, green and thirsty to be jumping into my career. New York City (1 year post 9/11), rappers, music videos I was in heaven. I had the time of my life working for free for three months. Logging time code from beta tapes, writing questions for Big Tigger, shadowing producers. Everyday was a new experience and challenge. I was fortunate enough to shadow Lee Harris who was a producer on Rap City at the time. Lee taught me the ins and out of what needs to happen on a nationally broadcast TV show. He had a charisma and energy that was unmatched when he walked in the building. Some days we watch the show from the control room, some days we’d be on set as they were filming. It was truly a blast and a time in my life that I’ll never forget.

I ran into Lee the summer of 2018 and I got to tell him the impact he had on me when I interned.

Over the course of the next twenty years, I’d have jobs and experiences that were drastically different from the first. From the people and personalities to formats and styles to locations and destinations, it’s been the journey of a lifetime.

You Never Stop Learning

At every new job, there were always huge learning curves to overcome. Ultimately, learning how they did things at a new job was the scariest part of doing something new. There was a phrase I learned in my Entertainment Business program that said “train for skill, hire for attitude” which basically meant, you can be taught any set of task but your personality is what matters most. Having had various jobs over the course of 20 years has taught me that not being afraid to learn is one of the biggest skills you need to succeed.

Things always change

Just as quickly as you learn the ropes at a new job, those ropes often change. In order to be invaluable, you need to be adaptable. You need to be a chameleon, able go with the flow and be able to think quick on your feet. As they say in basketball “read the defense”. Know when things are changing and have the confidence and creativity to be able to have a solution for those changing times. Whether that be an organizational change, a change in process or a change in equipment. Be okay with becoming a learner again.

Be Adventurous

Early in my career, this is what I excelled at. I threw all caution to the wind and was willing to move anywhere and try anything in hopes of having the next great experience. Over my career, I’ve lived and traveled around the country and the world to take on the next job. My hunger for the unknown was the driving force behind having great professional opportunities. I sometimes did this at the expensive of my own comfort which led me to sleeping on couches and in spare rooms but I always knew those moments were never permanent but were stepping stones to the next thing. A little discomfort pushes you to do better.

Good enough is actually perfect

The elephant in the room for all high functioning creatives is perfection. While perfection is an aspirational goal, it’s the most most daunting and limiting factor for a lot of creatives. It becomes stifling, paralyzing and unsustainable in the long term. The biggest critique that Spike Lee got in his first 10 films was that his story telling was “clumsy”. Although, that may have been true, had he fell on perfection as his primary KPI, we may have never seen any of those films and we would have never been talking about Spike Lee. At some point, the product has to ship. Get better over time not over nuance.

Relationships, relationships, relationships

I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve gotten the next freelance gig from a friend of friend or word of mouth. I don’t know how many times I’ve been given special access because of a previous project I did for someone. I don’t know how many new clients I’ve gotten because I created a project free for someone. At the end of the day, your career should be built on how well you’ve built community around your work.

Have fun

This is probably the most important thing. Not every job will be cool and exciting. Most of the work I’ve done isn’t glamorous. However, enjoying the process, enjoying that you’re bringing value and creating camaraderie are the necessary ingredients to ensure you’re having fun with what you do. Find those moments when everything isn’t all serious to have a laugh, eat the pastry, play hookie or enjoy the sunshine.

End of an Era: Gabe's Camera City

A couple of years ago, Kerry and I were walking to her friends’ house in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn when we walked past an old, shuttered camera shop. From the looks of it, it seemed to have been closed for quite some time. The antique collector in me got excited for all the great, vintage camera gear that lived inside. Peeking through the window, I could see the envelopes of developed pictures that were never picked up. My imagination began to run with what the story was. We later asked Kerry’s friend about the camera shop and the only thing she knew was that the owner had passed away.

I then tried to do a little digging of my own to find out the details of the store. I came up empty after a couple of searches on Google and Instagram. Fast forward to Tuesday, July 18th when I got a message from Kerry’s friend with a screenshot from a local Instagram account saying the store would be hosting an auction the next day on July 19th. Full of excitement, I decided to go and boy was I glad I went. After spending the day there, I had the privilege of speaking to Gabe’s nephew, Robert. Robert was very gracious with me and gave me the story of his uncle Gabriel and his camera shop.

Watch the video for the entire story

World Peace Through Dance

Summer in NYC is the greatest thing ever. In my opinion, this is when this city comes alive. Talk to me from November - April, it’s a different story. Between the block parties, movies in the park, Summer Friday’s and outdoor concert series, there’s a never ending itinerary of things to do. A couple of years ago, I was at a show in Central Park and I was musically introduced to a DJ by the name of Natasha Diggs. She was gigging with her collaborators “Soul in the Horn” which is a combination of brass instruments and a DJ. Ever since then, I’ve been following her NYC parties and virtual DJ sets. “Dance is Life” is a Monday evening dance party in Central Park, held through out the Summer hosted by Natasha and Abdiel. “Dance is Life” truly brought out what it means to be a New Yorker and what it means to have a shared human experience. For one single sunset, all was right in the world.

Fuzzy: The 24/7 Vet Chat

I haven’t done much freelance work in the past four years but occasionally my phone will ring for different projects. A few months back, I got a message from a friend/client about shooting a social video series for the new company she was working for. The first thing they tell you when you get into video is that kids and animals are the hardest things to work with. I can honestly say, this was my first shoot featuring animals. Fuzzy is a 24/7 Vet chat for pet parents. In this video series we featured 2 different pet parents. This was a pretty fun shoot and the videos turned out great.

Trombone Shorty shots with Fujifilm X100V

Summer is upon us in New York City so block parties, movies in the park and summer concerts are in full effect. The Summer Stage concert series in Central Park is one of my favorite things to do. I’ve seen acts such as Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, George Clinton and The Roots to just name a few. On this night, Trombone Shorty brought the flavor of New Orleans to New York City with that brass band, bounce music sound. For ninety straight minutes, he brought the house down. For one night, it felt like I was hanging out on Magazine street. It was truly an incredible show.

These are a few images I captured with the X100V including some video as well. The built in microphone is surprisingly good. Normally, the X100V has a bad case of the micro jitters but if you hold it steady, it’s not so bad.

Back in Hudson for Memorial Day Weekend

Kerry and I were just here six months ago for New Years. It’s probably our favorite place to visit at this point. Being in Hudson when it’s warm is very different from being in Hudson when it’s cold. This little town comes alive with frolicking Manhattanites looking to get away from the hustle and bustle. The ease and simplicity of Hudson is a thing of luxury and I’m all for it.

Most of the time is spent walking in and out of the shops on Warren St. I do have a limit of this but it’s mostly fascinating. I’m constantly baffled at how these vintage and retail shops stay afloat. Who’s buying this stuff?!

My favorite thing to do is sip iced mochas, eat cinnamon rolls, thumb through vinyl records and look at the old cars.

The most obvious thing about Hudson is the inescapable charm of the old architecture. I have no idea when most of the buildings were built but they’re pretty old and have the perfect amount of patina.

There’s also great eating in Hudson. They even have a place specifically for Brooklyn hipsters yearning for a taste of Bushwick in upstate. I did however bump into Tyler Mitchell at Lil Deb’s Oasis which says everything about this restaurant.

Being able to slow things down adds a bit of wonder to the experience of Hudson.

While you’re in this neck of the woods, don’t hesitate to bounce around to other towns. You may just stumble across a random winery or a chic outdoor market.

I did catch an old school Memorial Day parade. For about an hour, it felt like I was in Mayberry.

We relaxed, ate well, spent money, had fun and brought in the summer the best way we know how.

Musical Deep Dive: Dr. Buzzard Original Savannah Band

This blog is about how I learned of one band that spawned four other bands and left a lasting impression on disco.

Fall semester of 1999, I was a sophomore at the University of Southern Mississippi. During that time I was discovering all types of new and different music. I’m not exactly sure why I was so ripe for new music but I was ready. I guess at the time, you could call my musical taste “alt and underground”.

That same semester, my friend Amon’s homeboy, Del, from New York City came to visit. While we were hanging out at Amon’s apartment, Del was playing a cassette tape (an actual mixtape) of songs he had put together. It was a mix of hip-hop and R&B but there was one song that stuck out to me that I would soon spend the next couple of years of my life obsessing over. That song was “Sunshower” by Dr. Buzzard Original Savannah Band. Up until that point, I had never heard anything like it. It was very reminiscent of 1920’s flapper style with 1960’s big band with a pinch funk. It was extremely light hearted, fun and nostalgic. I truly fell in love with this song. It’s something about those children’s vocals at the beginning that gets me every time.

If I remember correctly, Del made me a copy of the song which was cool but I wanted to find the actual album in hopes of discovering more music from this group. Little did I know how hard it would be to find.

Back in late 1999 and early 2000, when record stores were still a thing, I went to every record shop looking for this album and I couldn’t find it anywhere until one record shop offered to order it for me. This was also back before you could order things online. A few weeks after I put my order in, the album shows up. I was ecstatic to say the least. I quickly fell in love with Dr. Buzzard Original Savannah Band. The album was way better than I was expecting. Over the next few years, I would learn more about the band. They were not from the 1920’s or the 1960’s, they were in fact a New York City based disco band from the late 70’s. The band consisted of Stony Browder Jr, Thomas “August Darnel” Browder aka Kid Creole, Corey Daye, Andy Hernandez aka Coati Mundi and Micky Sevilla. Dr. Buzzard is probably most known as the sample from Ghostface Killah’s big hit “Cherchez La Ghost”.

I’m not going to give you the bands complete history, you can Google that. This is about me connecting a web of characters associated with the band.

The second musician I want to link is Coati Mundi (Andy Hernadez). Coati Mundi is what sparked me to write this post because after doing my internet research about him, I discovered that all these acts were connected through Dr. Buzzard. So, a couple of months ago I was watching the 1987 film starring a young Madonna called “Who’s That Girl?”. If you’ve never seen it, it’s a fun watch. It’ll make you very nostalgic for the 80’s. In the movie one of the bad guys is played by Coati Mundi. Coati played the xylophone in Dr. Buzzard. Coati was a percussionist and hype man in Kid Creole and The Coconuts, which I’m going to talk about next. Coati was also a solo artist and actor. He’s been in a couple of Spike Lee movies as well. Years ago, I remember watching Downtown 81 starring Jean Michel Basquiat and recognizing Coati in that film. It wasn’t until then did I learn about Kid Creole and The Coconuts. Although, I didn’t deep dive into their catalog until a few months ago. The Downtown 81 trailer also a featured a Kid Creole song.

After making the connection that Coati Mundi was in Kid Creole and The Coconuts, I really started to connect the web of these amazing musicians and artist. Kid Creole (August Darnell) was also in Dr. Buzzard. It’s unclear why but August Darnell left Dr. Buzzard to created Kid Creole and The Coconuts with Coati Mundi but I’m glad they did. I may be a bit more stoked on Kid Creole than Dr. Buzzard because they had such a unique sound. It was tropical, big band, funk dance music. I guess that’s calypso? Kid Creole had a slew songs but more importantly their live shows appear to have been the most fun and wildest shows ever. I’ve spent hours on YouTube watching their performances and I’m shocked more people don’t talk about them. They were sort of like the B-52’s before the B-52’s but better. It’s sad that a musical act like this is almost forgotten and never talked about.

Kid Creole did a great job of creating this zoot suit, tropical fantasy in the music. Watching these YouTube clips are a great example of how immersive the live shows were. There were always a lot of people on stage, lots of musicians and tons of theatrics. The live show feels like an off-broadway musical.

Cory Daye was the woman behind the vocals for Dr. Buzzard. Her singing was what made that sound so melodic and jazzy. Cory later left Dr. Buzzard to start her own solo career. UNSCRIPTED: CONVERSATIONS WITH CHRISTIAN JOHN WIKANE produced an excellent interview with Cory about the early days, her solo career and more.

The last group is Don Armando’s 2nd Ave Rhumba Band. Armando Bonilla was a percussionist in Dr. Buzzard. I’m still digging into their music but as far as I know, they only had one album which had a couple of big hits including “Deputy of Love” and “I’m Indian Too”. Listening to these song really makes me imagine late 70’s early 80’s disco clubs in New York City. Their music is full of pulsating rhythms and energetic vocals. It’s sad that music like this will never be made again but I’m happy that I found it. Thank you for nerding out with me on this deep dive.

All In 4 NYC Day of Action 2021

Although I have a full time job, I occasionally still freelance. CitizensNYC is a newer client I started working with early during the pandemic. CitizensNYC makes direct cash grants for neighborhood-led projects, and neighborhood businesses that improve the quality of life in New York City. The first video I made for them was called “What are you doing to help rebuild our city?” which was in response to the first 8 months of the pandemic.

Over the past 2 years, Citizens has been very gracious in terms of bringing me in for various projects. In addition to the above video, they’ve also brought me in to edit a number of other Zoom oriented videos. Back in November, they hired me to produce a “mini-doc” style video that highlighted their week long initiative called “Day of action 2021” which was covering 2 events over the course of one day up in the Bronx. One event was a food drive and the other was a community garden cleanup. Later in the week, I took event photos of their first in person fundraiser since the pandemic started.

I’m late to posting this project but I really wanted to make sure this project and story were shared.

Keep Manhattan just give me that countryside

If you’ve never heard the theme song to Green Acres, then you probably won’t get the title of this blog. City slickers setting their sites to more rural and rustic vibes isn’t a new concept. Much like the 1965 TV show, there’s a “special” demographic of New Englanders who “vacation” and spend “time away” in upstate New York, affectionally known as The Hudson Valley. I won’t give you a full historic rundown of the area because I simply don’t know it but I do know this is where the chic come to play.

Kerry and I have visited many times before but we’ve never spent an extended amount of time there like this most recent trip. We usually spend an afternoon walking around as a pit stop on our way back to the city from visiting her friends. Certain New Yorkers have a second place in the Hudson Valley. It’s quiet, spacious, you can reconnect with nature but most importantly, you can go shopping at the many antique and design centric shops that you can only find there. Looking for a 70’s style armchair for your West Village apartment, The Hudson Valley has it. Looking for a mid century modern armoire for your bedroom, The Hudson Valley has it. Looking for antique lamps for your home office, you guessed it, The Hudson Valley has it.

All the shopping there can make you very hungry. Hudson is full of intimate, cozy restaurants, coffee shops and hotels where you can rest after a long day of window dreaming about how you wish you had twenty more square feet of space in your NYC apartment so you can purchase the $1200 ottoman you saw in one of the shops.

I’ll spare you the romanticization of the Hudson Valley and just walk you through our trip. The first day, we drove over to Hunters Inn in the Catskills for lunch where there were amazing views of the ski slopes. The only thing I know about skiing is what 80’s movies taught me.

Just to rewind a little, the first stop of the trip was derailed by the closure of the dinner we were going to. Of all the days it could be closed, it was closed the Wednesday we tried to go. This will be our excuse to return.

The drive up was pretty scenic and gorgeous. We stumbled upon a kaleidoscope museum that housed the biggest kaleidoscope in the world. We also stumbled across an artist name Steve Heller who builds very spaced out and retro-futurist furniture. I’m a fan of Steve. He was an eccentric, creative guy.

I have a deep need to fit in when I travel. Under no other circumstances would I ever wear flannel but for this trip I went for it.

One of the days, I didn’t take any pictures but we went to a very well known bakery after most of the baked goods were gone. We did however have a great lunch there. The town of Hudson is very charming and cozy. This time of year, there was lots of fog and mist in the air so we spent a lot of time indoors next to fireplaces and strong drinks.

The grand destination of the trip was to Inness Golf resort. A secluded modern, relaxing country retreat. I’ve never seen anything like this in real life. I’ve only seen places like this inside DWELL magazine. This is where modern meets the rustic. Inness is a minimalist dream. It’s part hotel, golf course, restaurant and overall relaxing getaway. We spent the afternoon there eating snacks from the retail store that was housed in a greenhouse. It was the most stylish retail experience ever. This was a fantastic way to end 2021 and ring in 2022.

Kerry ferociously planned this trip on the train back from CT after Christmas. Her taste in accommodations and design will always be the north star for all things travel.

An Evening at Simple Cafe

I’m writing this on Sunday morning December 19th, 2021 as New York City is quickly shutting down again (for like the 5th time). Fortunately, last Sunday, I got to spend a beautiful evening with three entrepreneurs, a chef, fashion designer and fine artist. Chef Samiya Behaya has been a friend and freelance client for six years. Samiya owns and operates Simple Cafe, a French Algerian restaurant in Williamsburg. Samiya often host private dinners and parties for other creatives.

Last Sunday, she hosted a private party for clothing designer Maria Romerero owner of Tintorería, a permanent capsule collection centered around the perfect suite for women made from artisanal textiles and techniques. During cocktail hour and post dinner, guest could try on and get fitted for their very own Tintorería suit.

The retail wing of Simple Cafe is called is called Simple Goods , a shop that houses home goods such as candles, plates, cutlery, rugs and more. Samiya’s partner, Mika sells her paintings and tapestries from the shop. Her paintings and rugs are “unique symbols that explore the laws of physics. energetic frequencies and the concept that neural pathways in the brain are the key to change and manifestation.. Her symbols serve as a totem or mantra, something you see everyday to remind you of that in which you seek to transform”.

Bushwick Inlet Oyster Monitoring Spring 2021

After a dark and stormy Memorial Day weekend wash-out, I was thrilled to see summer sun and heat in the forecast for the weekend ahead. I’ve been following both the Friends of Bushwick Inlet and the Billion Oyster Project organizations for years — I love watching the push and pull of conservation and development efforts on the Williamsburg Waterfront, and community organizers in both of these groups have been relentless advocates for sustainable development and thoughtful re-use of the formerly industrial shipyard slips that line the East River. So, I signed us up for an afternoon of oyster research, monitoring and measuring oyster counts and shell growth in Bushwick Inlet just a few blocks from my place.

Video by Stephen R. McFadden

The summer sun delivered, and we spent the early afternoon pulling oysters and lots of tiny water crawlers out of the inlet’s crates, using calipers to measure shell size. Our group’s crate had about 40 oysters ranging in size from 30 mm to 130 mm, and our haul also brought in small shrimp, a little crab, some water worms, and a bunch of other members of the ecosystem. The rivers and tidal estuary around NYC get a bad rap for being polluted and beyond repair, but there is real wildlife returning to the waterways and the oysters are a visible reminder of what the future could bring.

It was pretty delightful to be inside the normally fenced-off inlet with a new view of the Manhattan skyline and special access to a giant goose nest with 6 eggs in the works. As park constructions progresses on other waterfront plots at 50 Kent Ave and at Marsha P. Johnson State Park, Bushwick Inlet is a beautiful escape from city life and a north star in reimagining public access and urban re-use.

Basking in the blazing sun and thoroughly enthralled with the various volunteers and characters assembled, we made our way back through Williamsburg’s open streets to re-fuel with a margarita, only to learn that in the intervening hour, a Seastreak ferry had run aground in the inlet where we’d just been standing. The New York Times and other local news outlets primarily focused on the 100 human evacuees of this not-quite-shipwreck, but we also heard that the ferry had taken out pilings in the center of the inlet where we’d returned our oysters and their pals after the census!! I’m now officially hooked on this ongoing saga and will be keeping a close eye on waterfront happenings now that I know exactly who else shares this prime real-estate. I hope our water neighbors survived the bizarre turn of events and you’ll definitely find me at the next volunteer round!

Written by Kerry O’Brien

Noah Garabedian

Jazz musician, educator, jump roper, all around good guy and my friend Noah recently asked me to take some updated headshots for him. His previous headshots were pretty dope so I had to bring my “A game”. I don’t consider myself a photographer but I can take a good shot with the right person and right vibes. My fancy new apartment has huge windows which renders beautiful natural light. I shot against the black backdrop for most of the pics and used the opposite white wall for additional shots. Afterwards, I made Noah and Kerry Philly cheesesteaks.

I took about a million photos but these seven capture the essence of the shoot. Please stay up to date with Noah’s performances and shows. He may be in a city near you very soon. https://www.noahgarabedian.com/ and on the gram https://www.instagram.com/noahgnoahg/.

The video below was from a West Village performance from about two years ago. NYC has been completely dead for live performance for a year now. Hopefully, in the coming weeks the city will get back to its groovy ways.

How many cameras does it take to document a clock installation?

Back in December, I was asked to document the installation of the only mechanical clock tower in NYC by The Friends of Bogardus. Friends of Bogardus Plaza (FBP) is a small group of local volunteers who helped create and maintain Bogardus Plaza, a community green space located in the heart of Tribeca at the intersection of Hudson, Chambers and Reade streets.

This 100 year old clock restoration was ten years in the making and took one long, cold rainy day in December to get installed. I some how manage to operate four cameras during this shoot. My iPhone, Canon DSLR, Fuji X100V, and my Sony NX80. I went back the following week to get a second interview after all the rain turned into snow. As much as I despise cold weather, this was a fun shoot.

How to: Make a M&M Explosion Cake with Julia B.

We were staring down a bitter cold pandemic weekend, with sunny forecasts obscuring "feels like 10 degrees" temps, and Stephen was restless after a week spent glued to computer screens for work.

I'd been eyeing the @juniorbalaboosta Instagram account where Julia, my childhood friend, has been pandemic-baking her way through fabulous cakes and goodies, and where she'd just posted a first attempt at a traditional buttercrunch. Chocolate doesn't hold much power over me but buttercrunch is my jam. I needed it, and could conveniently claim that I was supporting a small, woman-owned business with an order : )

I caught up with Julia about the order and after learning that her weekend plans included even more ambitious baking projects, I decided to engineer a little Stephen // Julia meet-up, where Stephen could film Julia's process for constructing a six layer M&M explosion cake. I could picture him sitting behind the camera (with a mask and properly distanced) in her toasty, light-filled kitchen, while she assembled a new masterpiece. Julia was instantly game to host her own little afternoon show and brought all of the extra creative energy needed to tell a fun story with some real tactical baking know-how.

Stephen loves creative side projects and found a lot of joy playing sous-chef on this project, and I'm angling to be promoted as talent agent. Thank you, Julia, for actual icing on the cake!!

- Kerry O’Brien

My Arm Wrestling Debut

Slowdown. Not exactly. I was walking around Union Square a few months ago and noticed this old guy arm wrestling strangers in the park. After I watched him crush person after person, I noticed this old guy looked a little weird. After closely checking him out, I realized it was an arm wrestling champ wearing a rubber mask .

I was quietly taking pictures of the scene until the hype man came over to me and asked if I would pose for the thumbnail for the YouTube video. He said “you’re the biggest guy we’ve had here all day. We like to have big guys as the thumbnails in our videos”. He assured the arm wrestler wasn’t going to take my arm off so I said yes and posed for the pic. Here are a few pics I took and the video.

If you could beat the “old guy” you would win $100.

The Cypher Continues

It’s been 20 years since I’ve had friends that could rap. Freshman and sophomore of year of college to be exact (‘98 - ‘00). Freestyle sessions and cyphers were a staple to my all guys dorm. Out on the stoop, parking lot, dorm rooms, where ever there was an instrumental beat there were dudes rappin. It was a lot of fun and fascinating to hear guys flow “off the top”. It was a true testament to the intelligence, creativity and self expression that a lot of young men possessed. Although I couldn’t rap, I was pretty good at making beats on lunch room tables and art classes back in high school. To see this tradition still being held up makes me happy. I felt 20 years younger watching this cypher.

Fujifilm X100V :: Olivia

I’ve been meaning to create a more detailed post about the Fujifilm X100V. I haven’t had the time nor the motivation to do so. However, I did have an opportunity to shoot with my friend and co-worker, Olivia. She was temporarily gifted jewelry designed by Drew Ginsburg, Founder & Creative Director of Dylan Lex. Dylan Lex has been worn by Beyonce, Madonna, Cardi B and many more. Olivia was recently interviewed by Dylan Lex around the idea of “Women just want to have funds”. Please read the full interview, it’s highly informative.

I was excited about the shoot because I wanted to use the X100V for portraits and lifestyle shots. I was also excited because I got to test the video features. I was highly impressed with what it captured. The only shot that isn’t the Fuji, is the opening shot of the skyline. That was my Canon 70D. I won’t get too technical other than, I shot all the images in .raw, used various Fujifilm simulations and tweaked them to my liking.

Enjoy the videos and photos.

Blessing of the Boats: River to River by Muna Malik

My niece sent me a message over a month ago telling me she and her wife were coming to NYC to attend her friends art show. I had almost forgotten until she messaged me the day before saying that she was arriving to the city soon. It was great meeting my niece’s wife for the first time. (I started writing the post on 8/16/2020 but didn’t publish until the 27th.)

It was a beautiful evening to walk up the westside. The show was well attended and had lots of participation. Muna (the artist) had lots of media in attendance, including myself. There were two other film crews. I was able to get a great interview early in the evening while there was still great light.

The harp players gave the evening a special enchanting vibe.

My Top 5 Summer Movies

Since most of us should still be quarantining, I’ve curated some of my favorite summer movie. Two of these, I watch every summer without fail. I feel like I’m not truly enjoying summer until I watch them. Two more are timeless favorites that take me back to childhood and one is a new classic. Enjoy!

1) Do The Right Thing

Do The Right Thing takes places in Brooklyn, NY on the hottest day of the summer. It’s filled with tension, political/ social commentary and a look inside a microcosm of culture and community. This is a great watch by yourself or with a group of people. Make sure your sound system is banging. It has one of the greatest anthems of all time.

2) White Man Can’t Jump

This is probably my all time favorite comedy film and definitely in my top 5 basketball films. White Men Can’t Jump takes place on the basketball courts of Venice Beach California. This has some of the greatest one liners of all time. I’ve repeated many of these quote on basketball courts ever since its release. There’s no coincident that both of these two films co-star Rosie Perez

3) Jaws

Jaws was the scariest movie I used to love to watch as a kid. At the time, I was too young to follow the story but I watched it every time it was on TV. Jaws made people afraid to go the beach for years. I urge you to listen to Bill Simmons’s Rewatchable podcast about Jaws. Steven Spielberg’s genius is truly on display here.

4) A League of Their Own

There’s nothing that says summer more than baseball. This all-star cast gives us one of the best performances of the 90’s. A League of their own is an outdoor movie staple. I watched it in DUMBO park a couple of summers ago. Remember when Madonna was a movie star?

5) Girls Trip

Girls Trip should easily be the next movie franchise that should go 8-10 movies deep like Fast & Furious or Police Academy. I could go watch this cast every summer in a new adventure. The fact that this takes place during Essence fest means they new exactly who their audience was which is why this was such a hit. #blackmoviesmatter

Vacation Blog: Day #1 The City is Dead

Some would say the city died years ago. And by “died” I mean, back when the city had grit, character, not over taken by big box stores and absorbent rents. The city’s current death is a result of COVID-19 and the possibilities of looters. This is only my third or fourth time in the city since mid March. Today marks the first day of my two week vacation. The life of a Video Producer means you’re in front of your computer for hours at end. The goal is to spend as much time as possible being out and about walking around. Plus, it’s summer. Under normal conditions, the city would be jumping with people and activity. Now, it’s a ghost town and a shell of what it used to be.

This post is to simply to showcase the many buildings and stores that are boarded up. I’ll also showcase a few that are open.

I can’t wait to go back to the movies. It probably won’t be until late this year. I was the only person in a movie theater the night before the city shutdown. I highly recommend seeing The Times of Bill Cunningham

There are so many empty storefronts. So many businesses closed shop a few weeks into the pandemic. The rent is too damn high.

This appears to be the sentiment amongst most people.

This is where this post becomes social and political. We all know whats going. I don’t believe in looting. However, with every war and social uprising, there’s collateral damage. Huge multinational companies can repair broken glass and replace clothing. The people at the top make so much they could personally pay for most of the damage themselves. I hate when bad things happen to innocent people and companies but I have no tears for big retail companies.

Museum of Ice cream is open. As they should be. It’s hot and nothing makes us happier than ice cream on a hot day. Carry on.

If you need Italian lingerie during a pandemic and social movement, Intimissimi is open. More power to you. You might as well feel sexy if you’re going to be sitting at home.

Antique Garage, a SoHo staple is open. If you decide to go, order the pork schnitzel. Restaurants need our money.

Order to go. Keep those hands sanitized.

The city isn’t dead. It’s having a down time. This city is strong. The city is resilient. But the rent is still too damn high.