People who know me really well know for some reason I always end up moving every two to three years. Now in addition to trips to the Salvation Army, I'm unloading some of the goods. If you're on EBay, please join me there. My handle: NicoleIsMoving123. Let me know you're on and we'll follow each other! First item up is quite Vintage!
Meeting A Princess
One of the highlights of this year's #TIFF2015 was meeting Princess Shaw of the documentary Thru You Princess. It was also a pleasure meeting her dedicated and talented team which include Kutiman and director Ido Haar! If you ever want to know what it means to have a dream and go after it, I hope you plan to see this film. It is truly a treasure. Please click here for my review in ByBlacks.com. What an honor.
A Bold Look at Egypt through Nasser
One of the highlights from covering documentaries for this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) for ByBlacks.com was interviewing Egyptian filmmaker Jihan El-Tahri. Her film, Nasser, featuring the 1950s Egyptian ruler put so much into perspective. She tackled the unsteady foundation of a country rocked by politics through the decade-long efforts of this military man. And audiences at #TIFF2015 were all the more grateful for it. What an incredible breakdown of a presidency and a comprehensive explanation of a complicated religious and cultural history. Bravo to the filmmaker and TIFF who programmed the doc. Please click here for my article and be sure to catch the film.
Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser
Veteran documentary filmmaker Jihan El-Tahri
Racism in Canada: 1969
Back from #TIFF2015 to write a few more articles, but I was pleased to see that one of the earlier films I reported on had a welcoming reception from the festival crowd. The film team of Ninth Floor received a standing ovation. Please click here for my review in ByBlacks.com.
National Film Board of Canada
Black Dox at TIFF 2015
Currently attending Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) as it turns 40 this year and is still at the top of its game! I'm here as a filmmaker who writes about documentaries for ByBlacks.com where I have the column Black Dox covering Black documentaries and documentarians of Canada. I love having this opportunity to learn, network and share with our readers all of the exciting news and releases in the world of nonfiction (yes, documentaries can be sexy too! Be sure to hop on the bandwagon!). Please click here for the first in a number of articles I'll be filing from TIFF: A Q&A with Artistic Director Cameron Bailey. Thanks for reading!
A great week for Gershwin and Bess
Gershwin & Bess: A Dialogue with Anne Brown premiered on kweliTV this week. I first met the phenomenal woman and talent Anne Wiggins Brown in August of 2004. Now, 11 years later, we are able to present the documentary featuring her first-hand account of being chosen for her iconic role on the new streaming service. kweliTV, whose female CEO is someone I also very much support. I'm so honored and excited to be a part of this platform--especially with six films as the Gershwin & Bess... film was acquired along with five Little Brother film chapters as well. Please join me here for the films of EPIPHANY Inc.!
Anne Brown and Nicole Franklin in Oslo, Norway 2006. Photo by Barbara Meyer.
Q&A for the day!
I love answering questions from those curious about the business (how to get in...how to get out...haha) and I publicly post them on my TSU page. For a sneak peek of what we're talking about there, I'll post the latest Q&A with me here:
#Question of the Day: "One of our team members wants to be a film director. Can you tell me five basic things she needs to do. She has not been to college. But I want her to know her dream can be a reality. .. if she works for it. I'd love to tell her that these tips came from the very accomplished Nicole Franklin! Thank you so much!!!"
My #Answer: Sure. Without seeing her work or speaking to her, I'd offer the following "five basic things" per your request:
1) Definitely go to college, but not film school. You want to be a film director, then what is your story about? You can always learn the trade for far less money in weekend seminars or summer intensives, but having a degree in science, religion, languages, or social studies...this gives you material for the stories you wish to translate on film. What is your story about? Read, read, read and observe people, issues and institutions. Then you're off to a good start.
2) The type of camera you get is not important. Purchase one you're comfortable with spending the money on. Basic camera + basic editing system (available on most home computers) will basically get you filming. Practice shooting. Watch films and their camera compositions and start filming. If an audience can tell what your film is about with the volume turned all the way down then you're on your way to being a solid cinematic storyteller.
3) College is the place to meet friends and future fans. I went to State colleges for both my undergrad and graduate degrees. My grad degree was in Liberal Studies, by the way. For undergrad I was a Communications major/English minor and wrote for the school newspapers and newsletters. My advisor told me in order to be a producer I needed to write, write, write. And he was right. But more importantly, my posse was not only my newspaper team, but also the engineers, pre-med, accounting and architecture students I also met. If they aren't pursuing careers in film production and you are--you'll be the cool one. And they'll be your fans "who knew you when." Build those networks. They'll want to be there to support you in a myriad of ways in the future as well.
4) Post-college network, network and network some more. Join film communities where you can join a committee and show your talent and dedication toward moving your passion forward. New York Women in Film & Television and the Black Documentary Collective were two of the first film organizations I joined upon moving to New York. Incredible networking, sisterhood, African American community support and resources instantly available to me as well as a safe place to share ideas--and crew up! We are there for each other for many years now. They were the start of my film family and I am grateful. Plus most of my film subjects came through knowing members of these communities who believed in my vision as well (so definitely have a film idea and a purpose when you meet others whose livelihood depends on pursuing their passion as well).
5) Find a mentor. And this will be in the form of a few people throughout the course of your career. The mentors will appear when you are ready. Trust yourself. Ultimately, though, if you've proven after about a decade--or a body of work equivalent to that acquired over a decade--that you are committed to a career in this field and have been screened, showcased and celebrated then you may be still be in need of a mentor of celebrity status. Your work is proof that you're worth the time for a celebrity to meet. The sky is the limit as to your dream mentor whom you request to be your biggest fan who makes those important calls to give your career a boost.
That's all I got!
#IAMaBP. Are you?
Thrilled to participate in the final week of Black Philanthropy Month per the request of my good friend Kim Covington. #IAmaBP will hopefully be the hashtag that moves mountains. Please click here for my video supporting #BMP2015. I am a Black Philanthropist. Are you?
More on our Anonymous Dialogue on Black Men
We have an Anonymous link for a Little Brother Film discussion on "What do you Fear about Black Men." Answers have ranged from "That young Black men will continue to perpetuate the stereotype" to "I'm afraid that I'll get shot." Here is part of one woman's response as she recalled being "hit on left and right" while in her 20's:
"The only attempts at sexual attack made on me (2x as child) were by white men I might add. But this experience with black men was so yucky, so blatantly overthetop disgusting, that it downgraded my view of black men and put in my mind that they may/probably never view me as an individual, just a white woman to conquer and claim to show off how virile or whateverthef---- it was they try to prove by 'having' one of us .... Wow, haven't thought about that for like 30 years but it's still there. Goes to show."
We thank her for her honesty. Do you want to join her? Please click here.
Nicole's Diary - Page 20
Funny. I did a little experiment last week where I saturated my social media pages with news of our documentaries premiering on a new platform and posted one mention of the engagement of ballet dancer extraordinaire Misty Copeland. As of today, the Facebook post on Misty has received 192 Likes, 17 comments and 31 shares. The number of shares represents the total number of likes, RTs and comments received on any of the documentary activity all of the days this week combined. Why is that? It's actually not hard to figure out. It could be celebrity, a bit of escapism, complete voyeurism (of which I am guilty as well) and the occasional bad behavior if we look at the tabloids that get the public's attention. The films I pursued for EPIPHANY Inc. addressed a void and answered a need--I thought--from a public crying for more "why don't we ever see...[fill in the blank]" positive Black role models. Yes, Misty's a positive Black role model, for sure. But so are the people outside of reality TV stars who bare their souls on camera and do not have an internationally marketed platform such as the American Ballet Theatre to back them. I'm very grateful to the supporters through the years whose active enthusiasm has ushered EPIPHANY Inc. films into production and distribution. But it would also be nice if people noticed the irony every time they say, "I really want to see your film" and then turn around and tell me they just saw the latest blockbuster. A further deepening of the knife, "have you seen it to?" they ask. Me: "I have. I liked it. I'm glad you did too." I leave it there. There's no need to be preachy. I'm pretty sure in their minds, they feel that's what documentaries are there to do.
A throwback to the start of a personally rewarding career.
kweliTV Streams Little Brother Film
Thrilled to premiere the films of EPIPHANY Inc. on the new kweliTV. Today, Little Brother chapters 1 through 5 were launched on this new streaming platform that is currently being heralded as "the Black Netflix." Kweli means "truth" in Swahili and CEO DeShuna Spencer has created a new streaming service with the African American filmmaker at the forefront of quality content. Spencer tells me “we’re looking to go beyond a library of content, but to be an experience for our community where we can say ‘I’m getting something out of this’.” And yes, down the road, she is planning on producing original content as well. KweliTV, Inc., is an interactive, streaming TV network dedicated to the stories, issues and culture of the global Black community. Offerings include indie films, web shows, documentaries, and news programming exclusively for the entire African diaspora. Currently in BETA stage, kweliTV is set to launch in December with tens of thousands of subscribers already taking advantage of the free 30-day trial. There is no charge to browse. Join us today at www.kweli.tv for this very important launch! Stream one of our 15-minute Little Brother documentaries and leave us a review!
Nicole's Diary - Page 19
I had a very peaceful day today when working from home, running errands, and tending to a few calls. Tomorrow, August 12, I'm starting a new adventure. I've been so excited about it, that I haven't been able to stop myself from prepping materials and organizing in advance of the scheduled August 12 lunch meeting to launch it. Yes, this lunch will change the game in many, many ways. There comes a time in your life--usually around this time in our lives formerly known as middle-age, I suspect--when you take account of how you've spent your time and what you would do differently. I can't dwell on regrets, though I do have a few. Instead I summed up my experience and had a lightbulb moment when planning this new venture with a friend and said, this is it. It's time to jump. A meeting last week, an available intern appearing over the weekend and a plethora of resources answering just one call has assured me we have a safety net like no other awaiting what we know could be seen as "Let's risk it all!" Sometimes you have to because there's no choice not to and you can't turn back. It all starts tomorrow. Be sure to check back here for more. I'll let you know where and how soft we land.
LUNCH TO LAUNCH
When Fear Blows through an Anniversary
It's the eve of the first anniversary of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by Ofcr. Darren Wilson in Ferguson, MO. The nation is talking about it. Different angles of the story are being covered for the 24-hour news cycle. But has the root of what has happened in this arrest been addressed or resolved? Today we learned of another unarmed Black teen fatally shot by a police officer in a Dallas suburb. Unfortunately if we wait a little longer, another "incident" will have a similar headline. Our Fear needs to be discussed. And we can discuss it by clicking here. Please share our anonymous quiz: What do you Fear about Black Men? You'll read my answer by clicking here as well. What's yours?
FEAR
Calling All Editors: Seasoned and Junior Editors
Taking inventory for a new venture this Fall. Editors needed. I'll supervise (I can be vigilant, but also quite helpful!). Seasoned editors, please send your bio, editing software available and a link to your reel in an email to Nicoleedits@gmail.com with "Editor" in the Subject line. We are not limited to a geographic location. Junior Editors are also encouraged to apply. Please send your bio, editing software available and a link to recent work in an email to Nicoleedits@gmail.com with "Junior Editor" in the Subject line. Qualifications for Junior Editor are recent graduates or experience of fewer than two years. Thanks fellow post people!
Editing: A throwback.
Salesperson Needed
#Hiring Salesperson needed for booking advertising clients. Unique sales pitch involved that makes our campaigns beneficial--and quite affordable--for all. Contact Nicole Franklin at Nicoleedits@gmail.com for more info. If you're already working in a media sales department, even better. We'll bring business to your company as well. If you want to refer a friend who works in ad sales, we'd love to hear who this productive person is too! Let's talk! $$$ #Sales #Salesperson #SalesTeam #AdSales
Passing the Baton...
She needed no help from me. A young print reporter in Charleston, SC by the name of Christina Elmore answered the request of my producer and me to interview her about her experience covering crime—and a specific crime—for her hometown paper. Who we met in Christina was a poised and dedicated young professional who does not shy away from her pursuit of the story. And she’s barely out of her 20’s! Is there hope for our future in journalism—specifically Black journalists whose presence alone is sure to make a difference in our U.S. newsrooms? I always want to believe so. Our small documentary crew agreed we struck gold when Ms. Elmore answered our questions with the facts, a clear and focused examination of her beloved Charleston and a heartfelt testimony of the job she wears as a badge of honor quite proudly. We hope The Post and Courier is honored to have her on staff as well. Glad we met.
An Emmy, An Honor
Honored to be honored again with the incredible team of CBS Sunday Morning. Terrific crew and the best fans! Thank you!
Question of the Day from a Friend...
#Question of the day from a friend: How are you able to sit across from a racist and ask questions for the camera?
Just returned from an interesting trip where a producer friend wants to explore a new documentary on race. Now that we're back home to friends and family, many questions were actually asked of us as well! I #answer the above question on my wall at www.TSU.co/Nicoleedits. Please click here for access. And please leave your questions here as well! You gotta do what you gotta do!
Somewhere in S. Carolina...
Nicole's Diary - Page 18
Exhausting and exhilarating. Can every production wrap like this? I hope so. This past weekend's Hack4Hope launch in my hometown of St. Louis, MO was pretty darn fantastic. It's an exceptional claim to fame when a producer (who can be pretty anal at times...hahah) can have backup from a team of professionals who stayed on top of their game and our young people are the beneficiaries. When adults can smile about how much the teens they mentored smiled, we can take a moment to say "Great work!" and "Who's next?" Hack4Hope and an upcoming endeavor on a new doc back on the East Coast in five days are what keep me going--and nice flashes of downtime with our new pal, Lou Fitness. Onto the next adventure!
One Long Summer: Will We Shoot Back?
Injustice leads to action. Proactivity leads to change. I contemplated what summer 2015 would look when racism dealt us a bad hand and Charleston mourned. Here is my conversation with three brilliant and eloquent individuals who inspired a Malcolm vs. Martin theme I felt compelled to write. Please click here and see how The Good Men Project is the perfect forum for a level-headed discussion on #WeWillShootBack.
