The Future of Film is Here!! Team Oscar 2015 Talks to myNewYorkeye!

February 20, 2015 Art Shrian & Lapacazo Sandoval

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continues to make investments in the future of the industry and one of the best places that demonstrate that sincere effort is expressed in Team Oscar.

The opportunity to become a Team Oscar was open to U.S. citizens, ages 18 to 30. Plus it was easy, aspiring film-makers submitted, through the Academy’s Facebook page, a creative 60-second video on the subject “The best piece of advice I've ever received.”

What the Academy is doing is an amazing thing — to me— because it’s an investment in young storytellers and despite this being an over used cliche— the future is now!

“Now" is Team Oscar 2015 and despite this just being the third year, it’s quickly becoming a “new" Academy tradition.

The 2015 Team Oscar winners are Chris Carmona – Hometown: Bell, CA; Justin Craig – Hometown: Ballston Spa, NY; Kelly FitzGerald – Hometown: Geneva, NY; Justin Floyd – Hometown: Compton, CA; Rhianna Shaheen – Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA and Patrick Walker – Hometown: Atlanta, GA. They were all selected by Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, the Academy and Channing Tatum who unveiled the winners on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” last month.

The winners’ videos can be viewed here:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJ8RjvesnvDNtu87Xi7bV-iVDo7yRRH9F

The “lucky six” have boarded United Airlines (the official airline sponsor of the Academy and of the Oscars telecast) and will have an an opportunity to explore the renowned collections at the Academy’s Margaret Herrick Library, tour motion picture studios, and participate in meet-and greets-with film-makers at Oscar Week events.

When covering the 2014 Oscars, I connected with Team Oscar and was impressed by the young storytellers and how the program was being shaped.

So, I took the opportunity to ask Team Oscar 2015 a few questions before they become completely immersed in the Oscar experience and here is what they had to say:

Q: Patrick Walker – (Hometown: Atlanta, GA): If you could pick one director to work with who would it be? If you could pick a single mentor, who would it be and why?

Patrick Walker: If I could work with one director I would choose Quentin Tarantino! He is amazing and his risky, gory style is very attractive and artistic!

If I could pick a single mentor it would definitely be Denzel Washington because he is one of the best actors of this generation and has paved the way for African American actors like myself and I believe he would give a great amount of information to me seeing as how I am following in his footsteps!

Q: Chris Carmona – (Hometown: Bell, CA): Why do you want to tell stories? If you could pick one mentor, who would it be and why?

Chris Carmona: I personally love storytelling because it’s something I love doing and something I think I'm really good at. I want to tell stories that connect with wide audiences – grounded stories – and present them with characters that they can easily relate to. I’d like the viewers of my films to learn certain lessons so that way they themselves can avoid falling into the same conflicts as the characters on the screen. I strongly believe that all stories contain some type of lesson – whatever it may be.

If I could pick one mentor to guide me in my film-making career, I would have to say David Fincher. He’s known for shooting more shots than the average director, because he’s a perfectionist. I know there’s no such thing as perfection but I think we should always aim for excellence. That’s what makes his shots so sleek and so beautiful – not to mention incredibly directed.

Q: Justin Craig – (Hometown: Ballston Spa, NY): Why is humor important in storytelling? If you could make one person laugh, at the 2015 Oscars who would it be and why?

Justin Craig: To answer your question I would say humor is important because it is universal. A laugh is a laugh in any language. Not only that, but laughter itself brings a lot of lot to people. Storytelling is a way to allow the reader or viewer to escape their own reality for a while. Many times reality can be tough, so humor provides a nice break.

As for the second question, that is tougher. I can't think of one specific person that I would love to see laugh. I feel if I can get anyone who is attending the Oscars to laugh, that would give me a great sense of satisfaction as it would allow me to relate to that person, and since they're a celebrity that could be hard otherwise.

Q: Kelly FitzGerald – (Hometown: Geneva, NY): Why is a smile important to share? If you could pick one person, at the 2015 Oscar celebration to start the "smile" selfie, who would it be and why?

Kelly FitzGerald: My best response to the first question is, why ISN'T a smile important to share? It doesn't hurt anyone, it can make other people happy and you can give and receive endless amounts of them. There is more good than harm from sharing a simple smile.

You never know who might need one :) If I could choose one person to start the "smile" selfie it would definitely be Neil Patrick Harris. His happy and charismatic personality perfectly reflects the message I tried to get across in my video. Seeing how successful Ellen's Oscar "selfie" was last year, I am very confident that Neil Patrick Harris would successfully share his smile (and mine) with the rest of the world.

Q: Rhianna Shaheen – (Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA): Ext. Outside the Kodak Theater. The screenwriter (you) is poised to enter with five other winners of Team Oscar 2015 and the interior monologue is?

Rhianna Shaheen: SCREENWRITER - Heavy Breathing. Shoulders back. Take my picture? Ok. Say Prune?? Sure. Oh, oh, that's Meryl Streep. No biggie. Just one of the greatest trailblazing women in Hollywood. I'm cool. Werk. Werk. Are we almost in?? Let's start the show!

Social Media Links Are Below:

Host

Neil Patrick Harris: http://twitter.com/ActuallyNPH

Oscars Producers

Neil Meron: http://twitter.com/neilmeron

Craig Zadan: http://twitter.com/craigzadan

Hashtags

#Oscars

Academy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAcademy

Twitter: http://twitter.com/theacademy

Instagram: http://instagram.com/theacademy

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/oscars

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+Oscars

15th edition of Film Comment magazine’s essential, eclectic festival from February 20 – March 5, 2015

February 2, 2015 #ArtReports

Dear New York - we are two months into 2015 and let us take a moment and wish you HAPPY BLACK HISTORY MONTH.

If you are in a mood to check out interesting films that aren’t part of the Hollywood machine then look no further than the Film Society of Lincoln Center and it’s 15th edition of Film Comment magazine’s essential, eclectic festival, which will take place February 20 – March 5, 2015.

Each year, the annual festival’s selections are full of discoveries— of the coming soon and the never-coming-back, the rare and the rediscovered, the unclassifiable and the underrated, hand-picked by the magazine’s editors after scouring the international festival circuit of the past year.

For more information, visit www.filmlinc.com, follow @filmlinc on Twitter and download the FREE Film Society app, now available for iOS (iPhone and iPad) and Android devices.

KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE

February 1, 2015 #ArtReports

I am actually giddy to screen this movie! Once you review the trailer that you will understand the source of my excitement.

My love of the comic book culture continues and if your not a fan you must check out this out because it's based upon the acclaimed comic book and this film is directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass, X-Men: First Class).

In short order KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE tells a story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined, but promising street kid into the agency’s ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kingsmanmovie
Twitter: www.twitter.com/kingmsanmovie
YouTube: www.youtube.com/kingsmanmovie
Official Site: www.kingsmanmovie.com
#KINGSMAN

BEYOND THE LIGHTS goes to the OSCARS

January 29, 2015 Lapacazo Sandoval

Great musical artist - Common

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_(rapper)

Gina Prince Bythewood

Director, Beyond The Lights.

myNewYorkeye--what's in it for you--is on our annual road trip to Hollywood!

Good news for talented people especially around on of my favourite directors Gina Prince-Bythewood !

She is one of the most gifted screenwriters - directors working today and her newest film BEYOND THE LIGHTS which stars the stunning and gifted Gugu Mbatha-Raw along side Nate Parker, Minnie Driver and Danny Glover is a must see if you haven't seen it and if you have, a must see again!

I love the fact that the song “Grateful" has been nominated and that singer, songwriter and actress Rita Ora will perform the Oscar®-nominated song “Grateful” at the 87th Oscars.

That bit of news was shared by the show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron and unless you live under a very big rock, you know that the Oscars, will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. The fun will air on Sunday, February 22, on ABC.

"International recording artist, Rita Ora, will make her Oscar stage debut this year. The mixture of her incredible voice and glamour makes a perfect combination for our show" says Zadan and Meron.

“Grateful,” written by Diane Warren for the film “Beyond the Lights,” is nominated for Original Song.

This marks Warren’s seventh Oscar nomination in the category. The four other nominated songs are “Everything Is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie,” “Glory” from “Selma,” “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from “Glen Campbell...I’ll Be Me” and “Lost Stars” from “Begin Again.”

Ora dominated the U.K. charts with her first and certified platinum album “Ora” (2012), which included the number one singles "R.I.P.," "How We Do (Party)" and "Hot Right Now." Currently featured on the smash single "Black Widow," with fellow superstar Iggy Azalea, Ora is readying her second full-length album, to be released this spring. She will appear in a number of upcoming films, including the highly anticipated “50 Shades of Grey” and Jake Gyllenhaal's “Southpaw” to be released in July.

To keep on the music tip - musical artists Common and John Legend will perform their Oscar®-nominated song “Glory."

“Common and John Legend are artists who have always lifted our spirits and made us think,” said Zadan and Meron. “The Oscar stage is that much more profound because of their presence and we welcome them.”

“Glory,” written by John Stephens (a.k.a. John Legend) and Lonnie Lynn (a.k.a. Common) for the film “Selma,” is nominated for Original Song. The four other nominated songs are “Everything Is Awesome” from “The Lego Movie,” “Grateful” from “Beyond the Lights,” “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from “Glen Campbell...I’ll Be Me” and “Lost Stars” from “Begin Again.”

Common won a Grammy® in 2002 for Best R&B Song for “Love Of My Life (An Ode To Hip Hop),” and in 2007 for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “Southside,” with Kanye West. His many acting credits include the films “American Gangster,” “Wanted,” “Date Night” and “Selma,” in which he plays the role of Civil Rights leader James Bevel.

Legend is a nine time Grammy-winning singer/songwriter. His critically acclaimed debut album, “Get Lifted,”scored multiple Grammy Awards in 2006, including Best R&B Album, Best New Artist and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. The follow up was the platinum-selling “Once Again,” which garnered a Best Male R&B Performance nod. Legend’s most recent highly acclaimed fourth studio album, “Love in the Future,” scored two Grammy nominations and features his break out hit, “All of Me,” which is his highest selling and charting song to date and also earned a 2015 Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance.