Sunday, January 6, 2013

JUSTICE saved my life



"We are beyond the stage of just being 'AN ACTOR'. You HAVE to create your OWN"-Marlon Wayans

Thursday Jan 3, 2013 I saw tweet on social media that read:

"Congrats the crew of JUSTICE Action Web Series for their acceptance into the LaWeb Festival 2013"
I rejoiced. Gladly.
Its our first acceptance into a festival, first of many in LA
a great way to start 2013.

Mind you this was created in Starbucks.

After years of working as an actor and within the last 10 years deciding to take matters into my own hands creating content, I constructed a 5 year business plan for my career that would be completed with a full ledge Acting reel. I had all the tools you can have based on my "type" which was known as "LEADING MAN". I sent the reel to a  well known Casting Director in LA who viewed what I put together and she loved it; however she suggested it would've been better if I had a role that showed my physique or fighting someone. I always wanted to do an action role in a film or series where I can kick someone's ass and get the girl at the end. 

Then JUSTICE, Marc Justice sat right next to me and told me his story. A complexed man who did wrong but wants to make things right to fix a wrong, by any means necessary. I wrote the first draft right in Starbucks. I came fresh from playing TUPAC in the play "The Tragedy of Tupac" so the baldie would fit his look. Originally it was going to be a spinoff from the 80's action film ACTION JACKSON but darker and grittier. I went home, my son was playing video games so I took my camera, shot scenes myself, edited, added voice overs and the finished product is what you see below: 




After I posted this video, the buzz online was off the chain. People actually thought it was filmed and wanted to see the show NOW. 
I created a huge buzz within weeks, that I created another trailer; with characters from my drafts (I wrote 4 episodes). Both trailers were shot little to no budget at all, in fact it  only cost me $200. just to pay crew (Make up artist LillyBeth Gonzales and Assistant Director/Cameraman Ren Humphrey). The second trailer was put together and the buzz increased rapidly. I had all this attention that it landed me a legit Manager. Now with all the numbers coming in, I was faced with a decision; should I use the same crew and just shoot what I have? or wait till I get picked up?

I've attended numerous get together functions with Online Content creators, picking their brains to see how they managed to get their shows successful. Read and belonged to Web Content Creator groups on Facebook, sought advice from Filmmaker friends like Tony Clomax, Emelyn Stuart and Al Thompson, etc. 

THEN CAME THE RED WALL


This wasn't the first time I've worked with my mentors, Actress and Director Rosalyn Coleman Williams (Who just been cast to appear Off-Broadway in THE PIANO LESSON) and her husband, Producer/ Writer Craig T. Williams. We actually had great success with our short film I produced and star called "MOTH TO A FLAME" which toured the film festival circuit across the country. Red Wall Productions versatile, professional content range from comedy and drama...but they never had ACTION.  When the trailer was posted, Roz kept plugging that she was interested but I, like a fool, didn't take her seriously. It was during a meeting together that a team was created to help develop it from writing, casting, all the way down to marketing. 

The idea of the ACTION JACKSON thing was tossed. New drafts emerged. and emerged
and emerged some more.
Was I angry that my idea of just a BAM BAM, KICK KICK kiss kiss idea was now transformed into a darker, vulnerable and fucked up action hero? not at all. We workshopped and workshopped the material, and we workshopped some more-this is why you should always workshop your material just to hear it aloud. 

JUSTICE went into production in April 2012 and I wasn't there. I mean, I was there physically but not in spirit. Here's my first online content that I created, picked up by a talented company and I was not happy. Without getting into details, I had a personal bad experience at that time and I was confused. I was suppose to be happy and I wasn't. I'm suppose to have fun and I didn't. My mind was dark...but so was Marc Justice.

Marc Justice actually saved my life from going insane. His pain and pressures of finding his wife's killer made me stronger to help him deal with this through my performance. Justice guilt of betrayal guided me to protect my heart from the pain I was feeling at the time and this is one of the greatest things I love about acting-It helps you escape through truth. 

JUSTICE was made with a tremendous cast such as Krystal Farris, Ellen Domingos, Okema Moore, Thyais Walsh, Dayla Perkins and Toni Robinson-May and great crew members Ryan John Lee, Anuarite Chizungu, Patricia Yi, Lillybeth Gonzalez, James Hicken and John Olivio to name a few.

Little do they know, I truly LOVE Roz and Craig for putting up for me during those times. They are truly the best at what they do. 

JUSTICE was released in August. 
My reel was complete (for now)
and I landed a legit agent, among other things. 
Now we're going to LA to appear with other great shows. 


If you have a role that you want to play and haven't played it yet, CREATE IT YOURSELF.

If you want to make a movie, make the movie you want to make and entertain. 

If you have a story to tell, WRITE IT BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY. Craig always tells me, "It does no good staying in your head. Write."

We, Red Wall and I, have a bigger goal for JUSTICE and this is just the beginning. 





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