DP, Cliff Charles (When the Levees Break) - Live on Double Down!

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D.P., Cliff Charles (When the Levees Broke, Miracle Boys, etc.) discusses what it takes to get your project on screen with the most unique visual stamp as well as how to ensure that your vision is achieved despite the many challenges of film production. More "real talk" not to be missed!

Date / Time: Wednesday January 21 - 9pm-10pm

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Call-in Number: (646) 929-1956

Listen To It Here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/DoubleDownFilmShow

Hosted by Anthony Q. Artis of Down and Dirty DV and Pete Chatmon of Double 7 Film.

Happy Birthday Dr. King

Just spending some time reflecting on this day with my family and I thought I'd share this video I produced last year for NYU's annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration.

With all the opportunities and freedom that we have it's sometimes easy to forget the sacrifices that so many others made so that we could have better life than generations before us.

There's plenty more work to be done, but what a long way we've come. Thank you, Dr. King. Happy Birthday...

NYU - MLK Tribute Video 2008 from Anthony Artis on Vimeo

Produced and Shot by Anthony Q. Artis
Edited by Greg Payton

Double Down Keeps It Real w/ Anthony Mackie

Click the link above to listen to the all new episode of THE DOUBLE DOWN FILM SHOW. (Don't forget to first turn off the "Down and Dirty DV Channel" in the upper right column of this blog to avoid two things playing at once.) Myself and co-host, Pete Chatmon, interviewed actor, Anthony Mackie (She Hate Me, Million Dollar Baby, Eagle Eye) about the upcoming release of NOTORIOUS in which he portrays Tupac Shakur.

We also delved into what filmmakers need to know when working with A-List talent. This is entertainment and education for those in the game and those looking to make their mark. NOTORIOUS actor, Dennis L.A. White, was also featured and interviewed during the show when things got a little heated with a caller from the (702) area code.

True to the show's mission our guests all kept it realler than real. I promise you won't hear any candid advice or comments like this on Entertainment Tonight or MTV. Stay tuned for the next one...every Wednesday night.

Listen in and let us know your thoughts!

And join the DOUBLE DOWN FILM COMMUNITY!

This Week Special Guest Anthony Mackie - Tupac in "Notorious"

Attracting and Working w/A-List Actors, special guest Anthony Mackie (Notorious)

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Wednesday, Jan. 14th - 9:00-10:00PM E.S.T.

Listen: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/DoubleDownFilmShow

Call-in: (646) 929-1956

Learn the best approaches to secure name talent and keep them happy on your set. Just because you don't have a $100 Million budget doesn't mean your talent can't feel taken care of. Actors bring your projects to life but you MUST make it easier for them!

SPECIAL GUEST: ACTOR ANTHONY MACKIE, (She Hate Me, Brother to Brother, etc.) starring as Tupac Shakur in NOTORIOUS, out January 16th!

Hosted by Anthony Q. Artis of Down and Dirty DV and Pete Chatmon of Double 7 Film.

Announcing The Double Down Film Show!

In our ongoing effort to better serve our fellow filmmakers, Down and Dirty DV has teamed up with Double 7 Film to bring you yet another new FREE filmmaking resource...The Double Down Film Show.

The Double Down Film Show is an hour long experience of "real talk" about what it takes to get your project from script to screen and establish a career in film and tv.

Every Wednesday night myself and Pete Chatmon of Double 7 Film will deliver all of the production, technology, business, and motivational support that filmmakers need to achieve their filmmaking dreams.

Each week our guests include entertainment celebrities, leading industry thinkers, and hustlers on the rise. You are all invited to participate by calling in with your filmmaking questions, career concerns, and with questions for our guests.

We've all gambled on our own careers and dreams, but now it's time to double down, baby! We'll show you how every Wednesday night, so place your bets on The Double Down Film Show!

Time: Wednesdays - 9pm to 10pm

Call-in Number: (646) 929-1956

Listen to on your computer or phone live every Wednesday at 9pm:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/DoubleDownFilmShow

Click the play button below to listen to our inaugural episode.
(*There is about 30 secs. of silence at the very beginning of the show, so be patient.)

Holiday Party 2008 - Game Recognizes Game

A belated thanks to everyone who came out to celebrate the holidays with Down and Dirty DV and Double 7 Film just before the Christmas break. (I took a break from posting as well.)

My apologies to those of you who braved the cold, but were not able to get in later in the night. We moved the party at the last minute due to an overwhelming number of RSVP's and then the new venue filled up as well.

No worries though, there will be another joint before the Spring kicks in and we'll do our best to make sure EVERYBODY gets in. (Maybe we need to invite you all in shifts!)



Photo: More talent and hustle than you can shake a stick at came out to join in the festivities. Peep the links below and see how we get down...

Photo:
Dorian Missick - actor from Six Degrees tv series, Premium, Lucky Number Slevin, etc.
Pete Chatmon - CEO Double 7 Films/Director of Premium and The 761st, Tribeca All-Access Winner 2007
Anthony Artis (gold vest) - Y'all know me already. You're on da blog.
Troy CLE (brown jacket) author of best-selling kids book "Marvelous World"
Benjamin Ahr Harrison (red tie) - Music Video Director for artists A. Pinks, Jay Lefco, DJ Scientific
and Mike Brown (black jacket)- Director/Editor

Hey Kids...It's Porn Week!

Just came across this interesting happening in Brooklyn this week...A spot called Monkeytown is hosting it's 5th Annual Porn Week starting December 20th. (And, no, you may NOT spank your monkey there. It ain't that kind of party.)

According to the description it's “erotic film for people who like film”.

From what I can gather, it looks to be a quite interesting and playful line up of erotic and sexually-themed films like the music video below directed by Emilie Joulet entitled "Vicious". (Also check out the similarly themed photos on Emilie's My Space page. She's got some skillz with the camera.)

I seriously doubt I can convince my other half to go with me to an event called Porn Week even if it is really just "art", but you Brooklyn hipsters go and tell me how it was afterward.




VICIOUS - Mz Sunday Luv

HBO Gets Down With the Git Down

Apparently some of the major media outlets have taken note of my recent rants about how old media needs to transform itself into new media and retool their models or perish.

No doubt due in large part to this blog's massive influence on Hollywood taste and decision-makers, HBO has fired off a bold new shot in the old vs. new media wars.

Never shy to blaze a new trail, the smart people at HBO have switched up their game again, to debut the season 2 premiere of their hot new comedy series, "Flight of the Conchords" a full month early on the comedy website FunnyOrDie.com. The series premiere will show on HBO starting January 18th.

The very laws of nature are such that all things, mass media included, must eventually evolve or die. HBO has wisely chosen evolution.

Bold and well done, HBO. Maybe your colleagues will take note as the pink slips continue to roll in.

Watch the full season 2 premiere episode of "Flight of the Conchords" right now, right here!:

Season 2 Online Premiere - Flight of the Conchords (US Only) - watch more funny videos

Happy Spouse 2.0 Day

One of the things I try to do with Down and Dirty DV is try to talk and school filmmakers about the things that no one really told me about, but yet are still critical to the filmmaking process like building business relationships, self-promotion, managing your own head, etc.

There’s a lot of information out there about the tangible aspects of filmmaking- shutter speeds, microphone properties, etc. But many of the things that I have observed that can really put the brakes on people’s film careers are much less tangible.

One such subject to be aware of (if you are so fortunate) is your spouse or significant other. Not that dissimilar to cops and doctors, this industry takes a very heavy toll on personal relationships, because we are often unavailable for the everyday things like dinner, family gatherings, or just simple daily household minutia.

We work on projects that take up all of our time, mental energy and drain our emotions. And apart from that, these same projects often require us to spend a lot of time away from home and damn near every dollar we have pursuing our dreams.

The end result for those of us with wives, husbands and partners is that there is often a “film widow” (or widower) somewhere in the background who sacrifices a great deal to help us realize that dream.

And the f-ed up part about it, is that so many of us are so caught up in our visions that we fail to even recognize the huge role their sacrifices play in allowing us to live out our dreams (or at least pursue them whole-heartedly).

So it was with some pleasant surprise that I noted a NY Times blog article earlier this week that stated that today, December 12th is Spouse 2.0 day, a day for Internet Start-Ups to remember and honor their other halves toiling to hold down the fort, the family and often the finances that are keeping our dreams afloat.

Eventhough Spouse 2.0 Day is for Internet Start-Ups, I think filmmakers fall into the exact same category and that we should all appropriate this day to honor our better halves with a gift, date, or just our whole presence (mental and physical) and stop for a minute and say thank you for holding us down.

Hey, I’m full of as much macho bravado as the next guy, but the honest truth is that I couldn’t do all the things I do – blog, podcast, shoot, write books, consult, run this business if it weren’t for my wife Sonya who also works full-time, but takes on the bulk of the responsibility for our household from cleaning, to the bills, to the kids. She sacrifices quality time with me, so that I can share my knowledge and talents with the world.

So this is just a very public shout out to her and a reminder to everyone else out there hustling to make their dreams come true that somewhere in the background, if you are lucky, there is someone else who loves you enough to put up with all the B.S. that comes along with a career in the arts and we shouldn’t take those people for granted, because they are one of the pillars that we lean on to get us through.

If you are with someone and you are blessed enough to have their full support in your crazy-ass artistic endeavors, as I do, then take some time this weekend (and a few more through out the year) to just stop and BE with them and let them know how much you appreciate them, because without that support of our other halves, our artistic efforts are doomed to disappoint.

I love you, baby. Thanks for having my back all these years.

-Tony

Instructions for Spouse 2.0 day

This Online Show is Worth $100,000

Game Changer: "The What the Buck Show" generates $100,000 in online advertising on YouTube for it's creator, Michael Buckley.