The Maker: Short Film Love

Yelawolf My Box Chevy Collection: A Review on Greatness

The first time I discovered Yelawolf was about two years ago. I had an instant adoration of his work. I never had to sit and convince myself that what I was hearing was good (like I do so regularly with a lot of music). It was just genuinely good music on every level. He is incredibly talented. His music is wonderful vocal, and equally musical. A good experience all together. You just have to listen to all five, as they get better and better. The beats though!

The perfect marriage of his voice to the style of music composition and production is superior. His natural vocal timbre (The quality of the sound made by a particular voice or musical instrument) seems to fit comfortably within a sweet spot of an audible range that the human ear finds pleasing. You'll have to excuse me, being a musician has made me a wavelength and frequency enthusiast.

There are plenty of timbres and frequencies that we humans are either naturally in sync with, or it's an uncomfortable clash. I say all of this to try and explain that I feel as if Yelowolf's vocal timbre is one that is naturally pleasing in addition to his Alabama accent and incredible flow. Some people's timbres are raspier in nature (TBoz from TLC [a lower pitched range]/Erykah Badu[a mid pitch range]).

Some vocal tones can be really soft and sweet (Aaliyah/Janet Jackson/Ciara) or even strong and powerful (Beyonce/Jennifer Hudson/Christina Aquiliera). Some timbres can be good, but can also get a little whiny sometimes depending on the range that vocalist is in (Justin Beiber/ Rihanna). Just to name a few examples. Not sure why I went on a timbre tangent but I felt it had to be said!

Getting back to Yelawolf, I enjoyed his five part Box Chevy collection. This needs to be noted and recognized for what it is....brilliant. Of course it is still rap, which comes along with its own territory of potentially explicit lyrics and subject matter. That's just how it is and how it's always going to be. So for those who don't watch any programs on TV higher than a 14 year old rating, hip hop may not be the best genre of music for you.
 

I didn't hear the Box Chevy tracks in their original order, I heard them out of order discovering different versions as time went on. I wanted to make an effort to collect them all here on one place surrounding them with favorable reviews and recognition. Yelawolf, you've done a great job my dear. Well done indeed.

Art is truly about expressing yourself through a skill that you have acquired (on which ever level you happen to be at) and using actual inspiration from one's life that helps pave the path to a finished project. Obviously there is a percentage of actual physical and actionable execution necessary to result with an existing product. Too often dreams are not realized, and remain in the form of an idea or dream.

I love his accent as well. That makes up a huge part of his whole package. The distinct southern twang that flows as briskly as the momentum of his word execution. On top of his southern vocals, he also has the ability to freely speed up his flow as fluid and precise as one applying steady pressure to a gas petal on a powerful but contained engine. It is so very seldom an industry gets hit with something that cannot be recreated or manufactured like so many companies try to do



It's so very hard to say which track is my favorite, or to even rate them in order. It's just so hard. They all have such different qualities. I tend to play 3, 4 and 5 the most often, but 1 and 2 are newer experiences for me and they both come with great qualities that make me want to hit replay over and over again.



Part Four. The beat is just unbelievable. I turn it on, and even though the sound travels seamlessly through my headphones to my eardrums, my brain refuses to believe that something could sound so good. It just can't happen this way. What have you done Yelawolf? What have you done to us..This is too good for the ears to understand. That musical composition hits areas in you that you didn't know received sound signal.
    

Then there is the last one. My Box Chevy Five. The beat is just so funky crazy cool. That bass line...Everything is just on....point. Yelawolf, I give you your credits a thousand times over and one extra for good measure. I suggest the people who have had the pleasure to experience Yelawolf's talent, to recognize its brilliance. Why is it so easy for me to give people credit where credit is due instead of finding non exisitent things to complain about? Because I am an artist of my own sorts as well.

I get great joy from the act of uplifting another person. It's actually a quite distinct feeling that has its own type of joy and positive sensation attached to it. The one truest thing an artist wants from his or her creation is for it to be recognized as his or her own work as well as see it for what it was meant to show. Man I have such a passion brewing over for creation and its creators. We [creators] construct the details of existence, more so rearrange them. Oh it's lovely. I could go on and on....
    

Again I will say that this is just great music. To me it is indisputable, but of course everyone has their tastes. If he didn't make any other music ever again, these five tracks are amazing enough to represent his brand, talent and greatness.

Aziza

10 Reasons to Love the Movie: Family Weekend

One of my favorite movies to watch is Family Weekend, A story about Emily (Olesya Rulin), a competitive jump roping champion, who feels neglected by her eclectic family. As a result, she decides to take her parents hostage in their own home to force them to change their ways and become a real family. In addition to the story line, all of the details in the film are what really make it a one of kind piece that I will always find fun, entertaining and beautifully shot.

I wanted to write a list of ten reasons why I love this film. I decided to do some film photography while I was watching so that I could better capture the moments that help portray these points. The movie is currently on Netflix, and I urge anyone to take the time and check this film out if you haven't already. So let's get to the list.

1. Emily's unique talent/passion: Competitive Jump Roping 

Emily has a very interesting talent, which would be jump roping in place at high speeds. She takes it very seriously, which often times alienates her from her peers. But to her credit, she is the best at what she does by far.  

She wins every competition, but never has any family there to support her. So in the end, victory doesn't really mean much when there is no one to share it with.  

2. Beautiful art

I adored the collection of artwork featured in the film. Art was everywhere and very inspiring. The family seems to live a pretty comfortable lifestyle as the mother is a corporate hound fighting for the vice president seat at whatever corporation she works for. 

I enjoyed the smaller individual pieces behind Emily in this shot because it inspires me to create a gallery wall similar to this in my living room. It's fun, abstract and each piece is different. 

I have a certain fondness for large sized canvases that are bold with color and presence. These are the details that really make a film special to me. I love beautifully designed settings and backgrounds. It gives a true feel of the world of the characters and pulls you in on a more personal level. 

3. She actually holds her parents hostage for the greater good of the family

Emily calls for a family dinner where she drugs her parents, using something she found in her mother's medicine cabinet.

During that time, she was able to get them tied up in preparation for the execution of her master plan. 

4. Emily is amazingly organized and methodical 

A huge reason why I adore Emily and this film is because of her personality. She is very bright, organized and systematic. 

Before going through with her plan, she had to create it first, which she did by typing out a document on her computer, printing it out and assembling it all neatly in a folder. 

Her plan was inspired from a trip she took to her little brother's room in which she learned about how the animal kingdom works from a show that was playing in his room.

All of these events took place within a limited time frame, as she had a state competition to attend the very next day. The point of this whole situation was to get them to turn a new leaf and support her on her most important day. 

I can also be a post it note maniac, or an index card crazy person. I see this as a work of art. Things need to be organized as much as possible sometimes, to maintain clarity and direction. This is just greatness.  

5. Beautiful home  

Films that take place in beautiful homes are always a treat for me. It's such a good time living in someone else's world for the duration of the movie, and when that world takes place in a magnificently designed home, it makes the experience that much better. 

This was a beautiful shot of the back of the house, Lots of windows and wonderful architecture. 

6. Emily's Adorable Style

Emily's style was super cute and prep with her own touch. I was very fond of a lot of the pieces she wore throughout the film. I would wear some of her apparel in a heartbeat. 

7. Awesome little sister who's a natural born actress

Her little sister Lucy is a before-her-time 9 year old who acts out as characters from movies she really has no business seeing at her age. But it works for some strange reason. Super super super talented young lady. The character she is now is Iris from Taxi Driver. 

Reservoir Dogs.

A Clockwork Orange.

8. Dad is an free spirited artist, mother is a super corporate beast, grandmother is a hippie, older brother is an aspiring filmmaker.

His problem is that he needs to make more time for his kids, even though he is the stay at home parent. His art is his whole life, well in addition to sleeping. 

A super busy corporate mom who brings home all the money and is not involved in her children's lives at all. Too busy on her Blackberry discussing business. 

This is the older brother who desperately tries to get his father's attention through his lifestyle choices and his film creations. 

9. Cool little brother who is a zoologist genius and has a tape recorder of a memory

This kid knows an endless amount of facts concerning the animal world. His passion is very apparent when you walk into his bedroom to see it filled with cages of all kinds.

Another awesome thing about her little brother, Mickey, is that he can recite entire conversations from memory as if he were a tape recorder. It's amazing. Please watch this clip. You must.

10. The moral of the story

The film shows that no matter who you are or what your interests be, the important thing is that you have something that sparks life within yourself, something that you are passionate about. And even more importantly, you mustn't let that passion become greater than the people you love. It will always come down to one thing and one thing only....balance.

"Some people are lucky enough to find their true passion, and sometimes it can consume them. That's okay because their passion makes them feel like something. Like somebody. Sometimes its the only thing that keeps them moving..." -Emily

As for me, my passions keep me moving, keep me striving towards something so that I am not consumed by the past and the pain that comes along with some of the things that have happened to me in my life. Stay busy, stay passionate, stay focused, stay happy, but also make time for those you love, and enjoy the moments that surround you.

Aziza-Morgan

Some of My Favorite Choreography: Aaliyah More Than A Woman

Can't speak too much on this one. Too hard for me knowing there was a time watching this video and learning the choreography and she was alive doing it too. She was such a role model for me even outside of her music because I felt as if I could identify with her when I was a younger gal. Seeing someone who wasn't built like most of the other women on tv (in the hip hop culture), let me know that black people consider lean and thin beautiful too.

Hey it's hard growing up in black culture at times (as it is true for every culture). The crazy part is it's the girls who hold the standards for how girls should appear if they want to be accepted into society. I've come to realize that most guys don't care to grave detail. There are some (and I know I'm kind of going off tangently) guys who are more particular than others, but overall, the girls hold the standards. But back to what I was saying...

To see such an elegant tomboy blew my mind as that is how I feel myself to be. I truly loved her so much and still do. I feel like she has to be the one singer that everyone truly feels like that took a loss on, like in their own personal lives. True mourning for real. Not the celebrity mourning where it's kinda faded after a day or so. You think back on it later like "dang, I can't believe he died..." But with Aaliyah it's different. It's much different. I can't explain it, but it's not the same with her. It's real. She was before her time. Usually those are the ones who go out that way as well. Let's hope that's not the case all the time.

I really loved the camera angles in this video. Camera angles can really elevate your shot to another league if done correctly in relation to the nature of what is being filmed. That is why I adore Spike Lee. Such a great master of those angles. Spike Lee is one of my favorite filmmakers. Truly gifted. The world is filled with such brilliant creators.

Looks like I ended up speaking a lot on this, despite my prior disclaimer.

Z

Some of My Favorite Choreography: Janet Jackson Rock With U

Everytime I watch this video, I stare intensely at the dancers trying to somehow absorb the moves from just watching it. I'm not great with learning choreography in traditional ways. I remember certain advanced dance courses I took involved almost instant memorization and performance after like one practice of the routine. Not trying to do all of that....

Random: I want cookies. Chocolate chip cookies, but with mini m&m's instead. Or just nothing except the cookie. Still no name for chocolate chip cookies sans chocolate chips? We gotta do better than this as a human race guys.

Chocolate Chipless, 

Z

Trey Songz Trigga Album Review

Prelude

When I first played Trigga, I got through the first few songs not really knowing what to expect. I already had been estranged from Trey Songz for a while. I was initially kind of turned off from the first portion of the album because I thought it was just going to be an overly explicit mess of cheating and lies. But one night I gave it a thorough listen and was able to find the vibe Trey aimed to create with his 6th studio album.

Ninja Turtles 2014

In Theaters 08.08.14

Like many in my generation, I grew up with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I owned the movie series in my amazing VHS collection when I was a kid. (Yea my sister and I built up a wonderful VHS collection by the time I was in fourth or fifth grade). I enjoyed the cartoon of course, but I really loved the trilogy, 1990-1993. It was just something I had never before seen, these real creatures that weren't cartoons.

IMBD

I'm just so excited that this film is coming out. I know people can be rather tough critics when a series is reopened and redone, but I'm going to keep a clear mind and watch it with hopes that the characters embody their natural personalities and that it's filled with action. With Michael Bay involved, I know that action will be primary.

The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret

Cnema Centre

This show is seriously ridiculous, and I loved every bit of it. The entire setting and story line progression is just so odd and intriguing. It's like you have to continue watching this man fall deeper and deeper into lies and mayhem. When you think it can't get any worse, he goes and somehow makes things even worse. I don't know what's wrong with Todd Margaret.

#LikeAGirl: Empowerment Campaign Response

This is a new campaign ad in which a documentary filmmaker asks a group of participants, while being recorded, to act out what it means to "run like a girl" or "fight like a girl". This group of participants where mixed in age, gender and race, excluding young girls themselves. Every last one of the people shown did a stereotypical display of what a girl would look like doing these things: they acted weak, frail, puny, and ditsy.

Top 10 Movies for Inspiration

There are times when I am a visionary, full of passion and fire, craving to make my ripple in the world. These are the times where success has taken a walk down a few flights, and has crossed over the threshold into reality from its original seat up in the clouds. These are the times I live for.

But then there are the times...the times when the clouds cover over my source of light, and I begin to slump downwards, further and further away from my dreams. Unmotivated. Uninspired.

For me what helps are certain films, since my passion for film is grand. I have a line up of movies that all have the same outcome on me. Clarity, motivation, inspiration, desire, and courage that has been restored.