Kaleidoscope Film and Television: Returning Originality and Quality to the Screens

  

The pencil heads and bean counters of the corporate world have taken over the entertainment industry.  They see film and television projects more like widgets that can be mass-produced rather than creative endeavors. They have been managing the industry according to the mathematical formula they created to reinforce their narrow point of view, which is everything that can be summed up on the bottom of a balance sheet.  They plop numbers to their formula, believing it will project the audiences’ interests and desires.  People can’t be summed up at the bottom of a balance sheet.  They are messy, complicated, and inconsistent.  Just because they like a project once, doesn’t mean they will accept prequels, sequels, and remakes.   Unlike widgets, which need to be standardized, successful film and television projects are the ones that left the standards behind to tell tales based on unique characters and plots.   They are the leaders that blaze new creative trails that everyone else follows.

Part of their equation focuses on using A-list talent. Yet, A list talent only guarantees a much larger budget; they don’t ensure a successful project. But the studios, investors, and distributors insist on only supporting projects with A-list talent attached. Although, for the most part, A-list talents have earned their places in the industry, they only achieve that status by being correctly hired for projects that suit their talents.  Mismatching or forcing a talent to fit into a project can damage or end careers just as quickly. 

Every A-list actor who has walked the red carpet had that one role that launched their career.  Someone saw value in their talent and opened doors for them.  Unfortunately, with the corporate state of mine, the roles and projects they were offered afterward became standardized to a stereotype, because they are seen as numbers, not people. As long as they stayed in their place, the studio executives will support them.  Stepping out of their pigeonhole could lead to the red carpets being rolled up.

What’s more challenging--attracting an A-list talent or creating a new one?  Existing talent has an established body of work and fan base, but both bring audiences’ expectations.  Fresh talent lacks both those limitations and assets.  It’s the difference between buying a suit off the rack and having one custom designed.  However, offering a stereotype-breaking role to an A-list talent becomes a game changer as it resets the stage for her or him. However, it can also be a double-edged sword as the bar of excellence will be raised as the actor faces preconceived expectations.

As with onscreen talent, writers, directors, and producers also find themselves limited by the same parameters.   Success frequently leads to being only offered projects in the same genre and at the budget level.   Industry and audience expectations create a glass ceiling in which new adventures and challenges can be seen but not realized.

Kaleidoscope Film and Television will break the chains that bind talent to the past and open doors for those new to the industry.  By keeping the budgets reasonable and by focusing on original projects, it will return to the old business model of producing quality in quantity.  However, it will deviate from past practices by focusing on bringing age, gender, and ethnic diversity and inclusion to the screens.  This will be accomplished by breaking stereotypes in front of and behind the cameras.  With top-of-the-line equipment and a versatile soundstage, Kaleidoscope Film and Television will nurture new talent, while expanding opportunities for experienced actors, producers, directors, and writers. With the intention of being fully operational by the end of 2023, it is currently building its team by reaching out to like-minded individuals, who want to create projects that will entertain while opening the world to new possibilities.

Website

 

age, and ethnic diversity, film incentive, gender, Kaleidoscope Film and Television, Native Americans, new production studio, Oklahoma, talent controlling their careers, United Artist, Veterans, women in film

Chatting with Cherokee Magicians Bobby and Jeramy Neugin

Until You Walk The Path, You Won’t Know Where it Goes will be chatting with magical dual Bobby and Jeramy Neugin on May 2, 2013 at 1 pm eastern as they talk about how they reclaimed their Native American heritage and how doing so influenced their careers.

Bobby and Jeramy Neugin, a father and son professional magic duo have performed throughout Oklahoma since making their debut two years ago. Located in Historic Lost City Oklahoma, They are the only Father and son professional magic act as well as being the only Cherokee performers, a rich heritage of Cherokee magicians going all the way back to their ancestor Rebbecca Neugin, the last surviving member of the Trail of Tears, who was known to dabble in magic and speak to helpful spirits known to the Cherokee as ‘the little people’. In order to make them stand out even more, they do tricks that no other magicians perform, including incorporating as many of their Indian legends as possible into the magic.

Known to perform dangerous illusions live, previous audiences have seen them describe Cherokee legends that involve bursts of fire followed by live swarms of red wasps emerging from the palms of their hands, Jeramy cutting his father Bobby’s arm, with live scorpions crawling from the wound, five foot black snakes hatching from hollow eggs, drawings of snakes becoming alive and crawling from the page at their command, smashing their hands on cups hiding deadly spikes, swallowing needles and razor blades, pulling dreams and nightmares from audience members heads while they hold a dream catcher, and their signature trick, Bobby setting his son Jeramy’s head on fire, burning him to a skull, and restoring him to life. Besides performing close-up, stage, and street magic they are also the only magicians working to preserve their Cherokee culture with magic. Because they are constantly growing and expanding their knowledge, they rarely perform the same show twice for any given audience.

The Native Americans always had people involved in magic. Shaman, Medicine man, witch, Conjurers- Each one was a specialized field, separate from each other, while all shared each of their beliefs. None used them more than the Cherokee. The Conjurer was known as the High Priests to the Cherokee People. They were called 'Conjurer' to others. They spoke to the dead, Guarded their people against the Supernatural, communicated with spirits in nature, as well as those that had departed from this world. They Spoke to and dealt with 'The Little People', helpful spirits to the Cherokee, similar to fairies and ghosts. They also predicted the fates of the tribes' members as well as the outcome of battles. They were the tradition keepers, the story tellers and the historians, using Magic and illusions as visual aides. They were an important part of Cherokee culture, as both adviser to the chiefs and to the people until 1801, when missionaries declared them evil and magic was wiped from our heritage. By 1820 Most Cherokee were practicing all the white ways of life, little regard being paid to what the white missionaries described as "heathen rites". Few Conjurers held on to the traditional beliefs and ways. In 1838 the removal called "The Trail of Tears" took place, one of the darkest most shameful events in U.S. history. Cherokee were forced out of home with just the clothes on their back, if that. Further knowledge of the Conjurer was lost. What was retained was only what they could remember. The missionaries were again waiting for them when they arrived in Oklahoma. It seemed the ways of old were long gone. Or so they thought. Some survived. Passed down from generation to generation. We are determined to bring the magic back to the tribes. We are the last two Conjurers left of the Cherokee Nation.

Neugin website:

WWW.neugin.vpweb.com

To learn more about Cherokee traditions from Bobby and Jeramy Neugin tune into http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theresachaze on May 2, 2013 at 1 pm eastern . The phone lines and chat will be available for those who wish to ask questions. The phone number is (347) 838-9927.



The interview will be available in the archives at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theresachaze/2013/05/02/until-you-walk-the-path-you-wont-know-where-it

Child Abuse: Death of Naomi Whitecrow

Until You Walk The Path, You Won’t Know Where it Goes will be hosting Alicia Campbell Taylor on October 27 at 1 pm eastern as she shares her memories of Naomi Whitecrow.

Naomi Whitecrow was born on December 9, 2006. She died at the hands of another on January 20, 2009. Her foster mother Alicia Campbell Taylor will be sharing her memories of this special soul. Taylor wants the rest of the world to not only remember Naomi’s life, but her death so no other child will suffer the same fate.

Tune into http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theresachaze on help us remember this special little girl on October 27 at 1 pm eastern. The phone lines and chat will be available for those who wish to participate. The phone number is (347) 838-9927.