Oscar Night

Let me be frank... I did not sit through the entire awards show. It's always been too long and I tend to nod off after the first 35 minutes (this year I watched while reading Newsweeks cover on Michelle Obama...very interesting read). 

Mo's Red Carpet Reviews:

Before watching the Oscars, I was also online and viewed shots from the red carpet. Heidi Klum looked stunning in that red dress. Loved it. The pretty actress on George Clooney's arm looked beautiful as well. I liked Jennifer Hudson's dress (saw that during the show)... but I would have preferred to see it in something other than white. Tilda Swinton... umm eat more...tan a little and fire your stylist (of course if she has one). Her dress resembled a velvet curtain sewed to fall shapelessly and attached to an extra long sleeve. It was ugly. Ok, maybe I'm being a little harsh. I can say she's a great actress... after all she did land a big win as best "Actress in a Supporting Role." Kudos to Swinton.

At any rate, I was inspired by Juno's win! The leading actress (Ellen Page) in that film seems very grounded and mature for her 21 years. I don't think we'll see any B.S. or L.L behavior from her, but do expect some more years of great acting.

Diablo Cody writer: Juno

Now the main reason I watched last night was to see my homegirl Amma Agyapon (an amazing singer) peform on stage for the best original song category. August Rush did not win and the camera man almost missed her when she started singing, but I was very proud to see her up there and she sounded READY! Congrats Amma!

Anything is possible... continue that focused grind and see you at next years Oscars!!!

Until next time... Mo

be on your grind

this week, all i have to say is be on your grind...like we are and like this brother is....peace...ella:
 

Reality Check

On Friday night, Sistapac gathered at an invite only networking event at a “secret location” in Brooklyn. An assortment of creative people were in the room, from filmmakers to graphic artists, to folks who score movies and even some activists. We all had one common thread – an unyielding drive to extrapolate the thoughts in our artistic minds and bring creativity to life.

After a serious discussion about the democratic frontrunners and exchanging business cards, we headed to a late night meeting near South Portland Street. It was this meeting that ignited our urgency to revisit the pilot episode of our t.v./interactive project. Over dinner plates of shrimp, macaroni, fish sticks, mashed potatoes, martinis, and some other stuff, we sat across the table from the BET J best shorts filmmaker/director/d.p. and wooed him into our world. While he listened and laughed, ate and commented, he raised a point that pulled the blinders off our eyes. Reality check: the idea is hot, but unnecessarily ambitious.

Cut to: Sunday 2/3/08 approximately 12:51p.m. INT: Ella’s room. Picture another brainstorming session, as verbal rewrites fly. We fleshed out all the thrilling details, chopped, cut, meshed, and inserted scenes that popped. The result, another Sistapac fresh out the oven hot like fire pilot episode. I’m not one to boast, so I won’t , but I will let you decide for yourselves when our t.v./interactive project airs. We are looking forward to every minute of this process and seriously enjoying every moment. Stay with us on this journey as we bring you one of our handpicked best by August/September of this year. We’re really loving this ride and we’re optimistic you’re going to love what we bring to the table. So keep reading and thanks for supporting!

Sistapac that’s a wrap!

Maureen

p.s. Do you think society’s obsession with celebrities is horrible??? Check out my first short (written and directed by me) on our Projects page. Here are a few pics from the film. Leave me your comments; love to know what you think!

Ella & Jessica on the set of Celebrity Babble

Actors: Sahida Singh & Sandra Germain

Actor: Jenteel Pierre & Ella

Actors: Jessica & Africa Miranda

Boom Operator: Obed

D.P. Pat Ulysse of UniMix Productions

P.A. Samantha S.

DIY

There's something about creating, producing and performing in your own project that is very fulfilling.  We launched SistaPAC because we were tired of not seeing enough of our stories in the industry and we wanted more roles for oursleves.  We work very hard to make sure we really know our craft - as actors, we have all been trained.  As singers, we've been trained.  Each of us have a master's degree in an area of expertise (Jessica's MBA is in Media Management, Maureen's MS is in computer science and I have an MSW in macro social work...plus I'm working on a second MA in media studies).  The point is, we do not take the work that we do lightly.  We've done it guerilla style and legit style.  We've paid our dues.  Now its time to reap the rewards.

I want to describe one of our inspirations.  Mr. James Pringle.  He is one of our mentors and the founder of the Harlem Theatre Company.  This past weekend I have been in an Undoing Rasicm Workshop and I recounted the time I went to audition for the Yale School of Drama.  It was the only place I wanted to go.  I went there confident of myself and left feeling so beat down....like I didnt belong in that very old, very white institution.  I literally ran out of there.  My mentor from undergrad, John Cameron, told me that you don't have to go to an MFA program to get trained as an actor.  There are plenty of community theatre groups that will get you great training.  He basically told me to put up or shut up.  If I really wanted to be an actor I just had to go out and do it.  I wanted to do it very badly.  That's how I found the Harlem Theatre Company.  Not only did I get training, but I found a home as an actor of color.  Somewhere that was sensitive to my needs while training me as a human being to be a great actor.

Mr. Pringle had very...uh...non-traditional ways.  In his audition to get into HTC, you had to perform a monologue, take a written exam, be interviewd and do your monologue again in a foreign accent.  I remember getting through all that and then Mr. Pringle asked me, "Why do you want to do this?"  And I said something about wanting to act or this being my life or something like that.  And then he said, "Well, if you get in, there's two things.  You will learn a lot and I will work you to the ground."  I laughed.  But that's just what he did. 

Mr. Pringle held no punches.  Honestly, aside from John Cameron, I had never taken a more rigorous acting class.  Or classes I should say.  We were taking 3 classes a week, each 3 hours.  Don't forget I was working a full time job.  So this was not easy.  We took Character Study, Scene Study and Movement.  I remember having to do these sun salutations at the beginning of each and every class.  See, Mr. Pringle believed that if your body wasn't in tact, your acting never would be.

HTC is where I met Jessica and eventually where I told Maureen to go if she wanted to get good acting lessons.  I remember when Jessica and I started the classes, there were about 9 of us.  By the end of the 15 weeks, she and I were the only ones left.  People just dropped like flies.  Mr. Pringle once told us that if we didn't live up to our potential, we were just pissing on God.  He really meant that and I really took that to heart.  I was determined never to let that happen!  It was an incredible bonding experience for me and Jessica.  I remember in our scene study class, Mr. Pringle gave us a scene and asked us which roles we thought we should play.  When we told him, he had us play the opposite of what we wanted...just to challenge us. Then he had us analyse the characters and scene down to the detail - he has a whole system.  I wrote a 50 page (yes, that's FIFTY) analysis of my character and scene.  Oh yeah, and I had to revise it three times before I finally passed.  This was NO JOKE.

Mr. Pringle was a great mentor.  He really gave me insight to myself as and actor, and myself as a Black actor.  But most of all, I admire Mr. Pringle because he had a vision to do theatre...Black theatre...and so he started his own company.  And without that, I would not be where I am now.  No HTC, no Jessica, no coming together, no SistaPAC.  So you see, when we talk about taking the community with us, its because we have a legacy to live up to.  When we say we want to create opportunities and tell our own stories, we mean it, we do it, we live it.  That's what pursuing artistic clarity means to us.

 
Making the Movement....

Ella 

SistaPAC performing at Mr. Pringle's farewell.

 
Mr. James Pringle

Brilliance Becomes You!

You know it’s hard out here for…an artist! Written in jest, but in all seriousness, being an artist is a lifetime commitment to the hustle. The SistaPAC ladies and I have been chatting lately that what many artists of color lack is access and financing. Those are the two key ingredients that puts you a giant leap above the rest. I recently watched a special on the news about “Sundance Kids.” The special focused on the children of well-known actors, directors and producers who were now producing/directing their own films that are debuting at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. Fortunately for them, but unfortunately for us, this perpetuates the cycle and culture of privilege and inheritance. Many artists of color are discouraged, wondering how they could ever compete against Robert Redford, let alone his daughter who is now producing/directing films. The artists of color who have “made it” to a certain extent, are busy trying to shore up their own careers and profits. It is often hard for them to truly create opportunities for other artists. Even though they’ve made it, they’re not Tom Cruise “style,” so they have to continue to be on the hustle.

Now, I’m not making excuses for anyone, because I believe that if you are on your journey, you must commit yourself to helping those on the levels below you. This is no matter what industry you work in. There are many entertainers out there really trying to make a difference like Will and Jada Smith, Tracy Edmonds and Babyface Edmonds, Vivica Fox, Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance and Denzel Washington. They are all producing, directing and starring in productions that are providing opportunities for folks of color. I feel it’s not enough. We need more networking, more productions, more connections, more access and more financing. We need to partner within our own communities and outside of it with other communities of color. We need to continue to forge relationships with those of privilege, prestige and wealth. Until we can get to this level, we are going to continue to have a few who do really well and everyone else who struggles pursuing their art while holding down a 9-5.

That’s why I love working with the ladies of SistaPAC. We’re not only committed to assisting ourselves and building our own careers, but we are also committed to taking those who are talented and as committed as we are with us. This isn’t one for all and all for one. It’s all for all. That’s SistaPAC. I hope you’ll join this journey with us.

We’re always seeking talented artists (actors, writers, photographers, directors of photography, sound folks, and other crew to work with us). If you’re interested in joining our circle and participating in our upcoming projects, email us at: sistapac@gmail.com.

Brilliance becomes you!

Jessica