Brooklyn's Monster Ball

BSB was recently contacted by our partner Acacia Unlimited, and was connected with the guys over at the Block Association. We got together to promote a Halloween Party they are hosting. Check out the promo, and the info down below. And be there, or be square... Yeah, we said it.







What will hopefully be a long lasting annual event the 2nd annual Monsters Ball Halloween costume party boasts on being not only the BIGGEST but the most fashionable Halloween event the borough of Brooklyn has EVER seen so far! Once again the Block Association teams up with the premium men's boutique the Brooklyn Circus to bring out the most stylishly costumed city dwellers all in the name of good clean FUN!

Please join us for yet another mischievous night of partying, pictures, prizes, and beautiful people!

The Block Association along w/
the Brooklyn Circus presents

the 2nd Annual MONSTERS BALL
@ No.1 Front St. -1 Front St. near Old Fulton (Dumbo, Brooklyn)
10-4am
Music by Soundproof Intl, the Ahficionados
with special guest DJ
Prize for "Best Original Costume"
Costumed or all black attire preferred
Live Streaming & Recording

Noble Gil and Black Journalism

About a week ago, BSB went to the WABC studio in the Upper West Side to interview a little known giant of journalism, Gil Noble. Gil is a reporter, interviewer, and documentarian, who has been doing big things in the business since the 60's. Simply put, he is the black Charlie Rose. He has interviewed every big black musician, politician, etc that has been anywhere near NYC for the last 30 years. Yes, MLK, yes Mr. X, yes, yes. Oh, you don't believe us? Check out part one of one of the last interviews Robert Nesta Marley gave before collapsing in Central Park.



Gil is the producer and host of the ABC Sunday show, Like It Is, which is the largest producer of programs and documentaries on African-Americans in the nation.  BSB couldn't believe this show existed (and has existed for 3 decades!), as it is a 'Real Talk' interview program that focuses primarily on issues concerning African-Americans and those of the African Diaspora. This show is amazing, and a must see if you are at all interested in learning something about the conditions of the aforementioned groups here in New York, and then globally.

Oh how the tables have turned, Mr. Noble! Mu-who-ha-ha! You who have interviewed the greatest are now the great man being interviewed. Only be that BSB may reach your status in 30 years time, Mr. Noble. Look out for that clip, coming to you soon, and check out Like It Is this Sunday at 12pm!

West Coast's Beats and Best

Our man Wes Mapes of Oakademy let us know that he was preparing his Clinton Hill spot to be a serious audio production suite, and wanted a video to annouce its launching. We recently got with him, and following piece was created with footage we shot at his spot and one of his blazing beats.

Like us, Wes is from the West Coast and a good friend of our business partner and friend Jullien Gordon. As such, he's obviously a friend of ours. Even though we got our hands on a 5D for the shoot, we didn't charge Wes a thing. And you said we wasn't the video production company of the people...

Let us know what you think!

Police Academy to the Cuckoo's Nest: Guttenberg's Back!

Duck Walls: 'Under-coverage in America Mental Health Care at it's finest. Chef Mickey Beans serves up the chow and more at this unstable group home, while the owner Dr Stern touches bases with the patients. Just long enough to get his fix.


In an effort to expand our capabilities and reel, BSB took on a serious gig: editing a TV pilot with producers lined up to see it, which was shot on the RED camera and stars Steve Guttenberg. The writer/director/producer, Robroy Mountjoy, explained the footage before us: he was shooting his feature film 'Duck Walls', but halted production after day one. Things needed to be worked out somewhere...

He was able to shoot four scenes that day, and a lot of takes.  For months he sat on this footage, and finally decided to see if something could be made of it. That's when he found BSB. Mountjoy told us that he could find funds, as the footage suggested, and decided to test and see if BSB could be his first stop post-production company. Well, that's a test we are up for any day of the week, for anyone interested.

BSB didn't have narrative storytelling on the reel, so when we were told that there would be no/little pay, we swallowed hard and agreed anyway. Little did we know that this would turn out to be a job we'd charge well into four digits for if we were charging. My people, my people, what we won't do...

The following trailer was quickly made on I-movie from the original 22 minute TV pilot made on FCP 6. Mountjoy met with an ABC producer, and they put on some focus group screenings to see what people thought before taking it to pitch to the executives. It was decided that more needed to be shot, and some characters better developed, yada yada, but people were really intrigued by the story idea and cinematic editing.

Instead of re-shotting for what might happen, Mountjoy is moving on to the next production... and yes, BSB passed the test and will be editing that project as well. Duck Walls will be going into TV Pilot festivals, and maybe some cable network will have the brains to put it on television. For now, tell us what you think of the trailer!!!

Wedding Crashing in Connecticut

BSB was contracted for its first wedding in the middle of summer. We headed out to a polo ground in Connecticut to bring the wedding of Matt and Robin to cinematic life. We didn't charge BSB wedding rates, but they still got more then what you see here. Man, what we won't do for the people... Let us know what you think!!! Please!!!

Soul, Sisters, Summits

While we were shooting a videography event on finances with a panel full of investors and bankers, we were approached by an Akua Soadwa, a banker with a heart. Besides doing some big time banking for the city government, Akua founded and heads the non-profit Gye Nyame Empowerment Project. The organization is committed to the education and advancement of people of Pan-African descent, and to developing their neighborhoods and communities with conferences, workshops, and other mediums.

The organization hosts a yearly event  that takes place in March, and Akua had footage she needed edited. BSB met with her, learned what she wanted the video to accomplish, and gave her the following video. Tell us what you think, and give the Gye Nyame Empowerment Project a shout and your support!!

Janet & BSB Music Videos: Anytime, Any Place

 The foot soldiers were scanning Brooklyn for organizations and people that might want BrownStar moving images, and one of them happened upon a Lyfe Benoit, manager at the great Brooklyn Spot Madiba. Lyfe let us know that Madiba already had videos for the web, but he wanted to introduce his team to us.

 One Way Entertainment's big artist is J-Eye, whose music is a great mix of hip-hop and r&b, fun and substance, and everything in between. Lyfe wanted to see what we could do with an event J-Eye had coming up at the Katra Lounge in the Lower East Side. If BSB did a good job, we could work together in the future. BSB agreed to the test (we love tests!).

BSB used the GL2, as this was an unpaid venture. Lyfe mentioned combining the footage we shot with footage from other performances to make a 'live' music video in different locations. BSB figured we just needed to shot at least one verse from the performance in true BSB form, and catch some decent B-roll footage. We did that, but we one uped it by making a whole music video as well. All this for free, making partnerships, and the name of the brand!!! And you tell me we aren't the production company of the people! Using what footage we had, the above video for his track 'Still in Love' was created.

 Let us know what you think!!