“Idle dreaming is often of the essence of what we do”

I came across this quote when reading Tim Kreider's New York Times blog post entitled The 'Busy' Trap. I don't think I've read a more impacting article in years. Kreider is suggesting that the whole "I'm busy" phenomenon is a result of people privately fearing that most of what we do in life doesn't amount to much and we don't want people in on that secret. After reading, I'm ready to admit that I fall victim to this. I'm not sure it's because I don't value what I'm doing, but I don't want people to think I'm not working towards my big goals. In general, I'm not really concerned about what people think about me, but for some reason I do care if people know that I'm working my ass off. I worry that I'll lose the respect of people that I care for and appreciate if I actually told them "I'm not doing shit but watching TV and playing softball all day." I wanted those people to be comfortable knowing that I put in a full day's worth of writing, planning, executing and growing. And the reality is that ain't happening every day. Kreider's article showed me that I was projecting way more than necessary. There are days where I am literally doing nothing and privately don't feel bad about that. Then I realize that in those moments great ideas pop up. I've made discoveries about ways to improve my script, new ideas for films or other projects and oddly found things that make me productive (like blogging more). I guess what I'm trying to say is that allowing yourself the opportunity to be idle at times is actually a form of being productive much like what Kreider suggests. Making headway in your own production doesn't have to be found in the projections you give others, but rather what actually works best for you. It's OK to enjoy life and in turn life rewards you with new things to work on.

I feel liberated in a way.

Now let me get to this damn script.

"The Chase" wins a Promax Gold Award!

I am proud to announce that "The Chase," a promo for PIX 11 that I served as cinematographer, has earned the Promax Gold award! The spot is directed by the talented Jeff Pinilla. Here is some info on Promax:

The 2012 PromaxBDA North America Promotion & Marketing honor outstanding promotion, marketing and design content in the entertainment industry throughout North America during the eligibility period of January, 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011.

I would like to congratulate Jeff, PIX 11, the cast and visual fx crew that brought this spot together. I'm proud of how it turned out.

The spot can be seen on the Promos page of the site.

"You can't polish poop"

I had the privilege of attending a rough cut screening for Spike Lee's documentary on the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's "Bad" album. I bumped into an NYU classmate, the talented Kiel Adrian Scott, and we were discussing current projects that we were working on. I am generally leery of this type of conversation because at times it feels like people are trying to out-do one another. Luckily, that is never the case with Kiel so it was more of a catching up thing than anything else. I mentioned I was working on "The Gunnery" (my feature script for those that are unaware, but will be in the future) and how I am taking a deliberate approach to the screenplay. When I heard those words coming out of my mouth I questioned myself for a minute. Did it make sense to take my time with the script? Should I be trying to hop on the wave inspired by Cary Fukunaga, Dee Rees, Rashaad Ernesto Green and some of my other NYU classmates right this very second? Should I fly through this draft so I can yell to the world I have a semblance of a script in my hand? I walked into the screening doubting a strategy that up until that moment was working well for me. So the screening starts and I find the answer to those questions. The legendary Quincy Jones, when discussing the demos for all of MJ's solo albums, had a saying that goes: "you can't polish poop." I realized the reason I'm being slow in this process is so I don't produce some "poop" that no one wants to waste their time on. Despite the prevailing notion that you should fly through a draft or just get something on to paper, it is important that you have a strong starting point. It only maximizes the potential of the idea. It made me feel much better about how I was approaching a project that I care DEEPLY about. I'm entering that no-poop zone and feeling good about it.

Docket 32357 is an official selection of The San Francisco Black Film Festival!

I am pleased to announce that Docket 32357 is an official selection of the San Francisco Black Film Festival! The festival runs from June 15-17. I would like to thank and congratulate the cast and crew of the film for all of their hard work and talents. You can get more info about the festival here. I will post more details about the festival screening as it comes in.

That One Thing...

I came across a blog post this morning and I've been thinking about it's message ever since. It asks all of us what is the one thing that makes you stand out. The one thing that allows you to connect with a large contingent of people. The blog uses Kevin Clash, the creator of Elmo, as the starting point and works from there. The thing that stands out to me is these qualities or "one things" are simple as hell. For Clash, it was love. Granted love can be complicated and confusing, but at the end of the day we know it when we feel it. If I was honest with myself I think I am still trying to figure out what my one thing is. It has helped a great deal that I know I want to be a filmmaker for the rest of my life but how do I connect with people? How do I build a relationship with my audience so that it is a union of growth and give and take. I'm not just interested in entertaining. I'm interested in becoming a stronger contributor to the global community.  That blog post has made me realize that the process is both complex and simple at the same time. Check out the link when you get a chance. What is your one thing? Source: Twisted Image

Docket 32357 Accepted in the Martha's Vineyard African American Festival!

I'm very excited to announce that my new short film Docket 32357, written by Eljon Wardally and produced by Jessica K. Brown, has been accepted into the 2012 Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival! The festival takes place August 7th-11th on Martha's Vineyard (obviously). I was a part of the festival a couple of year's back with Osvaldo's. I'm excited to bring the new film to the island. I would like to thank the hard working cast and crew who helped make the film a reality. They were awesome. Please come back to the site for more information as it comes in. Here is the teaser for Docket 32357.

Osvaldo's Screens at the Legendary Nuyorican Cafe!

Osvaldo's will be a part of the NY Short Buzz Screening Series Thursday, May 3 at 7pm in the Legendary Nuyorican Poet's Cafe! The address is 236 East 3rd Street. There will be seven films screening and there is a $10 cover charge with the proceeds going to the Orphaned Starfish Foundation. You can find out more information about the charity at http://www.orphanedstarfish.org/. Please come out and enjoy the films!

WELCOME!

Hello and welcome to the brand new Pam's Son Productions website! I am beyond excited to finally have an official presence on the World Wide Web. I will keep the introduction short so you can view all that the site has to offer. My name is Randy Wilkins and I am a New York based filmmaker. I honed my craft at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and was raised professionally under Spike Lee and the legendary 40 Acres and A Mule  Film Works. I have been fortunate to be a part of some wonderful projects as well as enjoy some exposure for my own work. My most accomplished film to date, "Osvaldo's," earned a broadcast deal with HBO and enjoyed numerous festival screenings and awards. I am currently developing my first feature script.

You will find my previous work as a director, cinematographer and editor in the left hand column. Each category of work is headlined by a tab with a list of titles. You will also find my bio, which features a downloadable PDF version of my resume. Two things that I am excited to share with you are the "Spotlight" and "Look Book" pages. The Spotlight will focus on an artist from the arts world including a sample of their work. It can be someone from film, music, photography, spoken word or the visual arts. The Look Book features inspirations, references and thoughts regarding my feature script. These two pages are in development, but will be available soon.

I hope you all enjoy the site and come back often. There will be an email subscription list available as well so please spread the word. Thank you for stopping by!

Homage to Bela, A Prelude

I have been debating whether or not to post this over the internet for quite some time now. I had this big filmmaker plan and strategy for it. But then I realized that I made this film to bring awareness to the issue of gun violence amongst young people of color and how this affects the community at large. So I will be offering Homage to Bela, A Prelude to all of you through the weekend. If you like it please send out the link to this post to as many people as you can via email, facebook, twitter, etc. If you know of any anti-gun violence or community organizations that you think would like this please contact me here on the comments or at randy@pamsson.com. This project means a great deal to me. I am very proud of it and all the work that was put into it. I would like to thank Jessica K. Brown, Christina Voros, Jonathan Altman, Joey Salim, Billy Green, Shane Duckworth, Karen Song, The Parchment Family, Peter Svarzbein and all the brave souls who stood out in the cold to make this happen. I am in debt to you all. You can also view the film at http://www.vimeo.com/27197895 Without further ado, I present Homage to Bela, A Prelude...

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/27197895 w=600&h=338]

Homage to Bela Teaser!

Here it is! The teaser for Homage to Bela. We're one step closer to releasing the film. Please let me know what you think of it. Enjoy. [vimeo 22446756 w=600 h=450]

Homage to Bela Teaser from Randy Wilkins on Vimeo.

Harlem's Blues

So I read somewhere that many directors fail to understand that every opportunity that a new project provides him or her is a chance to screen some of their older work. I think that's true. We are so focused on moving forward that we tend to neglect the pieces that helped us get to that point. In an earlier post, I offered every one "The Anniversary." As I wrote in that post, "The Anniversary" was a very personal film because of my relationship with Tim Ruiz, who is a posthumous character. I felt like I needed to put up some of my other work for everyone's enjoyment, but also to showcase my improvement as an artist. So I present to you "Harlem's Blues." This was my second year film at NYU and I'm quite proud of it. There was a lot that I didn't know about directing coming into this film, but I think there are some great moments in the flick. It stars Samuel Ray Gates, Erin Cherry and Lemon Andersen. I have noticed that pretty much all of my films deal with family relationships and more specifically the complex dynamics of siblings. Blues is no different. I also think this film has the best shot that I have ever done in my life so far. I get all excited every time I see it. I won't tell you which one I'm talking about, but it will be pretty easy to figure out. If I can post a higher quality version of the film later I will. Also, check out my one and only SPEC commercial that I've done. We had a lot of fun doing it and it's not bad for a first time. Please let me know what you think. [vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/19157903 w=600&h=400]

Harlem's Blues from Randy Wilkins on Vimeo.

A Jazz Thing

So for those of you that don't know me that well I have a very broad range of music that I like to listen to. I used to be a big time hip hop head. You would always see me with a big ass pair of headphones attached to my ears, a fitted pulled low, baggy clothes flopping all over the place and a very distinct NEW YORK bop to my walk. I dj'd too and loved the music that basically defined my teenage years. But as we all know hip hop was flushed down the toilet save for a few great artists that have managed to keep it moving as an innovative musical genre. The one personal benefit of hip hop becoming bastardized is the new forms of music I have been following. Whether it be brazilian, world, afro beat, garage, electronic I have truly been inspired by the various voices and interpretations of such fantastic artists. But the two things that I still find myself being drawn back to is good hip hop and jazz. There is one person who has mastered the marriage between the two. His name is Madlib. I know I'm borderline obsessed with dude's work but its well-earned. His catalogue is crazy. For all of 2010, Madlib has put out an album every month. His latest two albums are amazing, but this is a biased comment because they are his two jazz installments. I'm not sure there is a more beautiful thing than a strong jazz record. I rely on jazz heavily in my work as a filmmaker both as a writing inspiration and a reliable tool in the film itself. It captures the primal and complex emotions of man in such a specific and honest way that I can't help but to draw something from it. I was a drummer in a jazz band in high school and never understood how lucky I was to be a miniscule part of such a beautiful thing. Now that I'm a little older, I understand its importance to me as a person and as a filmmaker. In any case here is a snippet of Madlib's Medicine Show #8: Advanced Jazz. Peep the album cover and notice how much visuals influence the music as well. It is such a dope marriage. I hope you enjoy the clip and you can cop the album at www.stonesthrow.com (I'm giving out free plugs that's how much I love it). Have a great day.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oR_oPvuI7jo&w=600&h=338]

OSVALDO'S!!!

So I've been away for a while but I am back and there will be a lot of blog posts in the upcoming days and weeks mainly focusing on my film "Osvaldo's."

For those of you that don't know, "Osvaldo's" is my NYU thesis film and is a 20 minute drama focusing on the Dominguez family's challenging journey to discover their new collective identity after the matriarch has passed away. It stars Lemon Andersen, Gina Rodriguez, Maria Acosta, Jeff Lima and Dominic Colon.

"Osvaldo's" will be making its WORLD PREMIERE AT THE AMERICAN BLACK FILM FESTIVAL where it will be competing with four other fantastic short films in the HBO/ABFF Short Film Competition for the grand prize of $20,000 and the adulation of the entire planet Earth. I am really excited that the film will be making its premiere at such a prestigious and exciting event. The festival will be held in Miami June 24-27th. Please check out their website for all screening and ticket information  - www.abff.com. You can also click the link at any time in my links section. If you're going to be in Miami please come through or if you're anywhere else and want to bug out on the beach and then see my fresh, dope, amazing film then let me know.

The film is also an official selection of the HBO Latino Film Festival which will be in New York City at the end of July. When I have more info on that I will post in on here.

Again, please come back regularly to the blog for all updates and info for the film. I will be doing a running diary kind of thing when I get down to ABFF so for those of you who won't be there you can live vicariously through me as I love vicariously through myself. I will also be uploading pictures from the set and all the events so check for those as well.

I'm really excited for the film and the opportunity to share it with all of you. We'll be talking again soon.

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