VelvetFactoryBlog

Bushwick Bosses Casting Call

2010-11-07T20:26:00.000-08:00

(YAKEETA & JUNIOR)

I didn't do anything but rest the night before, so this morning I was up and Adam Like George McFadden. I get this awful scary text from my impending Production Assistant that she is fucking in Boston and she woke up late and that she is on the road and that she is lost, yadda yadda yadda. And i'm like, 'What the fuck!'. She promised me last night that being in Boston isn't going to be a problem, but now it is. I text her back saying, 'just get there when you can. You'll get paid for the time you come'. I am worried, but don't have time to worry for too long. And i'm not going to worry too too much because I have more than enough friends coming down for support and to just see how the acting process works.

Junior calls me and he tells me that he is already there, and i'm like huh? I'm so relieved that he made it down cause word had spread that he might not make it. He is the main one out of everyone, that I want to come down so he can see this film come together. But he's there.

I arrive later than I want to - and even later cause I make a stop at the deli to get me and Junior some English Breakfast tea. When I get to room 4J there are people there. Waiting. Whew! We (Junior and I) and mind you, other so called friends ne' associates who said they were going to come down DIDN'T; we get a rush two times. The first hour a rush of people swarm in, then we get a break. Then another rush. Yakeeta, Junior's friend is there as well. I want her to get into acting too. Afterwards, I am happy with who came down, but i have more character spots to fill so there will be another audition day coming up. Soon. We go for pizza in the Village around NYU area, and all agree to trek back home. It's kinda cold today and i'm carrying way too much stuff. Junior takes the train with me and we get entertained by a group of really cute black/latino breakdancers. There are three (two PR brothers and one 'Brother') who we have our eye on. I'm checking out their ass as they do their willies and cartwheels. At first they were annoying as hell because they decided to do their dance right in front of us, but then we notice how fucking fine a few of them are. I'm estimated the size of their penises as they squat and stuff. Not too big, but that's okay. They're cute in the face. Can't win them all. Junior and I talk on the phone after wards and i make a stance, that i really hope i see those breakdancers again. I'll be sure to give them my card.

At The Pier Jay Part II

2010-07-17T23:20:00.000-07:00

In the midst of a very hot and humid day, and amid my breathing problem, due no doubt to the pollen in the air, I made it to the Village this evening and headed to the Pier later than usual. I was told that's when its really good. When the kids really come out. I never knew that. I was one to always go out there during the day--early part of the day.

While shooting some great stuff of Jay and meeting an up and coming singer--where I schooled both of them on two artists from the 80's--Kashif and Lilo Thomas and let them listen to the songs on my Ipod shuffle, my concentration was suddenly interrupted by another fella I shot on another occasion, who speedwalked, zoomed right past us. Then it/he was followed by another person who zoomed by quickly. I quickly knew what was up-- I said, 'I think there's going to be a fight". Jay caught it as well and told us 'yeah, let's go let's go where it is!'.

I cut my camera back on and threw it in the bag, still recording but my sick ass could only make it halfway. We saw the group coming up towards us anyway where I caught someone yelling something out loud. I was quickly drawn to him and wanted to shoot him. Ready for the camera, he agreed to letting me shoot him. Introducing himself as ____ and he vogued, did the dip and the walked and talked about the ball.

Sylwia joined us shortly after and we left. The air was getting to me. I barely made it walking down Christopher Street. We stopped at Papaya to grab me a cheeseburger and alas I caught a shot of the Empire State Building for the opening credit for OUTCALL. Went home to pass out.

Booty Models vs. Real Actresses

2010-07-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

Now before I start I just wanna say that I am the last person in the world to comment on such or certain individuals as I have done a sordid number of things that wud actually surpass any 'so-called' or self-proclaimed bad azz; so I will be very careful about my *disses, in fact, now that i think about it - cuz some of you may do some serious researching about me -- I won't diss. And also because my dissing can extend to novel-sized book length, and a blog page won't be enough.

I had come across an article on one of the Bossip sites RE: Ms. Zoe Saldana and I couldn't believe the comments and attacks served by 'haters' of this beautiful and now-successful actress. Everything ranging from 'She's accepted in A White Man's World cuz of her size" "She being boney" and the hate goes on and on. I left a comment, no doubt to give the chance to promote my site www.thevelvetfactory.com where I said something to the effect of; Not every sister is thick, big butt, big ass and thighs. We actually come in ALLL different sizes and flavors. And that at least she is one sista who is not a 'Booty Model' a term i have penned myself for all those chicks in the videos and 'Booty' magazines who actually think that they're actresses - or think this is the direction to go in --- Not!!

I want to say kudos for all those sistas -- all sizes, mind you -- who are keeping themselves real. Who are mostly broke, struggling actresses that go on the limited amount of auditions that is for you. I have had my short stint of being an actress of color and I can't put into words at just how hard it is. To have to constantly be told by some quasi racist agent/casting director that there just not a lot of roles for women of color.

I want to say kudos for all those sistas who are not falling under pressure to be lured to get implanted (butt - tit implants are okay i guess) and to go that route of shaking it up in videos with rappers and being a 'Booty' model where everything you do is shot and captured of you in a high colonic pose on the covers of magazines. God I hate those butt poses. If you live in NYC and LA passing by a newwstand you know what i'm talking about.

Lastly I want to say kudos for you sistas that are striving and trying to make it in films regardless of the obstacles. We at www.thevelvetfactory.com, will try to change that and rep all of us of color i.e. Asians, blacks, latinos etc in films. Lets make that change.

Outcall Movie Gallery

2010-06-23T16:40:00.000-07:00

I had to go to the emergency room today. Had an allergic reaction to what, i don't know. Some kind of food, so i went to Brooklyn Hospital. In the afternoon. I grabbed a duty bag, complete with writing tablets, extra pens, ipod charger, and my laptop cause I knew I was going to be there for some time.

To my surprise, I was there for three hours and I managed to get some work done. Posted the gallery on the website. Not anything fancy. Or not anything in Flash, I'll do that when i have more stuff to put up but for now you can check out the film gallery at http://www.thevelvetfactory.com/gallery.html.

G-Boys Script

2010-06-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that I have started writing, by hand, the new revised script for 'G-Boys'. Several months ago it had one story, one plot, one premise that has been ions old since the very first time I conceived the idea back in 2003, it was to be a follow up to the film feature i finished called, Velvet & Furz".

Now due to my writing style of always having to have this huge ensemble cast, it is no longer a story about one 'boy' but three of them and each having their own set of dramas. The rough draft of the story of 'Mikey' has been completed as of 8am this morning, a writing task that had actually begun the day before (Monday) early in the morning. His story is much like my life, the ups and downs of being a single person in New York City; surrounded by close friends who play surrogates to your family that's thousands of miles away.

Interesting tale, no doubt.

www.thevelvetfactory.com

The Beautiful Lena Horne

2010-05-10T01:42:00.000-07:00

I'm up at 4:14AM. Must've dozed off while looking at the midpoint of "Hollywood Homicide" -- gotta go back and look at it again; but as i wake up and reload my Twitter page (which was at 86 tweets) I check my Yahoo and i see the headline "Lena Horne dies at 92". I don't know why I'm not shocked. I don't know why I'm not breaking down in tears. Must be a delayed reaction. It's kinda like when my mom called me last year and told me that grandma passed--I didn't break down in tears right away or anything. And, yes, i know Lena is not a relative; but the importance to me still stands out.

When I was a little girl, I used to spend a lot of time at the public library, Hallandale Branch, and used to love love love books/biographies of old Hollywood stars. It was the white ones at first that I swooned over; Lana Turner, Ava Gardner, Jackie Collins, and Judy Garland--yes, Judy Garland, but then one stood out, Lena Horne. This beautiful, striking 'light-skinned' woman who epitomized style and glamour just as much as all the other Hollywood stars.

As I would get older and read more and look at more movies, and learn more about Hollywood LaLa Land, I would come to idolize Lena Horne; and for obvious reasons that I won't care too much to mention. He he. But I always daydreamed of the day that i would be famous, having got all the naughty stuff out of my system and people seeing that I am talented and respect me for my hard-driven career, that Lena would be sitting in the audience giving me an applause, and looking at me as grandiosely as she does Halle Berry and Vanessa Williams--for obvious reasons I won't care to mention here; but she is one of my favorites. One that I used to idolize in my adulthood. (what's funny is that I don't have a bio from her, but i do of Dorothy Dandridge who never did it for me) Anyway, sadly another Hollywood veteran is gone. Just goes to show how time is going by. But I'm glad that I'm old enough to know all of these people and witness them at their greatest heights of fame and notoriety.
Posted by chinab at 1:27 AM

Sheryl Lee Ralph Sangs That!

2010-05-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

So I'm getting my book read thing on, as I do on Sundays. I play author. It's also the day that the New York Times comes out and I read who's on the bestseller list. So, as I'm reading this old-school Terry McMillan "Disappearing Acts" I come across one of the characters putting on an old Stephanie Mills song. Now, being that this book takes place in the 80's (80's New York) it makes me remember a song i used to hear when i was a kid, that was seldom played on the radio. I've always always wanted to know who sang that song. I remember the chorus part -- and have heard this song being played on New York's KTU (a station known for playing old-school disco and dance hits) -- since my adulthood, but the voice is a female singer, very nasally. Now I'm thinking Stephanie Mills. So i type the song that was mentioned in the book and YouTube it, and darn it, its not her.

I Google Google the chorus of the song that I'm really wanting to hear and to get, and i read the listings until i find friggin Sheryl Lee Ralph. She was a singer! I'm thinking to myself. The only thing i know of her is she was that loud, kinda annoying chick that be on TV talk shows about how much she's Jamaican and all. But i google her and the song and a YouTube link comes up and i found it!! It's the song. All this time. All these YEARS, and finally i found it, but it's a friggin remix. And a horrific remix too. This discovery is bittersweet. So I look on Amazon to see if i can download an MP3, and then go to ITunes where i have no friggin luck finding the original version of this song. It's all horrific club remixes. And there's even 4 different club remixes. And the bad news is is that this song is so old and obscure that the only release they have of it is on damn vinyl.

So, i look away for a few hours, do some more reading and looking for references on the internet and i try again to get this song via the web. I use a resource of a dj friend of mines referral, and whaddaya know, I get the original version. I'm happy. Yeeeeh! Also too, as I'm sitting on the couch with my hot laptop on my lap, i get a text from someone i was trying to contact out in LA. He's a male performer, an Asian Male performer which is really rare in adult - well, straight adult world. My friend David (RIP) shot him and used to tell me about him a lot, cause he shot him for his feature film -- now i suddenly, get a text from him giving me his contact info and all. COOOOOOL beans. I'm so excited! Cause i thought i wasn't going to be able to contact or get this guy cause i don't see him on any of the adult agency websites. And here he is dropping a line. But instructing me to twitter it, which i fail to do. The twitter thing I'm not so knowledgable about. I'll figure it out. Coooool.

Happy Valentines Day! and Blue People

2010-02-14T22:42:00.000-08:00

'Suki' and I don't have any Valentines so we decide to be each other's and go out. We make plans to go to the IMAX movie theatre on the Upper West Side to finally see AVATAR, and when we meet up and get there, its fucking sold out!! We made the assumption that everyone who has seen it must have seen it by now, it's been damn two months and two billion dollars later so we take a chance and meet at a quarter till showtime. Guess bad idea.

So we walk back out into the cold and breezy air and go for our second plans, that is to go out to dinner at Yum Yum, this Thai place I've been raving to her about. Yum's is somewhere on 9th avenue, and as we are taking the 9th avenue bus down, cause we can't get no cabs tonite, we both admit to ourselves that, hey, 'we weren't really interested in seeing AVATAR anyway'. I'm only sold on it cause everyone, INCLUDING STRIPPERS, have been raving about this film and oh, you gotta see it at an IMax theatre. My Hollywood-industry buds keep chastising me about seeing it and how they can't believe someone who is calling themselves a filmmaker--me -- hasn't run out to see it. Not my thing. Sorry. I mean, i saw Titanic and that was only because of Leonardo, but I'm not getting the whole Blue People thing.

So I take a guess that Yum is somewhere on 48th and we get off the bus. What i like about this restaurant is that there is about 4 of them and there all over 9th avenue, next to each other, one after the other. So we exchange gifts we had gotten each other...cute... She has gotten me a box of chocolates from Max Brenner and I got her a gift card from Uniqlo cause I know she shops there. There is an aquarium sort of thing showing blue fish on the screen and i scream, AVATAR, we both laugh cause the fish does look like the blue people in the movie. The food is good. We both order curries Her; green and i choose red curry dishes and sparkling water. We head back out in the cold after we eat and go to Times Square where it is seriously crowded. I mean people are every where. And we go home. I go back and keep writing the hell out of my book coming to the end of Part II. I'm so hppy.

David Wins For Best Director

2010-01-09T23:40:00.000-08:00

I hate that I am in this cold ass New York and not in Vegas at the AVN awards. I got word tonight from a friend that David just won Best Director for his film PURE, for Evil Angel Productions. Congrats to my friend.

Tribute for David?

2009-11-30T18:22:00.000-08:00

I'm still in mourning for David. I cannot stop crying. i have moments when I'm okay and I'm writing my book"Lady M..." and then when I start writing a sentence, or a chapter reminiscent of something that had to do with him and I, i just start breaking down and crying. I'm not sure what is being planned. A memorial, a tribute. I'm hurting cause I think something should be done but no one is talking to me.

I hate that I'm not in LA right now. I want to mourn and talk to his friends but a few of them are giving me a bit of a brush off. You can't really tell over the phone. I call one of his friends, Chris Mann at Evil Angel, to see if something is going to be done. He (David) had just shot a film for them, one that has garnered a few AVN Award Nominations, and Chris tells me that he's putting together a memorial. I'm relieved. I ask if it would be possible if I can speak for him at the Awards ceremony, in case he wins the Best Director--cause i've spoken to two of David's friends and they don't want to -- and he tells me that if he does win that it would be them who would speak for David.

I'm just relieved that there would be some kind of tribute. The movie is called PURE and Evil Angel distributes it.

My Best Friend Is Gone

2009-11-28T17:52:00.000-08:00

I get a call from an unfamiliar phone number early this afternoon. I usually don't pick up or answer calls from phone numbers I don't recognize, for it could be people and creditors I owe, an old benefriend, or anybody, but something tells me to pick it up. The person on the other end it's a girl and she sounds upset. She asks if she could speak to China Barbie and i'm like, huh? Cause China B has been long gone and only close friends who know my other name have my number. She introduces herself as Aiden, which sounds familiar. It's a friend of David's.

She tells me that she's calling about David, and I don't know what to think, and she goes on to tell me in tears that he is gone. I don't believe it the first few seconds she tells me, then when she continues to cry it hits me. I scream. I cannot believe it. Just a few days ago I had been calling and calling him and leaving him text messages - and I usually talk to him on the holidays cause since we're usually away from our families, we always chat a little bit on holidays, so i did think it was strange that I had text him and still hadn't heard back from him.

A few days ago also, i got a message from my Youtube account that he had just subscribed to my channel, cause i wanted to know what he thought of the movie (straight film) that i shot. But, now since the movie was done, I was aching to tell him that I wanted to finally write-finish the book about my life in the biz and what did he think of that as well--and no word from him. Now I know why.

I called her back cause I was just way to upset to stay on the line, and she told me that she and a few of his friends were cleaning out his apartment. My picture/business card was on his desk. All I could think of too was his poor cat. I remembered years ago when I lived with him in North Hollywood, when I first got into adult, he had a black cat name Moses, but years later Moses would get hit by a car and died and so he got another black cat, I don't remember his name -- but two years ago I had gotten the opportunity to be a mommy to a two week old black kitten and thought about Moses and David, and took the cat home. i"m rambling now. But David was such a dear friend. A special friend. We were so close, so tight. We were both East Coast, going to the land of the West Coast. He was my savior in a lot of ways cause I had gotten into so much trouble my first year in adult. Ohhh, the stories I can tell. But he was definitely the one to tell me to try to stay out of the biz and pursue my filmmaking dreams. Of which i am doing now. His one quote to me, that just changed it for me was, 'It's better to be a poor artist, than a poor pornographer'. So true. So true. My dear friend. I will always remember you David.