The AAFCA Podcast

Stephen Curry may be known as the best shooter in the NBA but in Hollywood he is making headlines for his pitches. Since forming his production company Unanimous Media in 2018, Curry and his business partner Erick Peyton have blazed a path creating uplifting content in film, television, and podcasts.
Peyton has literally been creating content most of his life with several producing and directing credits to his name, the Florida native, along with his partner, Curry, have a vision with the purpose to tell unique stories and bring inspirational content to every single media channel.

"What Men Want" is not a sequel but it is loosely based on the film “What Women Want” from 2000 that starred Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt. In that version, Nick, played by Gibson, is a chauvinistic ad executive who is struck by electricity and gains the ability to hear what women think. But In this smart, updated, and more diverse version, it’s the women’s turn to uncover what goes on inside a man’s head. In the film, Taraji P Henson plays Ali Davis, a winner-take-all sports agent who gains the ability to hear men’s thoughts and uses that ability to her advantage in a male-centric profession. It is not until she meets Will (Aldis Hodge) that she learns to let down her guard and listens to what they are truly saying. The film was directed by Adam Shankman who has directed romantic comedies like "The Wedding Planner" and "A Walk to Remember," but also musicals like "Rock of Ages" and "Hairspray."

"What Men Want" is another project from powerhouse producer, Will Packer. Packer is behind some of Hollywoods most successful afro-centric films to date. According to his bio, he is one of the only African-American producers to have eight film open at number one at the box office. His hits include "No Good Deed, "Takers," the "Think Like a Man" franchise, the "Ride Along" films, "Straight Out of Compton", and most recently "Girls Trip, "Night School,' and "Breaking In" just to name a few of the projects he’s brought to the big screen. On top of all that, Packer has produced television projects as well including "Truth Be Told" and the "Roots" television miniseries.
AAFCA member Justin Key had a chance to sit down with Will Packer during a recent "What Men Want" press tour and provided the interview for this episode. Enjoy!
"What Men Want” stars Taraji P. Henson, Aldis Hodge, Josh Brenner, and Richard Roundtree, and Tracy Morgan. In theaters Friday, February 8, 2019.

In this episode of the AAFCA podcast Ed Adams wants to know if Hollywood is ready for more comic book-based franchises—only this time from Black-owned comic book creators. Comic book movies amassed a whopping $5.6 billion dollars for the industry in 2018 alone and it seems like every studio is getting into the game. To get answers Ed speaks with legendary comic book illustrator, Shawn Martinbrough and independent comic publisher, Carlton Hargro. Martinbrough has worked with Marvel Comics, DC Comics, and others. He also wrote, "How to Draw Noir Comics: The Art and Technique of Visual Storytelling." Hargro is not only a comic book publisher but a cultural icon around the south. His magazine, "Slo Mo" is an essential bible for the afro-hip and is the former editor of Creative Loafing newspapers in Atlanta and Charlotte.

Links:

Movie box-office figures: https://www.boxofficemojo.com/

2016 MPAA Theatrical Movie Statistics: https://www.mpaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/2016-Theatrical-Market-Statistics-Report-2.pdf

ICv2 Article: https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/38640/nycc-insider-sessions-powered-icv2-bookstores-could-surpass-comic-shops-2020

More about Shawn Martinbrough

His website: http://shawnmartinbrough.com/

TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjHwouze6_4&t=6s

More about Carlton Hargro

20th Place Media on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/20thplacemedia/

Slo Mo Media: https://slomoatl.com/

More about black comic books

Black Youth Project: 20 dopest Black Comics in 2018: http://blackyouthproject.com/heres-list-20-dopest-black-comics-set-takeover-2018-youre-welcome/

Black Enterprise: The Business of Black Comic Books: https://www.blackenterprise.com/the-business-of-black-comic-books/

AAFCA celebrates the Special Achievement TV Vanguard Award winner. Host Ed Adams speaks with President and CEO of Hallmark Media, Wonya Lucas about her amazing career, lessons she's learned throughout her journey and advice she gained from her legendary father Bill Lucas and her uncle Hank Aaron.

When watching a film its easy to pick out the craft of the actors, or the vision of the director. We can even deep dive into the lens of the cinematographer and music composer. But actually when we look at a film the one person we see and don’t see is the film editor. As a journalist, I know first hand how important it is to have an editor put their eyes on my work and fine tune it—and for film, this is no different.

Terilyn Shropshire is an award-winning film editor with over twenty years experience working in both film and television. She has worked on films including Eve’s Bayou, Love & Basketball, Sparkle, Beyond the Lights, and the Secret Life of Bees. She has also worked on television series Quantico, Cloak & Dagger, and most recently the award winning Netflix series, When they See Us.

I spoke with Terilyn recently via Skype to discuss her role as a film editor, her projects, and her movie making process.