"Alley Cats" Completes Principal Photography

Woo-hoo! This past Sunday we completed principal photography on the "Alley Cats" pilot! Anyone that has seen just a piece of it has said it's hilarious and will undoubtedly get picked up as a series. Hats off to the amazing Alley Cats: "Nephew" Tommy Miles, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Lavell Crawford, Andy Jones, Ethan Smith, Julie McDonald, Kier Spates & Terrie J. Vaughn.

Kudos to the "Strays" -- our talented company of background actors: Fernando, Afrika, Star, Ray-Ray, Ali, et al. And all this could not have been done without our crew, notably:
Tommy Wright - Supervising Producer
Sylvia Jackson - UPM
Tommy Burns - DP
Kory Washington - Production Designer
Chrystale Wilson - Set Decorator
Benny Gaskin & Co. - Gaffer
Bruce Brooks - Audio
Wendy Raquel Robinson - Director (of 4 sketches!)
Josh Skierski - Director ("The Slap Detective")
Stephan Terry - Music
Barbara Shaw - Production Coordinator
Sherry Rosse - Hair/Makeup
Tiffany Griffin - Prop/Wardrobe Supervisor
Isis McClendon - Prop/Wardrobe
Cassie Crump - Choreographer
Lee Coleman - Key PA
Ken Westbrook - Editor

... and a whole lot more who helped to make this happen!

Now it's on to post-production. Wish us luck and keep your eye out for the "Alley Cat" show coming soon to your television line-up!

A New Dance

Wow! Has it really been that long since I've posted something on this site?!
Geesh. Okay I won't drain your eyeballs with my blathering about time getting away and such, but suffice it to say I will be posting more often. No, really I will. I promise.

What's new with me?

Since my last post, reality tv work has taken a back seat. In the "back-back" some kids might say if they viewed my career as a big SUV. But I didn't seat Mr. Reality back there. He sat himself after I was yanked from working on a show just prior to the launch of production.

I was told by the "higher ups" that the decision to do this had nothing to do with me. They just had some obligations to another Production Manager that they had to fulfill. So Ave was out, and the obligadee was in. And I sat at home like the guy who was suddenly un-invited to the prom by his date an hour before the limo was to arrive. There I was, corsage in hand, looking out the window, staring at the phone, anxiously awaiting for someone, anyone (Frankie?) to invite me to the dance. Then it hit me, create my own dance. Damn it.

Fast forward.

I'm now in Atlanta executive producing a sketch comedy show pilot called "Alley Cats" starring Nephew Tommy, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Lavell Crawford and group of amazingly talented Atlanta based improv actors. We're goin' for the gusto here and not simply pitching an idea, or creating a presentation piece or producin' somethin' for the web. We are actually producing a broadcast quality pilot with the earnest hope of selling it to a network or cable station next year. It's a grind to produce and I'll write more about it in upcoming posts (I promise!) but the hope of the future for this pilot and the thrill in doing a fun project more than makes up for the tough days. And did I mention that I'm also directing and producing a series of commercials for Morehouse College?

So this is my dance. The music is great and all the people here are folks I invited. I'll be the first to say that it's not always easy keeping the music going but that's the trade off. No one can un-invite me here. I just have to keep working, keep producing, keep stepping toward the goal and make sure that along the way no one spikes the punch!