"Amazing" Music Video Shoot: Production Notes

On November 20th I directed the music video for "Amazing", a song written and performed by Yewande Austin for Phoenix Records.

Since this is entry is about the production I'll start off with the technical stuff. The entire music

video was shot with a Canon 60D at 1080p with Nikon glass. The lenses I used were 24mm 2.8, 35-70mm zoom, 85mm 1.8, and a 80-200mm 2.8 zoom. This was the first music video that I've shot with a DSLR. My support rigs were designed and made by me to work especially for this shoot and DSLR work. Here is my custom shoulder mount and

skateboard mini dolly.

My shoulder rig was fitted with Express 35 rails, an Ikan friction follow focus, a Lilliput 7"monitor, and a Redrock 4" monitor arm. I also brought my old Panasonic SD 19" monitor and a DV Crane jib arm for my overhead shots. We used my 24" iMac on set to download and view playback if I felt the need.

For lighting I used a small LED dimmable 500 watt equivalent and a secret light that my friend and co-DP is going to market. More on that later! I do have to say that his daylight lights rock. We also used two tungsten lights a DP and an Omni with colored gels for backgrounds.

We worked a small crew and I gave my three interns jobs on the set. Jvon shot behind the scenes. Lawrence was PA and Wrangler. Nathan was PA andGrip. They did a great job for this being their second real production.

The rest of the crew was rounded out with Andrea on set design, Dan as Co-DP, and Diana as BTS photographer. All of these photos were taken by Diana.

The shoot had many setups and five clothing changes it really kept us moving as we only had the location for one day. We shot what would be the equivalent of a two day shoot in one day and night but we got it done and the footage looks good!

Now off to edit it!

Kentucky Political Commercials we produced. (Please allow 30 seconds for video to load up)

This first Spot, Nobel vs Roach, earned a Bronze Telly Award in 2007. I believe our concept was simple but effective. I was hired by Riley Marketing to produce 5 spots for Judge Nobel's campaign. I again teamed up with Dea Riley of Riley Marketing to produce 2 spots for candidate Bob Bullock.

Marti's at Midday: "Hungry" Commercial

We produced two local television spots for Marti's at Midday, a lovely cafe in Athens, Georgia. The spots are Hello and Hungry both 30 second spots for the client Marti's at Midday. The spots were shot in High Definition and run in both HD and SD.

This spot is named Hungry. The food speaks for itself. : )

Local TV Commercials: Marti's at Midday "Hello"

This is one of the two local television spots for a lovely cafe in Athens, Georgia. The spots are Hungry and Hello both 30 second spots for the client Marti's at Midday. This spot is named Hello. Both spots were shot in High Definition and run in both HD and SD.

Please raise your volume level.

Official Poster for sale

We are now selling the Before The Memories Fade: Voices from the Civil Rights Movement poster. Proceeds from the sale of the poster will go to help offset the historic footage usage and photography rights. The poster is an 11 x 17 original illustration by Lexington, Kentucky artist Justin Fox.

You may purchase with our PayPal account or email kp@plumgoodproductions.com and we'll send you our address for your check order.

Thank You for your support!

Of Montreal Music Video Shoot

I'm getting to this a little late but on August 30th I had the pleasure of working on the newest music video for the group, Of Montreal. www.ofmontreal.net

The song is entitled "Sex Karma" and has Solange as a featured guest. In fact the group performed "Sex Karma" on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon this July 23rd.

The video was shot in a very very secluded spot in Georgia outside of Athens. I can't give out any real details about the shoot until the video is released. Sorry. : (

Here's what I can give you. It was a one day shoot and yes we shot scenes into the evening. I lensed some shots and did a little AD, (Assistant Director) work. : ) The video will be finished early September so look out for it and check for the bands tour dates.

Before The Memories Fade: Artwork Mark-up

This is the Artwork for the, Before The Memories Fade: Voices from the Civil Rights Movement, documentary. The finished poster will be sold as an 11x17 glossy poster print. Tee shirts will also be sold and have this artwork on them. Proceeds from the shirts and posters will go towards the completion of the films production. The film will be released Spring 2011.

Film Synopsis:

The film collects personal narratives from the Civil Rights Movement that many Americans have never heard and may soon be lost to time if not recorded. This film allows an important generation in American history to reflect and share.

Plumgood Productions now in Georgia

We've relocated!! That's right, everyone. Plumgood Productions has moved to Athens, Georgia. We are now located about 50 minutes north and east of the Atlanta metro area. We're very excited to be in this new location. Athens is a great town with a vibrant arts community.

We look forward to producing our films and projects in this Classic City. We also plan to take advantage of our proximity to Atlanta.

And of course, as always, Plumgood Productions will continually strive to produce

high quality video and film projects.

Hello, Georgia!

Our New Logo Design

Plumgood Productions is excited to announce the release of our new logo.

The design symbolizes our high-quality production standards. We take pride in our work, often going the extra mile for the client. The logo is our seal attesting to our commitment to creating impeccable products. When it's "Certified Plumgood Productions", you know that your production will be undertaken with care and is backed by seasoned professionals with over 25 years of broadcast and production experience.

Behind the Scenes at Yewande Austin's photo shoot

In my latest job I was hired by singer Yewande Austin to produce an EPK, Electronic press kit, for her soon to be released album. Yewande is a very talented and powerful singer. You can hear clips from her upcoming album on her website, http://www.yewande.com.

The first activity I shot for the EPK was her album and PR photo shoot which was located in Atlanta Georgia at the Derek Blanks studio. Derek is a very popular and industry respected photographer. He has done work for America's Top Model, Academy Award winners Jennifer Hudson, Monique and many other celebrities.

On the technical end I shot with my trusty Sony EX-1. Both t

he interior and exterior video of the behind the scenes action was all handheld. I'm happy to say there was a very creative atmosphere during the shoot as we all enjoyed listening to Yewande's new songs.

Yewande chose outfits that reflected her various singing styles and moods. Derek did a great job on the photos and I

got what I needed for the behind the scenes. It was a good days work! Next time though I might not wear a white shirt because Derek and I look like twins. LOL.

All the photos in this blog are all from one of the outside settings. I was to o busy shooting to get shots of me in the other setting. The day was great fun. Now off to the next event.

It's Been 1 Year of Gathering Interviews for Before The Memories Fade!

May 23, 2010, marked the completion of the first year of gathering interviews for my documentary, Before The Memories Fade: Voices from the Civil Rights Movement. In many ways it's hard to believe it's been a year and the film will be finished by this year's end.

Today I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the people

that I have met; the journey so far has been fantastic. Sure, I haven't been able to get all of the people that I wanted to get but that was to be expected. Schedules and locations have posed problems, but as always, I continue to strive to do my best. My poor car has logged thousands of miles driving all over the place to get interviews. It's a good thing I like being on the road and all the miles have been worth it.

What I have liked the most about this process has been hearing stories, both on the record and off the record. The off the record comments are priceless to me. It's too bad my audience will never get to hear them but that's all part of being a professional; I know and I'll have those

memories.

There are a few more interviews I have lined up this summer and then that's all the interviewing I'm doing for Part One. Yes Part One! I have decided to put together an additional hour long piece to follow this one. The information that I'm getting and the people are too good not to make a Part Two. I also hope to include many of the people that I was not able to get in Part One due to scheduling conflicts.

Making this movie has been very exciting and I hope to pass on to as many people as possible, especially students, the knowledge that I have gained from those brave Civil Rights participants.

Along this journey, I have experienced some sadness due to the passing of several people that I have interviewed. Part of the reason I decided to do this documentary was that I knew many of the participants in the movement were getting older in their years, and I wanted to be able to document them in their own words. I didn't realize, however, how soon the memories would start to fade.

I am very grateful to all who have invited me into their homes and allowed me to interview and talk with them. I am also very honored that I am allowed to let those who have passed on tell their stories in their own words. This I do not take lightly! We learn from the people who have been there and lived through it. In their memories I strive to do my best.

WVLK Radio interview on "Before the Memories Fade" documentary.

Today I was interviewed live on the radio station WVLK 590am in Lexington, Kentucky. I was interviewed by radio jock Dave Kesling from noon until 1pm. This was the first time that I've done an hour long interview and it was a great experience. Dave was great! The interview had an easy flow.

We started the interview off by talking about how I got into the news business and my different experiences working for Washington, D.C. news bureaus. I talked about covering

events from President George Bush Sr. through President Clinton and six years of President George W. Bush. I told the audience that the news days helped to prepare me to do documentaries.

The final half hour was spent on my current documentary movie, Before the Memories Fade, Voices from the Civil Rights Movement. I explained how I came up with the idea for the movie and why I feel a movie of this caliber should be made and is needed. We also covered topics such as my interviews with Dr. Benjamin Hooks and Dr. Dorothy Height. I stressed again that recording this history is immensely important as we marked the passing of both icons a week apart. One of the news updates during the show was President Obama speaking at Dr. Height's funeral.

That's why this is important people need to

hear what it was like from the people who lived during that period in history. The movement was more than four days in in the 60s and it's important to remember what people went through.

The interview even had a question and answer period and I tried to be as informative as I could.

All in all it was a very good experience and I can't wait to do more. It's now time to put the word out on the project!

Protest Re-enactments, Mt. Sterling, Kentucky

Today, April 25th, I shot new scenes for Before The Memories Fade. The shoot was in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky. Mt. Sterling is a very nice city which has the feel and architecture of the 1960s.

It was an extremely windy and cloudy day with a T-Storm forecast. The rain held off, but I think the fear of it kept my extras away. This was both bad and good. It was bad because I did not have enough people to shoot a protest march. It was good, though, because one of my extras, Darren Simms, is a professional dog trainer, and he had two dogs and their owners meet us at the site. I wasn't originally planning on shooting scenes with the dogs today.

With Darren's help, I was able to shoot some very intense scenes involving the dogs. One scene was so intense that a passer-by in a truck stopped to help, not realizing it was part of a film.

The viciousness of the dogs, although leashed and tethered to their owners who controlled them using commands, caused everyone on site to do some reflecting of their own. "How could you stand there and take that," one extra said. "That's a whole other level of commitment."

The dogs weren't really in full attack mode but presented a ferocious sight. I cannot imagine having to suffer attacks by police dogs while being a non-violent protester. We felt the intensity as the dogs barked and foamed at the mouth trying to attack. All I can say is that I give even more respect to those who faced the violence during the movement.

We were able to shoot other set-ups involving protesters and signs before the rains ended the shoot day.

I'd like to thank the Mt. Sterling department of tourism for all of their help. I also hope to shoot a large protest there in May.

Some of the protesters take a minute to pose for the camera after the shoot.

From left to right: Willie, Jared, Darren, and Andrea.

The Legacy of Adam Francis Plummer

There has been renewed interest in making a feature length documentary on Adam Francis Plummer. Above is a short 6 minute documentary film about the Maryland slave, Plummer who kept a diary that generations later reunited his descendants.

Adam Francis Plummer, a self-taught slave, lived his life in Prince Georges County, Maryland. Plummer secretly kept and wrote a diary that was later discovered by his descendants and donated to the Smithsonian Institution. There the diary was researched, investigated, restored, and prepped for exhibition.

The diary's immediate legacy is a book based on the entries in the diary and written by Plummer's daughter, Nellie Plummer. The book, Out of the Depths, the Triumph of the Cross, has served to unite previously disconnected family members.

(c) 2004

For more on Adam Francis Plummer: www.anacostia.si.edu/Plummer/Plummer_Home.htm

Remembering Dr. Dorothy Height

This morning I woke up to the news that Civil Rights icon Dr. Dorothy Height had passed away. She was one of the world's greatest people!

I'm so glad I was able to talk with and interview her for the film. She was so nice to me! I will always remember the stories she told me and the light in her eyes as she told them. She was so intellectually sharp even late in her 90s. I think my feelings were best written right after I interviewed her. Here's what I previously wrote:

"I'm typing this entry with a big smile because on Thursday October 8th, I interviewed Dr. Dorothy Height for the film. Dr. Height! If you guys don't know who she is, you need to read up on her quickly. Dr. Height is a 97 year young wealth of knowledge on women's rights and civil rights. Dr. Height is respected world wide and has many honorary doctorates from universities here in the states. She took over the leadership of the National Counsel for Negro Women after Mary McLeod Bethune. That is history people and it was a honor to get her perspective on the movement!!

What I decided to focus on in our conversation was a little known effort in the movement started by Dr. Height and Polly Cowan in the Spring of 1964. It was called "Wednesdays in Mississippi." The idea was to send interracial and interfaith teams of northern women to Mississippi on Tuesday and return on Thursday, having spent all day Wednesday talking with and reaching out to the women of the south. Dr. Height said that black women from the north would meet with black women of the south, while the white women from the north would meet with white women of the south. The northern women would all meet up later and discuss ways in which thy could help their fellow sisters.

We did discuss many other movement related subjects, but I'm going to let you hear about them in the movie.

It was a great interview, and Dr. Height was, as I expected, strong, smart, and delightful."

Dr. Height we'll miss you! Thank You!

For more on Dr. Dorothy Height go to: http://www.ncnw.org/ and please web search her name and learn more.

John Mitchell Jr: Documentary Promo Trailer

This short film was made as a fundraising trailer for, "The Man Who Ran The Planet," The John Mitchell Jr. Story. I am Directing this 1 hour documentary based in the city of Richmond, Virginia, along with Co-Producer Kimberly J. Wilson, a Richmond native and Mitchell relative.

The Man Who Ran The Planet

The movie is titled "The Man Who Ran The Planet," The John Mitchell Jr. Story and is a documentary about one of the most powerful Black Americans at the turn-of the-century. John Mitchell, Jr., was the editor of the Richmond Planet newspaper and made it one of the most respected papers of its day. He owned and ran a bank, bought a posh movie theater, and was the first Black man to run for Governor in the state of Virginia. Despite all of these accomplishments, Mitchell is little known outside of Richmond, Virginia, and left out of the history books. The movie examines Mitchell's life and his accomplishments.

WMST Radio interview on the documentary, "Before the Memories Fade"

At 9:05 this morning I was interviewed by Tom and Judy on Mid-Mornings on Main w/Tom and Judy. The 20 minute interview aired live on 106.9 fm and 1150 am on WMST Radio.

I had a good time talking with both of the hosts as we discussed my current project, Before The Memories Fade, Voices from the Civil Rights Movement which will be filming in downtown Mt. Sterling , Kentucky on Sunday the 25th.

We talked about why I'm doing the film and how I came up with the idea to do it. We also talked about why I picked the Mt. Sterling location and made a local call for local extras. As the interview went on we delved into my production and news background and talked about my past documentary films.

It was a live interview and as always you can get weird things to happen and in my case someone rang the doorbell while we were on the air. Hey it's live so you have to roll with it. Man that was crazy though!

All in all it was a great experience. So thanks very much to Judy, Tom, and Dan for having me.

To hear the interview go to, www.wmstradio.com/?page=shows&show=midmornings

then April 19th my interview starts at 33:40 on the player.

Remembering Dr. Benjamin Hooks

I was saddened to hear about the passing of Dr. Benjamin Hooks the morning of April 15, 2010. My condolences and prayers go out to his lovely wife Frances and the family during this time of sadness.

On June 16, 2009, I had the honor of interviewing Dr. Benjamin Hooks at his home in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. Hooks told me interesting stories about working with Dr. King during the Civil Rights Movement. He also shared with me stories about his personal peril when shot at and chased in a car by angry white southerners.

The interview was for my documentary, Before The Memories Fade: Voices from the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Hooks gave a great interview. He was very nice to me and we had a great off the record talk. Great stuff! He also talked to me about his father who was a still photographer. His face lit up as we talked about the early days of film and how his dad use to light flash powder to make the flash.

The interview and discussion was fun and I'm so very thankful for it. I'm thankful that I was able to learn history from someone who was there in the thick of it and hear it from him firsthand.

For more information on Dr. Benjamin Hooks, try http://benhooks.memphis.edu/ , search his name on the internet, and look at his bio on Wikipedia.

Before The Memories Fade: William T. Coleman

It was a rainy morning in Lexington, Kentucky, on April 8, but the sun shone long enough for me to have a great shoot with the Honorable William T. Coleman, Jr., Esq. Mr. Coleman was in town this past Thursday to speak at the University of Kentucky College of Law.

For those of you who have never heard of Mr. Coleman, let's just say his work had a hand in some some really big legal aspects of the movement. Mr. Coleman worked closely with Thurgood Marshall on many cases, including as one of the lead strategists and coauthor of the legal brief in Brown v. Board of Education (1954). Brown was one of the landmark civil rights cases dealing with racial segregation in which the U.S. Supreme Court held racial segregation in public schools to be unconstitutional.

Mr. Coleman shared some very interesting stories of his life and his time in the movement. His stories were intriguing and after hearing his personal insights, I couldn't help but leave the interview questioning the truth of some of what we were taught about situations that occurred in American history.

For more on William T. Coleman: www.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Thaddeus_Coleman,_Jr.

Sit-In Re-enactment

Today we had fun re-enacting a 60's Civil Rights Sit-In protest. I shot many different formats on this shoot. I shot 8mm film, HiDef with my Sony EX-1, digital stills, and actual film photography. Yes I used film. It's not used that much anymore but you can't beat its organic feel.

The shoot was located at the Parkette Drive-In in Lexington, Kentucky. Owner Randy Kaplan allowed the shoot to take place in his newly remodeled diner. It's a very lovely 50's styled diner filled with that era's ambiance. Oh and by the way the food is great too. Randy was very helpful and I would like to thank him again for all of his support and opening it for us on a Sunday.

All of the actors for the shoot were local to the Lexington area. I personally would like to thank them again for coming out on a rainy day and again thank them for their wonderful performances. My motto is, "all roles are important" and so was this cast.

Thanks again to Crutcher, Dana, Tina, Andy, Corrie, Matt, Toby, and Kody. Also a special thanks to my P.A. for the day Andrea.

All and all the shoot went well and we got in and out pretty

quickly.

Great job everyone!

Super 8 on "Before the Memories Fade" documentary.

I was searching for the right fit aesthetically for my 6'0s era documentary, "Before the Memories Fade, Voices from the Civil Rights Movement." I found that match when I made my decision to shoot Super 8 mm film for B camera footage and reenactments for the documentary feature.

Production on this documentary film began in May 2009. Since then I have been traveling the country taping interviews with 60's Civil Rights Movement participants.

Technically speaking, the Super 8 footage will be scanned and transferred to high definition to keep the integrity of the footage and to match the film's 1080 format. All of the film's interviews have been shot with a Sony EX-1 at 1080, 30 fps.

I believe the Super 8 footage will give the film the style and texture that I've been looking for to portray the 60's era. It's definitely the right tool for the job. The transfer to HD really gives you a beautiful image. It's going to surprise you! I believe the new film stocks and transfer techniques combined with the sparse use of Super 8 will add a nice bit of character to the film. Hopefully, people will take notice and Super 8 will make a splash in my future commercial work.

In addition to using the Classic Pro 4008 Super 8 camera with a 1.8 6-66 mm lens, I will employ the use of a C-mount adapter to use several of my Nikon lenses for the film. I think the Super 8 will enable the audience to travel back to the 60's era. This is really going to be fun!

Reenactments for the film will begin production in March 2010. The film "Before the Memories Fade, Voices from the Civil Rights Movement" will be screened in Fall 2010.

Documentary Currently In Production

Before The Memories Fade, Voices from the Civil Rights Movement

Plumgood Productions is currently in production on the documentary film, "Before the Memories Fade, Voices from the Civil Rights Movement,” written and directed by documentarian Keith B. Plummer.

The film brings together a series of first-hand accounts from icons of the Civil Rights Movement. of the 1950s and 60s. It also focuses on some of the lesser known stories from various “foot-soldiers” of the movement who tell of their involvement. These interviews contain unique insights of this period of epic change in American society.

Plummer is currently traveling throughout the United States, gathering interviews and learning the stories told by these brave Americans.

The feature length film is being shot in High Definition and will be completed Fall 2010.

Restoring Honor, The Case of Chaplain Plummer

I have been getting a lot of interest in my Chaplain Plummer documentary lately so I am providing purchasing information and the synopsis on this blog. It was a 2006 Telly Award (Silver) Winner, 2006 Aurora Award (Platinum) Winner, and an Official Selection of the 2006 Pan African Film Festival. This movie was produced under my production company's former name.

To purchase a copy, use Paypal or send a check for $24 dollars to Plumgood Productions, 3402 Pepperhill Rd., Lexington, Kentucky 40502. This purchase price includes shipping and handling.

Synopsis:

The film tells the story of Henry Vinton Plummer a Maryland slave who was appointed the first African American Chaplain in the regular Army. Chaplain Plummer’s appointment was equivalent to the rank of Captain and, as to be expected at that time in American history, created internal conflict within the Army’s white officer ranks. This strife, in combination with a disgruntled African American enlisted man’s questionable accusations, led Chaplain Plummerto face the charge of “Conduct Unbecoming an Officer and a Gentleman.” After a suspect court martial, Chaplain Plummer was dishonorably discharged in 1894.

Over one hundred years later, the film recounts the dedicated efforts of The Committee to Clear Chaplain Plummer, which is led by Committee President Reverend L. Jerome Fowler, who is also Chaplain Plummer’s great nephew. Composed of family, clergy, historians, scholars, and retired military personnel, The Committee waged a four-year legal and PR campaign to convince the Army to reinstate Chaplain Plummer and clear his name. The Committee worked tirelessly to research the case and garner support from public leaders and noted officials including Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich and the Maryland House and Senate.

All filming occurred in Maryland. The DVD version of the film was completed in May 2005 and runs 43 minutes.