- Title: FJ-HRN-2087
- Summary: Behind The Lens - Spike Lee:
- Description:01:00:06 - B-Roll Behind the Lens Red Carpet several of the same photo of Spike on easels, pan across the lobby area back to the photos, more of the photos, 01:03:23 - B-Roll Behind the Lens Red Carpet Melora Hardin being photographed 01:04:37 - B-Roll Behind the Lens Red Carpet Chiwetel Ejiofor being photographed, Melora Hardin being interviewed, some kid in pink tie, kid in pink tie with girl in white shirt, Chuck D, back to girl in white shirt, 01:07:47 - B-Roll Behind the Lens Red Carpet kid in pink tie with girl in white shirt, Chuck D, Earnest Dickerson 01:10:36 - Sound Bite: Earnest Dickerson Well you know, we grew up together, we started, we met in film school and came up together, but one of the things that we wanted to make sure that happened, film was always mystified to us, we had to go out of our way to find out about it, and thats one of the things that Spike and I said that we werent gonna allow to happen, so in all the films that we you know that we did, I think especially from Do the Right Thing on, we had trainees, we had young men and women that came in and got to experience filmmaking first hand, and some of them have gone on to forge their own careers, so you know Id like to think that we have that, that weve done that for the film industry, then hopefully weve set an example. 01:11:27 - Sound Bite: Earnest Dickerson Right now theres a film that Im hoping to get into production in August, so Im rewriting the script. Im actually getting ready to go up to Canada to do an episode of a new show for NBC called Fear Itself, so its a little bit of a scary thing. 01:11:47 - B-Roll Behind the Lens Red Carpet shots of the Behind the Lens backdrop 01:12:22 - Sound Bite: Wesley Jonathan Black cinema, well you just said it right there. Hes been such an inspiration I mean just from when he started, you know its grown to be something thats huge man like one of my favorites is Malcolm X and I think that, you know, they didnt give it the justice and credit it deserved but it was really really well done and to this day its one of my favorite films, but I mean hes influenced us all as black people, not just black people but people in general to make a mountain out of mole hill, you know what I mean, so the term you know an acre into 40 acres hes the one that you know represents that, so you would like to follow in his footsteps. 01:13:06 - Sound Bite: Wesley Jonathan Hes brought out a lot of stars, uh that are now stars but before their time you know were uh doing like a lot of us, you know trying you know to get a piece of this big old pie, but uh a lot of people whove run across him are now huge you know what I mean so yeah hes created a lot of careers. 01:13:29 - Sound Bite: Wesley Jonathan Of course its all, well it hasnt become, it always has been. (Talking) Yeah. (Talking) In terms of Race? Um, I hate this. (Talking) One of the things that people should be talking about? I mean its a lot of things, police brutality, um you can go on and on, thats my biggest issue you know the whole police brutality thing I just it makes me angry, I dont really wanna get into all of that right now, Im on a happy level I wanna talk about Spike Lee. No politics right now, but Obama yes, you know what I mean? Yeah. 01:14:23 - Sound Bite: Chiwetel Ejiofor Well I um, you know Ive always loved his films and I just and I had the privilege on Inside Man of, of working with Spike and um and I uh just had a great time on on collaborating on working with the director who is an incredible icon and uh and extraordinarily talented and so uh just on a kind of basic level of just um, of my working like it was an incredible time and um and Im a great lover of his films and I think uh hes hes an icon. 01:15:11 - Sound Bite: Chiwetel Ejiofor I just think he has an incredible way of capturing animist and and a nowness and uh and I think that that is what means that people can recognize themselves in his films and recognize themselves, recognize their friends, recognized whatever. He has an extraordinary touch on human nature and specifically in the contemporary context and I think that thats what people really respond to and uh and I think very few film makers, you know even if they are in their own rights iconic, very few film makers are actually able to tap into that are actually able to allow you to recognize yourself in those films. 01:15:52 - B-Roll Behind the Lens Red Carpet Shot of room with posters at the far end and camera flashing. Zoom in on lady and Spike. Shot of guys standing in front of the posters. Shot of Spike Lee standing in front of the posters with woman. Spike leaving area to head for the next area. Cameras flashing like crazy. Shot of another couple posing for cameras. Shot back to the woman that was with Spike. Shot back to the previous couple. Shots of all the actors standing in front of the press. 01:18:52 - B-Roll Behind the Lens Red Carpet Shot of Spike from the side. Shot of other actors and actresses getting their pictures taken. Shot of an actor being interviewed. 01:21:33 - Sound Bite: Roger Guenveur Smith Yeah I uh think that Spike has inspired a whole new generation of film makers, of all colors, of all genders, uh he has provided opportunity for people to invest in their craft and has inspired folks to be independently motivated. There is no more independent film maker than Spike Lee on the American Scene and there is no and there is no great wide receiver for the Rams than Bernie Casey, but I always begged him but I always begged him because because I sold programs at the game and he never threw me the ball when he came into the end zone we would be we would be begging for the ball Bernie, Bernie, Bernie, and he would never threw me the ball. Bernie Casey This is a very talented man, director, producer, actor; I mean he can do it all. Roger Guenveur Smith Well were talking about shoulders this is the man he can do it all. He can paint, he does poetry, hes a pretty good wide receiver. Bernie Casey Back in the day. Roger Guenveur Smith Its still the day, good to see you. 01:22:53 - Sound Bite: Roger Guenveur Smith Oh wow well its you know its like sometimes its just that. Sometimes its like that. Its I mean some of us call him coach, because he has that kind of flow, with his with his team. Every coach knows how to develop, encourage a team, you know its a team sport here its not an individual endeavor, and uh you know hes obviously a basketball fan so I think that he has defiantly earned the title of coach. 01:23:50 - Sound Bite: Roger Guenveur Smith Uh its this thing called the truth. Samuel L. Jackson as uh Mr. Senor Love Daddy and do the right thing says in the final monologue and thats the truth Ruth. And thats what I think weve always been trying to get at. Finally miracle at St. Annas. Write a film which features the exploits of black American soldiers during world war two. Weve had major world war two films recently by major directors, none of them have featured more than two seconds of black soldiers laying their lives on the line as we have done since the revolutionary war. Theres a man by the name of Chrisbis Adics who shed his blood he was the first one there. To shed his blood for freedom and we are still shedding our blood for freedom at home and abroad. 01:25:14 - Sound Bite: Roger Guenveur Smith Well Im really excited that we might have a president who knows how to speak English. We havent had that for quite sometime, I think that its exciting that we have potentially a president whos studied constitutional law, and who may reinvest this country in this thing called the first amendment uh which is free speech. We honored Spike Lee five years ago um on the eve of this current war and John Carlo Esposito and I came out and said down with Spike Lee, and thats a fact and we agreed dont bomb Iraq, it never made the broadcast on FOX network. (Talking) So this thing called the first amendment is something that we cant take it for granite and uh we will continue struggling because if there is no struggle there is no progress. That was a rapper brother Fredrick Douglas. 01:26:14 - B-Roll Behind the Lens Red Carpet Shots of Spike Lee. 01:27:22 - Sound Bite: Willie Mac The best Spike Lee film to me is defiantly Do The Right Thing, because of course its one of his very first productions that he did and like this event right here I am very honored to be here because there are very few events that actually honor a lot of black people like Spike Lee so being here give a young person like me an opportunity to see more people like, like myself and you know Im having fun. 01:28:02 - Sound Bite: Willie Mac Some of the topics of conversation defiantly dosent need to be race because I I be the first to admit, Im a look into the camera when I say this one, its because I never got into the political thing until the Baraka Obama then it really starts seeing how it effects me like Im a college student so of course different tactics thats gonna come out thats going to bother me, casue like I said Im finishing school now so Im going to make sure the interest rates stay low. Gas prices really big right now so stuff like those types of issues are not as they seem to be more affecting me Im being more involved so yeah. 01:28:44 - Sound Bite: Jarvee Hutcherson President of MMPA Well hes had a big, gosh, Spike Lee was starting back when they were really breaking in and taken very serious, hes actually one of the ones that had that has the develop to break through and maintain and I he set the example for people like Tyler Perry I mean you have came along, so I would say Ty, uh Spike Lee is considered one of the few as, one of the world know ones he would be probably be one of the top that they would say Spike Lee. So he needs to be commended and tonight is his night and I think he needs to be commended for what he has done. Through out the industry and not only through out the African American community but the diverse community which thats what were about the diversity awards. 01:29:25 - B-Roll Behind the Lens Red Carpet Shot of an actor being interviewed. 01:30:00 - Sound Bite: Spike Lee Lacking. (Talking) Well I think that, heres the thing, and this is not just Hollywood, or a lot of corporate America talks about diversity but a lot of that stuff is lip service, now Im gonna be honest when I go you know Ive been doing films for 21years and I havent been here, I live in New York, but when I have to get a film made I come out here and a lot of times the only black man I see is the brother man at the gate that lets me in. I dont see anyone else of multi-culture until Im about to leave and he, late Spike and thats it. So when people want to get serious about diversity and multi-cultures well see it. Until then its BS. 01:31:01 - Sound Bite: Spike Lee Well we need to talk about it; we need to explore the good, bad and ugly about this. I dont think this country could ever achieve its greatness as great as we can be until we deal with race. Honestly. 01:31:31 - Sound Bite: Frank Fountain Senior VP of Chrysler LLC Well Chrysler is a uh uh great corporate citizen, not only uh in Michigan uh and Detroit but around the world. Uh we build great products and we believe that uh improving the quality of life for everyone improves our opportunities uh for marketing what we think are works of art. Uh our products, Chrysler, Jeep and Dodges. And so this is an event we started in 2002 and uh each year it been growing and and and and a success and its a way of addressing a void a void that exists many of the almost all of the shows that you, we, uh here of are all about people in front of the lens and African American are contributing greatly to whats happening behind the lens and and the power behind the lens is something that should be understood and uh by America young people in particular uh because there are many opportunities there and because of Spike Lee uh we think the industry is different then it was 20 years ago before he became a household name and uh you would not of had the Denzel Washingtons and the Haley Berrys that we have today, we know we love because Spike gave them an opportunity and uh so we think hes more then deserving. 01:34:00 - Sound Bite: Robi Reed I think what Spike did was got us to recognize that there were actually positions behind the lens. Because when people think about going into the business they all so often think about acting and that being it. And with Spike you go on his sets and it would be African Americans in these key positions and that was just not the norm for Holly wood and its so important we continue to support that and I think in some instances demand that so it can continue. 01:34:50 - Sound Bite: Robi Reed Well um (talking) I think just the, well I know this might sound like, I dont know general idealistic but equality, I mean really just being treated fairly for who we are and and not for you know what color our skin is but really what we have to contribute as people period. 01:35:27 - Sound Bite: Sophina Brown Oh actually I have like a first hand story about that, it was wonderful because he directed the pilot of Shark and when I stepped onto the set, it was a very pleasant surprise, I mean nothing against any other show that I have worked on but I was like wow its amazing how mixed this whole entire crew is you know. And there is so many African American people in in positions and and it was just it was just wonderful to see. 01:36:10 - Sound Bite: Soledad O'Brien I think hes been the guy who has had very blunt conversations with America. You have a guy who, when Do the Right Thing first came out, people were worried that there would be riots. Member that? I remember it from a zillion years ago and yet today we are having that same conversation about race. You know finally a blunt conversation about race in America which has been the elephant in the room for so long; he had that conversation way before we are having it today. When he did Jungle Fever, you know black-white relations, no one ever talks about that you you, but he kind of takes these taboos and kind of puts them front and center and then examines them and he doesnt shy away from them, he doesnt do it in a lilly livered kind of well I dont know were not gonnayou know he just throws it out there its an incredibly brave thing to do as a film maker and its an important thing to do I think you know socially to be a voice often for Black America. 01:37:17 - Sound Bite: Soledad O'Brien Well you know I think that that the thing about race is its all a nuance you know that is no right and wrong and and everybodys experience is right. If youve had an experience as a white guy and I have an experience as a bi-racial woman you know mine is as valid as yours so how do you have a conversation that allows everybody to feel like theyve been heard, its hard when youre talking about a nation that prides itself on being the melting pot you know its very very tough today so you know I think that thats what the media is doing right now were talking about it and sometimes those conversations are weird and awkward and not particularly forward moving but its a start you know I think its a start. 01:38:08 - Sound Bite: Soledad O'Brien But you know I wouldnt say that because you know often the daily news drives what were talking about but you know every so often Ill give speeches and Ill tell the story about my parents, my mom is black and Cuban, my dad is white and Australian, and Ill tell people you know when my parents got married it was illegal, in this country. Black people and white people could not get married and when they had me and my brothers and sisters they were told not to have bi-racial children. Its not that long ago. You know this is recent history and so a lot of white people in the audience will be uh really? And a lot of black people go mh hm. You know I mean its two very different perspectives of looking at your life, so its about time we kind of sit around and say okay lets discuss this experience, this is America, this is America I think its about time you know theres never been a time where I you know when Im talking about other stories you know it just doesnt fit in the story you know race is not the be all end all of everything, but it surly is a lot in this country and its you know I think its great were discussing it but remember Spike discussed it first in uh in a major way and did the right thing and people said oh riots with ensue. Hes an amazing guy. 01:39:42 - Sound Bite: Gabriel Casseus Well I mean its his films deal with what going on right now you know um issues of race, issues of sex, issues of you know family and he you know we he digs a lot deeper than people are willing to go. You know he he goes places where like oh did he just go there? You know what I mean? That type of thing and um it it makes for interesting film you know. Every story is not necessarily cinematic but Spike finds a way to take political topics and you know put a movie face on it and you know it comes out good. 01:40:32 - Sound Bite: Gabriel Casseus Well I mean how successful it is is uh this whole event speaks for itself you know I dont think theres, I can hardly name a great African American work, uh actor working in the industry today, from Denzel Washington to Haley Berry to Sam Jackson, Laurence Fishburn, theyve all done Spike Lee films all of them and the list goes on so you know you gotta say to yourself you know and he started it all with one movie I think it was what 186 thousand dollars you know the whole, he started all that. You know so he basically kicked the door open for a lot of people you know from spacedomestically, internationally to you know he just showed us a different way to do things you know and theres a lot more stories to be told.
- Collection: Historic Films
- Producer:Historic Films
- Transmission Date:01/01/2008
- Rights:On request
- Decade: 2000s
- File Name: FJ-HRN-2087