- Title: FJ-HRN-2088
- Summary: Behind The Lens - Spike Lee:
- Description:01:42:00 - Sound bite: Elise Neal I knew Spike even before I was acting; I wanted to be a musical dancer on Broadway. I remember the first time we met he came and tapped me on the shoulder and I was nervous and I wonder who this wonderful man was. He goes you did a commercial that I hated. Thats one thing I love about Spike Lee. I actually ended up having a small role in Malcolm X which was the first film I had ever done. To make a long story short; hes always been the same hes always been honest hes always been direct and it shows in the movies that he makes and the films and TV shows hes apart of . Its always been the heart of him and he just cant let that go and thats what Ive always loved about him. 01:42:58 - Sound bite: Elise Neal Well heres the thing, we all have conversations about race weve been having conversations about race. I think the great thing about having an African American being this close to possibly being our president it makes people more comfortable to talk about race, thats important. And whats important is that he is okay to speak on it, hes not afraid of the issue, you cant be afraid of the issue anymore its 2008. 01:44:10 - Sound bite: Rick Fox Well I think as one of those individuals that got a start do to Spike Lee theres a gratitude that goes there from in front of the camera but also shooting with him and having him share the behind the camera, the production side the producing side having him open his set to me as an individual who wasnt working as an actor and sit and watch other actors work like Denzel and Samuel L the individuals hes worked with for many years. But then like you said noticing how when I do go to the set these young kids getting an opportunity for the first time to be part of a production to those who have been there for many years that he is so loyal to. And then to hear and to see him travel to different schools to give lectures to students who want to do what hes doing or want to be in this business. To know that hes not set in his position of success and not reaching back; hes continually reaching back pulling forward young men and women who desire to do this also. Theres one thing to inspire people through your actions it another thing to reach back and pull people along like he has. 01:45:36 - Sound bite: Rick Fox I think as long as were talking the conversation is open I think thats the toughest of any is getting the conversation started from that there will be positive and negative discussion that come out; there will be comments that will that maybe inflammatory at times, theyll be an positive enlightenment for people to change there vantage point on how they looked at it to begin with so for me personally to see Obama and Hillary whos a women you know this is a time in our history that both democratic candidates are are not only may become president but also change history. It will be either the first black president or the first woman president. So for that stand point listening to those conversation are exciting theyre great 01:46:54 - Sound bite: Rick Fox Well I think its definitely gives a cautiousness when leaving the house that I didnt have before. And in general as a society the information age has broaden to instant access via the internet via the news where theres so many channels live feed and streaming across the world from one point to the next instantly, I think that has change the dynamic and geographic of content and pres in general. And So as you guys shift and move to it us as consumers shift our and adjust our viewing to it and we as the people being reported upon should have an awareness to it. I think its an on going triangle that that I think that that is is weve shifting into that is we are not going to go we are not moving backwards its only going to continue to be more a intru more a I wouldnt say is intrusive I think its a relationship you know the viewer, the reporters, and the talent have with each other 01:48:12 - Sound bite: Jimmy Jean Louis First of all I work in Paris, and the first movie that Ive seen especially with black people was a was a She got to Have It, you know from Spike Lee so to be able to go to a movie theater in Paris back then and see a movies about black people was a big deal. So ever since Ive been following his career and I think he does amazing work, you know. And every single movie of his somehow makes you think about something thats very important. 01:49:03 - Sound bite: Jimmy Jean Louis O yeah, completely whether its in France, in England, in Germany, or even in South American even in Africa. so yes the difference with with here is that a lot of the black people have some kinda of power, compared to the black people in France. They have no power they are just following what they are given. When I just say that we dont see too many black people in the theaters you dont see them either on TV or any high positions such as CEO or manager or anything like that. So yes it is a big deal its just over there its a little bit smoother they make it look like its not a problem, but I mean it is what it is. I mean once again we are all animals we all human and there will always be kind of fact among race. To the point where we accept each other and hopefully the fact could be less about the color that we are and more about what we think as far as ideas that we have to better the world. And and which is a good situation now with whats happening the with with Obama and we have two great candidates for democrats andtalksSo body like him for example will be able to get people around the table. Hell be able to start a talk. Verses somebody else who will just scare everybody else. Thats a thats a big deal thats a big deal people wont be afraid to actually take a call or actually have a meeting with Barak Obama and speak about big issues thats accentually how we can have a better world by communicating our problems and finding solutions. 01:51:35 - Sound bite: John Singleton The think where its been the last fifteen years but its better now because people cant be totally exclusionary. But you know Spike Spike if there if it wasnt for Spike it would be worse I say that. You know its great you know things are getting better but you know we still have a long way to gotalksIve know Spike ever since I graduated from high school and so you know you know hes always been there hes always been there; hes like a big brother to me and like I said you know and you know if it wasnt for Spike you know I wouldnt be in this business and a whole lot of other people wouldnt be in this businesstalksI am doing the A Team movie yeah yeah its coming out the summer 2009 A Team. 01:52:37 - Sound bite: Vanessa A Williams Okay I will exactly speak to that; first of all Im a Brooklyn girl, first of all what he did for Manhattan hello Brooklyn in the house. What what he did for Manhattan Spike absolutely absotivly did for Brooklyn so Im Bedsat (?) born and raised so this is my this is my boy. Of course I wanted to do every single Spike film and audition for every single Spike film thats ever came out because he was you know the man and the the creative genus to get with you know um what is meant for us just in terms of making, from telling our story and what we know of the power of film and television is that whats on film and television becomes whats important or tells you whats important. So as an African American woman as a person of color to see those images that are so authentically African American, to see a woman reason her mans head was powerful was humongous, cause never before had I seen that image. And I knew that Spike was speaking directly to me and for me and it was Love, it was Love and I was so so grateful. As I said Auditioning for every single thing working extra anyway you could get in you wanted to fit in with the Spike Lee crew and I actually did Drop Squad which was a film that came out of the whole Spike Lee camp. There was so many filmmakers and so much energy and creative energy it was a major renaissance and I was there at that time so it was like old home week coming home to celebrate him and of course he deserves so much honor and praise. And were just grateful for his continued legacy from telling us how the levees broke to giving us Malcolm X hes just giving us the world. All these images and all theses stories that we desperately desperately need and we want to see ourselves so me personally I give thanks and Im so grateful. 01:54:55 - Sound bite: Laz Alonzo Well Spike has a very very kinda all-star crew of people behind the lens working with him you know he pretty much if you can make it your going to stay with Spike, he brings hes people back, hes very very loyal to his crew and a lot of the guys that have been working on this film have been working with Spike for the last twenty years. You know so so Spike is the kind of guy that not only creates opportunities for people but if you prove yourself youre pretty much guaranteed a job. You know, for the rest of your life you know so. And the same thing goes for his actors hes a very very loyal film maker you know he respects you now I believe hard work, quality and some one whos got the same type of work ethics like he does, although it is very hard to meet his work ethic cause if Spike says we start at 7:00 then hes usually here at 6:30 and hes the last guy to leave the set and um I think he really respects people that work hard for him and are willing to go all out. 01:56:11 - Sound bite: Laz Alonzo Well I think we should be talking we should be speaking the truth, you know I mean we live in a society that is headerogenus you know its not just one race or another America was built on the backs of pretty much every single culture, religion, creed, race, you can think of its its that salad bowl you know you get some tomatoes, you get some onions, you get some cheese, you know every now and then you get some welted lettuce you just get that out and keep the good stuff. And thats the beauty of America and thats why our flag has so many beautiful color that come together to make one flag. You know I think what Spike does is very necessary is talk about some of the truths that exist some of them are positive and some of them may not be so positive as long as theyre truth then they give us a platform to discuss and learn from and I think thats what is happening right now with Barak Obama being one of the candidates as well as Hilary being a woman and being one of the candidates, it lets us air out some of the things that we may not of even known existed and learn from the and get them out of the way and be able to have a real conversation between people without all these you know walls that we have built up. I think education is the key to overcoming a lot of fears and prejudices that we have. And I think a lot of those walls are being torn down right now. 01:57:35 - Broll- Damon Wayans and then just scanning the room 01:58:36 - Sound bite: Patti Austin Where it is its um better than it was twenty years ago where it needs to be is a lot better then it is now. Laughs 01:59:16 - Sound bite: Patti Austin Well I think its because he never has cut out cardboard characters. All of his characters are three dimensional they have a lot of deaf, depth they have a back story they have an existing story you have a chance to fall in love with those characters that doesnt happen a lot for glack, black characters in film. He has really established that and I think when the audience gets to find out what motivates someone to be a criminal, to be a lover, to be a hater to be whatever they are they walk away with a whole different feeling then if they just see this stereotype there. And I think thats one of the things he brings to film that is so important and so powerful and brings audiences together. Very often it bring audiences together with great controversy with a lot of arguing, But I dont think you get to anything solid an any kind of relationship without arguing eventually cause we are not going to agree all the time. I think we are afraid to disagree and we gotta get over that. 02:00:32 - Sound bite: Patti Austin Well I think were talking about them, but I think everything that everyone says that doesnt agree with what the other person says gets the other person freak out and thats the part thats gotta stop you know. Okay you can scream a little bit when its happening but the next day go and reflect on it and try to walk around in the other guys moccasins. Theres not enough of that going on. You know I think one of the things that Obama has brilliantly done is try to appeal to people to do that. You know and talking about right and what he said in his church and this is a black church theres another perspective try to work with people is not like going to a ceremony in temple and hearing a Rabi or going to a Catholic church and hearing a Priest. Its a different vibe its a different mentality its a different history people have different things they remember and that creates a different environment. We have to really start to be sensitive to that about each other. 02:01:44 - Sound bite: Thelma Hopkins Well first of all, he has open the doors for many others many young performers, other directors, um given a lot of people jobs and he has given us a certain point of view that no one else has given us in his film. He hasnt always been politically correct which I love, yet he would come back and do something like the Hurricane Katrina series that he did that would grab anyones heart and touch anyone. Hes just done so much in general, not just for blacks but for everyone. For a young man hes gotta wonderful body of work and this is hes due. 02:02:31 - Broll: Damon Wayans, Patti Austin back to Damon Wayans 02:03:57 - Sound bite: Damon Wayans I think that there is a lot of opportunities and technology is really allowing you to do a lot of things, you could take a camera like this here and you can make a film. You know you can, you know everything is cheaper to do you know final cut pro you got all these new technologies that allow you to make like nothing and make it quicktalksWell I think the entertainment industry is changing, its all going online you know and the more people the industry has started to realize that there is no music business anymore theres a digital you know kinda storage facility and people they view music as free so thats changing and television is changing the same way. You look at the numbers in ratings and theyre dropping cause people are rejecting that because they have shorter attention spans so they are going online to get snack food as opposed to a thirty minute show thats not that good anyway. 02:05:16 - Sound bite: Brandon Fobbs Man hes influence is ballsey man, you step out there and do it your way and you show them that no one can kill you know what I mean but God and yourself you know what I mean so you get out there you do it your way they may not like it whatever but they are going to have to respect it. Thats how he has grown to be who he is, hes own entity you know what I mean thats great. you gotta see that kinda thing to know theres an end of a line for that you know a good line like the light at the end of the tunnel. You know like man I what to do it my way but theyre telling me to do it this way. And theyre telling me it will work this way but like you know somebody like Spike and a lot of other folks just get out there and do it their way, hes like ok ok theres light at the end of the tunnel. You know. 02:06:02 - Broll: Lamman Rucker 02:06:47 - Sound bite: Maragret Avery Well until society changes I dont think film is going to change, in depth. What youre talking about I think I understand is because for myself I look at film and I say O its like ten thousands people in the seen, no people of color no Asians you know and I dont know am I living in the dark. In California I have friends of all colors, so I think that film has to stop perpetuating the myth that we all live in a box. And huh we need to deal with the issue of race. Whats happening now politically its come out and Im glad its out because I kept waiting ok when is when it is going to hit. We need to talk about it and not be afraid to talk about it. And it a I have prejudices I caught myself everyday, O that was a racist statement. Um but its only the way we are structured its only normal to have prejudices and they are going to remain prejudices unless we not we cant keep sweeping it under the carpet. 02:08:39 - Sound bite: Margaret Avery I think we should just talk about everyday situations, to get a conversation going just like you and I, lets just talk out it and lets just acknowledge that yes ok, I mean I was downtown Los Angeles years ago with my daughter I think she was in her car seat and she says are we in Tijuana? And I said no and she said its so dirty and I thought O my God what do I have here I need to talk to this child and Ill make comments driving and I mean we have our little ethnic jokes about some groups that dont drive or some group that I mean that not drive because of their inability they think their driving but theyre really causing accidents. And we talk about the groups and we make little comments and me included these people that are driving these cars that you think they should take off the road. You know and and Im not making racial slurs and I have to being around children they pick up on this stuff. Theyre not going to theyre not born racist or prejudice they learn it and we have to first acknowledge what we have ourselves and then we can have an honest conversation about it. 02:10:40 - Sound bite: Keith David Well hes honest and takes a stand, and stands firmly behind that stand and I appreciate him for that. That is you know I mean being the artist responsible for bring all of us the story of Malcolm X is like Malcolm said, If you dont stand for something youll put up with anything. And Spike stands for something, and I cant tell you in total all of what that is, I can tell you what I get out of his work and that is a stand that makes you have to think about where you are and where you stand, who you are and who we are, who we are as black people who we are as American people, and I think that is a great gift that any artist can attribute to his society. 02:12:04 - Sound bite: Keith David Um, theres no topic too small to talk about. So much of his conversation as been smm uh, sweep to the side r tried to be circumvented that you know now the now the issue is out. It is out in the air there are things about racism that we should be talking about, we should have been talking about, Spike tal Spike speaks to that in his work, Barak Obama has spoken about it most directly. It is it is a subject that we have long too long avoided, and that is why we are in the shape we are today. You know, perhaps this is an opportunity for us to move through that with some grace, so we can come on the other side of it with some cohesiveness.
- Collection: Historic Films
- Producer:Historic Films
- Transmission Date:01/01/2008
- Rights:On request
- Decade: 2000s
- File Name: FJ-HRN-2088