Exciting news! I am now a Studio Camera Operator for The Better Show show, a nationally syndicated lifestyle TV program hosted by Audra Lowe and JD Roberto. Produced by media and publishing company Meredith, Better cleverly takes its name from Better Homes and Gardens magazine and features celebrity interviews, on-location segments, expert advice, studio performances, cooking and more.
Better is shot at Meredith Video Studios, a multi-camera studio in the heart of Manhattan where branded content and other programming are also created. The show is in its sixth season and is broadcast in 85 million homes.
You can watch Better in New York City weekdays at 6:00 am on CBS-owned WLNY Ch. 55. For other locations, check your local listings!
Working as studio camera person for TV’s The Jump and other shows on MNN-TV has influenced my work as a multi-camera director.
The Jump, produced by Vaughn Oliver’s DJTR Media & Production Company and broadcast on the country’s largest public access station MNN-TV, showcases a beautiful and eclectic array of musical talent. Live bands perform in studio under the best lighting, sound, camera work and direction money can’t buy. Vaughn Oliver transformed the studio into a space comparable to notable shows on network and pay cable television. The Jump is public access’ answer to PBS’ Great Performances and MTV’s Unplugged.
It’s been great being part of a team that was encouraged to take risks: deliberately soft focus shots; deep close-ups; panning, zooming and trucking; dissolves; straight cuts, and starlight filters were all techniques we employed under masterful direction by Vaughn Oliver and others.
Check out some of the episodes of The Jump that I worked as camera person for. You can see me in the show’s opening in the control room on the right :)
The Jump Season 2, Episode 2
Musical Guest Sarah Renfro f. Michelle Casillas
The Jump Season 2, Episode 1
Musical Guest Christina Lee and band
The Jump Season 1, Episode 1
Musical Guest “Gringa”f. Jessica Sarles
Shout out to Vaughn Oliver, hosts Ohene Cornelius & Jen Kwok and The Jump’s amazing crew!
Rehearsing actors, leading crew, envisioning lighting, determining shots, editing on the fly, sound design and editing were all skills I utilized to make the award-winning series CHOICES on which my multi-camera reel is based.
Also viewable on YouTube at youtu.be/UWQGVbvVhRc
Multi-Camera Reel II Talk Show, News, Live Music
Talk shows, news/public affairs and live music formats, all shot in studio as Multi-Camera Director and Technical Director for “Education Matters,” “The RTS Club” and “Different Voices”, and more.
Also viewable on YouTube at http://youtu.be/3SS3TBJTQdo
Oh Gee Productions presents…CHOICES: A Soap-Style Web Series
CHOICES is a series of soap-style flash dramas with intertwined story lines. CHOICES highlights top notch actors with writing and direction by filmmaker Olu Gittens.
CHOICES Webisode 7 – One Woman’s Life
In the Season Finale of CHOICES, two stories come to a head. Shervonne and Regan see the impact that Abigail – the woman who was mother to one and nanny to the other – had on both their lives. Motulsky’s sense of integrity is shaken by a choice that still haunts him, and Chapman decides to move forward like a Not Guilty man.
Starring:
Kianne Muschett as Shervonne
Elisa Pupko as Regan
Scott T. Miller as Chapman
Joshua Feinberg as Motulsky
17 characters. 8 dramas. 7 webisodes. CHOICES.
Sometimes life will make you do things you never thought you would do. CHOICES.
CHOICEStheSeries.com
CHOICES was written, directed and produced by Olu Gittens and produced at the television studios of Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN), New York City.
The CHOICES series is budding well. This time, we have a new and very powerful episode.
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Oh Gee Productions presents…CHOICES: A Soap-Style Web Series
CHOICES is a series of soap-style flash dramas with intertwined story lines. CHOICES highlights top notch actors with writing and direction by filmmaker Olu Gittens.
CHOICES Webisode 3 – What Happened in the Congo? Hot shot doctors Peter, Paul and Mary find out the hard way that there’s much more to life than their careers. We also get introduced to two sisters, Jane and Olivia, living the shadow of their parents’ home. A powerful webisode that’s not to be missed!
CHOICES was written, directed and produced by Olu Gittens and produced at Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN).
As a multicamera director, doing musical performances is fun. I get to enjoy some amazing music, while employing my creative and tech skills to bring in as good a show as possible. This time out, we used blue, purple and red light gels, starlight filters and 3 cameras. I employed straight cuts as well as dissolves, varying the pace by song, and conveying the musical harmony and the harmony between performers.
Calvin Cody West Johnson appeared on Different Voices TV Show on Friday, April 22nd with Ceasar Johson (bass, vocals) and Larry Presston (drums). They performed songs from their new CD
Executive Producer: Poet Minor. Director: Olu Gittens. MNN New York.Video clip: 28 min. program preceded by ad.
I’ve embarked on a soap-style web series that highlights my work as a multi-camera director. Here it is!
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Oh Gee Productions presents…CHOICES: A Soap-Style Web Series
CHOICES is a series of soap-style flash dramas with intertwined story lines. CHOICES highlights top notch actors with writing and direction by filmmaker Olu Gittens.
CHOICES Webisode 1 – A Special Night for Us shows us the stories of Carmen and James, a mother and son who confront the past on the eve of James’ birthday, and Gary and Margaret Mitchell, who look towards the future on their first night out as Governor and First Lady of their state. How are their stories intertwined? Watch and find out!
CHOICES Webisode 2 – Someone’s Been Poisoning Me follows Carmen and James as James makes a tough decision, and Gov. Gary and First Lady Margaret Mitchell, as they uncover treachery in their midst. We also get introduced to Mary and Paul, two young doctors who have a hard time letting go. See what’s up!
CHOICES was written, directed and produced by Olu Gittens and produced at Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN).
For this piece, I worked with multiple actors in a multi-camera scene. Adam Shuty and Ivy Livingston are very professional, very talented actors I had the pleasure of working with in Directors and Actors (DnA) workshops. This was their first time performing together, and their first time doing multi-camera.
We rehearsed for about an hour a few days before the shoot, then did a tech rehearsal just before shooting. I had a top-notch crew of public access producers who are committed to independent media and supporting each other’s work.
The tone of the scene is one of dark comedy. The biggest challenge in directing it was in pulling out the tragic aspects of the story (after all, comedy is tragedy happening to someone else, as they say). Other challenges included separating Olu The Writer from Olu The Director, and together with the actors, stepping away from our preconceived notions of what the scene was about.
Pictured, left to right: Technical Director Poet Minor, Actress Ivy Livingston, Actor Adam Shuty, Director/Producer Olu Gittens
My style of directing this scene can be described as theatrical meets daytime drama. The shots were framed more intimately as the scene went on, reflecting the characters’ becoming closer to each other emotionally over the course of the scene. I utilized dissolves at the end, a stylistic element you might find in band shoots but that worked nicely in this scene.
I added music in post production, one piano piece and two jazz pieces that showcased the type of double bass musicianship that inspired me to write the scene in the first place.
The intimacy between a musician and his/her instrument has often reminded me of two lovers. What if that idea became real for someone? This scene is an attempt to answer that very question, and I think we did a very good job of it.
I had the pleasure of working with a terrific, up-and-coming young actor named Gabe Vargas. Gabe adapted a monologue from Tyler Parry’s film “Why Did I Get Married” for an acting class, then impressed the audience at the 2010 IFNY Monologue Slam by doing an impromptu performance of it.
Adapting the monologue to the multi-camera format, I worked with Gabe on adjusting his performance for the camera versus the stage. I set it in a black studio with blue highlights on the actor.
I switched between 3 floor cameras, two manned and one robotic, mixing straight cuts and dissolves. In post, I added the instrumental version of “Song Cry” by Jay-Z and Kanye West.
I directed a multi-camera shoot for Different Voices TV Show that was an in-studio performance by the rocking soul band lead by Dali Blu.
This time out, my work as director combined directing and technical directing, as I chose the shots and operated the multi-camera switcher. We had two floor camera operators and a robotic camera, a groovy band, good team and a chance to do some creative things like dissolves and using a starlight filter. It was a blast!
The Dali Blu Band appeared on Different Voices TV Show on Saturday, December 17, 2010. Executive Producer: Poet Minor. Director: Olu Gittens. MNN New York.
Exciting news! I am now a Studio Camera Operator for The Better Show show, a nationally syndicated lifestyle TV program hosted by Audra Lowe and JD Roberto. Produced by media and publishing company Meredith, Better cleverly takes its name from Better Homes and Gardens magazine and features celebrity interviews, on-location segments, expert advice, studio performances, cooking and more.
Behind the Scenes @ Oh Gee Productions 