What Are The Chances? (Or “My Hometown”) – Part 2 of 3

November 12^th 2011 will be a day that we’ll never ever forget.  For the best of reasons.  Our New Jersey and Hometown Premiere in Trenton NJ with Michael Steele was everything we hoped for and 10X better.But, before I get to the “Day-of,” I’d like to briefly touch on the wonderful week we had BEFORE the screening.  We were very blessed to have some great coverage in our city’s two daily newspapers, the Trentonian and The Times, and the Princeton Packet and in Pennsylvania’s Bucks County Courier Times.  Given the state of newspapers in the U.S. and their lack of staffing, getting such coverage for a “hometown” story isn’t easy or likely.  We will always hold these publications in high esteem for helping us get the word out locally.  Especially for an event in Trenton, when crime is on the rise and it gets tougher and tougher to draw people from the suburbs.

Finally, the Day of Judgment arrived and we had a lot of running around to do to get ready.  This special night would include a Kick-Off Reception at the New Jersey State Museum itself.  We’d never done something like this before.  When we helped found and run the Trenton Film Festival, we had a great Events Producer and she ran the Show. 

Well this time, we were very fortunate to have our good friend Murph manage this for us.  We had to make some runs to Party City, Sam’s Club and a few other places to get all the party wares.  Also, we had a number of good friends, neighbors, family and crew members give us a hand with the Reception and the Screening.  One of our Aunts even made over 150 cookies for us and “Aunt Fern” made a good bunch as well.  Our focus was on the setting up the Museum reception first as the Screening Auditorium still had a Native American Indians performance going on when we arrived.  (In case you are near Trenton, there is a very moving 9/11 exhibit there).  Our Producer, Tammy, Murph and Company got to work decorating and setting-up.  Balloons, bunting, table favors, Martinelli’s and food.  They also set up all the cool political campaign signs we collected over the years at the Museum Walkway.

The Reception was a great sight to see.  The space was decorated in Red, White and Blue and the place was packed.  We had some of our local politicians there, some of the Filipina Sisters from Villa Victoria Academy were there (and they got to meet Michael Steele) and there was a nice turnout by our fellow Trentonians, some Black Republicans from around the state and many people we had never met before. 

Just walking around the room, it felt like that Wedding Scene in GOOD FELLAS.  It was dizzyingly wonderful and at the speed of light.  We tried to say “hello” to as many people as possible.  Fortunately, two good friends made their way around the room and took a lot of pictures to capture the night.

Well, I now know what it is like at a “Movie Premiere” with a Star.  When Michael Steele entered the room, it was as if George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington and Frank Sinatra showed up at the same time.  All eyes turned his way.  It was gratifying to see so many people wanting to meet him.  (Especially the folks we knew from the “other side of the aisle.”)  Michael was gracious and warm with everyone, taking pictures and chatting with as many people as possible.  I wish we could have taken pictures of all the people taking pictures with Michael Steele.  Plenty of smiles all around.

Finally, it was time to walk the hundred feet or so to the Auditorium and finally screening our film.

Entering the “Big Room” even after Jamaal and I had set it up hours earlier, felt a lot different ten minutes before the PLAY button would be hit on the DVD player.  As nervous as I was up until this point, I was even more nervous now.  Fortunately, Michael pleasantly rejected my several offers to let him speak before the film.  We were better off just getting the movie started.   After Tammy’s Welcome and Introduction, I was happy to welcome and pay tribute to John Harmon (our Moderator for the Q&A) who is President & CEO of the New Jersey African American Chamber of Commerce and Zachary Chester (now Councilman for Trenton’s West Ward).  Both of these gentlemen were key in helping us get our film off the ground in ways they did not know until they saw the film this night.  BTW, both men are Democrats whom we have known for years.  Yes, we can all get along and help each other to succeed.

I finally got to also thank before our “hometown” crowd, our three integral Crew Members:  Jeff Metzner, Cinematographer; Jamaal Green, Camera and Assistant Editor; and Rob Fowler, Final Cut Pro Consultant and Assistant Editor.  Without all three of them and their contributions, our film would not be as it is today.   I still feel bad about dragging Jeff and Jamaal to New Orleans in August, but I know they had a good time.

As the Credits came up and Michael Steele’s RNC Chairman Election Speech played, I had a moment behind the stage to think about this entire journey and what would happen during the Q&A.  It has been special and thankfully, the rest of the night would be too.  After we pulled the table and chairs out for the Q&A, Tammy, Michael Steele and I spent at least an hour answering questions and hearing reactions to our film.  I’ll just say that we are very happy with how the audience took to the film and that Michael Steele rocked the house.  About halfway through, he took over the Q&A as some many of the questions were directed towards him (we were VERY happy about this).  The questions were thorough, challenging and well thought-out.  I learned a lot from the Q&A myself.  It was a great give-and-take with the audience and he had so much fun that he stayed well past his departure time.  Well past.  Michael is, as one Facebook friend (and hard-core Dem) said… “a Class Act.”

Eventually, the final end of the night would come and all would safely get home.  We wouldn’t be able to celebrate for too long as I had to leave for Portland, Oregon in a few days, but we did make sure to enjoy ourselves.  A night like this doesn’t come for every Filmmaker and this one is very happy it did in a little City by the Delaware River called Trenton.

Oh and the Trentonian had one last write-up on our night with Michael Steele.

Next up:  What Are The Chances (Part 3 of 3) or Apocalypse... Now?

What Are The Chances (Part 1 of 3)

The past four weeks have been an incredible journey for our film and for us.  As I write this, I am at 37,000 feet in a jet airplane over Northern California.  Hopefully, we land in San Francisco in one piece.   The Beastie Boys classic, LICENSE TO ILL, is cranking on my Kelly green I-pod. 

During the last few weeks, we have screened FEAR OF A BLACK REPUBLICAN in Buffalo NY, Rochester NY, our hometown of Trenton NJ with Michael Steele  and just last night at Portland State University in Portland OR.  These screenings in these cities could not have been more different, yet similar.   Most important in the bigger scheme of things, we've kept the ball moving and are building some momentum.

After a beautiful late fall drive to northwestern New York State, we finally arrived in a cold, raw Buffalo. In Buffalo, we found a city that was mainly indifferent to itself and to our film.  It was incredibly hard to gain any Media traction in Buffalo, which was surprising since it has a good-sized African American population.  We did well gaining interest and coverage in Buffalo’s main Black newspaper, The Challenger.  Unfortunately for them and us, their printing press broke down on the day of its issue (which had a 4-Star Review of our film).  Alright, it was some bad luck.  What can you do, right?

Buffalo gave us our first share of White hard-core Liberals who couldn’t wait for the Q&A to come, for the chance to have a good argument.  When the lights came up though, they were rather muted, with very few questions and no nasty comments.   Except one woman, who came in late and was very disappointed that our film wasn’t more like a Michael Moore film (apparently, she is a big fan).  And a man who wanted to know why I don’t start a third Party.  We don’t consider that an option for us.  We want our Republican Party to do better.  Soon.   All in all, the Republicans, Conservatives, Democrats, Independents and Liberals really liked the film.  Even if they weren’t sure that they would when they bought their ticket at our screening space, The Squeaky Wheel.

The Q&As were lengthy and informative both ways (as we want it to be).  We also learned that our film plays well for the intoxicated.  At one of our Buffalo screenings, we had a few guys show up who were definitely “three sheets to the wind.”   However, they were highly intelligent and still “got” the film.  Even though they had “beer goggles,” they enjoyed what they saw and got a lot from it. 

A big, tough lesson was learned in Buffalo:  If we don’t know someone in a place or have a “built-in” audience where we are screening, the going will not be easy at all.  At our level, we don’t have the budget or firepower to make the Media and their Viewers/Listeners/Readers take notice and hear/receive our message – then come out to see our film. 

In Rochester, we had a much different experience.  We had a great ally in Chaplain Ayesha Kreutz and a “built-in” audience - the Frederick Douglass Foundation of New York.  We also got a little bit more Media interest.  It took some work and extra personal appeals, but because we had some peeps in Rochester (unlike Buffalo), we got the big newspaper (the Chronicle & Democrat) to give us at least a mention and also scored a short radio interview with the big Conservative talk show host in town, Bob Lonsberry. 

As a result, the Rochester Screening went much better for the FOABR team.  The screening went great, the Q&A was excellent and we sold a higher than normal number of DVDs at the end. Also, we got a few invites to come back to Rochester in 2012.  If these invites come through, we are there.

Post-Buffalo, we got a nice review in the student newspaper, the UB SPECTRUM.  And we made the effort to go speak with the Occupation Buffalo folks (they are following us on Twitter).  We stopped by their encampment, at a traffic circle with a monument honoring President William McKinley (who was assassinated in Buffalo in 1901), across from Buffalo City Hall.  We wanted to get a sense where some of these “Occupation Wall Street” peeps are coming from.  We agreed to disagree on most points and were glad to offer some historical perspective to them on where things are today versus the year 1968.  1968 and the events that occurred during it can teach the OWS folks a lot on what they DON’T want their movement to become in the future.  IMHO. 

No matter what... being able to say that we have met with some of OWS folks bodes well in interviews, conversations, etc. in helping to explain to those on the "other side" that we are open-minded and non-partisan filmmakers.  The fact that we are who we are and don’t try to pretend to be something we aren’t is very effective.  As long as the “word of mouth” on our film keeps building… 2012 should be a very good year for FEAR OF A BLACK REPUBLICAN.  Cross your fingers…


Next: Parts #2 (Trenton and Michael Steele) and #3 (Portland, the College Republicans and the November 17th Riots).