What I’m working on

So, I’ve been sorta secretive about all of this, but as we’ll start doing announcements on Friday, may as well come out about it now.

This year I had planned on just staying low and local, watching showing some films, playing some music, that sort of thing.
It’s…not exactly working out that way.

Global Soul Media has been brought on to market a new documentary that airs on PBS next month, and will be available on DVD shortly afterwards. It’s a great documentary called “For Love Of Liberty”, which tells the story of African American war veterans in all of the US’s wars. The documentary is hosted by Halle Berry, narrated by Avery Brooks, and is intrduced by General Colin Powell. No, seriously. THAT General Colin Powell. It’s a 4 hour documentary that will be played over two days on PBS, and has voice-overs features dramatic readings from John Amos, Angela Bassett, Tom Berenger, Roscoe Lee Browne, LeVar Burton, Anthony Chisholm, Chris Cooper, Barry Corbin, Bill Cosby, Peter Coyote, Walter Cronkite, Robert Culp, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Michael Clarke Duncan, Charles S. Dutton, Robert Duvall, Sam Elliott, R. Lee Ermey, Oded Fehr, Morgan Freeman, James Garner, Mel Gibson, Danny Glover, John Goodman, Louis Gossett Jr., Isaac Hayes, Dulé Hill, Ice-T, Asante Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Eriq LaSalle, Delroy Lindo, Jesse L. Martin, Harold Perrineau Jr., Jonathan Pryce, Alan Rickman, Cliff Robertson, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Susan Sarandon, Ron Silver, John Spencer, Donald Sutherland, Melissa Tang, Larenz Tate, Gordon Tootoosis, Robert Townsend, John Travolta, Glynn Turman, Blair Underwood, Courtney B. Vance, Isaiah Washington, Al White, Lambert Wilson, Alfre Woodard, and Jeffery Wright.

We’re screening the documentary (not the whole 4 hours, but you know, the major parts) in Los Angeles with US Veterans, Inc., the US Army, and a couple of other great sponsors. The media partner for the event is TheBlackBoxOffice.com. Our host(ess) for the event is Congresswoman Maxine Waters! This is a dream project and I’m beyond excited about working on it. It’s been taking up a lot of my time this month, and I’ll really be happy to see people’s reaction to the film.

The experiential marketing work for the event is going very well. We have an actual honor guard at the screening, representing all four branches of service, and there will be an exhibit of actual artifacts and memorabilia from all American wars from The Civil War to Iraq. This is a unique look at African American contributions to this country’s military legacy. Fascinating stuff.

This film has been seen by a small number of people, but of those people, I have signed letters of approval and endorsement from George Lucas (!) and Senator John McCain, both praising the film and offering their help in promoting it.

The rest of the story for me on this film is that it’s lead some really interesting high level conversations with senior officials in the military. When the screenings and TV stuff is done, this film will be part of the Veterans Administration’s push to address lots of issues affect veterans and their families. That’s really important as the country shifts gears to focus on Afghanistan. the Iraq War veterans need help and support.

Now that’s a project that I could basically deal with exclusively all year and not do anything else. but that’s not how I work.

I’m also working on new websites, including one for a new independent film being done in Detroit and one fo r our Indie Film Lounge event series.

AND.

This will come as a surprise to no one who knows me, but I’ve also been working with Sony Music Japan on a strategy to introduce Crystal Kay to the US market. Besides being a fan of hers, I really believe the time is right to get her some exposure in the US. So we’re working to get her an agent in the states. We have a really cool social/traditional media plan to address her current fan base in the US, and gain her new fans, and sell some records in the process! There’s a remix album that’s been relaeased in Japan, a video compilation, and all that’s left is some English language exclusives to be released here to introduce you to her and give you an idea of her range. She’s got a great role in a Japanese TV series, and those recordings will help as well.

I’m currently looking to get her some modeling work in the states, because she’s a great looking girl…and that’s really going to help.

I also went to see one of the largest brands in the Charlotte NC area to discuss social media, branding, and augmented reality. It was the best series of meetings I’ve ever had. They were very receptive to the ideas I presented, and had some great, challenging questions, that I hadn’t anticipated, but answered to the best of my knowledge. They’ve been talking about our meeting since I left, so it looks like come Q2, I’ll be working with the clothing retail business again.

Mobile Soul returns in 2010 with a monthly series feature called “Double-O Soul”, a retrospective mix series with some independent and underground classics from the past ten years or so.

The announcements will be all about our clients and less about us, because that’s how I like to do it. I keep the focus in house about getting the work done, and not about photo ops. Except for photo ops with Halle. Ya gotta forgive me for those.