Happy birthday, J ❤️ Thank you for being 1/3 of what brings this Breaktide dream team to life. Your bright energy, commitment to justice, and love for all things purple are just a few of the many things we admire about you. Thank you for everything you do to grow Breaktide and each of us individually with encouragement and a listening ear. In love, solidarity, and breaking tides — A&R
This #WCW we’re shouting out co-founder @reaapuri for co-directing and DP’ing @theescapistswebseries 📣 It’s a show about three best friends who chase their dreams and disappoint their families in the process. The creative team sees this series as a way for immigrant women to stop waiting for permission. “It’s time we boldly give ourselves permission to embrace our dreams, whatever those may be,” says writer-creator Saprina @rujutherebelsheep ⚡️ Their premiere sold out in less than 12 hours, which is HUGE! So on May 1st, they’re dropping the pilot on YouTube, and thousands are expected to watch. You tuning in for these brown girls? Head over to their link in bio & subscribe to their youtube page! ✊🏾❤️
#Behindthescenes co-founder @alexjbledsoe is out in Milwaukee, WI producing, directing and shooting the upcoming documentary, Heart Race @theheartrace
This #Femalefilmmakerfriday goes out to our brilliant co-founder @Jalena.kl Jalena just premiered a work in progress cut of her latest film, STANDING ABOVE THE CLOUDS 🌋 a story of native Hawaiian mothers and daughters standing for their sacred mountain, Mauna A Wakea. . Featuring @puacase @hawanemusic @kapuleifloress @leina_alawho @mehanaokala @ft.ulaula . Produced by @ambiespino • Consulting producer @seanmweiner • Additional photography @reaapuri • Assistant Editor @guccidavy
#TBT We produced 4 shoots in 3 cities in 5 days. On our only night off, we had so much fun with the @Nike and @go.bamproductions teams! Thank you for making this entire production so seamless and memorable.
I fell into producing through producing my own projects. My mom has produced my entire life (in all ways) and trained me to take things into my own hands and make what I wanted to see happen. Being raised in a family of activists, surrounded by WOC mentors, I knew that if I really wanted something done, I’d better do it or coordinate my community to get it done. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This was my first time as solely a producer on a doc-style project, and not a director-producer or DP-producer. It was such a great learning experience and I’m so grateful for my Breaktide team and @ambiespino who is my producer for @standingabovetheclouds and has taught me by example what it means to be a great producer. -@jalena.kl, Producer on the @nike shoots
Happy #FemaleFilmmakerFriday My love for the camera comes from my love for seeing the complexities and depth of humans. It’s wild that as a DP you can be quite removed from developing a verbal connection with the participants, but when you see them through the camera, you’re seeing these really intimate parts of them, you’re holding your gaze on them constantly, you’re feeling into their energy through your eyes. This is why concepts like the “male gaze” are so real, and undoing that through a decolonial (femme) lens is so crucial. I always think about the power and responsibility that comes with holding the camera. Beyond just its physical heaviness, it holds a lot of weight the moment you hit record. - @reaapuri, Director of Photography & Editor on the @nike project
As the director and executive producer on our @nike Black History Month project, I felt an immense responsibility to @hailethomas @keithxtaylor @ea_golightly @maiyakarin — and to viewers who would see themselves represented. I got to know each of them over the phone, across time zones, and sketch out the creative elements of bringing their stories to life. I wanted to highlight the timeless, universal elements of their movements while honoring their individual contexts. That means making Jamaican porridge with Haile, following Sharrod through Southwest Dekalb High School, running drills with Maiya at Cheney Stadium and shooting Keith on Nostrand Ave—while we talked about blackness, immigration, solidarity and multihyphenate creativity. We spent full, 12-hour days shooting with each of them—then had to edit each story under 60 seconds. All I can say is, they each deserve a feature-length doc and all of our continued support! As a director, when you’re dealing with this organic brilliance, you take a seat and take notes. —@alexjbledsoe
The Breaktide dream team. When we got the call for the @nike #UntilWeAllWin Black History Month project, we all cut short our holidays and flew in from Hawaii, Spain, and London to bring this project to life. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The campaign required our biggest crew (~40 people), and most intense multi-city activation (sleeping 2-5 hours each night), for our largest client to date. We’re still grateful to have been entrusted with this powerful project as a 1-year-old production company. The power of manifestation is real, y’all. Little-known fact about @alexjbledsoe @reaapuri & @jalenakeanelee : we all have very different personalities, but work really well together because we trust and respect one other. The nature of filmmaking is inherently collaborative, so finding a tight network of trusted collaborators with different skill sets is key. And it also helps if you genuinely love them, because best believe you’ll be working long hours under the sun together, or in our case here, in the freezing cold 🖤
Today, Haile is a certified Integrative nutrition health coach, youth health activist, international motivational speaker, and teen vegan chef. @hailethomas @amandalasponsored @nike @thehappyorg #untilweallwin #bhm #futurevarsity photo by @flongala
At age 12, Haile founded her own nonprofit, Healthy Active Positive Purposeful Youth (HAPPY), which equips young people with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to take their health in their hands, and gain the confidence to demand & embrace better quality nutritious food in their schools, homes, and communities. @hailethomas @amandalasponsored @nike @thehappyorg #untilweallwin #bhm #futurevarsity photo by @flongala
Maiya has a slight frame and a gentle presence, but exudes power that makes you wonder what drives her. When asked what she’s say to anyone underestimating a quiet force, she says: “Less talk, more action.” @maiyakarin @mooremaya @nike #untilweallwin #bhm #futurevarsity @prettygirlssweat @georgiastateuniversity Photo Credit: @flongala
It’s 7am in downtown Atlanta, and Maiya swings her legs out of bed, placing her feet directly into her running shoes. She starts her morning run before she’s even fully awake. Maiya is studying computer information systems and managerial sciences, but she doesn’t let her workload slow her down. In addition to being a full-time student, finishing her senior year at Georgia State University, she is also on the Georgia State University track and field and cross country teams. She’s best known for her outstanding times in the 800m. (Cont.) @maiyakarin @mooremaya @nike @nikewomen @jumpman23 #untilweallwin #futurevarsity
“Coming from Brooklyn, NY, I’m definitely a product of my city...I will always make my way back home.” -@keithxtaylor Photo by @flongala @keithxtaylor @we.are.inspo @ygtrece @jumpman23 @nike #untilweallwin #bhm #futurevarsity