Happy New Year!! It has been a great year for me (new dope job + new fantastic apartment) and I am looking forward to making 2011 even better! Thanks to my new position as Event Director at Brooklyn Bowl I get to spend the night with some of the people I love the most at a sold out concert by The Roots. They garnered 6 Grammy nominations this year, including Best Rap Album. It's gonna be a great night...

The Roots "How I Got Over" from Okayplayer on Vimeo.

I spoke to Ma Dukes yesterday and found out that Pa Dukes, Beverly Dewitt Yancey, Dilla's father and perhaps his greatest musical influence, is in the hospital in critical condition. Ma Dukes thinks if we can just help raise his spirits he could find the strength to recover. So I reached out to my friend Vlad from Global Grooves Collective and Laid Back Radio and he made Dewitt's track from his Doo Wop group The Ivies his record of the week. We are hoping people will check out the post and leave a comment as I will be forwarding the comments to Ma Dukes so she can read them to Dewitt in the hospital. For the full story behind the track check out my May 8, 2010 post. You can check out the song below and leave a comment here for me to forward to Ma Dukes

Or check out Vlad's post and some of the comments that people have already left from as far as Brazil, Italy and Serbia. If you love Dilla then take a second to let his family know how much they mean to us all. I had the pleasure of spending Mother's Day with the Yancey's, eating Pa Dukes ribs, listening to him tell me story after story and just hanging out watching TV with the family. All I can say is he is one of the best people I have ever had a chance to meet.

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and the video is awesome in it's simplicity...

Tiny Head by The Luyas from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.

I gain strength, courage and confidence everyday by your example. xx

My first day of work and who was there to greet me DJ Spinna and Soulive...I think I love my new job already...

We just got a fantastic new apartment and I got a new even more fantastic job as the Event Director at Brooklyn Bowl....

So basically....I got it Made

This past Sunday I attended the Errol Morris gala and screening of his new movie, Tabloid, as part of the DocNYC film festival. As I arrived at the theater the star of the film, Joyce McKinney, was outside in a wheelchair with one of her dogs protesting the film. I wasn't really sure what exactly she took issue with but she had signs that said Errol Morris hides the truth and was only outside the theater for about ten minutes before she headed off down the road. Later on, during the film, she could be heard from the back row occasionally yelling "lies!"

After the screening Thom Powers, the festival organizer, had a Q&A with Errol Morris that was seeming to wrap up when documentary filmmaker Judith Helfand yelled out from the crowd "where is Joyce now," to which Joyce replied " Joyce is right here" and she was invited to come up on stage and answer questions. Fortunately, in a room full of documentary filmmakers, someone filmed it and so you can see for yourself what was the most interesting Q&A I have ever witnessed.

DOC NYC is a new festival celebrating documentary storytelling in film, photography, prose and other media. The inaugural edition of the new DOC NYC film festival begins tomorrow and the line up for the festival looks fantastic. In addition to showing some fantastic documentaries both of my favorite documentary filmmakers will be showing their latest films at two different gala events. Werner Herzong's Cave of Forgotten Dreams 3D is showing tomorrow and Errol Morris' new film Tabloid screens Sunday at 7pm. Unfortunately Herzog's event is sold out but I snagged tickets for Caroline and I for Morris' event on Sunday. Errol Morris will be on hand for a Q&A and the festival is showing some of his other iconic films as well as a selection of episodes from his television show First Person. If you are in New York I highly suggest checking out the first edition of what is sure to be a landmark documentary film festival.

TheatreWorks recently celebrated their 40th anniversary and I was hired to shoot interviews with well known Broadway Actors and Directors for their gala celebration.
I got to interview Andrew Lippa, the musical creator of The Addams Family, Actor, Director, Playwright David Henry Hwang, star of the musical Memphis, James Inglehart, and the Creator of Memphis Joe Dipietro. Here is a sampling of some of the clips I shot and lit.

TheatreWorks from Dana Bartle on Vimeo.

This has been a pretty fantastic week. Many great things, including the fact that I am going in for a second interview next week at my dream job! So in my world all great events are followed by celebratory dance parties in the livingroom.

When I was a kid my Favorite show of all time was Solid Gold. When it was on I could be found dancing in front of the tv to the choreographed Solid Gold dancers and idolizing Marilyn McCoo. I was also completely in love with New Edition, I had their poster hanging on the ceiling of my bedroom and their records constantly playing on my plastic turntable. Then one day they were on Solid Gold and it was basically the best day of my life...

I found this tape in Doug E Fresh's collection. Circa 1992. I am hoping to return it to Mr. Walt soon.

A friend of mine discovered part of Doug E Fresh's record collection in a long forgotten brownstone on 162nd Street in Harlem. With his permission we moved them to another friend's basement in Brooklyn and I came along to document it...

Here is a selection of still photographs and video screen grabs from the shoot. My friend Jaime Labrija helped me out with another camera and a digital audio recorder. I really wanted to try and convey how incredibly dusty it was in the house so I am hoping we got some really great audio.

Doug E asked us to stop by his restaurant after the shoot. It's a chicken and waffles spot on 162nd & Adam Clayton Powell in Harlem called Doug E's (of course.) Then we drove the records to Brooklyn to store in a friends basement. We barely fit in the back of the van and were sitting on top of the records, but we managed to use a flashlight to dig while we drove. The basement turned out to be a hatch in the sidewalk that was about 15 feet tall, so we had to devise a trashcan pully system and lower the records crate by crate. By the time I got home it was 12 hours later I was covered in a thick layer of dust and carrying ten new records and some early 90's mixtapes. All in all it was a pretty unbelievable day. One of those days you are pretty sure you will never forget.

This Friday I get to film a certain hip hop icon's record collection. I love my job!

Raydar Ellis on the J Dilla Ensemble

Behind the scenes with the J Dilla Ensemble

This year my birthday will be made extra special as Ma Dukes and the J Dilla Foundation are coming to town and hosting a panel discussion on the legacy of J Dilla on my birthday!! I will be there with my crew filming and Ma Dukes, Q Tip and DJ Spinna will lead the discussion. There's even an after party when it's all finished...

Tues. 7/6 | Bodega Education Initiative:The Legacy of J Dilla
2pm-8pm . Brooklyn historical society .

The Bodega Education Initiative is a series of talks and discussions designed to create a space of dialogue between the diverse members of the Hip-Hop community. Attendees of BEI will receive a basis of knowledge on the history and content of Hip-Hop as seen through the pioneers and most intimate members of the culture. BEI will ultimately serve as a meeting point for all the different voices and perspectives within the Hip-Hop community: fans, artists, scholars, and practitioners in order to honor the history as well as add momentum to the culture.

This year’s BEI is dedicated to celebrating and understanding the life and music of the late J Dilla, one of the most influential Hip-Hop producers and composers of all time. In collaboration with The J Dilla Foundation, an organization founded by J Dilla’s mother and lifelong friend, Maureen Yancey. A day of panel discussions and seminars designed to explore intellectual and academic issues facing the myriad of content producers in the Hip-Hop space.

PANEL LIST

One on One with Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey and QTip
This panel will be an intimate talk to reveal the history and intricacies of J Dilla' life from those who knew and loved him the most.

Featured Speakers: Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey, QTip

Production and Composer Workshop
An in depth technical and musical analysis of Dilla's production. Open to all ages. Professionals and amateurs.

Roundtable Discussion
We will be joined by a host of Dilla's peers to discuss what it was like to create his classics.

Price: $10 (includes the After Party and a free drink on us)
Buy Tickets Here

Today would have been Curtis Mayfield's 68th birthday. In my universe he is one of the top five greatest musicians that ever lived. Here is Dilla's song Love from The Shining album, featuring Pharoahe Monch and a sample from Curtis' original group The Impressions song We Must Be In Love.

“Our purpose is to educate as well as to entertain.” Curtis Mayfield

Thought I would drop some great music on you for your long holiday weekend. This is from one of my favorite Detroit artists Big Tone's new album The Art of Ink. This is his second album and it is the first collection of songs entirely composed of Tone’s actual written poetry. You may recall Big Tone from the track It's Like That off of Dilla's (known then as Jay Dee) album Welcome To Detroit. Tone is an incredibly talented musician, emcee and producer in his own right though and this album really solidifies that. He's also the Director of New Initiatives at the J Dilla Foundation, so if you are looking to use Dilla's beats he's the guy to go to, and he just so happens to be one of the nicest people I have met in a minute. So go to iTunes, or Amazon or just click right here and buy the album you will seriously thank me. The album will cost you less than lunch so just buy it. This video was directed by Dwele and features L'Renee on the hook. Enjoy.

The first of many...Support the J Dilla Foundation

Questlove--The Drop from Dana Bartle on Vimeo.

Ma Dukes participated in a Healthcare Remix sponsored by the Service Employees Industry Union last July. Phife Dawg from Tribe Called Quest was a panelist as well having just had a kidney transplant due to complications from Diabetes. The SEIU was kind enough to donate the footage to the film so I uploaded a short clip to the website...

Raise It Up For Ma Dukes--Healthcare Remix Clip from Dana Bartle on Vimeo.

I redesigned the website for Raise It Up For Ma Dukes today even though it's 75 degrees and sunny outside my window and I haven't stopped working since I got back from Detroit. But I have a picture of the Yancey's above my computer in my editing suite that drives me to keep going. I just got off the phone with Mr. Harry Mackie, the former manager of The Ivies, Mr. Yancey's Doo Wop group. He is so thrilled that their hit Sunshine is being played all around the world now thanks to our good friend Vlada Stojanovic at Global Grooves Collective and Laid Back Radio.

Blind Faith, a film I co-directed as a member of Profluence Productions, is screening today at 3pm at the Limelight Film Festival in Edmonton. So if you are in the area stop by and show your support!

Blind Faith--clip from Dana Bartle on Vimeo.

I spent all day yesterday with the Yancey's. Just sitting around their kitchen table absorbing all the great stories they had to share. It was my first time meeting Dilla's father, Beverly Dewitt Yancey, he was probably the single most influential person in Dilla's musical development. Both he and Ma Dukes had numerous musical groups over the years from their gospel group Positive Force, to their after church group they liked to call the Attitude Adjustment which included a 10 year old Dilla playing snare drum, to their Jazz and Gospel group The Larks, which they just sang with not two years ago. But Mr. Yancey's first group was a Doo Wop group called The Ivies. They were four long time friends from Detroit who sang 4 part harmony, Dewitt being the Tenor. They played together for 25 years and were the halftime group for the Harlem Globetrotters for many years. The Ivies only recorded two songs in 1958 in New York City at the Ed Sullivan Studio for Ivy Records. They are long out of print but you can find a CD Doo Wop compilation called The Best of Ivy and Hanover Records on Amazon and the Ivies are on track 11 Sunshine and track 12 Come On. My Yancey played the CD for me yesterday and his face just lit up as we all sat and listened.

When I came back to my hotel room I somehow found a copy of the song online and posted it on Twitter and Facebook. Then my friend Vlada Stojanovic from the Global Grooves Collective and Laidback Radio in Brussels contacted me and asked if I could send him the track so he could feature it on his radio show. I was already so excited to get back to the Yancey's today and tell Dewitt the news, and then this morning I found a copy of the original 45 The Ivies recorded all those years ago at Ed Sullivan Studios and now I can't wait to get there and give it to him.

Headed to Detroit to spend a week with Ma Dukes and shoot some footage for Raise It Up For Ma Dukes and it's got me thinking about the history and culture of Detroit. Now a days when you hear about Detroit the media seems to equate the collapse of the auto industry to the collapse of the city.When I tell people I am making a film in Detroit they make jokes about it being such a terrible city that I wonder if any of them have actually ever visited. The Detroit that I visit is a fantastic city and the people are so warm that I love coming back. There is so much culture and history alive in that city that I am often amazed that people don't see the motor city that way.

As I get ready to head to the city that I love so much I thought I would leave you with a piece of history that I think shows the importance and the resonance of Detroit's culture. Of course we all know about Detroit's rich musical history from Motown to Techno, from John lee hooker to The White Stripes, the city is alive with music. Dilla was a student of music and he is well known for incorporating everything he could get his hands on to create his sound. But just like Motown, the Sound of Young America in the 60's, Dilla is both a product of and an agent within the unique, and distinctively urban, cultural landscape of Detroit. It is impossible to understand an intellectual or an artist without understanding their formation. The cultural history of Detroit is just as much a part of Dilla as it was of every artist who hailed from that city before or since.

So back to Motown. On July 23, 1967, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were performing at the historic Fox Theater when they were alerted to the fact that a riot had erupted in Detroit. They addressed the audience telling them to get home safely and they ended the concert. They left Detroit and traveled to Newark, NJ arriving just as the 1967 riots erupted there as well. Eventually they finished their tour in London where they were asked if Dancing in the Streets was a call to riot to which Martha Reeves replied "My Lord, it is a party song." Of course the song was a party song, even today it's infectious and makes you want to jump up and dance. But one year later at the Chrysler plant in the Hamtramck section of Detroit, a group called the Detroit Revolutionary Union Movement, a group a black auto workers who formed a union to fight for the needs of black autoworkers, which were being overlooked by the larger union, it was Dancing in The Streets that blared in the parking lot as DRUM members staged a picket in the parking lot. Sure the song was written as a party song, but "Dancing in the Street" performed in the eye of Detroit's worst urban uprising and again as workers fought for their rights could no longer be seen as just a party song. The song was a symbol of a time when people could use the streets to dance but also to gather, march and struggle for a better life. Detroit has given us a lot, and to love Dilla is to love Detroit.

In the Works: Eerie "Inn," Crude Story, Quiet Hunt, Immigrant Mess, Microloan Impact & Raise It Up For Ma Dukes

By Brian Brooks and Basil Tsiokos (Updated 13 hours, 58 minutes ago)

In the Works: Eerie “Inn,” Crude Story, Quiet Hunt, Immigrant Mess, Microloan Impact & Hip Hop “Ma”

Director Ti West in front of the The Yankee Pedlar Inn where he's currently filming "The Innkeepers." Image courtesy of Dark Sky Films.

This week in our production column, ‘In the Works’, indieWIRE checks in with Ti West – the maker of recent horror smash “The House of the Devil” – about his new project, “The Innkeepers,” then takes a look at a number of documentaries with crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter.

EDITORS NOTE: “In the Works” is a weekly column taking a look at upcoming films, in addition to projects in production. It spotlights films in development, as well completed films that are taking creative paths towards distribution and occasionally ventures away from films to look at other types of projects, such as interesting new film distribution, funding, or exhibition mechanisms.

“The Innkeeper”

Director Ti West unexpectedly found the story for his newest film in the hotel he stayed in while shooting his previous film, “The House of the Devil.” He’s returning to the Connecticut inn for “The Innkeepers,” inspired by unexplainable occurences during their stay.

“We stayed here during ‘House of the Devil’ and all this crazy shit happened,” West told iW. “So, it’s allegedly haunted. It’s weird stuff and I must say I’m a skeptical person, but the lights would turn on and off on their own and even the TV turned on by itself.” Employees told West that they believe one of the ghosts in residence at the hotel, called “The Yankee Pedlar Inn,” is a woman who committed suicide there after being stood up at her wedding.

West, who penned “The Innkeepers” following “Devil,” began production this week with Dark Sky Films. The film stars Sara Paxton (“Last House on the Left”) as the lead, and the cast includes Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis, and George Riddle, among others.

“The Innkeepers” follows the story of two employees working in a haunted hotel before it goes out of business after a century-plus in existence. According to Dark Sky Films, the plot centers on “the last remaining clerks, Claire (Paxton), a twenty-something that has come to terms with her lot in life, and Luke (Healy), a computer-smart loner, are convinced that the hotel is haunted and are determined to prove it. As time ticks down to the final days of operation, mysterious guests check in including Leanne Rease-Jones (McGillis), a former TV actress turned psychic, and an old man insistent on staying in room 353. As several strange occurrences begin to add up, both Claire and Luke must make the crucial decision on what to believe and what not to believe…”

West will work with much of the same crew who worked on “Devil.” He said that after they saw the script, they were eager to work with him again on “The Innkeepers.”

“They were all on board to do it,” said West. “They saw the script and said [to me], ‘We know this film, we can do this…’”

Continuing, West added, “I’m still skeptical about all this stuff and I’m still not sure if I believe it, but there was a lot that happened when we stayed here and if it continues, I might have to be a convert.”

More projects

“Oil in the Family”

Logline: “Oil in the Family” follows filmmaker Jon Goldman in his attempt to understand his family’s connection to the oil industry and the classic 1948 documentary film “Louisiana Story.” Using Robert J Flaherty’s final masterpiece as a touchstone, Goldman returns to his bayou roots sixty years later and discovers the price of progress on the land and its people.

The team: Jon Goldman, Director/Producer; Ed Slattery, Cinematographer; Bill Lattanzi, Writer; Daniel Neiden, Co-Producer; Roger Day, Co-Producer; Kevin McCaffrey, Producer; Jean Dunoyer, Editor; Nicole Guillemet, Advisor; Jay Spain, Producer

“Raise It Up for Ma Dukes”

A scene from Dana Bartle’s “Raise It Up for Ma Dukes.” Image courtesy of the filmmaker.

Logline: When celebrated hip-hop producer J Dilla was struck by Lupus, his mother, Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey, sacrificed everything to help him. After his death, she lost her home and her life savings, and is forced to fight for her son’s estate, even as she herself combats the same disease that took her son’s life.

The team: Dana Bartle, Director/Producer/Cinematographer; Jude Ray, Executive Producer; Greg Boas, Editor; Jeremy Deputat, Cinematographer; OUTLAW KOPPS, Animators; Michael “task” Hudson, Photographer/Graphics

About the film: Director Dana Bartle has been a fan of J Dilla since the early ‘90s, recognizing his work producing for celebrated musicians including A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, The Roots, Common, Erykah Badu, Janet Jackson, and Busta Rhymes. While Dilla kept to the background during his life, his early death brought him media attention, and introduced Bartle to his mother and her role in caring for her son both physically and financially in his last years, and its continuing aftermath. She explains her motivation for making the documentary: “The bond that J Dilla and Ma Dukes shared throughout his career and his illness is an aspect of hip hop culture that is rarely examined.”

Current status: Principal photography is scheduled to begin in September. A Kickstarter campaign is currently underway to raise the $5,000 needed to complete the trailer, which includes footage from a benefit party for Ma Dukes hosted by Questlove of the Roots.

For more information and to support the film: http://kck.st/cn3dnr. As with all Kickstarter campaigns, the filmmakers will not receive any donations unless they meet their fundraising goal of $5000 by their May 11th deadline.

Also currently In the Works:

Faith-based urban drama “I’m in Love with a Church Girl,” directed by Steve Race and written by Galley Molina, recently announced the addition of Stephen Baldwin, Vincent Pastore, Michael Madsen, Michael Rivera, and T-Bone to the cast already featuring Ja Rule and Adrienne Bailon (from the “Cheetah Girls”). The production is scheduled to begin principal photography on May 13, and is the first feature from Reverence Gospel Media, a new independent production company specializing in developing and producing faith-based films and other media. “Church Girl,” based on Molina’s life, focuses on a former high level drug trafficker who has gone legit but struggles to keep on the right side of the law, and the relationship with the titular figure who helps him find redemption.

Last week IndieWIRE contacted me and asked if they could feature my film Raise It Up For Ma Dukes in their column In The Works, which highlights films in production to watch. The article will be published this Thursday, April 29th!

The column was just launched at the beginning of April and they have featured some great films from some heavy hitters in my industry including Ted Hope, Producer of Adventureland, 21 Grams, American Splendor and The Devil and Daniel Johnston, as well as Paul Rachman, Director of American Hardcore and some ladies I know, Academy Award nominated filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady who Directed Jesus Camp and Boys of Baraka.

For those of you who are not familiar with IndieWIRE it is the leading news, information, and networking site for independent-minded filmmakers, the industry and moviegoers alike, indieWIRE launced on July 15, 1996.

Winner of the Webby Award for best film website, indieWIRE was lauded as a "must read" by Variety, branded the "online heartbeat of the world's independent film community" by Forbes, and dubbed "best indie crossroads" by film critic Roger Ebert.

Aside from all of that it is run by four of my favorite New Yorkers, Eugene Hernandez, James Israel, Peter Knegt and Brian Brooks. The In The Works column is written by Brian Brooks and Basil Tsiokos, another one of my favorite Manhattanites, who is, among other things, the Programming Associate of Documentary Features for the Sundance Film Festival. Thank you guys so much for considering me and for always being so supportive of my career!!

If you love J Dilla chances are you love B+. Former photo editor of the since departed Rap Pages, frequent contributor to Wax Poetics and co-founder of Mochilla, B+ was also a close personal friend of J Dilla and the Yancey family. Since I began working on my film I have had the pleasure to speak to B+ and ask him to be the Director of Photography for Raise it Up For Ma Dukes. His talent is pretty much unsurpassed in my mind. Looking at his photos of J Dilla you get a much better sense of who Dilla was than any of the myriad mixtapes and tributes that have come out in the four years since his death. Since Dilla's passing be has continued to be one of the Yancey family's champion supporters so it should come as no surprise that his latest project includes a tribute to J Dilla.
After an incredibly succesful premiere at SXSW, Mochilla is taking their film series Timeless on tour. The second film in the series celebrated the music of J.Dilla. Composed and arranged for a 60 piece Orchestra by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson feat. special guests Bilal, Dwele, Posdnuos, Talib Kweli and more. This premiere performance is still on the minds of many. Mixed and mastered by legendary Grammy award winning producer/mixer, Bob Power. The man behind hundreds of pop and jazz recordings for such artists as Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest and more, he had also worked with Dilla while he was alive. Hiphop has never sounded or looked like this, welcome to a new era, a new scale and a new sound. Part of the proceeds of all Suite for Ma Dukes performances and recordings will go towards Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey and the heirs to the Dilla Estate.

Instead of showing all three films back to back or indeed making a screener edit of all three films, we will be doing something historic. At certain screenings J.Rocc, of the World Famous Beat Junkies and also maybe the greatest DJ on the planet right now, will be DJing all three films, using the latest Serato technology. J.Rocc will be manipulating the films using vinyl on turntables to control the hi-res film files, creating an amazing megamix of all three films. (see the sneak peek here) This, as far as we know, has never been done to premiere a film or indeed a series of films ever.

The screenings will be followed by Q&A w/ B+, Eric Coleman and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson,
with after-party to follow, J.Rocc as the main guest DJ.

For more info go to http://mochilla.com/timelesstour

So my brother and sister in law came to visit this weekend which was great because they are two of my favorite people and I don't get to see enough of them. It pretty much rained the whole time but we had fun running around Brooklyn. We checked out the Brooklyn Flea Market on Sunday and my brother tried on a ridiculous Warriorsesque nylon jacket with offsetting ascot that his wife declared fit for Halloween. My sentiments exactly. Then we went out that night and had some drinks and he became obsessed with having me look up this Burt Reynolds movie on IMDB that he couldn't remember the name of because he swore the jacket was cool and somehow Burt Reynolds wearing one in 1983 was going to prove that fact to me. Of course my iPhone wasn't cooperating so he is getting no confirmation. Until today when we all go out for one last meal and the internet cooperates and we find the movie poster only wait a minute...Burt's jacket was cooler says my brother and with that he stops lamenting buying the jacket noone liked that was two sizes too small. So I thought I would post the trailer from the movie in homage to the weekend when a youtube search turns up this video made by Lovage entitled Stroker Ace and I realize that the hot singer in the video is my friend Jennifer Charles from Elysian Fields. So as much as Burt's jacket is swell Bill and who doesn't love an early 80's moustache, this feels so serendipitous that I had to post it. Lovage is made up of Jennifer Charles, Dan the Automator, Mike Patton and Kid Koala. Enjoy.

Raise it up for ma Dukes was just accepted as a Kickstarter project! Kickstarter is a new website, actually still in BETA so I was very fortunate to have been chosen, that uses the Web to match aspiring artists with individuals who are willing to chip in a few dollars toward their projects. Unlike similar sites that simply solicit donations, patrons on Kickstarter get an insider’s access to the projects they finance, and in most cases, some tangible memento of their contribution. It's basically like micro-patronage. We can't all afford to fund an entire project, but who can't afford $5 especially when I am offering rewards for all sized donations! Just check out my project page to see what it is all about. You can also see a short clip of raw footage from the film on the site and track the number of backers I receive as well as the amount of donations. It really brings everyone into the filmmaking process.
So please take a second and check out my Kickstarter profile by clicking here

If you want to find out more about Kickstarter in general check out this great article about the platform in the New York Times.

Please help me spread the word and as always thank you all for your support. I woudl not be able to make this film without all of your love and support!

I recently started teaching a Documentary film class to high schoolers at the Urban Assembly Music Academy www.uamusicandart.org. A little about the UAMA, it is the only arts-focused public high school that does not require special auditions or portfolios for application, believing that any student will benefit from arts education. Last year was the schools first year and every student who applied for college was accepted. It is truly a remarkable place with a remarkable vision.

The school was able to get some equipment to teach the class but we could really use some microphones, a tripod or two and most importantly some cameras. I know some of us have smaller inexpensive cameras that we use as decks or maybe a small camera that you just don't use anymore. If you have any extra equipment or you know of anyone who may have some extra equipment please get in touch with me off list at danabartle@gmail.com The school has 501c3 status so you will get a tax break and an immense and heartfelt thank you from me and my students.

Our final film will be screened at the school's graduation ceremony and I would be more than happy to invite anyone who donated to the screening. This is a way to make a real difference in the education of some very eager and talented kids who without this equipment may not get a chance to see what filmmaking is really all about.

This will be the first Documentary film class that the school has offered so I can't show you examples of our film work as of yet, but I can show you another example of just how creative the students at the UAMA can be. At last years graduation ceremony, in the wake of the news of Michael Jackson's passing, the kids threw together this MJ tribute with only one early morning sound check as a rehearsal...

My friends at Frank 151 published an article today about Raise it up for Ma Dukes and my efforts to raise the funds to complete the film. Thanks for the love family! Photos by task.

Raise It Up For Ma Dukes - The Quest To Complete A Film

DanaDilla-23web
Brooklyn filmmaker Dana Bartle is working on a documentary about J Dilla's mother Maureen Yancey (AKA Ma Dukes) entitled Raise It Up For Ma Dukes.

As our readers know, in 2006 celebrated hip-hop producer J DIlla died from Lupus. Without health insurance, his mother Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey mortgaged her home and life savings to help save her beloved son. In 2008 she lost her home, and learned that her son's estate would be turned over to the government due to the overwhelming debt brought on by his disease. Today Ma Dukes is not only fighting for her son's estate, she is also fighting the same disease that took her son. Raise it up for Ma Dukes will explore this fight, and serve to inform the world of Ma Dukes' cause. Unfortunately, Raise It Up For Ma Dukes is not yet complete. The film is in need of funds to assure completion.

A couple of weeks back, Frank's New York Kings were a part of the annual Donuts Are Forever event in Brooklyn. The crew Raise It Up For Ma Dukes was there to shoot, and build a chapter in their quest to get their film made. Check out the website Raiseitupformadukes.com to learn how you can contribute to the completion of this film. See pictures taken at their shoot/Donuts Are Forever after the jump.

I have some incredibly exciting news. I almost can't believe it myself! Last week I had the pleasure to meet Billy McDonough,the President of Liberty Travel. My good friend Alexandra Barker, Specialist Business Leader of Liberty Travel was dining with him and she mentioned that I was working on my first feature. Of course I had some postcards on hand that I passed around and we started chatting about the progress of the film. I explained to them that I was fundraising to secure the funds to travel to Detroit and hire a crew to finish shooting the trailer so i could come back and raise the rest of the money to complete the film. Billy started asking me some very pointed questions and less than five minutes later informed me that Liberty Travel would be providing me with travel sponsorship to and from Detroit! I honestly couldn't believe it, it all happened so quickly that I thought maybe I was dreaming.

Until today when I got an email from Alex confirming that Liberty Travel is more than happy to donate my airfare and hotel accommodations. I was honestly floored and thought this meant that they would take care of my travel needs for one trip to go to Detroit and finish the trailer...and then they informed me that they would be sponsoring my travel for more than one trip! I truly feel as though I have hit the lottery! I have said it a million times but I have the best friends and support system that anyone could ask for! So from the bottom of my heart I just want to say Thank You one more time to Alexandra Barker and Billy McDonough. I am not sure what I have done to deserve such an incredible gift but thank you.

And on behalf of Ma Dukes, let's Raise It Up for Liberty Travel!!

Tomorrow is the big day, RAISE IT UP FOR MA DUKES officially goes into production and thanks to my incredible roster of friends I have assembled a fantastic crew for the first shoot. I feel honored to have so many great people on my team! Greg Boas and Peter Lau will be shooting the event, Jenile Brooks will be help out as a production assistant and task will be taking still photographs. Ma Dukes will be introduced at midnight, the anniversary of Dilla's birthday, and Questlove will perform immediately following her introduction. There are a lot of great people who will be surprising everyone by stopping through and it should be a really amazing event. Oh yeah, and Jimmy Fallon is shouting out the show tonight on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon so I am pretty sure there will be an enormous turnout. Anyway thanks family for all of your support...I couldn't have done it without you.

I just finished building a new website for the film so please check it out and spread the word! www.raiseitupformadukes.com I was fortunate enough to have some great friends help me out in the process, proofreading and editing the film description on the site. While a very special friend of mine task created a fantastic original graphic for the site and the marketing materials. We will be working on some original merchandise to use to help raise money to make the film, and I will have more to come on that soon. For now, thanks for all the support and please spread the word about the film and the website. I begin production on Saturday so hopefully I will be able to upload a clip for everyone to see in the next month.

For those of you who have never had the privilege of meeting Ma Dukes and who may not know how incredibly amazing she really is I thought I'd post one of Dilla's videos that she appears in. The video was shot only a few months before Dilla passed and just a few days after he was released from the hospital. Ma Dukes was never far from Dilla's side and at the time this video was created he was in rough shape. She was sitting on the bench keeping him company until his part was to be filmed and when it came time to shoot he told her to stay put...

As many know, Ma Dukes has withstood a long, frustrating legal battle with the Dilla Estate, administrated by a Los Angeles law firm, fighting since the Fall of 2006 for rights to her own son’s name and likeness, even for non-profit projects (the original incarnation of the J Dilla Foundation was forced into hiatus just months after its inception in 2006, the same year as his death). Finally, more than 3 years later, the Yancey family is pleased to report the re-structuring of the Dilla Estate with a new legal consult head in Los Angeles, and full cooperation of the Estate with the Foundation. In addition to suffering the stresses of the Estate and Foundation battles, Ma Dukes herself has been struggling physically with the same disease, Lupus, from which her son fell to, so this victory for her and the entire family is twice a relief.

The J Dilla Foundation will be comprised of a qualified and diverse team executing a range of both community and youth music programs, mentorships, partnerships with accredited music curricula with focus on Hip Hop, as well as a scholarship program. Parker states that there will be an annual university music scholarship awarded to one or more students attending schools with progressive music programs such as Berklee College of Music, Columbia University and the University of Michigan, among others.

The J Dilla Foundation also has an amazing Sound Board consisting of the cadre of musicians, producers, MCs and DJs that worked closely with Jay Dee over the course of his shortened, yet prolific, career. Not only will this crew provide insightful and inspiring sound bites about the music of J Dilla, but they will also serve as the other half of the committee that will judge J Dilla Foundation music scholarship submissions from applicants. This aspect of the Foundation indeed makes for a truly interactive operation, bridging the gap between the “real” or “street” sector and academia in music development. Notable members of the J Dilla Foundation Sound Board include acclaimed artists such as ?uestlove of The Roots, Erykah Badu, Q-Tip & Phifedawg of A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, Pete Rock, Dwele, T3 of Slum Village, Big Tone, Madlib, DJ HouseShoes, J Rocc & Rhettmatic of The Beat Junkies, Peanutbutter Wolf of Stones Throw Records, the Mochilla crew, and more.

As many of you know I am in the process of launching a new full service production company with my partners Michael Jacoby and Michael Hudson. What makes us unique is that we produce all aspects of each project in house with our own equipment, including a full recording studio. We have over ten years experience working in film and can create any type of media our clients may need and the best part is we do it all ourselves. Michael Jacoby and I are in charge of all aspects of video production including directing, producing, editing, shooting and writing. Our films have won many awards at various film festivals and gone on to air on the Sundance Channel, the Documentary Channel and PBS. We have also produced television commercials, short films, podcasts and web video content for dozens of clients. While Michael Hudson is the company's Art Director and computer genius handling all aspects of web design, animation and graphic design.

At the moment we are building our website and given that we all have so many portfolio pieces and great press it will take some time to get the website to where we want it to be. For now you can check out Michael Jacoby's work at LookOUt Films and at www.MichaelJacobyOnline.com or check out his latest documentary at http://www.10moregoodyears.com My documentary film work is still available at my personal site DanaBartle.com and my corporate film reel can be viewed at my Vimeo page . You can also keep up to date on my forthcoming feature, Raise it Up, at the film's website. Michael Hudson is creating some great graphics for the site that should be up sometime next week and look for some great merchandise available soon on the website as well. I begin production this week and will be updating my blog with news about the film. Oh yeah, one last thing, The Atlantic City Press has contacted me about doing another feature article on me and I will keep you posted as to when that will be published.

Here is our company's latest project. A short film about famed architect Robert AM Stern, Dean of the Yale School of Architecture and the designer of many famous buildings including the Dakota, 15 Central Park West and The George Bush Library. This film was created for the launch of a new residential project he is designing outside of Monticello.

As we all know a very serious earthquake struck Haiti last week causing utter devastation. For some of us that devastation was very personal. One of our most beloved staff members at Il Buco, our Sous Chef Harding, is Haitian and he has many family members in Haiti who are hurt and who lost everything in the aftermath. Harding has worked at IlBuco for ten years and anyone who has ever had the pleasure of knowing him can attest he is quite simply one of the best human beings you will ever meet. He is kind beyond explanation and his generosity knows nobounds. As we all struggled to find a way to help Harding and his family we decided to create this page to reach out to anyone who has ever enjoyed a meal at Il Buco to make a very personal donation. Harding's mother and aunt had their houses leveled as a result of the earthquake and they, like all Haitians, are struggling to survive at this very moment. We are trying to raise as much money as possible in the next 30 days so we can send this money to Harding's family so that they can rebuild their lives. Please find it in your hearts to help a man who never asks for anything and who gives all of us so much.

MAKE A DONATION HERE
100% of the proceeds will go directly to Harding's family in Haiti

On February 6th 2010 the third annual Donuts are Forever benefit concert is being held at the Bell House in Brooklyn, NY to raise money for the J Dilla Foundation. Both the Bell House and the event's promoter Rare Form NYC have agreed to let me film the event for my forthcoming feature documentary Raise it Up For Ma Dukes. I just want to say thank you to the Bell House and to Rare Form, particularly Eric Raphael, for being so incredibly helpful in coordinating what is going to be a dope event.

J Dilla Changed My Life

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