Capitol 1 Final 4

2018 

The fellas, Randy Fletcher, Spike(director) & Samuel on the set of a Cap 1,NCAA Final 4  commercial. We doing commercials at Pinewood Studios,(now Trilith Studios). Finally! 
After years of being ignored by advertising agencies.. This day I was working as the 1st black Field Rep for IA Local 479, but this was a personal visit to show support to my brother filmmakers, it was not union work related.
After many years of great filmmaking, we finally get to work on Big Budget commercials.

Krystal Burger in Little 5 Points

This is Bruce Lane filming & me doing locations for Krystal Burgers, in Little 5 Points.We also went to Chattanooga TN (former Corporate home) to film some of their commercials. I love those little Krystal burgers. And Krystal gave Samuel L.Jackson his 1st Atlanta commercial job. The cast him in Krystal commercial, in 1972.

Leo Burnett Advertising

Searched all of Atlanta for a very special Front Door for  Leo Burnett Chicago.
1 door in a photo, and only THAT specific door is what we had to find.
Found it in Peactree City neighborhood.
Our Still photo shoot that took over the whole neighborhood for this advertising campaign. Needs were the usual, permits, cops, contracts, bathrooms, parking, neighbors and I got to help with crew hires. 

Adidas Golf Commercial

Druid Hills Golf Club was the location during the  PGA Tour Championship.
Interviews were the top golfers of the tour.
It was very nostalgic filming here. My grandmother , Whitman Ogletree worked here for 20 years back in the 1960's. She was the "Towel Lady" & assorted other jobs.As a child I was often in the car when my mother picked her up at the front door. And she was the Only employee allowed to enter & exit the front door because of the Towel Ladies "unique duties

George Clooney & Robert Rodriguez 

A big shoot in 2007 with George Clooney & Robert Rodriguez director, for  Martini. Radical Media was the production company. We only had George for 4 hours so we had to be ready & get it right the 1st time.
Remind me to tell you the story of getting a pop-up tent for George to change wardrobe in.

Georgian Terrace Hotel

With George Clooney.
We turned the
Georgian Terrace Hotel into a fancy hotel at the Cannes Film Festival in France. 
Loved this commerical, thanks Helen.

Clooney & The Bull

This statue of a Bull was the center piece of the commercial. Great concept & a great job. Link is below.

https://www.radicalmedia.com/work/martini-el-toro-bianco

Adidas New Media Event

 An experience. Sometimes we get to do locations for corporations that are not filmed for TV, but for the new the new media, social media, websites & such.
This was an event with attendees invited through social media contacts only. Cool art work by local artists, music & food were highlighted.All while wearing your Adidas shoes or attire.

Passing Glory

1998
My 1st TV movie job after leaving the Film Commission. 

Working with legendary actor, Andre Braugher.
Also Rip Torn was a classic vet & had great stories. Director Steve James was a creative pleasure to work with. I told him stories & he cast me in the movie in a scene with Thomas Bird & Bill Nunn!

All my friends,Bill Nunn, Thomas Byrd, Randy Fletcher, Karen Davis, Jim Hawkins, Tim Barrett, were on the show, so that was cool.And I got to act in a scene with Andre, Bill Nunn & Thomas Byrd. 
But physically, I was not at full strength. Sitting in an office for 8 years had taken it's toll. Mike Riley gave me the job & it was physically tough. 
I knew I had to get my game up to par.
Start Moving.

Remember the Titans

1999

This was a big, big show. I got calls from my friends in NYC, saying "Get on this show Coop". But I couldn't get an interview nor an offer to work. I solved the issue and worked the whole show.
I became 2nd Unit Location Manager , while I was working at the same time on the 1st Unit as assistant manager. A doulble credit, which Disney did't allow on the crew list.I didn't get much sleep , but got in great production shape. Hardened I was.
Once again ,all done with much help from the great spirit and my guardian Angeles. Full story in book 2. Oh, it's juicy.
 

Selma

2014
Ava DuVarnay.
We met at the director scout at front door of Wheat St baptist Church . She gave me a big hug and said, 
" I 'm so glad to be working with you!"
I knew I would love working with her.
Meeting and working with Ava DuVernay was wonderful. She loved my location choices, I found the difficult M.L.King Kitchen, which was an important scene in the movie
Unfortunately we only got to talk a couple short times. 
But  I survived the behind the scenes drama, made some money and  got the credit on IMDb.
This full story is for Book 2.

Selma

2014

Ava , Oprah & David

How could I Not be a part of this monumentl production. 

Fight Night

2024

The Million Dollar Heist

 A Kevin Hart and Will Packer production

Atlanta Black Arts Economic Development , proof of concept with a Samuel L. Jackson and Will Packer.production of an Atlanta story filmed at the new Assembly Studio.
 
Black filmmakers get to  produce our stories for the new TV  Streaming services. 
I loved it. 
For me it meant  Location Scouting  for 4 months and much work for the crew. 
The series was a fictionalized retelling of an actual robbery at an Atlanta party in Collier Heights. Happening on the night of Muhammad Ali's 1970 comeback fight with Jerry Quarry.
A Great Story.
The actual robbery took place in Collier Heights, and many of the actual "Numbers Men" , frequented Cooper's Gulf Station everyday, for years. I knew them personally. Heard the details for years, my dad even took calls from Up North about the search for the robbers.
I had stories about the real people and the robbery and never had the opportunity to spend any time with the writers. 
Don't ruffle feathers, ole mannish boy. Just do yo job , stay in yo lane. So I did.
End result. 
The crew got their paychecks, the brand new, Assembly Studios had it's 1st  tenant and the Peacock channel had a solid winner. Proof of concept for me, black stories sell.

Kindred

2022
From Octavia Butler 1979 Book
FX Productions for
Hulu, A Mini Series
 
A huge Blunder of a golden opportunity for this Black Classic
And I was there as a location scout.
Adapted from the  1979 celebrated novel, Kindred, by MacArthur, Nebula and 2 times Hugo Award Winner Octavia Butler. Kindred is a novel of Psychological horror as well science fiction.
Despite the opportuity, the Series was cancelled after 1 Season.
This is another example of a Streaming TV network misjudging their corporate abilities of producing such a masterful work of  Black American literature. 
Black art ,such as this classic, needs a skilled touch by seasoned Black artists to breathe life into a story of such depth.
During production, I heard the rumors of the coming mess being created. Not the 1st time I've experienced a causal attitude toward Black story telling. Painful experience to me and many followers of the Octavia's books.