Episodes
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This episode of the Visual Intonation Podcast captures the energy of Oscars 2026. Vanté Gregory sits down with film critic Erté Arnold to break it all down. Every category gets attention. Every winner gets questioned. They move with purpose through the night’s biggest moments while reflecting on what truly mattered.
They spend time on Sinners. Its impact. Its weight. Its place in the culture. Not just whether it won, but what it changed. The conversation goes deeper than predictions and reactions. It becomes about meaning. About what film does when it hits right.
But this is not only about the Oscars. It is about them. Over ten years of brotherhood. Shared taste. Different opinions. The kind of bond that sharpens conversation instead of softening it. You hear that history in every exchange.
They also talk about how it all began. The first spark. The road into film. What pulled them in and what keeps them here. It is honest. It is reflective. And it reminds you why we talk about movies in the first place.
Erté Arnold's Social Media:
https://www.instagram.com/deavon_man?igsh=a2NsZ2h5d25yeGJn
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Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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This is a story about commitment. About choosing a path and refusing to step off it. Samuel Hicks is a cinematographer shaped by Mississippi roots and sharpened by experience in New York and Los Angeles. His work on Outgrown, Varnel, and Bid for Love 2 carries a clear signature. It feels lived in. It feels honest. He blends regional truth with a polished eye, building images that look cinematic but never lose their soul.
In this episode, we trace the moment everything shifted. Sam had twenty-five thousand dollars saved and a plan to enter real estate. Then clarity hit. Film was the calling. He began writing Outgrown from a dream-like mindset. If the script called for a helicopter, he committed to finding a way to shoot it. That decision came with a cost. He spent more than fifty thousand dollars bringing the film to life and found himself deep in debt almost overnight. The pressure was real. The risk was heavy. But the work got done.
We get into the aftermath and the momentum that followed. Outgrown became a festival favorite, earning awards and screenings across the country. Sam climbed out of debt through a mix of timing, opportunity, and relentless effort. Then he did something most people would not do. He kept going. Within a month of stabilizing, he was already producing another project. That pace reflects his mindset. Forward at all times. No waiting for the perfect moment.
We also explore the deeper fuel behind his work. His upcoming project, Incarcerated Fathers draws from personal experience and from stories shared by those around him. It is rooted in absence, resilience, and truth. We talk about the influence of 90s hip-hop visuals, the detail behind recreating authentic lighting, and the decision to write his own stories after hearing "no" too many times. From studying biology at the University of Southern Mississippi to building a career across film and sales, Sam Hicks represents a kind of creator who adapts, learns, and executes. Now with his sights on Hollywood and a feature like Brackish in motion, he is not asking if it will happen. He is showing how.
Samuel Hicks Socials and Website:
https://www.samhicksdp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/samshotit/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/samshotit
https://x.com/samshotit
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Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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David Williams sees cinematography as more than craft. He sees it as a way of holding a moment that might otherwise disappear. Based in New York City and Los Angeles, he moves between coasts with a camera and a clear belief that images carry feeling. To him, every frame is a chance to capture a piece of someone’s soul on a strip of negative.
David is also known for embracing the newest tools in filmmaking while honoring the discipline of film. As an owner of the Aaton XTR, he understands the texture and patience that analog demands. At the same time, he pushes forward with emerging technologies and new techniques that help expand what cinematic storytelling can become. Innovation, for him, is not trend chasing. It is a search for deeper visual truth.
His work spans narrative film, music videos, and commercial projects. The film Attagirl premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and brought wider attention to his visual language. He also shot Leech directed by Nekoda and The Sight Unseen by Shawn Antoine II. Alongside these projects, he collaborates with Morian on music videos and commercial work that blend style with emotional clarity.
In this episode of the Visual Intonation Podcast, David talks about the balance between instinct and technology, film and digital, craft and experimentation. He shares how cinematography becomes a collaboration between light, subject, and time. And he reminds us that behind every technical decision is a human moment waiting to be seen.
David Williams' Socials:
https://www.instagram.com/cheerleaderpromdated?igsh=MW90aXA1dm9nYzdpeA==
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Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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Christian Saint does not simply make images. He builds worlds. Known to many as Christian Kaptin Saint, the Ghanaian multidisciplinary artist and film director creates work that moves between music, fashion, and cinema with a clear purpose. His visuals challenge tired stereotypes and replace them with something richer. Something rooted. Something undeniably African.
In this episode of Visual Intonation, Saint speaks about the language behind his images. He calls it African Visual Language. It is a philosophy shaped by culture, memory, and storytelling traditions that stretch across the continent. His short film Sundiata stands as a reflection of that vision. A piece that pulls history, mythology, and modern visual craft into a single frame.
Saint’s work has already reached a global stage. He has collaborated with artists such as Rema, Tems, Chance the Rapper, and Davido. His direction has powered campaigns and productions for Trapstar London, Beats by Dre, and Daily Paper, including the striking project The Warrior King. In 2025 his work earned two nominations at the UK Music Video Awards, a signal that the industry is paying attention.
But beyond the accolades is a deeper mission. As the founder of New Saint Film Corporation, operating between Accra and Dubai, Saint is focused on building a future where African aesthetics are authored by African creators. In this conversation, he shares how storytelling, education, and visual craft come together in his work, and why the next era of global imagery may begin on the continent.
Christian Saint's Social:
https://www.instagram.com/christivnsaint?igsh=NnZudDgwdGI1MzN5
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Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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Alexandria Collins does not look away from the dark. She walks straight into it, eyes open, camera steady. A filmmaker shaped by Tallahassee soil and Los Angeles light, she builds stories that breathe with heat, faith, doubt, and desire. From her early work in Emotional Intelligence and Goals N’ Shit to her newest chapters behind the lens, Alexandria has committed herself to character driven storytelling that asks harder questions. “We have to face our darkness and our light, not deny any part of ourselves,” she says. And she means it.
Her horror short Reborn emerged from a vision. A young girl rises from baptismal waters with power humming beneath her skin. What followed was not spectacle, but excavation. Raised in the church and fluent in its language, Alexandria flipped the hierarchy of belief on its head, questioning who holds power and who decides what is holy. That vision found a home in Hulu’s Bite Size Huluween series and opened new doors. She cites Ari Aster, Jordan Peele, and Stanley Kubrick as masters of tension, architects of dread. You can feel that influence in her work, but the voice is her own. Southern. Spiritual. Unafraid.
Named to the 2025 directing cohort of Film Independent’s Project Involve, Alexandria stands at the intersection of craft and calling. As Founder and Executive Producer of Supernormal Ventures, she shepherds stories from spark to screen, developing shorts, features, and pilots while collaborating with platforms like Hulu and Galatea TV. She has led marketing teams, produced award winning projects, organized festival strategy, and moved fluidly between art and execution. From the 39th Student Senate at FAMU to working alongside Taye Diggs on a vertical drama, she has learned how power moves in rooms. More importantly, she has learned how to move it with intention.
In this episode of Visual Intonation, we sit with a filmmaker who listens to cicadas and sermons, who reads thrillers even when they terrify her, who understands that faith and fear share a heartbeat. We talk about religion and rebellion. About building worlds from a single image. About what it means to claim authority as a Black woman director in rooms not built for you. This is a conversation about tension. About tenderness. About facing the water and choosing to rise.
Alexandria Collins:
ALEXANDRIA COLLINS
Source: IMDb
Alexandria Collins - IMDb
Source: Instagram
Alexandria Collins (@acscollins) • Instagram photos and videos
https://vimeo.com/alexandriacscollins
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Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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DeVonté M. Brown does not just point a camera. He listens. He studies the light. He waits for the truth to reveal itself in the frame. Known as THE MAN IN THE ARENA, this Detroit born cinematographer and director builds images with patience and purpose. Every project is a brick laid with intention. Every story is earned.
A graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute, DeVonté sharpened his eye in both narrative and commercial spaces. He worked as a freelancer for more than a decade, shaping stories through editing and cinematography. He stepped onto national sets with Queer Eye LLC as a Second Assistant Camera. He moved through the fast pace of American Ninja Warrior. Each experience added muscle to his craft. Each set taught him how to see.
His independent spirit lives in projects like Brick By Brick KC and the short film Vie, which he directed and shot himself. In Now What, directed alongside La’Ron Cooper with cinematography by Marcus Guider, DeVonté continued to refine his voice as a storyteller who values collaboration as much as authorship. He believes every crew member matters. He believes the frame is a shared responsibility.
In this episode of Visual Intonation Podcast, we explore the rhythm behind his images. The discipline behind his consistency. The Detroit grit that shaped him and the Kansas City energy that sharpened him. This is a conversation about craft. About patience. About building a body of work brick by brick until the vision stands on its own.
Devonté M. Brown Website and Soicials:
Source: Instagram
DeVonte Brown (@devonte_m_brown) - Instagram
https://www.devontebrown.com/
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Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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On this episode of the Visual Intonation Podcast, filmmaker Shana L. Darabie joins the mic with a voice shaped by image, genre, and deep interior listening. Born in Long Beach, California and based in Brooklyn, Shana traces a path from fashion design to film, from texture and silhouette to shadow and story. Her early training at the Fashion Institute of Technology sharpened her eye. Her later studies at Brooklyn College gave language to the images she could already see.
Shana speaks plainly about process. About doubt. About the courage it takes to be vulnerable on the page. She reflects on how a single class project unlocked her desire to direct, how long treatments can sit before a script finally arrives, fast and fully formed. Science fiction and horror are not escapes for her. They are tools. Ways to explore fear, identity, and the systems that press on the mind. Films like The Trail, What Happened to Candice, and Trouble Connecting reveal a filmmaker committed to atmosphere and emotional truth.
In conversation with host, the dialogue widens. Mental health moves to the center. Not as an abstraction, but as lived reality. They discuss how cinema has portrayed mental illness with care or cruelty, how poverty and access shape outcomes, and why compassionate storytelling matters. Shana opens up about her short Canary Trap, community support, and the quiet power of creative connection, whether formed in a writers room or over Zoom.
The episode closes with reflection and recommendation. Films that linger. Films that listen. Shana shares titles that have shaped her way of seeing, including Tully, The Snake Pit, Young Adult, Welcome to Me, Perfect Blue paired with Millennium Actress, and Year of the Dog. It is a conversation about making work that resonates personally. About art as self care. About staying rooted while reaching toward the unknown.
Shana L. Darabie:
Source: IMDb
Shana Darabie - IMDb
Contact and About - MyBotWorks
Source: Instagram
MyBot Works (Shana L. Darabie) (@mybotworks) - Instagram
Source: LinkedIn
Shana Darabie - THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTION PICTURES LLC | LinkedIn
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Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/
Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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Ademola Falomo did not arrive suddenly. He arrived steadily. From music to photography to filmmaking, his path was shaped by curiosity and instinct, not shortcuts. Born in Nigeria and trained across continents, he brings business sense and artistic hunger into the same frame. In this episode of Visual Intonation Podcast, Ademola talks about finding cinematography by refusing to choose between sound and image, and how a borrowed camera turned a light bulb moment into a life’s work.
Before the spotlight found artists like Tems, Ademola was already there, working alongside the pioneers of Nigeria’s alté movement. He helped shape a visual language for Santi, DRB Lasgidi, Boj, and others when the culture was still forming its spine. He recalls the chance moment that led to directing Santi’s “Gangsta Fear,” a moment that opened doors and defined a generation of work. The conversation explores why timing matters, why overexposure can dull impact, and why Ademola has often chosen alignment over money.
The episode moves into craft. Ademola breaks down how he approaches a music video, how branding guides every creative choice, and why he listens to a song obsessively before touching a camera. He reflects on key projects like Kah-Lo’s “Fake ID” and his Paris Fashion Week film, shot during the pandemic and rooted in celebrating Black culture on a global stage. Practical wisdom flows freely, from technical discipline to lessons learned from mentors and collaborators.
At the heart of the conversation is purpose. Through Family.inc, Ademola is building a home for indie filmmakers, offering tools, access, and belief to those starting with nothing but a phone and an idea. He speaks about impact, legacy, and his desire to support the next wave of African storytellers. This is not just an episode about success. It is about patience, positioning, and the quiet work that makes lasting images possible.
Ademola Falomo
Source: Instagram
ademola falomo (@ademolafalomo) • Instagram photos and videos
https://vimeo.com/ademolafalomo02
Source: X
ademola falomo (@ademolafalomo) / Posts / X - Twitter
Source: IMDb
Ademola Falomo - IMDb
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Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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Marcus Guider sees with intention. He frames stories the way others frame thoughts, clean, deliberate, alive. As a Director of Photography and Cinematographer based in Lawrence, Kansas, Marcus brings a grounded eye shaped by his time at the University of Kansas and sharpened by years in the field. His work lives where craft meets instinct, where light does more than illuminate. It speaks.
In this episode of Visual Intonation Podcast, Marcus talks about the quiet power of mentorship and timing. A single recommendation opened the door to a lasting creative bond with seasoned cinematographer Jeremy Osbern, a relationship that became both guidance and friendship. Marcus reflects on learning by watching, listening, and trusting the process. Growth, he reminds us, often arrives through people before projects.
As an ASC Vision Mentee, Marcus continues to refine his voice while staying rooted in collaboration. His career spans commercial, documentary, sports, and entertainment, with clients and collaborators that include Dell, CBS, Gatorade, National Geographic, Fox Sports, MTV, and Sports Illustrated. Each project adds another layer to his visual language. Each set becomes a classroom.
This conversation is about momentum and meaning. About building a career without losing curiosity. About seeing clearly, then choosing where to point the lens. To explore more of Marcus Guider’s work, visit marcusguider.com, or find him connecting with peers on LinkedIn and Facebook. Then listen closely. There is a lot to learn between the frames.
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Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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Ella Chikezie steps into the director’s chair with In Her Shoes, a short film shaped by urgency and care. Known for her work on Christmas in Lagos and in the production trenches of Choke and Tokunbo, Chikezie makes her directorial debut. The project was awarded under the initiative Using Entertainment Media to Combat Gender Based Violence in Nigeria. For Chikezie, this film is personal. It is also political. It is a quiet declaration of intent.
The story follows Halima, a young autistic Muslim girl who finds freedom on a football pitch. At home and at school, she is misunderstood. Her joy is dismissed as unfeminine. Her difference is treated as a burden. As financial pressure and social expectations close in, Halima’s mother considers an arranged marriage as an escape. Her father, shaken by his daughter’s moments of joy, must choose between tradition and tenderness. One choice could change everything.
In Her Shoes joins a strong lineage of African films that confront painful truths with purpose. Like Dazzling Mirage, The Lucky Specials, and Nawi: Dear Future Me, the film treats cinema as a tool for awareness. It addresses autism, child marriage, bullying, and gender bias without preaching. Screened at the 2025 Lagos Fringe Festival, the film announces itself with restraint and confidence. Darasimi Nadi delivers a performance of striking honesty, allowing silence and gesture to speak where words cannot.
Chikezie directs with clarity and resolve. The film trusts its audience. It builds to an ending that lingers, not because it shouts, but because it refuses to look away. A girl runs. A ball rolls forward. The noise follows. In Her Shoes reminds us that change is rarely polite, often uncomfortable, and always necessary. This episode of Visual Intonation Podcast explores how one filmmaker uses story to insist on dignity, visibility, and hope.
Ella Chikezie's Filmography: imdb.com/name/nm13215349
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Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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Learenna A. Reynolds walks into a room carrying history, spirit, and heat. An interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker from the South Side, she has been described as the walking embodiment of God’s consciousness, and the work earns that description. Her practice pulls from culture, folklore, and lived experience, shaping images that feel remembered rather than invented. On Visual Intonation Podcast, Reynolds speaks with the clarity of someone who knows where she comes from and why it matters.
Reynolds is deeply connected to The New Art School Modality, a learning space where currency is not degrees or credits but exchange, discipline, and devotion to practice. She is the owner of fleshxbone.works and a director at rawhead.anbloodybone, building worlds that move between film, ritual, and education. Her path includes work at j3llyfr1uts production, study through alternative art pedagogies, and hands on experience across production, communications, and teaching. This is not a résumé. It is a map.
Her short film Raw Head an’ Bloody Bone stands at the center of this conversation. Originally created to honor D’Angelo’s album Voodoo, the film draws its title from African American folklore once told to children during enslavement. Reynolds describes the film as an experience, one rooted in hoodoo, spirit, and sound. If you love film. If you love music. If you love work that listens as much as it speaks. This film calls you in.
In this episode, Visual Intonation Podcast traces Reynolds’s journey from camera operation and arts education to producing and directing work that feels ceremonial and precise. We talk about diet mississippi, about teaching K through 8 students, about Sun Ra, and about building creative teams that honor vision without dilution. The conversation moves slowly when it needs to. Then it strikes. This is an episode about practice, presence, and making work that knows its ancestors.
Learenna A. Reynolds‘s Socials & Website: https://paa.ge/learennaareynolds/
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Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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Elijah Negasi joins Visual Intonation Podcast with the quiet intensity of someone who has lived inside his stories. Born and raised in the Bronx and shaped by New York City grit, Elijah is an actor, director, and filmmaker whose work pulses with emotional honesty. From early documentaries to award-winning shorts and upcoming features, his path reveals a young artist listening closely to his inner voice and trusting it enough to create.
We talk about Sudden, his directorial debut, and the emotional weight it carries. The film follows two lifelong friends after an unexpected tragedy, where grief becomes both a companion and a test. Elijah shares how personal loss, guilt, and memory informed the film’s tone, and why sitting with discomfort became essential to telling the truth. His approach to filmmaking favors feeling over explanation and reflection over resolution.
The conversation turns inward as Elijah opens up about depression, healing, and the practices that helped him survive darker seasons. Meditation, movement, prayer, journaling, and solitude helped quiet the noise. Community helped even more. By choosing vulnerability and asking for help, he found connection instead of isolation. Creation became a lifeline, not an escape, but a way to give shape to pain and reclaim himself.
Now based in Miami and continuing to build momentum in independent cinema, Elijah reflects on purpose, identity, and the responsibility of storytelling. From HBO and PBS to Sundance and Tribeca, from acting to directing, his work remains grounded in psychological truth and the Black experience. This episode is about art as medicine, honesty as strength, and choosing to keep going, one small step at a time.
Elijah Negasi's Socials:
elijah Negasi
Source: IMDb
Elijah Negasi - IMDb
Source: Instagram
Elijah Negasi (@ohmyelijah) • Instagram photos and videos
Source: LinkedIn
Elijah Negasi - Filmmaker & Cinematographer | Creative Consultant
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Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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Visual Intonation Podcast welcomes Liliane Laborde-Edozien, a Miami-based director, writer, and creative producer whose cinematic work spans continents and genres. With a unique trajectory from UC Berkeley’s Microbiology program to the world of filmmaking, Liliane offers a fresh perspective on storytelling. She shares her transition from aspiring medical professional to director, shedding light on her journey through documentary filmmaking in Africa and Latin America.
As a creative producer, Liliane’s credits include directing global campaigns and narrative projects, working with international teams across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. She reflects on the challenges and rewards of collaborating in multiple languages, all while crafting emotionally charged stories that explore identity, transformation, and human connection. Her films have been showcased on four continents, and her photography has graced galleries in London, earning her a reputation as a dynamic force in the creative world.
Liliane is currently working on her narrative directorial debut, with plans to continue her work in both documentary and commercial media. In this episode, she talks about her artistic approach, which blends a cinematic eye with emotional depth, and her passion for bringing stories to life across various formats. Whether she’s directing a documentary or producing a branded piece, Liliane is drawn to work that asks big questions and resonates with audiences on a personal level.
In our conversation, Liliane shares her thoughts on two influential films: Citizen Kane and They Live—both of which she believes continue to offer sharp insights into corporate media and consumer culture. We also discuss Michael Singer’s The Untethered Soul, a book that has profoundly influenced Liliane’s approach to maintaining an open heart in both her personal and professional life. Join us for an insightful discussion about creativity, identity, and the art of telling stories that matter.
Liliane Laborde-Edozien's Website and Socials:
https://www.lilianelabordeedozien.com/
https://www.instagram.com/lilianefilms/?hl=en
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7611779/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilianelabordeedozien
Support the show
Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/
Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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This episode of Visual Intonation Podcast sits with Haitian American filmmaker and DJ Hans Augustave and listens closely to what happens in the quiet. Best known for shorts like I Held Him, Before I Knew, and the recent Nwa (Black), Augustave makes work that slows the room down and asks you to stay. His films are short, but they linger, circling tenderness, masculinity, and the complicated inheritance of Black identity.
Nwa, which means Black in Haitian Creole, grounds the conversation. Set largely in a Brooklyn barbershop, the film explores cultural conflict, father and son dynamics, and the uneasy process of belonging. Augustave talks about growing up Haitian, French born, and New York raised, moving between languages, neighborhoods, and expectations. That layered upbringing becomes the engine of his storytelling, where no single version of Blackness is allowed to stand alone.
The discussion turns intimate as Augustave recounts the personal origins of I Held Him, a seven minute short born from heartbreak, longing, and the simple human need to be held. He reflects on silence as a creative choice, on stillness as a kind of truth telling, and on why tenderness between men is so rarely shown without explanation or apology. Influenced by filmmakers like Steve McQueen, he trusts the audience enough to let discomfort do some of the work.
Across film, music, and his sober curious dance party Reprieve, Augustave sees creativity as a tool for healing and connection. He speaks about collaboration, about directing as a form of listening, and about showing Black men as soft, loving, and whole. This conversation is less an interview than an invitation to breathe, to feel, and to reconsider what strength can look like when it is allowed to be gentle.
Hans Augustave's Website and Socials:
https://www.hansaugustave.com/
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6091891/
https://www.instagram.com/hanzifilms/?hl=en
https://vimeo.com/hansaugustave
Support the show
Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/
Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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Paris Silver is a photographer and director born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, whose work is grounded in visual storytelling and disciplined craft. With a measured approach to image making, he creates narratives that are intentional, precise, and emotionally resonant. His perspective reflects both technical fluency and a deep respect for story.
His professional experience includes directing projects for internationally recognized brands such as On and Adidas. In addition to his work as a director, Paris has served as a first assistant camera for organizations including Apple, ESPN, and ACC Network. These roles have strengthened his understanding of production at the highest level and reinforced his commitment to excellence on set.
Paris’s creative foundation is broad and deliberate. His early work in wedding photography sharpened his ability to capture authentic moments under pressure. He developed his technical skills through hands on experience with Canon cameras and mentorship from Mike Seeger. While attending East Carolina University, where he majored in Health and Fitness and was known as Thai Tanic, he balanced academic study with a growing dedication to visual media. His interests in paintball, running, and cycling further inform his discipline and focus.
Beyond professional achievement, Paris is driven by purpose. He is committed to empowering minorities to enter the filmmaking industry and to amplifying underrepresented voices through meaningful work. He believes that storytelling is a vehicle for inclusion and change. In this episode of the Visual Intonation Podcast, Paris shares how intention, preparation, and conviction shape both his career and his creative philosophy.
Paris Silver’s Website and Socials:
https://www.parissilver.com/
https://www.instagram.com/silver.paris/
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Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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Terry Dawson tells stories the way a musician plays chords. He starts with something familiar, then adds a note that surprises you, then another that opens a door you didn’t expect. On this episode of the Visual Intonation Podcast, he talks about the path that led him from Washington, DC to Los Angeles and from childhood acting to becoming a filmmaker whose work spans both narrative and documentary worlds. His films The Mason Ring, The ReWrite, and A Whole New Irving show a creator who listens closely to the world and follows the stories that rise from it.
What makes Terry compelling is the way he moves between forms without losing himself. He began in documentaries, cutting and producing environmental and cultural stories like Kiss The Ground and The Lost City Of The Monkey God. Those projects taught him to notice details and honor truth. But his heart kept pulling him toward narrative filmmaking where characters breathe on their own and themes unfold in scenes rather than interviews. The ReWrite is now available on Apple TV, Prime Video, and Fandango at Home, and it carries that blend of craft, clarity, and compassion that defines his work.
Terry talks about building A Whole New Irving from his own search for balance and meaning. He explains how meditation, spiritual curiosity, and the challenges of early adulthood helped shape a dramedy filled with humor and heart. The series grew from a personal journey into a story that resonates with audiences looking for purpose in the noise of everyday life. It also opened doors, landing in development at HBO and placing Terry firmly on the radar of those who care about rising voices in film.
In this conversation you’ll hear the steady rise and fall of a storyteller who believes in representation, dimensionality, and the power of art to widen our sense of what is possible. Terry shares insights from Film Independent’s Project Involve fellowship, his award-winning short The Mason Ring, and his plans to create films and television that amplify the lives and experiences of people of color. By the end, you will not only understand how he works. You will feel why he works and why his stories matter now more than ever.
Terry Dawson's Website and Socials:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1254255/
https://www.filmindependent.org/talent/terry-dawson-2/
https://www.instagram.com/thereal.terrydawson/?hl=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrydawsonfilm
https://vimeo.com/user150298150
Support the show
Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/
Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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Dante Ollivierre sees stories everywhere. On the streets of Kingstown, in the quiet corners of St Vincent and the Grenadines, in the faces of people who carry their histories with pride. He is a director and creative director who listens closely, then shapes what he hears into images that breathe. His early training at Saint Vincent Community College helped sharpen his eye, but his instinct for truth is entirely his own.
As a multidisciplinary storyteller, Dante pursues the kind of honesty that cannot be staged. He works to draw out raw performances, the kind that linger long after the screen fades to black. His background in documentary and corporate film production gives him a steady hand, yet his heart stays open to surprise. Each project becomes a search for a moment when real life steps into the frame.
That dedication has carried him into new territory as an emerging filmmaker. Dante has led the production of documentaries and corporate films for the French Public Agency for International Technical Cooperation, working within the Expertise France program for the Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories. His repertoire reaches across documentary films, music videos, and commercials, where he shifts with ease between bright aspirational energy and moody dramatic tension. Whatever the tone, he brings a sense of intention that holds the work together.
As Founder & Creative Director of Offhand, Dante continues to expand his voice. His recent project, Bush Medicine: Stories that Remember the Land, invites listeners and viewers into the deep memory of place, showing how art can reconnect people to what sustains them. The Visual Intonation Podcast follows this journey, exploring how Dante builds meaning from light, sound, and human connection. Each episode becomes a lesson in how a filmmaker learns to see.
Dante Ollivierre's Socials:
Source: Instagram
Danté (@danteollivierre) • Instagram photos and videos
Source: Vimeo
Dante Ollivierre - Vimeo
Support the show
Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/
Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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In this episode of Visual Intonation, we sit with Jamar Silva, a director and photographer shaped by the rhythm of Jamaica. He grew up in a place that teaches you who you are by showing you both sides of life. Beauty and struggle. Stillness and pressure. That duality trained his eye to find light where others see only shadow and to honor the raw truth that lives in every frame. Jamar brings that sensibility into projects like Yung Bredda with Chloe Bailey, Big Chat with DJ Puffy, and his short film 1816, each one a step toward a future he hopes reaches the big screen.
Jamar speaks about the tension that follows him. The chase for achievement pulls at one side of him while the search for meaning pulls at the other. At twenty seven, he is learning how to navigate a world that rewards conformity even as he refuses to blend in. His work is shaped by those who came before him and those who will come after. Their influence is a compass he carries through challenges that have demanded resilience, humility, and a constant return to self. That process becomes the heartbeat of his storytelling, whether he is filming the energy of a performer or the quiet truth of Payne’s Bay Fish Market.
We explore how his art becomes a mirror for his internal dialogue. Jamar believes the questions are just as important as the answers. His stories are built from that search. They breathe with curiosity, conflict, and discovery. He talks about how adventure fuels his creativity. A road, a camera, a playlist, and no fixed map. He looks for the hidden places. The quiet corners. The scenes that introduce themselves without warning. For him, the journey holds the magic because it brings out moments that cannot be staged.
Jamar also shares gratitude for the community that surrounds him in the country he now calls home. Friends who step in front of his lens. Clients and strangers who connect with his vision. Mentors and peers who steady him when doubt creeps in. Their presence shapes the way he works and the way he lives. Together, we uncover the story of an artist who refuses to rush past his own evolution and instead chooses to build work that is honest, grounded, and alive.
Jamar Silva Socials and Website:
Jamar Silva
Source: Instagram
Jamar Silva (@lextookit) • Instagram photos and videos
Support the show
Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/
Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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This episode of Visual Intonation features Joshua Ighodaro whose career in the camera department reflects a steady progression from Trainee to Loader. Over the past eight years, he has developed a strong command of on-set practice across high-end film television commercials, and music videos. His work demonstrates a consistent commitment to precision reliability and an awareness of how technical decisions support the broader creative vision.
Joshua Ighodaro outlines the foundation of his professional path beginning with his academic training and his early experience in a rental environment. He then describes his transition to major sets, where he worked under accomplished cinematographers, including Olan Collardy, Femi Awojide, and Jomar O Meally. Exposure to leading practitioners such as Sean Bobbitt BSC has shaped his understanding of the standards required at the highest level of production.
He also discusses the practical elements that equip him for contemporary camera department work. With bases in West London and Hertfordshire and a full driving license, he maintains the flexibility the role demands. His personal kit which includes a Small HD 502 monitor and a Bolex H16 REX 4 supports both his professional responsibilities and his continued interest in celluloid acquisition.
The episode situates Josh within the broader landscape of emerging talent. It highlights the growing network of developing cinematographers and references initiatives such as the inaugural Future Cinematographers class which includes filmmakers like Joshua Ighodaro. Through this conversation, Visual Intonation examines how early-career practitioners refine their skills, accumulate experience, and contribute to the future of visual storytelling.
Joshua Ighodaro Website and Socials:
https://www.joshuaighodaro.com/
https://www.instagram.com/j_ighodaro
Support the show
Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/
Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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The Visual Intonation Podcast welcomes filmmaker Alicia K. Harris, a storyteller who turns quiet moments into vivid emotional landscapes. She joins us from Scarborough, the community that shaped her artistry and continues to pulse beneath every frame she creates. Alicia talks about the lessons that carried her from student sets to national stages, and how early affirmations like the Best Director award at Ryerson helped her believe that her voice belonged in the world.
In this episode she traces the path from her first short film Fatherhood to her breakout success with Pick, the film that earned her a Canadian Screen Award and opened new doors across the country. She shares how each project taught her a different truth, from the bruised comedy of Love Stinks to the quiet power woven through All Things But Forget and Maybe If It Were a Nice Room. Alicia explains how she builds characters who breathe, falter, fight, and invite audiences to see themselves without apology.
We explore the creative courage behind On a Sunday at Eleven, the film that brought her a second Canadian Screen Award. Alicia reflects on the craft decisions that shaped it, the patience it demanded, and the joy of seeing a personal story resonate with so many viewers.
Alicia closes with a look at the mission that fuels Sugar Glass Films, the company she co-founded to champion women and marginalized voices. She speaks about mentorship, community, and the responsibility she feels to widen the gate for the filmmakers coming after her. This conversation is a study in artistic intention, a reminder that great work begins with a single truthful idea, and a celebration of a filmmaker who continues to shape Canadian cinema with clarity and heart.
Alicia K. Harris’s Website & Socials:
https://www.instagram.com/aliciakharris_
www.aliciakharris.com
Support the show
Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/
Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com
Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations
Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation
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