The History of My Insanity and the Stripper Diaries, Trishas Paytas's New Books

Trisha Paytas has written two new books. One, the History of My Insanity, chronicles the damage the sex life has done to her mentally. It's an issue she's talk about in her videos on YouTube. The second is the Stripper Diaries, which are also more or less autobiographical.

Overall the common consensus seems to be that though the books have good story telling potential, that there were some technical errors (spelling, grammar) as well as plot eras which took a lot away from the books. Trisha self published her books on Amazon. Nothing's wrong with self publishing, one just needs to make sure one's books are edited before publishing on Amazon. Let's hope she reads the comments and incorporates the advice from the constructive elements into her work.

Trisha is a marketing genius. She did use her YouTube superstardom and decided to use it to make money in other ways. YouTube pays money per views, and for awhile that was probably one of her main sources of income. But she realized you can easily use that fame to make money for yourself in other ways. If her book sales become big enough, she might get a publishing deal or a film deal. Trisha is an excellent example of how to promote yourself as an entertainer in the digital age. For more of Trisha's perspective, you can check out my interview of her.

Lovari and Brian Brennan Relaunch Latino Fan Club

Today's interview is with recording artist/actor Lovari and his business partner erotic filmmaker Brian Brennan. Particularly well known within the LGBT community, he is adding another belt to his name. He is a producer now and now has relaunched Latino Fan Club with Brian Brennan.

Justin Samuels: You just produced a new adult film with the Latino Fan Club. What's the name of the film? When can we expect to see it?

Lovari: Brian Brennan is a legend in the adult film industry, and I am honored to be working side by side with him. We completed a preview film called Savage Urban Desires, which will be out this spring. It is a prelude to other projects that we are beginning to work on. Think of it as the mixtape before the album. It introduces some new faces to the adult film world.

JS: Where will fans be able to buy your new film and other Latino Fan Club films?

Brian Brennan: Our new features will be in stores and you can also buy them directly on the Original Latino Fan Club website.

JS: I've heard Latino Fan Club parties were fantastic back in the day. Will there be more parties?

BB: Yes, our parties are now legendary. We are hoping there will be official Latino Fan Club parties this year, but topping what has been in the past will be a real challenge!

JS: What would you say you've learned from producing your first adult film?

L: I treated producing my first adult film the same way that I treated my suspense short film Shore Thing that won an award at the NY International Film Festival. I followed storyline and Brian's direction, and I assisted with my input.

JS: LeNair Xavier claims to have dated you in the past, and calls you a hypocrite for producing porn. Your thoughts on this?

L: LeNair and I had a courtship that lasted about a week. If you want to call that dating, then fine. I think it's pretty ludicrous for a former porn actor to be calling me out as a hypocrite for branching out into producing for the adult film industry. I am an entrepreneur who has various interests and passions in a number of entertainment genres. I was always gratified by the images and storylines in The Original Latino Fan Club videos, and therefore, I am excited to be a part of a franchise that was my favorite within this particular industry. I think the basis of LeNair Xavier's disdainment of me is that I decided not to pursue dating him after I discovered that he was active at sex parties. I wasn't interested in developing a relationship with somebody who was being sexually intimate with several other people as well. That's just not my thing. He is taking that aspect and twisting it into something else.

JS: On his blog, he claims you're a Latino degrading Latino while he had a past as a prostitute/porn actor. Thoughts?

L: Actually, I am Italian. So that's a false statement on his end right there. Secondly, how is it degrading somebody that is acting and being given scripted lines? These are works of fiction. And yes, some of the actors do identify as straight. In Hollywood, there are several straight identified actors who have played gay roles. Look at Brokeback Mountain for example or Sean Penn in Milk. As far as the element of degrading because of using the terms such as downlow and other urban slang,that is a fantasy that some men have. They like storylines of straight men getting it on with their homeboys. So what? That's what porn is for. It allows the viewer to be sexually gratified by whatever fantasy you choose. And this happens to be one of the bases of what The Original Latino Fan Club is. If you have a problem with downlow and straight bro fantasies, then you might as well have a problem with S&M videos, husband watches wife being gangbanged videos, and naughty maids videos. We are allowed to fantasize about whatever we want.

JS: You just made this announcement two days ago. What is the reaction of the gay community? And your fans?

L: I love my LFamz (Lovari's word for fans) because they are not afraid to express their opinion, even if they disagree with me. I always encourage them to do that because honest two way communication is the essence of a real artist/supporter fanbase. For example, when I released the song No Holding Back to radio, a few LFamz messaged me said, "Lovari, we like No Holding Back, but we love Take It To The Top instead. But we will support you!" And I wrote back and said, "Listen, don't be afraid to put that in the YouTube comments. You can be real and express how you feel, because that's what I'm about. I will love you more for it." And so, some of them did- even though they were kind about it. They wrote things like "This is a good track. Take It To The Top would be a great followup." As of right now, they have all supported this decision and just see it as an extension of who I am. You see, on my No Holding Back album, I spoke about my life openly. This includes downlow and sexual experiences, so this is just a natural progression. Snoop Dogg produced an adult film line while one of his albums was in the Top 10. Madonna released the Sex book right after co-starring in the successful film A League Of Their Own. This is not a career killer. The adult film industry is one of the most profitable of any type of business across the board.

Three Sisters (all small children) Brutually Raped and Killed

Three sisters were brutally raped and killed in India. This is apparently having substantial political consequences in India, as protesters filled the streets demanding justice. The Indian authorities are finally being forced to put more resources into the protection of women. This comes on the heels of a brutal rape/murder of a young woman in India in Dec. This crime rapidly spread through the news, and finally motivated the Indian government to action. With anti female violence finally out in the open in India, it can be addressed by the government and by the society.

Natalie Kim and the Asian American Film Lab Team Up for an Industry Spotlight Focusing on Social Media: "There Are No Gatekeepers: How to Make Kick-ass Web Content (That Takes You To The Next Level)"

New York, NY, February 14, 2012 – The Asian American Film Lab (Film Lab) is pleased to announce that actor, writer, and creative entrepreneur Natalie Kim will be providing a gratis workshop teaching creative people how to best utilize social media/technology to support their creative efforts in a special Film Lab Industry Spotlight on March 14, 2013, in New York City.

In this panel discussion: "There Are No Gatekeepers: How to Make Kick-ass Web Content (That Takes You To The Next Level)" Natalie Kim will moderate a discussion about current web series and web content creators. 
By the time this panel is over you will have a better understanding of what kind of content audiences want to see, how you can do it without going broke and how to use your content to build relationships and [potentially] make money.

The Industry Spotlight, “There Are No Gatekeepers: How to Make Kick-ass Web Content (That Takes You To the Next Level)” will take place on Thursday, March 14, 2013, 6 – 8pm. This event will be free and open to the public although RSVPs to industryspotlight@film-lab.org are required.

About Natalie Kim

Natalie Kim (www.NatalieKim.com) is a comedic actress and writer and loves the intersection of creativity and business. She wrote her comedic solo show, YO GIRL! about growing up a Korean adoptee which, she performed in the Midtown Theatre Festival (Producer's Award), HERE Arts Center and The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She also produced in and starred in the comedy web series SuperTwins! (www.SuperTwins.TV), which she co-wrote with 2 time Emmy winning comedian, Josiah Madigan (with Trevor Zhou).

About Asian American Film Lab and Industry Spotlight The Asian American Film Lab (Film Lab) began as collaborative of New York-based filmmakers whose goals were to hone their craft and to share their knowledge, experience and resources. The membership has grown to comprise professionals, artists and other talented individuals who all share the common goal of creating great film and promoting Asian American filmmakers and the visibility of their stories and characters in film and television.

The Film Lab's Industry Spotlight program features industry professionals who wish to promote and encourage diversity in film and television and includes filmmaking how-to seminars on everything from cinematography to sound, casting workshops, film screenings, and more. The Film Lab is run under the direction of President Jennifer Betit Yen. Board members include screenwriter and director, Aaron Woolfolk, actor James Kyson Lee, actress and director Bea Soong, producer Erik Lu, attorney Peyton Worley, and advisors cinematographer, Eric Lin, and Director of Asian CineVision, John Woo. Industry professionals interested in providing a seminar, class, screening, or other Industry Spotlight should contact Perry Tsao at IndustrySpotlight@film-lab.org.

The Film Lab’s programming includes filmmaking workshops with industry professionals, screenwriting contests, and film competitions including the annual 72 Hour Film Shootout. This annual competition has inspired hundreds of filmmakers by helping nascent talent take brave steps towards a filmmaking career.

The Asian American Film Lab is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Membership and all contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

http://www.asianamericanfilmlab.org info@film-lab.org

Cinematography in its Infinite Possibilities: Update

On Jan. 17th, at AARI CUNY, the Asian American Film Lab hosted an event with cinematographer Eric Lin. The event was moderated by Erik Lu. Both Lin and Lu are board members of Asian American Film Lab. The film lab works to increase diversity in the media and to provide workshops for members of the film community.

Eric Lin spoke in great deal about the technical and artistic aspects of cinematography. He was very informative about the active phase of production, filming, and also about the collaboration between directors and directors of photography during pre production.

Lin showed clips of two of the feature films he directed. The two were Exploding Girl and Arcadia. His work is excellent, and Lin spoke on how they set up the lighting, worked with other crew members such as the sound team, etc. This event would have been excellent not only for seasoned members of the film community, but those just entering the film industry would have benefited from attending. Lu asked Lin questions as moderator, and Lin also took questions from the audience.

Cinematography in its Infinite Possibilities

As Conrad Hall famously said, cinematography is "infinite in its possibilities." Join the Asian American Film Lab as we host the first Industry Spotlight of 2013. On January 17th, we are inviting acclaimed director and cinematographer and AsAmFilmLab Board member Eric Lin for a not-to-be missed Industry Spotlight panel discussion, where he will be sharing his work and providing insight as a cinematographer working in the industry. The event is free and open to the public. Special guest Erik Lu, producer, director and founder of Descendant Films and AsAmFilmLab Board member, will moderate the event.

Eric Lin studied film criticism and sociology as an undergraduate at UC Berkeley. He went on to pursue his passion for visual storytelling and earned his MFA at New York University's Graduate Film Program. He has shot numerous short films, including: “Missing” by director Kit Hui, which premiered in competition at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival; and “Franklin and Matilda” by Paul Dano, starring Eddie Redmayne and Zoe Kazan. His feature film work includes Hui’s feature debut, “Fog”, which premiered at the 2010 Edinburgh Film Festival; and Bradley Rust Gray’s “The Exploding Girl”, which premiered at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival and was released theatrically by Oscilloscope Laboratories. His most recent production, Olivia Silver’s “Arcadia” featuring Academy Award Nominee John Hawkes, premiered at the 2012 Berlin Film Festival, where it was awarded the Crystal Bear for Best Film. Lin’s other features have taken him abroad to Hong Kong, Cuba, and Haiti. Other works of Lin include music videos for Gaslight Anthem, Asobi Seksu, a concert video for Madonna’s 2012 World Tour, as well as projects for Nickelodeon, Google and SAP. Eric is also a member of the Board of Advisors for the Asian American Film Lab.

Erik Lu is a graduate of the film production program at University of Southern California where he studied writing/directing under faculty such as Michael W. Watkins (The X-Files, Monk), Nina Foch (Spartacus, An American in Paris), and Gordy Hoffman (Love Liza). He has a natural eye and extensive training in cinematography under Earl Rath, ASC, (Raid on Rommel) and John Tarver, CSC, (Mothman, Seance). He has also done videography for Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, CA. Erik has made over 50 films in the last few years that have been distributed both domestically and internationally. Recent collaborations also include work with director/cinematographer Daniel Zhao (Far East Movement/Cali Swag District) and Emmy Award winner DP Dan Wills. Since moving back to the east coast, Erik has directed/shot several music videos and commercials and is currently writing a feature to direct in 2013. Erik is also a member of the Board of Advisors for the Asian American Film Lab.

Asian American Film Lab Workshops Chakra Media's Film Project Breached

The Asian American Film Lab (501(c)(3)) hosted one of its long-running Unfinished Works programs on November 8th, featuring Chakra Media's "Breached," a feature film script that follows an American couple who, while posted on a project in India, hire an Indian surrogate mother to carry their baby. But the project pits them against their surrogate in a high stakes battle of corporate greed, corruption, murder and deception. Written by Genevieve Castelino and Kiran Merchant, "Breached" made it into the 2nd round of the 2013 Sundance Institute|Mumbai Mantra Writers Workshop. Castelino's plan is to begin pitching Breached in the Q1 of 2013. She stated, "It would be a tremendous help and support to workshop the screenplay to help us refine and rework the screenplay as we approach the next rewrite effort." The event took place at AAARI-CUNY in New York City. After the filmmakers were introduced, the actors took their places and began the reading. After the script was reading, Unfinished Works host Jean Goto moderated questions on Breached. Castelino and Merchant said the screenplay was inspired by events actually taking place in India, such as the surrogate mothers renting out their wombs, the killing of protesters,and corporate abuse. The actors themselves also commented on the script. The actors during the reading were the following. Michelle Ang, Jennifer Betit-Yen, Perry Tsao, Monisha Shiva, Geeta Citygirl, Jinn S. Kim, Kamran Khan Imran, Javaid Marissa Carpio, Ron Voz, and Julie Pham. Both the Asian American Film Lab and Chakra Media have other interesting things going on. The next Asian American Film Lab event is the Holiday networking gala, featuring live music, raffles, and other fun things. For tickets and more info, go to the film lab's site. Chakra Media's previous feature film "Quarter Life Crisis," stars Lisa Ray (Academy nominated Water), acclaimed comedian Russell Peters (Sourcecode) and Maulik Pancholy (Hitch, 30 Rock, Weeds). The film was in six festivals, distributed worldwide and is currently playing on Showtime in the U.S.