Koffee ChitChat
Koffee ChitChat
Inspiring Journeys in Film: Creativity, Collaboration, and Breaking Boundaries
Odessa Feaster, the remarkable actress and budding director, takes us on an inspiring journey from her unexpected start in acting post-Hurricane Katrina to her ambitious directorial debut with "Toxic Traits." Alongside her are director Arthur Muhammad, known for his work on episodic TV and the film "12," and Bernetta Sowels, a versatile force in set and wardrobe design. Their conversation uncovers the intricate dance of creativity and collaboration that brings stories to life on screen. The insights shared by this talented team are a masterclass in the dedication and adaptability needed in the film and television industry.
Arthur Muhammad, a force in the indie film scene, shares his innovative approaches to filmmaking. He reveals how resourcefulness and creativity triumph over budget constraints, a philosophy evident in his projects like "Golden Voices 2" and the eagerly anticipated "Bid for Love 2." Arthur's experiences at renowned film festivals with his award-winning film "Stepdad" highlight the power of storytelling and community in independent filmmaking. This segment celebrates the collaborative spirit and drive that propels indie filmmakers to succeed against all odds.
Bernetta Sowels emerging influence as an accomplished interior designer, with its focus on diverse representation, opens up a discussion on the industry's evolving landscape. Her contributions, along with the significance of shows like "Supercell," demonstrate a shift towards more inclusive and innovative narratives. The impact of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram is also explored, showcasing new avenues for networking and talent discovery. We conclude with heartwarming movie theater memories and a motivational call to pursue dreams, echoing Oprah Winfrey's empowering words. Join us for an episode brimming with creativity, inspiration, and a nostalgic nod to the magic of cinema.
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Hey y'all, hey, I hope you guys are enjoying season 10 of Coffee Chit Chat Podcast. This morning we have another special guest, or should I say a few guests in the house. Also, I have my co-host, brittany B. But before we introduce them, let's shout out the coffee of the week, and this week is a white chocolate mocha. So, y'all, today we have an actress, I think an interior designer, set designer, a director, producer, editor, almost like an entire production staff. That's going to be exciting. And first I'm going to introduce my homegirl, our cousin Miss Odessa Feaster, as a sought-after American actress in both film and television, having great productions such as Now you See Me, snitch, ncis, new Orleans and Sacrifice for nearly two decades.
Speaker 1:So we're going to chat more with Ms Odessa, but before we start I'm going to go ahead and let her go around the horn and introduce her friends that she brought with her this morning.
Speaker 4:Absolutely, absolutely. You know, I had to bring the dynamic team. I had the honor of working with phenomenal people in this business and these two that are before you right now are one of the top two, top tier ones in the business. We have Mr Arthur Muhammad, director, writer, producer, editor. Did I miss anything, sir? Writer, producer, editor. Did I miss anything, sir? That's it.
Speaker 3:Arthur, you want to expand on what all that you've done? Before I introduce B, I've done feature films. I mean, mainly that's what I've been working on lately. I kind of like settled down a little bit because I got into the DGA mentorship program, so the mentor that I have, so this is this is more of a television, so you can cause it's hard to get into directing, you know episodic TV, so that's kind of what I've been focused on lately. But of course, the latest film that we had to come out starring Odessa is 12, which is streaming on several platforms.
Speaker 2:So yeah, that's about it.
Speaker 3:We've got a few films. You can look them up. We've got a few films floating out in the streaming world.
Speaker 4:Extremely well done, tasteful films. That's why I respect this man so much. And then we have my sis here, Bernardo Sals, and she is the jack of all trade, mastered them all. Mastered them all Set design as well as wardrobe and as well as interior design. Sis, go ahead and tell them about yourself, hello.
Speaker 5:Well, I've had the honor of coming into this business with Mr Arthur Muhammad, who brought me into this industry, and that's where I met Miss Odessa, my sister. But yeah, I do interior design on the off times of not filming and I also do event design on the off times of not filming and I also do event design. Okay.
Speaker 1:But I've had the honor of working on several of Mr Muhammad's film yeah, awesome, well, welcome, welcome everybody to Coffee and Chit Chat. We are so happy y'all are taking time out of your busy, busy schedules to chat with us on Coffee and Chit Chat. But I know my listeners are going to actually enjoy and love this and, as Odessa said, some of them that may be thinking they want to be an actress they're going to understand and learn if they really want to be in this business. After you guys finish telling us how you basically like you know, when you decide that you're getting ready to especially for the producer to shoot a movie, what is it that you are looking for? Do you guys get together and brainstorm like I want to do a movie on, maybe a thriller or a mystery? How did that come about?
Speaker 3:Well, basically it starts with the script I mean. So that's the first, that's the beginning, that's the. The steam that get the whole engine moving is the screenplay.
Speaker 4:Okay, absolutely, absolutely. And speaking of scripts, nico Michelle was supposed to be on this call. As I said, something came up. She made her debut as from an author to writing a screenplay and we just did an eight-ep, eight episodic anthology called toxic traits, where I made my directorial debut during that back in April, and B was also on set with over wardrobe and also set design. And I agree with Arthur, it does start with the script and toxic traits y'all got. Y'all gonna see that real soon on a major network, so stay tuned. Okay, there's eight episodes. You know you're gonna be in there with me, right, sir? He's a little quiet.
Speaker 1:He will trust me, he will be honored.
Speaker 3:You just don't want to say so right, I haven't seen the script yet, but you will, you will, you'll like it.
Speaker 4:It starts with the script, and the script we're trying to trade, be telling it is different.
Speaker 5:Yes, Arthur, I read my script.
Speaker 3:Did you read it or did you not read it?
Speaker 5:Several times.
Speaker 1:And then so I know that Odessa is actually in front of the camera. So how is it? And I think in your bio you say that you got your big break right after Hurricane Katrina- so, can you tell us a little about that?
Speaker 4:That's a funny story, yes. Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and so they started filming in Shreveport, louisiana, where I was living at the time, and so I decided to try my hand as a extra on the movie Mr Brooks starring Kevin Costner and Demi Moore. And so I got bumped up to a feature extra, which meant I would have camera time and credits. Well, miss Moore kicked me out of the scene on my first, first, first shot out the gate. She kicked me out of the scene. I didn't know if I did something wrong or whatever, but one of the PAs told me that I should get an agent, and so that happened on a Friday. That money, I was signed with an agent and the rest is history.
Speaker 1:Oh wow, that is awesome.
Speaker 4:He inspired my career. She inspired my career. Her dog was nice. Her dog was nice. Her dog was nice yeah, do you.
Speaker 2:Do you practice any like acting techniques? There's like so many different things like method acting when you get into character. Do you have any type of rituals you do before you prepare for a role?
Speaker 4:well, yeah, you always do your backstory before you know preparing for a role. Well, yeah, you always do your backstory before you know preparing for a role, and what I do is I do use the Ayanna Chubbuck technique, borrowing from an emotion and then putting it back, because it makes it more believable. So, yes, you just do your backstory on that character. Why am I angry here? Why am I crying here? Why am I you know I smiling here? Why am I happy? What is my mental status? You just do your backstory. Arthur, you can answer that even better, because he's cast me for a few roles now and in 12, he told me you're Aunt Martha because he's sitting in the choir. Arthur, you want to expand on that?
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:As far as the character development goes, I mean from a director's standpoint. I mean once they say, basically 70% of directing is casting. So if you can just cast the right people, then 70% of my job as a director is done. So at that point what I, what I when I'm teaching classes and what I try to also implement on set is to as a director, it's just to create an environment where the actors can do their best work, and I think that's the key. You cast them. So it's not my job to tell them how to do the lines. My job is to create that environment so that they can perform and do the best they can with that character.
Speaker 4:Absolutely, and I think what else is important too is the wardrobe. If you feel like you are that character and you dress like that character, you're going to become that character, and I believe Bea can expand on that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we were about to ask her too about the set design and the wardrobe design and the wardrobe.
Speaker 5:well, with the wardrobe it's more of um again reading that script and meeting with my director and my producer, uh, the writers uh, let me know exactly what they want to see. I can present them with mood boards, things like that, and once they tell me, yes, that's the look we want, because I guess I'm more of the visual storyteller, so I try to make sure I meet that exact feel and look of that space. But that's basically it Just getting that person to be that character and not who they are in real life. I've run into a lot of that with some of the actors.
Speaker 1:I have to tell them no, you're a character, You're a character.
Speaker 5:This is what you're going to wear. And so that's like it's like if you were doing a period piece because I bet they're also kind of hard to do.
Speaker 1:You know, like, if you're going to go back to the 70s and the 80s because you, as a set designer, you have to go back and try to find, I guess, the cups and the clothing.
Speaker 5:Yeah, it's more research. There's a lot of research in it and everyone thinks I just stick things in rooms and I don't. I actually research it before I start presenting anything to my director.
Speaker 4:Okay, I encourage everyone to go and watch 12, because she did her thing on 12. It is 12. It's not the number, but with the letters spelled out and it's on Arthur. How can they find it? It's on Roku and Amazon Prime and I was going to say Voodoo, I was going to say Voodoo, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3:It'll be on Tubi too, and probably next month Awesome.
Speaker 1:But is it streaming now that the listeners can go?
Speaker 4:watch it, yes. T-w-e-l-d-l-e-v-e-l.
Speaker 1:Okay, we got y'all All right. Let me ask this question because we're just answering all these. You guys are doing such a good job. I love it.
Speaker 4:I told you that they were a dynamic team.
Speaker 1:Now, oh yeah, I can tell. So what um is for the director? What is your favorite genre like which one of you like? Do you like drama? Because I love me mystery. I love some mystery.
Speaker 3:I'm thinking for, as it probably drama, I to watch, to watch is more or less mystery, okay, and so I would love to shoot you know more, but what I write more of is is drama. I would say, okay, okay.
Speaker 4:But one thing I love about Arthur and his writing is not triggering. It's not that trauma type of you know writing that you see in some movies that just you know make you can't sleep at night. You know what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah, it's, it's, it's, it's very tasteful, it's very tasteful that's good to hear.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're right. There are some movies like you're like I can't watch that before I go to bed.
Speaker 4:But it's tasteful, you know. The whole family can enjoy it.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay, um, let's see. And you guys I'd say, was there anything new you're working on? Y'all pretty much told me that there's going to be something coming out, right.
Speaker 4:Yeah, but they are working on a project. Tell me about your new project, the Golden Voices.
Speaker 1:Golden.
Speaker 4:Voices 2.
Speaker 5:Go ahead, arthur. We just finished with Golden Voices 2. It just premiered this past weekend. It's a wholesome movie. You can watch it with your entire family as well. I love working with M Legend. He's one your entire family as well. I love working with m legend. He's one of my favorites as well. I have like a good five of them that I really love working with, and I was introduced to all of them through arthur. Anytime somebody called on me, I was called hey, homie, what? Who is this person? And he has to tell me. So yeah, golden Voices 2 is a really good one okay, you guys seem to work really well together and Bid for Love 2 is getting ready to come out.
Speaker 5:It's so many we've worked on, so oh, wow, bid for Love 2.
Speaker 4:You can see the first one on BET, right, the first one is what was?
Speaker 3:streaming right now on BET, correct? I'm sorry, I'm definitely trying to one on.
Speaker 1:BET right, the first one is what was streaming right now on BET. I'm sorry. I'm definitely trying to write them all down because I will watch them, trust me. I watched one that you I think that someone is shouting out on your page, and I watched it last evening First.
Speaker 4:Love or I can't remember oh that was Arthur's movie. Was that your movie, arthur? First Impression? Oh, no, no, no, no. First Love, that was okay, I know who you're talking about. Yeah, yeah, that was Undivorcibles movie.
Speaker 1:So I'm definitely going to go check them all out. This is so exciting. Go ahead, Brittany.
Speaker 2:When it comes to your movie creation like these are indie productions. So when it comes to your movie creation like these are indie productions. So when it comes to your budget, is that how you schedule? Like, when you think about writing your story, do you picture in your budget first, or do you just write your script and then do your budget later?
Speaker 3:early on when I would write. I wrote with what I felt like I could shoot this for. I focused strictly on. You know I can't get this money, but what I've learned is to not let that limit my story. My deal. So just write it and then you worry about scaling it back if you need to afterwards. Then you worry about scaling it back if you need to afterwards but you don't want to water down your story trying to you know saying you know, all I got is 35 dollars to shoot you that can affect.
Speaker 3:That can affect what you're right. It does Different things and location. I'm going to get my cousin and my mama and my dad so you can do this part.
Speaker 2:And then it shows too.
Speaker 4:And then, when you're done, it shows that it was a $35 movie you utilized your budget Because we have brains on that, I'm like oh my goodness, what are they doing?
Speaker 2:yeah so have you guys ever oh, go ahead just write it, yeah do you guys, have y'all ever entered any of your films into the film festivals which you want to be in, sundance or the Black Film Festival in Miami? Have y'all entered in any of these prestigious contests or do you want?
Speaker 5:to. Yeah, one of our movies, stepdad, was entered into the Denton Black Film Festival and won. They were nominated for several things, arthur. Did you get something on that? Did you win something on that one? I?
Speaker 3:had Denton Black.
Speaker 4:It was something you mean. The Indian Film Festival? Yeah, arthur, you won two awards at the Indian Film Festival Awards and Denton, texas Women. Yeah, indie Film.
Speaker 3:Festival Awards, and then Texas Women, yeah, but then we got nominated, but we didn't get.
Speaker 5:We got nominated. That's what I was saying. We got nominated for something and didn't film festival.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I've submitted to Sundance a few times and I like to say I've never gotten in, but I did have a film first impression that was in the ABFF film festival, so and that and when it was in New York, and that was a really good experience. So, matter of fact, I just got an email from them. They're supposed to be having an alumni film festival, so they invite everybody that's ever been in a festival to come out. You're going back to New York.
Speaker 5:I'm going to New York.
Speaker 3:I think it's Miami. I'm going back to New York in September, but for the DGA thing.
Speaker 4:Okay. So first impression when can they find that and who's starring in it?
Speaker 3:Everywhere it's everywhere it is 2B is on Prime, it's everywhere it is 2B is on Prime, it's on everywhere, okay.
Speaker 5:It really is.
Speaker 3:Lamont Rucker, lamont Rucker, he's the main star in it.
Speaker 1:Oh, you know, Lamont Rucker Okay.
Speaker 5:Now Step Bad.
Speaker 1:Seems like I've heard that one before as well. What is it streaming on? Is it like Amazon Prime as well?
Speaker 4:It's everywhere too. Yeah, it's pretty much everywhere as well. Stepdad, Very good host of movie.
Speaker 1:Is Stepdad? Is it like a mystery type thriller? Is Stepdad kind?
Speaker 5:of it. It's a comedy, it's a romantic comedy, oh, okay.
Speaker 4:Yeah, Sean was the writer of that. He's a very good writer. It was a very good storyline. Yes.
Speaker 1:Okay, because I know some of those stepdad shows the stepdad comedy You're thinking of.
Speaker 2:Stepfather, that was a horror movie. Oh, okay, yeah, that was a thriller.
Speaker 5:That was a thriller. Yeah, it's like another movie.
Speaker 3:Yeah, stepdad is a really good example with your question about the budget, because before Sean did the film, he sent me the script and so I read the script first and then, after I read the script, I said so what's your budget? And he said, well, I think I'm going to shoot it for this amount. I said, okay, well, you need to go back in the script, you need to take this out, this out, this out. That's kind of how we went back and forth, you know, to get the script to fit the budget.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it turned out great, it turned out good.
Speaker 1:Now, do you guys use each other homes or like maybe friends homes, or do you guys actually have a set or a studio that you work from?
Speaker 5:B. That's a question for you Pretty much where I fall in. Oh yeah, she's a location manager too.
Speaker 4:I told you she a jack of all trades After I kind of fall into the script.
Speaker 5:I can kind of see it happening in certain locations. That's what I did with 12. We actually used one of my family members' locations and I've actually used my location my home for a movie. It's all about me flipping a room around and making it be what Arthur needs it to be.
Speaker 4:And I tell you you nailed it with 12, especially that intro with your relative's house out there in the middle of nowhere, when we had to film Arthur what did you say Be how you find this Sitting in the room with my auntie and them talking and going ooh after I had read your script Perfect. Perfect location, perfect location.
Speaker 1:Perfect location. Okay, awesome, because I know that when Brittany was working getting her master's over near USC, she used my house and I was like I don't know about all this, but I mean, we love her. Let them do their thing. So you guys, Brittany is Paula's daughter and she was an associate producer for Nickelodeon okay and she won't say anything, but she's written books and she has a script now that she's working on as well that's amazing, that's good, that's good yeah that's good.
Speaker 4:What? What genre is it? Is it comedy horror?
Speaker 2:oh, mine is um supernatural, so it's like like werewolves, which is well, werewolves and hunters, but but with black people.
Speaker 1:Oh, sounds like my family reunion. Oh, my God.
Speaker 3:Did you see?
Speaker 1:that mystical world.
Speaker 3:I saw.
Speaker 4:Supercell. Yeah, supercell was really good, I watched.
Speaker 2:Supercell too. That was really good, it was really good.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it was like London meets Black Lightning. I said that it was it was. It was done exceptionally well.
Speaker 2:I really enjoyed it and they got renewed for a new season because it ended on like a cliffhanger. So that was good, because it's hard, like right in renewals. That keeps getting um.
Speaker 4:They keep getting canceled before the second, I love how they connected to the henrietta lack story with the. You know what I'm saying? The with her cancer cells and everything that's what is derived from.
Speaker 2:I really love that part okay, like now, a lot of like black people are getting into like more sci-fi, like things that you usually don't see us doing, and I I love like the vampire diaries and that genre, but black people will always get cast like a witch, something like that. I wanted like them to be like the main character. So I was like I wanted to always create like the fantasy world, so like black people that's like, um, vampires are. Where was the main character, like in team, like I like like a teen genre, right, right.
Speaker 4:Okay, that is good, that's interesting, awesome.
Speaker 1:Okay Y'all, if you have anything else y'all want to let us know about this movie production I also want you guys to let our listeners know how they can follow you all, so they can, you know, be able to watch all your movies.
Speaker 4:Okay, well, you can find me at Odessa Feaster dot com or on any social media outlet as Odessa Feaster OK.
Speaker 1:And we're going to put this in our coffee chit chat Facebook group. So are all you guys on Facebook? I've got to sit. Yes, odessa, we can like, copy and paste your stuff. Send it to me and Messenger so I can go follow them.
Speaker 4:Yes, ma'am, I sure will OK.
Speaker 1:I can go follow them as well. Yes, ma'am, I sure will. Okay, then I add all you guys to our Coffee Facebook and then we will Coffee Chit Chat Facebook group and then we'll make sure that you're tagged in all of the social media platforms. Okay, we?
Speaker 2:also have Instagram too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the Instagram, all of that good stuff. We have people listening from Switzerland to Ireland, to Germany. I don't know how they follow. That's awesome, that's awesome.
Speaker 4:That's good. That's a blessing. That's a blessing. It's good to be internationally known.
Speaker 1:Ask Arthur so all y'all are she's an expert.
Speaker 3:And then how they follow you back, arthur, how they follow you back. She said oh, on instagram you can follow me a muhammad film, just a muhammad film. That's on instagram. They finally forced me to get on tiktok, so, yes, it's the same over there, and then facebook is arthur muhammad, okay I know about that tiktok.
Speaker 1:I'm still trying to learn it too. I love tiktok I do too.
Speaker 2:Tiktok is like google now, like anywhere you want to go, you just I love tiktok.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I don't you know what?
Speaker 4:I watch your videos on tiktok often.
Speaker 3:I can tell you like nobody's forcing you to do it the reason why I'm on it really is in the dga, right in the meeting. We had a meeting and they they said we don't know how many of y'all really are only social media platforms but they actually have executives at studios. That's where they go to look for work, or the directors and stuff is from those platforms. So they said if you're in the VGA, you should get on that platform and be active, because they will go there and check to see your work.
Speaker 2:People got book deals from the book deal. They got book deals. So like there's book talk, there's so many like different, like genres you can get in. You can go down a rabbit hole on TikTok so you try to say areas that you like. It can go real crazy in TikTok.
Speaker 4:That's awesome. That's awesome. How can they?
Speaker 5:find you, sis, I'm the Beehive Design Studio. On all of my platforms Facebook, instagram and on LinkedIn I've fallen down that rabbit hole of set designers on TikTok and I just learned a lot doing that. I'm still trying to sharpen my skill and I learned a lot on that TikTok and just teach me how to make different rooms look a certain way with a certain kind of light.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I love the TikTok Iok, I like it oh, we always leave off with like what's your favorite movie. When we end up in the industry, like what's your favorite movie oh boy, I have to think about that one.
Speaker 4:You know what. I know what it is, I'm not gonna lie, it's the bad seed. That's that, years, I mean rhoda is everything I. I love Rhoda. I love everything about it. I love the Bad Seed. I watched it all my life. It was just very before its time, so I would have to say the Bad Seed is one of my favorites.
Speaker 3:I have a lot of favorites Five more beats.
Speaker 4:What's Love Got To Do With it? Twelve, alright, yeah, five more beats. What's love got to do with it? Uh, 12, yeah, made for love too. Since I'm in that too, that's one of my favorites anything I'm in is my favorite so joe horn, tuesday right what about you, arthur?
Speaker 3:I have few, but if I had to pick one or two or three, okay, like, citizen, kane is one of my favorite films, that's a good one. Full of Angry Men is one of my favorite films. A Beautiful Mind, so I have a few. Do the Right Thing.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, that's a classic, that's a real classic. That's the film that actually inspired you. Yeah, right.
Speaker 3:That's the one that inspired me. Okay, wow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's really cool.
Speaker 4:Do the right thing was a good one. It is a good one. What? About you Sid.
Speaker 5:I have several, but my go to because I love romantic comedies. That's what I was going to say. Y'all asked earlier what was our favorite genre. I love romantic comedies and anything with romance in it. I'm loving it. But one of my favorite is Brown Sugar.
Speaker 1:Oh.
Speaker 5:I love love Jones, but the movie that inspired me and really captured my attention on decorating and wardrobe I was a little girl watching Gone with the Wind.
Speaker 4:Oh, that's a classic. And when?
Speaker 5:that lady came down those stairs with that curtain on her. I went what? And I was sitting with my grandmother she's a seamstress and Granny would always be sewing and making things. She would cut patterns out of newspaper. So she taught me a lot of the craft that I do have. And you know, just that movie inspired me. I always wanted to decorate. I've been doing it since I was six. I have to say I was six years old when I made my own Barbie dollhouse out of shoeboxes and painted it and used my little straps from her cutouts. I used them as my pillows, my curtains and things like that. My favorite movies are those few, wow.
Speaker 4:That's inspiring, that's awesome.
Speaker 1:That lets us know that dreams can come true. You said since six, and I think you wanted to be an actress since you were eight.
Speaker 4:Eight years old, I told my mom I was going to be an actress.
Speaker 1:I sure did yes and what about you, mr muhammad? Did you know, like back in the day?
Speaker 3:no, what? When I was in elementary school, we had a project right that we did with um, a stormtrooper, and we we had to take the stormtrooper and move it a little bit it's like a little action figuretrooper and move it a little bit. It's like a little action figure, and so you move it a little bit and take a picture, move it a little bit more, take a picture, move it a little bit more, take a picture. And you did this, and then the teacher took the photos and put them through a projector and it made it look like the image was moving. I don't remember nothing about elementary school. That's one thing, that's California. Then, when I was in high school, my only job that I had was working at a movie theater, redbird 1-4. Redbird Cinema 1-4. That's when Do the Right Thing came out. Wow, I watched that movie every day, literally.
Speaker 1:Wow, I love it, I love it. That is so awesome. So, chitchatters, if y'all out there listening follow your dreams, and our motto for the week is the biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dream, and that's by Miss Oprah. Winfrey, make sure you tune in next week for another episode of Coffee Chit Chat.
