Post In Black

In this episode of Post in Black, picture editor Patrick J. Smith sits down to share his unfiltered journey through the cutting room. From shaping intense racing sequences on F1 to refining character-driven storytelling in The Rivals of Amziah King, Patrick breaks down the art of rhythm, collaboration with directors, and the strategies that turn assistant editing roles into career-defining lead editing gigs.

In Episode 2 of Post in Black, we sit down with editors and former ACE interns Kakhi Maxwell Jr. and Annabelle Toe. They break down their journeys from early American Cinema Editors (ACE) internships to carving out successful careers in post-production today. About the Guests: Kakhi Maxwell Jr. is an editor and post-production professional currently working on the hit series Reasonable Doubt. He brings a unique perspective to the cutting room, sharing his incredible journey from working in construction to pivoting into reality TV, and ultimately landing in major narrative television. Annabelle Toe is a Los Angeles-based editor and USC School of Cinematic Arts alum whose credits include editing the narrative feature Bigger Problems, directing and editing the film project Dibii, and working across short narrative films like With Love, Grandma. Kakhi and Annabelle share honest insights on breaking into the edit bay, building lasting industry connections, and applying real-world lessons from current sets and cutting rooms to advance your career.

We are BACK!  Film composer and singer-songwriter Shameka Dwight kicks off the Season 7 Premiere of Post in Black! Discover how she navigates scoring and independent music production. Subscribe to POST IN BLACK to support the platform celebrating Black Excellence behind the lens and speaker: https://www.youtube.com/@postinblackFollow Shameka Dwight: instagram.com/shamekadwight  Fiscal Sponsor SDF Donation link https://southerndocumentaryfund.networkforgood.com/projects/295590-post-in-blackABOUT THIS EPISODE: Welcome to the monumental Season 7 Premiere of the Post in Black podcast! We are kicking off this brand new season of celebrating Black excellence behind the lens and speaker by sitting down with the phenomenal singer, songwriter, producer, and film composer Shameka Dwight.From landing original music on television soundtracks to releasing her deeply evocative project, Where Is Your Heart? | Cinematic Folk Songs, Shameka is a true visionary in the music and post-production space. In this season opener, she takes us behind the scenes of her brilliant creative process. Shameka gets completely raw and honest about learning to trust her own production instincts, navigating the complex world of sync licensing, and overcoming the industry expectations that try to box in Black creators.Whether you're an aspiring music editor, a filmmaker looking for scoring secrets, or a fan of powerful storytelling, this episode is an absolute masterclass in creative resilience.

Our conversation with Brian Vickers, Lead Music Supervisor at Walt Disney Studios, is both inspiring and insightful as he shares how an early passion for music evolved into an extraordinary career.Brian has worked on a ton of projects like Project Runway, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Khloé & Lamar, Kourtney & Kim Take New York, The Real World and Bad Girls Club, including trailer campaigns for Avengers: Infinity War, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Black Panther and The Incredibles 2, to name a few.If you've ever found yourself obsessed with a movie soundtrack or a perfectly placed song over a scene, this is the episode for you. Brian takes us on a journey as to how he, as a Howard University grad from Birmingham, Alabama, ended up moving to Los Angeles in 2008, right before the writers' strike and how the industry's pivot to reality TV steered his early career. We talk about how the Bernie Mac Show was the series that opened his eyes to music supervision, his thoughts on AI in the music industry and what he wants aspiring creatives interested in sync to know about being 'sync friendly.'

It'll become immediately apparent that Calmatic is keenly ingenious and artistically perceptive. Within the span of this conversation, the award-winning director takes you on a journey that reaffirms why it's so important to trust your art and creative instinct. Infused with your unique experiences and chance-taking, your wildest dreams can come true.The strides he's earned in the industry are already major. Both released in the same year, 2023, to be exact, he directed two huge remakes, House Party and White Men Can't Jump. He won an MTV Music Video Award for Best Direction for Old Town Road and a Grammy Award for Best Music Video. He's worked with industry titans Kendrick Lamar, Childish Gambino, Anderson .Paak, Pharrell Williams and Jay-Z, to name a few. His success in directing commercials has landed him a coveted place among Super Bowl commercials and work featured for many, many global brands including Apple, Sprite, NBA, Uber, Chase and Nissan. He was also named Director of the Year by Ad Age.We get to find out what it was like directing Kendrick Lamar's 'squabble up' music video, being a filmmaker and artist from South Central LA.Even the corners of this conversation are riveting. We talk about how being motivated by passion helps creatives cultivate their own style. Not only does he share amazing advice but we get a lesson on how quality doesn't always have to be perfect.