Using Waukegan and North Chicago, Illinois, as a backdrop for the story, Cornell Ford stars as Lamar Ethan aka Money Music who is the father of the film's main character. The movie debut will take place on January 14, 2012. On December 27, 2011 at 1:15pm, I sat down with the man in the making to talk about himself and his vision.
Cornell, please tell our readers what is this movie about.
Good. Well, we won't have you dealing out unnecessary plot points at this time.
CORNELL: Right.
Now, as far as the creative aspects of the film, how did you balance everything? You have written, produced, directed, edited and acted in this movie. How did you do all of that?
CORNELL: It was a tremendous task, I would say. Really challenging. It took ten months to write it, first of all, at like 3 or 4 times a week just putting my nose into the paper. The directing comes easy with the writing. I mean, the visual is already there. So, those were kind of the easy parts but, the most difficult part was getting the actors together, getting them to practice, you know, and setting up places to film according to the vision. Things of that nature. So, I basically, whatever time that I had I just made time to do everything that I could and according to the schedule that I had. I had deadlines for everything that I was trying to do. I could just say I was blessed because I didn't have the means that a normal film maker would have. I just had to do it with what I had.
What aspect(s) of the business do you like as far as cinema?
CORNELL: The writing. The writing is just the most soothing part of it. Because I can sit in the comfort of my own creative space, and just put my vision on paper the way I see it internally.
Also, the acting part is fun too because I can become somebody else other than myself. I can just strip away me and become someone else. Another interesting part of it is the music. Adding music to it (to film). I love music which is where all this started for me. I got into film making because I was doing music. So those three things: the writing which is the most fun, the acting which is probably equally as much fun and the music. Directing is cool, but you know, sometimes it's a little challenging working with different people.
Now, I know you grew up in the Waukegan/North Chicago area, but there is a world outside of it. Are there any movies or actors you grew up watching in TV or film that inspire you today?
CORNELL: One of my favorite actors is Morgan Freeman. I love Morgan Freeman. I remember watching him when he was doing "Electric Company" when I was like six or seven years old. Morgan Freeman is someone who plays some of the most dramatic, suspenseful type roles and I like stuff like that. Aside from that, one of my favorite movies is "Purple Rain". I love "Purple Rain". It had music involved, but the storyline--I loved it. I loved it from front to back. The writing in that was really nice to me. The direction that was taking place, the acting--there again with the acting you had musicians who weren't necessarily actors, but they pulled it off. So, stuff like that inspires me. That's the reason why I chose to work with the people that live in North Chicago and not go to Chicago because most of the people that are out here are rappers, singers, poets, and not necessarily all of them have acting experience. So, that is where I get my inspiration from.
CORNELL: Drama. Definitely drama.
They say there is always drama going on, but do you see yourself doing something different with film in the future. Maybe a comedy, a horror movie, or a thriller, etc.
CORNELL: Initially, my first short film was a comedy called "The Beat". I did it in 2006. It is actually funny that you asked me that. The next feature film I do will be a romantic comedy because I want to touch everything. Like I said, I've done comedy. I've done suspense thrillers; two of them and they were kind of gangster. So I've delved in that a little bit. I want to get into the romantic comedy thing, and then the horror stuff, a few people have asked me do I want to do that. And that is something I want to try my hand at as well, because it is all in story. And, to me, it's just another challenge.
Being an African American Independent Film Maker, how do you feel about how black people are portrayed in mainstream film? Not before, but during the last ten years.
CORNELL: It's kind of a mixed bag. Because if you look at the Academy Awards, for example, you have Halle Berry. She got an Academy Award (R) where she kind of I would say degraded herself with "Monster's Ball". But, before that, she had done some excellent work, but they didn't give her the recgonition that she deserved for that work until that. Why did it take that?
The same with Denzel Washington. He had to go straight gangster before he got an Academy Award, but the work that he did before that like in "Glory", "Philadelphia", and "The Pelican Brief" all those movies. Those were really good movies, but he didn't get recognized for those.
So, I think to some degree Hollywood stereotypes Black people. But, for us as film makers, I think we are becoming more conscious of the stories we need to write that portray us in a more positive light. And, with that, Tyler Perry, he's done a really good job of writing stories that connect us through love, family, and spirituality. So, I think if we become more conscious in that realm to write those type of stories, write stories that are more positive and uplifting, then we can, ourselves, change that.
Everybody can be gangster. It is easy to be thug and gangster. But, to actually write something that is positive and uplifting, something that can hit home, something that is going on in our communities--which is a big thing--because we see what's going on in our communitites. White folks, some Latinos, they don't see what is going on in our communities, or in our households. We do. So, if we start to become more conscious about those (stories) and write about those (stories) then I things would be alot different.
Now, when you have two people, famous and black, in the same industry, the media will try to pit one against the other. That said, how do you feel about Tyler Perry vs. Spike Lee.
CORNELL: Pretty much it depends on your outlook of things. Spike obviously came up through a time where Black people were more conscious in the late 1980s and early 1990s with his some of works and his background was more heritage driven, I can say. So, when he was making his films it was more conscious driven too. And, I can say that it was a lot purer from his outlook. But that was one era.
But when you move into another era with Tyler Perry. His background was different. He came up, and everybody now knows his story of how he was molested and he's influenced by his aunt who he says is Medea. So, he's taken that as inspiration like "ok well I'm going to portray my aunt as this woman" and if you look at it from that way, that's a more humorous side of things which he still is attaching a message, but he wants to put a humorous side to it.
So, in trying to look at both aspects, both of them are doing excellent at portraying their visions. I wouldn't say either/or is right, but as far as attacking black masculinity--I would say Tyler Perry gets a little edgey with it, simply because he is going that route, but his purpose behind it is to connect with people via his message and also give them the entertainment value that a movie is supposed to have.
Where as, Spike Lee, he wants to give you straightforward, no chaser, but give you the entertainment value without risking the integrity of masculinity with the writer and directorial aspect of it. In a nutshell, Spike Lee is doing work based on a heritage driven, more conscious driven (aspect) without sacrificing the integrity of Black people in the image. Where as, Tyler Perry is well this is just entertainment. The vision, the inspiration is still there, but I am going to give you the humorous side as well. That way, it's not so serious. Spike maybe a little more serious to some people, whereas Tyler Perry is not as serious. IT is serious, but he just lightens it up a little bit. So I think that is the difference. There is really no right or wrong it just depends on how you look at things.
Well, as for how this blogger looks at things, Black Hollywood could use a man like Cornell Ford in their ranks. Tickets are on sale now for "Musics Son" at Play by Play Records, 1902 Grand Avenue in Waukegan, Illinois for $5.00 dollars. On January 14, 2012, the tickets will be on sale for $10.00 at the Genesee Theater Box office.
Before then, on Tuesday, January 3rd, you will be able to hear Cornell talk about the movie "Musics Son" on hometown radio station WKRS 1220 AM. And then, on Wednesday, January 4th, between the hours 7:00pm and 9:00pm, Cornell will be interviewed about his feature film.
Now if you want to see the trailer for "Musics Son", look no further than your very own NOGO Street Beat.
