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© 1995 - 2024 Bryan World Productions. All Rights Reserved. |
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Invite 47 POWERFUL POETS into the Classroom “The hypnogogic trance of language.” --- Harryette Mullen, Poet “Recommended for all collections. Poetry lives here!" --- LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW, Ernest Jaeger, formerly with North Plainfield Pub. Schs., NJ
APRIL 2015 NATIONAL POETRY MONTH “With an act of artistic theatrical-cinematic magic, we have this film. A divine act of poetic sorcery! Filmmaker Bob Bryan knows how to capture, edit and display the beauty of poetry.” — Jack G. Bowman, Poet / MA LMFT
“A first-rate production that creatively cuts from poet-to-poet. A lotta wisdom here from some very special beings on this planet.” -- Don "Kingfisher" Campbell, Poet, Educator
“I'm impressed with the work you've done to create a comprehensible portrait of a diverse community of poets. I appreciate being included in your project. It's been a pleasure to see how you've infused this work with your own enthusiasm for the art of poetry.” --- Harryette Mullen, Poet
“It's gorgeous!! You did a great job. Thank you from the Poetry community for doing this beautiful documentary.” --- Dr. Thea Iberall, Poet
“If you walk away from this film scratching your head because you didn't get it, call your mommy. Otherwise, take the time to revel in the 72 minutes of Magic and Enlightenment and pick up your pen! Poetry is for all of us and your voice is the perfect harmonic match to the souls that sing their hearts out in this walk through their lives. If you didn't grow after watching this film—you're already dead.” —- Johnny Masuda, Poet |
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Subject: Literary Page Poetry
GV6 THE ODYSSEY: POETS, PASSION & POETRY Directed by Filmmaker Bob Bryan
"It is beautiful. Dazzles! Really is a short punchy course in what it is to be a poet, and what poetry is. Invaluable! Big congrats!. It is a reference work. So meaning intensive that one could refer to it for a lifetime. GV6 THE ODYSSEY is truly a breakthrough triumph!” ---Steve Goldman, Poet
"I watched 'GV6 THE ODYSSEY: Poets, Passion & Poetry' last night, and it near well did my brain in! The documentary is filled with excellent poets reading and discussing their work. Unlike a lot of documentaries and cinematic treatments of poetry, the discussion was deep and engaging. The poets all had widely different styles and backgrounds, and the overwhelming majority of the poems were excellent. But more important was the discussion of poetry, hearing so many writers talk unguardedly about process, and about the role poetry plays and can play in the their lives and in the world. Frequently, I lament that the conversation about poetry at local readings is facile. People don't talk about writing much. I think everyone who writes poetry should watch this DVD, it gives a lot to think about. --- Victor D. Infante. Poet |
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GV6 THE ODYSSEY DVD examines and reveals the truth behind 31 multi- ethnic award-winning respected & published Poets in a seamlessly woven, uniquely honest visual tapestry.
· GV6 Webpage: http://www.graffitiverite.com/index_files/Page449.htm · GV6 Press Release: http://www.graffitiverite.com/1PRESSRE_files/Page434.htm · GV6 Reviews: Page 1, Page 2 and Page 3 · GV6 Poets Bios: http://www.graffitiverite.com/GV6PoetBios.htm
Ascent Aspirations Magazine, A Review by David Fraser
Bob Bryan’s documentary film, GV6 THE ODYSSEY – Poets, Passion and Poetry is a monumental achievement. Thirty-one contemporary American poets candidly open their souls with their comments and the sharing of their work. Bob Bryan takes the material filmed with each poet and creatively edits the footage into a cohesive presentation interspersed with text, graphics and visual images to produce a stunning film depicting the universality of poetry, full of messages that can be applied to any form of creative endeavor.
Poets such as Wanda Coleman, Kamau Daaood, Brendan Constantine, Victoria Chang, Steve Goldman, Chungmi Kim, FrancEye, Lynne Thompson and all the rest explore what poetry is about, the relationship between the writer and the reader/listener, taboos and fears, the power of poetry, and the relationship with truth and self-discovery. In the process they reveal their personalities, expose their struggles, give us their poetic voice and show us how their ideas evolve and how others can learn to write poetry.
There is an openness that is full of eclectic ideas that never even closely approaches the pedantic. Bob Bryan clearly manipulates the infrastructure in his editing process but this does not detract from the cohesive messages that are both bombarding and calming. Opposite feelings and ideas are expressed by the various poets and these ideas are often juxtaposed to produce an enlightening, revealing sense of what poetry is, what passions are involved and how poetry is created. The messages are so real and down to earth that they appeal to everyone; established, emerging, or beginning poets and to students who are still hesitant to wade into the language. (click here for the remainder of the review) |
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Subject: Spoken-Word Poetry
GV7 RANDOM URBAN STATIC: The Iridescent Equations of Spoken-Word
“What I really like about this documentary is that there is an equal amount of focus on the poetry and performance as there is with the one-on-one interviews for each poet. Issues of analyzing the portrayal of oneself vs. reality, the crumbling state of Hip-Hop, date-rape, and inequality of women, homosexuality, anorexia, and so much more are openly displayed. No topic is taken lightly or avoided, these poets are completely exposed.
There are 15 poets followed in this documentary and while every poet has their purpose, there are a few that really stood out and were very well written AND performed. Every poet had their own individual message, so this documentary has no single message that connects each poet together… other than their collective vulnerability.” --- Melody Simpson (Hollywood the Write Way) |
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GV7 RANDOM URBAN STATIC WINNER OF CINE GOLDEN EAGLE, ACCOLADE, TELLY AWARD, INDIE FEST, & PLATINUM EMPIXX AWARDS
GV7 RANDOM URBAN STATIC returns to the enigmatic world of Poetry. This time around Filmmaker Bob Bryan retrieves the perspectives of fifteen (15) uniquely talented poets involved in the world of Spoken-Word. From Grand-Slam Champions to Open-Mic Veterans, GV7 crosses all philosophical, racial, and social lines becoming the quintessential Spoken-Word documentary!
· GV7 Webpage: http://www.graffitiverite.com/index_files/Page696.htm · GV7 Press Release: http://www.graffitiverite.com/GV7PressRelease.html · GV7 Reviews: Page 1, Page 2 and Page 3 · GV7 Spoken-Word Artists: http://www.graffitiverite.com/GV7SPOKENWORDARTISTS.htm
“What was interesting and what makes Bob Bryan’s GV7 RANDOM URBAN STATIC film less of a ‘movie’ or a ‘production’ and more of an actual documentary was that there didn’t seem to be a message across the poets. Each poet was represented as an individual, with their opinions, beliefs and experiences allowed to interact and contradict. The movie opened up a discussion and didn’t try to pigeonhole any poet into a “performance” mold. Where one poet insists upon the poem working on the page, another poet insists that performance poetry is entirely focused on performance to the point that she doesn’t write her own work down. Where one champions directness and accessibility, another celebrates the bizarre and random. One defends the Hip-Hop connection to performance poetry, and another advocates breaking away from that connection and some of the negativity it brings to performance poetry. This discussion opens up the idea of performance poetry as an evolving movement with many voices, and not necessarily a static entity with no potential for growth or change.
As an educational tool, this DVD invites students and teachers into the conversation and provides them with an idea of what is happening in the world of performance poetry without being too overwhelming or too flashy. It also connects the poetry to the academy, as certain poets (Tim’m T. West and J. Walker) speak about their educational backgrounds and how that has influenced what they do in performance.” --- cleavelandpoetics: the blog
"Spoken Word is an often misunderstood art form. One viewing of GV7 should clear up all misunderstanding for those who pay close attention. More than just two hours of pure poetry, Bryan World Production's GV7 is a Hip-Hopumentary of a world class order, a documentary that walks inside the universe of Hip-Hop and Spoken-Word and gets to the heart of it without pulling the soul out from underneath. With interviews and visual cues interspersed with the lines and verses of the featured poets themselves - sometimes in performance and sometimes during bouts of inspiration - Director Bob Bryan delivers a thoughtful and provocative look at Spoken Word as an art form, as well as, a lifestyle. Focusing primarily on Los Angeles-based Spoken-Word poets and their Hip-Hop counterparts, GV7 highlights the joys and disappointments of several poets that operate on this level, some of them National Poetry Slam winners, and brings the artists to viewers intelligently and vibrantly. The audience not only gets to the work of the poets as it is being created, but she also gets to know them personally through their own unique interests." --- WORLD CLASS POETRY, Poetry DVD Review by Poet, Allen Taylor
Random Urban Static, is the perfect insight for one to grasp how the work from the artist comes about. Poets are extremely cultured people, and to have many a group from different genres only makes it so that anyone can get at least one message from the film. Poets jobs are to inspire, and this documentary definitely captures the emotions of the Spoken-Word Artist, for the viewer to watch with goose bumps.” ---- MARC MARCEL, Spoken-Word Artist |
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Subject: Wanda Coleman, Poet
GV21 THE WANDA COLEMAN PROJECT: Genius. (period)
“This is a MASTER CLASS for poets and writers… A real treasure! I am viewing it now and bursting with gratitude. This is an important work!” --- Anthensome BC, Writer |
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In GV21 THE WANDA COLEMAN PROJECT: Genius. (period) multi award-winning filmmaker Bob Bryan features "One of the Major Writers of her Generation." Bryan interviews brilliant Poet/Writer/Journalist Wanda Coleman, author of over 20 books (The Riot Inside Me, Mercurochrome, Heavy Daughter Blues, Mad Dog Black Lady, etal.) Genius. (period) is a “must-see" interview if you've ever loved Wanda or if you're interested in finding out what her beautiful life, poetic conceptual process and philosophy of creative writing was all about. THE WANDA COLEMAN PROJECT DVD includes interview plus Poetry Readings. 80 minutes of unadulterated magic.
· GV21 Webpage:http://www.graffitiverite.com/GV21_THE_WANDA_COLEMAN_PROJECT.htm · GV21 PR: http://www.graffitiverite.com/GV21_TheWandaColemanProject_PR.pdf · GV21 Reviews: http://www.graffitiverite.com/GV21_TheWandaColemanProject_FilmReviews.pdf
THOUGHTS & REFLECTIONS by Austin Straus, Wanda Coleman’s Husband
Bob Bryan's interview with Wanda Coleman is a classic example of a sensitive, intelligent, and superbly prepared Documentarian eliciting brilliant responses from a genius poet/writer/journalist who is forced by smart questions to think deeply, eloquently and movingly. Many moments in this film made me laugh or cry or just sit there in wonder at the depth and breadth of this woman's mind. And I was her mate for nearly 33 years!
This film is far and away the best of all the dozens of interviews Wanda ever did and I am profoundly grateful to Bob Bryan for giving me this treasure I can turn to whenever I feel like being reminded of my beloved's fantastic mind. Bob, you have created a work of art, a masterpiece of the documentary interview. Thank you from my heart, --- Austin Straus
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Normally, I am not one to watch or listen to interviews, but GV21 THE WANDA COLEMAN PROJECT: Genius. had me riveted to my seat in front of my computer. I could not tear myself away from Bob Bryan's unique questions or Wanda Coleman's inspiring answers. I was so drawn in by her wonderful infectious laughter, her philosophy of life, her poetry, and Wanda herself. In the process, I learned new words and ideas to inspire me as a writer. To describe Wanda Coleman - she was vivacious, beautiful, self-assured - without being vain, and a champion to people who needed one. And not just black women, but to people of all races and both genders. I learned from her and learned about myself through her.
Her poetry drew laughter and tears from me. I learned many facts to apply to myself and to my writing. Most of what I learned is her enthusiasm for the craft of writing. Her poem "Mastectomy" (from her book Mercurochrome) helped me to understand more about the physical and emotional nature of the removal of women's breasts and I was in tears by the end of her reading. What drew me to listen with different ears when she read her poems was the emotion she poured into it. She didn't just read it; she didn't perform it - she was the poem come alive. I would love to watch this interview again to pick up anything I missed, since it was filled with so much amazing information. GV21 is not just an interview - it is a lesson in life, love, the craft of writing, and one writer's way of surviving and overcoming what life handed her. This documentary should be required viewing in every creative writing classroom for young and emerging poets who think they want to write poetry or anything else.
GV21 THE WANDA COLEMAN PROJECT will help them understand that the craft of writing is not just taking a pen to paper and splashing words onto it, but pouring everything - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual - into the words and ideas that make it onto the page. Because of Bob Bryan's excellent interview with a poet who will be missed intensely, I have a new-found appreciation for the craft with which I have been blessed and skilled to have as a talent. I'm honored that you allowed me to review this documentary interview. You made it extra interesting with the sound & special effects. Thank you Bob, straight from my heart. --- Michelle ‘Chelle’ Angelini |
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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LOS ANGELES POETRY COMMUNITY
City of Los Angeles Certificate of Recognition
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