Go behind the scenes on the set of Brandy “Christmas Party for Two” with directors William Sikora III and Frank Gatson Jr. to see how the music video was made. “We really loved the classic, black and white aesthitic and Brandy mentioned it as well early in pre-production; we were all aligned on the vision.” Sikora said.
The music video features model Sean
Meet the mind behind Da Vibe, an incredibly raw and powerful musical dance piece created by Jermaine McGhee. The creative has an MFA in Dance: Creative Practice with a Certification in Dance Stage Management and set out to bring his final thesis to life on stage this Spring but COVID-19 had other plans.
“My initial plan for Da Vibe was to present the work on a proscenium stage. In my mind I saw the work unfold in an auditorium with various light fixtures, specials and specific light cues. I assumed that the proscenium stage could better manifest the thoughts of this research lead choreographic exploration on black bodies. However, when March 15, 2020 came, the panic of a global pandemic, COVID 19, derailed my conception and presentation of the work, Da Vibe. Once the seriousness and fear of the virus set in, I immediately brainstormed how I would be able to present this deep and meaningful work about African Aesthetics in a clear and demonstrative way. I called on colleagues, friends and family to bounce ideas off of and eventually came to the conclusion that a concept video would be the best way to represent how theory and research converge into a creative choreographic illustration.” Jermaine said.
The project had to get done but how?
“Through quick thinking and re-evaluation, my thesis Da Vibe transitioned swiftly from a live stage show to a video presentation. I struggled with casting of dancers, confirmation of venue and selection of a director/videographer, due to the wide spread impact of Covid 19. I found myself nervous and anxious to figure out how this work would come together with mandated restrictions and curfews imposed by local and state government. However, my big sister Andrea Jasper, Tour Manager for Kiaos Dance Convention, was a great resource in helping book dancers and confirm director and videographer great, William Sikora III. I was so grateful and excited to work with him as he is one of the best in the business.” Jermaine explained.
William Sikora III has been in his circle for quite some time thanks to Andrea Jasper but it wasn’t till now, that the two would work together.
“When Jermaine asked me if I wanted to be a part of this project, I immediately jumped on it when he explained the concept and vision. It was a small scale production that with simple guidelines we could pull off even in the midst of COVID-19. We filmed the entire thing in a half day and had it edited and ready to present less than two days later.” Sikora stated.
Looking back at the piece that came alive Jermaine said “I was struck by the visuals in every section. I witnessed the dexterity and grace of each artist and I notice my shortcomings as choreographer due to time along with the difficulty of the work as a dancer. I was so pleased with every artist contribution to the piece. As I watched the completed version of the Da Vibe, I was relieved and grateful that it manifested in reality as it was depicted in my mind. All the colors, shapes, and skills of the black bodies in the work made me proud to be a black man adding to the continuum of African Aesthetics with my art.”
Sikora was very moved being a part of this project saying “Working alongside the creative direction of Jermaine was incredibly easy, he was a wonder and professional who clearly had a passion for what was happening in that studio. I don’t think I’ve ever broken down while filming something before but during the dance number with dancer Danni Rogers and Lila Hood, everything was just so intense. This was also during the peak of protests and craziness with George Floyd and others, I felt so much emotion filming that once the scene was done, I kinda lost it…that really speaks to the artists, they created something so powerful, I was just lucky enough to capture it.”
So, the project was completed and now Jermaine had to turn in his video thesis and present it to the world.
“Once I finally showed the work to faculty at St. Mary’s College of California Dance Department, family members and colleagues, the response was overwhelming. So many people said wow, I didn’t know you could do that, or the dancers and choreography were excellent. Others explained how significant the work was due to the persistent racial divide and inequity that exist here in America. I recognized as a supporter of Black Lives Matter and a black art maker, it is important to fully express the black experience in dance, culture and society.” Jermaine said.
Ending on a note looking ahead, Jermaine has big plans.
“In a perfect world I would love to take my work on tour or actually do the stage version of it in Los Angeles, California. It is my hope to educate and challenge the authority of the Eurocentric point of view in dance and culture. In my mind, I believe dance serves as a creative vehicle to communicate and inform people about lack of justice, false narratives and life experiences. With that said, the black experience and African Aesthetics are interwoven in the fabric of American culture yet has been consistently devalued and underrepresented. I wanted to create work to illuminate the tenets of African Aesthetics and their influence on America culture thereby displaying the importance of black people and their prominence within the art form of dance.”
You can learn more about Jermaine on his official website here.
Watch the full film below:
COVID-19 changed our world forever. Businesses are closed up, food is scarce and toilet paper is impossible to find! The spread of the virus put most of the world into a lock down leaving people stuck at home with nothing to do. We are now 2+ months in and it’s been incredibly interesting seeing how people adapt and survive through tough situations. Unemployment is sky high, suicide rates are through the roof and then there are people who are thriving through all of this. Luckily for me, I am thriving…I’ll get to that in a bit….
TV networks and movie studios have been shut down with no new content being created for audiences. Movie theaters are going to have a rough summer and may not even survive when things slowly open back up. I personally have no desire to rush back into a theater, especially if I have to wear a mask.
Disney+ when it was first announced.
Streaming networks on the other hand have been surging, Disney+ was just launched in November of 2019 and it’s now become one of the biggest streamers out there. Its launch couldn’t have come at a better time. As theaters started shuttered just a week into Disney/Pixar’s Onward, Disney+ became the perfect platform to bring the big budget movie over to early. Other films followed and still have been a great success at home. The same will go for other content that was set to hit theaters this summer. Netflix has found hits during quarantine in “Tiger King” becoming one of its most watched series ever. But soon, if things don’t pick up, hit shows will be delayed and big budget production content will be scarce and that’s actually already happening.
A short, filmed in April 2019 and edited in April of 2020
This is also the time for content creators at home to rise. I’ve seen more creativity flourishing on my social media than I have ever seen! TikTok has massively grown over quarantine, with users creating their own content that has helped entertain people at home. As a content creator, I had more time to create at home as well. There are always projects on the shelf I can easily pull off and tackle. As hiking trails opened up, I ventured out and created even more new content with a drone I bought. Now is the time to get up and create stuff. My Fluffy Friends channel saw huge boosts as my comedy content helped add a sense of laughter to peoples days. Yes, I know, COVID-19 is a serious matter but also helping people cope and keep smiling is just as serious. I was born to entertain, this is what I do.
“I never really understood people who just sit around and do nothing all day…”
Sikora has been having adventures with his drone.
There are videographers, photographers, designers, and more out there creating stuff digitally and physically. Not everyone is blessed with creativity but that doesn’t mean you can’t hone in on something and become creative. I never really understood people who just sit around and do nothing all day and don’t aspire to really be anything great. Going to the bars and clubs every weekend, isn’t living…it’s pretty mundane and now those people are stuck at home bored to death. I can’t say I am ever bored, I always have something to work on and I am grateful for that because that’s me but that’s not everyone. That’s what sets people apart. It’s an adapt or die type of situation. We have all been put into this lock down, it’s like OK, now let’s figure this out, how do I get through this and come out on top?
“We as creators, are on the rise…”
This is also the time for content creators at home to rise. I’ve seen more creativity flourishing on my social media than I have ever seen! TikTok has massively grown over quarantine, with users creating their own content that has helped entertain people at home. As a content creator, I had more time to create at home as well. There are always projects on the shelf I can easily pull off and tackle. As hiking trails opened up, I ventured out and created even more new content with a drone I bought. Now is the time to get up and create stuff. My Fluffy Friends channel saw huge boosts as my comedy content helped add a sense of laughter to peoples days. Yes, I know, COVID-19 is a serious matter but also helping people cope and keep smiling is just as serious. I was born to entertain, this is what I do.
The world of entertainment this summer is going to be one for the books. No major blockbuster competition we are all used to seeing with movies back to back. We really only have a couple big movies this summer and even they may get rescheduled. Mulan is set to hit theaters at the end of July and personally I think that is too soon. TV shows are doing reruns while other studios are slowly trickling out content to keep people happy. Some shows got incredibly creative by filming their own ‘at home’ specials. NBC’s The Blacklist had a season finale that was half animated! Shows typically all end in May, leaving a smaller summer catalog of game shows or other one-off content to entertain folks at home. But as we enter the summer months, it’s going to be an even dryer season for entertainment since productions are halted and delayed. That’s why people are turning to content online like never before. That’s why we as creators, are on the rise.
“This is the time to get off your butt and make something…”
If you’ve always talked about doing this or making that, this is the time to get off your butt and make something out of that statement. Film your own little movie at home, start writing your fantasy novel, learn editing from YouTube tutorials, finally jump in and learn Photoshop or start producing your own music. There are endless things you can do to explore your creativity. Now is the time we are being watched, now is the time your career can take off. It won’t be long until studios start creating their big budget content again and they may end up calling on you to do it after your little ‘at home production’ goes viral. You never know!
So, I am here to push you a little bit…go out there and bring your dreams to life. – William Sikora III
Creating the visual for Brandy’s first new music in five years was no small step. AKIxMANN enlisted William Sikora to join up with their out of this world style to film an art film for the legendary Brandy that debuted in Schon Magazine.
“They said they wanted something really edgy and slightly twisted, her style and looks on the shoot were ‘new’ Brandy, it was super fresh and different and I wanted to carry that over in the visual edit. It brought me back to my roots as an editing days when I first started editing digitally, I used to play with so many concepts and warped images. Brandy is beyond beautiful, to add that edgy/twisted vibe to it made her pop even more. I wanted to add a horror mood to it, speeding up shots, putting shots in reverse, mirror shots to give her that goddess look, it all came together as I started editing.” Sikora said.
Brandy and Ray J brought their song “Edible High” into the project which was the first new music released in years. The song itself is an edgy, smooth harmony filled jam. “I wanted to have the song before I even started editing, I wanted every beat and kick in the song to be choreographed visually, it is not your typical music video and I think that’s what people loved about it.”
AKIxMANN’s Michael & Tyler Mann crafted her out of this world style to a nature elements theme which carried over in the video with water, fire, wind, earth, sky.
“It was an incredible honor to work with such a legendary artist who was beyond humble and amazing. We were working in 110 degrees, surrounded by hordes of flies, drenched in sweat out in the middle of a desert sea surrounded by dead fish and trash; it was quite an experience, something I will never forget. We were all troopers that day.” Sikora said.
Watch ELEMENTAL below:
BTV received a major rebranding as part of the final move away from the “B” names the company originally started with. In 2012, B Entertainment changed to Sikora Entertainment. “BTV was thriving on YouTube at that time and a re-branding was not in the works. YouTube and our channel has changed a lot over the years, we narrowed down our audience, put shows on their own channels and really tried to solidify the experience. While we are still growing, we came across challenges that slowed us down, tried to put out our fire. It took months to figure out a good name that could replace it.” Sikora said.
BTV officially made the switch in January and is not looking back. FYRtv is not an acronym, it’s simply FIRE. “There is a passionate fire burning inside that has always been there, the past couple years have tried to put our fire out but we will not let that happen, so the name was perfect for our mindset.” FYRtv said.
“Fans will still be getting the same quality content, just a sharper focus on delivering great videos, I am excited to see where we can go.” Sikora said.
Today we’d like to introduce you to William Sikora.
William, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Photography came naturally to me, as a kid, I started out with the family camcorder making movies on our farm. We made some really great stuff as kids, as years went on, I got more into photography as well. Capturing the mood and creating a cinematic composition was a big thing for me. After moving to LA in 2010, I really started doing more work, shooting for artists, music videos, had my first fashion spread published and more. My work was built on natural light, that delves back into my childhood when I had limited equipment and over 100 acres of farmland to shoot whatever I wanted.
READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE
Platinum recording artist, Daya, drives pop music down a different path as an independent artist scaling the pop charts. While her arrival on the music scene has been sudden to many, this 17-year-old singer/songwriter and Pittsburgh native has always known what she wanted to do.
Sikora Entertainment was enlisted to edit her latest music video “Sit Still, Look Pretty” which features stunning visuals and effects set to a hypnotic track. Directed by Chan Andre of Voyeur Entertainment, the video has surpassed 7 MILLION views.
You can watch it below:
Adventure Brothers continues their first season discovering the epic islands of Hawaii. Their latest episode takes them to the Nakalele Blowhole where a massive hole in the ocean rock blasts water up to 100 feet in the air. It’s a dangerous place that has claimed the lives of a couple tourists and truly showcases the power of the ocean!
You can watch the episode below and don’t forget to subscribe HERE.
After many years of making Vines and Instagram videos, 2015 was a big year for Fluffy Friends. Early in the year, a few videos went viral across the web and gave the show a big jump on Instagram. As with every viral sensation, the fire soon fades after a while and Sikora went back to the drawing board to figure out how to keep the momentum going. Cookie Monster was making a lot of appearances in the video and Sikora had little desire to keep using him since he didn’t own the character, enter Ollie!
Ollie was a puppet custom made for Sikora a couple years back but he never really found a place. “I didn’t want to just throw him into the mix, I was actually giving him his own gaming show, which turned out to be a very difficult process to review games, play them and react using the puppet at the same time. He didn’t really find an audience there so he was put back on the shelf for a bit. It wasn’t until this summer when I decided to say goodbye to Cookie and replace him with Ollie as the new roomie and create a new YouTube channel with Fluffy content only (compared to being thrown in the mix of all the variety of content on BTV.) I really didn’t think we would hit big again but I was certainly wrong!” Sikora said.
Ollie teamed up with LaTonka in the hilarious series Word of the Day which immediately took the internet by storm, shooting their small amount of followers over 5,000. They were late to the Facebook party, creating a page in October, as of today, they have over 21,000 Likes! (That’s lightyears ahead of every other Sikora Entertainment Facebook page!) Their YouTube page started performing better than BTV, racking up thousands of subscribers in just one month.
This week also marked a big day for Fluffy Friends with the grand opening of their store which has over 60 items to purchase ranging from t-shirts to magnets, cards, to pillows, cases, keychains and much more!
Not to mention, LaTonka will be getting her own show on the YouTube channel in 2016! It’s looking like Fluffy Friends is just starting to see it’s success after these many years. Everyone is loving LaTonka and Ollie!
Get ready, the Adventure Brothers are coming. An all new series that originally started out as a GoPro reel of exciting nature shots has evolved into an entire web series starring two brothers, Michael and & Will Sikora.
“Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places on earth and it stood as the perfect place to launch the show. While visiting my brother who lives out there, we decided to really flourish the show into something more than just cool GoPro clips and make it an entertaining adventure with us.” Sikora said.
Adventure Brothers follows two real brothers around the island of Maui on their adventurous hikes and across old volcanoes. The series is set to premiere this fall and BTV just unleashed an epic trailer you can watch below.
Make sure you visit www.adventurebrostv.com and subscribe to their YouTube.