Why Film Festivals are more important than ever – Santa Barbra International Film Festival

Posted on March 23, 2017 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone. Welcome to my first blog of 2017. My blog is not like all the other blogs out there. My blog is based on personal experiences I’ve had covering events as a photographer, filmmaker and fan. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the entertainment industry ever since acting in local theater when I was a child. Out of all the events I cover my favorites are film festivals. I fell in love with screenwriting after attending the Boston Film festival screening of ‘Reservoir Dogs” in 1992. What I love about festivals is not just seeing a film before it’s released, Q&A’s with the filmmakers and celebrity tributes. In this age of straight to cable, streaming services and pay per views, there still isn’t anything that can take the place of seeing a film on a big screen at a theater. Sadly because the amount of money it takes to put on a festival the number is now decreasing. Without sponsors, volunteers and customers a festival can’t survive in 2017. This is my first in a series of blog’s about film festivals and why they are more important than ever.

32nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival – “Charged” Opening Night Film

This blog is filled with highlights from months 32nd Santa Barbara International Film Festival. The festival featured many of the 2017 Oscar nominees and winners. The festival kicked off with a documentary about a chef Eduardo Garcia, who Charged with 2400 volts of electricity, Eduardo Garcia lost an arm, ribs, muscle mass and nearly his life. The film was very powerful. At times it was hard to watch in the beginning with the severity of his injury. His rebirth and new look on life and returning to his profession was powerful. After the film the festival had an opening night party eating and drinking from food supplied from local restaurants.

Maltin Modern Master Tribute – Honoring Denzel Washington

The second night of the festival was actually one of the most anticipated. Denzel grew up in Westchester County, like myself. I have literally grown up on Denzel from Carbon Copy and St. Elsewhere. His performances in Glory and “Training Day” won him Two Academy Awards. I personally feel “Malcolm X” and his current film “Fences” are his two best performances. Denzel arrived in Santa Barbra and started signing autographs for the fans across the street from the theater. He then did some interviews and walked the red carpet. The press line was crazy with a large number of photographers driving from Los Angeles and high school student reporters. After his quick appearance on the carpet he headed into the theater for the tribute. The tributes are always my favorite part of SBIFF. You can see a movie anywhere but where can you find out stories never told before and see a career highlights. Denzel’s tribute was amazing. Seeing where he started and what path got him to where he is today was a real special moment. As happy as I was for Casey, the best performance of 2016 was Denzel’s “Fences”.

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Outstanding Performers of the Year Award

Up next was my third and final tribute to “La La Land”, of Award Season. SBIFF honored Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling with the Outstanding Performers of the Year Award. The two posed for photos together and apart for the press after signing autographs for the fans outside the theater. Both looked amazing on the carpet. The tribute part of the evening showed highlights of both of their careers including clips from the three films
they did together. During the conversation part of the evening you could clearly see how much chemistry they have together. After the tribute was over “La La Land” director and fellow Oscar Nominee Damien Chazelle, presented the two actors with their Awards.

Virtuosos Award

One of the cool things about the festival it has always welcomed talent of all ages with the Virtuosos Award. Virtuosos Award honors a group of talent who’ve distinguished themselves through breakthrough performances in film that past year. In many cases they are smaller independent films. The 2017 Award Winners were Mahershala Ali (Moonlight, Hidden Figures) Naomie Harris (Moonlight), Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Fences), Janelle Monáe (Moonlight, Hidden Figures), Ruth Negga (Loving), Dev Patel (Lion) and Aaron Taylor Johnson (Nocturnal Animal). Everyone looked spectacular. The carpet had that Gala / Award Season feel to it with the women dressed in high fashion. This was another packed night on the carpet and in the photographer pit. There was one part of the night that was unexpected. Due to the amount of photographers on the press line, I was forced to shoot from the second row. Luckily I brought a two step step stood that I stood on. Oscar Nominee (and winner), Mahershala Ali (Moonlight), appeared with his 8 1/2 month pregnant wife on the carpet. After that, Mahershala, walked by himself. As he got to my area, it looked like he was saying something to me. I though he might have not been happy with my flash going off directly at him from an elevated level. Then I saw him get really excited and seemed like he was pointing at me. With all the noise coming from the carpet I couldn’t hear what he was saying. I just smiled and nodded. He continued pointing at me. Then I finally realized he was reacting to my yellow Golden State Warriors, 73 Win Sweatshirt. I didn’t find out till later that he was from Oakland. I gave the thumbs up. Then instead for moving to the next photo station he walked away from his publicist and the carpet. He started to walk towards the photographers pit. He then leaned into the area and gave me a high five.

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Cinema Vanguard Award Honoring Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams

Up next was the Cinema Vanguard Award Honoring “Manchester By The Sea” actors Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams. What made this a special night was that both actors live a very unHollywood life style out of the public eye. The actors walked the carpet together and separately. Casey was dressed in a black suit. He still had his salt and pepper thick beard that he had at the Globes and Oscars. After walking the carpet and doing interviews with video people the two walked into the Arlington for their tribute. The actors were showcased in video clips from their entire careers. I must admit. Michelle Williams was the reason I use to watch “Dawson’s Creek”. Of course, Michelle has gone on to be one of the best actresses in recent memory. The two sat on couches next to each other for their interviews. You could tell how genuine both were. Williams shared an adorable personal moment when she spoke about how happy her daughter was she was actually winning the award unlike other spoke about her daughter who was happy to hear that she was finally getting an award instead of losing.

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Montecito Award – Honoring Isabelle Huppert

Another tribute for an Oscar nominee was the 2017 Montecito Award, Honoring “Elle” actress, Isabelle Huppert. Known as the “Merrill Streep” of France. Unfortunately she walked right by me and my photo area without even looking. Luckily I had a wide lens to shoot from other stations. I must admit I was relieved she didn’t win the Oscar. She also lost my Spirit Award vote. That doesn’t takeaway from the fact she is an amazing actress who has been in over 100 films.

American Riviera Award Honoring Jeff Bridges

My final event of the festival was actually the one tribute I wanted to see the most. Not many people can be recognized by two words that are not their name. The recipient of the “American Riviera” Award was “The Dude”. “The Big Lebowski”, may have been one of my favorite Jeff Bridges films but it wasn’t my first. He first appeared in my universe in the 1982 film “Tron and kiss Me Goobye”. However, it was the 1984 film “Starman” was my favorite of his 80’s movies. Jeff appeared in the film along with one of my first celebrity crushes Karen Allen. Of all his films, last years “Hell or High Water” might have been one of his toughest challenges. Like all his other roles he mastered the complex portrayal of a Sherif on his way to retirement looking for one last hurrah. Jeff spoke for over 2 hours about a lot of the stories that were behind the scenes. One of the most surprising parts of the evening was to find out that Jeff’s dad, Lloyd Bridges, pushed him into acting and away from his desire to be a musician. It actually took 10 years for Jeff to start feeling comfortable acting. The Santa Barbara actor was in a joyous mood. After the moderator stopped talking about Lebowski, he tried to move to the next film he was discussing. Jeff then made him go back to Lebowski, he then brought up an really interesting hypothesis about one of the co stars roles in the film. Asking if “Donny was real or just a figment of imagination. Another special moment came when Jeff spoke about his longtime wife (who was sitting right by me) and how in love with her he is. One thing is for sure, we can all look forward to seeing Jeff playing all types of characters he brings to life.

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The 2017 festival featured more than 200 films from across the globe; as well as screenings, industry panels & education programs. You can view the 2017 award winners here: http://variety.com/2017/film/news/santa-barbara-film-festival-2017-award-winners-1201984675.For more information on the festival you can go to SBIFF.ORG. Additional photos can be found, with a article by journalist patch.com entertainment journalist Beau Behan: http://patch.com/california/malibu/photos-2017-santa-barbara-international-film-festival-wraps

Thank you for checking out this blog.Don’t forget to support local film and music in your city. Now more than ever they need your support.

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Dead and Company Live at the Toyota Amphitheatre Wheatland CA. 7/29/2016

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Jonathanshensa

It was just over a year ago in Chicago, the Grateful Dead wrapped up playing the last notes of “Attics of My Life, as a farewell to their fans. The band consisted of the remaining core 4 of Bob Weir, Mickey, Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and Phil Lesh. The band Celebrated 50 year’s of the Grateful Dead Dead, with 5 shows, 2 in Santa Clara & 3 in Chicago. The shows were called “Fare Thee well”, as this would be the final time the core 4 would play together.

Shortly after the shows, there were rumors that some of the members of the band were forming a super group. The news brought joy to Deadheads, that the band they love would still be playing the music they loved, so deeply. What they didn’t know was who was going to take on the nearly impossible task of replacing Jerry Garcia. Rumors also had Mike Gordon (couldn’t be in the band due to his busy schedule) from Phish replacing Phil on bass. The rumors would be confirmed in late August. The super group would be formed under the name Dead and Company. The band would consist of 3/4 of the core 4. Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann. The guys would be joined by John Mayer, on guitar, Oteil Burbridge (Allman Brothers Band) on bass and keyboard player Jeff Chimenti (Furthur/Ratdog).

Fans were stunned and critical of a pop singer joining the band and singing some of Jerry’s songs. However, after last years shows, Deadheads are singing a new tune. The band seemed revitalized and after a New Year’s Eve show in LA last year when Mayer, at the end of the final song saying the band would see them next year. Questioned critics, who thought this would be a one time tour.

Dead and Company’s 2016 Summer Tour, was held at a combination of stadiums and amphitheaters. That train headed North, for the final 2 shows of the Summer Tour. The first Northern California show, was at the Toyota Amphitheatre, in Wheatland,California. The crowd was in a festive mood being a weekend and the second to last show of the Summer Tour.. The venue (near Sacramento) was packed hours before the start of the show. The parking lots were filled with Deadheads of all ages.

The band hit the stage and started jamming into “Uncle John’s Band”. The band harmonized beautifully with Bob and John both taking turns at singing. The crowd was in a joyous mode when they went into “Tennessee Jed” with the crowed singing the chorus. “Easy Wind” was followed by another crowd favorite “Ramble on Rose.” Being born in New York City this song has always had a special place in my heart. Bob’s vocals were strong. The next song, “Row Jimmy” would normally fall into the slow jam category, but the song reaches a new level with Mayer’s vocals and guitar playing with Bob. “Looser” was up next with Bob handling the vocals. The first set ended with the band’s only hit single, “Touch of Grey”, with Bob and John taking turns on vocals. Once again, the crowd had a blast singing along. After finishing an amazing first set, Bob walked up to the microphone and said if you weren’t registered to vote you should head over to Headcount (you can register to vote here: https://www.headcount.org), at Participation Row and register to vote.

The Second set, started with another slow jam song “Lost Sailor’. The tempo picked up as the band played “Saint of Circumstance”. The crowd sang along to the lyrics “Sure don’t know what I going for, but I’m gonna go for it for sure.”

The band played “He’s Gone” originally written, about 
the disappearance of Mickey Hart’s father, who was acting as the band’s manager, with a good deal of money. The song was famous for the two lyrics “Like I told you, what I said, Steal your face right off your head.” and “Nothing left to do but smile,smile, smile.” Next up was “China Cat Sunflower was followed as it should be by I know you Rider. After drums and space the band jammed into “New Speedway Boogie”, from the bands 1970 Album “Working Man’s Dead”, was followed by “Morning Dew”, another Jerry song, that Bob sang lead vocals on. The tempo picked up again with another transportation themed song. “Casey Jones”. The band returned for the encore with acoustic guitars and closed a magical night out with “Ripple”.

One thing is for sure. Anyone who thought Dead and Company were just another Dead nostalgia group and that John Mayer was the wrong choice, were proven wrong. Dead and Company is proof that not only will the music will never stop, it also has gone to new places for a new generation to enjoy. To purchase this show and the entire Summer Tour go here: http://livedead.co/live-music/0,14553/Dead-and-Company-mp3-flac-download-7-29-2016-Toyota-Amphitheatre-Wheatland-CA.html

Set List
Dead & Company 
Friday July 29,2016
Toyota Amphitheater
 Wheatland, California

Set I

Uncle John’s Band bw jm
Tennessee Jed bw
Easy Wind jm
Ramble On Rose bw
 Row Jimmy jm
 Loser bw
Touch Of Grey bw jm

Set II 


Lost Sailor bw >
Saint Of Circumstance bw >
He’s Gone bw jm >
China Cat  Sunflower bw
I Know You Rider bw jm >
Drums/Space >
New Speedway Boogie bw >
Morning Dew bw
 Casey Jones jm
E: Ripple bw jm

 

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Dead & Company at the Toyota Amphitheatre in Wheatland California 7/29/2016

© Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

 

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Dead & Company at the Toyota Amphitheatre in Wheatland California 7/29/2016 © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

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John Mayer Dead and Company © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

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Bob Weir and Mickey Mickey of Dead and Company.Dead & Company at the Toyota Amphitheatre in Wheatland California 7/29/2016 © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

 

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My Silicon Valley Comic Con Experience

Posted on March 27, 2016 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone. Welcome to another edition of “The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood”. This blog is once again going to be different from my normal ones. It’s not about a Hollywood Premiere or a concert; it’s about another phenomenon all together. What do you get when you mix together popular culture, entertainment, technology fans and a bunch of fanboys/fangirls? The answer is…Silicon Valley Comic Con. SVCC was the brain child of Steve Wozniak and Stan Lee. The convention’s goal was to combine entertainment and technology fans in one place. The Apple computer co-founder Wozniak, did many interviews including a walking tour of the main floor while being interviewed by a news women. By adding the technology piece, Wozniak, created a very different kind of gathering, which really sets it apart from other comic related conventions.

Silicon Valley Comic Con 2016 – Day 1

The convention kicked off on Friday March 18th, with a Red ribbon cutting with Steve Wozniak, Stan Lee and Christopher Lloyd. The Opening night event was, “An Evening with William Shatner.” I arrived at the convention early, so I would be able to walk the floor and checkout the artists and merchants. Like Comic Con and WonderCon there is a main floor that is packed with everything from collectibles to artwork. One of the coolest things you can find at these conventions are autograph booths with everyone from celebrities from the present and some favorites from the past. I arrived to find out there were no posed photos. William Shatner, was signing copies of his new book, Leonard. I watched as I saw a number of people of all ages freaking out about meeting Captain James T. Kirk. One of the people from the staff let me take a few candids of him signing autographs.

An Evening with William Shatner

I headed to the room where Shatner, was going to be doing his event. No surprise that the room was totally full by the time the event started. Shatner, walked on stage to an enormous applause. The crowed was filled with fans dressed as their favorite Trekkie character. One of the interesting things about this convention was that with the exception of the “Back to the Future” panel, there wasn’t a moderator. Shatner spoke about taking his Harley and driving from Chicago to Hollywood, where he hoped to find work. For the second part of the program William took questions from the crowd, who had lined up by a microphone. The most touching part of the program was William, answering a question from a child about his friendship with the departed Leonard Nimoy. Shatner, spoke about having an argument with Nimoy and his despair about not speaking before his death. It was truly a special night seeing an icon in such a personal moment.

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© Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

Jeremy Renner Panel Day 2

On Saturday was the day filled with panels. I decided to cover the panels on the main floor. I was glad I walked the floor on Friday because the convention floor looked like grand Central Station at rush hour. The first panel was an appearance from Avenger member, Jeremy Renner. I have to say out of all the events I attended Jeremy seemed to be so happy to be at the event. Renner, seemed to really enjoy having no moderator leading the conversation.  You could clearly see how much he loves his fans. He even gave some good advice answering a question about going into acting saying, “If you could do anything else, do it”. Jeremy was so into connecting with his fans that he went 10 minutes over his scheduled time. He even said that he “felt bad knowing that fans had questions he didn’t get to answer.” He posed for Selfie’s with fans and even hugged a woman who said it was her birthday. After the panel Jeremy headed downstairs for photo ops and autographing signings.

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© Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

Nathan Fillion Panel

Next up was an appearance from “Castle” star Nathan Fillion.  The actor spoke about his TV and film career. Besides being on a hit television show many people know him as Captain Malcolm Reynolds, in the television series Firefly and its feature film. Nathan took questions from his fans. Nathan charmed the crowd with his sense of humor and told tales about cutting and pasting Joss Whedon’s head on his private parts to cover up during one of his naked scenes. Nathan Fillion was actually one of the reasons that I attended the convention. My sister is a longtime fan of his, so much so that she purchased the VIP package which included a photo with the star and an autograph signing. After meeting him she told me, “He’s always been my “Big Damn Hero” and I’m so glad that meeting him in person did not shatter my love for him as an actor and a human being. He comes off as kind and silly and that’s exactly who he is. His boyish charm is contagious. He really made my weekend.”

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© Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

Back To The Future Panel

The final panel/conversation was a “Back to the Future” reunion with, Lea Thompson and Christopher Lloyd in attendance. The actors spoke about the film franchise and it’s affects on them. This is rumored to be one of the last live events Michael J. Fox, would be attending. The room was packed to capacity. All eyes were on Michael, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1991. He continued to work and didn’t go public about his disease until 1998. Michael showed me what bravery is. He gave great insight about the film series and his life during his panel. At times you couldn’t see symptoms of his disease, which sadly has worsened. That didn’t stop him from taking part in this reunion. To learn about the Michael J. Fox Foundation (charity for finding a cure for Parkinson’s) check them out here: https://www.michaeljfox.org

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© Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

The three-day convention/show ended on Sunday with signings and a panel from Icon Stan Lee. The convention brought in 60,000 guests. The weekend was filled with celebrity appearances, science/tech discussions, and panels with award-winning authors, displays with comic book artists, cosplay contests (fan’s dressed in costumes they make) and more. “We couldn’t be happier with the turnout at our first Silicon Valley Comic Con—from passionate fans to engaging exhibits and talks,” said founder Steve Wozniak. “Version 2.0 in 2017 will be even better. The convention was a huge hit for the fans, artists and the city of San Jose. Congratulations to Steve Wozniak. He took a major risk and it paid off. I guess we should have expected it from Woz.

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© Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

Thank you to my sister who helped capture the event. Thanks to everyone at the Con who put on a great event. Don’t forget to support local music, films and artist in your city.

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My Drew Barrymore Experience Blog

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Jonathanshensa

© Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

Greetings everyone! Welcome back to ” The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood”. If you are new to this blog it’s different than others you may have read. My blog’s are about my experiences I’ve encountered, with celebrities or the personal effect they had in my life. Some as you know I’m a professional photographer. Long before I ever picked up a camera I’ve been a Fanboy. One of my favorites actresses since I was young is Drew Barrymore. Today is Drew’s 41st Birthday. This blog shares some of my personal experiences I had trying to meet her. I will also explain how she was apart of what made me take up celebrity photography.

Why I love Drew

One of the things that I love about Drew, is like myself she always speaks her mind. She is not influenced by what others think. She isn’t afraid to try new things and take chances. One of those chances was a film she acted in and produced called “He’s Just Not That Into You”, in early 2009. I was driving in Hollywood near the Chinese Theatre. I saw the street was closed off and decided to park and see what was going on. It turned out to the premiere of the film. Across the street from the theatre, a large group of fans gathered. I asked a cop why they were here when you couldn’t see anything that was going on across the street at the Red Carpet. He told me they were hoping the celebrities were going to come across the street to sign autographs (before selfies).

This was the first time I was at a premiere in the fan section and since I’m not a collector, I didn’t have anything for them to sign. Instead I ended up taking photos with my point and shoot camera. I didn’t get photos of Drew, but I did of many of the stars. I didn’t know it at the time but that was the beginning of my celebrity photography chapter of my life.

A few months later I got my first photo a candid headshot of her coming out of the “Whip It Premiere. Two years later I was at the Grey Garden’s premiere and got a candid shot of her touching the fans hands. When she came by to my spot I got caught in the moment and did not get a close up.

AFIFEST 2009 and the Butter Machine Incident

Next on my attempt list the “Everybody’s Fine” premiere art of AFI Fest 2009. I had waited on the side of the street but none of the stars came in my area. We were told that Drew would not be attending. After 20 minutes of nothing going on I started to walk towards Hooters, to eat something. After waiting for a few hours and not getting any pictures I thought the evening was over. Someone asked if I’d like to see the movie. I was overjoyed and thanked them. As I started to walk into the theatre a car pulled up and out popped Drew who headed quickly to the carpet for some pictures. Completely star struck and in a gaze I went to the refreshment stand. Not thinking I’d get in and not having anything to eat I felt lightheaded. It was the night before the Yankees last World Series victory, so I was wearing my Yankee hat and jacket. A fellow New Yorker started talking to me. After a brief conversation, I ordered my popcorn and soda. Normally for premieres the food is free but since it was a festival it wasn’t. I walked over to the butter machine and found it to be leaking like a faucet. The other theatre butter machine was directly across from a ladies or single person bathroom. The machine barley had been refilled and was dripping. I started to pound on the machine for the butter to come out like I was Rocky Balboa , the door opens and who walks out and has a front row seat for this was of course Drew. She gave me a look and a quick smile. Feeling embraced I headed to try and find my seat. As I walk by I’m almost elbow-to-elbow with the film star and fellow New Yorker, Robert De Niro. As an usher starts to show me to my seat who is escorted in-front of me again but Drew. The movie was a very serious one but at that point all I could think about was that I was in a theater with Drew Barrymore only a few rows away and my only thought was let me get out of here before I embarrass myself again.

Drew’s Book Signing’s

Since then I’ve had the pleasure to briefly meet her on two occasions at a book signing’s, in LA and San Francisco. I though she was very down to earth and kind. she even signed my friends kid E.T. doll back in. At her conversation at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco in 2015, she spoke of many of her roles, that she played in the past.  You could clearly see that, her most cherished role is motherhood. Like many of us in, the 40 club. She already has reinvented herself several times. Drew talks about her life in her amazing book “Wildflower”. http://tinyurl.com/zj2wb7s

It has been so interesting watching Drew, as her career evolves from a child and teenager taking on those issues. Now grown up taking on issues that affect all of us. She takes on those issues personally and professionally. She has become a major businesswoman. Showing once again, how she is like a chameleon. For more information, check out Drew’s Flower Beauty site. http://www.drewbarrymore.com/

Thank you for checking out my blog.

All Photos: © Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography

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Don’t forget to support independent Filmmakers and Musicians in your city.

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Dave Grohl’s Birthday Bash at The Forum and My Personal Foo Fighters Experience Blog

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings and welcome to a special Edition of The Outsiders Guide to the Inside of Hollywood. This blog is dedicated to Dave Grohl, who turns 46 today. Most of us my age first got to know Dave as a drummer in the iconic band Nirvana. When I first heard Dave, was not only not going to play the drums in his new band, but sing, I was skeptical. However after hearing the Foo Fighters debut CD and the second one The Colour and the Shape, I was hooked. I was a child of 80’s heavy metal and to be perfectly honest, I got more into the Foo’s than I did with Nirvana. It was in your face kick ass rock and roll. As much as I dug the band, I didn’t get to see them play live till moving from New York to California. in fact my first Foo Fighter show was actually an acoustic one.

Foo Fighters at Neil Young Bridge School Benefit 2000

One of the best things about living in the Bay area is that ever October we have the Bridge School Benefit to look forward to. The all day concert is an annual, all acoustic, non-profit charity event held every October at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California. All proceeds directly benefit the operations of The Bridge School. non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure that individuals with severe speech and physical impairments achieve full participation in their communities through the use of augmentative & alternative means of communication (AAC) and assistive technology (AT) applications and through the development, implementation and dissemination of innovative life-long educational strategies. The show was going to be one of the bands first time playing an all acoustic set in front of 18,000 people. The show was held at an outdoor amphitheater. Unfortunately it rained and poured on the crowd myself including. When the band hit the stage Dave, joked with us saying they were use to this since they were from Seattle. The bands 7 song set included See You, Learn to Fly, Next Year, Ain’t It the Life, Monkey Wrench, Everlong and This Is a Call. The band sounded amazing like they had been doing it for years.

Foo Fighters 2005-2009

That acoustic performances turned out to be a preview of what was soon to come. After seeing the band at KROQ’s weenie Roast in 2005 and a surprise solo acoustic performance by Dave solo the next year, I attended the final night of the bands acoustic performance Foo Fighters at the Pantages Theater on 8-31-06. The show was recorded and the album Skin and Bones was later released. After a few more KROQ and Bridge school shows, I followed that up with the bands 3 hour performance in the pit from Oracle Arena in Oakland, in 2009. I was sure that would be my all time favorite Foo Fighter shows. Boy was I wrong.

Dave Grohl’s Birthday Bash at The Forum 1/10/2015

Last Saturday night, once again in a down pour of rain, I headed to The Forum, in Inglewood, CA for what was billed as a Secret Show. Tickets for the concert went on sale 48 hours before the event. I remember thinking what is so secret about a show that was posted on Facebook and Ticketmaster in advanced. When I got to the newly refurnished arena, there was tons of buzz going on. The merchandise was selling a Dave’s Birthday Club T-shirt. The people in back of me were saying that black Sabbath was opening the show. The band sent out a message saying to get there early because there was no opener, so I knew that was just a rumor. I entered the arena to my VIP area seat and heard from one of the Chase representatives (now own the Forum)that this was going to be a great show because it was Dave’s Birthday show. What made the stage set up so cool was that it was in the round with a moving stage. The bands instruments were stacked close together making it feel like an intimate club not an arena. The stage kept circling alike a carnival ride making sure everyone had a chance to see the band play from all angles.

The show started with the band taking the stage but not starting with music. Instead Dave told everyone it was going to be a long night and it was his birthday (his actual Birthday is 1/13). We were then informed that he had a ton of friends who would be playing together with the band. The first special guest star was Paul Stanley from Kiss. The band launched into “Detroit Rock City” followed by “Do You Love Me”. After Paul left the stage Dave asked the fans if they wanted to hear Foo Fighters music. As the opening chords to “All My Life” started the crowd went into a frenzy. Next up was “Rope”, “The Pretender” and “My Hero” where the crowd sang along with the band to the chorus.

The next three guests were an odd pair. Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass of Tenacious D were joined onstage by Slash. After Jack sang Happy Birthday, to Dave balloons fell from the top of the Forum. Dave then said there were suppose to be more balloons. Seconds later the stage was covered in them. Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins sang Queens “Tie Your Mother Down ” Led Zeppelin “Immigrant Song” was next.

My personal highlight guest of the night was Alice Cooper dressed in a High School Lettermen’s sweater sang “Schools Out” and “I’m Eighteen”. http://tinyurl.com/oe3x9so More of Dave’s friends included Zakk Wylde who did perform Black sabbath’s N.I.B.Fairies Wear Boots. Zack was a madman on guitar and sound like a 1970’s Ozzy. LA legend Perry Farrell from Jane’s Addiction played “Mountain Song” and covered The Rolling Stones “Miss You”. The guest stars and band looked like they were having the time of their lives. you could see why the foo Fighters have become one of the best live rock bands in the country. After that the Foo’s played “Something From Nothing” “This Is a Call” “Best of You”

The other major surprise was what Dave called a Bucket List Jam with David Lee Roth who sported a new shaved bald head look as he danced around performing Van Halen 1984’s classic “Panama” http://tinyurl.com/pfqxseq followed by “Ain’t Talking About Love”. The bands classic “Everlong” could have closed the show, but Dave had one more friend to welcome to the stage. It was one of Dave’s close friend and influences Motorhead’s Lemmy Kilmister. For the final song “Let It Rock” (Chuck Berry cover) Slash and Zakk Wyld came back for the final jam and song of the night.

Bands always say this is going to be one of the greatest rock and roll night’s. that was an understatement. This was not a concert it was an event that could have been held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Thank you to Dave and everyone that made this One of the greatest rock and roll shows I’ve ever seen. Thanks for letting your fans share this historic night with you. If this was how Dave was going to spend his 46th Birthday, one can only dream of what his 50th will be like.

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Thank you for letting me share my experience with you. I can only hope I made you feel like you were there. Don’t forget to support local bands and films in your city.

Posted in blog, Blogger, celebrity blog, celebrity candids, Celebrity Event Photos, Celebrity Photos, concert, Concert Review, Dave Grohl's Birthday Bash at The Forum, Entertainment, Foo Fighters blog, Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography, Music Blog, The Outsiders Guide To The Inside of Hollywood | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Robin Williams Experience and the Personal Demons We Shared – Blog

Posted on August 14, 2014 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone. Welcome to a Blog, I wish I never had to write. The Entertainment Industry lost an Icon, on Monday. Oscar winning Actor and Comedian Robin Williams lost his long bout with depression, on August 11. The 63-year-old actor, was found dead in his Tiburon home in Marin County, California, by his personal assistant after committing suicide. The news took a while to break, but when it did it consumed everyone. An immediate outpour of love and appreciation for Robin, could be seen all over television and the internet world wide from the White House to the Middle East. I even came over my camera shyness and was interviewed, by KCAL 9’s Kristine Lazar, at Robin’s star on the Walk of Fame. “He was a genius; I mean, how many different roles did he play and different characters,” said Jonathan Shensa, a fan of Williams. “He had that down-to-earth feeling where you just felt like he was one of the people in your neighborhood.” (my part is about 1:30 in the outpouring of love video part) http://tinyurl.com/lp53utp

Like many people my age, Robin, first landed in my universe as the lovable television character, Mork from the planet Ork on Mork & Mindy. The show ran for only 4 years from 1978-1982, but still has a place today in many peoples hearts. Thanks to video and syndication a new generation of kids have been able to fall in love with the show. I remember being so upset when the show ended it’s tevelvsion run on ABC. Robin won four Golden Globes, playing Mork.

Robin also brought one of my favorite characters to life in Robert Altman’s “Popeye”. It quickly became one of my all time favorite films from my childhood. To this day I could never see any other actor in that role. Robin, was a character actor. What a character he was. He never played the tall dark and handsome roles. Every character was different. I loved Robin so much that his 1982 Film “The World According To Garp”, was the first rated R movie I ever saw. I remember loving the movie but was crushed by the ending. The film showed me, that not every movie has a happy ending.

As the years passed I enjoyed many of his roles. He had a way of bringing humanity to every character, he played. He always seemed like a down to earth guy. He never had an ego. The cool thing about Robin, was he never played the same character. He didn’t play it safe and wasn’t afraid to take chances (“1 Hour Photo”). The one word that could never describe him was ordinary or boring. Robin was a master of playing characters with mixed emotions. He was always believable. Who else could have played the roles and deliver a dramatic and comedic performance, with the films subjects that dealt with everything from kids with Caner (Patch Adams) to the Vietnam War (Good Morning Vietnam). My all time favorite film was the one that won him an Oscar. Robin played Dr. Sean Maguire in Gus Van Sant’s “Good Will Hunting”.

Neil Young’s Bridge Benefit XIV Oct. 28,2000

One of there coolest things about living in the Bay Area, is  Neil Young hosts a special all acoustic concert at shoreline amphitheatre at mountain view. The Bridge School Benefit is an annual charity concert held in Mountain View, California, every October at the Shoreline Amphitheatre. The concerts are organized by musician Neil Young and his wife, Pegi Young. Proceeds benefit the Bridge School, which assists children with severe physical impairments and complex communication needs. The artist line up for the show was a music lovers dream. Unfortunately it poured all mooring and the lawn section at the venue looked like the mud pits from Woodstock. The show featured Tom Petty, Dave Matthews Band, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beck, Foo Fighters Tegan And Sara and  Crosby Stills, Nash and Young. At one point the stage hands, were pushing the water off the stage as the sound people desperately tired to get the nests bands equipment set up. Instead of playing video highlights of past years and information about the school, we heard a familiar voice. It was Robin, who was a surprise guest. “I just spoke to Noah and he says the ark should be ready shortly”. We were then treated to a 15 minute Stand-up set.

My 5 seconds meeting Robin at the “Old Dogs” Premiere in 2009

The only time I photographed Robin was at the very begging of my photography career. I didn’t start my photo career on the red carpet or with any kind of credential. I started off with only armed with a point and shoot camera. I would hang out in the fan sections with fans, collectors and other independent photographers, hoping the actors would sign autographs in the fan area so. When Robins film “Old Dogs”, premiered in Hollywood in 2009, a friend and I went down to Hollywood. It was a really strange night. This was the first premiere that John Travolta was attending since the tragic death of his son Jet. When Robin arrived, he did make it over to the fan section to sign. I was able to say a few words when he got to my area. He seemed so happy to meet his fans. The crowed took photos and got autographs. Even though they were short for time he didn’t rush through the area, before hitting the Red Carpet. Couldn’t have imaged that that would be the one and only time I’d see him.

 

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My personal Struggle and Why I’m Mad at Robin

You know what? Fuck this! I’m mad as hell and I’m going to tell you why. Like Robin, I was able to beat addiction in the past. I’ve also battled depression for most of my life and had many thoughts of suicidal at times. When my friend told me the news of Robin’s passing, I assumed it was a heart attack or a accidental drug related death. I knew he had been in rehab twice recently. I figured he lost the fight, that so many others have lost. When I heard he took his own life. It was inconceivable. He was loved by his family, friends and millions of fans. I have been in that dark place. I’ve hit rock bottom but swam My way back to shore more than once. Robin, should have know how this would devastate his family. Celebrities have so much power.  They affect and have an influence is the average persons life. It’s also a huge responsibility. That is one of the reasons I’m alive today to write this Blog.

Back in April 1994, I was with my fellow alcoholic manic depressive friend. We had been drinking hard since early that mooring, when the news about the death of Kurt Cobain, was rumored. We didn’t have cell phones, or Facebook, so I headed for a pay phone to call the local radio station. After the death was confirmed, I headed in a downward spiral that almost took my life that day. When the Average Joe or Jane, feels hopeless, like there is no hope or a way out. When someone like Robin takes his own life, it could literally drive someone over the edge. If just one person committed suicide after or the days after Robin’s passing, that is too much! Actors and musicians are more than entertainers. They are our lovers, friends and at time therapists. When I was at my darkest moments, I’d take Metallica’s “Fade To Black” out of the CD played and put The Grateful Dead’s “Touch of Grey” song on. There’s a line in the song that goes, “I will get by, I will survive”! I started expressing myself by becoming a Screenwriter. My ability to escape into a world that I have control of the outcome. Through film and love of music I learned how to cope and how to dream of a better life. This is why I’m alive, to write this blog, today. Not everyone is so lucky. If you or you know someone who needs  help, call National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273- TALK (8255) or talk to a friend, family member or your spiritual leader. You are not alone and there is no shame in asking for help.

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Help Save The Life of Bay Area Artist Julia Lazar-Franco

Posted on August 3, 2014 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone! This is going to be the most important blog’s, I’ve ever written. It’s not about a Red Carpet or Concert, I recently covered or attended. The purpose of this blog is to help save a life, of an extraordinary women. Julia Lazar-Franco, has recently been diagnosed with chronic Hepatitis C, end stage liver Cirrhosis, and liver cancer. She urgently is in need of a liver transplant. If you have blood type O, A or A+ you could help save her life. Here is more information on how you can get tested:http://www.helpsavejulia.blogspot.co.at

I’ve only known Julia for a short time, but in that time, I could easily see why so many people love her. She is one of those people, that always has a positive outlook. She is warm and friendly and has such an amazing spirit.

The first time I met Julia, was at a Book Signing for Betsy Franco’s “Naked”, which was illustrated by Tom Franco (Julia just married Tom last week). I had met Tom, at the Mill Valley Film Festival, back in the Fall of last year. I then ran into him again, at his brothers James Franco’s book signing in Palo Alto. I then found out Tom, was a artist and sculptor. I decided to cover their Book Passage book singing and conversation in Marin. Tom introduced me to Julia. At the time, I thought she was a manager or publicist, she took care of all the details and made sure the event ran smoothly, even running the slide show. You can tell she loves her work and loved working with the Franco’s, whom she already seemed like were her family. She is the type of person who could light up a room with her smile and charm. Her warm and friendly personality makes everyone feel at ease. Even this shy and quiet photographer/writer.

As some as you know, besides being a photographer, I’m also a writer and aspiring filmmaker. I also love supporting Independent film and music. I was interested to find out not only is Tom, an Artist and Sculptor. I also found out Tom and Julia, have a business together in Berkeley. The Firehouse Art Co is a nonprofit project, directed by Tom Franco and Julia , providing spaces for artists to co create currency, and a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration. I was invited by Julia, to one of there events, at the Galley last November. Since then, I had returned for two other events there. I found it inspiring to be around so many talented and creative people. I felt honored to be a guest in their community. The work at the gallery is always amazing. I love that the purpose of the gallery is to support the independent art community.

One of the coolest things to see from each of my visits to Berkeley, is to see how much Tom and Julia love and support each other. Julia has given so much to the creative world that it only seems right to help her in her toughest battle. She has inspired so many people and we must help her to inspire even more. She is a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a dear friend and source of inspiration to many. To find out what you can do to get tested got to: http://www.helpsavejulia.blogspot.co.at

Update: Julia Lazar Franco died on August 25.

© Jonathan Scott Shensa Photography DSC_9175 DSC_9478

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MusiCares Celebrates 10 Years of Helping Musicians Get Sober with MAP Fund Benefit Concert

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone and welcome to another look inside some of the entertainment industry’s coolest events. This blog, is dedicated to the recent MusiCares Benefit Concert and Red Carpet, that I covered and attended. Back in 2011, I covered the The 7th Annual MusiCares MAP Fund benefit, honoring Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan and Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman. http://tinyurl.com/793huyd

The MusiCares Foundation, was established in 1989 by The National academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. The organizations goal, is to help struggling musicians in crisis with the health and welfare of their community. In 2004, the Musicians Assistance Program (MAP Fund) to help musicians with drug rehabilitation. They also help to provide sober living and safe harbor rooms backstage at concerts.

Rock stars and music fans packed Club Nokia on Monday Night May,12, for a Live Benefit Concert to Raise Funds for MusiCares’ Addiction Recovery Services. The concert honored Grammy winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, Ozzy Osbourne, and Jeff Greenberg, owner/CEO of the Village studio.

Before the concert a dinner was held inside the club, while the performers and honorees of the evening walked the Red Carpet and posed for the photographers, after being interviewed by Video Journalists. Ozzy, walked the carpet with his daughter Kelly. The two shared some touching and candid moments on the carpet. Kelly was quoted in a video interview that was shown to the audience, now having the father she always dreamed of, since Ozzy, got sober. The Red Carpet, didn’t just include the evenings two honorees but also brought rare red carpet appearances by presenter Joe Walsh (Eagles and also a recovering addict) and special guest guitarist Slash (Guns ‘N Roses / Velvet Revolver) along with Osbourne’s solo touring band members and celebrity guests. Fans lined up on sidewalks behind the Red Carpet, trying to get pictures of the stars. Some lucky ones even got memorabilia signed.

After the carpet the show kicked off with MusiCares chair Bill Silva, announcing that the MAP Fund program, that has already devoted $10 million to addiction services designed to help musicians get sober. Bill, then delivered the evening first joke saying “and most of them are in this room”. After the short speech, a video tribute to was shown of the late Adam Goldstein (DJ AM) who lost his battle with addiction, on August 28, 2009. After that, it was time for the concert portion of the evening to start.

The evening’s first performer was Los Angeles singer – songwriter Beth Hart, who opened with a song from her called “Immortal”. She followed up with a bluesy soulfully version of Ozzy’s ‘Changes”. Hart reflected on stage that the first time she heard it she didn’t know it  was Ozzy. Beth’s set, was followed by Grammy Winner, Keb’ Mo’, who honored Jeff Greenberg, with his set. Greenberg during his speech stated, “We’re all here because we love music, music is the center core of our lives. And this is where we take care of the people who make the music”.

The next music set of the night might have been the most anticipated. It was a short but powerful four song rare acoustic set by fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Metallica. As the band took to the stage the once seated crowed in the balcony rose to their feet. The band hit the stage and sat on stools, as James teased the crowd with a the opening chords of “Stairway To Heaven”, before opening up with Earth’s “I Just want To Celebrate”. A song, which they also played acoustically at Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit in 2007. The band followed up with another cover deep purples “When A Man Cries”. Metallica fans could be heard crying for them to play some Metallica, but those fans must have forgotten James Hetfield, was honored by MusiCares himself in 2006. The band then played The Beatles “In My Life”. For their final song they paid tribute to Ozzy, by covering his “Diary of a Madman”.

Joe Walsh presented Ozzy, with the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award. Then it was time for the man of the evening to hit the stage. Ozzy, kicked off his set with “I Don’t Know” with Janes Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro playing with him for his entire set. “Suicide Solution”, a song that tells of Ozzy’s battle with alcoholism was up next. Ozzy, jumped around on stage clapped his hands liker it was the 70’s. You could clearly see that his sobriety helped his vocals and live show. “Iron Man” and “Crazy Train” sounded amazing. But the true highlight of the evening, was the final song of the night, Black Sabbath’s anthem “Paranoid” where Ozzy, was joined on stage by Slash and Billy Morrison.

On a personal note. I have witnessed first hand how important the MAP Fund is. I’ve spent a lifetime surrounded by and being a fan of musicans. If we had programs like the MAP Fund and MusiCares my generation might have not lost people like Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley and Bradley Nowell. My parents generation might not have lost Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. For more information on the MusiCares program check them out here: http://www.grammy.org/musicares/recovery

 

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My Personal Philip Seymour Hoffman Tribute and Experience – Blog

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings everyone and welcome to a special tribute blog. This blog, should have been about meeting Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz and Steven Tyler, 2 weeks ago in LA. It also could have been about my entire first experience, attending and covering the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, with Dig In Magazine. Instead it is about one event from Sundance. Just hours after arriving to Park City, our first carpet we covered at Sundance, was “A Most Wanted Man”. http://www.diginmag.com/2014/02/01/sundance-2014-a-most-wanted-man-philip-seymour-hoffman

The films star, Philip Seymour Hoffman, lost his battle against addiction, last weekend in New York City. Losing Philip, we lost one of the greatest character actors of all my generation. Philip never had the looks of a Brad Pitt. He had to make it solely on his acting abilities. The first time I saw Philip, on the big screen was in 1992 in “Scent of a Woman”. It was the cult classic  “The Big Lebowski”, where he really got my attention.

My first time photographing Philip, was at the “Moneyball,” premiere, where he played Art Howe, the manager of the Oakland Athletics. Not only did I photograph “Moneyball”, but I also was an extra in a crowd scene with Hoffman. (I didn’t make the final cut). Philip walked the baseball field shaped carpet that night waving to excited fans, that lined on the streets of Oakland to watch the celebrity arrivals.

Hoffman won an Academy Award in 2005 for his portrayal of writer Truman Capote in the film “Capote”. In addition to Hoffman’s Best Actor Oscar, he was also nominated for the Best Supporting Actor award three times, for his roles in “Charlie Wilson’s War” (2008), “Doubt” (2009) and “The Master” (2013). He recently appeared in Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

Philip, not only had “A Most Wanted Man” at the festival, he also had “God’s Pocket”, (which I was lucky enough to attend one of the Sundance screenings) screen there. The movie was filmed in my hometown of  Yonkers, New York. The picture was another example of what Philip Seymour Hoffman brought to a film. He had a way of playing the ordinary average Joe, but making you care and root for him. He never played simple roles. It didn’t matter if it was on the stage or on the screen he mastered each of his roles and was responsible for creating amazing characters. He had  a way of just diving into the character and always brought something special to each performance.

When I heard about his death yesterday, all that I could think of was he was only 5 years older than me. I thought of the shoot in Utah, just two weeks ago to the day. I called the Owner/Founder and Editor-in-Chief at Dig In Magazine Cindy Maram, and found out it was a heroin overdose. For the rest of the day, I kept having emotions ranging for sad to angry. Then I had to remind myself, how close I came to not being around to write this. Thankfully, I never faced the same addiction as Philip, but had to fight my personal demons and addictions to overcome.

In the media and in public, we tend to see celebrities in a certain light. We don’t realize that just because your famous doesn’t make you suffer from the same fears and weakness that is seen in every day life. I wanted to write about how he lived not how he died. I saw different postings about how he died and peoples reactions to it on social media. If you haven’t faced addiction and depression, it’s impossible for a fan, writer or critic to understand. For me my love of music, movies, and writing helped me escape safely into my own world and found a way to survive. Some people just can’t do it on their own and need help. If you can’t talk with a loved one or friend  see someone or checkout these sites: http://www.drugabuse.gov or http://www.recovery.org

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My Best of 2013 – Best Horror Film and First Time Director: Jessica Cameron – “Truth or Dare” – Blog

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Jonathanshensa

Greetings and Happy Holiday’s everyone. Welcome to another step inside some of entertainments coolest events. I’d like to extend a special welcome to readers, who are new to my blog. This is not your typical blog. It doesn’t focus on who wore what, or give you a detailed account of every scene in a film review. I write my blog, as lifelong fan of the entertainment industry and mass media. I also was a child actor, an assistant in the Entertainment Industry and even was a music manager, and continue to be an aspiring writer and producer. I currently work as a celebrity  photographer and journalist. My blog is about not only covering red carpet events, it’s about experiencing them and the impact the artist and their work has had in my life professionally and privately.

Meet Jessica Cameron 

This blog is dedicated to the true spirt of the Independent filmmaker. When I say Independent, I’m not talking about millionaires opening up a so called indie film company after the breakaway from the big studios. Or, an A list star, opening up a new production company. I’m talking about the ones who invest everything they own financially, personally, and spiritually, ones who have to fight for every dollar they can get to make their vision become a reality. Followed by endless promotion starting from festivals and ending in DVD releases. just just right before the film comes out. This blog is the first of my Best of 2013 series. It is dedicated to my favorite Horror Film of 2013, Jessica Cameron’s “Truth or Dare”. Not only did Jessica, star in the film, she directed and  co – wrote it and even helped to produce it.

I first met and photographed Jessica in Arizona, at the premiere of Leigh Scott’s “Dorothy and the Witches of Oz” in 2012. It wasn’t till “Miss Misery’s Days of Terror” Horror Convention later that year that I saw a film of hers, Brandon Slagle’s, Award winning “The Black Dahlia Haunting”. The film was one of my nicest surprises of 2012. The film stared her “Truth or Dare” cast mate and fellow Scream Queen Devanny Pinn, and Ghost Hunters Britt Griffith. In the film Jessica, played Marilyn Monroe. She completely pulled off a very difficult role to play.

Though the “The Black Dahlia Haunting”, was my introduction into the Hollywood Independent Horror Film world, it wasn’t my first time watching horror films. I’m a child of the 80’s who grew up with such horror classic franchises as Friday The 13th, Halloween and “Nightmare On Elm Street”. There were also indy classics like “Silent Night Deadly Night” and “The Prowler”. But after getting addicted to Quentin Tarantino, and his style of writing dialogue.

When I first heard about the “Truth or Dare” film right before Jessica signed on to direct it. The screenplay was written by Jessica and producer Jonathan Higgins. The “Truth or Dare” team and their Truth or Daredevils, raised $11,725.00 with Indiegogo, including a donation from me after seeing her dedication from videos she was posting on social media sites. When it comes to promoting Jessica is a promotion machine. Besides being a Scream Queen she is also the # Queen, promoting projects she is involved with. When she’s not on the set Jessica, makes herself available to fans, by attending festivals, conventions and other fan interaction events. Any director or producer would befit from working with Jessica. Not only do you get a hard working actress who is not afraid to take chances, but she also understands the business and how to promote. It’s like having a free PR person. I almost think she could have been a Publicist or Agent in another life.

2013 RIP Horror Film Festival – “Truth or Dare” Screening

“Truth or Dare” successfully premiered, at the Underground Film Festival on Friday the 13th in Tucson, AZ. last September. I didn’t get to experience the film my self till it’s Southern California premiere, at the 2013 RIP Horror Film Festival at Cal State Long Beach. The evening started with a Red carpet hosted by L.j. Rivera. One of the cool things about this event was many of the filmmakers were friends and supported each others projects. There seemed to be lots of love and respect between the filmmakers and that made for some fun candid moments on the carpet. I got to meet several new people and even got a chance to photograph and meet the Twisted Twins Sylvia Soska and Jen Soska, who recently directed WWE Studios “See No Evil 2.”

I took pictures of all the guest and then got the cast of “Truth or Dare” together for some cast pictures. Everyone looked amazing. But my fashion winners of the evening were Jessica and Devanny Pinn. The girls were also wearing jewelry from Jessica’s Screamqueen Couture. https://www.facebook.com/ScreamqueenCouture Everyone was in high spirits as we entered the theater for the screening of the film.

“Truth or Dare” – Film Review

The filmmakers stated through publicity for the film that “Truth of Dare” was going to be “The Most Fucked Up Film You Have Ever Seen”! Director, co – writer and producer Jessica Cameron, even handed out paper vomit bags, just incase some audience members couldn’t take the gore of the film. The film wastes no time in jumping right to the story line. Six friends (two couples) achieve internet fame when they make fake “Truth or Dare” videos. When a crazed fanatic (their number one fan) is crushed that the video was not real the fan (played by Ryan Kiser) takes the cast members hostage. He then informs them that they will be playing Truth or Dare, for real, but using his rules which keep on changing. To be honest, my first thought was done before, but boy was I wrong. The films stars all gave great performances.

For me personally, to my surprise the thing that really lured me in was how smart and funny the script was. Yes, it is extremely gory at times and there is scene with wine bottle and Devanny Pinn, where you will change the way you ever look at a wine bottle again. Jessica, Devanny, Jesse Wilson, Brandon Van Vliet, Shelby Stehlin  and Heather Dorff all turn in great performances. Ryan Kiser performance in the film as their crazed psychotic number one fan was magnificent and believable. I was almost afraid to approach him after the film ended. The plot line has several twists and surprises for the viewer. Some of the truth’s that were exposed I never saw coming and will shock audiences. The filmmakers took so many risks shooting this film but it all pays out in the end. The film also makes an interesting statement, showing how an over obsessed fan might get caught up in the social media obsessed generation. The film is violent and not for people with a week stomach, but was shot tastefully. I’m glad I got to see the directors cut. I’ sure some of the shots may be toned down for a potential distribution company. “Truth or Dare” is the must see film of 2014 for the true horror fan. The film had a great response from the sold out crowd and won The Viewers Choice Award at the RIP Horror Festival to go along with a number of other awards the film has recently received on the film festival circuit. I knew that I wanted to see the film  again so I could experience it in another way. That chance would come at the films next screening.

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Another Hole in the Head Film Festival “Truth or Dare” Screening

I was overjoyed when I heard that “Truth or Dare’ was screening at the “Another Hole In The Head Film Festival in San Francisco, with an appearance from Jessica Cameron, on December 15. The theater was in the Japan Town section of the city, at the New People Cinema. When I got there I was a little confused. The theater turned out to be in the basement of the New People store. Upstairs were several stores and a bunch of parents and kids around at a Tea Time dessert Restaurant, that looked like it was “Alice In Wonderland”. I saw Jessica and we took some fun candids in the lobby before the screening. We even went browsing in a few stores also with the very cool photographer and Talk radio show host Oscar Benjamin. After some fun playtime I then headed into the theater and saw the film for the second time. I was even more impressed this time. I kept thinking that what a brave decision it was for Jessica, to choose this film as her directorial debut. Most women wouldn’t have the guts to make a film like hers. “Truth or Dare” combines great acting performances with amazing storytelling and interesting characters, something that can sometimes rare in the indy horror world. After the screening and Q & A, Jessica, stayed and signed autographs for fans.

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Truth or Dare’s next screening is at the Shockfest Film Festival in Hollywood, CA on Friday, January 10th at 11:55 pm. The event will be held at Raleigh Studios, across from Paramount located at 5300 Melrose Ave. Hollywood, CA 9003. http://shockfilmfest.weebly.com and for all things Jessica Cameron, checkout her web site: http://jessicacameron.com also to find out how you order the film and can help the “Truth or Dare” team checkout their site here: http://truthordarethemovie.com/contribute/

Thank you for joining me on another once again. You’ll be seeing a lot more blogs from me in 2014. My next one will be on a trip to LA. I’m also proud to announce I’ll working covering the 2014 Sundance Film Festival for Dig in Magazine and my blog. Till then don’t forget to support independent filmmakers and musicians in your town or city. For more celebrity photos, events and stories from the red carpet follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Jonathanshensa or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.shensa.

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