The tides they are a changing in
the entertainment industry. We are living in exciting times for those of us who
are avid creators of content for the web. We’re seeing more and more
development of excellent ideas into well-executed web series that are shifting
the focus of entertainment, as we know it. Eddie Griffith is a filmmaker that is at
the forefront of these times, and his groundbreaking web series is sure to
spark controversy and conversation within the black community as well as
religious communities.
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| Eddie Griffith, Creator and Director of "Ken" |
Eddie Griffith is a generation X filmmaker from Brooklyn, New York. It
was in his senior year at Buffalo State College, where he became the Vice
President of the college television station that had the most profound impact
him. This is where he learned to love storytelling. It was in a class taught by
Tom Fontana that Eddie learned how to tell stories and create characters that
were authentic and diverse. Since then Eddie
has worked his way from Production Assistant to Assistant Director as a member
of the Directors Guild of America (DGA).
“Ken,” is a web series about a late
twenty-something African-American man going through a second coming of age as
he deals with his faith and sexuality. The series exposes a wall of silence
that exist between sexuality and religion. This series has sparked
conversations that might have otherwise not been had. I believe it is an important conversation for
many of our homosexual brothers and sisters to have, as it has been common
practice for the church to condemn those who love members of the same sex. Which in my opinion needs to be a
conversation that we have. However the questions do not stop there. The
fledgling series also quandaries the state of relationships, and how truth in
all aspects should not just be the air between two people but the place where
each individual resides and move from.
In order to accomplish the daunting task of creating a world that
feels and looks real Mr. Griffith has assembled a cast that truly personifies
the voice of a young African American generation that is conflicted between
love and religion. Leading this cast is Jarret Janako, as Ken. Jarret delivers
a convincing performance as the confused and tormented Ken. However it doesn’t
hurt that he has supporting actors that can hold their own as well such as
Krystal Farris and Yarc Lewison. Krystal is a native of Georgia and has honed
her craft on the stage in off-Broadway productions, and Yarc Lewison is an
actor with over 50 films under his belt and a growing list of notable directors
for which he has given performances. The combination of talent assembled for
this production is sure to provide Ken with ample drama, and character, while
creating a conversation with an audience that is ready to be open, honest and
truthful about sexuality and religion.
Here is the pilot episode, please feel free to comment and share.
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