4 Years In

In the Fall of 2011 I sat down in front of my computer armed with an idea and plenty of time on my hands (I just finished a film and was, shall we say, unemployed at the time). From that, was the start of FilmSwag. The blog celebrated it's 4th birthday this past weekend. My baby is slowly growing up.

Since the blog has begun, I've been amazed at the ever evolving deep pool of roles that people of color have been getting in television (more so than film) these last few years. One of my early articles covered the fact that Taraji P. Henson openly complained that she was not featured in any of the ads or promos for the CBS series "Person of Interest." Four years later, it's safe to say Taraji has had the last laugh thanks to some show on Fox.

It hasn't just been more roles either, but whole families coming into the fray. Two of the more well known shows "Blackish" and "Fresh off the Boat," aren't just shows with families that happen to be black and Asian, but make a point to tell the narrative through the perspective of those characters. In order to tell these stories, you need to have writers who are familiar with everyday colloquiums and norms of a particular culture. These shows reflect that.

As for the future of this blog, I'm working on some upgrades and new content. I do admit, I haven't posted much this year, but I haven't forgotten about you guys, the readers, and I will continue to try and put good material out there. Here's to another 4 more years at least. Peace.

Back from a Hiatus

This feels like learning to ride a bike again after a long absence.

This is probably the longest I've gone without blogging since I started FilmSwag some 4 years ago. It wasn't for lack of ideas -- there have been plenty -- but more of a self evaluation on where I plan to take this blog. I've been researching, attending conferences, meeting folks, and generally gaining a broader perspective on blogging and my purpose in it.

While I always enjoyed writing about film and media, I've lately been asking myself what do I bring to the table that's different than what you'll find on other sites, and how can I better showcase not only my work but others as well? So I'm thinking for now: less articles, more photography, increased video, and testimonials. Might also be abandoning Blogspot altogether -- stay tuned.

As for the foreseeable future however, I do plan on blogging more consistently and giving you guys, the readers, better and more unique content. Thanks for visiting.

                                                                                                                             - Warin

3 Years in the Game

I must admit, I'm somewhat surprised that 3 years later this blog is still standing. I still remember my first post and wondering just where exactly I was going with this thing. I still have questions at times, but my focus has always been to provide articles and material that hopefully educates, enlightens and at least on occasion, entertains you, the readers.

A lot has changed since September of 2011. In the three years since we've seen the rise of filmmakers like Issa Rae who used her webseries "Awkward Black Girl" as a platform into other ventures including a still yet to be released TV show on HBO. Lupita Nyong'o has gone from aspiring actress to an Oscar winner and household name. On the production side, Shonda Rhimes' television empire has only continued to grow as she now has THREE shows airing on primetime this season.

Of course not all has been positive. Outside of the industries there have been the continued killings of unarmed black men by police at a rate there's have left me at times wondering what I would do in such situations. People of color still continue to often be left out in ad campaigns and major motion pictures as leading men and women. Despite all that, we still rise.

I just want to say once again THANK YOU to all of you who read this blog and even more, share it with others. I don't have ads on this site because it's not about clicks, but connectivity to an audience that often feels neglected and forgotten about. Let's continue to keep getting educated together. Peace.

2 Years Running

Time sure does fly. In the two years since starting this blog, I've definitely enjoyed writing about a number of topics connected to film and media. Whether it's been profiling specific films or TV shows, or controversies within the media, or even just showcasing a music video, I believe at the very least these things can add something to the broader discussion. Acknowledgement, analysis and discussion on topics not heavily covered in mainstream media, I believe, is part of the journey of greater enlightenment about things that may not be familiar to oneself.

In the coming months I plan to debut a new series of articles highlighting local artists/poets/musicians/change agents, under the title of FilmSwag Features. FilmSwag Features will most likely include a small article and a short video on somebody in the art world (doesn't necessarily have to be film) who is either just starting out or has a message they want to tell. It's part of a process of highlighting real people doing exemplary things that for whatever reason go unnoticed by many. So definitely look out for that. Also, if anyone has any ideas or topics they would like to see covered, feel free to hit me up at filmswag11@gmail.com. While I can't promise that I'll be able to cover every topic somebody leaves in my inbox, I will certainly look into each one.

Finally, I just once again want to say THANK YOU to anyone and everyone who has read my articles, shared my work or commented on this site. It is definitely appreciated. Hell, even if you hate the articles but just come here for the music videos, I appreciate that too. As always, lets continue to keep getting educated together.

1 Year of FilmSwaggin

My oh my how the time flies.

I started this blog a year ago today because I felt it was finally time to express some of the thoughts that had travelling around in my head for months, or in some cases, years. FilmSwag is more than just a blog I feel. It gives me a platform to reach people and speak on topics that I might otherwise only discuss with certain audiences or in particular settings.