Hello Brooklyn #8 - Chromatic

Living in New York for the past 10 months made me realize how many things and values are missing in this big metropolis, things that I could never miss back in Italy. But there's one thing I love about this city, the love and real passion for art, and the infinite number of artists that surround it.

In this special episode of Hello Brooklyn I'll introduce you to a new category of artists, the ones that make images alive, the ones that create things that we thought could only live in the back of our minds. 

You can find some of these artists in Chromatic, a collective of young film makers based in New York City. 

Last week I had the chance to meet with the founders of this uprising team, Satchel Lee and Cameron Debe, who will both take you to a small journey in the world of Chromatic.

#1 What is Chromatic, and what does it represent?

Satchel Lee: Chromatic is a multi medium artist collective dedicated to giving artist of color opportunities they might not otherwise have had, while building a strong supportive community. To me Chromatic represents the future. Right now as a society  we're in a very strange place, politically. And I don't just mean politics - like government. Think about the politics of race, the politics of gender and sexuality. The politics of economics. Tensions are high. And people have had enough of the same old stuff. So we're seeing a lot of people, young people in particular, taking up spaces that they have historically been excluded from. To me Chromatic says, "I don't care if your don't want to listen to me. Or if you only want to listen when what I'm saying makes you comfortable and safe. I have gifts and I'm going to share with the world whether you like it or not". 

Cameron Debe: Couldn't have said it better myself. Chromatic Content is a creative collective comprised of six young filmmakers in NYC looking not only to create their own work, but to also promote/celebrate the work of other diverse artists around NYC. It's funny, because everyday it represents something new. Definitely within our scene, it represents a new voice. 

#2 Tell us about your background in filmmaking and who are your biggest inspirations:

Satchel Lee: Both my parents are filmmakers so it's sort of a family business. It's just something I grew up around. I've never even considered another career path really. So I guess my biggest inspirations would be my parents. It's funny though. I didn't realize just how much they are until recently. And mostly with my dad, Spike Lee. He's a a pretty well known and respected filmmaker, so when I was young people would always come up to him on the street and shake his hand and tell him they love his work, but I didn't understand what that meant until I had watched more of his movies. And his strenght is telling stories about black people. Written by black people, produced by black people. Most of the crew is usually black. So when people come up and tell him they love his movies I think it's about more than just sitting down for two hours and watching a story unfold. It's about hope. It's like "Wow. Look how beautiful we are. And flawed. And crazy, and in love." It's something we don't get to see often. 

Cameron Debe: Unlike Satch, my parents couldn't be further away from the entertainment industry. So that's probably what drew me into the arts from an early age. I remember sitting at home watching Michael Jackson's music videos all day, trying to learn the routines. He's probably what got me into entertainment. I started out as an actor, in theatre mostly. Then I started acting in my friends' short films, watching how they would direct a scene. One day I was like, "I think I could do that". And I did. Much better than my friends, too. I got into NYU Tisch School of the Arts for Film & Television and the rest is history. I met everyone in Chromatic through art school. 

#3 Music, fine art and fashion, how important do you think these elements are in nowadays film industry?

Satchel Lee: I think they are extremely important. Filmmaking is the most collaborative art form there is. You can't really do it by yourself. So you're going to need to have someone do your music or your score. And fashion... people aren't usually naked in films (maybe they should be more often) but you're going to want your costume designer to know what's in style and know about trends and what kind of person wears one thing and what kind of person wears another. Fine art. Just a basic understanding is helpful. At least for the director of photography. In classical paintings you usually have the bad guys going across the canvas or whatever from right to left. And the good guys go from left to right. It's the same thing in film now. And all these things (music, art, fashion) do nothing but enrich your understanding of the world around you. The kids don't read enough, though. You can find all the new music and fine art and fashion on your instagram feed. But everyone needs to read more. 

Cameron Debe: I need to read more. And I also love instagram. But music, fashion, fine art - they're all intertwined. Whenever I watch an old Italian film, I find myself so amazed by the style. I remember watching Divorce Italian Style for the first time, and all I could think about were those fantastic sunglasses that Mastroianni was wearing. Music, I can't come up with an idea without it. It's everything. The best fine art evokes some type of emotion from the viewer. That's always my biggest goal in my own work. 

#4 What does the future hold for Chromatic?

Satchel Lee: Our end goal for Chromatic is to have our own space where we will have all types of materials and resources available to artists who will purchase memberships. The memberships will give them access to the space and resources as well as to a community of like-minded individuals who are driven and serious about their art. In addition to being a workspace we want our location to be a place where we can hold exhibitions, small music gigs, readings, screenings, anything we can think of. We're ready to move and shake. 

Cameron Debe: Stay tuned.