:: :: :: :: ::: Visual jazz mediagroup

Welcome to the Soulsuite, the online studio and home of the Visual Jazz Media Group (VJM) and sanctuary for independent film producer, visual artist,designer and animator, Tewodross Melchishua. Visual Jazz Media Group is a studio and media collective that provides effective image solutions in animation, visual communication, motion graphics, film/video, music video production, illustration and visual marketing and much more. We also produce fine art, new media and visual projections; video installations, and publications. The team at VJM can also provide curatorial, research, art direction and consulting and educational services in film/video, animation, digital media arts and production.

I am currently creating visual projection and vj-ing with the production Paige In Full, written by Paige Hernandez and directed by Danielle Drakes.

ABOUT

theHegira’s Paige in Full is a visual mix-tape that blends poetry, dance and live music to tell the tale of a multicultural girl growing up in Baltimore, MD. The production explores how a young woman’s identity is shaped by her ethnicity and popular culture, telling a personal, yet universal, story through the lens of hip-hop. To create Paige in Full, sibling-duo Paige Hernandez (writer and performer) and Nick tha 1da (musician) worked with Danielle A. Drakes of theHegira (director) and Bryan Joseph Lee (dramaturg) to develop a story that speaks to a dynamic hip-hop influenced generation.

 

CASRAM ACCESS-Paige In Full from SolSource Group on Vimeo.

Paige in Full draws upon a range of creative disciplines including literary, musical and visual arts. The story unfolds on a backdrop of multimedia projections provided by Tewodross Melchishua. Paige in Full debuted at The Meade Theatre Lab/Flashpoint of the Cultural Development Corporation (DC); and at the Studio Theatre part of the 2010 Hip-Hop Theatre Festival. More information at The Hip-Hop Theatre Festival website, or the official Paige In Full website.

"Elevator Music" based on the music of Asheru and Blue Black of The Unspoken Heard, animated produced by Tewodross Melchishua will be featured in the FLIK Festival 2009 (image featured above). FLIK is a multi-faceted festival of moving images that showcases exceptional and innovative artistry from around the world. Presented in a hosted variety show format, FLIK conjoins traditional sit-down screenings with a gallery exhibition of video and interactive art, live performance, and more. While inviting artists of all backgrounds and aesthetic influence, each year FLIK’s curators have a special look at specific areas of art and communication they find relevant. FLIK 2009 Featured Artists: Lars Arrhenius, James Baranasky, Brandon Bloch, BLU, Paul Fletcher, Nick Fox-Gieg, Anthony Jones, Bang-yao Liu, Jeremy Lynch, Alexandra Meade, Tewodross Melchishua, Scott Pagano, The Robinson Brothers, & Nigel Wood - curated by Joshua Barlow. The FLIK Festival will be taking place September 11-12, 2009 at the National Harbor:
Art Whino. 173 Waterfront Street Oxon Hill, MD 20745. Learn more

M3: MCs, Mics & Metaphors (M3) explores the power of hip hop lyricism and poetry through visual art. The exhibition captures the force behind hip-hop’s music movement, the phenomenon of the Master of Ceremonies, or MC. Curated and created by Tewodross Melchishua, M3 premiered at the Gallery at Flashpoint from July 23 – August 29, 2009. The opening reception will be held on Thursday, July 23, 2009 from 6 – 8pm. M3 assembled a nation-wide group of 16 emerging artists, and from a range of disciplines, including fashion, video, animation, photography and painting, will be presented. Learn more