Video Recording for Keep Walkin' On

I finally finished recording the video for "Keep Walkin' On"!! I originally planned to record last Sunday, but it was rainy and cloudy and I really wanted to be outside where it is sunny and bright. I had also planned to have a friend record me singing and walking, but those plans fell through. This weekend seemed to be a travelling weekend for a lot of people! So, I ended up recording by myself. Today was such a sunny and cloud-free Sunday. And it was warm for a change! I didn't want to pass this opportunity up. So I recorded in my neighborhood in Hamilton Heights. I live near the George Washington Bridge that overlooks the Hudson River. You can also see the skyline of New Jersey. I always loved walking over there because of the view, so I thought it would be perfect for the song. I wore one of my favorite dresses for the shoot and just had a good time singing to myself in the camera! I also did a shot of me sitting in the park. I live near the Riverside Park where there is a basketball court, pool, and other recreational activities. Riverside Park is so beautiful and has a lot of space. So I just set up my video camera in front of me and sang to the music. My plan for the video would be to combine shots of me singing to actual footage from past AIDS walks. I have already received permission from the AIDS walk organizers to use their footage online. I really wanted to have a creative and high quality video, but still be inexpensive.
While I was recording, there were so many onlookers! One person took a picture of me and tried to talk to me, but I was in the middle of the song. I was singing outloud, so people could hear me. I was trying really hard to ignore the stares, though, because it would have really distracted me from my performance. One person in particular started talking to me (I think he wanted to holla :)). He said he was also a videographer and a producer and wanted to work with me. I was polite to him, but I eventually told him that I had to get back to what I needed to do. I don't like to work with people who first start talking to me because they were attracted to me, then start talking about all of what they can do for me later. Right then and there I know there is no real relationship that will come out of it because they will be mixing business with pleasure. I prefer to work with people who were referred to me or who I seek out first. So that was a no! His films are on Youtube, though, Dream2films, if you want to check him out!
I also ran into someone that recognized me from the BET documentary! She knew all about me, that I went to Columbia, that I sing, etc. I was so shocked that she still remembered me and my story, especially since the show was 4 months ago! She said that she really enjoyed the show and that she didn't guess the status of each person correctly. I'm just so glad that she wanted the show and it made an impact on her. And it is nice to be recognized from TV!! People like her help me to keep doing what I do because I know that I am making a difference.