Salsa S.O.S.!!!!!

[jamaicanspice]

salseros and salseras!!! I NEEEED your assistance!!!

Now as some of you may or may not know I work for a television station here in Jamaica as a Teleprompter Operator (among other things :D ). Well I've been trying to get some interest (media wise) centered on the growth of salsa here in Jamaica.........ANYWAY! I am now on the morning programme (I work shifts) and I've been wanting to get them to do a story on salsa here. Well, I have just been asked to do PRODUCE a programme about salsa in Jamaica!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! I am over the moon!!!! but there is a catch.......this would be my FIRST time doing anything like this and I really want it to work.....so I am calling on you my salsero/a family. I need background information on salsa.....I need the best of the best in terms of music and bands.....I need the easiest ways to break down the steps so a layman can understand it. What I need is information information information!! Boriken, Sagitta, reggaemambo I figure you would have this kind of info so......send me anything and everything you know please and i will be doing my own research as well. you can email me directly what you have or can find. Guys I REALLY want to do this thing right.......wish me luck and I am welcome to any and ALL suggestions as to how to make this programme come off!!! :D

[ReneeJoan]

Dear Jamaican Spice:

What a dream come true!! You go, girl!! Yes, I'm sure Boriken Salsero and Sagitta will be able to give you everything you need to get started.

I'm sure you're going to be working 186 hours a day until this piece airs. But keep us posted when you can, and please give us a full report when it's over.

Someday, I hope this dream can come true for me, too, so I'll be watching to learn from your experience.

:bouncy:

Renee

[jamaicanspice]

Thank you so much!! I am scared out of my skull right now!! I mean this really is a dream!! You can help me too you know.....anything you know would be great!! I will keep you posted!! :D

[Lucretia]

:cheers: Great JS!

I'm sorry I cannot contribute to this production in any way but my best wishes.

When the program is ready - can you produce a DF- DVD we can buy?

/Luc

[ReneeJoan]

Dear JS:

Start by WRITING an outline of your segment -- what you want to include, what you want to say, the thematic focus of your "story." Naturally, you'll be revising your outline as you go along, but start with a written outline. It'll focus your thinking, focus and organize your ideas so it's not just a disorganized mish-mash in your head, and give you some direction. From there, you'll be able to organize your tasks -- interviews, clips, factual narrative, locations, shots, dance sequences, etc.

That's the writer in me. Once you have your written outline, the producer in you will have to take over.

Go for it, boldly, and without fear.

Renee

[Sagitta]

My guess is you probably want to have a large section of it to focus on Jamaica. Perhaps you can see what sort of dance styles are done in Jamaica and use that as the direction to take when writing the history part. I would think that most people would be interested in that vs other dance styles that aren't done in J. So what sort of dance styles are done?

[Sagitta]

Oh, another thing. How long can this program be?

[tj]

Ooo, congratulations, JS! I'm sure you'll do a great job!

[gte692h]

wish me luck and I am welcome to any and ALL suggestions as to how to make this programme come off!!! :D

its absolutely brilliant news. wow! what a break ! this could do wonders for your career. I don't have much advice, but I do want to remind you that ultimately, your program must appeal to your final audience, whoever they are. that's the bottom line, in my opinion.

good luck.

[jamaicanspice]

thanks Renee....I'm working on an outline even as we speak....as Sagitta said the focus will be centered around Salsa in Jamaica but in terms of the origin I would want to let people know where it started generally and then narrow it down to when it started and why in Jamaica leading up to the Salsa competitions earmarked for later in the year.

It will be a 3.5 minute segment to be shown as part of the morning show so basically I have to reduce all the information I get into a workable script and then have the particular video clips and footage from our club outlined in it.

I think I just got an idea how to start it too :D anybody know where I can get a downloadable video clip of an old salsa routine? that would come in handy.

I already have the necessary persons lined up to help me with it once I get the official go-ahead (graphics, editors, cameramen, Production Assistants and a knowledgable Producer plus a photographer). I want to have enough footage to cover ALOT of the narration. I already have the location in mind and will be talking to the persons in charge regarding it.

As for having a DF-DVD made for sale :D I'll see what the editors can do about it and let you all know :D

[Lucretia]

As for having a DF-DVD made for sale :D I'll see what the editors can do about it and let you all know :D

A web-video-cut might do as well :wink: .
For 3,5 minutes it might be to complex to make a DVD. On the other hand - the company may charge us for a DVD, hard to do with a webcopy.

/Luc

[jamaicanspice]

:D excellent idea...I'll see what happens. In any case I'm taking as much time as possible to get this as good as I want it but I am laying the foundation from now. :)

any luck on the old video clip? I am gonna need it....... :?:

[aragonh]

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

That is so awesome!!!

Make us Proud!!!

:notworth: :bouncy: :banana:

[Pacion]

:applause: Jamaicanspice! That is great news! Do let us know how it goes and please, please, please!!! Don't let your bosses persuade you to dress any of the people you interview with frills and bandanas :roll:

Resist all attempts, including if they threaten to hide your danceshoes for a month!!!

Instead of trying to cram everything into 3.5 mins, how about seeing it as a "pilot" to a regular 3.5 mins product? That way, you can have for example...

- the history/origins of salsa
- how salsa found its way to Jamaica
- the differences/similiarites between salsa music and calypso/reggae
- use of instruments eg. the steelpan (from recollection you were the one who mentioned salsa incorporating steelpan, a while back?)
- video link with certain DFers, including as far away as NY and Egypt to show the universal appeal/friendships as a result
- the influence of fashion on salsa dancers/salsa dancers influence on fashion

etc etc

What ever happens, enjoy it! :banana:

[SalsaAmore]

JSpice, what a great opportunity! I saw an article on the history of Salsa and it's roots a while back on SalsaWeb.com. The origins of Salsa, either it be Cuba or Puerto Rico, is still in debate. I'm sure if you do a search on their site, you could locate it. Good luck to you!

[Medira]

Congratulations on such a wonderful opportunity!

I don't have much to offer along the lines of history or information on salsa, but I do have a suggestion: once your outline has been written, as well as your script, show it to as many people as you can, whether they know about salsa or not. That way, you get an outside perspective on the flow of it as well as whether or not there are any holes in what you want to show to your viewers. :)

Best of luck! I can't wait to see how this progresses.

[SalsaAmore]

JSpice, also try Salsaroots.com for a lot of Salsa history and info. Good luck.

[jamaicanspice]

ok ok.....the script is DONE!! the story board is DONE!! (just need to reformat it now)......and yes Medira....I have bounced the script off a number of persons here at the station and have gotten ideas and suggestions from there. Thanks to them the writing part of it is done :D

I managed to squeeze pages of information into 1 minute :lol: so I could have the other 2 and a half minutes dedicated to Salsa in Jamaica :D

Tonight I will be going to the club to set up the interviews I will need. I have submitted a memo to the necessary heads to get cameramen and editors for the job.... :D matter of fact that's the only thing I am waiting on now to start officially. I am so excited!!!!! :D :D

[jamaicanspice]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!! *screaming*

you all are NOT gonna believe this!! :D :D last night I went salsa dancing with the intention of trying out the latest DF dance challenge........ONLY to find out that the competitions I have been talking about to you all was starting last night!!! (the one my dance partner and I will be entering is further down in the year). There will be a series of them taking place the next few weeks with winners being decided from each of them.

In any case for the fun of it I drafted a friend of mine to enter the competition with me last night just for fun.........AND WE ENDED UP WINNING!!! :D :banana: so now we've moved on to the finals. As I said earlier, the next few weeks they will be having mini semi-final competitions and deciding winners from them and at the end of them all, there will be a grand finale where all the winners from the competitions will be competing for the grand prize of a week-long trip to CUBA!!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!!! :banana: :banana: I'm over the moon right now!! :D :D I just HAD to share this news with my DF family!!!!

so you KNOW that the feature I am working on will HAVE to be done A.S.A.P. so it will serve as a means of promoting the salsa competitions.....the first of its kind in Jamaica!!! WAHOO!!!!!! :D :D I wish you guys could be here!! matter of fact....anyone have any plans of coming to Jamaica for Spring Break :D :D

[Sagitta]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!! *screaming*

you all are NOT gonna believe this!! :D :D last night I went salsa dancing with the intention of trying out the latest DF dance challenge........ONLY to find out that the competitions I have been talking about to you all was starting last night!!! (the one my dance partner and I will be entering is further down in the year). There will be a series of them taking place the next few weeks with winners being decided from each of them.

In any case for the fun of it I drafted a friend of mine to enter the competition with me last night just for fun.........AND WE ENDED UP WINNING!!! :D :banana: so now we've moved on to the finals. As I said earlier, the next few weeks they will be having mini semi-final competitions and deciding winners from them and at the end of them all, there will be a grand finale where all the winners from the competitions will be competing for the grand prize of a week-long trip to CUBA!!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!!! :banana: :banana: I'm over the moon right now!! :D :D I just HAD to share this news with my DF family!!!!

so you KNOW that the feature I am working on will HAVE to be done A.S.A.P. so it will serve as a means of promoting the salsa competitions.....the first of its kind in Jamaica!!! WAHOO!!!!!! :D :D I wish you guys could be here!! matter of fact....anyone have any plans of coming to Jamaica for Spring Break :D :D

Congrats JS on everything. :D

[cocodrilo]

That's such cool news, JS! Congratulations!!!! :D :D :D

[jamaicanspice]

Thanks you guys!!! :D

[Sagitta]

Do be sure to keep us posted. :)

[jamaicanspice]

but of course!! :D :D