Visual Intonation

Vanté Gregory
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Visual Intonation, hosted by acclaimed director and screenwriter Vanté Gregory, delves into the vibrant world of Black artistry. Each episode features intimate conversations with visionary creators, exploring the depths of their craft and the cultural resonance of their work. Vanté Gregory's insightful approach illuminates the nuanced voices shaping contemporary art, offering listeners a profound journey through diverse artistic expressions. From emerging talents to established masters, Visual Intonation amplifies the richness of Black creativity, inviting audiences to experience art through the eyes and voices of its most compelling practitioners. Visual Intonation finds film not only as an art form but as a basis for education and cultural interaction.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    EP 157: Unquestioned Truths with Director/Writer/Producer Ella Chikezie

    Ella Chikezie steps into the director’s chair with In Her Shoes, a short film shaped by urgency and care. Known for her work on Christmas in Lagos and in the production trenches of Choke and Tokunbo, Chikezie makes her directorial debut. The project was awarded under the initiative Using Entertainment Media to Combat Gender Based Violence in Nigeria. For Chikezie, this film is personal. It is also political. It is a quiet declaration of intent.  The story follows Halima, a young autistic Muslim girl who finds freedom on a football pitch. At home and at school, she is misunderstood. Her joy is dismissed as unfeminine. Her difference is treated as a burden. As financial pressure and social expectations close in, Halima’s mother considers an arranged marriage as an escape. Her father, shaken by his daughter’s moments of joy, must choose between tradition and tenderness. One choice could change everything.  In Her Shoes joins a strong lineage of African films that confront painful truths with purpose. Like Dazzling Mirage, The Lucky Specials, and Nawi: Dear Future Me, the film treats cinema as a tool for awareness. It addresses autism, child marriage, bullying, and gender bias without preaching. Screened at the 2025 Lagos Fringe Festival, the film announces itself with restraint and confidence. Darasimi Nadi delivers a performance of striking honesty, allowing silence and gesture to speak where words cannot.  Chikezie directs with clarity and resolve. The film trusts its audience. It builds to an ending that lingers, not because it shouts, but because it refuses to look away. A girl runs. A ball rolls forward. The noise follows. In Her Shoes reminds us that change is rarely polite, often uncomfortable, and always necessary. This episode of Visual Intonation Podcast explores how one filmmaker uses story to insist on dignity, visibility, and hope.    Ella Chikezie's Filmography: imdb.com/name/nm13215349  Support the show Visual Intonation Website: https://www.visualintonations.com/ Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyvante/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@directedbyvante

    57 min

  2. 16 JAN

    EP 156: Healing and Feeling with Director/Writer/Producer Learenna A. Reynolds

    Learenna A. Reynolds walks into a room carrying history, spirit, and heat. An interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker from the South Side, she has been described as the walking embodiment of God’s consciousness, and the work earns that description. Her practice pulls from culture, folklore, and lived experience, shaping images that feel remembered rather than invented. On Visual Intonation Podcast, Reynolds speaks with the clarity of someone who knows where she comes from and why it matters. Reynolds is deeply connected to The New Art School Modality, a learning space where currency is not degrees or credits but exchange, discipline, and devotion to practice. She is the owner of fleshxbone.works and a director at rawhead.anbloodybone, building worlds that move between film, ritual, and education. Her path includes work at j3llyfr1uts production, study through alternative art pedagogies, and hands on experience across production, communications, and teaching. This is not a résumé. It is a map. Her short film Raw Head an’ Bloody Bone stands at the center of this conversation. Originally created to honor D’Angelo’s album Voodoo, the film draws its title from African American folklore once told to children during enslavement. Reynolds describes the film as an experience, one rooted in hoodoo, spirit, and sound. If you love film. If you love music. If you love work that listens as much as it speaks. This film calls you in. In this episode, Visual Intonation Podcast traces Reynolds’s journey from camera operation and arts education to producing and directing work that feels ceremonial and precise. We talk about diet mississippi, about teaching K through 8 students, about Sun Ra, and about building creative teams that honor vision without dilution. The conversation moves slowly when it needs to. Then it strikes. This is an episode about practice, presence, and making work that knows its ancestors. Learenna A. Reynolds‘s Socials & Website: https://paa.ge/learennaareynolds/ Support the show Visual Intonation Website: https://www.visualintonations.com/ Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyvante/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@directedbyvante

    1h 53m

  3. 9 JAN

    EP 155: Community & Vulnerability with Director/Writer Elijah Negasi

    Elijah Negasi joins Visual Intonation Podcast with the quiet intensity of someone who has lived inside his stories. Born and raised in the Bronx and shaped by New York City grit, Elijah is an actor, director, and filmmaker whose work pulses with emotional honesty. From early documentaries to award-winning shorts and upcoming features, his path reveals a young artist listening closely to his inner voice and trusting it enough to create.  We talk about Sudden, his directorial debut, and the emotional weight it carries. The film follows two lifelong friends after an unexpected tragedy, where grief becomes both a companion and a test. Elijah shares how personal loss, guilt, and memory informed the film’s tone, and why sitting with discomfort became essential to telling the truth. His approach to filmmaking favors feeling over explanation and reflection over resolution.  The conversation turns inward as Elijah opens up about depression, healing, and the practices that helped him survive darker seasons. Meditation, movement, prayer, journaling, and solitude helped quiet the noise. Community helped even more. By choosing vulnerability and asking for help, he found connection instead of isolation. Creation became a lifeline, not an escape, but a way to give shape to pain and reclaim himself.  Now based in Miami and continuing to build momentum in independent cinema, Elijah reflects on purpose, identity, and the responsibility of storytelling. From HBO and PBS to Sundance and Tribeca, from acting to directing, his work remains grounded in psychological truth and the Black experience. This episode is about art as medicine, honesty as strength, and choosing to keep going, one small step at a time.   Elijah Negasi's Socials:    elijah Negasi    Source: IMDb  Elijah Negasi - IMDb    Source: Instagram  Elijah Negasi (@ohmyelijah) • Instagram photos and videos    Source: LinkedIn  Elijah Negasi - Filmmaker & Cinematographer | Creative Consultant  Support the show Visual Intonation Website: https://www.visualintonations.com/ Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyvante/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@directedbyvante

    50 min

  4. 2 JAN

    EP 154: Invisible Systems Part 1 with Director/Writer/Producer Liliane Laborde-Edozien

    Visual Intonation Podcast welcomes Liliane Laborde-Edozien, a Miami-based director, writer, and creative producer whose cinematic work spans continents and genres. With a unique trajectory from UC Berkeley’s Microbiology program to the world of filmmaking, Liliane offers a fresh perspective on storytelling. She shares her transition from aspiring medical professional to director, shedding light on her journey through documentary filmmaking in Africa and Latin America.  As a creative producer, Liliane’s credits include directing global campaigns and narrative projects, working with international teams across the U.S., Europe, and Latin America. She reflects on the challenges and rewards of collaborating in multiple languages, all while crafting emotionally charged stories that explore identity, transformation, and human connection. Her films have been showcased on four continents, and her photography has graced galleries in London, earning her a reputation as a dynamic force in the creative world.  Liliane is currently working on her narrative directorial debut, with plans to continue her work in both documentary and commercial media. In this episode, she talks about her artistic approach, which blends a cinematic eye with emotional depth, and her passion for bringing stories to life across various formats. Whether she’s directing a documentary or producing a branded piece, Liliane is drawn to work that asks big questions and resonates with audiences on a personal level.  In our conversation, Liliane shares her thoughts on two influential films: Citizen Kane and They Live—both of which she believes continue to offer sharp insights into corporate media and consumer culture. We also discuss Michael Singer’s The Untethered Soul, a book that has profoundly influenced Liliane’s approach to maintaining an open heart in both her personal and professional life. Join us for an insightful discussion about creativity, identity, and the art of telling stories that matter.  Liliane Laborde-Edozien's Website and Socials:  https://www.lilianelabordeedozien.com/ https://www.instagram.com/lilianefilms/?hl=en https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7611779/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilianelabordeedozien Support the show Visual Intonation Website: https://www.visualintonations.com/ Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyvante/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@directedbyvante

    1h 10m

  5. 26/12/2025

    EP 153: Reprieve with Director/Writer/Producer Hans Augustave

    This episode of Visual Intonation Podcast sits with Haitian American filmmaker and DJ Hans Augustave and listens closely to what happens in the quiet. Best known for shorts like I Held Him, Before I Knew, and the recent Nwa (Black), Augustave makes work that slows the room down and asks you to stay. His films are short, but they linger, circling tenderness, masculinity, and the complicated inheritance of Black identity. Nwa, which means Black in Haitian Creole, grounds the conversation. Set largely in a Brooklyn barbershop, the film explores cultural conflict, father and son dynamics, and the uneasy process of belonging. Augustave talks about growing up Haitian, French born, and New York raised, moving between languages, neighborhoods, and expectations. That layered upbringing becomes the engine of his storytelling, where no single version of Blackness is allowed to stand alone. The discussion turns intimate as Augustave recounts the personal origins of I Held Him, a seven minute short born from heartbreak, longing, and the simple human need to be held. He reflects on silence as a creative choice, on stillness as a kind of truth telling, and on why tenderness between men is so rarely shown without explanation or apology. Influenced by filmmakers like Steve McQueen, he trusts the audience enough to let discomfort do some of the work. Across film, music, and his sober curious dance party Reprieve, Augustave sees creativity as a tool for healing and connection. He speaks about collaboration, about directing as a form of listening, and about showing Black men as soft, loving, and whole. This conversation is less an interview than an invitation to breathe, to feel, and to reconsider what strength can look like when it is allowed to be gentle. Hans Augustave's Website and Socials: https://www.hansaugustave.com/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6091891/ https://www.instagram.com/hanzifilms/?hl=en https://vimeo.com/hansaugustave Support the show Visual Intonation Website: https://www.visualintonations.com/ Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyvante/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@directedbyvante

    1h 14m

  6. 19/12/2025

    EP 152: Inner World & Reflection with Director/Photographer Paris Silver

    Paris Silver is a photographer and director born in Virginia Beach, Virginia, whose work is grounded in visual storytelling and disciplined craft. With a measured approach to image making, he creates narratives that are intentional, precise, and emotionally resonant. His perspective reflects both technical fluency and a deep respect for story. His professional experience includes directing projects for internationally recognized brands such as On and Adidas. In addition to his work as a director, Paris has served as a first assistant camera for organizations including Apple, ESPN, and ACC Network. These roles have strengthened his understanding of production at the highest level and reinforced his commitment to excellence on set. Paris’s creative foundation is broad and deliberate. His early work in wedding photography sharpened his ability to capture authentic moments under pressure. He developed his technical skills through hands on experience with Canon cameras and mentorship from Mike Seeger. While attending East Carolina University, where he majored in Health and Fitness and was known as Thai Tanic, he balanced academic study with a growing dedication to visual media. His interests in paintball, running, and cycling further inform his discipline and focus. Beyond professional achievement, Paris is driven by purpose. He is committed to empowering minorities to enter the filmmaking industry and to amplifying underrepresented voices through meaningful work. He believes that storytelling is a vehicle for inclusion and change. In this episode of the Visual Intonation Podcast, Paris shares how intention, preparation, and conviction shape both his career and his creative philosophy. Paris Silver’s Website and Socials: https://www.parissilver.com/ https://www.instagram.com/silver.paris/ Support the show Visual Intonation Website: https://www.visualintonations.com/ Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyvante/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@directedbyvante

    48 min

  7. 12/12/2025

    EP 151: The ReWrite with Director/Writer/Producer Terry Dawson

    Terry Dawson tells stories the way a musician plays chords. He starts with something familiar, then adds a note that surprises you, then another that opens a door you didn’t expect. On this episode of the Visual Intonation Podcast, he talks about the path that led him from Washington, DC to Los Angeles and from childhood acting to becoming a filmmaker whose work spans both narrative and documentary worlds. His films The Mason Ring, The ReWrite, and A Whole New Irving show a creator who listens closely to the world and follows the stories that rise from it.  What makes Terry compelling is the way he moves between forms without losing himself. He began in documentaries, cutting and producing environmental and cultural stories like Kiss The Ground and The Lost City Of The Monkey God. Those projects taught him to notice details and honor truth. But his heart kept pulling him toward narrative filmmaking where characters breathe on their own and themes unfold in scenes rather than interviews. The ReWrite is now available on Apple TV, Prime Video, and Fandango at Home, and it carries that blend of craft, clarity, and compassion that defines his work.  Terry talks about building A Whole New Irving from his own search for balance and meaning. He explains how meditation, spiritual curiosity, and the challenges of early adulthood helped shape a dramedy filled with humor and heart. The series grew from a personal journey into a story that resonates with audiences looking for purpose in the noise of everyday life. It also opened doors, landing in development at HBO and placing Terry firmly on the radar of those who care about rising voices in film.  In this conversation you’ll hear the steady rise and fall of a storyteller who believes in representation, dimensionality, and the power of art to widen our sense of what is possible. Terry shares insights from Film Independent’s Project Involve fellowship, his award-winning short The Mason Ring, and his plans to create films and television that amplify the lives and experiences of people of color. By the end, you will not only understand how he works. You will feel why he works and why his stories matter now more than ever.  Terry Dawson's Website and Socials: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1254255/ https://www.filmindependent.org/talent/terry-dawson-2/ https://www.instagram.com/thereal.terrydawson/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrydawsonfilm https://vimeo.com/user150298150 Support the show Visual Intonation Website: https://www.visualintonations.com/ Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyvante/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@directedbyvante

    1h 17m

  8. 05/12/2025

    EP 150: Native Light with Director Dante Ollivierre

    Dante Ollivierre sees stories everywhere. On the streets of Kingstown, in the quiet corners of St Vincent and the Grenadines, in the faces of people who carry their histories with pride. He is a director and creative director who listens closely, then shapes what he hears into images that breathe. His early training at Saint Vincent Community College helped sharpen his eye, but his instinct for truth is entirely his own.  As a multidisciplinary storyteller, Dante pursues the kind of honesty that cannot be staged. He works to draw out raw performances, the kind that linger long after the screen fades to black. His background in documentary and corporate film production gives him a steady hand, yet his heart stays open to surprise. Each project becomes a search for a moment when real life steps into the frame.  That dedication has carried him into new territory as an emerging filmmaker. Dante has led the production of documentaries and corporate films for the French Public Agency for International Technical Cooperation, working within the Expertise France program for the Caribbean Overseas Countries and Territories. His repertoire reaches across documentary films, music videos, and commercials, where he shifts with ease between bright aspirational energy and moody dramatic tension. Whatever the tone, he brings a sense of intention that holds the work together.  As Founder & Creative Director of Offhand, Dante continues to expand his voice. His recent project, Bush Medicine: Stories that Remember the Land, invites listeners and viewers into the deep memory of place, showing how art can reconnect people to what sustains them. The Visual Intonation Podcast follows this journey, exploring how Dante builds meaning from light, sound, and human connection. Each episode becomes a lesson in how a filmmaker learns to see.  Dante Ollivierre's Socials:   Source: Instagram  Danté (@danteollivierre) • Instagram photos and videos    Source: Vimeo  Dante Ollivierre - Vimeo    Support the show Visual Intonation Website: https://www.visualintonations.com/ Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyvante/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@directedbyvante

    47 min
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About

Visual Intonation, hosted by acclaimed director and screenwriter Vanté Gregory, delves into the vibrant world of Black artistry. Each episode features intimate conversations with visionary creators, exploring the depths of their craft and the cultural resonance of their work. Vanté Gregory's insightful approach illuminates the nuanced voices shaping contemporary art, offering listeners a profound journey through diverse artistic expressions. From emerging talents to established masters, Visual Intonation amplifies the richness of Black creativity, inviting audiences to experience art through the eyes and voices of its most compelling practitioners. Visual Intonation finds film not only as an art form but as a basis for education and cultural interaction.

Information

  • Creator
    Vanté Gregory
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    157
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Visual Intonation
  • Show Website
    Visual Intonation