Visual Intonation

Vanté Gregory
  • 5.0 (10)
  • FILM INTERVIEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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. 2D AGO

    EP 162: The Directorial Gaze with Director/Writer/Producer Alexandria Collins

    Alexandria Collins does not look away from the dark. She walks straight into it, eyes open, camera steady. A filmmaker shaped by Tallahassee soil and Los Angeles light, she builds stories that breathe with heat, faith, doubt, and desire. From her early work in Emotional Intelligence and Goals N’ Shit to her newest chapters behind the lens, Alexandria has committed herself to character driven storytelling that asks harder questions. “We have to face our darkness and our light, not deny any part of ourselves,” she says. And she means it. Her horror short Reborn emerged from a vision. A young girl rises from baptismal waters with power humming beneath her skin. What followed was not spectacle, but excavation. Raised in the church and fluent in its language, Alexandria flipped the hierarchy of belief on its head, questioning who holds power and who decides what is holy. That vision found a home in Hulu’s Bite Size Huluween series and opened new doors. She cites Ari Aster, Jordan Peele, and Stanley Kubrick as masters of tension, architects of dread. You can feel that influence in her work, but the voice is her own. Southern. Spiritual. Unafraid. Named to the 2025 directing cohort of Film Independent’s Project Involve, Alexandria stands at the intersection of craft and calling. As Founder and Executive Producer of Supernormal Ventures, she shepherds stories from spark to screen, developing shorts, features, and pilots while collaborating with platforms like Hulu and Galatea TV. She has led marketing teams, produced award winning projects, organized festival strategy, and moved fluidly between art and execution. From the 39th Student Senate at FAMU to working alongside Taye Diggs on a vertical drama, she has learned how power moves in rooms. More importantly, she has learned how to move it with intention. In this episode of Visual Intonation, we sit with a filmmaker who listens to cicadas and sermons, who reads thrillers even when they terrify her, who understands that faith and fear share a heartbeat. We talk about religion and rebellion. About building worlds from a single image. About what it means to claim authority as a Black woman director in rooms not built for you. This is a conversation about tension. About tenderness. About facing the water and choosing to rise. Alexandria Collins: ALEXANDRIA COLLINS Source: IMDb Alexandria Collins - IMDb Source: Instagram Alexandria Collins (@acscollins) • Instagram photos and videos https://vimeo.com/alexandriacscollins Support the show Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation

    45 min

  2. FEB 20

    EP 161: Brick by Brick with Director/Writer/Producer DeVonté M. Brown

    DeVonté M. Brown does not just point a camera. He listens. He studies the light. He waits for the truth to reveal itself in the frame. Known as THE MAN IN THE ARENA, this Detroit born cinematographer and director builds images with patience and purpose. Every project is a brick laid with intention. Every story is earned. A graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute, DeVonté sharpened his eye in both narrative and commercial spaces. He worked as a freelancer for more than a decade, shaping stories through editing and cinematography. He stepped onto national sets with Queer Eye LLC as a Second Assistant Camera. He moved through the fast pace of American Ninja Warrior. Each experience added muscle to his craft. Each set taught him how to see. His independent spirit lives in projects like Brick By Brick KC and the short film Vie, which he directed and shot himself. In Now What, directed alongside La’Ron Cooper with cinematography by Marcus Guider, DeVonté continued to refine his voice as a storyteller who values collaboration as much as authorship. He believes every crew member matters. He believes the frame is a shared responsibility. In this episode of Visual Intonation Podcast, we explore the rhythm behind his images. The discipline behind his consistency. The Detroit grit that shaped him and the Kansas City energy that sharpened him. This is a conversation about craft. About patience. About building a body of work brick by brick until the vision stands on its own. Devonté M. Brown Website and Soicials:  Source: Instagram DeVonte Brown (@devonte_m_brown) - Instagram https://www.devontebrown.com/ Support the show Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation

    58 min

  3. FEB 13

    EP 160: Humanist with Director/Writer/Producer Shana L. Darabie

    On this episode of the Visual Intonation Podcast, filmmaker Shana L. Darabie joins the mic with a voice shaped by image, genre, and deep interior listening. Born in Long Beach, California and based in Brooklyn, Shana traces a path from fashion design to film, from texture and silhouette to shadow and story. Her early training at the Fashion Institute of Technology sharpened her eye. Her later studies at Brooklyn College gave language to the images she could already see.  Shana speaks plainly about process. About doubt. About the courage it takes to be vulnerable on the page. She reflects on how a single class project unlocked her desire to direct, how long treatments can sit before a script finally arrives, fast and fully formed. Science fiction and horror are not escapes for her. They are tools. Ways to explore fear, identity, and the systems that press on the mind. Films like The Trail, What Happened to Candice, and Trouble Connecting reveal a filmmaker committed to atmosphere and emotional truth.  In conversation with host, the dialogue widens. Mental health moves to the center. Not as an abstraction, but as lived reality. They discuss how cinema has portrayed mental illness with care or cruelty, how poverty and access shape outcomes, and why compassionate storytelling matters. Shana opens up about her short Canary Trap, community support, and the quiet power of creative connection, whether formed in a writers room or over Zoom.  The episode closes with reflection and recommendation. Films that linger. Films that listen. Shana shares titles that have shaped her way of seeing, including Tully, The Snake Pit, Young Adult, Welcome to Me, Perfect Blue paired with Millennium Actress, and Year of the Dog. It is a conversation about making work that resonates personally. About art as self care. About staying rooted while reaching toward the unknown.        Shana L. Darabie:    Source: IMDb  Shana Darabie - IMDb    Contact and About - MyBotWorks    Source: Instagram  MyBot Works (Shana L. Darabie) (@mybotworks) - Instagram    Source: LinkedIn  Shana Darabie - THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTION PICTURES LLC | LinkedIn    Support the show Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation

    1h 37m

  4. FEB 6

    EP 159: Creative Fire with Director/Writer/Producer Ademola Falomo

    Ademola Falomo did not arrive suddenly. He arrived steadily. From music to photography to filmmaking, his path was shaped by curiosity and instinct, not shortcuts. Born in Nigeria and trained across continents, he brings business sense and artistic hunger into the same frame. In this episode of Visual Intonation Podcast, Ademola talks about finding cinematography by refusing to choose between sound and image, and how a borrowed camera turned a light bulb moment into a life’s work. Before the spotlight found artists like Tems, Ademola was already there, working alongside the pioneers of Nigeria’s alté movement. He helped shape a visual language for Santi, DRB Lasgidi, Boj, and others when the culture was still forming its spine. He recalls the chance moment that led to directing Santi’s “Gangsta Fear,” a moment that opened doors and defined a generation of work. The conversation explores why timing matters, why overexposure can dull impact, and why Ademola has often chosen alignment over money. The episode moves into craft. Ademola breaks down how he approaches a music video, how branding guides every creative choice, and why he listens to a song obsessively before touching a camera. He reflects on key projects like Kah-Lo’s “Fake ID” and his Paris Fashion Week film, shot during the pandemic and rooted in celebrating Black culture on a global stage. Practical wisdom flows freely, from technical discipline to lessons learned from mentors and collaborators. At the heart of the conversation is purpose. Through Family.inc, Ademola is building a home for indie filmmakers, offering tools, access, and belief to those starting with nothing but a phone and an idea. He speaks about impact, legacy, and his desire to support the next wave of African storytellers. This is not just an episode about success. It is about patience, positioning, and the quiet work that makes lasting images possible. Ademola Falomo Source: Instagram ademola falomo (@ademolafalomo) • Instagram photos and videos https://vimeo.com/ademolafalomo02 Source: X ademola falomo (@ademolafalomo) / Posts / X - Twitter Source: IMDb Ademola Falomo - IMDb Support the show Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation

    1h 5m

  5. JAN 30

    EP 158: The Unseen with Cinematographer Marcus Guider

    Marcus Guider sees with intention. He frames stories the way others frame thoughts, clean, deliberate, alive. As a Director of Photography and Cinematographer based in Lawrence, Kansas, Marcus brings a grounded eye shaped by his time at the University of Kansas and sharpened by years in the field. His work lives where craft meets instinct, where light does more than illuminate. It speaks.  In this episode of Visual Intonation Podcast, Marcus talks about the quiet power of mentorship and timing. A single recommendation opened the door to a lasting creative bond with seasoned cinematographer Jeremy Osbern, a relationship that became both guidance and friendship. Marcus reflects on learning by watching, listening, and trusting the process. Growth, he reminds us, often arrives through people before projects.  As an ASC Vision Mentee, Marcus continues to refine his voice while staying rooted in collaboration. His career spans commercial, documentary, sports, and entertainment, with clients and collaborators that include Dell, CBS, Gatorade, National Geographic, Fox Sports, MTV, and Sports Illustrated. Each project adds another layer to his visual language. Each set becomes a classroom.  This conversation is about momentum and meaning. About building a career without losing curiosity. About seeing clearly, then choosing where to point the lens. To explore more of Marcus Guider’s work, visit marcusguider.com, or find him connecting with peers on LinkedIn and Facebook. Then listen closely. There is a lot to learn between the frames.  Support the show Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation

    52 min

  6. JAN 23

    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 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation

    57 min

  7. JAN 16

    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 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation

    1h 53m

  8. JAN 9

    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 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/ Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.com Vante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vantegregory/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation

    50 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
10 Ratings

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
    162
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Visual Intonation
  • Show Website
    Visual Intonation