A Year in Review

So much has happened this past year it's hard to believe we're only a few weeks away from 2012. The sheer amount of work I've put in as an artist and filmmaker is mind-blowing when I think about the strides I've made.

I've done a lot and I'd like to share it with you.

My newest DP Reel does not include Alpha Kappa Alpha Probate which I believe will be one of the strongest non-narrative pieces I've put together. 

Still, let me take you back in time and give you a review of everything that has led to this point. Last semester I won Best Drama at The University of Alabama's Campusmoviefest with my film Bottom of a Glass. 

This led to me being invited out to California to participate in the International Grand Finale for Campus Moviefest. Also, I was asked if I would like to make a 3D film the International 3D Society Competition being held through CMF. It would be the first ever student 3D film competition. 

I said yes immediately. As I worked on putting together my 3D piece April 27th tornado hit Tuscaloosa devastating it's population. 

This completely destroyed finishing all of the projects I was working on at the moment, but I was given another opportunity. CMF allowed me to use the 3D gear to shoot a documentary highlighting the storm that hit my town. The film, Portrait of the Storm: Tuscaloosa, AL, would go on to win at The International 3D Society Competition and I earned a $5,000 cash grant for my efforts. 

When I was out in California I met a plethora of other students doing amazing work.  Sparks and Tick Tock were two in particular that stood out. They would both go on to win top prize alongside Portrait of the Storm. 

While I was in California I visited some of the schools I was interested in attending for graduate school again. After review my list expanded to five schools: AFI, USC, UCLA, Columbia, and NYU. 

When I came back to Alabama I was overwhelmed with the amount of work I was asked to do, but I stepped up to the challenge. These are a few samples of the finished products. 

This does not even include the amount of work I did for The College of Arts and Sciences at Alabama.

Beyond all of this my biggest worry for the semester was the dilemma I had been tackling since I began this blog. It was time to start applying for graduate schools. I needed to pull all of my work together while shooting new pieces for my classes. I shot this piece, The 15th Lake, with a Sony HDV. I've always been a DSLR snob, but this made me realize the potential of alternative cameras. 

I sat down with Dr. Raimist, a teacher I have mentioned on numerous occasions, to go over my work as a filmmaker. She let me know, that with as much I have done, I still needed to do more. So I began planning to shoot my next short film which would exemplify everything I have learned so far. The product ended up being my latest work, And Goodbye.

You can also read my Personal Narrative as a filmmaker and my Mission Statement, two pieces I wrote to convey who I am as an artist, as well as inform the individuals who will be critiquing my work for admissions into graduate school.

This does not include the amount of photography work I've done over the past year (the biggest being my work for The New York Times), but you can find it in the archives of my blog as well as checking my Flickr. The path I've chosen has yielded some amazing results but I am nowhere near the level of competency I wish for myself. I'm still hungry to do better.

I'm looking to make this last semester at The University of Alabama amazing.

The International Grand Finale

The results are in. I'm proud to say that my 3D Documentary "Portarit of the Storm: Tuscaloosa, AL" won Best 3D Film for Campus Moviefest's International Grand Finale.

Photo Courtesy of Campus Moviefest

Overall, The University of Alabama had a powerful turn-out at the finale. Together, we brought six films. Of the six films three of the these films were in the top twenty five of over seventy films at the film festival.

Of the three films one was nominated for Top 5 in "Best Comedy" and "Portrait of the Storm" won best film in the 3D category.


What made this occasion so phenomenal though, was not the films that won (though all of them were amazing), nor the celebrities and significant industry executives, producers, directors, and writers we met. It was the sheer amount of filmmakers my age that had the same drive, passion, and need to fulfill themselves through film. I found myself among a small community of like-minded individuals who I believe will make a significant impact for years to come.

I'd like to share a small preview of a write-up I'm doing for UA about the occasion in my eyes.

           "...campus Moviefest International Grand Finale was an amazing experience that was tinged with the faint signs of what it would one day be like if any of the individuals present made it to the Oscars. You’re treated as the best of the best. The brightest individuals from a culmination of film-work toiled over for an entire year. It’s an unbelievable high until you realize every person in the room has the same aspirations as you and some far more talented....

            I remember when they began the routine introductory speech for my category. My palms got sweaty, my legs shaked, and I could feel my heart pounding on the inside of my chest. It was literally all the cheesy ideas you see in sappy movies about making movies and bad Golden Globe or Oscar Award speeches. When my name was called for Best 3D Film a weight lifted off my shoulders and another rested atop my head when I realized I had to give a speech. I managed to trudge forward and give an outstanding speech on the devastation of the Tuscaloosa Tornado and the necessity of keeping our plight in the limelight of the media’s eyes.

        As I walked backed to my seat I honestly realized I won something significant to my heart. It felt like a validation of my work. My first film “Bottom of a Glass” didn’t win, but without it, I would have never worked on the 3D film which allowed me to move on to the next level. 

            After the awards ceremony there was an abundance of congratulations, handshakes, and exchanging of business cards. Overall, the feeling of validity through winning draws people towards you, whether it is out of genuine interest or their need to keep in contact with those who have garnered even a small measure of success.

            I got back to my room and counted up the amount of business cards I received. I had given out over 200 and received around 140. The next day I emailed everyone to keep in touch as well as join a networking group I created.

            This entire event felt like a microcosm of the industry. A smaller version where I (or any of us) could be if we are successful. I may not meet everyone at the top and I may not even make it to the top, but these were the people I would later shake hands with if I did. I was introduced to the industry in a sterile environment, but one that gave me a good glimpse of what it means to win and lose at the same time..."

The experience has been amazing and humbling at the same time. My 3D film did well, but I can only imagine how well "Bottom of a Glass" could have been if I had put more time and effort into it. This only motivates me to do even better next year when Campus Moviefest comes around. At the same time, I cannot allow myself to get comfortable. I don't know the progenitor of this quote but I believe it holds true to me and any filmmaker.

"You are only as good as the last thing you made. No one cares beyond that." 

There is more to be done and I'll have time to relax when I'm gone from this world. 

Also, be sure to check out check out The Emerging Magazine Feature highlighting my win at the first ever 3D Student Film Festival. 

Campus Moviefest: International Grand Finale

It's an interesting phenomena when you find yourself in a situation which embodies itself as the culmination of an entire year's worth of work. It feels as if I've been gradually building up to the moment I made it back to California..

June 17 passed a few days ago. This marked the one year anniversary of Que The Lights. From the beginning I set a simple, yet honest goal, establish myself as a legitimate filmmaker. What do I mean by legitimate?

Honestly striving to create a powerful body of work uniquely my own. I wanted to produce my own web of artistic design which displays a quality of work capable of standing on its own.

I believe I've done this to a degree. I still have a bevvy of work left to finish, start, and create, but this year has been a significant kick-start. Where I am gives validation to the words I set forth over a year ago.

Two of my films are in competition at CMF's International Grand Finale. The first is "Bottom of a Glass" and the second is "Portrait of the Storm: Tuscaloosa, AL."

"Bottom of a Glass" will be competing in the Best Drama section while "Portrait of the Storm" will be competing in the 3D competition.

Along with my own, others films from Alabama such as "Sugarbaby", "Blue Barry", and "A Certain Woman" will be in competition and screened. You can find more info here.

CMF is also providing student's with another great opportunity, the ability to meet with Hollywood executives, agents, and directors. This does not guarantee any individual a ticket into the inner-workings of the industry, but it does carry the potential of garnering valuable experience when we're thrown into the real world.

This is why they asked us to not only bring our resumes, but be ready to show our demo reel if asked. A demo reel is essentially a compilation of your best work edited into a single piece. It's your calling card to the industry and signifies the strength of your work as a filmmaker.

Check out mine and let me know what you think,


Director/DP Reel 2011 from Xavier Burgin on Vimeo.

This is why this moment truly signifies a round-up of this year. All of my best work tightly wrapped in about two minutes. It seems so small, yet every drop of sweat, long night story-boarding, headache induced irritation via shot listing, and carpal tunnel-esque bout while revising a script is somewhere simmering within this reel forming my hopes for a successful future.

Wish me luck this weekend. Hopefully my work won't need it.

BWA 2011 & The Impossible Film Contest

Que The Lights has been privileged to be chosen for two different honors during this month. The first is The Black Weblog Awards.

I recently found out Que The Lights was nominated in the Categories of:

-Best Film Blog

-Best Photography Blog

After everything that has happened in the past few weeks this is a really great surprise. It's good to know there are those individuals who view this blog as a source of productivity and entertainment.

It hasn't even been a year since I started this site (June 17, 2010) and I can honestly say it is one of the best ideas I'm glad I stuck with.

Go VOTE HERE. Also, be sure to vote for these two sites as well: That GOOD GOOD Blog and The Nu Black. GOOD GOOD is nominated in Best Blog Design, Fashion, & Culture. The Nu Black is nominated in Best International and Best Culture Blog.

Voting ends June 17th so don't wait. As I've talked about before "Bottom of a Glass" has been accepted into The Short Film Corner of The Cannes Film Festival. Being accepted into Cannes qualified BOAG to be entered into another film contest known as The Impossible Film Contest.

The IFC contest allows short films that have been accepted into Cannes to enter in a competition between one another. The two winners get a Go Pro HD camera that allows you to shoot in precarious positions a regular camera wouldn't be able to handle. It's a prize that could really come in handy.



So go to the site HERE to watch "Bottom of a Glass" then on the right side look for a button with a heart on it and press the "I like this" button. Voting ends on May 23rd so be sure to check this one out and help Que The Lights as soon as possible.

Quiet After The Storm Part.2

The conditions around Tuscaloosa have slowly progressed from the terrible scene that was brought on by the April 27th tornado.

The National Guard has been brought in as well as FEMA. President Obama also visited Tuscaloosa to personally address the residents who have lost everything. Since April 27th Tuscaloosa has been under strict curfew. Individuals without relevant purpose past 8pm are asked to return to their homes if they are near areas that have been badly damaged.

This measure was approved by Mayor Maddox and Governor Bentley when looters started to descend on damaged areas during nightfall. Hopefully, everyone is taking this serious since there has already been a few deaths from police encounters with looters in restricted areas.

Overall, there is still a tremendous amount of work to be done for Tuscaloosa and the state in general.

Here are some more photos from the devastation,

To see more of the photos that hasn't been featured on the site check out our Photography Gallery or click here.

The Fruits of Labor

It feels as if everything is coming to fruition.

Passion is something drives you to become good in your field of expertise whether or not you gain recognition. Your path is fueled by motivation and goals rather than the excessive nature of the spotlight.

Still, no one ever said it isn't nice to be recognized for your accomplishments,

This past week I've had the privilege of being featured in an abundance of areas, each of them reflecting the time and effort I've put into this blog, my work, and future aspirations.

The first one directly from my school, The University of Alabama. Entitled, A Well-Scripted Life, the feature comes up on the main page of the university's official webpage. The entire article (along with the pictures) has been a semester long project with staff at The University. I first sat down with writer, Katie Breaseale, to talk about the work I've done so far as well as what I'm planning to do with myself in the future. Mid-way, I had a mini-photo session with photographer Samantha Nandez, whose work honestly speaks for itself. Finally, at the end of a wait that seemed forever I had the news of the article coming out from one of my friends calling me and saying my pearly white teeth were sparkling all over the UA's webpage. The piece not only explained my drive and ambition for working on this blog, but even featured my short film, Bottom of a Glass, in the interview as well.  Check out a quick excerpt from the piece. I assumed this would be the only (and best) news of the day, but I was proven quite wrong. 

"If there was a script of Xavier Burgin's life, it could not have been laid out better.

Not everyone is lucky enough to build a major around their hobby. Burgin, a junior from Columbus, Miss., did just that through New College at The University of Alabama.

A film production major with a triple minor in French, liberal arts and telecommunications and film, Burgin is following his passion of film and art and making those hobbies a way of life."

You can read the rest of it here. 

I assumed this would be the only (and best) news of the day, but I was proven quite wrong. 

A few weeks ago website, TheNuBlack, featured my short film, Me and Mrs. Jones, as a gesture of interest in Que The Lights.  The Nu Black then came back and wrote a full article on my work as well as personally allowing me to explain my motivation and present previous work I've done. Here is a small excerpt from the post. 

"One of the quotes people love to say about someone they don’t like is “Just wait till they get out of high school.” Individuals love to visualize others doing nothing with their lives if they have something against them. I’m sure people have said this about me, but no one can ever validate the claim. I refuse to be another individual’s passing memory as they climb up towards success. That’s why I sacrifice to ensure my future is the talk of present, instead of someone’s faded recollection."

The Nu Black has been a big supporter of Que The Lights and their willingness to showcase my work only further leads me to believe I must be following the right path.  

Check out the two newest articles on Que The Lights here and here

Finally, but by no means the least important, I was informed that Bottom of a Glass was accepted into the Alabama International Film Festival in Troy, Alabama and would be screening in the next upcoming month. 

This gives Bottom of a Glass four accolades to its name. It won Best Drama at Campus Moviefest and as well as being a semin-finalist in the Rethink Possible Award. Bottom of a Glass was accepted to the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner . This is just a great honor by itself since the place that motivated me to be where I am now has one of the best examples of my labors as a part of its film lineup. 

Along with being informed my film made it in the local newspaper had a write up about the festival, other films being featured, and a portion detailing my film and me.

"In the five-minute short feature, “Bottom of a Glass,” Xavier Neal-Burgin uses an endearing puppet to teach that, even after great loss, life is worth living." “Bottom of a Glass’ won best drama at the University of Alabama’s Campus Moviefest 2011,” Jinright said. “The film has also been accepted to the Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Festival 2011.” Film director Burgin lives in Birmingham and attends the University of Alabama."

If you would like to read the rest of the article check it out here

This has been one of the most overwhelming weeks I've had, but in a positive light. It feels to know that good work can be noticed if you're willing to put in the time. It also fills a void of validation every artist wonders about. 

Will others like my work? 

I feel as if my question has been answered ten-fold. The next step is maintaining and progressing. All of this is amazing, but I cannot allow myself to become complacent with what I've done when there is so much more left to do. 

The Gameplan

If you check out the Writing section of the blog you already know I do a substantial amount of work for my school newspaper, The Crimson White. 

Most who read this do not know me personally, but if you did you'd know I THRIVE on ranting. Many MANY people say or believe things which  leave me with a pounding headache and an overwhelming case of "WTF R U SERIOUS! GTFO!"

(Type in the acronyms in a search engine if you do not know what they mean).

It's only appropriate such an appreciate for the art of despising ridiculous notions would lead me to be a writer for the opinions article, especially considering the majority of writers on the current staff have very similar opinions on a majority of subjects.

A week ago I wrote an article on the idea whether or not a degree guarantees you anything in the real world (FYI - it does not). I used my work at Alabama as an example to prove a specific point, but some of the comments below my article took a more personal tone asking me about my career path.

Or this one...

These comments made me realize I've never really tried to explain why I've taken the track I'm on. I don't mean why I'm majoring in Film Production, but why I've gone about it the way I have. Before I go any further check out the article or just read it below:

This is the question simplified. How did I even end up triple minoring in the first place? Am I not defeating the purpose of gaining a specified education. It would seem I'm becoming a jack of all trades rather than a master of a specified art. 

It would have been impossible to go more in-depth in the small amount of space the newspaper provided me, but I'm able to do so on here. 

This is my philosophy on the college experience-

"Graduate with experience, not credits." 

What does that mean? Basically, I see far too many individuals leave school with a degree, yet still have a basic or vague understanding of their craft. Worse, they are unsure of their own aspirations. 

Right now, I'm technically a Film Production Major with minors in French, Liberal Arts, & Telecommunications and Film. 

Disregard the French and Liberal Arts minors. Those were necessary play-calls to pad grades and find a comfortable habitat during my years in school. 

I've been taking French since high school. I love the language and culture and I'm hoping to live there at some point, so it's a personal goal. Plus, it was a good call considering I used it incessantly during my internship in France. Hindsight is 20/20 though. I would've never guessed my time in the foreign language would prove beneficial during my undergraduate years. 

The Liberal Arts minor stemmed from a program I participated in known as Blount Undergraduate Initiative. Some say a Liberal Arts degree is useless, but participating in the program has landed me a permanent job as a Residential Advisor on campus, grants ensuring I had enough money to go to France, contribution to help finance projects I've worked on, and tapping me into one of the best support systems a student can hope to have during his undergrad. 

Still, this isn't the most important piece to understanding the state of my game-plan. As stated before, I believe in getting experience first, credit later when it comes to classes. I've done well academically no matter the class, but I adamantly believe a class is only worth the real-world experience it garners. 

My concentration in film stems from an interdisciplinary route devised through the UA department known as New College. I began my studies working through classes I considered beneficial to understanding the extent of my concentration. This therein led me to the TCF (Telecommunications and Film) department. Unfortunately, after taking their entry level class (which was completely irrelevant and unnecessary) I knew I needed the technical skills within the TCF department, but I did not want to waste my time or money on classes with little gain except a few more credits towards graduation. 

Two semesters later I would end up meeting with Dr. Raimist, whom I've spoken of before. She allowed me to skip most entry level classes and register for courses she considered beneficial. She did give me one condition. I would have to declare a minor in TCF. This would allow me to register for classes without a need for overrides and give legitimacy to my concentration. 

I dived in without hesitation. 

Thankfully, my choice has not led me astray. It has also allowed me to produce some of my best work   including Bottom of a Glass and I Dont' Got. 

Honestly, this is the short version of how I came to be a Film Production major with three minors, but the entire story is something I'd like to share another time. 

My main point in detailing my evolution in course study is to highlight my belief experience trumps everything. If you don't need a class to learn something then don't, but if you are going to take classes do whatever is possible to ensure the ones you are taking prove beneficial in the long run. 

So far, I believe I've done so. 

I Am The NU Black

One of my older films, Me and Mrs. Jones, has been featured on the currently watching section of website I Am: The Nu Black. The NuBlack is a site dedicated to highlighting youth of African descent (I believe the creator makes an understandable effort to highlight youth of African descent rather than African American, but I'll explain later) and their creative endeavors. Still, I should allow the creator to better explain.

October 2008, I decided to set myself a challenge for Black History Month in the UK. 30 days of posts featuring youth of African descent , the things that inspired them, positive images, videos, news articles, quotes etc.

I completed the challenge and decided to continue. My aim is to try and post things that are not necessarily ‘out there’, that are original, creative and that will hopefully inspire those after me (and hopefully those before me if they come across the site).

The name thenublack comes from the idea that my generation and those born to parents of the African diaspora have had  a path paved for them by their ascendants.

Although we may not have experienced first-hand the effects that many of those well known figures had on the world – I have hope we’re not only continuing to pave that path, but that we’re aspiring to be equally as great, as revolutionary and box-breaking as they were.

I had the privilege of speaking with the individual behind the site. It is one of the few times I've been able to get in contact with someone from a website easily and hold a good conversation. I'm always looking for avenues to expose my work and TheNuBlack definitely showed interest.

For that I am undeniably appreciative.

Looking back on my previous work is interesting. You tend not to look back frequently until someone gives you a reason. I believe one of the biggest things I noticed is the growth in technical skills since I made the film. Comparing Me and Mrs. Jones to Bottom of a Glass  definitely gives you an accurate idea. I consider the comparison a positive. As a filmmaker/photographer/artist/etc, the worst outcome I can find in my work is lack of progression. If growth isn't evident, then something is wrong

Also, let me finish explaining why I am glad TheNuBlack uses youth of African descent over African American. I believe a lot of people (especially in The United States) forget Black History Month is NOT African-American History Month. It is a month that encompasses all individuals who can trace their ancestry to African roots in some manner. I honestly believe this understanding is lost more-so in the states.

Let me clarify. It isn't due to a lack of appreciation. Black History Month has just become so narrow in its spectrum of highlighted individuals and groups many people forget there are Black people outside of the United States and Black history across the globe. Check out the site HERE

You can check out all of my short films, including Me and Mrs. Jones on QTL's short film page.

A SugarBaby Playing Mind Games in the Bottom of a Glass

Congratulations are in order,

Que The Lights short film Bottom of a Glass won Best Drama for Campus MovieFest at The University of Alabama.


This year the prizes included an Ipod Nano, a full version of Final Cut Studio, and a trip to California for the International Campus MovieFest where the best of the best will be screened for audiences.

Bottom of a Glass was also one of the Rethink Possible Award Semifinalists. If it wins at the next level we are given a chance to pitch our short film to a studio to be made into a feature length.

Best Comedy went to Mind Games-



Overall Best Picture went to Sugarbaby



Here are some other very well done films from the contest

Hustle



Blue Barry


Two Guys Over a Wall



I really  recommend watching Sugarbaby and every other film on the list. To everyone that helped out (pre, production, post, views, and votes) thank you. You're help made it happen. Be looking out for more from Que The Lights and Campus MovieFest.

Bottom of a Glass - Campus Movie Fest

It's done! I've finished up my next short film and entered it into the Campus Movie Festival at The University of Alabama.

The Que The Lights Team would like to present Bottom of a Glass, a 2011 UA CMF Short Film created by  Joe Field, Rene Gromotka, and me. This film benefits me two fold. The movie festival is a very efficient way of receiving exposure for your work. The film I worked on last year, Multiverse, when I was an assistant rather than captain is regularly viewed on youtube now. I'm not at that level yet, but I do believe our film has a very good chance.



With entering the contest a bunch of other factors come into play as well. For the people who regularly check out the site my team and I could really use your help. Go to youtube and check out the film plus going to the campus movie fest site and checking it out. Just click HERE