Katelyn's Pick:

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Season One

Embark on an adventure a decade before the iconic Star Trek: The Original Series in the captivating world of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds! Join the dauntless crew of the USS Enterprise as they venture into the final frontier, discover new worlds and civilizations in their quest to boldly go where no one has gone before!

Led by the charismatic Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and featuring beloved characters like Spock (Ethan Peck), Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), and Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), this Star Trek: Discovery spin-off is a must-watch for seasoned Trekkies and newcomers alike. Transporting you back to a more classic episodic storytelling format, Strange New Worlds provides a refreshing break from the serialized plots dominating today's television landscape. Its easily digestible stand-alone episodes offer the perfect blend of entertainment and social commentary to keep you hooked without the need for a binge-watch session.

In true Star Trek fashion, Strange New Worlds confronts contemporary issues, prompting viewers to reflect on their own biases, perceptions of diversity, and the transformative power of perseverance and altruism.

Book a session at 970West Studio and discover a universe of possibilities for your next audio/visual project!

Denise's Pick:

Little Stones

The award-winning documentary, Little Stones, introduces us to some very remarkable artists who use their beautiful work to fight systems of oppression and gender-violence. Witness the indomitable Panmela Castro, a Brazilian street artist who fearlessly confronts issues of domestic violence through her graffiti murals. Meet Sister Fa, a passionate and vibrant Senegalese rapper raising awareness about female genital mutilation. Move with Sohini Chakraborty, an Indian dancer who uses dance therapy to heal trauma, give hope, and to teach young girls a viable way out of the brothels they’ve been sold into. Many more amazing artists, their stories, and their crafts await you in this touching and eye-catching film, so don’t miss it!

Little Stones is a powerful reminder that creativity has the potential to shape a better world, and that no matter who you are, you can be a little stone that creates mountainous ripples of positive change in the world. If you’d like to capture your art in an interesting way, check out the overhead camera rig we have at 970West Studio. Come to Filmmaker’s Workshop or Studio Q&A to learn more about this cool piece of gear!

Jason's Pick:

Rumble

Many years ago, I found myself traveling on a Greyhound bus somewhere in the darkness of the American Southwest. 

At some point during the night, the bus driver stopped to let a new passenger on. An old guy. Or was it a young guy? I was never very good at estimating things. But I do know that this person was one of the coolest humans I had ever seen. 

He wore a top hat decorated with a feather sticking out of a beaded hatband, a perfectly-aged leather jacket, and flip-flops. Okay, so the flip-flops weren’t that cool, but everybody has a right to comfortable footwear while traveling.

After stowing his bag, this interesting human sat next to me and propped his beat-up guitar case in the aisle seat. For the next three hundred miles, the man regaled me with tales of his life on the road while we shared a warm bottle of Diet Snapple and a pack of expired gum. Eventually the subject of guitar riffs came up, which will happen when two weary travelers bond over questionable refreshments. We traded back-and-forth examples of our favorite riffs until finally, the mysterious rider lowered his voice so that the other passengers couldn’t hear. 

The secret to a sick guitar riff:

• Y’know what KISS stands for? “Keep it simple, stupid.” Do that. You want the kids to be able to sing along, better yet, sing it to the clerk at the record shop so you can sell more albums.
• Let the riff breathe for a sec. Quiet before loud makes loud even louder. It’s a scientific fact. Just ask the Pixies, Nirvana, or heck, Beethoven if you happen to see him whilst out shopping for wig powder.
• Consider your image. It helps if you’re already dripping with swagger. Think Chuck Berry duck-walking across the stage wearing a suit and bowtie. Or Link Wray with his gold crucifix necklace, aviator shades, and killer leather jacket. You are cooler just from having witnessed them in action.

I hated to interrupt him while he was clearly on a roll, but I needed clarification.

“Who’s Link Wray?” I asked. At first he looked surprised at my ignorance. He could have done that thing that people do when you admit that you don’t know who some famous person or other is and brayed like a donkey, seemingly disgusted that you have never encountered their favorite thing. But this dude was a class act. He simply smiled a mischievous little smile and took out his phone.

“You’re gonna wanna see this,” he said.

After signing into Kanopy streaming service using his Mesa County Library card, we rode for the next two hours completely entertained by Rumble, a documentary about Link Wray and other Native American musicians that have enriched, scratch that, helped to create, the musical landscape with their unique histories and unmatchable style.

When it was over, I had glimpsed Link Wray and his certified sick riff called “Rumble.” And I felt like I knew just a bit more about what it takes to write an iconic banger like that and unleash it upon the unsuspecting, wimpy world.

I also learned about other incredible Native American artists like Mildred Bailey, Redbone, Jesse Ed Davis, and Randy Castillo. These artists knew that it wasn’t always the safest decision to celebrate their heritage publicly, but they said it loud and proud anyway. And the world is a much better place for it. 

Check out our 970West production studio and book using the online form.”