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For Colored Girls is a 2010 American film written, directed, and produced by Tyler Perry, who is the creator of the famous character Mable "Madea" Simmons. This heart-warming film is an adaptation of the 1975 stage play For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange. The film featured a strong excellent cast such as: Janet Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Phylicia Rashad, Thandie Newton, Loretta Devine, Anika Noni Rose, Kimberly Elise, and Kerri Washington. The film depicted the lives of nine women, and explored their lives and struggles as African American women. This film is considered a piece in African American literature and black feminism. It grossed $20.1 million its opening weekend.

The film starts off by introducing each of the main ladies in the movie. Janet Jackson is an educated business woman; however, she is very mean, snobby, and disrespectful. However, when Janet Jackson sees Kimberly Elise's children get murdered, she becomes a little more soft and giving; but she still has her struggles when her husband tells her that he's been sleeping with men when he's not with her. Whoopi Goldberg goes around town trying to get others to receive the Word of God. Anything that isn't of God is a sin in her eyes, and she will not associate herself with it. She calls her oldest daughter Satan, because she sleeps around, but she use to do the same thing when she was her age. Whoopi Goldberg fought her oldest (Thandie Newton) because she was the one who told her youngest daughter (Tessa Thompson) about the abortionist in the projects. Phylicia Rashad is the apartment manager who witnesses everything that goes on within the apartment complex. She tries the best she can to comfort Kimberly Elise after her children are murdered. She also talks some sense into Thandie Newton, and tells her that what she’s doing is not the way she should be living her life. Thandie Newton is a bartender, but sleeps around with different men, and she does not care whether they are married or not, she also treats her mother (Whoopi Goldberg) and her sister Nyla (Tessa Thompson) horrible. After her sister comes to her, and tells her about her abortion and how their mother tried to cast demons out of her, Thandie Newton realized that she needed to stick closer to her sister and be there for her more. Loretta Devine is a nursewho talks to groups of women about sex, and using condoms. She is also the head of the community center in the town. She is in love with a man named Frank; however, she comes to the realization that she deserves better and he is not going to be there for her the way he needs to be. Anika Noni Rose is a dance instructor who loves her girls, and teaches them to be young ladies and they can exceed in the world; however, things change when she is raped in her apartment by the guy she had been dating for a couple weeks, played by Khalil Kain. She lives in slight paranoia and fear, and files a police report against him. She feels a little better when the police officer who was taking care of her case (Hill Harper), calls her and tells her that Bill (Khalil Kain) was killed. He tried to rape another woman, and in retaliation she stabs him. Kimberly Elise is Janet Jackson's assistant; however, she has trouble at home because her boyfriend beats her and their two children. Her boyfriend is played by Michael Ealy, and he is a war veteran, who's attitude and demeanor changed once he got back from the war. After her boyfriend drops her children from their 5^th floor apartment window, her whole world crumbles. She would not eat or sleep, and she tried to commit suicide, by overdosing on perscription pills. Kerri Washington works for Child Welfare Services but battles with not being able to have children on her own, with her husband who is played by Hill Harper. Tessa Thompson who plays Whoopi Goldberg's youngest daughter Nyla struggles with teenage pregnancy; and decides to go to the projects to get an abortion, and the abortionist was played by Macy Gray. After nearly dying from the procedure, she goes to her sister for advice after her mother tries “cast away” the evil inside of her. After everything she went through, she was still able to go to college with the scholarship she received.

This film was well directed, and every single actor and actress did a wonderful job. A lot of people in the world could relate to this movie; because, unfortunately millions of people in the world have gone through one of the situations that the women went through in this movie. This film shows that in life, you are going to have your troubles, your trials, and your tribulations; but one way or another you are going to get through it. You must trust in the Lord, and he will heal you. It may not come when you want it too, but He will never leave you or forsake you.

1. A Girl Like Me: Kiri Davis

In this documentary, African-American women go into detail about the struggles they had to deal with while growing up. In society today, people think that because you are light skin and have curly, long, or wavy hair then you are mixed with another ethnicity, you cannot be just African-American. However, if you are dark skin you must have "nappy" or course hair. African-American woman have dealt with these issues since slavery. The world needs to realize that there are not two different types of African-American women just because we are not the same shade, or have the same type of hair.

The camera angles were nicely done. The cameraman made sure that he was focused on every female that was being interviewed for this documentary. There were a lot of front shots, where like I said before the women being interviewed were the main focus. The volume was very good as well; meaning, there was not a moment throughout the documentary where the people's voices were going in and out, due to microphone difficulties or very heavy wind. The examples given throughout the film was properly placed, and caused the film to move along smoothly.

2. I'd Do It All Again: Corinne Bailey Rae
This song is the first single from Corinne Bailey Rae's sophomore album "The Sea", and is also her first single in three years. In an interview, she said she wrote the song after her and her late husband had a big argument. The lyrics describe staying committed in a relationship despite the arguments or difficult times that may happen. The video was shot in London, England and she showed a lot of passion while singing. However, you could still kind of see a little bit of pain she has from the death of her husband a couple years ago.

There were a lot of close up shots of her throughout the video, which made you really focus on her and what she was saying. When she began walking down the street, the city began to look very blurry. However, you were still able to distinguish where she was when she was walking. Even though she was in the middle of the street towards the end of her video with buildings surrounding her and cars driving by, the director still wanted to have her as the main focus. She poured her heart into this song, and you could really tell.

3. Bits and Pieces: Ed Wood
The video starts off with two roommates that find a dead girl in their closet. In order for them to not be charged with murder, one of them suggests they get rid of the body. The roommate coming up with all the weird ideas first suggested they pour acid on her and let her body dissolve, let her wash down the bathtub drain, and once everything was down they would clean everything off with bleach. The second suggestion was they cut her body up and place it in a dumpster. Finally, they wrapped her body in plastic wrap and placed her body in the elevator and ran away so it would seem as if nothing ever happened.

Throughout the video, there were a variety of angles shot. When the video first started they focused on the frightened roommate, because he was the one who was mainly cursing and panicking. The camera mainly concentrated on whoever was talking at the time. The only time there were close shots was when the roommate was giving his suggestions on how to get rid of the body. Also, when they opened the closet door and showed the girl lying on the closet floor.

4. A Loud Color: Brent Joseph
This video was shot in New Orleans, Louisiana; five months after Hurricane Katrina. The person interviewed was Louis Audeem, who cut grass for 30 years and saved his money in order to buy property. In order to combat the poverty that plagued New Orleans since integration, he bought an old corner store and turned it into a community center. He painted it a loud color so people can actually hear the building speak to them, before they actually looked at it. Louis opened the Marcus Garvey Resource Center a month before Hurricane Katrina hit. It was built to teach youth how to attain economic independence. Once Hurricane Katrina hit, they were not able to continue the stuff they were working on. The center was not destroyed by the storm itself, but by the flooding. They had more property before Hurricane Katrina. Because there was no unity, when integration came African-Americans stopped having their own businesses, and started working for Causasians.

Throughout the documentary, while Louis Audeem was giving the tour around the town; the cameraman also focused on the other surroundings as well. The community center was the main building being talked about, because that was everyone's comfort zone. There were a lot of other buildings that surrounded it that was flooded and damaged as well. At certain points, the camera kind of zoned off to really focus on the damage that was done to the buildings. After watching this documentary, when Hurricane Katrina hit it didn't just ruin a community center; but, also ruined a place that was like a second home to some people.

5. African Underground: Hip-Hop Senegal: Magee McIlvaine
This documentary showed how people how live in Senegal responded to hip hop. They followed hip hop artists Kurtis Blow, Grandmaster Flash, and Grandmaster Melle Mel. Senegal native Ndongo d DAARA J said "Fight The Power" by Public Enemy influenced him the most, when he heard that he began writing lyrics. They looked at it as a way to educate people in life. Senegal natives did not start listening to hip hop to copy Americans, but they were obliged in the beginning because it was considered a culture from the states. Once they learned how to speak English, that's when Senegalese hip hop began.

The cameraman made sure that he was focused on the natives that was being interviewed for this documentary. Since some of them could not speak English, they made sure there were subtitles underneath in order for future audience to know and understand what was being said. I also liked how whenever someone made some sort of reference to a hip hop artist, they would temporarily show you who the artist was. Hip hop today is considered a way of telling stories. Because Senegal has their own issues, once they were able to properly write, they began writing their own hip hop lyrics in their language as well.

6. A Thousand Words: Students at Expression College for Digital Arts
The students at Expression College made a short film about a guy who had a flashback of when he met and fell in love with a girl after just a week of knowing her. She was only visiting while she was on her Spring Break. She had to leave at a certain time so she could go back to school, and continue with her classes. However, she stayed a week longer and missed her classes in order to spend more time with the him. One morning she woke up, and had to leave and of course he was heartbroken because he wanted her to stay with him, so they could start a life together.

This entire film was being shot from every angle to make sure the audience was seeing every single bit of material. When the guy first saw the girl near the lake, they were being shot from the left angle, right angle, and even right in front. That was done, so you would be able to not only see them but also where they were, and even what other people were doing around them. When it became just the two of them, that was when close up shots started taking place. Mainly when they were in the restaurant conversing, and when they were laying in bed together. There were also close up shots at the beginning when the guy was looking at the picture his girlfriend took of herself; which was when he started having his flashback.

7. Window Seat (remix): Erykah Badu (feat. Rick Ross)

Window Seat is a song by Erykah Badu. It is the lead single from her album "New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)". In the original video Erykah stripped to the nude, before she was shot by an unseen assassin. This caused a lot of controversy with her fans as well as the critics. The remix features rapper Rick Ross, and they are both partners in crime. Erykah Badu starts off wearing a wig with long braids, but changed into a leather catsuit and let her natural hair blow in the wind once Rick Ross got her. They then switched cars, and rode off together.

This video was mainly shot in the back seat of the car. The cameraman was sitting behind Erykah, because you were able to see close up shots of her from the side. There was also a camera in the front, where you were able to see both Rick Ross & Erykah, but only from the chest up. There was also a lot of shots where the background was kind of blurry, because the main focus was on her while she was singing. The video was well shot, and the camera angles were well set.

8. The Landlord: Will Ferrell

In this comedy, Will Ferrell acts as a tenant who is on the verge of being evicted and his landlord is a baby named Pearl. This video was hilarious, because he was being cursed out and yelled at by a baby, and he is a grown man. This video more than likely took a couple of takes to do, because of the fact that Pearl's mother had to be close by to make sure she was doing everything that needed to be done. The video also showed that even though the baby was cursing at Will Ferrell, it seemed as if he has a good established relationship with the baby, as well as her parents. This really showed Will Ferrell's funny and creative side.

The video had a lot of cutaways, meaning it kept going back and forth between Will Ferrell and Pearl. The camera focused on whoever was talking at the time. In order to make it seem as if Pearl was looking at him while he was talking, the camera had to be set low to the ground. Also, the camera had to be high in order for it to seem as if Will was looking down at Pearl. The only time you were able to see Pearl fully was when the camera was set slightly behind Will Ferrell. It was set back enough where you were able to completely see Pearl; however, you were still able to see just a little bit of Will Ferrell.

9. Alfred Hitchcock (Presents): Invitation To An Accident

This episode starts off with Albert going outside to get Virgilia who is messing around with her ex husband, even though her current husband is in the house drinking. Her husband, Joseph, tells Virgilia that he does not want to keep her away from her friends, and suggested she invite someone to have dinner with them. She decides to invite her old friend Albert to dinner. After they ate and drank some coffee, Virgilia decided to take Albert outside to show him some chairs that her husband built. When they were about to come back inside Virgilia got hit with a loose board from the house. Joseph ran down the stairs to make sure she was okay; however, when Albert asked how the board fell, Joseph blamed it on the wind and that's how the rope broke. Later, Albert realized that there was no wind, and came to the conclusion that Joseph was trying to murder his wife. So, Joseph and Albert went camping together and while they were sharing stories, Joseph told a story about a husband that knew his wife was having affairs, and when she invited a friend over for dinner, he saw them getting cozy while they were outside. Once he saw that he weakened the rope, hoping it would be her friend that would open the door, so he would be the one to get hit with the board and would possibly kill him. In order to try again, the husband lured him to a camping trip and poisoned the coffee. When Albert heard that, he told Joseph that he was not the one who Virgilia was sleeping with; but it was Cam, her ex husband. Joseph looked surprised and confused.

This video was very organized and well shot. When they were in the car, the camera was very stable and the background was getting more blurry, so the car would be the main focus. Around the part when Virgilia got hit with the board, the camera focused on the board to add a more dramatic effect. Overall, the episode was very good. The best close shot was at the very end when Joseph was sharing the story with Albert while they were camping, because the closer the camera got to their faces, it added more suspense.

10. The Butterfly Circus: Joshua Weigel

This short film was pretty much about the way people should be treated. A ringmaster and two of his acts decided to go to a circus sideshow, where people with abnormalities were being exploited. While they were looking at everyone, there was a limbless man which stood out to the ringmaster; and when he told him that he was magnificent, the limbless man spit in his face. After they left, the limbless man realized that he was tired of being exploited and he escaped from the circus sideshow, and found his way to the back of the ringmaster's truck. He eventually joined the ringmaster and his circus, and finally realized the true definition of family.

The main person that was being focused on during the filming was the limbless man. When he was first introduced, the camera became close to him. However, it began to move back a little bit so the viewers could get a full look at him, and his body. The only other people who had close ups were the contortionist and the ringmaster. For the most part, the camera angle was set back enough so you would be able to see everyone and their actions.

11. The Twilight Zone (Presents): The Changing of the Guard

Donald Pleasence (who played Dr. Sam Loomis in "Halloween") played Professor Ellis Fowler who was an elderly teacher forced into retirement at an all boys prep school. On Christmas Eve, while he was looking through some of his old yearbooks, Prof. Fowler thought he had not accomplished anything during his life. He became deeply depressed, and decided to go to the school one last time because he wanted to commit suicide. Before he could, he was visited by the ghosts of some of his former students; who all told him that he inspired them to become better people. Once he heard that, he accepted his retirement and was happier than ever because he realized he did make an impact on other people's lives.

The Twilight Zone was a also well recorded. The sound was nice and clear, and the stability of the camera was very good. At the very beginning, the camera was angled right in the center and was back far enough so you would be able to see the professor as well as the students in his class. Before he dismissed his class, the camera was only focused on the professor because that was when he started giving his brief farewell speech. The episode made sure it incorporated everyone, to show how the professor made an impact on everyone's life.

12. Turf Feinz: Yak Films

This video was recorded in Oakland, California. It starts off with a group of boys meeting up and going to a location that had a bunch of signatures and notes saying R.I.P. "211". 211 was a nickname for one of their close friends, who was gunned down by the police. To show their appreciation and love for him they danced in different sections of the city. Each of them danced similarly; however, they had different ways of dancing.

This was a very interesting recording. They made sure there was a lot of different effects while they were dancing. When they first got to the remembrance room, they all signed the wall to show their appreciation, and then one by one they began to disappear. When the first guy started dancing he kept the lamp on so a shadow could be cast to intensify his dance moves. Towards the end, the guy dancing on the sidewalk was continuously disappearing and reappearing every time a bus passed by him.