BEHIND THE LENS #212: Featuring Deon Taylor

It's a real "show of shows" this week on BEHIND THE LENS as we welcome back the fabulous DEON TAYLOR for the entire hour! Take a listen as we go in-depth talking about Deon's latest film – THE INTRUDER plus Deon's journey as a filmmaker to arrive at today with a wide release feature film that debuted as the #1 new release at the box office and only second to "Avengers: Endgame". A man who has always kept his eye on the ball, his story is an inspiration to every filmmaker or wannabe filmmaker. And he is as affable, energetic and entertaining as can be while staying grounded, grateful, and humble. Dennis Quaid affectionately refers to him as "Mr. Excitement." One of the hallmarks of his filmmaking finds Deon with an uncanny knack for lulling one into a false sense of security when it comes to both his characters and his audience. He shows us ordinary people who become victims to terrifying circumstances, but who somehow find the inner mettle to survive. He also excels at showcasing the power of family, love, and that inherent will to survive, relying on the first two to propel the third. We saw it in "Supremacy". We saw it in "Traffik". We even saw it in the dark comedy "Meet the Blacks." His films boast dark forces and faces that we often don't see or knowingly look away from. And now Deon Taylor gives us THE INTRUDER. He once again brings terror to our home and our hearts and lays it on our doorstep, literally and figuratively, immersing us in true moments of jump out of your skin, heart pounding fright. You think you were afraid of monsters in the closet and under the bed before? Thanks to Deon and his vision, in true Hitchcockian style, the monsters in THE INTRUDER are more frightening than ever thanks to an award-worthy, insanely brilliant performance from Dennis Quaid. Knowing Dennis and knowing Deon, I only wish I had been a fly on the wall during the filming of THE INTRUDER. Coming from the world of professional basketball, Deon finds many aspects of sports analogous to filmmaking and talks about this during the hour. He also speaks from the heart about his journey as a self-taught filmmaker complete with the pitfalls and triumphs. And Deon is not shy about crediting the artisans who he works with, collaborates with, and learns from at every turn. We go into a detailed discussion about cinematography and use of color, and his work with cinematographer Daniel Pearl on THE INTRUDER, as well as Dante Spinotti's work on "Traffik". Plus, we talk about Deon's BE WOKE web campaign to engage the youth and African-American community to get out and vote, and get involved in their communities at the grassroots level and beyond. Good messages in this video series for everyone! And BE WOKE was recently nominated for a Webby Award! Sit back and take a listen now and let DEON TAYLOR "intrude" on you for the next hour with the filmmaking lessons he's learned in traversing the industry, sticking to his guns, following his instincts, and of course, THE INTRUDER. http://behindthelensonline.net http://eliasentertainmentnetwork.com