Toni Maxwell
Photography
“The subject matter is so much more important than the photographer. ” ~ Gordon Parks
I grew up with a father who captured every moment of our lives, no mater how big or small, on film. His camera was a member of our family. After he became an angel, I continued the family tradition. Slowly and tenatively, I branched out to subjects not within our family. Taking photos grew so rapidly from a relaxing hobby to a wildfire passion that I cannot pinpoint the exact moment. The camera has become my mainstay of my inner peace. I am an amateur photographer who finds any time to be the right time and every place to be the right place to capture the quiet moments in life.
“….the camera is like a friend and you can go places and feel like you’re with someone, like you have a companion.” ~ Annie Leibovitz
Mike Hull
Video/Interviews
Michael Hull is part of a new generation of filmmakers that started to emerge around the turn of the century, when digital media came of age and cut the traditional leashes that kept creative people confined to a certain medium. As co-owner of Fifth Column Films since 2001, Hull has led digital marketing campaigns for over 50 different companies and artists, including Yahoo!/Telemundo, Sony Music, Universal Records, Putamayo World Music, Nature's First Law and legendary New York nightclub Webster Hall. Hull was co-writer, co-director and co-producer of the feature film Smokers, produced by Fifth Column Films and distributed by Vanguard Cinemas in 2008. Additionally, Hull is a member of IBEW Local 1212, the Television and Broadcast Editors union and works as an editor and technician for both the CBS News division NewsPath Now, and nationwide distributor Network News Service.
This wide range of styles, from hard news to documentary, narrative film to music videos and commercials, is the kind of boundless creativity that has only been possible to achieve on a professional level in the last ten years, and Hull has run wild with the opportunity. This history manifests itself in the multi-faceted approach that he brings to every project, with the camera work and dramatic intensity of a film director, the conceptual depth of a writer and documentary producer, and the efficiency and work ethic of a national news editor.
Hal Hilliard
Lay/Cover Design
As a child and a teenager, Hal Hilliard spent hours staring at album covers. Whether digging through his parents' LP collection -- The Beatles, Earth Wind and Fire, Parliament, Sly and the Family Stone, Hair, Richard Pryor -- or browsing the sealed records in music stores -- Kiss, Alice Cooper, David Bowie, Grace Jones -- the 12-inch square frames fascinated him. So much was said with so few words. This intrigue was the main current that guided Hal through 20 years of communication design.
Before earning a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of North Texas, Hal was already a heavily published writer. After his first semester, he quickly got his hands dirty in the ink of the publishing world by interning, freelancing and working full time for magazines and newspapers in the Dallas area in both writing and page design capacities. Hal's beat of choice was arts and entertainment and human-interest stories; on several occasions he met and interviewed his heroes George Clinton and Fishbone. But when the duty called, he also wrote hard-news stories and investigative pieces.
At the same time, Hal was the art director, publicist and one of two lead vocalists for Bassx, an innovative hip-hop quintet that meshed three live jazz musicians with nongangster rhyme schemes. The band won the title of Best Rap Hip-Hop Group for two consecutive years and Best Funk/R&B Group in the Dallas ObserverMusic Awards. Finding success in Dallas and the Southwest after three releases, Hal and Bassx eventually moved to New York City, but broke up after a few years.
Hal founded Halographic and continued designing CD covers and promotional material for other bands and record labels. His nationwide clientele quickly expanded to include small business and corporations in publishing, education, fashion, photography, real estate and heath care.
Hal is currently the art director for a national leadership development and college access nonprofit based in New York City. Still driven by the memories of the eclectic, over-the-top '70s glam rock and funk album covers, Hal now refines his work through the elegant influence of Blue Note jazz.
Creature
EMCEE/Musician
It's impossible to talk about New York's independent music scene without mentioning Creature. His albums, Never Say Die, Hustle to Be Free and Prey For the Vulture coupled with his appearance on the Starz in Black series "B Side Underground," his book, The Underdog's Manifesto, a New York Times profile, and his hand-to-hand hustle have helped him capture the imagination of indy neophytes eager to find their audience as well as hip-hop heads across the globe. A distinctive blend of irreverent wit, candid self-exploration, and street-savvy social commentary – along with his penchant for unorthodox sonic experimentalism – has established Creature as a respected wordsmith. Creature opened for Little Brother on its 2008 European tour and has shared stages with the likes of Common and Immortal Technique, but its Creature's own, always-impassioned live performance, most recently with his hardcore band Rebelmatic, that places him above the cut.
For the past three years Creature has also been the creative force behind Coffee Grind Media's monthly "Fire Your Boss" showcase, featuring an eclectic, hand-picked brand of artists.
Jonathan Sears
Web Design
Fine artist, animator, curator and graphic designer Jonathan Sears is a fun-loving, self-proclaimed, artist’s artist. As a child (fourth grade), he was selected for magnet school (art) studies and began dedicating his nights and free time to drawing, painting, wood-working and the occasional classroom-door decorating. While attending Kempsville High school, in Virginia Beach, VA -- taking his mother's advice to find a way to earn a living within the arts -- he decided to structure his energies towards graphic design. During college balanced his roles as an artist, a varsity soccer player, and a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated. And through a number of all night studio sessions, he earned a dual-concentration BFA in Graphic Design and Photography from Barton College. With his passion to achieve, he became the first in the school’s 100 year history to complete this task in just four years. Then, one year later, he found himself at The University of Maryland, College Park, on a full (merit-based) fellowship, pursuing his MFA in digital media, alongside the rest of UM’s first ever three-year-MFA class. During his last year of study, he also became a Teachers Assistant and later went on to become an Adjunct Professor for The University of Maryland, at both their College Park and Shady Grove campuses.
Jonathan currently resides in the Midwest and continues to pursue all things creative. His artistic eye has led him to curate a number of group exhibitions (a skill he picked up while living in the DC Metro area). And his design explorations are now collected under the moniker Langur Media. He takes great pride in the visual
statements his clients allow him to create and understands design is still one of his most valuable talents and resources. Even still, he continues creating fine artworks and is looking forward to getting back into the University education system.
With his drive and unwillingness to back down from challenges, there’s no telling what’s next for J. Sears. The only safe bet is that it will be creative.
Dax-Devlon Ross
Author
Dax-Devlon Ross, Esq. is a true man of letters. He writes non-fiction, fiction and poetry. He is a thoughtful commentator on popular culture, a student of African-American history and a skilled journalist with an eye for detail and an ear for an intriguing story. Dax has been formally trained in jurisprudence, philosophy, American literature and secondary education. His interests also include music (particularly Jazz and Hip-Hop), the outsider in society, sports (particularly as they relate to and impact culture), politics, economics, justice and education. In addition to authoring five books, Dax is the co-publisher of Outside the Box Publishing, LLC, and the editor of the arts and culture blog The HNIC Report, and the co-founder of the basketball blog 3 From Deep. Mr. Ross is a sought after speaker and consultant who teaches workshops on a range of subjects pertaining to popular culture. For more information visit daxdevlonross.com. Contact him at dax [at] daxdevlonross.com.