Filmmaker Hilton Carter. His film, Moth, screens on Friday, Dec. 4th at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). For more info go to www.mica.edu. Illustration by: Erin Fitzpatrick www.fitzbomb.com

Visual media is a powerful thing. The ability to communicate to the masses in the sparsity of a few-seconds’ glance or in the expanse of hours-long, rapt attention, takes some serious mojo. It’s a power that can move us to laugh, to think, to weep, to reminisce and to conjure up a firm belief in what our eyes are being dazzled by. The right imagery can be a resounding call to action that moves you to emote and do everything from fight injustice to shop for the right automobile. So it should not come as a surprise that creating within the realm of the visual takes incredible skill. Talent. Creativity. Timing. Genius.

And probably vast amounts of caffeine. Just sayin’…

It should also be noted that he who wields that power has a great responsibility to you and I. A great filmmaker must touch us with pictures and that requires a connection and intimacy. He gets inside our personal space and into our minds and hearts. He must speak to us his vision and his story and capture us, dazzle us, move us and then release us to our own imaginations. Think about every time you have cried in a movie. Ponder on each moment you have laughed at precisely the right time. Grasp at the moments that you looked away in horror, or tensed up with suspense at what might just happen next. All those moments are the creations of a movie man’s mind. All those moments are what you were meant to see and meant to know. That’s some serious stuff. It takes a hell of a visionary to fill the shoes of a filmmaker.

Thank goodness for us that Hilton Carter decided to take the job.

(Check out my interview on iChat with Hilton Carter. Mad love to Mr. Carter for spending time with Antisteez.)

I have only met Mr. Carter on one occasion when on a chance meeting, a few years ago, we took NYC by storm in one day. From Coney Island to the Village, to smoking hookahs, to falling on a concrete street in 5-inch heels, (Ouch! I can still feel the seething heat of the embarrassment coursing through my cheeks.) to sleeping five-heads deep in a single bedroom. That’s quite an impressive first meeting and it resounded with me on a deep level.

You don’t meet characters like Hilton Carter every day.

Here’s what I can say to you about Hilton: He is a iconographic genius. He is a maker of films, music videos and poetry in motion. He is amazingly funny. He has vision. He has dope sneaker game. He makes visual art for thinkers, full of color and wonder and optical splendor.  He makes films that will have you stuck on some mind-sex tip. (That’s a deep place.) He has worked with Casxio, (Check out the video for Boiling Point, below. Amazing stuff.) E Major and Hezekiah,  (Both of which I have a serious crush on…in case they are reading this and want to procreate. Just sayin’…) Shawn Jackson, Iglu & Hartly and The Mighty Underdogs. He is from Baltimore. He is one-half of Fresh Kill, (Along with Evan Guidera.) a partnership that churns out hot and poppin’ videos and films for your eyes. (www.fresh-kill.com) His new film, MOTH, is screening at The Maryland Institute College of Art, this Friday, December 4th. The flick was produced by Penn Badgley, the dude from Gossip Girl and The Stepfather. (Yeah, Hilton Carter is connected like that.)

And Hilton Carter is up-and-coming. Big time.

Years from now, when you see Mr. Carter’s work splashed about town, blowing your mind, you will remember the time that goobs pointed you in the direction of this director when he was on the brink. I am sure you will.

For now, enjoy my interview with Mr. Carter, above, and look out for a second posting where he and I play the infamous, “FIVE QUESTIONS WITH GOOBS,” where we discuss important topics like The Thundercats, Cocoa Puffs, movies and probably the most-important thing of all, booty.

You can peep some of Mr. Carter’s work below and stay tuned for more with this amazing movie maker.

-goobs

Directed by Hilton Carter.

MOTH, by Hilton Carter. Executive Produced by Penn Badgley. Starring Heaven Murphy. Peep the trailer here: MOTH Trailer

Screening at MICA on December 4, 2009.

Boiling Point, by Casxio

Want You Back, by The Mighty Underdogs

Feelin’ Jack, by Shawn Jackson

Nuthin Nice, by E Major Ft. Hezekiah