New Gay Series " CockTales" FAQ

CockTales explores the life of Christopher Street's Jharmey Smith, a southern transplant from Memphis, TN who as nested himself in the fabulous Upper Westside of Harlem, New York, has tried on several different hats to become the young adult that he is today. He has survived an abusive relationship, the break-up of his best friend, and the trials of finding himself in the gay mecca of the world Christopher Street. After his new discoveries, he has realized that girls run the world and decided to link up with his new BFF, Blaire Knowles, who gives you no middle line you-either love her or hate her. Jharemy and Blaire are co-managers of the hottest gay night club in New York City and they never see eye to eye on anything except both loving and sharing a good CockTale. Both adults experience their own business and relationship struggles that mold their entire New York City experience and bridge the gap between hetero-homo lifestyles.

Continuing with the story of “Christopher Street TV,” the humor of "Will and Grace", and the reality issues of “Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys", the pop "dramedy", CockTales presents controversial concerns such as abortion, prostitution, sex, HIV/AIDS, relationships, crime, and alcoholism, straight up with a twist. We all have CockTales.

CockTales 7 MOST FAQ

1. How do I become a part of CockTales? Meak Productions is working in conjunction with Off The Clock Productions to select the best talent to help bring the story alive. For more details on Meak Productions check out www.meakproductions.com and www.facebook.com/CockTalesTheSeries.

2. Where is Christopher Street TV, is CockTales taking its place? CockTales is the continuation of the powerful story that Christopher Street TV shared. CockTales is showing what life is like once you began a career path and have learned from the mistakes and experiences that came with your early twenties. Characters from Christopher Street TV are still going to appear in parts of CockTales and that story will continue through the new situations that CockTales presents.

3. Why the vulgar name CockTales? When you say CockTales I am hoping that audiences are able to infer that the film is about the tales that come along with men. This story is sharing two points of views, the first being that of how it is for a gay man to deal with men and the second is of how it is for a straight woman to deal with them as well. What is so unique about the story is the men are being compared to cocktails which are the perfect analogy; because with men you usually can never get one straight up… they are usually always mixed up.

4. Where is filming taking place for CockTales? We will be producing the series in New York City. Filming will be taking place in one of the hottest nightlife spots in NYC and we will be starting in early 2012.

5. Are there sponsorship or investment opportunities available? YES!!! We are definitely seeking individuals that want to assist in bringing the story to life. We already have a distribution deal on the table which is very exciting and it makes it worth your time to be a part of this wonderful entertainment piece.

6. What is your message with CockTales? Acceptance. I want to use this film project to create allies for the LGBTQ community. I strongly feel that by showcasing the similarities in how our lives play out it will address a lot of homophobic issues that are destroying our world.

7. Where can we find out more about CockTales? Details concerning CockTales will be updated at www.facebook.com/CocktalesTheSeries and www.ONealAppeal.com. No official website will be launched until 2012. If you really want to be up to date on the lives of the characters that you will meet on CockTales you need to watch Christopher Street TV… order it today with TLA Releasing.

Arts.Advocacy+Wellness: "New iphone Apps for ACTORS!"

New iphone Apps for ACTORS

Keeping up with the world is key to success in the lifestyle of a professional actor in the entertainment industry. It is a bit of a challenge for me because I am constantly on the go as a working actor; auditions, rehearsals, classes, body maintenance...and let's not forget time to sleep and eat, which is why I prefer to relax/take it slow due to my busy schedule. It seems like everyday there is a new gadget/new information that continues to roll out life in a "NY minute." While I'm a little resistent to being "ON" and in "drive mode" 24/7 I thought sharing this new app with fellow actors would be a bit beneficial, quick, and efficient and Green!

Now that I'm sharing, let me say this: You don't have to abandon your traditional or old-fashioned values, however, I'd say find a balance between the "traditional" and being on top of the latest and newest trends and developments in technology that could add larger perspective to and/or boost your professional career in the acting business.

No, I'm no expert and I am not a 100% fast mover with new trends, however I am beginning to take this on by challenging myself and shaking some of my resistance. Send me some good energy as I will do the same for you. Enjoy this post, my fellow thespians and tv/film actors, which I received from Backstage.com:

Back Stage just launched two new iPhone apps, called Call Sheet: Casting & Agency Contacts by Back Stage and Reality TV Casting Powered by Back Stage on Apple's iTunes App Store. These brand-new entertainment-industry apps provide iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch users with fast access to essential casting info on the go. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL STORY ON BACKSTAGE.COM

or head over to itunes to begin your download now!

A.A+W

with Cornelius Jones Jr.

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Have Soap Operas Ever Touched Your Life?

My head is still wrapping around the fact that 90% of these soap operas are going off the air soon. It's still a shocker to me that it is all happening so fast. One show is cancelled in one year. Then the next year, two are being cancelled at the same time.

The one thing I like about soap operas is that it fulfills what all of us wish all tv shows could be. We wish they are daily shows. That was the one thing I love about it. Then as I started researching what goes on behind the scenes I completely understand why the shows are weekly. If all shows were daily, it would be alot of stress on the cast and crew. Screenwriters have to write fresh scripts everyday. Actors got to rehearse and shoot with only a few days for a break. The crew would sometimes have to sleep on set in order to stay updated on the upcoming tasks. Also, there is promotion and marketing, getting people into tuning back in to watch the show.

It truly is some hard work.

A few months later, I couldn't help but think about how soap operas have touched my life is some sort of way. The one thing they taught me is that all families are not scrapbooks. That's what I always felt like growing up. Once an episode of The Young and the Restless came on, I began to see my family's true colors. There was drama in every direction. I instantly distanced myself from my family because of it.

Ever since then, I started watching soap operas as much as I could. I always want to see what new type of stories they were bringing to the table. Everything is fresh and new to my brain and I feel mesmerized because of it. I feel like I am truly a part of the soap opera family.

Irna Philips, Agnes Nixon, and William J. Bell to name a few have brought us these shows that have spellbinding stories. We can't help but to sit out butts down and see what each of these characters are going through. As soon as you thought you got the whole story down, there is a new twist at the end of the episode. It's that devotion to the stories that made me fall in love with soap operas.

After watching these shows for quite some time, it got me thinking. Have soap operas ever touched you life?

Are We Meant To Have A Grace?

Every person I know is a fan of Will and Grace. Even though the show has been cancelled for a years now, we have all the episodes on DVD and we enjoy watching the reruns on the Lifetimes network.

I am a Will and Grace addict. I can never get old this show. I can watch it forever no matter how many times I've seen each episode. But every time I see the show, I can't help but think about how this show reflects on our everyday life.

For the past couple of days, I have been walking around and paying attention to the people around us. Every where I go I see a reflection of the show. There is a gay man with his female friend, having an amazing time. Sometimes, there is also a man with a man, thereby reflecting the friendship between Will and Jack.

They do everything together. I see them out at lunch. They are at the bookstore sharing their point of views of whatever book they were interested in. I even see them at the gay club together enjoying each other's company.

I consider it extremely beautiful that we are living in a world where 98% of the world excepts homosexuality. Females love us and wants to be friends with us. Then after we become friends, it's like we've found our long lost sister.

Based on the friendship between a gay man and a female, I can't help but wonder. Are we meant to have a Grace?

Televisions Most Recognized Gay Characters

Aside from what I've been hearing about there aren't a lot of gay characters on television, I am watching television series, movies, and online shows, and I am so happy seeing all these amazing characters. The only thing that needs to change is the storyline around the characters. We are not all about drama. We all don't wear female clothing. We all don't raise our voices. We all don't demand an attention. For those that still picture all gay people like that, I think you might some new contact lenses.

I love television series more than movies. I love writing screenplays. But I have a habit of not letting the characters go away. I'm sure a lot of us agree that we love watching gay characters on a television series than a movie. If we watch a movie, we will always wonder what happens next.

Throughout my teenage years, there have been so many gay characters/couples that I immediately had a crush on. Even though the shows are canceled, I will buy the shows on DVD, and watch it nonstop. My favorite characters turn out to be couples too. Noah Nicholson and Wade Robinson from Noah's Arc, Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor from Queer as Folk, and Justin and Andrew Van de Kamp from Desperate Housewives.

Even though these shows are gone (except Desperate Housewives), we buy them on DVD, and watch it non-stop. However, there are still some gay characters that I watch on a daily basis. Some I am addicted to, and some I am just getting interested in.

The one gay couple I am watching constantly is Luke Snyder and Noah Mayer in the soap opera As The World Turns. This is the first gay male soap opera supercouple. Despite the storyline, it feels great seeing them on television on a daily basis. I'm not that much of a fan of soap operas, but this couple is starting to make me change my mind.


And of course, there are the two characters in the iconic sitcom that doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon. Even though the show is canceled, you can see the reruns every night on Lifetime. Our funny men: Will Truman and Jack Farland from Will and Grace.

I just love the fact that we have these amazing characters on television. Every time I see them, it feels great to have characters that we can relate too. These characters opened the door to a lot of us. We must show these television studios that the characters we created are some that can inspire a large number of viewers. You gotta love television!

Feel free to comment. I love your opinions.