Harold B. Pritchett
Black Soap Opera
Watch
"Agape"
Starring Neil Carr and Mark Noel
Directed by Harold B. Pritchett
Black Soap Opera
"Inner City Bluz"
Starring Miquail & Timera Keyes
Directed by Harold B. Pritchett
&
Black Soap Opera
Directed by Harold B. Pritchett
When you think about a soap opera do you think about laundry detergent?
In early days of television, a soap opera was a daytime drama sponsored by the makers of a laundry detergent. But today the term Soap Opera usually means an ongoing episodic series dealing with family matters broadcast on television. Today audiences refer to such a program simply as soap. Although no Black Soap Opera's currently air on the big networks. "Agape" is the only black soap opera webisode on the internet.
Soap Opera stories run concurrently, sometimes along the story line you will find interest that can lead into further developments. For many years no African American had any meaningful roles in the American Soap Operas and no Black Soap Operas were developed or could maintain an audience, according to the television network giants.
Along came the internet and Harold B. Pritchett, who wrote, directed and produced Agape. Pritchett started shooting his story Agape as a feature to be released on DVD. He uploaded scenes onto the internet, using the screen name hbpy2k, for a few friends to review, what happened next - - a Black Soap Opera was born.
"The internet took us into a new direction. When we looked at Agape as a Black Soap Opera, I started to follow the same formula the networks follow. Each episode featured some of the show's current storylines but not always all of them. We also have added lots of action which you don't see on the networks. There is of course gun play, explosions, sex, and music that will hold an audience" Pritchett said.
Centered on the urban streets and the problems with drugs inside cities, Pritchett selected his own hometown of Wilmington, Delaware to launch his maiden voyage as a writer, producer, and director of Agape. Using local talent and his own skills as a camera operator, he started shooting in August 2007.
When internet users starting watching the uploaded scenes, they began to copy the URL and embed codes. This allowed internet users to copy and paste the video of the scenes onto other websites. Quickly scenes from Agape spread across the world. Giving, what was now called a "Agape The Black Soap Opera", a worldwide internet viewer ship. Users started collecting scenes and pasting the video on more than 12,000 websites (new websites added everyday), in over 34 countries, and 12 languages.
Because soap operas rarely "wrap things up" story wise, and generally avoid bringing all the current storylines to a conclusion at the same time. Pritchett and his cast started to receive email from a steady growing fan base asking to buy the complete DVD.
As the project rounds the corner of completion Pritchett has discovered that the future of filmmaking is here!
For more information:
http://www.hbpy2k.00video.com/
Watch the all new Black Soap Opera "Inner City Bluz"
"Inner City Bluz"- - Black Soap Opera
The webisode “Inner City Bluz” promises to reveal the hard edge of at-risk inner city children when the bottom of life falls from under them. Forced to live on the streets, the children learn life skills and begin to understand the morals their deceased mother gave them.
Inspired by the inner city children of Wilmington, Delaware, Harold B. Pritchett has written an unusual style of webisode about the inner city. “This is the story from the children’s perspective” says the now local director, living in Wilmington. “Children have a different way of managing their feelings during a crisis. Living on the inner city street is like trying to steer a sinking boat in a hurricane. You’ll be up to your neck with problems 24/7. The inner city streets are no place for children.”
Watch "Agape" & "Inner City Bluz"
