November 2001
Film and TV merge in the world of a Director : MTV’s Real World falls under the helm of maestro conductor Alphonzo Wesson

Interviewed by Kellye Whitney

Film and TV merge in the world of a Director : MTV’s Real World falls under the helm of maestro conductor Alphonzo Wesson

‘Your beef is not with me’ is one of my sister’s favorite phrases right now. It’s a standing joke between us, and if we talk about the war, she’ll bring it up. Loosely translated it means, this is not my fight, and aside from the occasional red, white and blue flag induced patriotic suggestion, I agree with her. I honestly believe that my country would be better served if I mind my own business and keep doin’ what I’m doin’ here at blackfilm.com. Black people in general have too many deeply rooted issues to address as a community to try and take on the problems of another race of poor, disenfranchised, economically suffering and most definitely manipulated people like those in Afghanistan. And let’s not forget anthrax. Thanks for coming out!

Many artists are struggling to reinterpret and put into proper perspective the life-shaking events that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001, and Filmmaker/Director Alphonzo Wesson is no different. Only he must cope with the beast of Reality TV in addition to his tasks as the maestro of what could be called one huge, voyeuristic, social experiment. Wesson is the first black director for MTV staple reality show, “The Real World.” In their 11th season, Wesson will take on our hometown of Chicago, and it’s about doggone time! Here’s what he had to say about his newest job as Director/cheerleader/visionary/chef at MTV.



KW: What’s the new gig like?

AW: You have no control. My job is to monitor the relationships between the kids and making sure I’m there when something happens. We follow them everywhere. Go with them to clubs, church, restaurants, all in the hopes of gleaning something we can utilize as a story. We follow a plot as it unfolds. It’s real life in that we don’t tell them how to feel. You put these seven personalities together and you see what develops in their environment and you observe to see what happens. It’s probably one of the greatest social experiments ever to be broadcast. That’s entertainment!


KW: Your usual style of directing is a bit different from this.

AW: Definitely. I’m a filmmaker. In my work, the actors, writers, everyone collaborates to create something. Reality TV is a whole different animal, but after this there will be no directing situation that I can walk into and not dominate.


KW: How do you think the war and the WTC tragedy will affect the show?

AW: How could the cast not be aware of what happened? I can’t go into detail, but we were all very aware of what happened and it will be reflected in the show.


KW: Can you give us any hints, a little sneak peek inside into this next season?

AW: The story is so interconnected that if I told you one tidbit, it will be out of context, but I will say this. I have been in every club in the City of Chicago, and the diversity of clubs in the City of Chicago is astounding. I’ve been North, South, and I’ve never been bored. I’ve been in the highest to the funkiest clubs, in limos and cabs. If I spilled anybody’s drink in the process, I am sorry. My nickname while shooting this project was the Dark Knight, my crew was Ronin because in some of the clubs and bars we went into there’s been drama. I’ve had drinks thrown at me, I’ve been shoved, people have tried to start things with me, but it has been amazing to see how people respond when you walk into a social situation with a camera and a light. The hoochies come out and the guys start strutting. It’s amazing. I want to start a new service called Lights, Camera, and Get Some Action. “Are you so ugly to get a drink of water you have to sneak up on the glass? Call me, Alphonzo Wesson at Lights, Camera Get Some Action.” (laughter) American culture is fixated with the idea of stardom and getting their fifteen minutes of fame. I owe it all to blackfilm.com and Martell Cognac. They screened my short film “Open the Sky” at the Dragon Room in Chicago and the producer for Real World Chicago and the Production Manager were there. They approached me about directing. It’s a Cinderella story in a way, and that doesn’t really happen. Besides having a phenomenal evening and getting a lot of support, I walked away with something that gave me entrée into a world I formally didn’t have access to.


KW: From me and the blackfilm.com crew, know we’re absolutely and utterly thrilled to have a small part in your success. What else are you working on?

AW: I’ve started a new company called Zomotion Productions. I’ve gotten tremendous inquiries about shooting commercials which is how I make my living. I’ve left Proctor & Gamble, we’re fully funded, and I’m hoping to work with BET soon on some exciting new projects.


KW: What happened with “Open the Sky”?

AW: It ran in the Cincinnati Emmies, got nine nominations and we took five. Best entertainment program, best director, and the thing I’m most proud of, three of my actors won for best performer. Including the ten-year-old kid who played Joshua. So he’s ten, and he’s got an Emmy, how cool is that?


MTV’s The Real World will begin airing its 11th season in January 2002
Special thanks to MTV’s Coordinating Producer Peter Wilson, and Director Laura Korkoian.