Many times I’ve come across videos, directors, and works, that are worth mentioning. Today I’ve created a spotlight category for these types of things.
First spotlight post goes to: Taron Lexton
I was going across YouTube and found myself watching a series of video on human rights and attaining happiness. I followed it to their main website where I found “meet the director”
TARON LEXON
Twenty-one-year-old Taron Lexton’s passion for film began at a very young age and has blossomed into a full-blown — and already successful — filmmaking career. After graduating from Los Angeles Film School in 2004 he asked his mother (YHRI’s president, Mary Shuttleworth) what he could do to help her teach the basic principles of human rights to youth. Says Taron, “She suggested I create a human rights music video that would touch people from all walks of life and in every corner of the world,â€
Taron then joined Mary on a 45,000 mile YHRI world tour to 13 countries where he captured footage that then became a center-point for his inaugural video project. Joined by a 150-strong multi-ethnic cast who donated their time and talents to the project, Taron immersed himself in the creation of “UNITED,†an emotionally riveting hip-hop music video released in August 2004 at the United Nations in New York. UNITED has since won film festival awards around the globe and is used broadly today as an educational tool for youth.
His next major human rights project was the production of 30 and 60 second Public Service Announcements (PSAs) that depict the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since their release last June, the PSAs have aired on 2,800 TV stations in a total of 60 countries with an estimated viewership of 100 million. They have run internationally on CNN, and on ABC, NCB, CBS and FOX in the USA. In addition to the use of these PSAs as a teaching tool in schools, by youth clubs and at seminars, conferences and training sessions, they also reach thousands at a multitude of public venues, including airports, bus lines, fashion shows, concerts, sports stadiums, restaurants, fairs, department stores, malls, exhibitions, film festivals and even gas stations.
“Film making is the most powerful means of broad scale communication,†says Taron when asked what drew him to a filmmaking career. “You can speak to people who might not otherwise listen to you. They might not read a book or listen to a speech, but nine times out of ten they’ll sit down and watch a film.â€
The following are his works:
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My personal feedback…
…I’d love to bring Imam Nawawi’s 40 hadeeth to screen in that manner 
The following is a client project I had done back in may. It started off as a commissioned work to do graphic design, and later to a video. I’ll post a link to the video once the DawahCorps website goes live.
One of the things that DawahCorps has up is a dawah website that uses professional photography to spread Islam. Check it out: http://www.qislam.com/
Here are some of the client cards I have made for DawahCorps:
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You can see their website here: http://www.dawahcorps.com
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http://www.dawahcorps.com/images/dawahcorps_video_final2.flv
This photo original taken by Tracy Byrns
If you are ever in New Orleans, take a stop by the French Quarter and get yourself one of these beignet at Cafe du Monde.
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Its amazing how pressures can really pile up. I came back from my trip to new orleans Wednesday, and without break I got thrown into the rush of every day life.
Upon arrival from my three day journey, having only a couple hrs to freshen up and go to my two evening classes back to back for th start of the semester, followed by a morning class the next day, I spent Thursday in a daze. A daze that resulted in me being late to the evening class that day.
Friday and saturday I spent loathing and sleeping, trying to gather where I am, and what I’m doing, only to remember that I have a client deadline to meet. 48 hours of nonstop crunch-time, and a few hours of sleep in between allowed me to complete the client’s first draft just in the nick of time. (I’ll post up the final draft for you all to see later this week)
Having had two hours of sleep, Imam Abu Abed’s words began ringing in my head. On my last day in Baton Rouge (which by the way has an interesting ‘red’ history) Imam Abu Abed mentioned something after Isha prayers. For dawah to be successful four elements must be utilized:
- Persistence and struggle in the cause
- Consistent du’aa to see it through - This sets the efforts of falsehood apart from the effort of truth.
This space is going to be dedicated to celebrate the gems of this trip…
- This trip was a struggle, but it was sooooooo worth it. The people I met. My partner I traveled with and the things I learned from him and the people along the way were priceless.
- Allah (swt) put people in my path to help me along the way and make this happen. From the travel expenses this time and the previous trip I took back in June. The hospitality in food, and stay. The warm welcome and affection of the people I met and interacted with. – — – “Southern Hospitality” is REAL
- I met with amazing people in Knoxville, TN. Baton Rouge, LA. New Orleans, LA, Mclean, VA, and here in NJ — all of whom provided assistance when it was needed without really asking for it.
- I have a very solid idea of what I want in this final production, and inshaAllah it will be my best project to date. My goal is to bring $250,000 in aid to victims. To do this I will need to bring forth half a million bucks in one year inshaALLAH!
- I have soooo many more OUTSTANDING ideas that I want to do after this project is done. A documentary film on the Injustice of the American justice and prison system and the Resilience of Muslims there. A Narrative epic on the life of Uthman Dan Fodio, and much MORE!
- A few money generating ideas have come about from this trip in the time spent with my travel buddy.
- I didn’t complete filming — but it will be completed by end of this week inshaAllah with the help of some sincere individuals from Louisiana that Allah (swt) put in my path
- I am PUMPING with energy as I type this. — – On this trip I saw the beauty of the beautiful sunsets, lightning, storm clouds, scattered sun shower downpours, starry filled skies with the milky way galaxy visible, a turtle on the side of the highway, the endless range of the Appalachian mountains, and the calm rivers that descend it.
Here are the pictures. Enjoy 
