Who is Corey Graham 2.0? (CG 2.0 Celebrates 1 Year Full time in Entertainment)

I made a step to go into entertainment full time last year after I returned home from my pilgrimage to Trinidad Carnival 2007. Trinidad was where it all started for me in entertainment along with exploring my creative side much more deeply.

My launch into entertainment as a career, or should I say a “source of income” became official on Sunday Feb 2nd 2003 via a fete called Bikini Wrap, poolside the Ambassador Hotel in Maraval. This event was the very first event by my new company Drenalin Productions. It was to launch Drenalin Productions and generate some cash. It didnt quite work out the way i hoped financially, but it certainly announced Drenalin Productions. The biggest memory from that event was Rupee performing for my patrons and bigging me  right thought is performance. Now that definately created alot of word of mouth for Drenalin Productions.

Faster than I could realise I was into lots and lots of things, from Dance Theatre Committee to Nite Club Committees – Club Coconuts Committee, Base Committee. The next year I had Fire Brigade – A Drenalin Productions & UWI Dance Theatre – Campus Carnival Band 2004 (UWI St. Augustine) ….. dare i say the first private entity to have a Campus Carnival Band. This was a follow up to a very successful Tropical Storm Fete.

Oh, and I was also managing VTM a DJ group with alot of talent . I was at the same time launching Drenalin Clothing line – Drenalin Apparel, Drenalin Website(www.drenalinproductions.com)

I had some good hits but I also had alot of misses too. Most of all there was tremendous amount of learning to be had.

I moved back to Barbados, my homeland, where I was faced with a bit of blatant irony. After being able to carve out a little space in the entertainment scene in Trinidad, I was back in my homeland as an unknown on the entertainment scene… and with a few major personal challenges to overcome. I moved from having a constant ringing phone to having no calls coming in at all.

I was slightly amused by all this, but somehow I felt positive about it. I think I was a bit glad to be out of the hot seat. I was glad for the time to think clearly. It was a period in my life I called “research and study”. And Very appropraitely so. The next 2 years I took the time to seek to understand all the reasons for the misses I had so far. I took some time to  interview some of the successful persons in the Entertainment business that I knew for Drenalin Productions website. Those interviews offered tremendous insight to me  and lead me to find answers to many of my questions. Some of the people I interviewed were Rupee, Signal 2 Noise, Blood, Mikey of Krosfyah, Richard Haynes of Baje International and DJ Malcolm X. Also with an equal quest to learn more, was a very good friend Richard Weekes who conducted most of these interviews with me. 

During this time I met Ryan Davis of Alt Ententertainment Inc., the parent company of BoomTribe at a networking club that Richard and I had formed. We would meet up pretty often and talk and exchange ideas on various topics, alot of them either falling under Business and or Entertainment.  Ryan found out about my love for photography and  offered me to be a photographer for the BoomTribe section on Kadooment Day. Yip, just like that I was the Official Photographer for the BoomTribe section “African” of Baje International presentation Crop Over 2005 Band. View the Gallery here.

I definately was not complaining about that!! Actually that day I grew to appreciate Mas alot more.

A few months later I accepted the offer to be part time with BoomTribe Mobile and TxT Pay as the Marketing manager. This was in the world of mobile technology, ringtones, wallpapers, games and more. A few months into it we realised we needed to put that on hold for a bit. It was during this that I took some initiative just to every fete i could with my camera snapping up a storm. I like photography, meeting people and entertainment that was the perfect Threesome for me. In a few months things started to happen for the website, we took a trip down to Grenada for a Christmas Eve fete. That Ole Year’s night 2006 covered 3 parties Desire, Selacious and Vahalla. I had a blast the next big assignment brings us right back to where i started this blog at TT Carnival 2007!!! When I returned to Barbados I was …. “Ready to Flyyyy” inspired by Machel Montano’s tune “Higher Than High”. 

I took the step to a higher level when I made the decison to work full time in entertainment under Alt Entertainment Inc. as the Web Content Marketing Manager for BoomTribe.com.

From the first day I was way more energised to do more and learn more about myself and entertainment. My creativity was going wild. Ideas were my Red Bulls.

For example, I taught myself some of video editing so that I could do some editing to the video I had taken of Trinidad Carnival. One of the first clips I made was of Machel Montano HD performing at UWI Splash at in Trinidad Carnival 2007. Taking that fete to a Higher Level.

During the year I also got introduced to the idea of new media marketing or social network marketing. I got a chance to experience St. Lucia Carnival 2007, (let me point out that I called Ricky T’s “Pressure Boom” as a mega hit. If you don’t believe me talk to DJ Hoodini.) I also got into some project management and scheduling. Also planning and leadership, trend spotting and business development. I started the transition to using GTD, reading rss appreciating blogging and it place in the world. Learnt alot more about the behind the scenes of the industry.

I must say its been a very very interesting and eye opening first year in Caribbean Entertainment and also learning more about the Internet, technology and of course, Blackberry. ahahahaha. Anyone that knows me knows I love my blackberry. lol. Seriously though with the internet and technology Alt Entertainment and myself have switched to a situation where I can work from anywhere in the world on any computer with a good internet connection.

Hence, Corey Graham 2.0 More Connected  – More Integrated. 

As I look forward to a new year in entertainment, our Soca Nurse captured it when she wrote on my facebook wall ..

“Happy Anniversary Corey. You’ve accomplished so much in your one year.
Looking forward to seeing what new levels you’ll reach as you continue
to carve out at a career for yourself in the entertainment world.
Congrats!!!”

Thanks Karen. I am glad to have met good people like you! …. I know you didn’t pay but here is your plug. Sorry was looking for a photo to go with it

So I have gone into realm of 2.0 and into year number 2 in entertainment. I want to focus this year on having a plan and planning better, the dollars and sense of it all. and to invest more time in Self Expression.  I realised this important, losing my camera over the last year, I realised that it is that form of self expression I missed most.

This blog is definately the solution for that. I am planning to grow as it grows! 

Year 2 here I come!