- obsidianpodcast
Refusing Refusal, a hybrid show
"Refusing Refusal is a hybrid multimedia show that explores how marginalized, intersectional, POC artists can disregard existing institutional rules to create spaces tailored to our unique identities."
We chose to showcase Episode 2, Off the Grid with some behind the scenes graphics sketched up while world-building. Watch the livestream here.
Read the Event Livestream Chat Below
OBSIDIAN Podcast: Ayeee!
Grace Kwon: so excited!!
Samantha Vassor: Yesssss!
Safiyah Cheatam: There we go!
OBSIDIAN Podcast: Welcome to Off The Grid! Follow Naki and Temi on their trip through the outdoors
Adetola Abdulkadir: On the screen is the final cover art we settled on. You'll see some past iterations and ideas through the video
Safiyah Cheatam: By Nadine Elsigai!
Adetola Abdulkadir: Also that bit about her Dad is definitely inspired by my father telling me hiking outdoors was a waste of his time lol
Safiyah Cheatam: https://www.instagram.com/rococojock/
Safiyah Cheatam: artist who did the cover art^^
Adetola Abdulkadir: Yes, Nadine is fantastic!
Adetola Abdulkadir: This is set in a future where people have razed so much of nature to "develop" that a park like the one Naki and Temi are at is very very difficult to get into
Safiyah Cheatam: Just learned the word "razed" today, thank you
Adetola Abdulkadir: Haha anytime
Safiyah Cheatham: Original drawing by Adetola
Adetola Abdulkadir: Yeah that was a liil sketch of what we thought that scene would look like
Adetola Abdulkadir: This is a sketch Safiyah put together early in the process to start figuring out what the cover art would look like
Adetola Abdulkadir: And THIS one is from Nadine.
Adetola Abdulkadir: So are the next couple of concept art pieces. Nadine took our vision and began making it a real thing
Safiyah Cheatham: realizing it might be difficult to follow the story for the first time and also participate in the chat
Safiyah Cheatham: Lol, trust in the spirit of your ancestors!
Adetola Abdulkadir: Indeed. Ya'll can fonus on listening lol
Adetola Abdulkadir: A great line!! lmao
Adetola Abdulkadir: Stay strapped still cracks me up....lol
Adetola Abdulkadir: The sound of that creature was partially inspired by a creature in the movie Annihilation
Safiyah Cheatam: :(
Aliyah Khalifa: make more graphics
Aliyah Khalifa: like a lil picture book
Safiyah Cheatam: hello, friend, good suggestion
Adetola Abdulkadir: Aliyah! Thanks for joining
Safiyah Cheatam: well this is sorta picture book-esque
Adetola Abdulkadir: Yeah that would definitely be cool
Aliyah Khalifa: *comic
Aliyah Khalifa: it would be dope, and hey friends :)
Grace Kwon: omg the plot twist!
Adetola Abdulkadir: !!!!
Samantha Vassor: Intense
Adetola Abdulkadir: This is a sketch of the lab they've entered...beneath the lake
Aliyah Khalifa: I like it
Adetola Abdulkadir: And this is a sketch of the conversation they're having right now
Safiyah Cheatham: dun dun duuuuunnnnn
Adetola Abdulkadir: Thanks!
Safiyah Cheatham: You can access the script here! https://www.obsidianpodcast.com/post/off-the-grid
Samantha Vassor: Congratulations ya’ll
Grace Kwon: that was amazing!
Adetola Abdulkadir: Hope ya'll enjoyed that! Any comments/questions about the episode?
Safiyah Cheatham: Thank you!!
Aliyah Khalifa: twas gr8
Adetola Abdulkadir: Yes thank you so much. That was recorded last year around October
Aliyah Khalifa: music, background noises, and the ending were my fave
Grace Kwon: where do you guys get ur inspiration from??
Safiyah Cheatam: Sound design by my MFA program member Adam Dronedurg
Adetola Abdulkadir: Yes Marisha Tapera played the narrator and had a fun time switching it up from observor to an actual character in the end
Adetola Abdulkadir: From a large number of places! Largely black writers like Octavia Butler and WEB Du Bois
Safiyah Cheatham: Inspirationnn, around then was the end of hiking season, we're both very concern about the future of environmentalism and our climate crisis
Adetola Abdulkadir^^^^
Safiyah Cheatham: Oh! Actually there was an episode of The Truth I think I heard around that time where the consciousness of regular people could be stored digitally
Safiyah Cheatham: and of course Black Mirror plays in that arena often
Adetola Abdulkadir: Thanks for listening yall! Have a great afternoon