OTR Media Group

09/07/2024

Join OTR Media Group Founder Sherard Shekeese Duvall this Saturday July 13th for an in depth presentation about understanding screen language and empowering ELA teachers to utilize screen literacy and video production modules in classrooms.

Hol up, registration is required! Visit National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) to find events and register now!

21/02/2024

Love, Peace & Hip-Hop is on a mission to innovate and disrupt in the Education space and we are here for all of it!

We are incredibly proud to be afforded the opportunity to capture this remarkable work for the world to see! LPHH’s W.E.A.L.T.H. Initiative includes remarkable inclusive, engaging and incredibly exciting opportunities for students to learn, express themselves creatively and practice collaboration and critical thinking ALL WHILE HAVING INCREDIBLE FUN!!

We hadn’t seen students this engaged, ever! Made us want to be in 5th grade all over again! Take a look at the video above to get a sneak peak into this remarkable work!

Date: January 22, 2024Location: Koger Center for the Arts [University Of South Carolina]Program: Beats To The Rhyme: A Youth Songwriting Project powered by L...

14/12/2023

Summer 2023 we had a chance to work with an incredible collective of folk in the Newberry S.C. community.

Haven Newberry is a collective of Newberry High School grads that got together and said, we gonna hold it down for our own. They created a space that provides middle and high school Newberry County students somewhere to grow professionally and artistically.

The Newberry Arts Center - NAC reached out to us and together with the team at Westview Behavioral Health Services we made space for an incredible workshop with an awesome group of kids.

Cordell, Cordae, Ay’Zion, TJ, Zay, and Ty made up the Media Team at our I Got A Story To Tell workshop in Newberry SC during June and July. These young men, from 13-17 had never produced, filmed or edited any video before and after only seven Fridays of training, created a documentary video and recap video of Haven Newberry’s summer program which included the making of an incredible mural that all of the students worked on this summer.

Shout out to Marquerite Fowler Palmer Gracie Peck the Prevention Coalition of Newberry County and Create Newberry for working together for this summers incredible program!

And a special shout out to every parent and student and mentor that participated in The Haven Newberry 2023 Summer Program!

Head over to Haven Newberry to check out both videos now! In the meantime, check out this awesome recap shot and edited by OTRMG Team Member Adrian Williams

05/12/2023

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the hundreds, maybe thousands, of messages (this one included) targeted at us every day.

You may not always be able to control what kind of content you stumble upon on but you can always decide how relevant and reliable the information is. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to get there:

1) Who made this message?
2) What is the purpose of this message?
3) How legitimate are they?
4) What is my opinion about this message based on questions 1 - 3?

For better or worse, most messages are designed to get something out of you — your support, your time, your money, your captivation, your allegiance.

The importance of being a is that you get to cut through the noise, and make up your own mind.

02/08/2023

Yo...

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the hundreds, maybe thousands, of messages (this one included) targeted at us every single day.

You may not always be able to control what kind of content you stumble upon on social media, but you can always decide how relevant and reliable the information is.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to get there:

1) Who made this message?
2) What is the purpose of this message?
3) How legitimate are they?
4) What is my opinion about this message based on questions 1 - 3?

For better or worse, most messages are designed to get something out of you — your support, your time, your money, your captivation, your allegiance. The importance of being media literate is that you get to cut through all that noise, and make up your own mind.

27/07/2023

Our goal when facilitating any instruction is to de-emphasize learning video and editing skills and to EMPHASIZE learning how to communicate in a new language...The Language of Screens.

used the phrase "The Age Of Screens", which we believe speaks precisely to the times we live in.

Understanding how messages are being communicated to us through a screen, and then, how to use that same education to communicate our own messages, is essential learning in a world powered by devices, screens and media content.

Here's a sneak peek into our "I Got A Story To Tell" Workshop that we had the absolute pleasure to do for the Blackville Community Development Corporation, the South Carolina Arts Commission Folklife Field School also powered by the National Endowment for the Arts.

We got busy! Enjoy!

Blackville, South Carolina

24/07/2023

Cordell, Cordae, Ay’Zion, TJ, Zay, and Ty made up the Media Team at our I Got A Story To Tell workshop in Newberry SC during June and July.

These young men, from 13-17 had never produced, filmed or edited any video before and after only 7 Fridays created a documentary video and recap video of Haven Newberry’s summer program which included the making of that incredible mural you see.

Shout out to Marquerite Fowler Palmer Gracie Peck the Newberry Arts Center - NAC Create Newberry Prevention Coalition of Newberry County and Westview Behavioral Health Services for working together for this years incredible program!

And a special shout out to every parent and student and mentor that participated in The Haven Newberry 2023 Summer Program!

Head over to Haven Newberry to check out both videos now!

21/07/2023

"I come from a community where, without resources, you don't end up in a career you end up in jail." - Dr. Charlotte Barker Forrest

Watch the short doc “From Job to Career” South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families + Florence-Darlington Technical College now at www.otrmg.com

Director/Producer: Sherard Shekeese Duvall
D.P: Steve Saxon
Camera: The Foto Bros. LLC, Trevor Mercer, Steve Saxon
Grip/Electric: Joe Schmitt
Sound Mixer: Gripptightpro
Production Coordinator: JMicahFilms
Production Assistant: Denise McGill

18/07/2023

As an African-American Owned Business, run by a native, we are honored to do whatever we can to support the work of the South Carolina Commission for Minority Affairs.

The work that they do to support the policy and socio-economic development of ethnic minority communities through community engagement, awareness stands alone in the state.

And particularly collecting, diagnosing and analyzing collaborative data, makes them an invaluable resource to thousands of organizations, developers and companies across the United States.

Glad we had a chance to play together a bit in the sandbox.

Director/Producer: Sherard Shekeese Duvall
Camera: Shayne Bennett, Adrian Williams
Photo Credit: Adrian Williams for OTR Media Group

17/07/2023

We’re human, right? Context shifts our understanding of the message that is being presented. To avoid miscommunication, the context of a message should consider three components:

1. Analysis

2. Awareness

3. Approach

For more information on context, view “Truth, Context, and Social Media” by management expert, Julie Zhuo.
https://bit.ly/3z8kUTa

04/05/2023

ABC Columbia captured our Mayor's remarks for Small Business Week.

OTR Media Group was one of five businesses selected by TD and Columbia Chamber to take part in the inaugural year of the TD Bank Small Business Champion Program.

Columbia's Mayor Daniel Rickenmann recognized Craft Axe Throwing on Gervais Street as the city's "Business Spotlight Honoree" for efforts the business has made in serving and giving back to the community since 2018.

02/05/2023

Announcement!

OTR Media Group has been selected by TD and the Columbia Chamber as one of the five small businesses that have been selected to take part in the inaugural year of the TD Bank Small Business Champion Program!

"This opportunity that TD Bank and the Columbia Chamber have extended to us is a necessary investment in the small creative businesses sector, and we are proud to be a member that represents this emerging industry." - Sherard Shekeese Duvall, President/CEO

"The Columbia Chamber is excited to partner with TD Bank to launch the Small Business Champion Program. This initiative not only gives participants full access to all Chamber programs and events, but also provides opportunities to help them grow,”- Carl Blackstone, President/CEO Columbia Chamber

“TD Bank is pleased to support the inaugural Small Business Champion Program as we continue to recognize the significant role local chambers have in building stronger business communities. “We extend our congratulations to this year’s recipients and look forward to being a part of their future growth and success.”- Mike Farmer, Regional Vice President for TD Bank in the Midlands.

www.otrmg.com
www.columbiachamber.com
www.td.com


Erika Dawkins Communications Midlands Mediation Center AINautics

04/04/2023

In Fall 2022, we created and facilitated a 10-week Moving Image Literacy after school program for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lakelands Region at Saluda Middle School in Saluda, SC.

This program sought to empower students in their middle school careers with 21st Century skills in hopes of keeping them engaged in school and acted as a module for Be Great Academy staff to replicate screen language exercises for students.

Working individually and in teams of two, students learned creative and innovative techniques of critical thinking through viewing and discussion, reading and listening comprehension exercises, writing (filming) and presenting simple video texts.

We had a blast with these students. Check out the short recap above to get a taste of how it all went down.

Visit Boys & Girls Clubs of the Lakelands Region for more info on their work.

Arts Grow SC
4h

23/03/2023

"I find power in the Geechee Gullah ring shout as we perform. The power is not only in what we say, but in how we sing and, there's a spiritual power there too."

- Marsha Armstrong, Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters

Geechee Gullah Ring Shouters Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Fort Frederica National Monument

Visit the exhibit celebrating the community of St. Simons Island, Georgia at Fort Frederica National Monument in St Simons GA today to view both short films.

Photo credit: The Foto Bros. LLC
Production: OTR Media Group

22/03/2023

“Media literacy was one of our priorities before the time of the internet,” Petri Honkonen, Finland’s minister of science and culture, said in a recent interview.

“The point is critical thinking, and that is a skill that everybody needs more and more. We have to somehow protect people. We also must protect democracy.”

- DAVID KLEPPER and MANUEL VALDES March 20, 2023 AP

Full story: https://apnews.com/article/misinformation-education-election-vaccine-canada-finland-e7d6eed63f3db289bf887605c99ab5c5

For more resources visit National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE)

OTR Media Group

SEATTLE (AP) — Shawn Lee, a high school social studies teacher in Seattle, wants to see lessons on the internet akin to a kind of 21st century driver's education, an essential for modern life. Lee has tried to bring that kind of education into his classroom, with lessons about the need to double-c...

21/03/2023

As a North Main Columbia based business, we love when we get a chance to get down with our neighbors.

Shout out to and the team Cottontown Art Crawl for having us as this year's media sponsor.

We ate, we drank, we bought art, we took selfies and we made this pretty cool video.

Looking forward to next year!

Camera: Shayne Bennett Sherard Shekeese Duvall
Post: OTR Media Group

Cottontown Art Crawl Earlewood Neighborhood OTR Media Group Experience Columbia SC

08/03/2023

OTR Media Group is proud to be a Media Sponsor for Cottontown Art Crawl 2023 in downtown Columbia, SC this Saturday!

Cottontown Art Crawl (CAC) brings artists and entertainment to front porches and lawns in a historic downtown neighborhood. The fifth annual Crawl will welcome 140 artists to show and sell their original work.

And it's all FREE! Wave at the cameras when you see us!

Cottontown Art Crawl 2023 OTR Media Group

17/02/2023

Thank you to Anne Azzi Davenport, Nikky Finney and everyone at PBS NewsHour for letting us play a small role in bringing this story to life.

Field Producer: Sherard Shekeese Duvall
Field Camera / Second Camera: Shayne Bennett
for OTR Media Group

Ernest A. Finney, Jr. Cultural Arts Center University of South Carolina USC African American Studies Program

Nikky Finney is a National Book Award winning-poet, professor and advocate for social justice and cultural preservation. Jeffrey Brown went to South Carolina to see how that mission has now taken on very personal meaning. It’s part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS.

13/02/2023

"I don't think it's the consumer's fault, it's just that we don't place any value on actually orienting people to a really confusing media environment and they get angry because their expectations are off." - Matt Bai

As citizens of the world, as citizens of our respective countries, it is our duty to have knowledge about our role in our community, our state and our world.

For more information on and to learn how to become a here are some folks you can follow right now

National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE)
Abbie Richards
Media Literacy Now
Renee Hobbs
Anti conspiracy memewars
Media Literacy Clearinghouse www.frankwbaker.com

03/02/2023

"The unfairness in a bad workplace culture is a dangerous thing for most organizations, and it's something that people need to work on right now" - Anton Gunn

Our clients do dope s*&^.

Anton Gunn is an international speaker, bestselling author, and consultant. A former advisor to President Barack Obama and the world’s leading authority on Socially Conscious Leadership.

Click on Anton Gunn 's profile now to check out his newest book "Just Lead" available on all platforms now!

Location: The Township Auditorium
Producer/Director: Sherard Shekeese Duvall
Camera/DP: Xaver Perdue
Edit/VFX: OTR Media Group
Writer: Anton Gunn

01/02/2023

As we kick off here at we are excited about our collaboration with Historic Columbia as they began to evolve the home into the Museum of the Reconstruction Era.

Visitors to the The Museum of the Reconstruction Era are immersed in the context of in the 1870s as they explore how Columbia’s black and white residents navigated the profound political, social and economic changes of

The Museum of the Reconstruction Era also offers unparalleled opportunities for visitors to engage in meaningful conversation about the changing meanings of citizenship over the past 150 years.

Thank you to Author and Writer Sherika V. Washington and Voiceover Artist Joy Vandervort-Cobb for helping us re-construct the new downstairs and upstairs video pieces to reflect a more authentic telling of this critical time in not merely Black History, but American History.

You can visit the Museum of the Reconstruction Era in today. Visit Historic Columbia now to make your plans for a tour.

Photo credit: Historic Columbia

31/01/2023

Can you throwback on a Tuesday?

Salute to Columbia institution The Jam Room Recording Studio - we did some jammin of our own to archive the musical history of infamous recording sessions over it's 35 years...and counting.

You might recognize some familiar faces...

The Boom Room

27/01/2023

is self defense.

Hear Sherard Shekeese Duvall and Gene Crawford chat about how to protect yourself in these internet streets.

Click - https://warriormindset.us/media-literacy-is-self-defense/ to listen to the entire episode.

26/01/2023

When you need a name you can trust...

24/01/2023

"Going back and forth to family court, you know they have me an ultimatum. You can go participate in a Fatherhood Initiative Program or you can go to jail for three months.

And I was like...where is the program?" - Ron Pyett

Hear Ron’s story in the short doc “From Job to Career” for the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families now.

https://vimeo.com/321841306

Director/Producer: Sherard Shekeese Duvall
D.P: Steve Saxon
Camera: The Foto Bros. LLC
Camera: Trevor Mercer
Grip/Electric: Joe Schmitt
Sound Mixer: Gerard Gripp Richardson
Production Coordinator: JMicahFilms
Production Assistant: Denise McGill

20/01/2023

"This here, yes it may be simple to some people, but it's really valuable to hold onto things that...to traditions that, you know, could die if you just don't do nothing about it. I'm keeping my heritage alive from where I came from.

Now I have something to identify myself, where...I have something to be proud of." - Sarah Tyson, Keeper of the Culture

"Gullah Geechee Sweetgrass Basket Making Traditions"
For: National Park Service Fort Frederica National Monument
Photo Credit: The Foto Bros. LLC

19/01/2023

"There is a specific reason why I love filming with and Shayne Bennett. As a seasoned D.P. and Camera Op Joe has so much knowledge and he's from the old school. He reminds me of folks like Landry Layson and Les Stringer and all the unafraid, super experienced, throw-any-camera at me guys.

While Shayne is the opposite end of that spectrum...he's a futurist thinker when it comes to modern storytelling and he don't give a f**k about the rules. That combo is why whatever we do together has a certain seasoning. Man, I love playing with in the sandbox with those guys" - Sherard Shekeese Duvall

Shayne Bennett
aka

18/01/2023

Chile. You better read.

6 out of 10 people on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Reddit share a link BEFORE they read it.

Think of 10 people you know. Right now.

6 of them people, including your auntie, your homegirl, and the homie...didn’t read that link they just tagged you in.

Help us help you help them. Ask them politely...”Did you read this sh%* first?”

Check this video out for more tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZYSBlLRxfs

10/01/2023

Deitra Stover Matthews is a child of - we said, let's stay right there. Let's tell that story.

Sometimes the best , is no strategy at all. Humanity always wins. Regardless on where on planet earth you are from, childhood memories, hurt, loss, growth, are all emotions we share. So we dive headfirst into that.

This collaboration with As Told By Agency + Lauren Harper - while it didn't get us the result we hoped for - we enjoyed crafting this groundbreaking announcement.

Producer: Sherard Shekeese Duvall
Director: Sherard Shekeese Duvall / Bill Grant
Assoc. Producer: Lauren Harper
Writer: Sherard Shekeese Duvall Lauren Harper Deitra Stover Matthews
D.P: Bill Grant
Camera: Alex Cone, Bill Grant
Grip/Electric: As Told By Agency
Sound Mixer: As Told By Agency
Sound Design: OTR Media Group
Photography: Deitra Stover Matthews

As Told By Agency + OTR Media Group


5w

09/01/2023

LEGACY Home Loans is the nation's largest Black-owned mortgage firm. In 2001 they expanded into with the opening of three new branches in Columbia, Florence and Greenville.

When T. Todd Simon - a native - was announced as the Regional Manager for this historic initiative we worked together to ensure the launch had impact and, was in his words "extremely dope".

Luckily, we specialize in the extremely dope.

Check out some of the images here and find our more about the work that T. Todd Simon is doing to help Black & Brown families build sustainable wealth through

Creative Director: Sherard Shekeese Duvall
Design: OTR Media Group Tip Hughes
Photo credit: Danny Diesel André Photography