CHRONICLE 16-17 ISSUE 03

Entertainment chronicle.durhamcollege.ca October 25 - 31, 2016 The Chronicle 23
DC, UOIT alumni star on reality show
Dean Daley
The Chronicle
There may be a new star among
us walking around the campus at
Durham College and UOIT.
UOIT biochemistry student
Odane McKenzie is among a
handful of DC and UOIT alumni
found in the first episode of a new
YouTube reality series called ‘The
Real Shady Bunch’.
The series has just hit the web
and, according to Facebook, has
more than 2,000 likes.
The reality show focuses on the
lives of seven Christians as they
maneuver through life.
In the first episode of the show
you can watch how they deal with
their families, jobs, religion, social
issues and they don’t forget to include
the drama.
“This man has the audacity
to greet me with his tight, tight,
tight shirt, trying to make muscle
with his one pack,” disses Vishaun
Clarke, Durham College business
marketing alumni.
The show is led by Sherod
Beneby, a McMaster University
master’s student who works with
his Durham Region cast members
through the Prophecy church system.
He approached his fellow cast
members about the idea in May.
According to Clarke, when she
was approached by Beneby, her answer
was “I have been waiting for
this moment, I was born to do this,”
while others were more skeptical.
Sheonti Hutchinson, UOIT
criminology alumni, thought
Beneby was joking. He wasn’t.
Beneby wrote his pitch and
voiced his vision to a few producers
before picking the one he thought
was the best fit for the show idea.
The producer, had a contact from
the USA Network show ‘Suits’,
Donovan Drummond, and according
to Beneby, gave the cast
members some advice and thinks
the show will do well.
The process of making a show
is not easy.
I didn’t feel like
Snooki...
(From left sitting) Lyanne Knight, and Vishaun Clarke and (standing
left) Sherod Beneby and Dominic McKenzie enjoying themselves while
watching the first episode of the Real Shady Bunch pilot episode.
According to Beneby, nearly
$1,500 was put into the project and
that was after making deals with
the producers. Beneby says he was
told by his producer, a project like
this could cost as much as $2,500.
Beneby says money was not the
only issue. One production company
quit on them when they were
about to start filming. In addition,
meeting up and making time with
the other cast members has been
a difficult process. However, they
were able to put together the money
and the time to make their first pilot
episode called ‘Choices’.
McKenzie says the process made
him feel like he was part of something
big.
“I didn’t feel like Snooki (from
Jersey Shore), but I did feel like I
was a part of something big while
we were filming. I’ve never been in
that type of environment before, it
was a lot of work, but so worth it.”
The producers and team are now
working on the second episode.
Even with conflicts arising, as
seen on the first episode, the members
of The Real Shady Bunch all
have hopes the show will go far.
“I would love to see this show
be taken up by a TV station or a
Photograph by Dean Daley
network,” says McKenzie.
Beneby says he can see the show
one day having different set locations,
kind of like other reality
series such as Jersey Shore or the
Real World.
“The Real Shady Bunch Montreal,
The Real Shady Bunch LA,
we’re going far.”
Paint in a judge-free environment at Paint Nites
Nicole O’Brien
The Chronicle
With the fast-paced world we live
in, consumers are often looking for
a creative outlet to relieve stress.
Last year was the year of the
adult colouring book, where millions
of copies were gobbled up by
adutls looking to colour their stress
away.
But 2016 may be the year of the
adult art class.
Adult art classes have been
around for years, but they have
recently become more popular in
Durham Region.
Many studios have started
adult-only painting classes, and
local bars have opened their doors
to allow customers to be guided
from the artist itself while enjoying
a beverage or two.
Studios such as 4Cats in Whitby,
the Paint Lounge in Markham, and
the Pickering Pottery & Art Studio
are just some of the venues offering
adult art classes.
“People just like the escape,” said
Paint Lounge’s operation manager,
Kevin Chow.
After signing up for a class or
workshop, customers can expect
to be guided through a one-hour
step-by-step paint session with an
instructor and get to take the piece
they created home.
Marc Walsh, part owner and an
instructor at 4Cats in Whitby, says
they started adult-only classes in
2015, testing the waters with two
classes.
“There has been a growing interest.
Now in many weeks we are
holding four classes a week,” Walsh
said.
Studios such as the Paint Lounge
in Markham offer “freestyle” paint
classes, where customers get an
hour to paint whatever they would
like.The Paint Lounge provides the
easel, paint, brushes and aprons, as
well as ideas if you need inspiration.
“Primarily they are for you to
explore art in a judge-free environment,”
says Paint Lounge’s operation
manager Kevin Chow.
And it isn’t just art studios diving
Photograph by Nicole O’Brien
Two women enjoy a glass of wine while at a paint session at the Paint Lounge in Markham.
into this trend.
Paint Nite, a paint and sip company,
started four years ago and
was among the first companies
to act on the adult art movement
trend.
The company provides people
with a fun social event while allowing
them to express their creative
side.
Paint Nites happen at local bars
and pubs around the world, and
many are held in Durham Region
including in Pickering, Oshawa,
Whitby and Ajax.
With a paintbrush in one hand,
and a wine glass in the other, customers
are led by an artist through
a two-hour paint session.
The company has done exceptionally
well since they started.
According to the Paint Nite website,
the company has sold over 3
million tickets to date.
Walsh says these adult classes are
an extension of family nights. He
says adults have a great experience
with their kids and realize it could
be fun with anyone.
“Adults are coming to those
family nights with their kids and
then they want to do it with their
girlfriends, or boyfriend, or husband,”
Walsh says. “I really think
it’s the next step from taking a
family class, just having a night
out.”
These events require no previous
experience, and people are encouraged
to put down the phone and
socialize for a night.
And while the social benefits are
great, Chow says people love the
experience of painting.
“People just like that escape.
They just don’t want to go home
after work and just sit on the couch,
watch T.V., and wait for the next
day to start,” Chow says.
“They want to do something
that’s liberating for them.”