Award-winning composer and songwriter William (Bill) Salter is the subject of the feature-length documentary, Just the Two of Us, named after his Grammy Award-winning hit song. He is also the grandfather of the filmmaker and 亚洲AV alumna Jada Salter.听
Salter created the film after receiving a 2021-22 Young Alumni Commissioning Project (YACP) from Mason鈥檚 College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) and with encouragement鈥痜rom her professors鈥痑s well as former classmate and executive producer on the film, Taylor Spears. Salter premiered the documentary at Mason on Feb. 3, as her 87-year-old grandfather watched remotely on Zoom.
鈥淚 really enjoyed the freedom of creating what I had envisioned in my head. I sat down [to write] my vision for the film and did not hold anything back,鈥 said Salter, who majored in film and video studies with a concentration in editing.听听听
The application process for the YACP 鈥渉appened overnight,鈥 said Salter, who said she learned of the project the same day applications were due. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all a blur now, but Taylor called me, and we spent all night just writing and writing trying to figure out the best way to describe this film that we had no idea how we were going to make.鈥澨
Thanks to the commissioning project, 16 CVPA alumni have been granted awards anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 in the past five years to support the creation of new artistic works in film, dance, visual art, music, and game design.听
Salter got the idea for the documentary after hearing Will Smith鈥檚 remake of the hit song that was originally performed by Bill Withers and written by her grandfather, Withers and Ralph MacDonald. She made a post on Tik Tok explaining her family鈥檚 history with the song, which gained a lot of attention. 鈥淛ust the Two of Us鈥 was simultaneously going viral on the social media app at the time.听
As a child, Salter wanted to be a singer, so her grandfather tried teaching her how to play the guitar. But she struggled to get the hang of it.听听
鈥淗e told me 鈥榊ou don't have to be a singer. You don't have to be on stage directly. You can do something like me behind the scenes.鈥 Now I'm doing that鈥痑nd I'm very happy he gave me that advice,鈥 said Salter, who transferred鈥痶o Mason from Rutgers University in 2018 and graduated from Mason in December 2020.听
Although Salter鈥檚 film mainly focuses on her grandfather, who was born in Harlem, New York, in 1936, it also heavily features other family members and accomplished musicians, who impacted her grandfather鈥檚 life and career.听
Featured individuals include Salter鈥檚 ex-wife and Jada鈥檚 grandmother, Olive, and musicians including Dennis Collins. The film also includes footage of accomplished Motown artists recording and performing songs written by Salter and his partners.听
鈥淚 wanted to show just how much of a passion piece鈥痶his film is to me; how it would honor my grandfather and his legacy,鈥 said Salter. 鈥淚 am his biggest fan, so I wanted to shed light on him and his work as not many people know who is responsible for so many songs that are listened to worldwide.鈥澨
Following the screening at Mason, Salter spoke with Mason film professor Lisa Thrasher about the film. Salter said her film editing classes with faculty members Maura Ugarte and Amanda Kraus helped with her storytelling鈥痑nd script writing.听
鈥淭he best part of the film was seeing the love of her family and the way Jada conveyed how her beautiful family is a huge part of American history,鈥 Thrasher said.听
Salter, who is currently a video producer at the U.S. Department of Justice, is brainstorming future projects including travel videos, more artists鈥 stories, and other professionals who have done groundbreaking work behind the scenes, 鈥渟o they can get the shine they deserve,鈥 she said.听
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This content appears in the Fall 2024 print edition of the Mason Spirit Magazine with the title "Just the Two of Them."