Cita's World
Encyclopedia
Cita's World was a video music show that aired on Black Entertainment Television
(BET) in the United States. It was the first show to feature a virtual reality
black stereotypical character as the hostess named Cita. Cita's World was the brainchild of Curtis A. Gadson, B.E.T. Senior VP of Programming at that time, & Corey Turner, concept designer and director. They came up with the idea sitting poolside one day laughing about how funny it would be to have a virtual character who could say almost anything...and get away with it! The show was ahead of its time technologically using advanced visual effects techniques that are now standard practice on feature films such as Avatar for onset capture and visualization.
Most people don't know that the show actually moved production locations 3 times. The first 2 years the show was produced and shot in BET's headquarters in Washington, DC. The third year the show was moved to Harlem in BET's newly rented space. The Cita's World set and technical infrastructure literally sat next to the 106 & Park set. The fourth and final year the show was moved to Burbank, CA. The show was also given a major overhaul. New optical tracking motion capture to acquire Kali Troy's performances, its own dedicated stage for the blue screen set, and a remodeled and designed Cita. The show would benefit from the relocation to Los Angeles with staff that was already proficient in visual effects workflows and techniques.
to 2002
in television. The show was originally named Jam Zone when it was created in 1997
, which was just a wall paper video show until 1999
, when Cita emerged into the homes of millions.
. From Washington, D.C.
to New York City
to Hollywood, Ca., the shows content came from producer Tracye Kinzer, who assigned her writers Cliff McBean, Monica "Monie Mon" Dyson, and Angela Yarborough topics as well as allowing them to generate their own ideas to create great entertainment.
Black Entertainment Television
Black Entertainment Television is an American, Viacom-owned cable network based in Washington, D.C.. Currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide, it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. The network was launched on January 25, 1980, by its...
(BET) in the United States. It was the first show to feature a virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
black stereotypical character as the hostess named Cita. Cita's World was the brainchild of Curtis A. Gadson, B.E.T. Senior VP of Programming at that time, & Corey Turner, concept designer and director. They came up with the idea sitting poolside one day laughing about how funny it would be to have a virtual character who could say almost anything...and get away with it! The show was ahead of its time technologically using advanced visual effects techniques that are now standard practice on feature films such as Avatar for onset capture and visualization.
Most people don't know that the show actually moved production locations 3 times. The first 2 years the show was produced and shot in BET's headquarters in Washington, DC. The third year the show was moved to Harlem in BET's newly rented space. The Cita's World set and technical infrastructure literally sat next to the 106 & Park set. The fourth and final year the show was moved to Burbank, CA. The show was also given a major overhaul. New optical tracking motion capture to acquire Kali Troy's performances, its own dedicated stage for the blue screen set, and a remodeled and designed Cita. The show would benefit from the relocation to Los Angeles with staff that was already proficient in visual effects workflows and techniques.
Jam Zone
It was co-developed, produced and sometimes written by Tracye Z. Kinzer. The show ran from 20002000 in television
The year 2000 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2000.For the American TV schedule, see: 2000-01 United States network television schedule.-Event:-Debuts:-1940s:...
to 2002
2002 in television
The year 2002 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2002.For the American TV schedule, see: 2002–03 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
in television. The show was originally named Jam Zone when it was created in 1997
1997 in television
The year 1997 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1997.- Events :-Debuts:-Miniseries:*Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac, a reunion of the 1979–93 series*The Last Don...
, which was just a wall paper video show until 1999
1999 in television
The year 1999 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1999.For the American TV schedule, see: 1999-00 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-Miniseries:...
, when Cita emerged into the homes of millions.
Format
In between videos, Cita would talk to the viewers, answer viewer mail and offer her unadulterated opinions on current events, celebrities and more. The voice and motion of the Cita character was performed by KittieKali Troy
Kali Bianca Troy is an American voice over actress known exclusively as Kittie. She is known for her starring roles on American Dragon: Jake Long as "Trixie" and W.I.T.C.H. as "Taranee"....
. From Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to Hollywood, Ca., the shows content came from producer Tracye Kinzer, who assigned her writers Cliff McBean, Monica "Monie Mon" Dyson, and Angela Yarborough topics as well as allowing them to generate their own ideas to create great entertainment.