Screenwriting Tips (Part 2)

Real Drama Starts with Real Characters 
(Part 2: Back Story)

Continuing our creation of realistic characters in scripts, we dive a little deeper than finding a simple protagonist and antagonist. Once you find the purpose your characters will serve to your story plot, then it’s time to develop some back story. This makes your character become a real person with q past. These elements make for a more believable character that someone can relate to. Let’s start by defining a  Back Story
:
Back story – This is the past life that the character experienced before the present story is explained. This can be family life and childhood, including; traumas, family history, travels, and etc. This is a very crucial piece of a character, and helps define how the character reacts to current situations. Extensive back stories allow for wiggle room like flashbacks

When creating back story for a cast, use these elements for each character: Who is their family? Where are they from? Who are their friends? And what was their childhood like? Knowing these facts help the characters become more realistic…thus being the whole point!

Family History - Everyone was birthed from someone right? Well, that all depends on you as the writer. Where do your characters come from: a rich family funding their personal vendettas, or an orphanage that teaches him/her to trust no one? Use this type of back story to fuel your character, or even create a surprising event like Star Wars; making the protagonist and antagonist closely related by blood.

Native – What land/world is this character from? Identifying a race and point of origin opens up possibilities that can lead to family history and ancestral questions.  This comes in handy when creating a storyline where your character is experiencing amnesia, or there’s some type of racial conflict within the plot. For example: is your protagonist trying to save a world that despises his race/species?

Associates – Everyone knows someone…right? Who are your characters’ friends? Do/did they have any associates before the current set of events? A writer can use this to their advantage in several ways. If your character is very introverted or grumpy, something tragic or un-trustworthy events could have made the character this way…or just the opposite makes them loving and trustworthy.

Childhood – if the character isn’t already a child, writing in certain childhood lifestyles can help your audience understand why your character acts the way they do. Was childhood traumatic? Did the character have to fend for their life at a tender age? Or were they spoiled brats who got anything and everything they wanted? If your audience is made aware of these facts at some point, they start to empathize and fall in love with your characters.

When creating each main character, check to see if they have all of these elements. Withhold this information from your audience to create a mysterious character, and Reveal them at your own pace to create suspense!

Artomatic

Artomatic creates community, builds audience and expands economic development by transforming available space into a playground for artistic expression. Unjuried events showcase creative work in visual art, music, film, performance, and fashion. Artomatic is a non-profit organization headed by a volunteer Board of Directors and is funded in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.


This year, Artomatic has asked Soul 4 Reel Film Festival to do a screening of films, and we said we'd do them one better!


So on Saturday, May 26th (from 7pm-10pm), Soul 4 Reel Film Festival and Artomatic are teaming up to give you a three hour, "Best Of" screening of films, showing all of Soul 4 Reel's best films from ALL THREE YEARS! And Artomatic is FREE!!!!!

 

Check Artomatic's website for their entire calendar and details on their event!

Interview with an Author

For my very first blog interview, I found an author and illustrator of the children's book "NyAshia's Freedom Ride". I sit down with both of them to get their story.

Deserie, what's this book about?

NyAshia (Swahili for Beautiful African Princess of Purpose) herself is a 7 year old African-American girl who has dreadlocks, glasses and a dark complexion. She enters her dream a bit discouraged and tired of being teased by other kids. She meets her dream guide and travels through dreamland on a journey to learning her African Heritage, self-awareness and freedom. NyAshia learns that there are no limits to what she can do in life after meeting such leaders as Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. & President Barack Obama.

Deserie, tell me about your book and what your inspiration/reason was for creating it: 

As a child I struggled with self identity and I was teased constantly about my dark skin and nappy hair. Quite like today, I didn't see my likeness reflected positively in the media and this played a major role in my battle to acquire the 3-S's: self-worth, self-pride and self-awareness. In my early 20's I began mentoring teen girls and realized they were a lot like me when I was their age...lost. This led me to dig closer to the root and reach out to a younger audience in an effort to make an impact in their molding years and lay a foundation of those very 3-S's to stand on and hold onto during those trying teenage years.


Eman, as an illustrator, what's your process in creating characters that was envisioned by someone else?


Since the character is envisioned by someone else there is a challenge in aligning our collective mental pictures. I try to get as much information on the character as I can. Their personality and as many physical attributes as I can. There are so many elements to a character that can depict them visually.

Deserie, tell me what demographic is this book reaching out to, and what do you want them to get from it's story? 

NyAshia is targeting 4-8 year old African-American little girls and my prayer is that this book fosters dialogue between parent and child as well as give the young reader a sense of pride in their heritage and themselves. That they will begin to love their "uniqueness" and appreciate where they came from and who they are...just as they are.

Was there something personal that gave this book it's inception? 

Low self-esteem led me to making a lot of damaging decisions in my life and I am passionate about saving our little girls from living that self-destructing lifestyle. Believe it or not, NyAshia was written 10 years ago and sat on the shelf partly because of self-imposed obstacles. I have to also say that she sat until God said she was ready because in the interim; we made history by electing President Barack Obama and that history had to be documented in NyAshia's journey.


Eman, how did you relate to the book? Did that affect your artistic view?


 I can deeply relate to the book, because I know how important a high self image and feeling empowered can be to a child. They need to know they're important, encouraged and celebrated. I feel this book communicates all those powerful affirmations and so much more. 
An added motivational factor for me was keeping my niece in mind throughout the production of the book. She believes she's a princess and I want her to hold on to that as long as she can.

How did you find your illustrator Eman Faulkner and describe your experience working with him? 

WOW! I met Eman Faulkner at the Soul Factory and immediately adopted him into my family. I was so impressed with this gentle giant. LOL. I affectionately call him TREE because he was about 6ft at 15 and his faith is strong,planted firmly like a tree and he remains steadfast bearing much fruit. I loved his manners, intelligence and vision. He was the only illustrator out of a few that sketched exactly what I had envisioned! I really did not have to give him any instruction...I told him what I saw and he drew it as if he saw it through my eyes. He is a dream to work with; professional, communicative, timely and just as invested in my dream as I am. I love him and recommend him to everyone looking for a skilled illustrator.

Eman, how did you come up with the style of the illustration?

I like to think my style has been a culmination of everything I've taken in. I watched a lot of Disney Animation and Loony Tunes growing up. So they are very influential in my style. I usually draw characters with big heads and large eyes. I always make sure the colors are very vibrant. I find the more expressive I can be through faces and colors, I can effectively communicate the mood of whats happening.

Last time you and I spoke, we were co-hosting a poetry corner in Forestville MD called Hyroglificks. How has your writing changed since then and are you still doing poetry? 

Let's see, I still write poetry but more or less as an addition to a story. I still perform Spoken Word as well and I find my writing getting softer. I'm not angry anymore...I've always tried to tell a story through my poetry but I have noticed it's more teaching, more encouraging and not always personal.  I am growing into my gift as a writer using my past experiences to show how real God is! Letting others in on the secret that isn't really a secret...YOU ARE NOT IN THIS ALONE. YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY ONE. GOD CAN CHANGE ANYONE...ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS LET HIM.

Tell us about yourself and where we can find more of your work.

 I have been a speaker since I can remember. I would always be the first to raise my hand in school to read to my class. I loved two things: Reading and speaking, and writing came later. I introduced Marion Barry at his 1st Mayoral Inaguration and served as the Mistress of Ceremony at all of our school events. At 12 I gave a speech in front of thousands and received a standing ovation. None of that surpassed my feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem as a child so I became very promiscuous, was raped at age 16, had 7 abortions by 7 different guys, abused drugs and alcohol, transported drugs across state lines and to top it all off, as a single mother of two...stripped and sold my body and soul. God snatched me out of all of that after falling to my knees before Him. I currently battle Ankylosing Spondylitis, Sarcoidosis, Chronic Iridocylitis, Fibromyalgia, High Blood Pressure and God and I kicked Cancer's @zz! Despite it all, I wouldn't change my life for anything! God has shown me that He loves me unconditionally and that my life has not been in vain! This is why my name is changing to Sanjo Jendayi which is African for "One who appreciates her past and gives thanks". God has given me a lot to write about but most importantly, he has placed a burden on my heart for women and young girls. We as sistah's must encourage one another and stand together...so my mission is to encourage, enlighten and empower women and girls through positive poetry, workshops & seminars to rise above their circumstances, take responsibility and turn mistakes into learning lessons. I share a message of self-love, forgiveness and empowerment! My works include a poetry book,"Black Butterfly...Soaring on the Wings of Poetry"; a spoken word cd, "listen2myhearspeak"; "Girl, Get Empty" an empowering book challenging women to empty themselves of all that God has placed inside of them, this book was written in two months after a stroke scare had me declaring to go to my grave empty and then there is "NyAshia's Freedom Ride."

I can be found on  and my website: which will also lead people to my listen2myheartspeak blog.

Thank you for taking the time to interview me and share in my dreamwalk! www.deeprootzinspirtainment.comwww.amazon.com

I can be found at my personal website, where you can see all of my current work! http://emanlfaulkner.squarespace.com/

My First Short Film!

Late 2009, my Director/Mentor Rocky Mckoy bought me on his team as Director of Photography for his short film entitled "Unspoken", a film that tells the tale of what a large number of men go through during relationships....step into the thoughts of a man.

BET Videos

The short film was accepted into these festivals/programs:

BET Lens On Talent 2010 - Season 2 Episode 209 

San Diego Black Film Festival - 2010

Texas Black Film Festival - 2010

Delta Sigma Theta Film Showcase 2010

African American Film Marketplace - 2010

Learn more about ROCKY MCKOY here!

New Series - "Button Mashers"

Spark-Flow Studios, LLC has done it again! The start of a new series called "Button Mashers" where each episode (or Level) is a story of two failed gamer mascots (AJ and Needles) who decide to start their own critic/roast of video games they come across.

Take a look at everything from Spark-Flow Studios, LLC
SPARKFLOWSTUDIOS.COM
FACEBOOK
TWITTER 
YOUTUBE
Watch, like, and SHARE!

Soul 4 Reel: ROLL CREDITS!

So Soul 4 Reel had it's 3rd year this past weekend! Once again, we had a hit by screening over 40 films in only two days! Here's a glimpse at what you missed!

...And the Winners are:
Audience Choice Awards

Screening I
"The Replacement Child" 
by Justin Lerner
USA

Screening II
"Minnie Loves Junior" 
by Andy Mullins & Matt Mullins
Australia
Screening III
"Penny" 
by Benj Thall
USA

Screening IV
"Sudden Death"
by Adam Hall
USA

JUDGES CHOICES

Best Short
"The Replacement Child" 
by Justin Lerner
USA

Best Local Film
"The Mighty Hunter"
by Marty Walker
USA

Best Direction 
"Momentos"
by Nuno Rocha
Portugal

Best Comedy
"Sudden Death"
by Adam Hall
USA
Best Cinematography
"Illumination"
by Michael Williams
USA

Soul 4 Reel 2012 Film Schedule

Friday, March 23rd

Screening 1 - Opening Films (7:30pm)

“Beard Punch” (USA) - Zak Stoltz

“B.O.B.” (Germany) - Jacob Frey

“Where’s My iPod?” (USA) - Jalen Hunter

“Interview Date” (USA) - Mike Lemeke

“First Taste” (USA) - F.C. Rabbath

“Captain Awesome” (Denmark) - Ercan Bozdogan

“Momentos” (Portugal) - Nuno Rocha

“True Beauty This Night” (USA) - Peter Besson

“The Car That Ran Out of Gas” (USA) - Alex Beh

“Two Men, Two Cows, Two Guns” (Canada) - Pardis Parker 

“The Future” (Australia) - Venetia Taylor

“The Replacement Child” (USA) - Justin Lerner

Time Freak” (USA) - Andrew Bowler

Saturday March 24th

Screening 2 - Family Films (12:00pm)

“Betram” (Denmark) - L’ara Gardarsdottir

“B.O.B.” (Germany) - Jacob Frey

“Dharma Dream Eater” (Denmark) - Rasmus Larsen Moller

“Elk Hair Caddis” (Denmark) - Peter Smith

“Before Sundown” (Australia) - Toby Morris

“Flap Crashers” (Denmark) - John Mallett

“Minnie Loves Junior” (Australia) - Andy Mullins 

“Office Noise” (Denmark) - Tod Polson

“Wing” (Denmark) - Asger Grevil

“Ride of Passage (Denmark) - Christian Bovinc Andersen

“The Dance” (Canada) - Pardis Parker

“The Mighty Hunter” (USA) Marty Walker

“They Came From Beyond the Sun” (Denmark) - Steffen Nielson

“Sidewalk Symphony” (USA) - Jonathan Salemi

“Train Bombing” (Denmark) - Sylvester Rishoj

Screening 3 - Long Shorts (2:00pm)

“Penny” (USA) - Benj Thall

“Illumination” (USA) - Michael Williams

“Something Taken, Something Left Behind” (USA) - Ru Kuwahata

“Playing It Safe” (USA) - F.C. Rabbath

“Long Story Short” (USA) - Ryan Darst

Screening 4 - Closing Films (6:00pm)

“Garbo” (Australia) - Venetia Taylor

“The Laundry” (USA) - Alex Beh

“Carnations” (Australia) - Lloyd Harvey

“Magic” (Australia) - Cameron Nugent

“Fair Call” (Australia) - Spencer Harvey

“Illumination” (USA) - Michael Williams

“No Offense” (USA) - F.C. Rabbath

“Office Mug” (Australia) - D. Edwardz

“Scone Wars” (Australia) - Roger Scott

“Sugar” (USA) - Alex Beh

“Sudden Death” (USA) - Adam Hall

Mission & Objective

The Soul 4 Reel International Film Festival spotlights truly independent short films (under 30 minutes) in every genre including music videos, created by new and established filmmakers dealing with “the soul of relationships”.  The goal is to enlighten, inspire and build the imaginations and lives of those who enjoy making films as well as those who simply observe by expressing what it means to have and be in a relationship. The competition is open to students, indie filmmakers, and music video directors from all over the world.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

Rocky McKoy and The Soul Factory Theatre have presented the Soul 4 Reel International Film Festival for the past 2 years. This three day competition features independent short films of all genres as well as music videos, dealing with “the soul ofrelationships.” "Relationships can be defined as love between a husband and wife, love for a pet, love between friends, a favorite material possession, etc."

The Festival has featured over 30 films each year from over 7 different countries. 

In addition to independent films, the competition hosts Q&A segments from directors in the industry as well as directors of films in competition. Most importantly, filmmakers enjoy the opportunity to meet and learn from
other filmmakers, an experience that comes from the premier showcase dedicated to short films and the people who make them

Check us out on Facebook: Soul 4 Reel Film Festival

FESTIVAL PICS

How Do You Create?

How do you get creative? What do you do, or where do you go to spark your inspiration? Some people listen to music, others like to be around nature….I even knew a guy where his best ideas came from sitting on the old porcelaine throne! Haha! I think its important for everyone to excercise all types of ways to trigger their creativity. What if you’re getting an idea but you dont have music handy? What if you dont have to go potty? (When he told me that, I didnt even want to know if he was actually using the bathroom every time, eww!) Im not saying discard your secret creative weapon, just dont let it become your crutch. Try to write in silence one day. Or try an indoor photoshoot versus your standard outdoor. Create a script in a notebook (pen and paper) instead of you handy Macbook. Challenge your creative side to be more versatile, while keepinf your secret weapon for the really, reallt juicy ideas!

Be Creative....AND Educated!

My theme for the rest of the week is to seek facts. I feel that sometimes as indie artists, we (myself included) don't always attempt to find the correct way of doing things. Instead, we "wing it" or do it guerrilla style, slap a "this is my creativity" sticker on it and call it a day. In the indie world....ESPECIALLY in the indie world, this can't be acceptable!

I'll start with the fundamentals, with the example of indie music (it's just an easy topic...there's no beef anywhere, nor is this targeted to anyone specific.) We've all seen them before. Indie Hip-Hop artists that release a music video that has hardly any relation to Hip-Hop what's so ever.. That's because no one ever taught that music artist or the director doesn't know about the Nine Elements of Hip-Hop (bought into recognition by KRS-1). Those element's are:

1. Breakdancing
2. Rapping
3. Graffiti art
4. DJing
5. Beatboxing
6. Street fashion
7. Street Language
8. Street Knowledge9. Street Entrepreneurialism 

This is why most videos today are referred to as "Rap Videos" instead of Hip-Hop videos.

Also, indie blogs can be the worst of this crime. Just because you have an opinion that can be posted online, doesn't make it Journalism...because that too is an art form and has several different Elements that make it!

1. The pursuit of truth;

2. Loyalty to citizens;

3. Verification of facts;

4. Independence from those being covered;

5. The independent monitoring of power;

6. A forum for public debate and criticism;

7. Make the news relevant, interesting and significant;

8. Journalists should be able to exercise personal conscience;

9. News must be comprehensive and proportional;

10. The rights and responsibilities of citizens. 

Not all blogs follow this road map...and it is very wrong if they don't!

All in all...whatever your field is, read up on it!

The Power of Indie

The Indie (Independent) community has grown immensely over the past twelve years, and even more so since the recession. Artists are finally realizing that it doesn't take a "big break" to make a living for what you love to do. Even more-so, their audiences and fans have appreciated them more since then too! I have heard people would rather go to The Publick Playhouse rather than go see a marketed stage play, or take a trip to West End Cinema instead of their local movie theater. Simply because Indie art works have not been tainted by Hollywood money and standards, and viewers are starting to appreciate that. Let me explain.

Indie works (particularly films, musicians, and comics and this instance) aren't tied to being loyal to producers who control the creator or director's money. What [most] indie artists are concerned about is executing true artful tactics to the best of their ability. Musicians will concentrate on the use of instruments and choreography instead of flashing lights and moving stage pieces. A Filmmaker  will try to execute certain special effects while shooting on camera instead of doing it all in editing. I am a comic creator, and my inker insists on doing it by hand instead of photoshop!

All of these things are becoming more and more respectable to the artists viewers, and they are starting to realize how important it is to demand this type of lifestyle from their favorite indie AND mainstream artists!

Sneak Peak

The 3rd Annual Soul 4 Reel Film Festival starts this coming Friday.....and here's a quick glimpse!

Happy St. Patty's Day

Green gauf tape on my lighting board for tonight's event!

Comic Corner! X-Men: Phoenix Endsong

Check out X-Men: Phoenix Endsong on Marvel Comics apps: http://bit.ly/nOmazE

One of my favorite X-Men comics! (but I have a lot of favorite X-Men comics!) Featuring Jean Grey's resurrection as The Phoenix while Scott Summers has moved on and started a new relationship with psychic (and former villain) Emma Frost! If you're into comics, I suggest this one, it's a really good read that scratches one of those ''what if'' itches!

Soul 4 Reel Film Festival

My first post is just as good as any to get this in!

So, my 3rd Annual, SOUL 4 REEL FILM FESTIVAL is back! Next Friday, it goes down, and some extremely well done short films from around the world will be shown here. If you've never experienced a film festival before, this is the place to start. Movie theaters with Hollywood actors and budgets...well let's just say this...you've never seen a REAL filmmaker make a film before!

I will let you do your own research. Here's the schedule and an overview of the Soul 4 Reel Film Festival, happening next weekend!

CLICK HERE TO
PURCHASE TICKETS
Tickets also available at The Soul Factory:
7702 Marlboro Pike
Forestville, MD 20747

Soul 4 Reel 2012 Film Schedule

Friday, March 23rd

Screening 1 - Opening Films (7:30pm)

“Beard Punch” (USA) - Zak Stoltz

“B.O.B.” (Germany) - Jacob Frey

“Where’s My iPod?” (USA) - Jalen Hunter

“Interview Date” (USA) - Mike Lemeke

“First Taste” (USA) - F.C. Rabbath

“Captain Awesome” (Denmark) - Ercan Bozdogan

“Momentos” (Portugal) - Nuno Rocha

“True Beauty This Night” (USA) - Peter Besson

“Slug Invasion” (Denmark) - Morten Helgeland

“The Car That Ran Out of Gas” (USA) - Alex Beh

“Two Men, Two Cows, Two Guns” (Canada) - Pardis Parker 

“The Future” (Australia) - Venetia Taylor

“The Replacement Child” (USA) - Justin Lerner

Time Freak” (USA) - Andrew Bowler

Saturday March 24th

Screening 2 - Family Films (12:00pm)

“Betram” (Denmark) - L’ara Gardarsdottir

“B.O.B.” (Germany) - Jacob Frey

“Dharma Dream Eater” (Denmark) - Rasmus Larsen Moller

“Elk Hair Caddis” (Denmark) - Peter Smith

“Before Sundown” (Australia) - Toby Morris

“Flap Crashers” (Denmark) - John Mallett

“Minnie Loves Junior” (Australia) - Andy Mullins 

“Office Noise” (Denmark) - Tod Polson

“Wing” (Denmark) - Asger Grevil

“Ride of Passage (Denmark) - Christian Bovinc Andersen

“The Dance” (Canada) - Pardis Parker

“The Mighty Hunter” (USA) Marty Walker

“They Came From Beyond the Sun” (Denmark) - Steffen Nielson

“Sidewalk Symphony” (USA) - Jonathan Salemi

“Train Bombing” (Denmark) - Sylvester Rishoj

Screening 3 - Long Shorts (2:00pm)

“Penny” (USA) - Benj Thall

“Illumination” (USA) - Michael Williams

“Something Taken, Something Left Behind” (USA) - Ru Kuwahata

“Playing It Safe” (USA) - F.C. Rabbath

“Long Story Short” (USA) - Ryan Darst

Screening 4 - Closing Films (6:00pm)

“Garbo” (Australia) - Venetia Taylor

“The Laundry” (USA) - Alex Beh

“Carnations” (Australia) - Lloyd Harvey

“Magic” (Australia) - Cameron Nugent

“Fair Call” (Australia) - Spencer Harvey

“Illumination” (USA) - Michael Williams

“No Offense” (USA) - F.C. Rabbath

“Office Mug” (Australia) - D. Edwardz

“Scone Wars” (Australia) - Roger Scott

“Sugar” (USA) - Alex Beh

“Sudden Death” (USA) - Adam Hall

Mission & Objective

 

The Soul 4 Reel International Film Festival spotlights truly independent short films (under 30 minutes) in every genre including music videos, created by new and established filmmakers dealing with “the soul of relationships”.  The goal is to enlighten, inspire and build the imaginations and lives of those who enjoy making films as well as those who simply observe by expressing what it means to have and be in a relationship. The competition is open to students, indie filmmakers, and music video directors from all over the world.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

Rocky McKoy and The Soul Factory Theatre have presented the Soul 4 Reel International Film Festival for the past 2 years. This three day competition features independent short films of all genres as well as music videos, dealing with “the soul ofrelationships.” "Relationships can be defined as love between a husband and wife, love for a pet, love between friends, a favorite material possession, etc."

The Festival has featured over 30 films each year from over 7 different countries. 

In addition to independent films, the competition hosts Q&A segments from directors in the industry as well as directors of films in competition. Most importantly, filmmakers enjoy the opportunity to meet and learn from
other filmmakers, an experience that comes from the premier showcase dedicated to short films and the people who make them.

Check us out on Facebook: Soul 4 Reel Film Festival

www.TheSoulFactory.com under "Upcoming Events"

AWARDS

Best Short Film

Best Director
Best Local Film (Maryland residents) 

Best Animation
Best Cinematography
Best Comedy