Desmond’s Drops: Silver Screen Edition (1)
By Desmond Hall | July 19, 2023 |
Welcome to a new edition of Desmond’s Drops!
This month, enjoy three drops focused on one topic–lessons for writers from the world of FILM.
Email subscribers, please click directly to staging-writerunboxed.kinsta.cloud to view or visit all of Demond’s Drops on YouTube.
Look for more of Desmond’s Drops in September!
Have your own bit of wisdom to share? Something you’ve learned from the world of films? Drop it in comments.
Desmond Hall, author of YOUR CORNER DARK, was born in Jamaica, West Indies and then moved to Jamaica, Queens. His second novel, BETTER MUST COME, a fiercely evocative, action-packed YA thriller that examines that darker side of light-filled Jamaica, released in May, 2024. He’s worked as both a high school biology teacher and English teacher, counseled at-risk teens, and served as Spike Lee’s creative director at SpikeDDB. He’s also written and directed the HBO movie, A DAY IN BLACK AND WHITE, which was nominated for the Gordon Parks Award. He’s written and directed the theater play, STOCKHOLM, BROOKLYN, which won the audience award at the Downtown Theater Festival at the Cherry Lane Theater. He’s also served on the board of the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, and was a judge for the Addys, and the Downtown Urban Arts Film Festival. Named one of Variety Magazine’s 50 creatives to watch.
Thanks, Desmond. Your posts are always helpful, underlining what writers can do to make a scene come alive.
I also think we become better film critics, watching to see if the characters truly know their POV, are living the character…that makes the story they are supposed to be telling come alive.
Totally agree, Elizabeth!
I love these drops, Des. It’s so interesting to consider how directors GET THERE — all the tricks are revealing.
Thanks, as always, for your time with these!
Excellent drops, Desmond, as usual. All keepers. The whole area of beats has been kind of murky for me. I’ve heard lots of definitions and examples, but none as clear and useful as these. Practical and productive exercises, too. Thanks.
Thanks Terese!
Thanks Christine!