Karyn Beach   More than a DivaSoulSista

I went back and forth about whether or not I should put the spotlight on myself this time around. But the truth of the matter is that I've written a very compelling short film that is currently being submitted to film festivals and if I don't toot my own horn who will? So this month, the One to Watch, is yours truly, Karyn Beach otherwise known as the DivaSoulSista; not because of the web site but because of the film P.N.O.K. (Primary Next of Kin). 1. So you are a screenwriter? I'm a writer. My degree is in journalism and just about every job I've had since college has involved writing. I've written everything from news copy to press releases to training manuals. But about 3 or so years ago, I hit a brickwall - personally and professionally (that's another Q&A for another web site or better yet a long conversation over drinks!). I took some time to think about what I really wanted and how I wanted my life to be. I knew I was a writer but how I wanted to express that talent was unclear. I thought about writng a novel or doing a book of essays but neither one really struck me; but a class on screenwriting at the local community college (in Maryland) did. I came up with an idea, bought the book, got all excited and then the class was canceled! But I really wanted to write this script. So, I read the book, researched my story and wrote it. I loved the entire process and at the end Conscience was born. It's a crime drama about a black serial killer and the detective who has to stop him. The entire writing experience was just incredible. I knew I'd found my passion. I moved to LA about six months later. I've been here two years now and have had some modest success professionally. 2. By success you mean the short film, P.N.O.K.? Definitely. I'm happy with the way it turned out and I'm looking forward to seeing it in a lot of different film fesitvals. 3. Tell me about it? My friend's husband was in the National Guard and got sent to Iraq. She was on pins-and-needles everyday. I really made me think, for the first time, about the reality of war. One night I was watching the news and they casually mentioned that several soliders had been killed that day and then just moved on to the next story. But the families of those soliders can't just move on and their is nothing casual about that news for them. The very thing they feared has just come to pass and they will never be the same. So I wrote a single scene about two soliders preparing to tell a woman that her husband had been killed. It was a short writing sample and Ididn't expect anything to come from it. At the same time, I was part of a program called Project Involve, a program sponsored b y Film Indepedent. The program, designed to assist filmmakers of color, includes a 4-month mentorship with an industry professional. My mentor was writer/producer, Carolyn McDonald. When we first met, I dumped just about everything I'd ever written in her lap. The one thing that stuck with her was that scene. She said it haunted her. She wanted to know what happened to those men. At the time, Carolyn was looking for a project for her directorial debut and decided that this scene would make a good short. So together we beat out a longer story and I got to writing and she got to doing all the other stuff. It came together quickly. We beat out the story in June; by September we were casting. We shot in October and the Los Angeles premiere screening was in December. 4. You attracted some serious talent to this project. The biggest name is Danny Glover. Carolyn worked with Danny on several projects over the years. She sent him the script and he agreed to do it. He flied to LA for one day just to do his scene. I was on set that day and got to meet him. Very cool guy. It was hard but I fought the temptation to tell him how everybody thinks that he and my dad look alike!! Irma P. Hall, the grandmother from Soul Food is in it. I didn't get to see her shoot her scene but I would have loved to. I wrote it with her in mind. Even now, hers is my favorite scene. Hearing her say my words is a dream come true. Younger people might recognize Robert Ri'chard who's a regular on the UPN show, One-on-One and also appeared in Coach Carter. 5. This is your first film, what was the biggest lesson you learned? There were several. First, as a writer, once you sell your material, it's gone, it's no longer yours. It's like raising a baby and giving it to your next door neighbor to raise. You can see it grow, you can see it change but you really have no say in how it turns out. Film is a director's medium - not a writer's. Having said that Carolyn was great. She invited me on set. She kept me abreast of changes in the script and basically she allowed me to really see how it all comes together. She gave me a lot of access that writer's normally don't get. I really appreciated that. I also learned that I never want to direct! Never! Talk about tedious. "Let's take a half hour to set up lights so we can see Danny open the door. Now, let's take another half hour to set up lights so we can see Archie standing at the door." I think I'd have to shoot myself. Nah, maybe not myself, probably someone else (just joking.... sort of). I could see working as a producer; but director? I'll have to take a pass. 6. So what happens with the film now? Carolyn is submitting it to a bunch of film festivals. I submitted it personally to the Cleveland Film Festival. Showing the film in my home town would be amazing!!! I'm also looking into doing some community screenings in Florida and possibly in DC. Hopefully the short will also help me land some representation. Agents and managers take note!! 7. What else are you working on? I'm completing the first draft of a thriller called Star Struck. It's about a celebrity who turns the tables and begins to stalk her stalker. I'm also reseraching a documentary on African female freedom fighters. I also have a very funny comedy I've written called Pushing Platinum about a woman who, on the eve of her 20th anniversary, decides to poison her wimpy husband. 8. What is the best thing about black film today? There are more opportunities for black films now than ever before. With the advent of digital technology, it's getting less expensive to make films, although getting them distributed and into theatres is still a challenge. But especially on the independent level, there are a lot of opporutnities to get films made. With home theatres gaining in popularity, it's possible to get a lot of those movies seen even if they don't make it to the big screen. 9. What is the worse thing about black film today? In a word: quality. It's easier to make films but that doesn't mean that we are making quality films or original films. There is a glut of poorly-written films with poor production values, I'm talking theatrically and also straight-to-DVD. Ialso think we tend to pidgeon-hole ourselves. The black experience isn't synonomous with the ghetto experience or the gang experience or the rap/hip-hop experience. There are as many black experiences as there are black people and I think we need to see more of those stories. Coming from a middle-class background, it's refreshing to see movies like Something New that looks at black society from a different angle. And it's an angle that is more realistic and true-to-life for people who grew up like me. I'm also upset at the marginalization of the black actress. It seems as if they are a dying breed. They don't even get the wife and girlfriend roles anymore! It's a shame. I just did a piece on what different black actors and actresses are up to and there just aren't roles out there for a lot of black actresses. And if you are black and over 40, forget about it! What a shame! 10. Any parting thoughts? Yeah, it's kind of surreal to interview yourself. I'm asking the questions and answering them and it feels kind of schizophrenic. I think I might be in need of some professional help. 11. You think so? Yeah, I kind of do. 12. I've been telling you that for a while now. Stop it you're scaring me. 13. Which means you are scaring yourself. There has to be some sort of pill I can take for this ...

 

Previous Ones to Watch
Arastao Maree - One to Watch (January 2006)