The people who follow me on Twitter that I've been updating my random thoughts as I develop the spec teleplay for the show Dexter. Below is just a tad of what I've been tweeting.
July 2, 2012
I found this quote via Twitter last weekend and LMAO. It is perfect as I continue to formulate ideas for the Dexter Script.
On my way to work writing the opening lines to the #DexterScript in my head. In your head is where the real #screenwriting happens
— Dankwa Brooks (@DankwaBrooks) July 16, 2012
I have also been doing major work on the background for Dexter's antagonist for the story.
Fans of the show know that Dexter does not kill with reckless abandon, he lives by a "code" and does his own investigation to determine the guilty before he delivers his own brand of justice. Having a predetermined extensive background on the antagonist will make it easier to incorporate those facets into the script. Otherwise I would have to stop the flow of dialogue and think of those aspects as I write.
So far the script development is chugging right along and I'm thinking of new ideas daily.
MOVIES: Spike Lee Makes Musical Discovery for 'Red Hook Summer'
Dan Hyman, Rolling Stone
January 20, 2012
Last August, just five months shy of the world premiere of his latest film, Red Hook Summer, Spike Lee belatedly discovered its musical centerpiece. While attending a Michael Jackson tribute concert at Los Angeles' W Hotel, the acclaimed director was stunned by a performance from Judith Hill (pictured above), a young, unsigned artist who had been slated as a backup singer for the late pop star's This Is It world tour. After Jackson's death, Hill made waves with her stirring rendition of "Heal The World" at the singer's 2009 memorial service.
Lee was quick to approach Hill backstage after the show. "If you've got any music to submit, I've got this movie coming up," Hill recalls the director telling her. Says Lee of the classically trained musician he cast as the signature artist in his new film, "She's a phenomenal talent. She can sing with the best of them."
Ten of Hill's songs, mostly soulful ballads, are featured in Red Hook Summer, one of several music-centric films premiering this weekend at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The film, which Lee is calling the fifth installment in his "ongoing chronicle of Brooklyn," is spiritual: It tells the story of Filk, a young Atlanta boy whose mother leaves him for the summer with his God-fearing preacher grandfather in Brooklyn's Red Hook housing project. Lee felt it essential that the songs he chose for the film, as well as its score, live up to its heavenly aura.
To that end, he enlisted longtime friend and collaborator Bruce Hornsby, who'd previously scored the director's 2009 ESPN documentary Kobe Doin' Work, to create "very stark" background instrumentals. "There's no strings, no orchestration," Hornsby tells Rolling Stone, describing his scoring for the film. "No dressing up. It's just very bare-bones piano."
Hornsby and Lee met twenty years ago through jazz great Branford Marsalis; Hornsby's music is featured in Lee's 1995 film Clockers and 2000's Bamboozled. The pianist, most famous for his 1986 single "The Way It Is," has otherwise turned down several opportunities to score films over his career. "I've been really selective about who I've worked with in every area of music," he says. "But I know I would always do it for [Spike]."
Much of the anticipation surrounding Red Hook Summer stems from how little about the film is actually known. Until the director sent out a cryptic tweet on the first day of shooting last summer, he'd kept an airtight lid on any news surrounding the production. "That was done on purpose!" Lee says now, with a menacing cackle. And how did he keep things so quiet amid today's know-it-all blogosphere? "We've got baseball bats," he deadpans, before specifying: "Willie Mays and Hank Aaron Louisville Slugger bats."
One nugget that did cause chatter, however, was Lee's confirmation that Mookie, the Sal's Famous pizza delivery boy who first appeared in his 1989 classic Do The Right Thing, would be making a reappearance in Red Hook Summer. But the director is quick to downplay the character's role in the film, noting that many of his previous Brooklyn-based films have used recurring characters. "When the pizzas were delivered to the hostages in Inside Man, it was from Sal's Famous Pizza," Lee says. "The two cops who murdered Ray Raheim in Do The Right Thing, they reappear in Jungle Fever, and they also reappear in Clockers. These [films] evolve and keep on going and interact." (It's actually "Radio Raheem" NOT "Ray Raheim"—Dankwa)
When Red Hook Summer premieres this weekend at Sundance, Lee is making sure all of its key musical players are on hand to celebrate. He's flying out Hill and her band to play at an after-party, and Hornsby will also be in attendance. Lee is hoping they'll get the opportunity to jam together. "I've been rehearsing my band," Hill says excitedly. "We're getting ready for it."
Sundance, says Lee, "is gonna be the place to be. We have a party at night and then after that we just party with the DJs till four in the morning."
LISTENto Desperation at Rolling Stone by clicking the icon below
I first heard this song when I watched the promo below for Red Hook Summer and I instantly liked it. When Desperation came out on July 17, 2012 I bought it to support the artist.
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CLICK the button below to read all the posts about Red Hook Summer at my blog Cool Black Media
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Post Script
I’ve been fortunate enough to know my own musical discovery.I’ve been friends with superdope music artist Reina Williams for years and I was fortunate enough to direct her first music video(that’s me and her pictured below on the set of the video).
Her work has already been on a lot of film/TV shows, but I would like to one day FEATURE her a la how Spike Lee featured Judith Hill for the soundtrack for his feature film. One day
Just heard the above song for the first time on Pandora. Nice song. Good to hear from her again.
I'm aware of her health issues and that's why she's been gone, but I always wondered why she hasn't had a bigger career. I mean she had the voice, she definitely had the look and you can't get a BIGGER introduction than QUINCY JONES! That song You Put a Move On My Heart is one of my ALL TIME favs.
In any case I'm glad she's still making music and I wish her well with her career!
Additional Notes
"You Put a Move On My Heart", was released on December 2, 1995, which was produced by Quincy Jones, off of his Q's Jook Joint album, charted at #98 on the Billboard Hot 100, but became Tamia's first Top 40 hit on the R&B charts, peaking at #12, showcasing her first Top 40 R&B hit.- Wikipedia
The tweet below is a fine example of a reply I got @NotherBrother Twitter account
@NotherBrother wow...really...ok .. Slept on it!! But I heard abt it.
— NewLoveMedia/CP/GT (@dJarvisLove) April 24, 2012
There
are some really nice independent films out there that don’t have a “Dark Knight
type” marketing budget to publicize their films. While some may get some
press recognition as well lots of people don’t read newspapers and magazines
like that either.
In
this era of Internet social networks it’s even easier to spread the word on a
good film. I even started writing reviews for independent films that I liked on
the blog for my production company (a selected few) because you need to know.
This is what I said about such a film A Good Day to Be Black & Sexy
"I never even heard about this film before a friend at work recommended it. Months later, a friend of mine on Facebook mentioned it was good, I thought I like films, I like black films, I like the combination of the two, maybe I should watch this and I’m glad I did." (Read my full review of A Good Day to Be Black & Sexyhere)
So
if you like an independent film TALK ABOUT IT. Any good word is—a good word.
I've read a lot of his books, more of his than any other author. Out of the nine John Grisham books I’ve read (so far), my favorites in order are:
(Reviews at the links. All links lead to the website Goodreads) 1. The Client (1993)
2. The Pelican Brief(1992)
3. The Firm (1991)
4. A Time To Kill (1989)
5. The Rainmaker (1995)
6. The Runaway Jury (1996)
7. The Chamber (1994)
8. The Brethren(2000)
8. The Partner(1997)
On June 22, 2012 Director F. Gary Gray (pictured above) took to Twitter and gave some great acting advice. A lot of stuff I agree with. In case you don't know he directed the films Set It Off, The Italian Job (2003), The Negotiator and Friday.
You can see what he said below.
Robi Reed casting director (she cast "Set It off" for me) suggests: Preparation is key. Dont make excuses!
— F Gary Gray (@F_Gary_Gray) June 22, 2012
Audition Advice: PLEASE look like your picture! And you know who I'm talking about! Yeah YOU!
— F Gary Gray (@F_Gary_Gray) June 22, 2012
Know who you are auditioning for! Some casting directors are givers, some are takers be prepared for both!! NO EXCUSES!!
— F Gary Gray (@F_Gary_Gray) June 22, 2012
If you're just a fame-chaser, and you know who you are, DON'T BOTHER! Believe it or not, acting is a real CRAFT. Study you're craft.
— F Gary Gray (@F_Gary_Gray) June 22, 2012
Acting is about giving, being vulnerable, not memorizing, looking good, or competing.
— F Gary Gray (@F_Gary_Gray) June 22, 2012
Watching the Extras for the movie 2011 movie Martha Marcy May Marlene...
Poster for Martha Marcy May Marlene
and they featured the precedent short Mary Last Seen. The short is not a prequel or sequel, but exists as its own story within the world of “Martha.” Before the film the director presented a message. (pictured below. I purposely didn't take a great pic because I retyped what it said below.)
I decided to make the short film "Mary Last Seen" in the summer of 2009. At the time I had been working on the script for "Martha Marcy May Marlene," a film which would eventually become my first feature. I had not shot a narrative short in several years, and at the time, production on "Martha" was at least a year away. I was eager to direct again and wanted to create a short film that related to the world of the feature, but also something that could stand on its own. ..................... I wrote the script for the short in a few days. We gathered together a crew of five people, cast a few actors, borrowed my sister's car, and drove upstate with a budget of about $500 (which was all we had left on one credit card at the time). We shot for two days and came back with the footage for the short. It was a wonderfully collaborative and pure filmmaking experience, which set the tone for how I would approach making "Martha." -Sean Durkin
After his message I wanted to see it to see what kind of film he shot in two days for $500 and—it was really good. Yes it looked like it was shot for only $500, but the technique and the acting was on point. Everything he did was very economical for that budget, yet innovative in style. That's all I can say without you seeing the short and seeing what I mean. Great piece.
As far as I could tell it's not available online, but IT IS on the Martha Marcy May Marlene Blu-Ray (That's how I saw it) and I assume it's on the DVD as well.
What did I think of Martha Marcy May Marlene?
#nfotd#MarthaMarcyMayMarlene was really great, one of the BEST of 2011, bolstered by an OUTSTANDING performance by ELIZABETH OLSEN!
— Dankwa Brooks (@DankwaBrooks) July 2, 2012
UPDATE November 2015 Mary Last Seen is now on Vimeo! Watch it BELOW
ESSENCE.com: You wrote, directed and produced Madea's Witness Protection. Do you foresee a time when a young filmmaker can direct a Tyler Perry production?
PERRY: I'd love that. I'm looking for them. I actually have a film coming out called We the Peoples that is written and directed by Tina Chisholm. It comes out sometime next year. She is one of the first directors that I am fostering. I'm looking for them but they've got to have the right spirit. I'm not looking for arrogance or ego and I'm not looking for people coming with their nose up in the air because they went to NYU film school and they've done this and that. They have to have respect for the guerilla, grassroots approach. I'm looking for people who are humble, hungry, and eager to learn and are also eager to teach. There are some young brilliant filmmakers out there. I would be excited to find them.
If you go to our timeline now July 6, 2012 you can read some of the discussion, but in Twitter fashion it will be lost in the tweets in a day or so.
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