Page 16 – NYFA

How To Write A Documentary Script

Posted on April 28, 2023April 28, 2023 by nyfa

From eye-opening films like Blackfish (2013) to emotional narratives told in movies like Bowling for Columbine (2002), documentaries have the power to captivate and showcase the brilliance of humanity when crafted with care. Every director and producer has their own unique approach to creating a documentary script and finding your voice as a filmmaker can be an exciting and liberating experience for those new to the field.

However, depending on the subject matter, it can be challenging to get started on a script. That’s why having a well-established system can help get you to the finish line.

How to Write a Documentary Script

While there’s no set formula for writing a documentary script, there are best practices that can make the process as seamless as possible. Here are some of our favorite tips for writing a compelling documentary script.

1. Find a Story You’re Passionate About

Why a documentary? What are you hoping to convey? Why are you the perfect person to tell this story? These are all questions you answer in a pitch in order to be green-lit by producers and executive producers. However, it’s important to first answer them for yourself. The answers can help you find a story that you’re truly passionate about, which will be worth the long process of making a documentary. Once you’ve answered these questions, you can start the difficult task of researching your material, finding the story, and creating a script.

Recently, for instance, NYFA welcomed Ukrainian documentary filmmakers who discussed filming in the conflict back home in their country. The filmmakers discussed why they were suited to tell their own story, how it benefits the audience, and the crystal clear message they hope to share with international viewers.

2. Research, Research, Research

During the pre-production phase of making a documentary, research is crucial, as it serves as the foundation for your script. It’s common for others to have already explored the topic you’re working on, so it’s important to dive deeper and get a new angle. If you’re looking for experts on the topic, one way to find them is to search for books and then contact the authors. They can provide important background information and fact-checking or even become on-camera interviewees who enhance the credibility of your film. Their input is crucial in creating the structure of your documentary, which you can fill in with story details as you develop your outline.

3. Blueprint Your Documentary

This is the time to organize and plan how the story will be transmitted to your audience. This can be an outline most commonly expressed in a set of “sequences.” These are detailed scenes to show how the film may play out. When you have this sequence outline clear, shooting the frame is much easier because you already know what you want. This sequence outline follows the natural narrative spine of storytelling, which is broken into acts that culminate in the overall message that you are trying to convey. There may be some tweaking, but the sequence outline is a guide.

4. Write the Script

The first column is optional and is used by some filmmakers as a guide to the arc of the narrative. Video and Audio columns are standard, and they are formatted so that the visuals line up with the audio (interview, narration, music, etc.) that plays over them.

script for documentary — A sample documentary script

Once you have collected your research, data, and interviews, only then can you write the script. Without research, it would be impossible to conceive what an interviewee is going to say and how that ties into your message. Once you have all of the facts and materials, then you can sit down and write the script and voice-overs. As a tip: work backward. It is one of the best ways how to write a documentary script.

5. Engage Your Viewer

To truly captivate your audience, it’s important to establish a connection between them and your documentary. One effective way to achieve this is by focusing on protagonists with captivating personal stories that can truly engage your audience. By tapping into the emotions of your viewers, you can encourage them to open up and better understand the complexity of the issue at hand.

Ultimately, your goal should be to transport your viewers to another world, to provide them with fresh perspectives and new knowledge, and to inspire and move them through the power of your storytelling.

6. Commit to Your Message

It’s crucial to consider the message that you want your documentary to convey. When your theme is clearly defined, the process of putting the entire script and production together becomes much smoother. This clarity of message can help your audience connect with your documentary, regardless of whether or not they agree with your point of view. At the very least, your film will leave them with something to think about and consider moving forward.

As a director, writer, or producer, it’s important to remain flexible and open to the story unfolding in ways you may not have originally anticipated.

7. Finesse Your Project

It’s important to be thorough and take the time to craft a script that truly reflects the message you want to convey and the story you want to tell. Rewriting is often necessary as you continue to refine your message and ensure accuracy in your facts. If you’re using a narrator, for example, you may need to adjust the script to fit their style.

Remember, documentaries aren’t just about observing humanity – they’re an invitation to explore our deepest nature, what drives us, what brings us joy, and what makes us feel sorrow. They showcase real people dealing with real, powerful issues that strike at the very core of our being. As a documentary filmmaker, you must reflect those deep, moving messages in your writing and capture your audience’s emotions. By doing so, you can create a truly impactful and unforgettable documentary.

Bring Your Documentary to Life at NYFA

Want to learn more about creating an excellent documentary? Request information today about NYFA’s upcoming documentary filmmaking programs.

Disney’s 12 Principles Of Animation: Bringing Characters To Life

Posted on April 20, 2023April 20, 2023 by nyfa

For every fan of animation, Walt Disney’s animated characters are mesmerizing. From their lifelike appearance to how these stunning characters express human emotions, these characters have charmed audiences for 100 years. This magical appearance is all thanks to a set of techniques beautifully introduced by the fore founders of Disney animations in the 1930s.

This set of guidelines, or “the Principles of Animation,” is a benchmark for the modern animation world and a guiding light for emerging animators.

What are the 12 Principles of Animation?

The book “The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation” by Disney animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston inspires every animator by outlining the philosophy of “Disney’s 12 principles of animation” necessary to bring characters to life.

Let’s take a closer look at each principle.

1. Squash and Stretch

The perfection of Disney’s animation is incomplete without the principle of squash and stretch. This cornerstone technique involves stretching and compressing a character’s shape to create the illusion of weight and volume, thus making realistic and believable movements.

disney's principles of animation — Facial expressions and movements of the beloved Pinocchio character. Image via Disney Studios.

Suppose a character throws a ball; it would stretch when it’s thrown and squash when it hits the ground making it more realistic.

2. Anticipation

Anticipation captivates the viewer for an action that is about to happen, involving a short pause before the act. Remember, in the famous Disney movie “The Lion King,” Simba pauses before he jumps across a chasm. This moment of hesitation holds viewers’ breath and builds anticipation for the upcoming action. Anticipation is a powerful technique to grab viewers’ attention for a certain time or moment.

3. Staging

Staging implies the arrangement of objects as per scene requirements. It’s crucial to present a scene in a way that draws a picture of what’s happening. Particulars of staging are composition, lighting, and camera angles.

4. Straight Ahead Action and Pose to Pose

Straight-ahead action is a sequential drawing of animation frames, while pose-to-pose implies keyframe creation first and then filling in the in-between character moves. Both techniques are pioneers and have pros and cons, and animators enjoy working on both.

5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action

Both follow-through and overlapping actions depict how the parts of an object move independently of each other. During the running movement of a character, hair, and clothing will continue to follow through even after they’ve stopped.

This principle adds true realism to the animation, as shown in the clip from Mulan (2020) above (Source: .infamous.ae).

6. Slow In and Slow Out

Slow in and slow out enlighten how an object accelerates and decelerates. Real-life things don’t start and stop instantly in the practical world; the animation must reflect this perfectly. This principle is also applicable to create a sense of weight and momentum.

7. Arcs

As per Disney’s 12 principles of animation, arcs are represented by creating character movements that follow a curve rather than a straight line. This idea is essential for producing fluid, realistic, and organic movement.

8. Secondary Action

The secondary action principle entails animating a character’s auxiliary movements to produce a more realistic or WOW animation. This idea is crucial since it gives the animation depth and intricacy. When another element in the scene mixes up with the primary action, this is called secondary action.

As per the secondary action principle, a character should move their body in addition to their mouth when speaking to reflect that all objects are aligned perfectly.

9. Timing

The principal element is the implication of timing, as it defines the scene’s pace and how the characters move and interact with other objects.

Do you remember the scene where Snow White dances with the animals at a certain pace, designed to match the rhythm of the music, producing a seamless choreographic flow, in the classic Disney film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs“? It perfectly depicts timing!

10. Exaggeration

Exaggeration is a potent strategy for emphasizing specific character moves so that the observer will notice them very clearly.

You might notice that the animator makes a character’s arms and legs move more fiercely or enlarges their facial features to represent the character’s intense emotions when angry. Exaggeration contributes to a more dramatic impression and might boost the animation’s overall attractiveness.

11. Solid drawing

Characters and environments can be flawless geometric representations using Disney’s solid drawing principle as a sturdy foundation. Animated character anatomy, shape, weight, and balance are all cardinal art techniques that animators should master if they want to become animation GURUs. Solid drawing enables them to design masterpieces with realistic appearances and a real human feel.

Although he’s not a Disney character, see the example above with Bugs Bunny. Like this example, Disney characters’ physical traits, especially their body shape and limb lengths, strongly contribute to their facial expressions, human actions, and emotional acts.

12. Appeal of Character

Creating flawless animated characters demands strong appeal through character design, personality nuances, and realistic movements. Playing with character moves and using subtle facial expressions to convey emotions and personality is absolute for an expert. A skilled animator embeds deep emotional resonance into character, leading to a highly engaged audience. In short, creating animations demands a masterful balance of design, movement, and emotion.

Do you remember Elsa from “Frozen” movie, who becomes instantly recognizable and creates a strong emotional connection with the viewers? (Gif provided via PopSugar.)

Bring Your Characters to Life at NYFA

Disney’s 12 principles of animation serve as a powerful toolkit for animators to craft compelling and realistic animations. Each direction, from squash and stretch to appeal and follow-through, provides necessary guidance for bringing characters and worlds to life. Want to learn how to create your own animations? Request more information about our 3D animation programs today!

Header image source: Disney Studios.

NYFA Australia Alumni Find Success at Gold Coast Film Festival

Posted on April 19, 2023May 20, 2024 by nyfa

The Blair Witch Project (1999), Donnie Darko (2001), and Little Miss Sunshine (2006) are all great independent films with something in common: they all premiered at film festivals. For filmmakers who aspire to exposure for their projects, submitting exceptional projects to film festivals can be a great way to connect with production companies, get press about their films, and reach audiences. At NYFA, many of our students choose to submit their work to festivals, including NYFA Australia alum Alex Free and NYFA Australia student Mariam Hassan.

This year, the two filmmakers join the ranks of previous NYFA Australia students with projects selected for the Gold Coast Film Festival in Queensland. The annual twelve-day festival began in 2002 and is an AACTA-Award qualifying festival for feature films. Every year, the festival features exceptional international and Australian films and has hosted a number of Queensland premieres.

This year, the festival will host the Queensland premiere of *Polite Society,* starring Priya Kansara (*Bridgerton*, 2020) and Ritu Arya (*Red Notice* (2021), *The Umbrella Academy,* 2019). Image via gcfilmfestival.com.

NYFA Australia at the 2023 Gold Coast Film Festival

NYFA Australia Filmmaking Diploma alum Alex Free has been selected as the finalist for Gold Coast Film Festival Emerge!, the festival’s student film category. His film, Things That Are Beautiful and Transient, is about a young man who seeks to capture a photo of a rare and fleeting sight. To accomplish this, he accepts help from an unexpected guide. It will screen on April 26th.

Cinematography and Film/Video Production student Mariam Hassan‘s film Choice is under Sipfest: Gold Coast Film Festival’s Shorts In Paradise and will screen on April 29th. The film centers around a woman who experiences the loss of her husband during a protest against the oppression of women in Iran. The screenings are an exciting opportunity for both students to get their work in front of an engaged audience passionate about Australian film. In the past few years, the festival has welcomed guests that include Simon Baker, Sigrid Thornton, George Takei, Dolph Lundgren, Kellan Lutz, and Margaret Pomeranz.

“NYFA Australia’s talented alumni and students continue to amaze and inspire our community,” says NYFA Australia CEO Elle Bailey. “Both Alex and Mariam’s films are testaments to their talent, hard work, and foundation in their education in filmmaking, provided by the New York Film Academy Australia’s curriculum and instructors.”

Previous Gold Coast Film Festival Screenings

NYFA Australia students, including Stephen Osborne, Anantha Krishna Raj, and Jackson Fields, had films screened at the 2022 festival. Osborne’s feature film Dome House 6 premiered at the Home of the Arts (HOTA) theater and was a part of the Gold Coast Film Festival’s official selection. Similar to Free, Raj’s and Fields’ short films were also showcased at EMERGE!.

In 2021, Osborne was also invited to screen his feature film Strangeville and competed in the Best Australian Indie Film category. The film included many cast and crew members who attended NYFA’s Gold Coast campus. NYFA Australia alum Josh Hale was also selected to screen his feature film at the 2021 Gold Coast Film Festival. Hale’s film House of Inequity was featured in the ‘Dark Nights and Fantastic Fans’ group. The film also credits several NYFA Australia alumni and faculty members, highlighting the importance of connecting and networking with peers throughout film school.

Pursue Your Passion for Film at NYFA Australia

Film school is an incredible opportunity to pursue and polish your passion projects, and NYFA congratulates Alex and Mariam on their success this year. To learn more about the programs offered at NYFA Australia in filmmaking, acting, and more, request additional information today!

Where To Download Movie Scripts: 10 Great Sites

Posted on April 13, 2023May 31, 2023 by nyfa

If you want to write movie scripts, you need to read movie scripts – it’s just as essential as batting practice for professional baseball players. As you read scripts, you’ll start to remember subtle connections between language and storytelling and see proper formatting in action. For aspiring screenwriters who want to learn how to write their own movie scripts, it’s vital to see the difference between how scenes play out on the page and how they play out on the screen.

Reading Movie Scripts: The Benefits for Screenwriters

You need to watch movies to make movies. However, for aspiring screenwriters, reading screenplay after screenplay is also incredibly beneficial. By reading through scripts from various writers, you can get a sense of how you want to write your own screenplays. While proper screenwriting adheres to a very rigid format, it’s beneficial to see how various writers work within those rules and even use them to their advantage.

Here are ten websites that allow you to download professional movie scripts to review.

1. IMSDB – Internet Movie Screenplay Database

http://www.imsdb.com/

IMDB has proven a valuable resource for researching movie crews, casts, and trivia. IMSDB is just as useful for screenplays of all genres.

2. Go Into the Story

http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/free-script-downloads/

Go Into the Story is the official blog for The Blacklist, the screenwriting community famous for its annual top ten list of unproduced scripts. One helpful feature of Go Into the Story is its bank of downloadable movie scripts.

3. Drew’s Script-o-Rama

http://www.script-o-rama.com/snazzy/table.html

The titular Drew has been sharing scripts with curious readers and writers for almost two decades now and has a vast library from which to choose. A great benefit of Script-O-Rama is that it holds several drafts of certain movies, an invaluable resource for those who want to see how a Hollywood film evolves in the writing process.

4. Simply Scripts

http://www.simplyscripts.com/movie.html

Simply Scripts has a wide, diverse library, including plays and non-English screenplays. It’s also constantly updated, providing scripts for great movies such as Interstellar and Foxcatcher.

5. AwesomeFilm

http://www.awesomefilm.com/

AwesomeFilm is another resource with dozens of scripts you can download with a single click, alphabetized for easy searching. If you’re looking for a screenplay to read, this site is, well, awesome.

6. Screenplays For You

http://sfy.ru/

Screenplays For You is a clean, smooth website with hundreds of scripts. You’re likely to find something from the genre you need—its library boasts everything from low-key award-winning dramas like Sideways to action blockbusters like Avatar.

7. The Daily Script

http://www.dailyscript.com/movie.html

The Daily Script offers a ton of screenplays in a straightforward, easy-to-navigate layout. It keeps things homey for the typical screenwriter, even using Courier New as its primary font.

8. The Screenplay Database

http://www.screenplaydb.com/film/all

The Screenplay Database is another useful resource with many scripts to choose from. If you’re interested in a certain type of film, the website also allows you to search its library by genre to allow you to find something you didn’t even know you were looking for.

9. The Script Lab

https://thescriptlab.com/

The Script Lab is handy if you’re looking for more recent screenplays. Its front page divides its library into the three most recent years of releases, so if there’s something from 2014 you’d like, for instance, Birdman or Boyhood, this is the website for you.

10. Movie Scripts and Screenplays

http://www.moviescriptsandscreenplays.com/

You’ve got to love the straightforward title. Movie Scripts and Screenplays gives you exactly what it says, with a long list of manuscripts that you can also directly find with its search function.

Learn How to Write Your Own Movie Scripts

If you’re ready to learn how to write your own screenplays, reading through movie scripts is a great place to start. Example scripts can provide crucial direction in terms of formatting, plot, character development, and more. For screenwriters who want to take the next step and develop their screenplay, request more information about NYFA’s workshops about writing for film.

Going Beyond the Screen with Trans Actors, Directors, and Filmmakers

Posted on March 31, 2023November 2, 2023 by nyfa

In the 1999 film The Matrix, Neo (played by Keanu Reeves) is given a choice – the red pill or the blue pill. It’s a familiar plotline for cinephiles. The blue pill would keep Neo in his everyday life as a pencil pusher. The red pill, however, would make him aware that he was living in a simulation and wake him up. For many members of the trans community, the scene resonated with them deeply. Lana and Lilly Wachowski, who wrote and directed the film, confirmed years after the release that the movie was a trans story, one that stemmed from their own experiences as trans women.

Going Beyond the Screen with Trans Actors, Directors, and Filmmakers

Trans stories are a vital part of creating a more inclusive and diverse film, television, and entertainment industry. The 1970s ushered in a new age of films with trans narratives and characters, such as Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and Woman of the Year (1973). Films like Boys Don’t Cry (1999), Tangerine (2015), The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (2017), and Transamerica (2005) helped to broaden the range of transgender representation, and today, there is a wide range of immensely talented trans filmmakers, actors, directors, and visual storytellers.

*Tangerine* (2015) via American Cinematheque

Here are some of the transgender actors, directors, and filmmakers helping to create telling memorable and compelling stories.

Laverne Cox

Three-time Emmy-nominated star of Orange Is the New Black, Doubt, Inventing Anna, and Promising Young Woman, Laverne Cox is a versatile actor, producer, writer, and passionate LGBTQ+ advocate. In 2015, she made history by being the first trans woman to win a Daytime Emmy award for Outstanding Special Class Special for Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word. She was also the first openly transgender person nominated for an Emmy Award for acting.

Asher Jelinsky

Asher Jelinsky is an award-winning director and writer with accomplishments that include the BAFTA Student Film Award, Franklin J. Schaffner Fellow Award for Directing, and the Cannes Lions Young Director Award. In 2020, NYFA welcomed Asher for an online Q&A to discuss their short film Miller & Son, a story about a transwoman mechanic who faces a challenging unforeseen event.

Jamie Clayton

Jamie Clayton is known for roles in Hung, the Emmy-winning digital series Dirty Work, The L Word: Generation Q, Hellraiser, and Paperless. In the Emmy-nominated sci-fi series Sense8, a wildly popular show that, unfortunately, only had two seasons, Clayton played Nomi Marks, a political blogger, activist, and transgender woman living with her girlfriend in San Francisco.

Elliot Page

Audiences fell in love with Elliot Page in Juno (2007) and were ecstatic to see him in films and television shows like Whip It (2009), Inception (2010), Tallulah (2016), and The Umbrella Academy (2019). In December 2020, Elliot announced that he would be using he/they pronouns and has gone on to use their platform to support trans rights.

Lana & Lily Wachowski

Born as Laurence and Andrew Wachowski, Lana & Lily Wachowski are transgender women known for writing and directing the cult classic The Matrix (1999). The duo also directed V for Vendetta (2006), Cloud Atlas (2012), and episodes of Sense8 (2015). In an interview with Netflix, Lilly Wachowski shared why The Matrix is a trans story. Wachowski also discussed the Netflix documentary Disclosure, which examines the last 100 years of trans representation in film and TV.

Patti Harrison

Patti Harrison has a long career in television and film, with memorable roles in Made for Love (2021), A Simple Favor (2018), The Lost City (2022), Q-Force (2021), and Shrill (2019). She also appeared in She-Hulk (2022) alongside Acting for Film alum Michel Curiel. Patti is also a talented writer and has written for I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (2021) and Big Mouth (2020).

Zión Moreno

When a reboot of the wildly popular Gossip Girl was announced, audiences were thrilled to learn that Zión Moreno (Claws, 2021) would be playing Luna La, a transgender woman and one of the show’s main characters. Zión, who is a Mexican-American actress, and is also a transgender woman, quickly became a fan favorite. Although Gossip Girl was canceled by HBOMax after just two seasons, we hope to see Moreno in future shows and movies.

trans actors and films — Zión Moreno via Flaunt Magazine

Ian Alexander

Ian Alexander is known for their roles on The OA (2016) and Star Trek: Discovery (2020), where his characters, like him, are trans. His most recent performances include The Last of Us Part II (2020) video game and the film Daughter (2022). A multitalented performer, Alexander also hopes to bring his The Last of Us video game character to the second series of the hit HBO series.

Yasmin Finney

Yasmin Finney made her debut as Elle Argent in Netflix’s LGBTQ+ romantic dramedy Heartstopper(2022) and, after being nominated for an Emmy for her performance, shows no signs of slowing down. With the upcoming role of Rose, the companion to The Doctor in the iconic BBC series Doctor Who, Finney has a bright future in film and television.

Sydney Freeland

Sydney Freeland is a Native American filmmaker known for films such as Growing Up (2022), Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2022), and her debut film Drunktown’s Finest (2014). Freeland has also directed a number of hit television series episodes, including Reservation Dogs (2021), Rutherford Falls (2021), and Grey’s Anatomy (2018).

Nicole Maines

Nicole Maines, who played Nia Nal in Supergirl (2018) and the upcoming The Flash (2023) movie, is also known for parts in Darby and the Dead (2022) and Bit (2019). In 2023, she is joining the cast of Yellowjackets, adding a new exciting chapter in her film and television career.

Trans Actors, Directors, and Filmmakers Shaking Up Hollywood

These are just a few of the extremely talented trans filmmakers and performers in the industry today. Watch more incredible talent and performances by exploring the list of artists below.

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez
Hunter Schafer
Silas Howard
Rhys Ernst
Tom Phelan
Elliot Fletcher
Josie Totah
Jen Richards
Trace Lysette
Yance Ford
Chase Joynt
Brian Michael Smith
Leo Sheng
Asia Kate Dillon
Alex Blue Davis
Dominique Jackson
Zackary Drucker
Janet Mock
Alexandra Billings

Learn How to Tell Your Story at NYFA

Trans storytellers continue to inspire and influence audiences with films and shows that bring education and awareness to their experiences. For aspiring visual artists who want to express themselves through the art of narrative storytelling, filmmaking is one of the most powerful forms of self-expression. To learn more about developing skills in film, media, and the performing arts, explore the Filmmaking programs at NYFA.

The Best Female Directors: Celebrating Trailblazing Films & TV Shows

Posted on March 13, 2023March 15, 2023 by Melissa Randall

From independent filmmakers like Lulu Wang and Chinonye Chukwu to iconic feature film directors like Gina Prince-Bythewood and Jane Campion, women are pioneers and innovators in the film, television, and entertainment industries. Throughout history, female filmmakers and directors have brought us award-winning films such as The Piano (1993), The Hurt Locker (2008), The Farewell (2019), Nomadland (2020), and The Woman King (2022), showing us unique perspectives and powerful narratives that deeply resonate with audiences from all over the world.

The Best Female Directors: Celebrating Trailblazing Films & TV Shows

In the early days of Hollywood, filmmakers such as Alice Guy-Blaché and Lois Weber first stepped into the role of director. They paved the way for women over the decades, inspiring Ida Lupino, Madeline Anderson, Agnès Varda, and Penny Marshall to leave their own unique mark on the industry and motivating other women to pursue their passions in narrative storytelling.

For cinephiles who want to explore some of the greatest films by women, here are some of the most notable female directors in the industry today. While some are just beginning their journey and others are established creative leaders in their respective genres, each director has their own creative voice that contributes to the diversity of film and television.

(This is by no means a complete list.)

Gina Prince-Bythewood

Gina Prince-Bythewood, known for films like Love & Basketball (2000) and Beyond The Lights (2014), is also a writer and producer, working on hit television series such as Felicity (1999) and A Different World (1987). Her 2022 film, The Woman King, is a historic film based on the real-life events in The Kingdom of Dahomey in Africa and stars the EGOT-winning Viola Davis, as well as New York Film Academy AFA Acting for Film alum Masali Baduza.

Domee Shi

Domee Shi is a director and writer, directing and writing the screenplay for the Oscar-nominated 2022 film Turning Red, as well as the Oscar award-winning short animated film Bao. A multi-talented storyteller, Shi also worked on the film Inside Out (2015) and The Incredibles 2 (2018) in their animation departments. Turning Red was acclaimed for its depiction of girls going through adolescence and starred Sandra Oh.

Patty Jenkins

Patty Jenkins brought Wonder Woman (2017) and Wonder Woman: 1984 (2020) to life and has a long history of directing films and television shows, including The Killing, Arrested Development, and Entourage. Jenkins also wrote the screenplay for Wonder Woman: 1984, as well as the 2003 film Monster starring Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci.

Niki Caro

Niki Caro, a director, writer, and producer, is known for her hit film Whale Rider (2002), which won a BAFTA Children’s Award for Best Feature Film and was nominated for an Oscar. Caro has also directed Anne with an E (television series), 2020’s Mulan, The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017), and North Country (2005). She was nominated for a Palme d’Or – Best Short Film for Sure to Rise (1994).

best female directors — Holly Morris directed *The Babushkas of Chernobyl* (2015)

Holly Morris

Holly Morris, director, writer, and NYFA Guest Speaker, co-directed and wrote The Babushkas of Chernobyl (2015), capturing a group of Ukrainian women who chose to live near Pripyat, the town impacted by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. She also directed Exposure (2022), a documentary that follows a group of female trekkers on an expedition to the North Pole. Both films won multiple awards across festivals worldwide.

Mati Drop

Mati Drop is an actress, director, and writer who directed award-winning films, including Atlantique (2019), A Thousand Suns (2013), and Big in Vietnam (2012). Atlantique won the Grand Prize of the Jury at Cannes, making history as the first film directed by a Black woman director to win the award. The film was also nominated for the Palme d’Or.

Charlotte Wells

Scottish producer, writer, and director Charlotte Wells directed the Oscar-nominated 2022 film Aftersun, as well as film festival favorites Tuesday (2015) and Laps (2017). In addition to the Oscar nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Paul Mescal, Wells won a BAFTA award for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer for Aftersun in 2023, as well as the French Touch Prize of the Critics’ Week Jury at Cannes.

Lucrecia Martel

Director, writer, and producer Lucrecia Martel created a range of films, including La Ciénaga (2001), La mujer sin cabeza (2008), and Zama (2017). She has won multiple awards for her work, with both her home country of Argentina, as well as international film festivals recognizing her for her contributions to film. She has been nominated twice for the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival.

Chloe Zhao

Chloe Zhao is an award-winning director, writer, and producer, directing hit films such as The Rider (2017), Nomadland (2020), and Marvel’s The Eternals (2021). Zhao won an Oscar for Best Achievement in Directing for Nomadland, as well as Best Motion Picture of the Year. She won BAFTA Film Awards for Nomadland, winning Best Film and Best Director. Her film The Rider was also a festival hit, winning the C.I.C.A.E. Award at Cannes.

Greta Gerwig

Actress, writer and director Greta Gerwig is known for her work directing and writing the screenplays for Oscar-nominated Lady Bird (2019), the modern adaptation of Little Women (2019), as well as co-writing the 2023 film Barbie. The film Barbie, which shows Barbie outside of her perfect plastic world and experiencing what it really means to be a woman in the real world, stars Margot Robbie, Helen Mirren, Will Ferrell, and NYFA alum Issa Rae. Gerwig recently costarred in White Noise (2022) with NYFA Guest Speaker Adam Driver.

Ava DuVernay

Ava DuVernay, a director, writer, and producer, has been at the helm of films including When They See Us (2019), A Wrinkle in Time (2018), and Selma (2014), one of the most impactful Martin Luther King Jr. movies. DuVernay recently directed the television series, Queen Sugar, following three siblings navigating the inheritance of their family’s 800-acre sugarcane farm. The series is based on the novel by Natalie Baszile and produced by Oprah Winfrey.

Nancy Meyers

Director, writer, and NYFA Guest Speaker Nancy Meyers has an incredible filmography, directing hit movies including The Parent Trap (1998), Something’s Gotta Give (2003), The Holiday (2006), and It’s Complicated (2009). She also wrote the screenplay for the original Father of the Bride (1991) starring Steve Martin.

“You have to be disciplined,” Nancy said, discussing her success as a writer and director in a 2019 interview with NYFA. “I’ve always been really disciplined.”

Mira Nair

Director, writer, producer, and NYFA Guest Speaker Mira Nair directed a range of award-winning films, including Salaam Bombay! (1988), Mississippi Masala (1991), and Monsoon Wedding (2001). Nair was awarded the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival, making history as the first woman to receive the prize. Nair has also hosted masterclasses for New York Film Academy students.

Kathryn Bigelow

Kathryn Bigelow, the only woman to ever win an Oscar for Best Achievement in Directing for The Hurt Locker (2008), is a director, producer, and writer for films, creating films that include Zero Dark Thirty (2012) and Detroit (2017). Bigelow’s work directing a range of television shows, mini-series, and shorts, as well as films, includes Mission Zero (2007), The Weight of Water (2000), and Point Break (1991).

Tracey Deer

Tracey Deer, a director, writer, and producer from Canada, directed the documentary Mohawk Girls (2005), capturing the lives of three teenage girls over the course of two years. She went on to create a television series based on the concept in 2010. Deer also directed the 2020 film Beans, a film that told the story of two Mohawk communities in a 78-day standoff and was based on true events.

Julie Dash

Director, writer, and producer Julie Dash, an accomplished filmmaker, is known for her film Daughters of the Dust, which she wrote and directed. The film was nominated in 1991 for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, and Dash went on to win the Emerging Female Filmmaker

Award in 2020. Dash has directed a variety of television shows, including Reasonable Doubt (2022), Women of the Movement (2022), and Queen Sugar (2017).

Emerald Fennell

Award-winning writer, actress, and director Emerald Fennell wrote and directed Promising Young Woman (2020), a critically acclaimed film starring Carey Mulligan. Fennell won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Promising Young Woman, also nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year and Best Achievement in Directing. Fennell also won a BAFTA for Best Screenplay (Original), as well as Outstanding British Film of the Year. Fennell also wrote for the hit television series Killing Eve and has acted in films and television shows such as The Crown and Call the Midwife.

Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola directed the critically acclaimed film Lost in Translation (2003), which won the Oscar for Best Writing, Original Screenplay, and Best Picture. Coppola also directed films, including The Virgin Suicides (1999), starring Kirsten Dunst, Marie Antoinette (2006), also starring Dunst, The Bling Ring (2013), and the television special A Very Murray Christmas, starring Lost in Translation star Bill Murray.

Jane Campion

Oscar-award-winning Jane Campion is one of the greatest directors in history, directing films such as The Piano (1993), Bright Star (2009), and The Power of the Dog (2021). The Piano made history, as Campion was the first woman to win the Palme d’Or for the film at the Cannes Film Festival. It also earned eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Campion won the Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for The Piano, as well as Best Achievement in Directing for The Power of the Dog.

More Female Directors and Filmmakers Working in the Film and Television Industries

NYFA Guest Speakers such as Erin Lee Carr and Nicole Kassell are two of a never-ending list of talented female directors. In addition to the directors and filmmakers listed above, here are some additional creatives who continue to make incredible contributions to cinema.

Lulu Wang (Posthumous, The Farewell)
Chinonye Chukwu (Clemency, Till)
Maria Schrader (I’m Your Man, She Said)
Sarah Polley (Take This Waltz, Women Talking)
Cathy Yan (Birds of Prey, Succession)
Debra Granik (Winter’s Bone, Leave No Trace)
Nia DaCosta (Little Woods, Candyman)
Euzhan Palcy (Sugar Kane Alley, Siméon)
Gurinder Chadha (Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, Bend It Like Beckham)
Jamie Babbit (But I’m A Cheerleader, Girls)
Deepa Mehta (Little America, Yellowjackets)
Clea DuVall (Happiest Season, High School)
Erin Lee Carr (Britney vs. Spears, Mommy Dead and Dearest)
Nicole Kassell (Watchmen, Westworld, The Killing)
Laura Belsey (The Walking Dead, Law & Order: SVU)
Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Petite Maman)
Ann Hui (A Simple Life, Ordinary Heroes)
Dee Rees (Pariah, Mudbound)
Cheryl Dunye (The Watermelon Woman, Queen Sugar)
Lina Wertmüller (Seven Beauties, Swept Away)

Master the Art of Narrative Filmmaking at NYFA

Aspiring filmmakers who want to make their own impact in the film, television, and entertainment industries can build essential knowledge and skills at NYFA. Join our community of directors, actors, producers, cinematographers, screenwriters, and more! To learn more, explore our film programs.

The Best Bill Hader Movies & TV Shows (Updated for 2023)

Posted on March 8, 2023April 5, 2023 by nyfa

If you were in the mood, you could endlessly debate whether the quality of Saturday Night Live in the 21st century was near the daring brilliance of the original Not-Ready-For-Prime-Time-Players or the raucous hilarity of its late 80s-early 90s heyday. But one thing everyone would agree with – the show was always memorable when Weekend Update city correspondent Stefon took the stage, played with nervous energy (and a tendency to hilariously break character) by NYFA alum Bill Hader.

Recapping The Greatest Bill Hader Movies & TV Shows

From 2005-2013, Hader was a featured player on SNL, known for the aforementioned Stefon as well as dozens of other memorable impressions and original characters. His comedic talent was so impressive he received an Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actor In a Comedy Series; the only previous SNL star to earn such an accolade was the legendary Eddie Murphy. Since leaving the show, he has followed in the footsteps of other SNL luminaries like Bill Murray, Adam Sandler, and co-star Kristen Wiig in broadening his resume, excelling in challenging dramatic roles just as he’d found success in comedy.

From indulging delinquent teens to fighting off a clown-faced demon, let’s take a look at ten of the best roles Hader has played in a career that, to all appearances, is just getting started.

Noelle (2019)

Probably not the first film anyone thinks of when discussing Hader’s filmography, the Disney+ Christmas movie co-starring Anna Kendrick finds him leaving an indelible mark on an otherwise paint-by-numbers holiday adventure. Hader plays Nick Kringle, the latest in a long line of Santa Claus descendants, who is pressed into taking on the reindeer reins after his father’s passing. Stressed from the pressure of being the new Santa Claus, Kringle instead runs away to sunny Arizona to start a new life… as a yoga instructor. Let’s face it – who doesn’t enjoy a demonstration of a solid Christmas tree pose?

Superbad (2007)

Producer Judd Apatow gave Hader little choice about joining the cast of Greg Mottola’s irreverent teen romp as Officer Slater, one half (with Seth Rogen’s Officer Michaels) of possibly the worst cop partners in cinema history. He simply said, “You’re going to play this…” and Hader played the hell out of it, blending his impeccable comic timing with the similar skill sets of Rogen and co-star Christopher Mintz-Plasse to craft some of the film’s most uproarious moments.

Trainwreck (2015)

Fresh off of his stint at SNL, Hader found himself in an unfamiliar role – that of romantic lead – in this Judd Apatow comedy starring Amy Schumer. For maybe the first time, Hader wasn’t tasked with carrying the load of humor, stepping into more of a straight-man role to make room for Schumer’s shenanigans. In the process, he creates a living, breathing character in Aaron, who has a believable relationship with Schumer’s Amy, letting the comedy flow organically from their interactions.

Inside Out (2015)

Pixar’s literally emotional 2015 feature saw Hader doing one of his many famous voice roles, this time as Fear, one of the emotions that run young Riley’s mind. Hader revealed in interviews how he related to the character due to his tendency to have panic attacks before tapings of SNL, but the decision to present Fear as a middle-management bureaucrat – who in real life often seems to be ruled by fear – was a stroke of genius that added layers of depth to what could have been a silly animated sidekick.

It: Chapter Two (2019)

It: Chapter Two added the horror genre to the growing list of great Bill Hader movies. On the one hand, it made sense to cast Bill Hader as the older version of Ritchie Tozier in Andy Muschetti’s film version of Stephen King’s horrifying novel. The character had been reimagined as a stand-up comedian, so Hader was a natural fit with his already perfectly honed comedic timing. What people didn’t expect was Hader turning the manic Ritchie into the soul of the film. In the end, when his fellow Losers envelop him in a healing embrace, Hader’s raw-nerve performance had more than a few critics talking Oscar.

Documentary Now! (2015 – Present)

Hader’s abilities as a writer and his penchant for creating memorable characters are on display in equal measure in this mockumentary series, which he co-created with fellow SNL alums Fred Armisen and Seth Meyers. Even from “Sandy Passage,” the first episode, Hader was fully committed to the bit, finding the inherent silliness in the concepts behind many documentaries and blowing them out of all proportion. If nothing else, it’s worth watching “Gentle & Soft” to hear Hader’s gruff-voiced bass player unexpectedly break into a Gibbsian falsetto.

Men In Black III (2012)

Many people lost interest in the sci-fi franchise after the original 1997 blockbuster, but those who did miss out on a surprisingly emotional third installment that featured Hader in a scene-stealing supporting role. Hader plays Andy Warhol, and while we might think he was an alien in disguise, we discover instead that he is Agent W of the MiB, with all Warhol’s famous eccentricities put on to help him stay undercover. His exasperated plea to Agent K to help him fake his death so he won’t have to listen to sitar music anymore is one of many big laughs he wrings out of just minutes of screentime.

The Skeleton Twins (2014)

Considered to be one of the best Bill Hader movies, Craig Johnson’s Sundance darling saw Hader teaming up with his former SNL castmate Kristen Wiig as a pair of twins who reunite after an extended estrangement to try and fix their relationship and find direction in their messed up aimless lives. An early indication of the serious acting chops Hader had been hiding during his time at Studio 8H; the otherwise moody and darkly quirky film features a blast of filmic euphoria as the pair join for an epic lip sync to Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now.”

Barry (2018 – Present)

While Hader will likely enjoy many more years of success, Barry may well already be his magnum opus. Hader portrays the title character, a lonely assassin who inadvertently takes an acting class and reevaluates everything about his life and job. Combining the best aspects of his crackerjack comedy and his dramatic potential, Barry is a career-defining performance that has earned Hader two Outstanding Lead Actor Emmys, and more are certainly possible. It’s a must-see for anyone who has ever enjoyed Hader on screen.

Saturday Night Live (2005 – 2013)

It would take forever to discuss the litany of characters and impressions Hader performed during his tenure on the venerable sketch show, so instead of trying, we’ll just say one word: Stefon. Hader himself had trouble keeping a straight face when this hysterical character came on screen. Even if his career had fizzled out after he left, Stefon alone would have ensured Hader remained a comedy legend.

Get Started in Acting for Film at NYFA

Ready to create your own iconic characters and learn how to shine on screen? Explore NYFA’s long-term and short-term programs in Acting for Film. At NYFA, acting students learn through hands-on experience, acting in peer films and creating their own content.

Harlem on Amazon Prime: How It Levels Up The Four Girl Formula

Posted on March 7, 2023June 14, 2023 by Melissa Randall

In season one of Harlem on Amazon Prime, Camille, the protagonist, asks, “Why is everything always about men?”

By the end of the season, we have our answer. For our main characters, Camille, Tye, Quinn, and Angie, it actually isn’t always about romantic relationships. Like shows about close female friendships that came before it, Harlem is about modern dating. But as the show progresses, we see so much more for audiences to explore as they watch the characters navigate life, love, and their careers.

The Four Girl Formula on Television: Why It Works

Historically, the formula of four best friends juggling work, relationships, and unpredictable life experiences works well on television. A show that charmed generations, The Emmy award-winning Golden Girls (1985) featured four retirees living together in Miami, Florida. Played by Bea Arthur as Dorothy, Betty White as Rose, Rue McClanahan as Blanche, and Estelle Getty as Sophia, the show tackled ageism and women’s issues, including menopause and widowhood, nearly unheard of on television at that time.

Even with the passing romantic interest, the show’s core focus was the women and how they related to each other, introducing an international audience to the concept of women simply enjoying their lives and prioritizing their friendships. Audiences saw this again after the conclusion of Golden Girls in 1992, with Sex and The City, another Emmy award-winning show.

Harlem on Amazon Prime — Harlem CR: Sarah Shatz/Amazon

Premiering on HBO in 1998, Sex and the City took a season or two to find footing. At first, the show featured a few different New Yorkers commenting on their social and love lives. Ultimately, writers settled on focusing on the four main female characters, quickly developing each woman with their own personality. However, anyone watching closely could have seen some character traits they had seen before.

While Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) was fleshed out as the first of her kind on television, there were glimmers of the sarcastic Sophia in the independent and no-nonsense Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and the same notes of naive goodness in Charlotte (Kristin Davis) as there were in Rose. Blanche and Samantha (NYFA Guest Speaker Kim Cattrall) had stark similarities in their confidence and larger-than-life persona.

Still, the format worked. For decades, online quizzes would inquire whether one was a Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, or Miranda, with an in-depth description of what that meant. Fans still obsess about Carrie’s relationship with the toxic Big and her second choice, Aiden. After six seasons, two films, and a reboot, the original Sex and The City is still watched and beloved, even with episodes and plotlines that would likely not make it to air today.

UPN followed with Girlfriends (2000), and HBO again with Girls (2012), both about close-knit groups of friends with intertwining lives. Women saw themselves in storylines about being left by unfaithful partners, fired from jobs, betrayed by friends, and crushed by the places they loved to live. Audiences were inspired by the idea of female friendship conquering all, despite arguments and disagreements about finances, boyfriends, and responsibilities. Writers’ rooms felt comfortable exploring plotlines beyond marital statuses, some with more success and consistency than others.

Tracy Oliver’s Harlem on Amazon Prime: A Fresh Take on The Four-Girl Formula

While Harlem chronicles the careers, friendships, and love lives of four girlfriends living in New York City, similarly to other shows, the exceptional writing and relatable characters make it a must-watch. Our protagonist, Camille, narrates ala Carrie Bradshaw but with a more compelling spin, as she introduces most episodes through an anthropological lens. As she’s an assistant professor of anthropology at Columbia, Camille often analyzes the world around her as she navigates her career and love life, and her friends do the same.

Audiences love to watch cringey character moments like Carrie Bradshaw losing a pair of $400 shoes or Hanna Horvath refusing to sell out as a writer and work for a magazine, but Harlem presents refreshing scenarios where women are actively learning and growing from their mistakes, making them feel more relatable and grounded.

(Some spoilers ahead for season one of the show.)

In season one, Camille struggles with her ex (Tyler Lepley) being engaged to someone else while trying to win over her new supervisor (Whoopi Goldberg). Tye experiences medical racism from a doctor after going to the hospital with intense pain, challenging the audience to examine the trope of the “strong black woman.” Quinn struggles with being taken seriously by her wealthy mother, and Angie continues to pursue her dreams as an aspiring singer, despite it being an unrealistic career path.

Similar to Manhattan in Sex and the City and Brooklyn in Girls, the neighborhood of Harlem also essentially plays a character on the show. Shot predominately in real-life Harlem, the show weaves the story of the area’s gradual gentrification into the plot, touching on real-life problems that residents face. As of the summer of 2022, the Harlem crew was spotted filming season two on Striver’s Row, the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and W 149th Street, and in front of a mural titled “Harlem Ever After.”

NYFA Alum Tracy Oliver’s Harlem Premieres Season Two

NYFA alum Tracy Oliver, showrunner for Harlem, drew from many of her own experiences to write it, calling it her “most personal project yet.” Known for her work on Girls Trip (2017), The Sun is Also a Star (2019), The First Wives Club (2021), and her upcoming horror film, The Blackening (2022), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, Harlem continues to make magic with season two, now available to stream on Amazon Prime.

Featuring Meagan Good (Shazam!, Think Like A Man) as Camille, Jerrie Johnson (Good Trouble) as Tye, Grace Byers (The Blackening, Empire) as Quinn, and Shoniqua Shandai (I Am The Night) as Angie, the show has a Black principal cast and also stars Sullivan Jones, Jasmine Guy, and Robert Ri’chard. Season two welcomes new cast members Rachel True (The Cosby Show, Dream On), Courtnee Carter (Pose, Law and Order: SUV), and Luke Forbes of Atlanta, Dog, and This Is Us, which also featured NYFA Alum Adlih Torres.

Guest stars include Countess Vaughn, Lil Rel Howery, Rick Fox, and Sherri Shepherd. There’s even a delightful throwback to Cousin Skeeter (1998), the Nickelodeon show that helped spark Good’s and guest star Robert Ri’chard’s acting careers.

Tell Your Own Story at NYFA

Oliver successfully made a familiar television show format feel new again with Harlem. By using her experiences for inspiration, Tracy created characters and plotlines that audiences can resonate with, essential elements of making great television. To learn more about how to write your own television show or pilot and share your story, explore the Screenwriting programs and Filmmaking programs at NYFA.

NYFA Alum Tracy Oliver’s ‘The Blackening’ Trailer Released

Posted on March 1, 2023April 1, 2025 by nyfa

If the Black character always dies first in a horror movie, what happens when all of the characters are Black? It’s a question that NYFA Alum Tracy Oliver poses with The Blackening (2022), a horror film based on a Comedy Central short of the same name. The film premiered at the 2022 Toronto Film Festival (TIFF), receiving three major distribution offers, and was ultimately purchased by Lionsgate. The Blackening trailer was released in March 2023, and the film hits theaters on June 16th.

NYFA Alum Tracy Oliver’s The Blackening Trailer Released

The Blackening trailer shows off an all-star cast that includes Antoinette Robertson from (Dear White People), Sinqua Walls (American Soul), X Mayo (American Auto), Melvin Gregg (Nine Perfect Strangers), Grace Byers (Empire), and Jermaine Fowler (The Drop) as well as Yvonne Orji and Jay Pharaoh, and was second runner-up for the TIFF People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award.

The Blackening: From Comedy Short to Horror Feature

After the short film was sent to Oliver, she had the idea to make the short into a feature film.“I just really, really loved the concept of it,” she said in an interview with Deadline. “The short that I saw was all about who is the blackest, and whoever is the blackest is going to die first, and I just thought there was something really brilliant about that nugget.”

An image of a board game called “The Blackening” shown in the 2022 film. Courtesy of TIFF.

Oliver, who also starred in The Misadventures of an Awkward Black Girl (2011) with NYFA Alum Issa Rae, is known for her work on Girls Trip (2017), The Sun is Also a Star (2019), The First Wives Club (2021), and her Amazon Prime series Harlem (2021). Acting as Producer and Co-Writer, Tracy teamed up with Dewayne Perkins of Brooklyn 99 (2013) and The Amber Ruffin Show (2020) to write the script. Dewayne also stars in the film. With Tim Story of Think Like a Man (2012) directing, the film builds on the initial concept: whoever is the Blackest has to die.

In the 2018 short, a group of friends flee a knife-wielding Michael Myers-like character, leaving their friend Dwayne behind. He is spared when the killer is confused that Dwayne, as well as all of his friends, are Black.

“I fell like a white woman, so he let me go,” Dwayne explains in the film.

The killer tells the group to decide which of them is “the Blackest” and says he will spare the rest. We get arguments from Lisa, who watches Gilmore Girls, and Nnamdi, who is from Africa, but “the part Charlize Theron is from,” and hates seasoning. Finally, the group decides by emptying out their bags to see who has hot sauce. The film develops this idea further, showing what happens when a group of Black friends vacationing at a secluded Airbnb to celebrate Juneteenth are put in peril as they’re pursued by a crazed killer. Just like the short, they’re challenged to examine and rank their Blackness in order to save their lives.

William Marshall as the title character in Blacula (1972). Courtesy of Bloody Disgusting.

The History of Black Characters in Horror

While very funny, the short and the film also demonstrate that when filmmakers write horror for film, Black characters are based on stereotypes and often used to scare, are sacrificed, or further the plot for white protagonists. Throughout horror film history, filmmakers have exploited fear of Blackness in films like King Kong (1933) and Candyman (1992). Black characters die (not always first) in Spider Baby (1967), Beware! The Blob (1972), The Shining (1980), and throughout the Friday the 13th, Scream, and Nightmare on Elm Street franchises.

“It’s high time for filmgoers to recognize the racist undertones of using Black characters as foils, particularly in horror films,” says Denise Hamilton, NYFA Documentary Filmmaking Instructor. “Years ago, I remember distinctly feeling dismayed when seeing actor Duane Jones killed off at the end of Night of the Living Dead, and thinking how awful that this hero was a suspect because of his Blackness. He wasn’t given a chance to clear himself because Black people are often considered criminal in nature and automatically deemed guilty.”

Even when Black characters in horror are spared, such as Keith David in The Thing (1982), Brandy in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998), Duane Martin in Scream 2, they serve as a sidekick and sounding board to the main (white) character. These tropes expand to other film genres and television shows, notably in the Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, and X-Men franchises, as well as in Ghost (1990), The Green Mile (1999), American Horror Story: Coven (2013), and even A Christmas Story (1983).

Brandy Norwood as Carla in “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998).” Courtesy of IMDB.

“We’re often among the first to get killed, or we simply aren’t there,” says Entertainment Journalist Stacey Yvonne of Black Girl Nerds about the horror genre in a review of Oliver’s upcoming 2022 film.

The Future of Horror

Films like The Girl with All the Gifts (2016), Get Out (2017), The First Purge (2018), Us (2019), Atlantics (2019), His House (2020), Black Box (2020), and Nope (2022), show that there’s an audience eager to see horror films with diverse, fleshed out characters.

“We’ve shifted from being the focal point of the fear to being the heroes,” says Robin R. Means Coleman in Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror (2021), a Shudder original documentary film based on her novel that examines Black representation in horror.

While The Blackening sends an important message about Black characters in horror films, Oliver also hopes that audiences also will have fun watching the movie. “I want people to go out with their friends, and laugh, and have a good time. That, to me, is a success of a movie,’ she says.

We congratulate Tracy on all of her success, and based on The Blackening trailer, we can’t wait to see the movie!