Personal Narrative: My Vivid Imagination In Film

Much like other African American artisans, Zora Neale Hurston, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Debbie Allen, it is my goal to bring awareness to issues plaguing our community. While volunteering during the Flint water drive project, I realized that the first key to change is consciousness. During this experience, I envisioned a documentary about the residents of Flint, to show the world the plight of people who resemble me. More than ever before, I reflected on the women who have been able to make similar impacts through writing, poetry, comedy and film. I want to be one of those

Let me tell the story of a little girl who grew up loving film. I vividly remember sitting at the foot of my mother’s bed watching television movies on our old big box TV. I grew up with chronic Asthma, so as a child I would often find comfort in moving images on the screen as the continuous hums from the nebulizer soothe me and the steroids released my constricted airways. Around the age of six I learned to give myself Asthma treatments without waking my working single mother. I would come into my mother’s room for comfort as she slept, gather my medicine, turn on the television, and escape to a world that was full of wonder. This was when I first fell in love with film.

Stories are magic; that’s what my old literature told me. They can transport you to the furthest reaches of space, to the far distant past, to the arms of a lover, to the death of your comrades, even if it is all a lie. He was right: Stories are magic, they are the one magical thing we have in this world. Movies are the best way to tell a story; to show the world your story, to make your story -- your lie, you untrue truth -- beautiful, to make it terrible, ugly, bold, stunning, unbelievable, and most importantly, to make them real. I love film. It is my passion, my life; I was raised on them, before I could walk my mom had put Star Wars in my little VHS tv. I know I am meant to make movies, but in their current state, they infuriate me.

Acting moves me to explore and reflect the curiosities I have for the beauty and the ugliness of the human condition, and the big questions that affect the world. I want to use my passion for acting to be a storyteller, an artist, a communicator, a commentator that provokes thought and creates conversation from an audience through theatre, film, television, song, and radio, on life and on what connects us to the world around us. Acting is therapeutic, so magical, and a great adventure to me; there is not a thing that excites, fulfills me, or that I enjoy doing more than

When I was four or five, my parents decided to take us, my siblings and I, to disneyland. Well I didn’t actually know because I woke up right away when we were already inside the resort. As a little kid I thought that I had powers like The Incredibles. So I thought I transported them to Disneyland. I don’t remember much but I know that I met many of my favorite characters from the disney movies. I remember that I met Goofy, Mulan and The Incredibles. I only met Mr. and Mrs. Incredibles but not violet, dash or jack-jack. I can also remember meeting A Bug’s Life characters. After meeting them we just got inside the theater and we watched a musical that I can’t remember about. My brother would take me with him to the scary rides. I don’t remember

I grew up in Anaheim, California dreaming about being an astronaut, a store clerk, a Powerpuff Girl, and an actress. Unfortunately, none of those dreams ever made it past a few months before I decided I wanted to do something else. When I was in high school, I was introduced into the world of theatre. Being a part of the theatre company at my high school allowed me to explore a world that allows everyone to express their creativity. If it wasn’t for my first theatre class I would’ve never found my love of theatre and film.

As a lover of stories, cultures, and identities, I have been infatuated by movies. Films allow for anybody to peer into any facet of life they choose, and I intend on studying exactly that so I can one day make them myself.

Acting, for me, has always been an investigation of the human experience. I want to know what makes people tick, why people act and react to life in the way that they do, and how I can use that knowledge to influence the world around me. Through my study of acting, I hope to expand my abilities as an artist as well as my role as a participant in the 21st Century. I am confident that the people in my life have provided me with traits that push me to excel, and I want to use my career to start conversations about different perspectives. My excitement for the future at this moment is almost as great as my desire to absorb everything about this life

Yet, stories remain untold when people don’t watch them as well. The movie Dead Poet’s Society is a movie for romantics. People who can open their eyes to the world, but still keep dreaming. It's the cinematography, that guides our brain into that dream, the camera shots that puts us into that fantasy and the light that we follow into the deepest corners of our imagination. This movie taught me, to see beyond the shallow part of filmmaking, and to look beneath the mainstream storyline. To have a dream, and to live that dream is an alluring thing and as I watched this movie, I realized that it's ok to dream, to live in your imagination and to use the camera and lights to create that experience. To say it in the most simplest of terms, and the most basic of definitions; Don’t be afraid to stand up, on top of that desk and say “Oh Captain, my Captain” (Dead Poet’s Society) even if you're the quietest person in that

Anyway, back to Spencer. I was leaning against the wall, and then I someone ran into me. I stumbled and fell sideways, right into Spencer. For a couple seconds I couldn’t figure out what happened. All I knew was my head kinda of hurt and there was beer spilled all over my shirt. Someone held out a hand and pulled me up. That someone was Vivian. At the time, the only thing I knew about Vivian was that she scared the shit out of me. Two years prior to that day, she looked a lot like Alice, actually. Cute blonde hair, bright blue eyes, wore little dresses to school. Then she changed. She died her hair black, got a nose piercing, and I hadn’t seen her in a dress since. I hadn’t even talked to her in several years when she pulled my beer-soaked

The Departed was made in criminal genre and it is my favorite genre of movies and books, especially when everything looks so logical and harmoniously. There are a lot of death and unexpected turns, what makes you worry every minute of movie. The Departed has everything for success, criminal authority, cops, unexpected turns and naturalness of

We semi-finished our meals and I was shocked. He actually did remember. Macoroni and cheese. Specifically what I oredered that day, the first day we met. Three years seems so far.

“Two things before we go any further: the fucks a plain of existence, and exactly how do YOU handle souls?” She stood up and started to walk to the middle of the street. “I really don’t feel like just explaining it to you so I’ll just show you.” When she arrived at the middle of the street, she stopped and turned to me. After a few seconds she put her right hand on her hip and in a sassy manner she said,” I can’t show you something that you can’t see, so get the fuck over here.” So I steadily pushed myself up with the help of the light pole I was against. When I was almost up, Torva gave out a bored sigh and snapped her fingers. I was then teleported right next to her, but I hadn’t let go of the light pole so I fell straight on my ass. Torva

Old beat up trailers, the neighbors were druggies and the landlord was creepy, composed my trailer park life: it wasn’t all that great, but living in this particular trailer park was all we could afford at the time. When we moved it was our first time moving since my little sister was born, so I wasn’t ready to move into a new place. First of all, I didn’t like the thought of living here because we went from living in a four bedroom house to a two bedroom trailer. My family has six people in it; a two bedroom trailer was crowded for all seven of us, living there was like a hundred sardines trying to fit into one tight can (well, without that awful smell). Anyway, the trailer park had a creek by it ,so when I have my an attitude with my mother

This skill has been worked up through watching and working with different directors, which I have gotten the chance to do through my advanced theatre group and movie roles I have taken on. This has given me a broaden view of how you can come about as a director.