As a part of our yearlong sequence on Sundance filmmakers, The Independents, we requested individuals to maintain a diary of in the future of their working life and submit an accompanying self-portrait. At the moment’s diary is from Thembi Banks (“Younger. Wild. Free.”), who’s in pursuit of a number of episodic and have directing gigs.
6 a.m. I’m undoubtedly nonetheless asleep. I’m not a morning particular person. In reality, I’m a proud, card-carrying, full-fledged evening owl. That’s once I come alive. I conjure up a few of my greatest concepts, get misplaced doing analysis and devour a typically unhealthy quantity of tv and movie. My present obsession is the present “Billions.” I stayed up till about midnight, marveling on the levity, tempo and measured assurance they’ve established on the present.
8 a.m. My 2-year-old son is my alarm clock. He’s additionally a budding evening owl who typically stays up well beyond his bedtime. I say a silent prayer — grateful for merely waking up and for having breath in my lungs. I additionally say a prayer, asking for peace, love and safety over my son and household. Then I meditate … or at the very least I attempt to. Like many artistic folks, I strive laborious to only concentrate on one factor, or nothing in any respect, and slowly however absolutely, my thoughts turns into crowded with ideas, recollections, fears, nervousness. Earlier than it, I’m questioning the place my blue shirt is … I haven’t seen it shortly.
9:30 a.m. I’m on the fitness center. Cardio and weightlifting have change into part of my routine as soon as the writers’ strike started. So many people tried to search out issues to take the sting off. This grew to become my factor.
11 a.m. At dwelling prepping for my conferences. I rewatch episodes of a tv sequence that I’ve an interview for later. I’m assembly with the creator and producers for a chance to direct an episode. I research the digital camera language, the performances and brush up on the storylines. I leap to scenes and episodes that I bear in mind I appreciated when first watching and make psychological notes of issues I’d like to speak about and questions I’ve.
Midday Smoothie and low. Nonetheless watching the present, I pull up the director’s look e-book I’m about to current to a really prolific producer. I’ll be strolling him by way of my imaginative and prescient and getting his suggestions and notes earlier than we current it to the studio within the coming weeks. This look e-book is for a function script I examine two months in the past that I fell in love with. The producer watched “Younger. Wild. Free.” and he cherished it. Lots of the conferences I’ve had as a director this yr have come from individuals who noticed my movie at Sundance and needed to get to know me. The sensation of pleasure as I speak about premiering on the pageant by no means will get previous. Regardless of who I’m talking with, I get a way that they’re genuinely excited and completely happy that I’ve achieved such a significant milestone. Every time I get a rush of the sensation I had once I was in Park Metropolis. I suppose I’ll at all times have these moments when the dialog comes up and I hope, even when it’s only for a couple of seconds, I cease and take the time to really feel that feeling another time.
1 p.m. The assembly in regards to the look e-book is basically a observe pitch. I stroll him by way of every slide and clarify my visible method to the movie. Pitching is performing. Fortunately for me, I studied theater and I’m a skilled actor. It’s enjoyable to indicate photographs and start to think about what the movie might feel and appear like, the way it might have an effect on folks and what moments will stand out. It’s the a part of prepping as a director that I truly love. Each time this producer and I get collectively, we’ve got a good time. He shares some notes and edits that I like and I comply with make them by the next week.
2 p.m. One other Zoom name, this time with one other producer for a function movie script I learn and appreciated. These two movies couldn’t be extra totally different. The earlier assembly was a few romantic drama; this one is an motion thriller. In the case of genres and forms of tales, I’m so broad open. For me, the pillars of a fantastic venture are layered and nuanced characters, a singular and compelling story and a central theme I can join with deeply. Within the assembly we discuss in regards to the story, some modifications the manufacturing firm desires to make to the script and a few casting concepts.
3 p.m. A fast, home made, wholesome lunch — attempting new recipes I discover on YouTube additionally grew to become a strike coping mechanism — and a examine in on one in all my group chats. Rattling! Eighty-seven missed textual content messages. Now I’m frantically scrolling attempting to make amends for a morning’s price of gossip, humorous movies and memes, thought-provoking philosophy and the compulsory vent session. This explicit group chat feeds my soul. It’s a tiny circle of individuals I like, belief and worth. We uplift one another in methods solely those that are in our business can. We perceive the distinctiveness of what we do and in addition perceive it’s not all we do. We go in on meals, relationships and embarrassing moments from our childhoods.
3:30 p.m. A quick name a few pilot I’m creating from a brief that screened at … Sundance in 2020.
4:30 p.m. The interview for the episodic directing gig. It goes nicely … despite the fact that I later came upon I didn’t get the job, which in some way nonetheless doesn’t change my perspective that the assembly went nicely. Weirdly, typically good conferences don’t result in a job and typically not-so-good conferences do.
6 p.m. I kiss my child boy and anticipate my husband to get dwelling. We go for a stroll whereas I take heed to how his day went. He’s a author for a TV present. The beauty of being married to somebody who can also be a author is, after a protracted day of telling my tales, I get to take heed to another person inform theirs.