‘New Creatives on the Block’ was a series curated for the ERIC Fest: Storytelling. Young writer, Deborah Shorindé, asked senior writer, Kashman Harris, her burning questions. Here are the answers…
1) Why now? Why should young creatives pursue a creative career in your field in 2019?
I'd say now, because not only are the bigger companies making more headway for independent talent, initiatives from Film London, BFI and a few others can give you great support with the right script. It’s the most communicative time in our history, social media being a bastion for self promotion and finding other creatives, it's almost never been easier to write your own script and find a set of hungry filmmakers who are willing to help the vision come to life. It's about not being afraid to connect with others, share your work, don't hide it...
2) What's next? What are some emerging trends in your field that you're really excited about?
In terms of writing, there's definitely a wave of self awareness that's permeating. Think Phoebe Waller Bridge with her style of breaking the 4th wall in Fleabag. Or on a commercial level, films like Deadpool and some of the newer Marvel films. Essentially it gives room to allow your characters to know they're stating to obvious, a nice technique for crossing the bridge of understanding between character and audience.
3) Have you experienced imposter syndrome as a creative? How do you deal with this?
Mainly when it gets to the 2nd/3rd draft stage, effectively you're unsure if the continued work is going to be as impactful, maybe the drafts get worse as you go on? Remember you'll never know until someone else reads it. Ultimately it's a mix of nerves and anxiety, but to get through it? You have to keep going. Re-orient yourself and make sure you've fully fleshed out the story - preparation is often the best way to combat this.
A bit about Kashman…
Kashman started as an Actor, traded it for writing, realised he likes Directing too. There's just something captivating about being a catalyst for actors and pulling out raw emotions, but then there's also the desire to be as pleasing on the eye as far as symmetry can take you.
He’s seen all sides of the field from the insides out, so when he’s not locked away writing the next film and assessing his beard growth, he’s using his little pool of film knowledge to Assistant Direct and be the engine for a well oiled film set.
A bit about Deborah…
Deborah Shorindé is a creative freelancer and an audio producer, who draws from her experiences growing up in London & Toronto. Her work explores the intersections between womanhood, community & diaspora - while also documenting her penchant for sunlight and SZA.