ISSA
RAE
Teaches Creating
Outside the Lines
AWKWARD
& PROUD
Issa Rae has become one of the most formidable voices
in young Hollywood by staying true to herself and her vision
younger, I knew
I loved to tell stories', Issa Rae says.
In a way, the first show Issa –
award-winning comedic actress,
screenwriter, showrunner, author
and entrepreneur – ever directed
was one that starred her family
and took place around the dinner
table. She commanded her parents
and four siblings to perform as one
another. She was six years old.
That passion would fuel her
through a roving childhood, during
which she seemed to spend every
other year moving. Born Jo-Issa Rae
Diop, she grew up in View Park, Los
Angeles, Potomac, Maryland, and
Dakar, Senegal (where her father
was born). Eventually, the family
returned to Los Angeles, settling in
the affluent Black neighbourhood
of Windsor Hills/View Park. Feeling
like an outsider shaped Issa’s identity – the one that would make her a
star – as a self-proclaimed awkward
Black girl.
'The word awkward just resonated
with how I thought I was,' she says.
'It felt like an identity to me.
I always felt like I was between two
worlds until I started to just forge my
own identity and declare who I was'.
Issa found comfort in television. Coming of age in the 1990s, a
golden age for Black programming
' W H E N I WA S
1
on major networks, she saw people
who looked like her navigating
life’s common crises and triumphs
– moving to a new city (The Fresh
Prince of Bel-Air), attending college
(A Different World), nerding out
(Family Matters), taking a stand
(Moesha), or just plain being funny
(Kenan & Kel). She loved movies,
too – the early 2000s cult classic
Love & Basketball was a favourite—
and she started acting in earnest
during high school.
She kept working on her directing and writing skills, too. As an
undergrad at Stanford University, Issa directed an adaptation of
Spike Lee’s School Daze and started
filming a web mockumentary called
Dorm Diaries with her friends. The
series got thousands of views on
YouTube, spreading across campus
and then on to Georgetown and
Harvard via Facebook. Issa was
struck by how these platforms gave
her direct access to an audience.
After graduation, she landed a
fellowship at the prestigious Public
Theater in New York. She moved
to the city, intent on making independent short films while pitching
Dorm Diaries to MTV and BET.
Those plans fell to pieces, Issa
says, when her Manhattan flat was
burgled. The thieves cleared out
everything – her laptops, camera,
scripts, and pitch reel. Devastated and in debt, she continued to
attend industry networking events
but struggled to make connections.
Once again, she returned to Los
Angeles and moved back in with
her parents, seeking comfort in
comedy television. Watching The
Office and Curb Your Enthusiasm,
she kept wondering: Where are all
the Black people?
Issa still felt like an outsider –
always the outsider. But instead of
shying away, she decided to just go
with it in her writing. She channelled her neuroses and idiosyncrasies into J, a character who had
been in the back of her mind since
her alienating experiences on the
East Coast. Issa cast herself in the
role and made J the protagonist of
a new web series called Awkward
Black Girl, which she also wrote
and produced.
'It was very off the cuff', Issa
says of the show. 'I was creating
it because I was desperate to get
this character out there. I realised
that that archetype was a void that
other people were noticing, and
that definitely became apparent to
me when I read an article that was
basically like, "Where’s the Black
Liz Lemon?" '
The series debuted on YouTube
in 2011. Issa’s fresh take on the
Black leading lady quickly gained
a viral following; the first episode
racked up nearly 2 million views,
and a midseason crowdfunding
campaign raised more than $50,000
to keep the show going. Critical
acclaim followed. Awkward Black
Girl won a Shorty Award for best
web series, and Issa partnered with
Pharrell Williams to air the second
season through his budding YouTube channel.
By then, she’d quit her day job
to focus on acting, writing, and
directing full-time. In 2013, she
'The word
awkward
resonated
with how
I thought
I was.'
began working on a new pilot for
HBO – what would become Insecure – alongside comedy television
veteran Larry Wilmore (the Daily
Show correspondent and creator of
The Bernie Mac Show). She inked
a book deal with Simon & Schuster, which published her memoir,
called The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, in 2015. It became
a New York Times bestseller, and
that same year, HBO ordered the
Insecure pilot to series.
The show follows Issa playing
a semiautobiographical version of
herself, and her best friend, Molly,
a successful corporate lawyer
played by Yvonne Orji, as they
navigate their late 20s in modern-day Los Angeles. It continues
building on elements of Awkward
Black Girl while diving deeper
into the complexities of career,
romance, racial identity, and female friendships – and the many
humorous moments therein.
When Insecure premiered on HBO
in 2016, Issa became the first Black
woman to helm an original scripted
series for the premium cable channel. The show signalled a full renaissance for Black television, which had
gained momentum with the success
of network shows like Scandal, How
to Get Away With Murder, Empire,
and Black-ish. Issa’s work on Insecure
earned her Emmy and Golden Globe
nominations, and turned her into
one of the most visible multihyphenate talents in Hollywood.
And she hasn’t let up. In recent
years, Issa has starred in a Netflix
original movie and a handful of other
films, hosted Saturday Night Live and
the CFDA Fashion Awards, fronted a CoverGirl beauty campaign,
launched a record label, appeared in
the music videos for Jay-Z’s 'Moonlight' and Drake’s 'Nice for What',
joined Time’s 100 Most Influential
People and Forbes’s list of 30 Under 30, and posed for the covers of
3
'I read an
article that
was like,
"Where’s
the Black
Liz Lemon?”'
Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Essence, GQ,
Teen Vogue, and CRWN magazine.
All the while, she’s continued to
prioritise Black storytelling, uplifting and challenging audiences
around the globe. She’s used her
influence to engage in activism,
too. ColorCreative, a digital platform-turned-management company
that Issa cofounded in 2014, provides resources to emerging female
and minority screenwriters. She
started a scholarship fund for the
children of Alton Sterling, a Black
man who was shot dead by police
in Louisiana, raising more than
$700,000. And she’s consistently
drawn attention to the problems of
systemic racism, both in Hollywood
and outside of it.
'Entertainers in the past have
been relegated to the role of enter-
The Many
Hats of
Issa Rae
From actress to
investor to the voice
of Google Assistant
(yes, really), Issa is
all sorts of talented
Creator
Author
Dorm
Diaries,
Fly Guys
Present
the F Word,
The Misadventures of
Awkward
Black Girl,
Insecure
The Misadventures of
Awkward
Black Girl
Executive
Producer
How Men
Become
Dogs, Little
Horribles,
Inside Web
Series,
Roomieloverfriends,
The Choir
tainment', Issa said at the University
of Michigan’s MLK Symposium,
where she was a guest speaker. 'I
feel like there's now too much at
stake to be silent'.
She believes that having a voice
– and translating it to the screen –
can lead to revolutionary creative
endeavours. Through this class, she
hopes to help you find your inspiration, learn to be resourceful, diver-
sify your skill set, and empower
yourself and those around you. She
wants to present practical tools for
doing so, too, from creating multidimensional characters to polishing
and pitching a new pilot.
Don’t know the ins and outs of
the creative process? Issa says that’s
okay: 'Learning is the best part'.
And if you’re a little awkward?
All the better.
Actress
Insecure,
The Hate U
Give, Little,
The Photograph, The
Lovebirds,
Coastal
Elites
Investor
Raedio, Hilltop Coffee
+ Kitchen,
Streamlytics
Cameos
The music
videos for
Pharrell’s
'Happy',
Jay-Z’s
'Moonlight',
Drake’s 'Nice
for What',
D Smoke’s
'Lights On';
the voice
of Google
Assistant
5
1
Speak Out Loud
According to cognitive
behavioural therapy
studies, self-dialogue has
been proven to reduce
stress and help regulate
emotions. Ground yourself by standing in front of
a mirror and taking deep
breaths while making eye
contact with yourself. As
you’re talking, try taking a
figurative step back and
addressing yourself in
the third person (by your
name rather than by 'I' or
'me') – one study shows
that doing so can provide
psychological distance
from stress and negative
emotions.
2
PHOTO-ILLUSTRATIONS: JOSUE EVILLA
Be Your Own
Biggest Fan
Great pep talks boost
morale – it’s right there in
the name – so it’s important to speak to yourself
with kindness. Silence
your inner critic by using
empathetic language;
praise, encouragement,
and gratitude create the
foundation of support
you need to get going.
'I think you should always
be your biggest hype
man, woman, or person', Issa says. 'And you
should embrace that.
If you’re not excited
about what you’re doing,
nobody else will be. So
get excited'.
MIRROR,
MIRROR
Mastering the art of the pep talk
Insecure is known for hyping herself up. In one of the series’ recurring bits,
she stands in front of her bathroom mirror and
gets herself jazzed up before a work function or a
big date. Usually she freestyles a little verse. It’s a
clever narrative device that’s grounded in reality.
'I love a pep talk to myself', Issa says. 'It’s
encouraging. If nobody else is gonna do it, you'd
better believe I’m gonna do it for me. It just gets
me motivated and energised'.
She’s not alone. Pep talks have been scientifically proven to boost morale, bring goals into
focus, and encourage teamwork. Here are six tips
for delivering a winning inspirational monologue
to yourself – rhyming optional.
ISSA’S CHARACTER ON
3
4
Define the actions needed to accomplish your
goal, ensuring you’re
clear on how to proceed.
Explain the steps to yourself in actionable, concise terms. This will help
you visualise a path to
success, put each move
along the way into perspective, and keep you
from drowning in excuses. 'Stop thinking about
all the ways that you can’t
do something and start
thinking about the ways
that you can', says Issa.
'That’s the only way that
you’re gonna do it'.
Focus on where your
game plan leads, and
keep your eye on the
prize. By being direct
about what you hope
to achieve, you reduce
the risk of getting sidetracked. You might also
want to share your goals
with someone you admire
or whose path is similar to
the one you want to take –
one study from The Ohio
State University shows
that people who verbalise
their goals to someone
they respect are more
likely to stay committed
to those goals.
Be Clear About
Your Game Plan
Articulate Your
Desired Outcome
5
Make a Checklist
Whether analog or digital,
create a list that can act as
a visual representation of
your responsibilities as
well as a log of your
achievements. Making a
list helps build momentum as you cross items off.
Issa says she writes down
goals that she wants to
accomplish each year.
'Sometimes those are
things that I can accomplish this year, or they’re
things that I can accomplish over my lifetime', she
adds. 'I’m constantly
checking that list and
adding to it or subtracting
and changing my mind.
But I love to feel like I’m
accomplishing what I set
out to do'.
6
Forgive Yourself
for Mistakes
Nobody gets it perfect
the first time, every time,
always. If you fall short,
figure out where you went
wrong, and try again.
'Some shots just aren’t for
you to make', Issa says.
'I have a strong belief
that what’s made for you
is yours, and that really
drives me. Even though
it may hurt at that
moment, telling myself
"That just wasn’t my
opportunity" makes a
world of difference'.
RIDE
OR
DIE
A brief history of Black
female friendships on the
small screen
in
2016, it brought a renewed focus
on Black female friendships to
the small screen. But for nearly a
decade, the television landscape
was particularly bleak in terms of
representation: Black women of
the world weren’t seeing the female
relationships in their lives meaningfully reflected in Hollywood, even
on series starring Black women as
the lead (Scandal, How to Get Away
With Murder, Empire).
'I think for such a long time,
I just was not seeing great Black
female friendships on television',
Issa observed during a panel hosted by Deadline before the second
season premiere of Insecure. 'It
was constantly about tearing one
another down or throwing shade.
There are elements of that, but for
the most part, Black women are
essential to my life'.
Before Insecure, very few, if any,
major television series had centred
around Black female friendships
since Mara Brock Akil’s long-running sitcom Girlfriends went off the
air in 2008 (by way of comparison,
consider the myriad series that
portrayed white female friendships: Sex and the City, Friends,
Girls, 2 Broke Girls – the list goes
on). Akil’s show, which ran for eight
WHEN INSECURE DEBUTED
7
seasons on UPN and later the CW,
chronicled the trials and triumphs
of a quartet of twentysomething
young professionals –Joan, Toni,
Maya, and Lynn – living and dating
in Los Angeles. It was revolutionary
in its realistic portrayal of different
types of Black women, in terms of
both socioeconomic reality and
individual personality.
Girlfriends was working within
a successful tradition. During the
1990s, Yvette Lee Bowser’s sitcom Living Single, starring Queen
Latifah as a high-powered New
York magazine publisher, was a
ratings hit for Fox (Latifah has
said the series laid the groundwork
for Friends, which debuted on the
same network 13 months later).
The show followed the personal
and professional lives of a group of
friends sharing a Brooklyn brownstone: Khadijah, Synclaire, Maxine
and Regina, alongside male friends
(and occasional love interests)
Overton and Kyle. Bowser made
history as the first Black woman to
develop a hit prime-time series.
Living Single ran for five seasons
and was among the most popular series of its era. It came on
the heels of A Different World, an
NBC spin-off of The Cosby Show
in which Lisa Bonet’s character,
Denise Huxtable, sets off for the
fictional college Hillman (modelled
after historical Black universities,
like Howard). Broadcast from 1987
to 1993, the series explored collegiate life through a group of friends
and left an indelible mark on pop
culture, helping the careers of several notable stars, including Sinbad
and Jada Pinkett Smith.
For more than 30 years, audiences have consistently tuned in to
programmes focused on the lives
and relationships of Black women.
So it’s remarkable that Insecure
is among the few scripted series
dedicated to that type of storytelling today. But the success of the
show – and of Issa – seems to have
caught the attention of networks
and producers.
Black friendship is at the core
of more recent shows like Michaela Coel’s BBC One drama I May
Destroy You, Lena Waithe’s Twenties on BET, Netflix’s Dear White
People, and Kenya Barris’s Grownish, a spin-off of ABC’s hit sitcom
Black-ish. Issa hopes this movement
reinforces the critical role Black creators play in telling nuanced stories
about varying experiences of racial
identity – and impacts the next
generation of writers and directors,
much in the same way Living Single
and Girlfriends impacted her.
'There’s something so special
about being able to grow up in a
generation where you have a canon
of Black directors, film, TV shows
and talent', she says. 'I think as a
child when you’re developing your
sense of self, it is important to be
able to see people who look like you
to not feel like an oddball. I can’t
imagine not growing up with
those images'.
'When you’re developing
your sense of self, it is
important to see people
who look like you'.
9
THE PILOT WRITING LAB
ISSA RAE x
SHONDA RHIMES
I N T H E S U M M E R O F 2 0 1 2 , Issa
had the opportunity to pitch a show to
Shonda Rhimes, MasterClass instructor
and the powerhouse writer-showrunner
behind Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, Private
Practice, and How to Get Away With
Murder. The pilot? I Hate LA Dudes, a
comedy about an aspiring journalist
learning to navigate the Los Angeles
dating scene while also cohosting an
internet talk show with three men. Shonda loved the concept and sold the show
to ABC, but ultimately the network
passed on the project.
The failure shook Issa. But the
experience of working (and pitching)
alongside a modern television icon
like Shonda offered a silver lining. 'The
Shonda process was, like, the best shit
that happened to me', Issa told Vulture,
'because it gave me confidence to feel
like, "Oh, I can do this" '.
You can do this, too. On the following
pages, Issa and Shonda offer their advice,
practical and philosophical, for developing,
writing, pitching and revising your first
pilot. Pick up a notebook and settle in.
The show’s just getting started.
ISSA RAE x SHONDA RHIMES
THE PILOT WRITING FAQ
Start by getting a firm grasp of the basics
1
What is a
pilot? Is this the
same thing as
a treatment or
show bible?
A pilot is the first
episode of a television
series. It’s meant to grab
the attention of whomever you’re pitching to,
emphasise what makes
your show interesting
or unique, and demonstrate what the series
will say to an audience.
Pilot episodes are crucial, since they’re what
hook the viewer. They
also set up your characters and storyline for an
entire season. Translation: A pilot script needs
to be strong.
A treatment is
different. It provides
an explanation of your
show’s setting, main
characters, and storyline. Every treatment
should include a title,
logline, synopsis, summary of episodes, and
character bios. Meanwhile, the show bible
– also called a story
bible or a series bible
– is a larger document
containing outlines for
every episode in the first
season and ideas for
how the show could be
expanded into multiple
seasons. Writing a show
bible forces you to think
beyond the pilot episode
and can help you see the
bigger picture of your
show idea.
2
What are the
essential
components
of a pilot?
First, understand that
there used to be a lot of
rules for writing television. The procedural
crime drama, the halfhour sitcom, the workplace comedy – each
had a prescribed set of
guidelines. Today, given
11 the many platforms
on which shows can
exist, almost any type
of storytelling format is
possible. Still, both Issa
and Shonda recommend knowing what the
rules were (and are) so
you know which ones
you’re breaking (if you
choose to do so).
Typically, a one-hour
script for network television uses a five-act
structure (see Shonda's
Five-Act Structure on
page 12), with each
act lasting roughly 11
pages. Many half-hour
shows, stage plays,
and feature films use a
streamlined three-act
iteration. While writing
in either version, as you
begin laying out the
plot, it’s helpful to think
about how you want
each act to end. Working out these endings
ahead of time can help
you set up your story
properly rather than
dumping a twist at the
end of an act just for
excitement’s sake.
The other essential
components of your
episode are storylines.
These are expressed in
letter form and in order
of importance: The A
storyline involves your
main character and is
the core of your show,
while the B storyline is
secondary and keeps
the narrative moving
forwards. The C storyline, sometimes referred to as the runner,
holds the least amount
of weight.
'A pilot is just the first
episode of what will be
a multi-season show
– hopefully', Issa says.
'You want to give your
viewers a sense of what
to expect as they’re
watching your series.
As you end this pilot,
what can we expect to
see moving forwards?'
3
What are the
ingredients of a
successful pilot?
'I think every pilot needs
to have compelling
characters, a compelling story, compelling
dialogue, and a great
opening', Shonda says.
She recommends
paying special attention
to your first and last
scenes. She finds it’s
often effective to create
a character who knows
as little as the audience
– maybe they’re new on
the job or to the town,
meeting other characters for the first time.
That way the character can guide viewers
through your show. Issa
adds that it’s important
to make these characters active and not
reactive. Their ideas
and choices should
drive the plot, not those
of the writer.
Try to establish some
critical aspects of your
character’s backstory –
their occupation, their
circumstances, their
social entanglements
– within the first five
pages of your pilot.
Introducing some type
of conflict early on (a
death, a divorce, a fractured relationship) can
help reveal these types
of details and pull in the
viewer. Don’t fully resolve whatever conflict
you introduce within the
pilot, though, and don’t
meander away from
the central dramatic
tensions.
'You should leave the
pilot with questions and
just enough satisfaction to be like, "I’m glad
I watched this, I want
to see what happens
next" ', Issa says. 'That
balance is so crucial'.
Shonda’s Five-Act Structure
(in 60 Seconds)
Act I Introduce your characters and
present the problem.
Act II Escalate the problem.
Act III Have the worst-case scenario
happen.
Act IV Start the clock ticking (a.k.a.
create a sense of urgency).
Act V Have the characters reach
their moment of victory.
Issa’s Pilot-Writing
Blueprint (in 60 Seconds)
Character Setup Make your
character active, and give them a
strong sense of self. What decisions
are they making to move the story
forwards?
Why Today? Why does your story
start when it does? Is your main
character sick and they just found
out? Is it their birthday? What’s
going on in their life at this particular
moment?
Conflict If your character is coasting,
your show will be boring. Create
a sense of tension to keep your
audience engaged.
Setting Up Your Series Why will the
viewer keep watching your series?
What are you building towards?
Have you set up enough conflict to
carry an entire season?
12
ISSA RAE x SHONDA RHIMES
PREP
WORK
Looking to the past to
prepare you for the future
BEFOR E YO U STA RT writing, consider brushing up
on your television history. Rewatch pilot episodes
from different eras and disparate genres. Take note
of how the pilot-writing approach has changed over
time, and identify the common trends and themes.
What caused those changes? Why were certain
shows successful? Why did others fall flat? Issa recommends focusing on how these pilots each answer
a central question, a question that every producer or
television executive will ask you: Why today?
'I used to hate that question until I got on the
other side and started reading pilots', Issa says. 'Any
story can be told. But you’re always gonna wonder,
"Why am I watching this? Why am I coming in at this
moment? Why am I following this particular character
and dropping in on this series at this time?" And if you
can answer that, then you kinda have a premise for
your pilot and, ultimately, your series.'
She also recommends some companion reading.
Laura Schellhardt’s Screenwriting for Dummies and
Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat! were two of Issa’s treasured early resources. Want to go a step further? Find
an actual pilot script from a show you enjoy or admire
– websites like Script Reader Pro offer a number of
popular pilots for free, while Script City sells physical
reprints for about $10 – and dissect it.
'If you’re trying to write a script, there is no better
template, no better blueprint, than reading other people’s work', Issa says.
13 16 Great
Pilots
to Watch
Now
From canon
comedies to
revival Westerns,
consider these
series kickoffs
required viewing
1. The
Walking Dead
'Days Gone Bye'
(2010)
2. Cheers
'Give Me a Ring
Sometime' (1982)
3. The West
Wing
'Pilot' (1999)
4. Scandal
'Sweet Baby'
(2012)
5. Twin Peaks
'Northwest
Passage' (1990)
6. Insecure
'Insecure as F**k'
(2016)
7. M*A*S*H
'Pilot' (1972)
8. Deadwood
'Deadwood'
(2004)
9. Crazy
Ex-Girlfriend
'Josh Just
Happens to
Live Here!'
(2015)
10. Orphan Black
'Natural
Selection'
(2013)
11. Atlanta
'The Big Bang'
(2016)
12. Homeland
'Pilot' (2011)
13. Futurama
'Space Pilot
3000'
(1999)
14. The Wire
'The Target'
(2002)
15. Arrested
Development
'Pilot' (2003)
16. Grey’s
Anatomy
'A Hard
Day’s Night'
(2005)
I S SA O N VO I C E - OV E R
'It's convenient: You get to say
what the character is thinking.
But it can feel annoying and
redundant. Show, don't tell'.
Idea vs. Premise
Shonda stresses the difference between an idea and
a premise, using her show Grey’s Anatomy as an example. The idea ('I want to do a show about surgical
interns') doesn’t mean anything. But the premise
('This is a show about female surgical interns, at the
centre of which is Meredith Grey; the story focuses
on the interns’ friendship, competition, and the idea
of living up to their potential') launched one of the
most successful television franchises in history.
'You should be able to tell somebody your
premise in a couple of sentences', Shonda says.
Distilling and sharpening the premise forces you to
make important decisions, like how the story will be
structured and told. For Shonda and Issa, everything is driven by their characters; once you understand them and their journeys, finding a structure
becomes much easier.
A Matter of Facts
Research is key when
it comes to realistically
portraying a profession or time period, or
bringing credibility to
an ostensibly unrealistic scenario. The details you learn by doing
your homework ahead
of writing can also provide ideas for the visual setting, future episodes, and character
development. Shonda
says you must 'be clear
on what kind of story
you’re telling… and be
okay with your level of
authenticity'. Books,
documentaries, and
the internet can all
help your story flourish. Don’t be afraid to
reach out to industry
experts, either, from
historians to lawyers to
scientists – you might
be surprised by who
will lend their perspective (and what you’ll
learn from listening
to their answers).
14
ISSA RAE x SHONDA RHIMES
PITCHING & REVISING
Getting the green light – and beyond
can be developed, you need to
sell it to a network or studio. According to Shonda, an
effective pitch covers a breadth of vital information
(see Shonda’s Simplified Guide to Pitching on page
16) while lasting only five to 10 minutes. It should
be structured and visual, and convey your show’s
concept and central characters. She warns against
suggesting specific actors or music, since you never
know if they have history with the producer or network you’re pitching. Those kinds of thoughts may
distract from the point: your story.
In terms of approach and phrasing, Shonda says
to put yourself in the network or studio’s position.
Ultimately, they want a show they can sell. Here,
it’s important to know your industry. Stay up-todate on which shows are being picked up and what
kind of trends are happening right now, then find
creative ways to describe your own show in marketfriendly terms.
If your show gets the green light, you’ll need
to start reworking your pilot. During this drafting
process, Issa says, notes will come from producers, execs, and other stakeholders. Changes are
going to happen. When she first pitched Insecure
to HBO, it was called Non-Prophet and was primarily a workplace comedy-drama; what’s more,
the character of Molly was only a peripheral figure
in the script. Through nine rewrites, Issa tweaked
the premise, mining new material from expanding
the story outside of the office. Her protagonist’s
nonprofit job remained central to the story, but the
overall focus shifted towards the friendship between Issa and Molly.
That’s not to say you should accept every note
that comes your way. Issa also tried to sell a televiB E FO R E YO U R P I LOT
15 sion adaptation of her web series, Awkward Black
Girl, but producers and executives wanted her to
make the protagonist light-skinned and confident
– changes that would have undermined the show’s
central themes. Clearly, it was a nonstarter.
To achieve a healthy medium when it comes to
feedback, she recommends breaking down notes
piecemeal: Select the best bits and strive to incorporate those changes. Ignore knee-jerk reactions
and hear other people out, but don’t be afraid to
own your show and your voice; if your pilot begins
morphing into something unrecognisable, pull
back on the reins.
'There’s a difference between being confident
and being possessive', Issa says. 'When you’re confident, you know the story that you’re trying to tell,
you feel secure in your vision and your characters.
You have a healthy expectation of the amount of
collaboration that you’re going to undergo. I think
being possessive is a cousin of being controlling….
You feel threatened by any criticism, any advice,
any guidance. And that’s just not healthy for
your project'.
I S SA O N P I TC H I N G
'When you go in to pitch a series,
you have to have who the
characters are, what the world
is, and why you're the person
to tell this particular story'.
The Self-Editor’s
Checklist
When it comes to revisions, Issa and Shonda take very
different approaches. 'I’ll spend a day writing 10 or 15
pages', Shonda says, 'then before I can move on the
next morning, I have to make sure that the 15 pages
I wrote are perfect'. Issa likes to get it all out on the
page, then rewrite as necessary. 'I am just a very impatient person she says. 'And I’m not a perfectionist'. Still,
both screenwriting aces agree: Refining your script is
vital to success. Here’s a quick guide to getting your
pilot in tip-top shape before pitching it.
Shonda’s
Simplified Guide
to Pitching
>S
tart with the premise of
your show.
>E
xplain the world of your show.
> Introduce your characters.
>E
xplain what happens in the pilot.
>S
ay it’s going to be funny, moving,
romantic, or something else.
> Mention how it could set up
future episodes.
>W
rap it up and thank your
listeners.
Read your script
aloud, acting out your
dialogue.
Ask yourself: Is this the
right feel and sound for
my show?
Get somebody to do
a cold read. Don’t
explain the premise
or the characters,
and don’t point out
the problem areas.
Review their notes.
Ask yourself: How can
I address this feedback
without undermining
my idea?
Cut out any extraneous elements that
don’t move the plot
forwards.
Ask yourself: If this
scene or moment
wasn’t in the script,
could the story still be
told while maintaining
its integrity?
I S SA O N R E V I S I N G
Know when the script
is done. At some point,
editing is a game of
diminishing returns.
Ask yourself: Am I
capable of doing or
saying this any better
right now?
'You should not be afraid
to rewrite and rewrite and
rewrite. You don’t have to
know every single detail
about your show. And so
much can change along
the way.'
16
5 MINUTES WITH...
FELICIA
LEATHERWOOD
The Insecure hairstylist on the inspirations behind the series’ fabulous looks
How did you get involved with
the show?
Issa was my client before Insecure. She
basically said, 'Hey, I’m getting ready to
do this show. Would you be interested
in being my personal hairstylist?'
in character, but I wanted her to have
a little bit of va-va-voom with her
funniness and beautiful curves. And
so especially this last season, she’s
started to have these sexier hairstyles
that make a statement.
How do you go about
visualising a character’s
personal style?
How do you use hairstyles to articulate each of the characters’
personal growth and evolution?
I talk to the wardrobe department a
lot, because that’s what’s really going
to determine the look. I don’t want to
create anything that’s going to take
away from a character or be too distracting. It’s teamwork.
It helps a lot that I’m seasoned. I will
be 52 next month, and black-andwhite movies – my grandma used to
watch them all the time – the Soul
Train era, and the birth of hip-hop
have all played a huge part in me being able to create hairstyles for Issa.
I can take a little bit of Ella Fitzgerald
and mix it with some TLC to create
hairstyles reminiscent of all of those
different generations.
You mastermind the hair looks
for Issa Dee [Issa’s character]
and Kelli [her college friend,
played by Natasha Rothwell].
What are some go-to styles you
gravitate towards for each?
Issa Dee has come a long way in her
life in terms of her self-worth and
self-realisation. I wanted to create
hairstyles that reflected that. When
the show first started, she was a bit
timid and she had a little Afro. Her
hair was short and cute, just not what
society deems as sexy. And so I wanted to really show what can be done
with short hair. I had fun playing in
her coily hair and creating hairstyles
that anybody would be able to create
as well. Kelli has incredible curly hair,
and she’s funny. I wanted to keep her
17 How long does the average
hairstyle take to create?
In 30 to 45 minutes, I can create something magical. But that’s because I’ve
been doing hair since I was a baby. My
mother didn’t know how to do my
hair, so I had to work it out for myself
when I was, like, six years old.
How does working on
Insecure compare with other
projects you’ve worked on over
the course of your career?
I’m really grateful to have the freedom to flow and create, because no
one ever really gave me direction.
They trusted Issa, and Issa trusted
me. Working with Issa has probably
been one of the best rewards of being
a hairstylist. I’ve worked with a lot of
celebrities, and she is definitely a stellar act, just an amazing human being.
And the fact that I have the freedom
to create has been so rewarding.
If you had to say what you think
is the most challenging aspect
of the job, what would you say?
It’s a good challenge, but sometimes
I have to do seven hairstyles in one
day in a short amount of time.
Although it’s challenging, it is rewarding because I have gotten my
time down: I never want to be the
person holding up production because of anybody’s texture or type
of hair. As a Black woman, that’s
important to me.
I used to work on Anthony
Anderson back in the day. And I’ll
never forget hearing some people
outside his trailer say, 'Oh, he’s got
an Afro, that’s going to take her all
day'. And it made me decide that my
time spent styling Black hair would
never be different from anybody
else’s hair, because I want my client
to be on time on set. So I got into a
competition with myself to be able
to turn out different hairstyles
in a short amount of time.
19 SOUTHLAND
SHINE
Insecure has revolutionised onscreen depictions of Black Los Angeles
South Los
Angeles had an image problem. In pop culture,
depictions of the area were largely relegated
to stereotypical portrayals of gang violence,
drugs, and drive-by shootings. Films like
Boyz N the Hood, Training Day, and Menace II
Society showed a dangerous hotbed of crime
and poverty. Meanwhile, other parts of the city
shined on screen, a discrepancy that only made
the issue more apparent. When Issa sketched
out Insecure and the world surrounding it, the
existing imagery felt incomplete.
'I never get to see South Los Angeles not
displayed as the "scary hood" and that’s not the
experience that I know', she told the Los Angeles
Times in 2017. 'I just wanted to make it feel sexy
in a way that other places in L.A. are allowed to.
Black and Latino places are not afforded that
same luxury'.
It’s one of the reasons she opted to shoot
Insecure almost entirely on location in historically Black neighbourhoods: the streets of
Baldwin Hills (often referred to as the 'Black
Beverly Hills'), a nail salon in Inglewood, the
California African American Museum in Exposition Park, a historic music venue in Crenshaw, a walk-up taco joint in Leimert Park. Not
only did her choice help raise the profile of the
region and its local businesses, but it turned a
FOR YEARS – DECADES, EVEN –
wholly underappreciated part of the city into as
crucial a character on Insecure as the characters
themselves. 'It’s really satisfying when I hear
people say, "Oh that’s my favourite restaurant"
or "That’s where I went to school”,' Issa says.
'It just certifies the show in a way'.
A decade ago, the neighbourhood’s reputation
was so maligned that residents moved to change
its name from South Central because of negative
cultural associations. Today, thanks in part to
Issa’s loving portrayal on the show, South Los
Angeles faces a new threat: gentrification.
Issa hasn’t shied away from examining
that issue on her series – the real-life changes
happening in Los Angeles neighbourhoods are
explored in Insecure’s second and third seasons. When her character gets priced out by
rent hikes at The Dunes, an actual flat complex in the L.A. neighbourhood of Inglewood,
she quips that her unit will 'make some young
white couple very happy one day'.
'It’s kind of tragic that all of these thriving
Black neighbourhoods are not going to be that
[anymore]', Issa once told Now This News. 'So
many of the places we’ve shot in are now either shut down, for sale, or being renovated to
be something else. It’s just so interesting that
this show will hold a piece of history for what
once was'.
5 MINUTES WITH...
KIER
LEHMAN
Insecure’s music supervisor delves
into the show’s unique soundscape
Issa is deliberate in uplifting
new and obscure artists on the
show. What is it that draws your
attention when you’re looking
to spotlight fresh talent?
I get excited when I hear artists that
already fit the tone of the show – artists that are from Los Angeles or that
have a sound that works within the
context of the other music that we
feature. And people who tell stories
that are relevant to the stories on the
show, because a lot of what we do
with the music is helping move the
story forwards. So I get excited when
I hear artists that are speaking from
a similar place to Issa Dee or some of
the other characters.
Los Angeles is a city that has an
inherent vibe. How do you use
the music on the show to evoke
not only the emotions of the
characters but those of the
streets and neighbourhoods?
By paying attention to what the artists in the city are creating right now.
What’s the vibe that they’re putting
out? Especially in early seasons of the
show, there have been artists that encapsulated the youthful sound that
was being made by young L.A. artists,
like Thundercat or Anderson .Paak or
SZA. We wanted to connect them to
21 the characters who would be in environments where they would be hearing those artists, whether at a club or
on the radio or from their friends.
How would you describe the
sonic feel of Los Angeles? The
city is such a crucial character
in each and every episode of the
series.
L.A. is a melting pot; there are so
many different cultures here. A lot of
the music that comes out of the city
is a fusion. And the music that we
wanted to bring to these characters
is this modern R&B that a lot of people are creating right now. It was influenced by classic R&B but also hiphop, electronic, and jazz. This new
generation of kids that have come up
together in L.A.’s jazz scene have
been really influential to R&B.
There’s so much music to consume and so little time. How do
you manage to stay aware of
emerging artists?
I seek them out, I do a lot of research.
I look to different publications, and I
look at whom artists that I follow are
working with or talking about. I have
relationships with people in the music industry who bring artists to me
that they think might work for the
show or one of my other projects.
And then also just listening and
searching on my own and spending
time going through the streaming
services or SoundCloud. As a kid, I
used to always read the back covers
of records and look up all the people
involved, and that’s how I would discover other artists.
Most people are lucky if they
ever discover their passion.
How early did you know that
this is what you wanted to do?
Since I was a teenager. I went to
music school, and afterwards I put it
out there that it was something that
I was interested in. I ended up making a random connection with a music supervisor and started as an intern. And then I interned for another
music supervisor and worked my
way up at that company. I just fell in
love with the job and the perks and
the creativity. I’m a huge music fan
anyway, so this is what I would be
doing even if this wasn’t my job.
I was really fortunate to find something that I love to do and become
successful at it.
What is the most challenging
aspect of the job?
Getting the songs cleared and
approved by the artists.
How does working on Insecure
compare with some of the other
projects you’ve worked on over
the course of your career?
It’s amazing to work with a showrunner who already has such great
taste and who considered music to
be an integral part of the show from
its inception. To have people appreciate the music and talk about it after all the hard work of finding the
exact right song for a scene, clearing
it, and getting it approved is super
rewarding. So it’s definitely one of
the best musical projects that I’ve
got involved in.
ISSA ON...
HOW TO
FIND YOUR
VOICE
'Finding your voice is the most important thing you can do when you sit down to write', Issa says. 'It’s not
something that comes to you overnight; it takes practice and a lot of reading or watching other people’s work'.
Here are Issa’s five tips for tapping into the stories you were made to tell
1
Be Your
Authentic Self
'So much of what
you have to say is
unique. And the
more you embrace
how unique that is,
the more specific
your voice will be.
It’s really, really
important to hone
into what you have
to say. And voilà,
that’s your voice'.
23 2
Seek
Inspiration
From Your
Surroundings
'I’m a firm believer
in writing what you
know. So if you
want to find your
voice, you have to
tap into the things
that really make
you you and build
from that. There’s
nothing more
valuable than what
you have around
you, because that's
what’s shaping
your experiences'.
3
4
5
'So much of embracing your voice
is embracing every
single part of you.
We have a tendency
to always want to
put the good parts
of ourselves on a
pedestal, then
brush away the ugly
parts. But the ugly
parts are the best
parts of a story, because everybody
has them. There’s
nothing more satisfying than to watch
something and be
like, "Whoa, I
thought I was the
only one who
thought that way.
Maybe it’s not so
ugly after all" '.
'In thinking about
trying to get
your content out
there, you have
to ask yourself,
"Why is my stuff
different from
anybody else’s?
What’s gonna
make somebody
want to watch
my stuff when
there’s hundreds of
millions of videos
out there? Why is
my stuff special?"
A lot of my writing
comes from "let me
see what else I can
do differently." '
'When I’m writing,
I'm always reediting, sometimes
to my detriment.
Sometimes I’ll write
something, get to
page 15, and be
like, "Let me start at
page one". Then get
to 30 and be like,
"Page one again." '
Show the Good
With the Bad
Figure Out
Which Stories
Aren’t Being
Told
Get Familiar
With the
Rewriting
Process
24