Gina Prince-Bythewood
Gina Prince-Bythewood
Gina Prince-Bythewood is an American film director and screenwriter. She is known for directing and producing the films Disappearing Actsand Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees, and Beyond the Lights...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth10 June 1969
CountryUnited States of America
believed courage fight four gave heart incredible kept love overcoming studio took turned
'Beyond the Lights' took incredible fight to get made. Four years of writing and two years of overcoming 'no.' Every studio balked. Twice. But I kept fighting. What gave me the courage was 'Love & Basketball.' Every studio turned down that film, too. But I never gave up because I believed in it with my whole heart and soul.
favorite films fuel love music sings
Some of my favorite films are musicals, like 'Walk the Line,' 'The Rose' and 'Lady Sings the Blues.' I just love the way the music and the story fuel each other.
favorite few films huge love people steven terms
'Out of Sight' is one of my favorite films ever. Love Steven Soderbergh. 'Goodfellas' was a huge influence on me in terms of the use of camera. 'Black Orpheus,' a beautiful love story that very few people actually have seen, and that was an influence on 'Beyond the Lights,' too, in terms of the look of the film.
directions people respect scream talk time totally walk whatever
On my set, people have to respect the actor's process. I totally respect what actors do. I give them whatever time they need, and I never scream out directions from the camera. I take the time to walk up to them and talk to them personally.
folks good mine people
I don't want people to go to a film of mine because they feel guilty, like, 'I have to support it because there's black folks in there.' I want them to go because it's a good movie.
best constantly deal great life mine needed personal touched truth written
Everything I've written has been personal and touched on things that I needed to deal with in my personal life. So I just feel that writing is great therapy, and the best writing comes from truth, and so I mine my life constantly for that.
coming excited filmmakers fourth gained knowledge question school share
'Beyond the Lights' was my fourth film. I gained a lot of knowledge, and I'm excited to share that with young filmmakers because I know how lost I was coming out of film school with that question of 'What's next?'
love turned
With 'Love And Basketball,' every studio turned it down.
aspects favorites finding love song
There are a lot of aspects of filmmaking that I love, but one of my favorites is in post, finding the right song for the right moment.
movies wish
My husband and I are writers, and I wish I could write faster. There are not a lot of movies made with black actors in mind.
builds dig great leaves love movies wrecks
I love movies. And I dig a great love story: the kind that wrecks me, then builds me back up and leaves me inspired. I write what I want to see.
deathly
I hate to fly. I'm deathly afraid of it.
comedies develop dramas few love romantic time
There are so many romantic comedies made, but very few dramas or love stories. And with a love story, you have to take time to develop three-dimensional characters.
opposed people studios term
'Black film,' that term allows studios to just marginalize a movie and say, 'We've made our black film. We've made our film with people of color in it,' as opposed to, 'I just feel like people of color should be in every genre.'