Crafting Narratives: Insights from Filmmaker Kristina Thomas

Hey, friend. Welcome. And welcome back to Nosy AF conversations about art, activism and social change. I am your host, Stephanie.And this week we have the wonderful Kristina Thomas who is a writer and director, a all around filmmaker like Queen. She knows all the films, she has opinions on the film, she makes films, she's a star. And I'm so excited for this conversation with her.We recorded this conversation live at Lumpin Radio. You know, I have my little radio show I do twice a month.Hey, and when we were recording, I did not hit record at the first part with, you know, all my music and saying the TV or not tv, saying the radio station and everything. So that's why I'm talking to you right now.So I'm gonna play the theme music, as you know we always do, and then we're gonna launch right into the conversation with Kristina Thomas. I am so happy you are here today. Thank you so much for being here. And let's start the show.Gotta get up, tell the whole world you a winner winner Vision of a star with a mission in the cause what you doing, how you doing, what you're doing and who you are Flex yourself and press yourself Check yourself, don't work yourself if you know me then you know that I be knowing what's up.

Hey, Stephanie.

Graham is nosy Ash. Okay. We have Kristina Thomas with us today, you guys, and I am so happy.So Kristina Thomas is an East Oakland born writer and filmmaker whose path has been anything but ordinary. She almost signed with Def Jam Records as a teen, which how cool.And worked as a youth attorney in high school and went on to bring her sharp, truthful storytelling to television with credits on Deminade, Demimond, Demimod, we just rehearsed that. And FBI International. Her filmmaking has earned recognition from BET's Project Create, Women in Film, Holly Shorts, the Blacklist, and so much more.Most recently, she won best short narrative at the Brave Maker Film festival and pitch competition that's helping her develop her first feature. Worth it.

Welcome Kristina and thank you for having me.

I'm so happy you're here.

And I also want to say to you just so you feel better. When I was working on Lovecraft country and I was telling people, yeah, I'm working on this show called Love. They were like, love.And then the show came out, everybody was pronouncing it, pronunciating it like so correctly. I was like, I told you about this 5,000 years ago. And they're like, but it's on here now.

Yeah. You're like, put some respect on me. I tried to teach you. I tried to teach, teach you. Oh, my gosh. And also, y', all, Kristina, we are so lucky.Has recently. You live here now?

Oh, yeah, I live here now. Yeah. I'm still going back and forth to LA. I have a spot in LA, but, yeah, I'm teaching here at DePaul University.

Yeah. How. How's that going?

It is. I'm learning a lot about patience.

Okay.

Working with college students is kind of my first time. I've worked with students from 6 to 18, like, literally first grade up until high. But college students, you don't have to deal with their parents.You have to deal with them solely.

Right.

And they have so much more anxiety, so much more tenacity. It's like a weird mix, but also just. Yeah, it's. It's a different. It's a different thing. But it's my now third quarter.

Okay.

We. We doing the thing. We doing it.

We're doing it. Yeah. Young film students, right?

Yes.

Wow.

And I'm trying to. I'm trying to hype them up. Hype them up.

Hype them up.

Hype them up.

That's it. That's a big undertaking. Teens or children? Youth. Young filmmakers.

Yeah. Yeah, they are. Because you're teaching with different levels.And actually, when I was looking for work this year, I was a substitute teacher for fifth grade for over 110 students at a charter school in Vallejo, California.

Okay.

And I was teaching social studies, and I had to. I was literally thrown in there as a substitute, and I was teaching on different levels. People who can speak English, people who. They.They had speech impediments or they didn't know how to speak, and you had to just deal with that. And you only had them for 90 minutes out the day, and it's 110 of them, and you just have to do it.And you can't say, I don't know how to deal with this. You just have to do it.

Yeah.

So it's been.It's been literally a year of learning how to work with different people who you were almost, quote unquote, forced to deal with and help them to make learning fun.

Yeah. And I feel like your skill set in filmmaking can sort of help with that. Right. Cause filmmaking is, like, always sneaking on your feet.Like, do you find that.

Yeah, it's a lot of that. Just because you. I've always been a proponent of making sure people feel comfortable.And also, I come from a long line of women in my family who are all teachers, and I Said I would never be a teacher. I shall never. Like. My mom even reminded me of that before I got on back here. She was like, you remember when you told me the kid, now look at you.I was like, that's not, that's not how you treat your child.

Yeah, it's not.

Yeah, but it's. It's literally been another form of training. When I go back into production and working with different people.And I think recently when I was producing content for the BET Awards experience, the people that I worked with for the first time as a producer, they told my, my friend who, who's my boss as well, they were like, we want her again.

Yeah.

Like, she was so. She was great. And my friend was like, I've never heard that from people before, like from a producer, but I guess producers get a bad rap.But I'm glad. It's. It's helped me a lot.

You know, the thing that I've always just, I think is just always cool about you, obviously is that you've worked on all these titles, you know, but you still have your own filmmaking practice. Right? Like you are making your own, you know, your own short films and your own, you know, soon to be feature film. And like, what is that balance?Like going back and forth, like, are you able to. Well, yeah. What's that like?

I think the balance is knowing your place. Because I know with working on Saving all my love for that was part of a film fellowship program project involved.

And that was a short film you directed?

Yeah, I directed. I was part of the program as a directing fellow. I didn't write it. Tyler Young wrote it and literally I had to just direct. That's it.

Yeah.

I didn't have to take on as writer and I, I literally told the whole group, I'm like, when I get on set, I'm just director. I'm not producer, I'm not writer, I'm not nothing. You are your writer. You are the producer.And you know, with filmmaking, when you're first starting out, you're doing all the roles.

Yeah.

But I'm really hoping to be better at just doing my role because I want to do that when I professionally and getting those big bucks again, just doing my job until I can do those multiple things and have the. Just have the manpower behind me to do all those things and not be stressed out.

Yeah. Cause it's stressful.

It is stressful. I'm like, I wanna be like Steven Spielberg. Like, I wanna be almost like Spike Lee. I still feel like he's stressed, but I.And I wanna be like Ava DuVernay, even though I think she's stressed.But I just wanna lighten the load for when I do the multiple things, because I have a team of people that are gonna support me and know their roles, but above all, are supportive and they know how to do their role. And it just isn't just a job. It's still fun, and it's a dream that has now come to fruition.

Yeah. I found that when I, like, go and crew on a film, I still, in a way, see it as a part of my art because of just my contribution to it.But I have found other filmmakers that will be on crew, and they're like, no, this is just my job. And I'm like, oh, no, you have to.

Because sometimes it's just. You have to take that job.

Yeah.

I was on a PA shoot for a commercial. Just. I want to say, just last December. Did not want to take it.

Yeah.

But I took it. But on the fourth day, I said, this is my last day. I saw one of my pa.I ended up being the key PA because again, I had so much background being a PA. And one of my PAs got sexually harassed by two of the grips on Seth.

Oh, my goodness.

And then it was even worse because we were. We were putting up tents in the rain. And, you know, when you.When you shooting in the rain, it's even worse because the PAs, we are the ones, like, we have to be in the rain. We can't have umbrellas, like, above us as we're putting up tents and stuff. They treat us like crap. And I was like, oh, yeah.This is why I moved all the way up. Oh, this is why I treat people with kindness. Because I remember, like, doing this position. Oh, yeah. I have to treat this like a job for now.But also, I can quit. And it was funny because they begged me to come back. And I was like, ah, I'm in Oakland. I can't.Yeah, but you have to sometimes make it a job, because I literally was only doing that job because I wanted to buy my parents Christmas gifts. Christmas gifts.

Yeah.

And even my mom was like, was it worth it? I was like, kind of. But I. Yeah, sometimes it does make me sad of just how people treat each other on set when it could just be totally different.

Yeah, Just be nice.

Yeah. Like, I've been on Abbott elementary set. Like, oh, my God, they are so nice to each other. I was like, can I stay here? Can I be here forever?

Yeah. Everyone on somebody somewhere was extremely nice. As well, and it was like, wow, this is so. I love this.I was like, you know, like, how people were bringing folks through Zappos. They used to bring, you know, the shoe company.

Yeah.

People used to have, like. They used to have corporate tours through there to show, like, this is how you treat your company.Because I guess they had, like, a really good office culture. And I was telling the showrunners of somebody somewhere, I'm like, you all are like, the Zappos.Like, they should bring other people through to see how you all run your sets, because you all are so kind.

But how were they kind, though?

They were kind by being, like, just very thankful for, like, everything that everybody was doing. They had really fun rap gifts. So if you had been there for, like, all three seasons, you had, like, a special sweatsuit that you had on.

Oh, I love that.

Yeah. So, like, that was really fun. People were like, how'd you get that? It's like, I've been for three seasons.You know, like, as your, like, dedication, they had all this fun swag, and then they would just, like, you know, laugh and joke with the crew, too. Like, they would just be there, and they wouldn't separate themselves. They would, like, be in the mix.

Yeah.

So I thought that that was really, really nice. Cause there's been other productions where the, you know, showrunners, they might separate themselves and not be in the mix.So I thought that that was really cool. And then they were really encouraging to, like, PAs, or if people had questions about writing, they would talk to them about that.You know, not, like, while they're, like, on set needing to make a decision, but they would, like, maybe go up to somebody being like, oh, how is your. Like, how's your writing going? You know, like, they would, like, remember, it's just like, these are, like, little things.And the PAs would say, like, oh, they remembered that. Like, I was into that. I'm like, that is so sweet.

Yeah. My former showrunner, Derek Hass, an FBI international, he was known for doing that. He did that for the crew in Budapest.It was his last season, and he hosted a seminar with all the crew, like, all the questions. They wanted to know about the business. Oh, wow. And then he did it on Chicago Fire as well, too.And I thought that was just so cool of him to do, because.

Really cool.

You know, a lot of showrunners don't get to do that, or they don't have the time or they don't want to do it because they're like. They're probably thinking, like, nobody Wants to hear from my little booty.

Yeah.

But he did. And I think that says a lot about him and his character as well.

That is awesome.

Yeah.

When you're a big showrunner, will you host talk facts like that?

I mean, I'm doing it kind of already. I'm not even a big deal runner.

You're like, I'm doing it now. Do it then.

Yeah. And I. And my friends keep on telling me I need to stop. I need to make people pay for it. But I just. Again, I came up from.Nobody would want to give me advice. And the few people I did, I cherish that a lot. Like my.One of my professors from usc, Aaron Rahsaan Thomas, he was my first TV TV teacher who was like, you can write, but you need to take more classes.

Yeah.

And I had a professor in undergrad tell me I could not write.

Oh, wow.

So it was like. And still to this day, like, he co created swat and now he was developing with BET a couple of shows.Like, he still answers my emails and still gives me sound advice. He's like, you know what? I can't answer this in email. Let's hop on a zoom.

That's so nice.

And I've cried with him, like. And he's like, it's okay. It's okay. Like you at the beginning, like, you ain't gonna cry years later when you know what the heck they're doing.So you're gonna be fine.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You know, there is this designer. I hope it's okay to say this, but there is a. She's a designer. Chelsea Tams. Shout out to Chelsea.But they have this program where it's like, you could take Chelsea to lunch and she provides a list of all her favorite restaurants. And she's like, okay, I'll answer all your questions, but you have to take me to eat at one of these places. Not a place of your choosing.A place I want to eat. Okay. And here's the list. And then she's like, you can use our meal together as a receipt to write off for your business taxes.So maybe if you were to ever. If you're like, I don't wanna charge people yet or anything like that, maybe you're like, well, you could take me to one of my favorite restaurants.

Definitely do that. Because I'm a food person. And also I'm vegan, so they literally gonna have to be forced.

Oh, yeah.

To eat some vegan food. And it's gonna be good.

How can I get you gonna be enjoying? You can be like, yeah, this about this industry and this about that. While you just getting down.

Yeah. I'm about to be like, you gonna eat well, and your body's gonna be nourished, but, yeah, I'm gonna like you.

A little bit of this food. Yeah, it's gonna be about. It's really about them, but about you as well. Cause you're eating. You're like, I'm plan to go.

I might do that already. I'm like, just take me out to a food place. It's hard on these streets being a professor.

Yeah.

Professor budget.

Oh, my gosh. So wait, okay, so you grew up in Oakland. What was that like?

It was best life ever. It kind of reminds me. Chicago kind of reminds me a little bit of East Oakland.I say East Oakland specifically, and I think Chicago people that y' all do this outside. West side, north side. Mine was the worst part of town. It was either gonna be west side, the West Oakland, or East Oakland was gonna be the worst.And East Oakland was the worst.

Okay.

And I still had a great time. I knew all my neighbors. Yes, we had gunshots. Even my neighbors shot a bullet by accident when he was drunk through my dad's truck.And we knew the neighborhood addict who would just walk through the neighborhood. And one time I locked eyes with him and I ran. And I went to one of the best, worst school, middle schools. And my mom said she was a teacher.She was Oklahoma Unified School District teacher. She was like, you're not gonna go to any public schools.You're gonna go to public schools up until high school, and then I'm gonna put you in the Catholic school. And that's where I saw my life kind of change, where it was away from my friends who were from the quote unquote hood.And I was put in Jack and Jill my junior year. Like, I was put in the black elite.Like, if Jack and Jill is like a group for young adult black kids who want to learn more, the area in which they live and go to museums and get cultured with African American history. And then there's a. There's a camp every year. A. I forgot what you call it, but every year there's like, a contest.Like, I won the T shirt contest one year at the Jack and Jill.

Do you remember what the design was?

It was. I literally still have to have it to this day. It's like a big black man, and there's, like, a flag, and there's, like, some other things.It was like a. It was. It was a theme that year.And then I did the HBCU tour for two weeks during my high school year, which I also almost got kicked out of school for that. And that's how I learned about kind of racial discrimination within my own school, that my mom made me very aware of that because I didn't.I think in East Oakland, we didn't. I didn't see race or racial disparities.I learned about it, but I didn't feel like I actually absorbed it because I think my parents always kept me involved in activities in the community. My mom, she always has something going on the church. And my dad, he had several. Several jobs. He was a police officer. He worked. He did frames.He framed pictures, Darryl's frames and things. And then he. My high school years, he was the executive for Boy Scouts of America and United Way.So my weekends were always occupied with some community event. So I was very embreaded in the community, in my chur, above all, with all these other activities.So that's why a lot of my friends who still think that I'm upper.I'm like an uppity black girl, because of the way I talk and the way I was raised, they were happy for me because they felt like it put me in a better position to get out of East Oakland, but still have the roots in place where I know where I came from.

Yeah. It's so interesting that you bring up Jack and Jill. I've been researching Jack and Jill for, like, a project that I've been doing around proms.And, like, prom sendoffs is like an everyday debutante ball, in a way.And I've been really just interested in just basically, like, learning about Jack and Jill, only because, like, debutantes seem to have come from Jack and Jill as one of the spaces.

Yeah.

So that's why, like, so not so much of researching Jack and Jill per se. But they're in the conversation as I do this research around debutante balls.

Yeah. There is a book that a black man wrote about that of all the, like, all the black fraternities and things like that.And it became a TV show, of course.

Yeah, I'm reading it now.

Yeah, I read that because I was trying to get on that show. But it also helped me understand where it all came from because I don't think I ever really learned where Jack and Jill came from. It was just more.So my aunt got her sons in it, my cousins, and she didn't want me to be in it. And that's where I also learned in high school about the paper bag test.

Wow.

And Also how supposedly, quote, unquote, hood I was.

Wow.

The family member. And I found out, literally, I think literally, like last year, why my aunt didn't want me in Jack and Jill.Cause she thought I was hood and she didn't. And she. My mom wasn't in the sorority. And so she literally, like, put us on a scale of like, okay, she's this, she's this and she's this.She can't get in Jack and Jill without me. And I forgot what the thing was where she finally was like, oh, she can get in. But it was my junior year of high school instead of.And elementary school, where usually that's probably.

Where everybody's in it. Yeah. You're like, I'm about to go to school. College now.

Yeah. And I. I know probably there were two guys that I knew who was sweetest and probably the most unuppity ones.And then there was one who were in the same. You know, were in the same field. But he literally didn't see me as his on his level. Which made me really sad. But it just. It reminded me of la.This was all preparing me for. To live in la.

Yeah. One last question about Jack and Jill. I have.

Yeah, go ahead.

If I know that there are some white folks. Hope it's okay to say that that did debutantes. And they'll be like, maybe in the art world or whatever.They don't want anybody to know that they were debutantes. It's sort of like a. I don't know. I think.Cause of the whole elite thing, like, they want to seem like they're like, of the people and like, maybe not.

Like they have some of that. I forgot what they call it. But they had that same situation. Well, the same celebration in France.

Yeah.

And then they have the quinceanera. Yeah. Everybody has their own.

I don't know why it's a big deal, but I wondered if that was like, if Jack and Jill was supposed to be like a secret or if it's okay to sort of say it. Made me wonder. Cause, like, yeah, people, they'll. When I talk about this, they'll be like, oh, yeah, I did that.But, you know, like, don't say, you know, like, don't tell anybody. Like, if anybody knew I did that, I'm like, I don't really see the big deal. I think it's sort of interesting, honestly.

It's a 50. 50.

Yeah.

Some people are like, I don't. I don't want other people to know because they don't want you to see them in a different light.

Yeah. It's a judgment thing. I get it.

Yeah. And even with me, I kind of.When I was at Howard, when people were, like, introducing themselves and, like, their background, I didn't want people to really know because I didn't feel like I was cool enough or again, in that upper elite crew for Jack and Jill to be like, they don't need to know that. But other people were very proud because, again, they had been. Been in it since a child and they were a part. A rich type family.

Yeah.

So. Yeah.

So you spoke about or, like, in your history of my research of you. You know, you went to. You did all the law stuff as you were younger and then. But at some point, now you're a filmmaker. So how.Where did the transition come from?

Yeah, in high school, I was part of this program called Donald P. McCollum Youth Court. I forgot how I found.Found out about it, but I did it for two years where I was a defendant lawyer and a prosecuting lawyer and also a clerk of the court. Cause we all had to rotate in the program. And I think I got paid, like, $16 an hour.

That's pretty good.

Three times a week for three hours after school. And I had to research cases and everything.And it really came from, like, ooh, I get to be paid, but also I get to hopefully lead to one day being, you know, kind of being the dream that my dad never got to have. My dad. Yeah, my dad was a lawyer. He was.Well, he was going to law school, and he didn't pass the bar because he couldn't take the T, didn't pass a test. But when his professor actually gave him the exam, like, verbally, he passed.

Wow. Yeah.

But back in that day, you couldn't do that. Everything had to be written on paper. And years later, he found out he actually had adhd.

Okay.

And that's the only reason. And so he ended up. I forgot. He ended up becoming a paralegal for a little bit as well, too. But I saw that as my chance when I got older.Because at first I thought I was gonna be architect, I was gonna be a lawyer. But then again, the whole singing thing, too. I was like, I wanna be a singing lawyer. And all this stuff I learned about Gordon Parks my junior year.And then I was on an HBCU tour, and one of the campuses that I went to was Howard.

Okay.

And I learned about their film school. And I was like. I literally walked on Howard's campus and was like, I'm home. Like, literally, that's.I know people say that all the time about, like, I went there, and I was like, this is the dream. I literally went there, and I was like, oh, this is. This is home. This is where I'm supposed to be. And I almost went to Alabama State. Side note.Cause I was like, ooh, they got good food and they got a theater. Perfect. Oh, my God.

Does Alabama have a film program?

Yeah, they have. They have a film theater program. And there is a woman who is a famous actress. She still. She teaches there.

Oh, wow. I had no idea. Yeah.

And she was the one that was guiding us around on the tour, and I was like, oh, my God, am I about to go to Alabama? And the hot and the heat and.

Oh, my God, yeah.

And. Yeah, it was in between.Those two actually ended up not applying at all to Alabama, and I applied only to Howard and all the California state schools, of course. But that started my filmmaking path.And then, of course, when I got to dc, One of my professors and one of the people that everybody was just like, oh, you just have to take him, or you're just gonna. You're gonna learn about him was Haile Garima.

Oh, gosh.

Yeah. He. He owns a bookstore, a coffee. Coffee and bookstore, Sankofa, across the street from Howard's campus. And I used to go, like, every now and again.And then I went to take his class and became his intern for his documentary film, which still hasn't come out, but still, I learned so much about filmmaking and independent filmmaking. That's the important part, the independent filmmaking part of it, because, you know, you can't be running out on the streets with a film camera.But on the East Coast, I feel like you can, and you're like, maybe get fine, but they'll probably be like, can we be in it for a second?

Yeah.

And then everything will be cool. But you learn, like, you run and gun it. You. You spend the pennies to. To get the film made.And, like, I shot my first music video with Hans Charles, who's now an acclaimed Cinemat and ac and lighting designer. Like, he is top tier with Brad. Bradford Young, who was in the. In the program as well, too, who. You know, Bradford Young did almost.Yeah, almost all of Ava DuVernay's films. I was with them during the time, so it was just. I was learning so much.And Howard really produced a lot of great cinematographers, but I think it was one of the few that I was like, I like cinematography, but I want to direct and write. Yeah.

We have Five minutes till the break. So I'm trying to think if this story would work, but Holly Gurima came to speak at Columbia College.

Oh.

And he was great.And I cannot think of the film that he screened right now, but I remember there was a guy in the audience who told Holly Grima he thought his films fell short. And everybody was like, ooh. And Holly Green was like, I don't think so.

Well, he is that guy. He does not care.

Yeah. He was just like, gosh, I wish I remember what the guy said.But there was another guy in the audience who tapped that man on the shoulder who told Holly Grima his film fell short. And he said, would you like to step outside?

But that's like. That's love. That's love right there.

Yeah. And the guy was like, you know what? Have a good day. And he grabbed his backpack and, like, slung it over his should in, like, what's this?

A. Okay. Yeah.

And he had to, like, navigate through, you know, like, the stadium seats, like, of a movie theater.

Yeah.

And, like, get out. And he, like, stormed out of the presentation. And we all were just like.Halle was not laughing, but, like, he had, like, this, like, look on his face, like, what are y' all doing out there?

Yeah.

And. But, man, I was dying laughing. Cause I'm just like, sir, don't talk to Holly that way. And then two, you know, explain.Like, he didn't really explain his reasoning why. And then you get upset, and you just leave.

And I think that's where you get better in time as a filmmaker, like, expressing yourself and learning how to say, like, why I didn't like that film. Like, I'm teaching my students right now.And the rewriting, the feature class and the feature writing class and now the Introduction to Screenwriting for Majors class, where we talk about, why do you like that film? Or why do you hate that film? And I can now say that, like, me and my friends have had a battle about weapons.I can tell you what I liked about it, what I disliked about it, and how sometimes I feel like we are eating up, just eating up. Like, oh, my God, this film is so good.Because this one person, like, translated what I thought I was not understanding from the film, the symbolism, and I was like, so you had to have somebody else tell you.

Yeah.

How the film was good and not bad. I think that's what we forget.We're in a generation where we have ChatGPT and other people to translate for us, but I still feel like we don't have the consciousness as much anymore to digest films and digest reading material because we can just listen to it. And they say it's good for you to now have audio books.But we lose the reading the page, reading the words, translating how it makes us feel on the page. And also, I love the smell of books. I'm one of those random weird people.

They do smell good.

And they do smell good. But I think that's one of the things that I. I got better at learning how to love Akira Kurosawa. I finally watched Seven Samurai at work.

Oh, I love that.

I watched it at work. And you know, that's a three and a half hour movie.And I broke it up throughout the week when Hulu had the Criterion channel and my boss, Randy Huggins was like coming in during break. He was like, you on break? I was like, yeah, I'm on break. I'm watching this movie. Shh. Because you know, I'm reading subtitles.He was like, okay, I'll get out of here. And they were just like a lot of the writers in that room, they were just asking like, what the heck is going on? Da da da da da.But I think I've now gotten better at loving those films because of the fable, the fables that Akira Kurosawa has created for filmmakers now today that they even Spike Leez's day is doing another Akira film.

Yeah. I wonder if that would be like a fun screening series, like to take it an hour a day or is it just something you gotta go through.

But you gotta go through? Cause I'm doing it now with Gaspar Noe. No. Yeah. I just watched Climax.

How long is that movie?

Climax is two hours and it has no. They had no script.

Ah.

They just had a basis idea. Like this dance group is going to go on the road the next day and everybody's gonna have this secret punch that turns into different things.

Oh, wow.

Yeah.

Okay, I might be down for that. We have to take a quick break, but we will be right back.

Yes.

Hey, artists, are you tired of that admin pile growing taller than your project pile? I get it. That's why I created Artist Admin Hour, a weekly copy working session where we tackle the boring but essential things together.Every Wednesday, 7 to 9pm Central Time, we hop on zoom cameras, optional pajamas encouraged. And knock out invoices, grant apps, emails, whatever's been haunting your to do list.It's body doubling for artists who need gentle accountability without the networking pressure. You get to choose your price. 15 or 30 bucks a month. Because behind every bold vision is a well organized artist who knows their worth.Join us@artistadminhour.com and let's handle business like the creative kingpins we are. And we are back. WLPNLP Chicago, 105.5 FM radio Lumpin F, 105.5 FM Lumpin radio. And we are back. And we have Kristina Thomas with us, y'.

All.

You know, before we went to break, we were talking about the film.

Wait, Akira Kurosawa.

Yeah, but the Noi.

Oh, and Gaspar Noe Climax.

Yeah, I need to see that.

Yeah. It's on hbo. HBO is starting to have some of the Criterion Collection films.And so that's why I was able to see High and Low before I actually see the Spike Lee version. Highest to lowest. Again, another Kira Kurosawa film he's trying to do.Yeah, well, not another one, but he's doing another Asian film because, you know, he did Old Boy, his version of Old Boy, which I have thoughts, but it's still like, you know, these. These films get recycled. Like Magnificent Seven, that's based off of Seven Samurai, which I was saying during the break.Like, I watched that because I. It was like some filmmaker was just like, you don't know who Ikura is. I was like.And went to Hulu when they had the Cartarian collection and watched that during my breaks as a writer's assistant in a writer's room for. It was like a BET show. I'm forgetting what the name. Oh, Rebel.

Oh, Rebel. Okay.

It was the other show, the second to last show that John Singleton executive produced. And that's also how John Singleton was like. He finally. He talked to me one day. He, like, came in the room and he was like, oh, you're watching that?I was like, oh, my God. My. My freaking, like, mentor in my head is here asking me questions. So. Yeah.

What a dream.

Yeah. And I didn't take advantage of that. He literally. We talked. We were talking about something.It was something big that happened in the news, and I was giving my thoughts, and I definitely, in my head, was like, girl, shut up. But he was like, yo, email me anytime if you need anything. Here's my assistant. Like, email.And I never did because I was so scared I was gonna say the wrong thing.

Yeah.

And then two years later, he passed away.

Wow. I'm sorry. Yeah, well, it's gonna be with the Lord now.

Yeah. But I can say I got to work alongside him.

Yes, you can.

And I felt validated that he just let me talk. He didn't, like, tell me like, girl, you need to shut up.

Yeah.

You don't know this life.

He probably really wanted to hear what you had to say. Cause I'm sure he knew he had the power to do that if he didn't want to hear.

Yeah. Because even just I was the token girl on that show too.Because the show was about an Oakland detective, and I'm from Oakland, and I was teaching them about Oakland. Oakland Jargo. And it was just really fun because I do believe that John Singleton also went to Oakland a lot, too.He knew some people from there, and so it was great learning from him, but also seeing him see that I was putting the work in to learn about other filmmakers. Where a lot of filmmakers from our time, 80s and 90s, who have copied people from the past, from the 50s and 60s, especially Kira Kurosawa.Seven Samurai Magnificent Seven, I think has now come out three different versions as Magnificent Seven.

Yeah.

So I'm surprised we haven't made that into a. What is it? A short mini series?

Yeah, seriously.

Because you literally could. With Seven Samurai, that whole. I told my students probably randomly throughout the quarter to watch that film.And the Godfather, which I saw last summer on the plane.

Oh, wow.

Yes. From LA to New York. Because I was like, I don't know what the hype is with this. Let me just. Oh, let me just see this.And I was in the middle seat, so I had nowhere to go. Girl, when I tell you, I gassed, I yelled, I screamed, and people were like, what is happening in that middle seat?That film teaches you so much and is a lesson in telling a story, but also making it so good. Within three and a half hours. It's. It's. Yeah. Oh, my God. Two films that I was just like, Seven Samurai, three and a half hours. And. And.And this film, Godfather three and a half hours. What have I not learned?

Is well worth it. Gonna be three and a half hours.

No. Okay, that was. That's my. That's my. I feel like my ode to. Oh, my gosh. Why am I blanking on his. Who did. Oh, my gosh, Moonlight.

Oh, now I'm blanking.

Yes. Our. Our fellow black man. I. He did a film called. Oh, my God, Now I'm blanking on it because I found Barry Jenkins. Barry Jenkins did a.His film in San Francisco. His first feature film in. In San Francisco. And it was a film where I was like, oh, my God. He did a film that I wanted to do. But this is 2008.I forgot how I ran. I think a NETFLIX situation.

Okay.

Where I randomly found it and I was like, oh, my God, this guy is amazing. And he did it in the Bay Area. He must be from the Bay. And I found out he's from Florida.Then I think four years later, he came out from with Moonlight.

Wow.

I believe. And so I made a film worth it, which ended up becoming almost based off a true story about a guy who I thought I was on again, off again for years.I went to go see him and he literally was like, I can't talk to you. Like, can you hang out with your. Your friend for a little bit until I get off work?I stayed for two days in New York with my friend, waiting to talk to him, like, to confess my love for him. And next thing you know, he's like, hey, let me meet you at the train station. Go to the train station.Waiting for him at the train station because I'm taking a train to D.C. because I wanted to go the inauguration in D.C. yeah. It's all in January 2013. And. And I get on the train. He doesn't make it.And then he calls me on the phone and says to me, hey, this isn't going to work out. Like, I can't do this anymore. I was like, oh. With tears, like, what do you mean you can't?And he was like, you're not worth what you're not worth fighting for.

Oh.

And my phone clicked. No signal, no nothing. Train goes through Philadelphia, still trying to get service. Nothing.And I get to D.C. and I'm like celebrating, you know, the second term of Obama while, like in the cold, like Obama.

Yeah.

And I. And I literally. The story came to fruition when I was on the Muppets as a director's assistant.And the assistant UPM was like, can you come to my office? I was like, okay. She was like, close the door.I just wonder, Kristina, like, you're beautiful and you're so pretty and like, why don't you have a man? And I literally sat down. I was like, let me tell you this story. And she was the one that told me, you need to tell that story.

Okay.

And I made it into that. That story. Barry Jenkins first film. I was like, I'm gonna do it in the vein of it takes place over 24 hour esque between two people.But I made it between four different people. So it's kind of like a four triangle esque situation.And I made it a story about when you try to find love and you think you found love, but what if it isn't? And how do you Figure that out while also try not to break your heart. But maybe it needs to break.

Yeah, that's frustrating. I'm so. I, I, yeah, that, that's gonna be a tough film to watch.

Yeah. And I've, I had a lot of producers interested, but they were like, yeah, this is too indie. Oh, but it's been a great sample.Everybody is like, oh my God, I would love for you to write this thing. Can you pitch us this idea on this feature? Cause we'd love this one, but we can't produce this. Cause indie. We need something comm.Does that mean when it's indie, it's under, it's under a mill. Oh, under 250.If you're really doing it and they want to make something that's going to make them millions and they're not doing what they did in the 90s. Which don't, don't judge me right now.

Okay, we won't judge.

But my favorite film is Love Jones.

Okay, that's good.

And until literally, I think I, I came here for my friend Ashley's birthday two years ago that I found out wasn't in Philadelphia. It took place in Chicago.

Yeah.

I'm so sorry.

Chicago film.

And I just, I think I also saw the record store that was in the movie the other day. And I was like, oh my God, my life has just changed. But it was just, that was the 90s.You had people who were not kind of big names, but big names in all these films. But they were considered indie because they weren't a per particular budget.

Okay.

But they were making Miramax money. What was it? Paramount. And it was another, another company that they were making.They were making the money back on those films because when black people showed up.

Yeah, okay.

And they were like, oh, it's just an indie film. But when black people show up, it becomes such a big, like even Preacher's Wife. I don't think they thought that was gonna do well.Yes, we had Whitney Houston, but come on. Denzel Washington on the coming off Devil in the Blue Dress. Come on, baby. Like you had those films in the 90s. Even Tarantino.I don't would have had Tarantino. Yes, he did have, he has that skill. But still indie films really dominated and they took more chances. Like Christopher Nolan.Like, we would have never seen those people actually have a filmmaking career, I believe, because executives were, weren't, are not taking as much of a chance on those people like they did in the 90s.

Yeah.

Even film festivals, we were talking about that too. Like Film festivals are not. I don't think they're taking as much of a chance on independent filmmakers unless they A known name in the film.And even me, I have a known person, known people in my film. And still it's like. But they're not a list. They're like, almost there. But we're not this level for our film festival. And I just. I wish there.There's such talented women in the film. They're so great. Like, they're. I literally like the one of them. Venus.Venus, I got to work with finally, and she was on Salute your shorts in the 90s.

Oh, my gosh. I loved Salute your Shorts.

Yeah. And she, you know, she was on all the shows. She was on Family Matter. She was on Sister. Sister. Yeah, all them. And we ended up, you know how we met?

How?

Dodgeball.

Oh, no way.

And I literally. And we were on the same team, a team called hey girl. Hey.

I love it.

And she finally, like, we had been playing for like, I think three tournaments. And I finally told her. I was like, I so love you and I looked up to you. Oh, my gosh, girl, whatever. But I always thought I wanted to work with her.And finally on this project, I was. She was like, yeah, I heard about your film. Why did you, like, hook me up? I was like, I didn't think you want to be my film.She was like, girl, you better get me.

Yeah. She's like, I'm an actress. I like to act.

Ask me to act. Yeah. So I will say also, too, that short films have been helping a lot of. A lot of actors who in the past who need. Well, not need.They actually just need to. Need more people to see them again and know that they got the chops. And even Leolanda Snowball, who's in the film too, she just.Man, she's still so dope. I gotta text her and be like, how you doing, lady?

Yeah, right. Yeah. Stay in touch with people.

Yeah. She was. She was the sweetest on set. Like, I really. And I also admired her. I didn't know. I didn't know.She's been on all your favorite films shows, all your kids shows that almost a random person in the background who has a line or three, she's been in this game. Like, she was talking about some stuff on Living Single that was like, oh, my God, tell me more.

Yeah. Wow. You know, there's so many actors like that where you're like.When you think back, you're like, wow, they've done a lot of stuff, but because they're not this, you know, name, as you say. I guess they get overlooked, which is just. It's not cool.

Yeah. And I feel like Tristina, who is also our lead in the film too. She's getting up there. She was in a Jennifer Lopez film.She had a line, but it's just like I want. She's. She's getting there.But she needs that like big film like that, that multi millionaire, millionaire whatever film to get like the prestige that I know she has in her as well too. But it's just. It's hard out here to get on those films.

Yeah. Why do we put ourselves through it? Such a hustle?

I think it's just. I think it's just because we love it.

Yeah.

Like, I had my friend who is a psychic, she told me she was like, you were never gonna do anything else. This is. That challenges you. You want things that challenge you. You don't want things that just are easy. Which again, that's my love life as well too.But I think this is just one place where even with being a lawyer, I don't think it would have challenged me as much. It probably would have because I had to write all the documents and the, you know, prosecuting statements and stuff like that.But I think this is challenging. You gotta come up with that idea out of nowhere. Especially when I was on a sci fi show. Gosh dang. You gotta create monsters out of nowhere.But I was so thankful for our lead showrunner, J.J. abrams, who was just like, create a monster. Think of the worst thing, think of the best thing. Think of arms and legs and.

Yeah, yeah. It seems like, what was I gonna say? Something about keeping it going. But where did my train of thought go? Oh, the lawyer.It seems like maybe if you would have been a lawyer. I've met so many lawyers that stopped being lawyers and now all of a sudden they are something else.So maybe you would have eventually found filmmaking anyway.

Oh, yeah, I definitely would have in some capacity. Just because again, I actually stopped writing. I mentioned that early of I had a professor sophomore year, I believe I took a.It was like the first act of a screenpl.

Yeah.

And after class I just remember her just saying, you can't write.

What a hater.

And I don't remember anything else, but I remember that stuck with me forever. And the only reason why I stuck with directing is because I had One professor, this 6 foot 3 linebacker looking new Jersey professor, James Rada.Tell me, like, keep going. Because I missed one of his classes because I took his advice in class, he was just like, if you really want to do this, then you need to go.Go out there and do it. And I really wanted to be a music video director. I was one of those people in the 90s.I was watching, making the video, and I was looking at all the names of the directors at the end of the video, in the beginning of the end. And I was taking their names, like Sanaa Hamry and Chris Robinson and X. I was looking at all that.And I one night looked at all those MTV videos, made a list of 20, called all of them. I even got, like, one of their cell phone numbers off the web at the time. Two of them hit me back. One of them was like, good luck.The other one was like, hey, do you want to write me, like, a whole synopsis of what you think this music video would be? And then he. He sent it to me, and then he sent me the actual breakdown of how the music video will go.And he was like, hey, if you happen to be in New York this weekend, we're shooting on Sunday. Let me know, girl. Like, I was in D.C. never been to New York by myself.I took that Chinatown and Chinatown bus, which back in the day was $20 round trip.

Wow.

Got a hooker hot in midtown. Made my way to set. It was for Mario's music video. Here I go again. Okay, in parentheses. And who was the lead girl? Cassie.

Oh, no way.

And she was. She was the nicest.She was even like, like, talking to me on set and was like, oh, my God, I have friends at Howard and you guys, like, oh, my God, I gotta visit soon. Da da da, da da. And Ray K. Was a music video director. And if you follow him, his next big music video was Poker Face by Lady Gaga.

Oh, okay, okay.

And now he's like, I don't think he's doing it as much anymore, but I think he. A lot of the music video people, they're trying to transition in tv, TV directing or movies.And if they can't, like, Francis Lawrence, if you're not Francis Lawrence, like, yeah, it's really hard to transition out. But it helped me. I came. Well, long story short, came back to class, told my professor, because he was gonna fail me.And then he again did what that assistant UPM did. Closed the door in the office. He was like, I'm giving you an A for the rest of the semester.

Wow.

Because you did the one thing that I told everybody for semesters, every single year, and you're the only one that did it.

Were they surprised when you showed up on set when they were like, hey, we're filming Sunday, if you wanna come. Or did.

No. He literally was like, oh, I'm glad you came. Okay. And then put me to work.

Oh, I love it.

Oh, and then I didn't tell you they paid me.

Oh, that's really nice.

I got a surprise check for, like, $235, I think it was, so. It was.

That's really nice.

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I. I've had a life that was at 19.

Yeah.

What was I doing that was really.

Listen.

But I wanted it.

Yeah.

That was like my first taste of like, oh, I don't hate this.

Yeah.

So that's why. Yes. I would probably would have found my way back, but it was just like, this has been in me. This is the only thing that kind of exc Me like.

And you still don't hate it.

Sometimes I do hate it, but deep down, I just find my way back into to loving it because it brings me joy. I can write so many different things, and people are like, oh, my God, you wrote that.Oh, my God, you translated my own words into something beautiful.And I'm trying to work my way back into reading a poem every night because they say poetry also helps you get your mind to creatively think of different things.

Oh, okay.

And kind of get you out of the mindset of just like, okay, I'm reading a sentence. Poetry expands. Expands your mind to just lyrical, rhythmic, expressive wordplay sometimes.

I love that I should read a poem every day as well. I feel like I've heard that before. And I do have poem books. I need to just take them out.

I randomly found my mom's Courtne Parks poetry book.

Ooh, yeah.

Random.

Yeah.

It was like, his photography. And then a poem with it that he wrote.

Oh, no way. Yeah, I love that. Yeah, that's a great. Yeah, that's a great book. It'll be one of those tonight.I feel like, oh, that's where I was gonna go because, you know, I did film school to work in film. And then I will see so many friends who, like, they will be fine. Or not friends, but, like, colleagues. Let me get it straight. You're not my friend.No, I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. But I'll see, like, colleagues who they' like, now, film is their job. Right.Like, they're fine with just, you know, just doing it as that and then, like, not pursuing it. Extra to do the extra. Like you've done the extra is like, just out of the question. They're not interested anymore. And so I think that's really cool.And it makes me sad. Cause I'm like, oh, my gosh. I remember when we were in film school, like, you wanted to, you know, make all these big action films and all that.And you're like, now you don't want to do that anymore? And you, like, seem like you're bitter towards the industry. Like. No, that makes me so sad. So it's just encouraging to see you, like. Yes.And more, you know. Yes, I'm gonna write for this show. Yes, I wanna make my own films. Yes, I'm gonna read my Gordon park poetry book.

Yeah. But also, I've been discouraged. And I mentioned this briefly with you off the mic, because I couldn't find a job.I haven't been able to find a real, real job in the industry these last two years. And teaching and substitute teaching has been the thing. And I recently finally got this professor position at. And. And it took me to Chicago.I've never been to Chicago. Oh, I've been to Chicago once.

Yeah.

But this is like my second time. And then I'm moving here. And I don't really have any friends or real family. I have one cousin here. But I think if it's me, I'm. I'm a Christian woman.I'm like, asking God, why are you taking me here? I've been in LA for over 15 years. What you doing with my life?

Yeah.

Why are you transitioning here? And I feel like I reinvigorated my love for.For film, TV and writing through teaching students who are trying to figure out how to do it and also how to. How to judge it. Honestly, we judge films. We are. We are people who are just like, critiquing films and we don't even know it.But I'm also trying not to. I'm trying to get them off the computer where they're forming their own opinion about what they like about the episode, the.The script or the movie, instead of going to chat GBT to translate it for them.

Yeah.

And for them to be creative without assistance, if that makes sense, and build their own language. Yeah. I have to be able to translate that to them. And so that's why I'm being professor. I'm really having to break down why.This is the plot, this is the character. And it's helped educate me again with being like, oh, Kristina, this is why your. Your script ain't working.Cause remember this one thing that you try to do, you're teaching Your kids, like, oh, you gotta do this, this, and this.

Yeah, it, like, gets you back to basics, too.

Hell, yeah.

Yeah, that's good. Good.

Yeah, that's good.

Yeah. These with the.I'm trying not to tell myself this anymore, but I had, you know, like, with the COVID and everything like that, and then the writer strikes and everything, I was like. I felt like it zapped away my creativity. And so I've just been, like, you know, was stuck, but now I have ideas.And, you know, thankfully, this, like, you know, being here with Lumpin, have my podcast project that's always kept me, like, always able to focus on something and, like, being able to learn about other people's practices and where I might see myself in my own practice. And that's made me happy and, you know, brought me joy. And it's also, I've, like, been, okay, I'm gonna burn down the practice, and I'm rebuilding.I'm just rebuilding. But then I'm like, maybe I shouldn't say burn down. We'll say, like, pivot or refresh. Bring back, you know, or, like, back to the basics.Like, even I was like, let me, you know, just, like, get a photo book and do some of these lighting exercises. You know what I mean?Because at least that way, I'm, like, following a plan versus trying to figure something else out by myself and just get myself back in the mix.

Yeah. Cause a lot of people talk trash about people. They're like, oh, you can't get this job back in your industry. Like, you must have tried hard enough.I'm like, it's not even our industry. It is all of America. We are out of work. We are in the worst of times for people trying to get a regular job.We have to get two to three different jobs. And even a lot of my writer friends, they are in nonprofit work. One was working for a paralegal.One went back to nursing because she was a nurse before this, she got her degree in nursing, which is not even bad because I found out how much they girl. 120,000 a year. Go, girl.

Oh, I'm not mad. I'm not mad. I love that for her.

But again, these are jobs where we start to think. Because I'm still in two writers groups, we start to tell ourselves, like, in these, like, we once a month, we, like, do a formal.Hey, what are you doing? A formal catch up. And we all said the same thing. We're like, oh, I'm writing this thing about what I'm learning as a teacher or learning As a nurse.As a nurse. And now I'm writing a spec for Chicago Med because of the things I'm learning now as a nurse. Post Covid, we're learning how to adapt to new.The new cultural norm before we go back, because we are all determined to go back, and I feel like where there is gonna be a shift. Please, Jesus, Lord, have mercy upon this land.That we'll get back into our writer's room, where we'll have even more stories to tell, and they'll be even more powerful. And that's all I can.That's all I can think about and be hopeful about, that we will transition into telling more powerful stories that people are gonna relate to because of the changing times we're on shows. I think we've discussed, as a lot of our shows are from people, everyday people. We tell everyday stories, and that's why people watch them.Like, watching Chicago Fire, man, I remember that memorable episode where it was a whole episode in a building, and it was the multiple characters, like, going to these three different floors where all this action was going on.But we were having so much backstory, and we were feeling for this person, and it was like, almost kind of a crossover, because one of the Chicago PD people, their father lived in the building. They were like, I have to go. And the firefighter like, no, we will get you. You stay right. Know your place. But also, we've got you, man.So it's just like, those things just like, oh, my God. And I got to read that episode too. And it was like, oh, my God, is he gonna find the father? And the father was trying to help.One of the older men on the building was like, oh, my God. Father was. Is he still alive? And then he takes that breath I love. I'm that sucker. They say that, like, you're like, he's live. Commercial break.

Commercial break. Yeah. I love a good story, man. I love, love a good story. They're so needed.

Yeah.

You know, even with, like, the Internet, like, with Instagram, I feel like now everybody's, like, curating their life, and I'm.

Like, they say that's the thing now.

But I miss when people were just like, check me out. I went to the coffee shop, and this is my latte and avocado toast. Now this is my dog.Like, you know, it'd just be these little squares that would shape, like, someone's world. But now you don't see that anymore. It's just, like, everybody's highlight reel. And I'm just like, I really missed when we had the story.

Yeah, no, I do that. Because now if you. I would invite you to go see my page, the White Robe Stories, where I just tell stories every Friday about my life.Like, one story for a minute and 30 about what happens. What happened, like, 20 years ago or what happened last week.

Oh, how long have you been doing that?

I've been doing it for the last year.

Oh, okay.

I didn't know that because I just wanted to get it out. And people were like, you should do a podcast about this. Cause was it just like. It's just, again, everyday life, but you're in your white robe.Because all I had was time to be in my white robe talking to a screen.

You easily could. You can always, like, extract the audio and just put it on a podcast feed.

That's what everybody keeps on telling me, but I'm just like, I gotta learn that. That's a whole nother skill I gotta learn.

Right? It's. It's. Yeah. It's like, don't add anything else to my plate.

But that's what we have to do as creators.

Yeah.

And so that's. Again, we. We are learning other skills that are gonna probably lead us to our next job. That is gonna lead us to the job.

Yeah. Cause if anything keeps you visible, right?

Yeah. And that's what they keep on saying. They're like, you need to be this. You need to be a creator. And I'm like, do I have the capacity with grading?Cause I have two feature classes, 16 each. And then at the end of the quarter, I have to read 16 times 16, 16, 32 features, and grade them in a week and a half.

Are you a fast reader?

I am not. Because I try to take my time and I try to give notes. And that's why I'm like, I told them already.I was like, if you give me your script, the day it's due, just know I'mma really try, but you cruising for a bruising. All right.

Oh, my gosh.

Yeah.

Kristina, I'm so happy that you came to Lumping Radio. Oh, my gosh. Where can we find out more about you?

I invite you to go to my website, christinarenethomas.com Instagram. It's Kristina Thomas. And. Yeah, that's it.

My middle name is Renee.

Oh, with an E. With T's.

Yep.

I see it. I see it. I love that.

Wow. We are, like, totally vibing.

Yes, ma'. Am. Yes, ma'. Am.

Oh, my gosh. Well, listen, y', all, you guys check out Kristina's website check out. Wait. White Robe Stories.

Yeah. If you would like to.

Yeah, why not? It. Let's. Let's invite the people. Is it. It's at White Robe Stories on Instagram.

The White Robe Stories.

Okay.

Which two? My exes started following me, and it's very one of them I actually talked about.

Oh, my God.

They don't know. They don't know.

Well, that's on them. You know that's on them. And thank you, Liz, so much for tuning in to Nosy af. And we will see you soon. This has been another episode of Nosy af.I'm your host, Stephanie Graham. What did you think about today's conversation? I would love to hear your thoughts.Head over to the Nosy AF website for all the show notes related to this episode. You can also find me on Instagram. Ephanie Graham, what would you know?Or online@missgram.com where you can sign up for my newsletter where I share exclusive updates about my studio practice as well as this podcast. Until next time, y' all stay curious and take care. Bye.