Cydney Griffin
Interview
When did it all start?
The ‘Ah-Ha’ moment when everything came together was nothing like the inciting-incident, call to action beat, in a movie. In reality it was set in motion by two contributing factors. Since elementary school, I’ve always been an average writer. I was the kid that enjoyed putting sentences together–I guess it had to do with the large amount of hip-hop music I listened to in my youth. Although I didn’t understand why some sentences flowed better than others at that time, I was able to feel the difference between reading good sentences and reading bad ones.
I was thirteen when I got my first job at The Gardena Cinema. Here, I was exposed to a high volume of movies. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was gaining knowledge of film-grammar and visual literacy through this exposure. Years later, in college, I put the two together. Using film- grammar as a way to write stories through a visual storytelling medium is what I enjoy. It is a growing obsession I am constantly striving to improve upon, and at this rate, I don’t think I could stop even if I wanted to.
I was thirteen when I got my first job at The Gardena Cinema. Here, I was exposed to a high volume of movies. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was gaining knowledge of film-grammar and visual literacy through this exposure. Years later, in college, I put the two together. Using film- grammar as a way to write stories through a visual storytelling medium is what I enjoy. It is a growing obsession I am constantly striving to improve upon, and at this rate, I don’t think I could stop even if I wanted to.
What is your main motivation or inspiration?
Situations happening in the world are my biggest inspiration. The idea of thinking like another person, or walking in someone else’s shoes has always been intriguing to me. Understanding different people through the characters I create, and seeing how they help and hinder other characters in a story is what I love the most about writing. Also the idea of always trying to outdo myself and improve is another source of motivation too.
Define yourself in less than 10 words
Growth and development is life, everyday presents new opportunities.
Tell us about your career. Your best experience? And the worst?
The best experience would have to be the writing process. It does not always go smoothly, but I’m working through it a little bit at a time. And when I do make progress in character motivations, or in the plot outline of the movie, it makes my world a little less heavy and easier to live in. Writing is a part of me–what more can I say.
The worst experience would have to be people not keeping their word. In this industry, many people will smile in your face, and then forget you the minute they turn their backs. I guess everybody is busy, but this was something I had to get used to when I first tried to network. I write and workout to take my mind off of the rejection, still I wish it wasn’t that way. Most importantly, I’ve learned to respect myself, be unapologetically nice to people, and watch people’s actions more than listening to their words.
The worst experience would have to be people not keeping their word. In this industry, many people will smile in your face, and then forget you the minute they turn their backs. I guess everybody is busy, but this was something I had to get used to when I first tried to network. I write and workout to take my mind off of the rejection, still I wish it wasn’t that way. Most importantly, I’ve learned to respect myself, be unapologetically nice to people, and watch people’s actions more than listening to their words.
Any idol or reference?
Paul Thomas Anderson. Dave Chappelle. I don’t idolize anyone, but there are people I do respect.
What are your next projects?
My next project is a script about a woman longing to become a mother, but when she gets pregnant she starts questioning her ability to parent, based upon her emotional/ childish actions which have resulted in her being committed to a psychiatric hospital.
I also have a script about a little girl growing up in an environment that lacks the tools to help her attain her goal of one day becoming a gymnast.
I’m also writing a movie about a high-school girl with psyche powers wanting to be well liked but ends up betraying those that care about her.
I also have a script about a little girl growing up in an environment that lacks the tools to help her attain her goal of one day becoming a gymnast.
I’m also writing a movie about a high-school girl with psyche powers wanting to be well liked but ends up betraying those that care about her.
How do you see yourself in 5 years? and in 15 years?
Doing what I do now. Writing and making movies, hopefully future projects will become a little easier to fund.
Gallery
About
Cydney Griffin is an up-in-coming screenwriter and movie-director from the Los Angeles area. Born and raised in Hawthorne California, Cydney Griffin is currently in the process of promoting his directorial debut movie, What Ever Happened To Dinner? A movie centered around technology and its effect on the traditional nuclear family. We were able to sit down with Cydney and ask him a few questions.