WHO IS SPIKE? • SPIKE IS AN AMERICAN FILM DIRECTOR , PRODUCER, WRITER AND ACTOR. HE HAS PRODUCED OVER 35 FILMS FROM 1983 TO PRESENT DAY WITH HIS PRODUCTION COMPANY. “40 ACRES AND A MULE” • AWARDS: SPIKE LEE HAS RECEIVED TWO ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS AND AN EMMY ALONG WITH OTHER FILM AWARDS. SPIKE’S LIFE • SHELTON JACKSON “SPIKE” WAS BORN ON MARCH 20, 1957 IN ATLANTA GEORGIA TO JACQUELINE CARROT AND WILLIAM JAMES EDWARD LEE. WHEN HE WAS A CHILD HE MOVED FROM ATLANTA TO BROOKLYN. LEE ATTENDED JOHN DEWEY HIGHSCHOOL IN BROOKLYN. HE ENROLLED IN MOREHOUSE COLLEGE, IN WHICH HE CREATED HIS VERY FIRST FILM, “LAST HUSTLE IN BROOKLYN”. HE ALSO TOOK SOME FILM CLASSES AT CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY. HE GRADUATED FROM MOREHOUSE COLLEGE WITH A BA IN MASS COMMUNICATION. HIS GRADUATE WORK WAS DONE AT NEW YORK UNIVERSITY’S TISCH SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, WHERE HE RECEIVED A MASTER OF FINE ARTS IN FILM AND TELEVISION. HOW DID HE START? • SPIKE LEE GREW UP IN A VERY DIVERSE AREA OFTEN CAUSING COLOR CLASHES. HE USED HIS EXPERIENCES AS AN INSPIRATION FOR HIS PRODUCTIONS. SPIKE LEE WAS MAKING AMATEUR MOVIES BY 20 AND WON A STUDENT ACADEMY AWARD. CAREER • SPIKE CREATES PROVOCATIVE FILMS THAT EXPLORE RACE PROBLEMS, POLITICAL ISSUES AND CRIMES. HIS FILMS EXPLORE THE ISSUE OF RACE AND LOOK FURTHER TO SHOW HOW BADLY AFFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED. MOVIES “Mo' Better Blues” 1990 film “Do the right thing” 1989 film “Blackkklansman” 2018 film “Crooklyn” 1994 film SETTING/ THEMES • MOST OF SPIKE’S FILMS ARE BASED OUT OF HIS HOME, BROOKLYN NEW YORK. • LEE EXPLORES TABOO AND CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS IN HIS FILMS CONCERNING RACE, MEDIA’S ROLE IN SOCIETY. THE BLACK COMMUNITY AND THE POVERTY AND THE VIOLENCE THAT HAPPENS IN IT AND OTHER POLITICAL ISSUES. TYPES OF CHARACTERS DEPICTED IN SPIKE’S FILMS • THE MAIN CHARACTERS ARE OFTEN PEOPLE WHO FACE SOCIAL ISSUES. • I’VE BEEN BLESSED WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THE VIEWS OF BLACK PEOPLE WHO OTHERWISE DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO POWER AND THE MEDIA. I HAVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT WHILE I’M STILL BANKABLE. • SPIKE LEE THE AUTHOR’S WRITING STYLE • WRITE ABOUT YOURSELF AND WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW. • WRITE BY HAND. • DON’T BE LAZY! PERFECT YOUR CRAFT. • LOVE WHAT YOU DO. • BELIEVE IN YOUR WORK. • “I THINK THE STORYTELLER HAS TO BELIEVE IN THE STORY THEY ARE TELLING. BECAUSE IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN IT, THE AUDIENCE IS NOT GOING TO BELIEVE IN IT.” CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE AUTHOR’S LIFE, WORK AND CHARACTERS. • THE SETTING IN PLACE BROOKLYN (NEW YORK) • IDENTITY • “IT COMES DOWN TO THIS: BLACK PEOPLE WERE STRIPPED OF OUR IDENTITIES WHEN WE WERE BROUGHT HERE, AND IT’S BEEN A QUEST SINCE THEN TO DEFINE WHO WE ARE.” ~ SPIKE LEE • FAMILY CONNECTIONS/MEMORIES • BLEEK GILLIAM IN MO’ BETTER BLUES FILM • THE MOTHER, FATHER AND SIBLINGS IN “CROOKLYN” FILM
