Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa N. Alexander.
Hi Lisa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
No matter what path I’ve found myself on, I’ve always been a storyteller. I told my first story at church at the age of seven and received a standing ovation. I was hooked on public performances from then on! I’ve been a professional speaker, author, graphic designer, art director, marketer, and public relations consultant.
As of late, I’ve shifted to helping nonprofit organizations tell their stories through videos such as documentaries and short-form video content. All of it is storytelling, a skill I’m thankful to have developed over the years.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Life is a journey filled with losses and wins, learning and unlearning, and finally understanding how all your experiences lead you back to you. I’ve always loved storytelling in all of its forms. I read the stories on the back of cereal boxes as a kid. I devoured the writings of Agatha Christie and Edgar Allen Poe as a teenager. I LOVED the creativity of commercials and the ability to tell a convincing story in 60 seconds or less.
My path took me through many iterations within the creative industry. And after working in various creative, storytelling roles, I’ve returned to stories told on film. I’m grateful for all my experiences because they’ve prepared me for this next phase of the journey—filmmaker, director, and producer.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Just before the pandemic, I decided to niche down in my business and serve nonprofit organizations. By the very nature of their mission and vision statements, great videos were a given. The first video project I worked on was a social justice documentary for Collective Action for Youth.
Listen! The opening scene! I’m still very proud of that work! It was my first directorial debut and bringing my concept to life. “Just One” went on to win a Silver Remi from the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival and was selected for showing at the San Antonio Film Festival in 2022. The client was thrilled and it brought a lot of attention to the organization. The second documentary/docudrama I created was a longer scripted work and the client loved it.
These projects inspired me to create my own production company PrettyWork Studios and write my first feature film—”My Father The Queen.” The film explores the relationship between a closeted gay Black man and his daughter, Kelly. The relationship turns cold after Walter is exposed by his wife Carolyn. Kelly is desperate for validation and approval and compromises herself to get it. The two are forced together during the pandemic when Walter catches COVID and lists Kelly as his next of kin.
‘My Father The Queen” addresses mental health in the Black community, closeted gay life, how “daddy issues” manifest, and finally what healing can look like. It is the Black, LGBTQ+, mental health, and historical drama you never knew you needed. The project started as a book but I couldn’t write the novel because I kept trying to create the film adaptation at the same time.
A wise friend suggested I write the screenplay since that’s where my passion lay. It took three years to finish. To date, the screenplay has won Best LGBT Screenplay from Best Script Awards London and Best Script from Cannes International Shorts. I’m also proud of a second screenplay, “It’s A Boy”— a short film about a pregnant woman who faces opposition from her family when she wants to move to another country to save her son from police brutality and racial injustice.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
I love the Masters of Scale podcast by Reid Hoffman. They’re not just interviews. He uses different learning modalities in his podcast to make sure you retain the information. I’ve learned so much about business and entrepreneurship and creativity by listening to his shows. I hone my storytelling abilities by listening to Glen Washington’s podcast Snap Judgement.
Glen is a masterful storyteller! His retelling of the biblical story of Job is jaw-dropping! The How I Built This podcast hosted by Guy Raz is another favorite. And whenever I want to be inspired, I rewatch JayZ’s New York Times interview with Dean Baquet, and Issa Rae’s, “A Sip” series.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.prettyworkstudios.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/myfatherthequeen, https://instagram.com/lisanalexander
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/myfatherthequeen
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/lisanalexander
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisanalexander
- Other: https://myfatherthequeen.com
Image Credits
Ken Jones Photography
