Writing, Arts & Entertainment
Meet Your Instructor: Issa Rae
Lesson time 05:40 min
With her web series The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl and her HBO TV show Insecure, Issa Rae tells authentic stories with realistic characters. She shares how she broke into Hollywood by following her own path.
Students give MasterClass an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars
Topics include: Issa Rae Teaches Creating Outside the Lines
Preview
- Go shorty. It's my birthday. But no one cares because I'm not having a party. Because I'm feeling sorry for myself. This is the character version of me, Issa Dee. Fun loving, self-deprecating, and sometimes hella messy. But I want to introduce you to the real me, Issa Rae. An Emmy nominated actress, a comedian, writer, entrepreneur, and a professional turn upper. Throughout my time in the industry so far I've been able to gain experience on multiple sides of the table. As an actor, producer, and writer, as someone who's pitched shows to networks, and as someone who's had shows pitched to. I learned how to build an audience, wear multiple hats, and trust my own vision. I learned that I didn't have to wait for permission or the perfect opportunity. That's what this MasterClass is all about. It's all about getting out of your own way, using the resources you have in front of you, and no longer accepting no as an answer. So this class is for anybody looking for an entryway into content creation. Whether that's online, on TV, or for film. But it's also for those looking for a spark of inspiration to get them started on the path that's meant for them. Sometimes you just have to pave it yourself. My journey into television and film started with big dreams of selling stories that reflected the girl I saw in the mirror. But after facing many closed doors on the traditional path, I finally got my break from hosting self produced series online. - You see that? - Oh yeah, my boo? He is too fine. - Look what room he came out of. - Oh, hell. - The first series I ever created was in college, and it was called "Dorm Diaries" And it was about what it was like to be black at Stanford University. - This going to be the one. - The second one I ever created was called "Fly Guys Present The F Word." - This just Fly Guy fun day every day. - And then "Awkward Black Girl," was the third web series I ever created. - Mom, what are you doing here? - Why are you naked? - And it was epiphanies for me because it made me realize that I could have a direct audience via these two platforms, YouTube and Facebook. Being able to click a button and people could watch it. And people could comment on it. And they could give you whatever feedback they had. And that was so essential to fueling my confidence. And it was extremely bootleg, but it also caused me not to sit back and wait for somebody to notice me, wait for something to happen, wait for someone to give me the yes. It really caused me to just have a fire and make, make, make, make, make, until I got the opportunity I wanted. - I got you this. Some sort of Drake would like. - Why do you assume I like Drake? - Every black girl that went to college likes Drake. - He just really gets us. - My journey to be able to transition from the internet to television and film, feels like an anomaly in some cases. And people want to know what the secret is. And so I wan...
About the Instructor
The Emmy-nominated star and creator of the award-winning HBO series Insecure is here to show you how it’s done. Issa Rae uses her signature do-it-yourself ethos, humor, and voice to offer writers and creators of all types the motivation and tools they’ll need on their journey. Issa shares how she has navigated Hollywood while Black and inspires you to reach your creative dreams and never take no for an answer.
Featured MasterClass Instructor
Issa Rae
Emmy-nominated writer, actor, and producer Issa Rae teaches you how to bring your creative vision to life.
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