My greatest passion is leading talented and compassionate artists as we uncover paths to storytelling in a collaborative space. It is crucial to balance the unique vision of the writer/director with the rich contributions of every individual on a project.
As a writer/director, I get the privilege of choosing what stories to tell and how to tell them. My passion for directing began with basement shows starring my siblings and friends, and blossomed in college when I started working as director of Summer Stage Theatre Arts Camp in The Bronx.
While in grad school, I was approached by The Collaboratory on School and Child Health and The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry to write a 12 episode web series teaching emotional wellness techniques to elementary aged kids. After over a year of work and collaboration with producers, directors, educators, and performers, Feel Your Best Self premiered and took home 4 Telly Awards and the 2023 Kidscreen Award for Best Web/App Series. Observing every element of the production process on Feel Your Best Self taught me what it takes to create a film project from start to finish.
My MFA thesis project at the University of Connecticut was a film that I wrote and directed called Boyish Charms aimed at challenging and expanding young audience’s understanding of masculinity. I recieved mentorship from other writer/directors I learned from at UConn, Nehprii Amenii and Tlaloc Rivas. Each of them heavily influenced my directing philosophy. My favorite nugget of wisdom learned from Nehprii is this:
I am not interested in making art that drags the artist along. My icon for the director is not the pointing finger telling everyone what to do, but rather a bowl holding every human involved in the process of creating art.
I find that when artists come together in a supportive and productive environment, every individual has the opportunity to share their unique experiences and perspectives in ways that show them their value and contribute to the success of the project. The results are breathtaking.
YANNIV FRANK 