Today we’d like to introduce you to Frank Beckwith.
Hi Frank, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Thank you for having me on this platform, I truly appreciate it. Well, this is a long story and I will give you all the abridged version. I was born and raised in New York City; originally from Brooklyn, my family moved to the South Bronx when I was nine years old. I’m the oldest of eight in total- no judgment. My father and mother remarried and growing up primarily in a single-parent household was not easy for me and my family. However, I pushed forward and always had a sense of huge responsibility as a child. I graduate high school and went to College in downtown Brooklyn. After about a year and a half, I was dismissed for low academic standing.
This affected me profoundly, as I knew I was smart, but I was not applying myself. This was also when I left my three-year-old job in the upper west side of Manhattan. I fell into a depression as I was a twenty-two-year-old man without direction and I had to dig deep and find myself and my purpose. I had enough money to take six months off and I studied with personal development books. From authors like Deepak Chopra, Michael Beckwith (no relation), and many others. I begin to mediate, pray and transform my body through exercise. During this time, I applied to a Community College and was accepted. I met my brothers and mentors at the college. I was also placed in leadership positions on campus. I eventually graduated with my Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts and transfer to a private college. I also finished there and obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Sciences. Telling this story is giving flashbacks of working full-time and going to school full-time. Taking night classes and online classes after working eight hours. My desire and passion for success was unshakable and now reflecting on it, I’m very grateful. Taking the subway and buses throughout the city every day. If you are from New York or have ever been there you know.
Fast forward, I finished undergrad and attend HB Studios in New York and studied for a year. I moved down to Atlanta and attended a program called XXI Century Entertainment. In this program, they prepare you for the Film Industry. In the end, we showcase our talents in front of 20-plus agents from Los Angles to Atlanta. I did the showcase and landed an Agent. After going on dozens of auditions and hearing no, I decided to do something different. This is when I feel like I stepped into myself as an artist. I didn’t like to process of auditioning and I decided to create my own. It’s not like I haven’t been booking jobs on my own. I’ve been in a stage play in New York, web series, commercials, background work on television, and major films. However, something changed and it was time for me to create projects. I went back to the drawing board, and I saw myself as bigger than just an actor.
I decided to learn screenwriting, began networking with people in the industry and started my own production company, Focal Beam Entertainment LLC. Our first project is a web series called “The Very Thought of You”. The story is inspired by Eddie Murphy’s Boomerang, The Best Man, Brown Sugar, and the music of Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole. I recently played Tommy in a viral trailer titled “Pam and Tommy: A Detroit Love Story”. The trailer is a mashup of Martin 90’s TV show and Pam and Tommy on Hulu. I also have a screenplay making the festival round and winner in its respective category. I feel very blessed and humbled by my journey.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Wow, lots of setbacks. Struggles in regard to belief and confidence in my talents, ability, and skills. I had to grow into that. I consider myself a late bloomer, but I feel I had to get into a relationship with God, and then everything began to fall into place. Struggles are still present, but I think about God’s hand in my life and what God had to lead me through, and I have a clearer perspective and gratitude for it.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an actor, screenwriter, producer, and director. I own a production company called Focal Beam Entertainment LLC. I am most proud of my web series “The Very Thought of You”. It was a passion project that I envisioned and to create what I saw in my mind, put it to paper, and then screen, is one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. My second proud experience is playing Tommy in Pam and Tommy: A Detroit Love Story. We all grew up watching Martin’s TV show and playing Tommy Strawn was a life-changing experience. I am very happy about the response from the Martin fans.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Tons, tons, tons of books. I’m an educator as well so all I do is read, you should see my nightstand lol! in regards to apps, Tony Evans app, Holy Bible app, Final Draft mobile, and desktop versions. Funny story with the Final Draft app, when I first started screenwriting I went to Walmart and brought a pack of notepads. It was about 10 pads in a pack. I would write my scripts on the pads at night at the kitchen table. Then I would transcribe them into the Final Draft Mobile version at work the next day because the mobile version was $10 and the desktop version was about $300. You would also be able to send a PDF file to yourself and print it out. Amazing app, but that was short-lived as I got the desktop version during a Black Friday sale a year later.
Podcast, it’s too many but I listen to The John Campea Show to keep up to date on the film industry. Film Riot podcast is good and the Bulletproof Screenwriting podcast is another good one.
Books, Screenplay: Foundation of Screenwriting by Syd Field. Story by Robert McKee is a really thick and dense book on the story but it’s a good one. Power of the Actor by Ivanna Chubbuck and Independent Filmmaking by Mann Roberson.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegentlemanbeck/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frank.beckwith
- Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/showcase/8998451
