NATASHA LIKIMANI

NATASHA LIKIMANI, 29
SCRIPTWRITER
Why she is a woman to watch: Natasha has worked on shows such as Tahidi High, Makutano Junction, Tabasamu and Know Zone. She recently returned from Durban, South Africa, where her story Children of the Sand was accepted at the Durban Film Mart. She is passionate, talented and prolific.
I’ve been a scriptwriter for six years. I’ve just finished Demi Gods, and am writing for three upcoming other shows. When I first started, it was tough. I was still learning about the industry and didn’t know how to break in.
I didn’t study screenwriting but learnt on the job. I learnt the basics (format, acts, actions, character development) by reading movie scripts and studying the movies, and also took workshops to learn about writing for TV and polish my knowledge of film.
You can never really say that you’re “professional”. You have to keep learning, keep writing and rewriting. Currently, I’m working on several projects, one being another short film. But as always writing and rewriting.
The best part about being a scriptwriter is the stories I get to tell. Life is rich – with stories; you don’t have to look far.
To stay on top of my game, I usually watch a lot of movies and series, network, keep track of the box office and movie news, and read movie and TV scripts. I also attend workshops.
On a normal day, I wake up, pray, go to gym, then depending on what show I’m writing for, I’ll either go to the office or go home. I work from home when writing scripts.
For inspiration I watch an episode of a TV show that resembles the genre I’m writing.
To unwind, I hang with family and friends, watch a movie or TV show, have a pedicure, or take a road trip. I enjoy classic movies, playing Scrabble, trying out new restaurants and trivia games.
I’d like to survive on scriptwriting alone, but we are not there yet. Work is sporadic: sometimes there’s plenty, other times it’s very dry. You learn the intricacies of budgeting and saving for a rainy day.
My role models are Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Stanley Kubrik, Alfred Hitchcock and Spike Lee. The one film I wish I had written is North by Northwest by Alfred Hitchcock.