Friday, June 21, 2019

Basketball: MasterClass, "Can't Miss" Chapters

"Be a learn it all, not a know it all." - Kevin Eastman

 I love MasterClass (MasterClass.com). Luminaries share their craft. Great teaching never goes out of date. These messages that spoke to me. And yes, many women share in abundance...Jane Goodall, Mira Nair, Annie Leibovitz, Helen Mirren, Serena Williams, and more. 

 Brilliance and inspiration cross disciplines. Over fifty experts present five or six hours of their expertise. 

The first seven of Steph Curry's 17 chapters. 


 I've taken eight of these classes. 

 Samuel L. Jackson, Auditioning.  

 1. "Be your best self." 
2. "Make an impression." Maybe this job isn't yours, but the next one could be. 
3. "Be off book." Know your lines. 
4. "This is a LOOK AT ME business." Show what you do. 

 Summary: Excellence delivers high performance every day. 

Ken Burns. The Drama of Truth

 1. How far can you go with art before you mess with truth? 
2. We seek "higher emotion." 
3. "We have access to our veterans military records" (to verify their participation).
4. "There is no objective truth...this is human experience." 
5. "We have to be in pursuit of a larger truth..." 

 Summary: Recognize that manipulation is part of everything we do. Raising funds, shooting, promoting...all are manipulation. 

Spike Lee. Putting Words on Paper

 1. Commit to the best writing possible...whether individual or collaboration.
2. Do your homework (research). Spike organizes ideas into scenes using a box of index cards. And yes, the NYK drafting R.J. Barrett excited him last night. 
3. Eliminate distractions. You can't write while on the phone, watching television, etc. (Dan Brown has a writing area, David Mamet a cabin in Vermont, Hans Zimmer a studio with a blank score every day). 
4. Know your stuff (inside and out). James Patterson says that male readers especially tune you out if you present inaccuracies. 

 Summary: Be demanding and detailed when selecting material crafting your story. 

 Ron Howard, Best Film Editing Tips. 

 1. During editing, "execute your final rewrite." 
2. "Editing is the process where the movie is actually made." (Editing practice schedules often defines how we play.)
3. A great collaborator (assistant) can help the director spot new ideas. 
4. "Watch film you love with the sound off to pinpoint inspiring edits."

 Summary: Use quality cuts to write our narrative. Everything must advance the story and be willing to "kill your darlings," that distract from your story. 

 Malcolm Gladwell, Research. 

 1. Get off the Internet. Find more depth, something "new and unexpected." 
2. Google ranks by popularity. Is the most popular information what we want?
3. Go to the library. Books nearby a book you like explore different neighborhoods. If you get stuck, librarians are delighted to help.
4. Footnotes broaden your search. This reminds me of Usher's advice to "study your mentor's mentors." My mentor's mentors were John Wooden and Dean Smith. 

 Summary: Have an open mind, a beginner's mind willing to explore new concepts. 

 Bob Woodward, Writing the Story.

 1. Write a premature draft, a summary about the story..."what's interesting, what's clear, what's new." 
2. The Rule of Six...about six things that are important 
3. "Talk the story out." 
4. Don't bury the lede (the major idea).  

Summary: reveal great stories through investigation..."find the best version of the truth." 

 Lagniappe: Conventional wisdom falls distressingly short. @HalfCourtHoops
Lagiappe 2: Move the defense, relocate. "Movement kills defense." 
Collapsing defenses open other opportunity. 
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