Post by Naj on Jul 5, 2007 8:33:11 GMT -5
FAMU grad to write for CBS drama 'Cold Case'
By Angel Suri
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Kellye Garrett has gone from sitting in classrooms at Florida A&M University, to being an editorial assistant at the Daily News in New York, to keeping track of freelance writers at Vibe magazine.
And, recently, she landed the job she really wanted: She was hired as a writer for the CBS drama "Cold Case," a show about Philadelphia detective Lilly Rush, (Kathryn Morris), who's assigned to unsolved crimes. It airs locally at 9 p.m. Sundays.
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"The look on her face in that moment," said Elizabeth Randall, Garrett's writing partner, "when it was clear all our hard work and sacrifice had really paid off, was such pure joy and happiness that I will never forget it."
Garrett said she got tired of covering people doing amazing things and wanted to do something amazing herself.
"I wanted to get back to that little girl in me with the overactive imagination," she said.
FAMU's School of Journalism and Graphic Communication gave her a leg up, Garrett said.
Garrett said whether writing a story or creating characters, one needs to look beyond the surface to find out what's really going on.
Gerald Grow, one of Garrrett's professors at FAMU, described her as bright, articulate and fun.
"When Kellye set her mind on something," Grow said, "she worked hard to make it a reality."
Garrett said she wanted to be part of "Cold Case" because it's more than a standard drama. She said good television should not just be entertaining, it should incite emotions.
"No show makes you feel for a person, whether it's the victim or even the killer, like 'Cold Case,' ” she said.
Garrett, deciding to chase her dream, left her "cushy" job as an assistant editor at Vibe magazine and moved cross country to study at the University of Southern California's graduate screenwriting program. There she met Randall, who eventually became her writing partner.
"Kellye and I have very similar sensibilities," Randall said, "but at the same time compliment each other's strengths and weaknesses."
Garrett worked on Lifetime television's "Angela's Eyes," and she and Randall wrote a special for CBS's "Without a Trace," which, according to Garrett, was their big break. The team was admitted to NBC's Writers on the Verge prgram. The 10-week program focuses on polishing television writers and readying them for a staff writer position on television shows. During the program, the duo wrote a special for TNT's "The Closer."
In addition to writing for "Cold Case," Garrett is co-author of a short story and hard at work on an original television pilot.
Garrett said most of all she's excited about seeing how the show works.
"It starts off with a single idea that months later has morphed into an hour of television that millions of people watch."
Contact reporter Angel Suri at angelsuri@gmail.com.
FAMU
By Angel Suri
DEMOCRAT WRITER Print Email to a friend Subscribe
Kellye Garrett has gone from sitting in classrooms at Florida A&M University, to being an editorial assistant at the Daily News in New York, to keeping track of freelance writers at Vibe magazine.
And, recently, she landed the job she really wanted: She was hired as a writer for the CBS drama "Cold Case," a show about Philadelphia detective Lilly Rush, (Kathryn Morris), who's assigned to unsolved crimes. It airs locally at 9 p.m. Sundays.
ADVERTISEMENT
"The look on her face in that moment," said Elizabeth Randall, Garrett's writing partner, "when it was clear all our hard work and sacrifice had really paid off, was such pure joy and happiness that I will never forget it."
Garrett said she got tired of covering people doing amazing things and wanted to do something amazing herself.
"I wanted to get back to that little girl in me with the overactive imagination," she said.
FAMU's School of Journalism and Graphic Communication gave her a leg up, Garrett said.
Garrett said whether writing a story or creating characters, one needs to look beyond the surface to find out what's really going on.
Gerald Grow, one of Garrrett's professors at FAMU, described her as bright, articulate and fun.
"When Kellye set her mind on something," Grow said, "she worked hard to make it a reality."
Garrett said she wanted to be part of "Cold Case" because it's more than a standard drama. She said good television should not just be entertaining, it should incite emotions.
"No show makes you feel for a person, whether it's the victim or even the killer, like 'Cold Case,' ” she said.
Garrett, deciding to chase her dream, left her "cushy" job as an assistant editor at Vibe magazine and moved cross country to study at the University of Southern California's graduate screenwriting program. There she met Randall, who eventually became her writing partner.
"Kellye and I have very similar sensibilities," Randall said, "but at the same time compliment each other's strengths and weaknesses."
Garrett worked on Lifetime television's "Angela's Eyes," and she and Randall wrote a special for CBS's "Without a Trace," which, according to Garrett, was their big break. The team was admitted to NBC's Writers on the Verge prgram. The 10-week program focuses on polishing television writers and readying them for a staff writer position on television shows. During the program, the duo wrote a special for TNT's "The Closer."
In addition to writing for "Cold Case," Garrett is co-author of a short story and hard at work on an original television pilot.
Garrett said most of all she's excited about seeing how the show works.
"It starts off with a single idea that months later has morphed into an hour of television that millions of people watch."
Contact reporter Angel Suri at angelsuri@gmail.com.
FAMU
