As a child, when Yule Caise would fall asleep, his dreams were formatted in the vein of films, beginning and ending the way movies do ““ with a list of credits. From a childhood dream to an adult career choice, this film-centered mind-set did not falter as he pursued his passion all the way to the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.
Fast-forward a few years and now Caise, a 2007 graduate with a master of fine arts in screenwriting, is the first to receive the newly developed NAACP/NBC Fellowship in Screenwriting, which aims to give minority students a chance to develop as screenwriters and to encourage leadership and creativity in the film industry. Through the fellowship, Caise has already received an internship with the NAACP Image Awards as well as a meeting with Tim Kring, the man behind one of television’s biggest shows, “Heroes.”
It was through this meeting that Caise nabbed a TV geek’s dream job working as a director and producer for future episodes of the hit television show, or more specifically, future “webisodes” (episodes shown on the Web to give avid viewers further insight into the plot and characters).
“It’s a much bigger operation than I’m used to,” he said. “It’s just thrilling.”
When asked if he was a “Heroes” fan before landing the job, Caise responds without hesitation, “It’s my favorite show on television. … From the moment I saw the credits I thought, “˜I wish I would have thought of that.'”
A child actor, Caise was exposed to the world of entertainment at a young age. However, it was not until college that he realized his passion to go behind the camera.
“I always figured I would just be an actor,” he said, “then I started making films in college and the bug just bit me.”
It was in college that Caise experimented within various avenues of entertainment, and began to build up his resume.
While studying visual and environmental studies as an undergraduate at Harvard University, he wrote and directed an award-winning film titled “Shoes.” He also wrote a number of screenplays, including “Free of Eden,” which eventually became a Showtime film starring Sidney Poitier, and a film adaptation of the novel “Way Past Cool.”
He attributes his decision to continue his education at UCLA to his belief that “there is always so much more to learn.”
“I have never been so creatively happy and challenged as I was at UCLA,” Caise said. “The intellectual stimulation made me fall in love with movies all over again.”
While Caise may be the first to receive this particular fellowship, awards are nothing new for the writer/director. During his tenure at UCLA, he received the Sidney Sheldon Scholarship Award for Screenwriting and won the 2005 UCLA Screenwriters Showcase competition. He also had a script selected for the 2006 Film Independent Screenwriters Lab.
For Caise, however, the perks of success are not limited to his recent awards.
Recently, he attended a weekend fundraiser located at the winery of Francis Ford Coppola, director of his all-time favorite movie “The Godfather.” Caise, invited as a student of film, refers to this event as one of his favorite memories of the past few years, along with the time he traveled to Africa to produce a master of fine arts director’s film.
But even more influential than trips to Coppola’s winery and Africa, were Caise’s screenwriting classes at UCLA.
“Being in a room with a bunch of really talented writers had to be my favorite memory at UCLA,” he said.
Because of his passion for screenwriting, Caise appreciates the emphasis that the fellowship places on writing as a fundamental aspect of the film industry.
“It all starts (with writing),” Caise said. “If you can write well, then that’s the entree.”
While it may seem a stretch for a screenwriting student like Caise to be directing and producing, his resume speaks for itself. Caise has already worked as a producer on a few independent films as well as a brief stint on an early hip-hop rap show with Fox. He even directed a music video for rap artist Run-D.M.C. This past spring, Caise ended his time at UCLA on a high note, writing and directing his first feature film “Swishbucklers,” a movie he summarizes as a “martial arts action comedy with heart.”
With the familiar surroundings of Melnitz Hall behind him and a bright future ahead, Caise still looks back at UCLA with the same enthusiasm he holds for filmmaking.
“UCLA has been so wonderful and generous to me in helping to get a career going,” he said. “You really get to find your voice.”