Yolanda Lindeque-Strauss

Screenwriter

Pretoria, South Africa

Member Since:
August 2011

Last online:
> 2 weeks ago

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About Yolanda

I'm a screenwriter for film as well as television. With a few producing skills but by no means a master. And aspiring author (five books in the top drawer ready to be finished). Born in South Africa, grew up in Namibia (Walvis Bay) and currently living in South Africa again.
Telling stories visually is my calling. Writing is my passion (even my novels are written in a visual style). Performing stories is my goal, whether by me or by someone else. Entrepreneurship ensures my independence because if there is one thing I have not been called to do, it is to work full time on one project only for a client. It's a lovely thing to be able to do if you can, and I have tried it, but it is like my business head takes over and I lose my heart. And it shows in my work. There has been the odd short-term writing gig, and a 4-year spring of writing 2 scripts per week for a Christian talk show from 2010 to 2014, and, to my surprise something I never thought I'd do but loved: performing interactive puppet shows for 3- to 5-year-olds at a church every second Sunday for two years. No two days in my very seclusive life is the same, and I have made peace with the unpredictability to the point of loving it. Working with people is something I love too, though. Brainstorming, talking and exploring being my 3 favourite activities with humans. The world of animals supply me with endless hours of entertainment. Action and adrenaline fuels my stories, so my favourite genres are action and adventure, and, strangely enough, romcoms. My favourite format? The answer is plural: episodic TV / streaming series, as well as feature films, stage plays, documentaries, radio plays, animation, and novels. Each format has a uniqueness that it can bring to a story, and sometimes a story and it's important for me to find the right fit. I prefer working on stories with heartache and hope. Each one a pocket of its own with a beginning, middle and end, which means soapies are not my forté but I might write and episode or two if needed.
Since visual storytelling is my calling, it inevitable for me to have learned producing too, and currently I'm learning to direct. Not my first loves but it enriches my storytelling, so I'm not complaining. It also keeps me on my business toes and up to date with trends in the industry, which enriches my characters, because the most interesting characters can be found in big business and airports. Not that other lifestyles exclude them, of course. Whether it is people in a small village, or in a high-rise building in Dubai or New York, I’m fascinated with us humans and our missions.

Unique traits: Everything.

Gender:
Female

Height:
5' 8"

Weight:
116

Body type:
Athletic

Hair:
Short

Hair color:
Brown

Eyes:
Brown

Ethnicity:
Caucasian

Certifications

Photos

Videos

Teaser from pilot episode (for pitching to Broadcasters)

Loglines

Heroes Of The Bay Budget: $100K - $1M | Historical ⋄ Action A true story. A merchant’s ship beaches in the early morning hours of June 01, 1773, near a 65-year-old man’s house and he and his horse find themselves fighting the vicious storm to rescue people before the ship disintegrates.

Credits

Diphetogo (The Change) (2018)
Drama by SABC 2 Writer Commissioned by Black Brain Studios to write 2 episodes of the 12 for a new drama series to be aired on SABC 2
My Name Is Kevin (2018)
Series by Ross Van Leeve Producer The series follows the life of a homeless man and his companions in the streets of Cape Town. The series was unfortunately cancelled after the pilot episode was produced for pitching.
Department of Justice: Sexual Offences Court (2014)
Video by Mpho Olifant Writer Educational video for the employees of the newly founded Sexual Offences Courts (South Africa, 2014)
Department of Justice: Maintenance Court (2014)
Video by Mpho Olifant Writer Educational video for administrative use at the Maintenance Courts of South Africa
Die Staat Se Bul (2014)
Film (short) by Harold Holscher Extra A prominent South African family of the 1900s traditionally uses the state's prize bull to cover their cows once a year. This year the state's man and his bull stirs the hearts of more than just the bovines.
Heartbeat, channel 8, M-Net decoders (2011)
Television by StudioPlus, commissioned by Radio Pulpit Head writer
Holmfirth Hollywood (2006)
Documentary by Steve Webb Character reenactment This docudrama tells the story of how James Bamforth, a painter and decorator from the small West Yorkshire town of Holmfirth, became a major player in the film-making business before the first Hollywood studio opened in 1911.