In our home city of Vancouver, Michelle Muldoon is an award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker, who has been recognized for her work in Vancouver and beyond.

In advance of her induction into the Action on Film International Film Festival Legends Society next month, we spoke with Michelle Muldoon about her accomplishments thus far, her opinions on the screenplays of today, and what projects she’s involved with these days.

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Why don’t you start by telling us a little bit more about you and which projects you’re currently involved with?

I am first and foremost a writer, and secondly a filmmaker. I started writing seriously in 2007, and once I found a mentor, was winning film festival awards a year later. In the ensuing eight years, I’ve had success at numerous festivals, and have become part of the festival team at two of them. I created and run the Writers Room, an alumni writers’ event and online community for the Action on Film International Film Festival in California. Plus, as a board member of Women in Film and Television Vancouver, I created and run the International Screenwriting Competition at the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival.

I’m in post-production on a three minute short film called Chaos Management, and I hope to make a feature film in the next year. EFC Film in California has applied for my U.S. 0-1 Visa in order to bring me down to Los Angeles to direct my feature film screenplay, Dead Fest.

At the moment, I’m writing a science fiction feature script and a web series.

From a writer’s perspective, what are many of today’s screenplays getting right or getting wrong in your opinion?

In the case of indie film, I have to say the script is under-developed.

Indie filmmakers need to be more fearless with the script. They shouldn’t be afraid to work with story editors and script consultants. These are people whose only interest is helping you make your script better. They don’t have the filter of friendship, relationship, or family to temper the feedback they give. There’s an old and true saying, “writing is rewriting”. There is a point where you have to hang your hat on a draft, but I think too many indie writers hang that hat too early because they erroneously relying on their friends to give them the tough feedback, and that rarely results in what you need.

Writing a story about compelling characters with unique voices, in fresh situations that involve heightened conflict is tough. If you don’t get fresh eyes on your work then you never truly know if you’ve achieved that.

Lastly, I believe you should have script readings for many of your drafts, and take feedback from the actors after each. If you want quality actors in your film, then you need to find out if the roles are attractive to them. The writer can still decide whether or not they’re taking the feedback, but they need to receive feedback before they can accept or reject it.

What do you think are the three most important elements for a successful screenplay?

Structure. Story, Character. By that I mean who the character is, how they talk, and how they relate to each other. The characters you create should engage the audience. The audience should have an opinion and a reaction to the characters on the screen. Audience indifference is the kiss of death to a film.

Structure is all about how you develop and relate the story you want to tell. It’s how you build and expose the conflict and resolution of the film. It is the pattern that creates the definition of the story.

Your story needs to be interesting. It needs to have a central conflict or obstacle and it needs to flow towards resolution. You must give the audience someone to root for, someone to care about, someone who is interesting. There needs to be a universal theme that can transcend boundaries. And most of all, story must have layered meanings that hit the audience’s buttons on so many different levels.

I’m going to add one more element that is crucial; formatting. If your script doesn’t look like a script, then no one is going to finish reading it. Just because you read scripts, doesn’t mean you know how to format one. Buy The Screenwriter’s Bible by David Trottier. It’s that simple. There are no excuses.

What is your opinion on actors who want to get into screenwriting? What advice would you have for them?

Writing is easy. Writing a good screenplay is hard. There are rules, there are expectations, and there’s definitely time required. If the actor is committed to working on their craft then go for it. Get out and meet your fellow writers, take workshops, buy the books that will help you develop, and be ready to put your nose to the grindstone. I always hear that it takes eight to ten feature screenplays before a writer really feels the story and understands the craft of writing. I think there’s a lot of truth to that. So, be prepared to work, a lot, in solitude, for a long time.

If the actor isn’t willing to put as much effort into studying the craft of writing as they put into the study of the craft of acting, then they shouldn’t do it. Go find a writer to work with if you want to make a film. Give yourself the best chance to succeed if you aren’t interested in working at writing.

What was your inspiration for getting into writing and your other endeavours in producing and directing?

I spent the first part of my life in sport; playing then coaching volleyball. I was burnt out, and it was time for a change. I needed something for me; something I could do on my own. I started with short fiction, but on the recommendation of a friend, I tried screenplays. I acquired a copy of Final Draft and started writing. There’s no polite way to say it, I sucked. I had a lot to learn, so I went out and found an instructor that made sense; how she communicated, and relayed her instruction. To this day, I still hire Pilar Alessandra at On The Page Script Consulting to cover my first draft. She’s good, better than good, and I’m not saying that because I’m on page 250 of her book, The Coffee Break Screenwriter. (Yes, that was a shameless plug) It took less than a year after working with her for me to receive my first Film Festival nomination.

I make film because that is where the market has gone. It’s becoming increasingly more difficult for a writer to be noticed strictly writing spec scripts. The spec script market has gotten better, but it will never be what it was in the 80’s and 90’s. You have to separate yourself from all the other aspiring writers, and craft an identity. And the only way to do that is make film. This is an age for the Indie Auteur and if you want to work in film, then you need to reinvent yourself.

What have been a few of your most memorable career moments to date?

My most memorable career moments have been:

• Winning the Women of Film Award at the 2009 Action on Film International Film Festival.

• My nomination for Best Director at the Movieville International Film Festival. The nomination list included Feature Film Directors and there I was, nominated for my eight minute short film, A Rendezvous.

• My impending induction into the Action on Film International Film Festival Legends Society in September. Independent Filmmaker Stan Harrington and I are the first inductees. We will then be the ones responsible for nominating and inducting other alumni members who strive not only to create film, but who do it with a high level of integrity. From there, we become the advisory committee that will help chart the future of the festival. The induction comes with some perks. I am now guaranteed to screen for life at the festival, which is now in its eleventh year in Monrovia, a small town next to Pasadena, CA. I think this honour says more about my value system than my filmmaking ability, and that makes me very proud of the honour.

• The two screenwriters events I created and run; The Vancouver International Women in Film Festival Screenplay Competition, and the Writers Room alumni event for the Action on Film International Film Festival. I believe in community, and with these two events I’ve been given the chance to put my money where my mouth is and work towards building and contributing to community.

What books have been influential in your creative journey?

This is going to sound odd, but my first formatting book, The Hollywood Standard by Christopher Riley, made a big difference to me. I’m a linear thinker, and when I realized that a script has a clear form, then writing within that form freed my creativity up.

I also enjoyed the William Akers book, Your Screenplay Sucks! And there are things about Save The Cat! by Blake Snyder I like a lot.

I think you have to be wary of anything that dilutes screenwriting to a simple formula It isn’t that easy. However, I do think there’s something in every book that can lead you to being a better writer.

Lastly, I would have to say you should never discount the influence of narrative fiction on your screenwriting. I was a huge Frank Herbert and Farley Mowat fan as a child. These two authors created amazing worlds with their words. You may be an avid reader your entire life, but there has to be writers who first inspired that love. They were mine. When I started writing I thought back to them, how they crafted something I bought into so readily, and how I wanted that for my screenplays.

In your opinion, what is the current state of the Canadian film, television, and theatre industry?

I think we have a stronger indigenous television industry than feature film industry. We’re making programs that play all over the world, whether it’s Continuum, Murdoch Mysteries, Lost Girl, Rookie Blue, or Motive. I think we have a lot to be proud of, but we need feature films to thrive in Canada. We need a stronger culture of private investment in film, and we need access to the screens in our own theatres. Distribution for Canadian film is difficult. Until we solve the issues around more diverse access to financing and investment, and a way to show our films more easily, I think feature films in Canada are going to continue to struggle for the support of the general Anglophone population.

What do you think the biggest challenges are for new writers, producers, and directors who want to enter the industry?

While the digital age has made production easier than ever, it’s also had a difficult flip-side to it. It’s harder to get noticed amid the cacophony. If you’re the needle, and the haystack keeps growing exponentially, how is anyone supposed to find you? With screenwriting programs so accessible and the empowerment of the “everyman” through blogs and the internet, everyone thinks they can write so everyone does. The amount of entries in contests and festivals, for both film and screenwriting, proves that the amount of material being generated grows every day. It’s much harder to get noticed. We used to say the cream rises to the top, but I don’t think that’s true anymore. The distance it needs to travel is just too huge. You need to find a way to separate yourself from the masses, and I think that is the main challenge for everyone now.

Where can we find out more about you?

You can find out more about me at: MichelleMuldoon.wordpress.com

And you can follow me on twitter: @chat2michelle

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Our thanks to Michelle Muldoon for speaking with us!

The post The Biz Interview: Michelle Muldoon appeared first on Biz Books.

These days, she’s busy with her newest film role in Down River, which premieres in Vancouver at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Jennifer talked to us about the film, her growing career, and her time at Biz Books.

Tell us about Down River and what audiences can look forward to.

Down River is a very special project to us. It was inspired by Ben Ratner’s close friendship with Babz Chula who passed on before her time. While the film is classified as a drama, there are many comedic moments and we think folks will identify with its universal themes. Our hope is that audiences will come away feeling inspired to create value and connection and live their lives in the best way that they can.

How did you become involved in the film and what was your creative process like throughout the production of the film?

I became involved through the very convenient situation that I’m married to the director! My creative process started out with the basic questions an actor asks themselves about their character. Then Ben, Gloria (wardrobe) and I worked together to choose what outfits felt most like “Aki”. That was hugely helpful in getting a feel for her. The glasses we ended up using belonged to Babz. We actually used a ton of Babz’s stuff for the film: much of her clothing for Helen Shaver’s character “Pearl”, items from her apartment and Gabrielle, Colleen and I each wore one of her signature bracelets. The way Ben then guided me in going deeper and telling Aki’s story was such an amazing experience for me- he’s the kind of director every actor wants to work with. I trusted him completely and not just because of our relationship. Everyone did. He’s really good at what he does. To be exceptional in one artistic discipline is admirable enough but to be exceptional in many (directing, writing, acting, teaching, painting, making music) is a very rare thing and he actually is. OK, I sound like I’m gushing but it’s all true!

What are the key similarities and differences between you and your character, Aki? How did you address those as an actor?

I think we’re similar in that we’re both pretty nerdy, introverted and weird. Maybe I’m not quite as cripplingly shy in real life so I guess I had to “turn up” that part of myself that is.

What was the biggest challenge for you in this film?

There’s a scene where I had to dance drunkenly and bizarrely and sexually in front of a crowd so yeah I’d say there was some major fear involved in that.

What were your reasons for getting involved with acting to begin with?

I wanted to do it primarily because I really wanted to affect people- make them feel something, change them in some small way. And to me, stories and art were the way to do that. That’s what’s always affected me the most and helped me to understand what it means to be human. I wanted to help other people understand that too.

You’ve had a successful mix between television and film roles. As an actor, what do you enjoy about each medium?

I love the intimacy of both. For the actors and the audience. With film, it’s almost even more intimate than TV because the screen is so huge so the audience is really getting EVERYTHING. But with TV, more can happen in a way. There are more possibilities of how characters can develop as you evolve them through episodes and often, seasons.

Who are the performers, writers, or directors that have been influential to you?

Oh man- where to start? Gary Oldman, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bryan Cranston, Meryl Streep, Catherine Keener, Julianne Moore, Judd Apatow, Charlie Kaufman, John Hughes, the list goes on!

Are there any books or specific authors that have been influential to you so far in your creative journey?

Many! When I first started out I remember finding The Actor’s Survival Kit which is written specifically for Canadian actors. That helped demystify the business for me. It seems like I’m always in various stages of re-reading The Intent to Live especially when I need help deepening a character. Writing Down the Bones is an amazing book on writing and the creative process and really made me realize just how important practice is to bettering oneself as an artist. Other ones that resonated with me are: The Actor’s Audition Checklist, The War of Art and I just finished reading Judi Dench’s And Furthermore which I devoured in three sittings.

Speaking of books, you were part of the Biz Books team at our old Vancouver location. How did your experience at Biz Books influence your career?

Honestly if it weren’t for Catherine Lough Haggquist, I probably wouldn’t still be in the business. Her wisdom and insight into the industry and her belief in me made me believe I could do it. I was/am lucky to have a mentor and friend like her. It’s way too easy to go crazy in this business unless you have someone you trust who has a lot of experience in it and can help point you in the right direction. When I worked at Biz, it was like we had a built-in support system. We were all like-minded friends who ran lines with each other and covered each other’s shifts when we had an audition or gig. I was very fortunate to “find my tribe”. Not to mention being surrounded by every book and resource I could possibly need to help me on my actor’s journey!

What is the most important advice you could offer to aspiring actors in Canada?

Make sure you’re always working on your craft in some way. Work hard at it. Class is usually the best way to do that. You need to be ready for when opportunities come and it keeps you engaged and reminded of why you do it. Surround yourself with like-minded, genuine people. It can be a lonely, bewildering profession so find your tribe. Don’t be an actor unless you absolutely have to and are willing to be persistent through the ups and downs.

What can you share about any future projects that are in development?

We start shooting the third season of Continuum in November so can’t wait for that! Also I found myself really fascinated with the post-production process of making Down River so would like to learn more about editing and setting up shots- maybe get involved in the technical aspects of filmmaking as well.

Watch for Down River at the Vancouver International Film Festival and visit the official site for the film at DownRiverMovie.com.

The post The Biz Interview: Jennifer Spence of Down River appeared first on Biz Books.

We spoke with William B. Davis to get his insights into Where There’s Smoke … Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man and the various musings that we can expect to see.

Can you walk us through the process of writing this book – from the early stages to publishing? Why was now the right time to make it happen?

To write a memoir one has to be a certain age; old enough to have a story to tell and not too old to tell it. Early seventies seemed about right.

I had often thought about writing a memoir, my idiosyncratic background surely of interest to aficionados of Canadian theatre if no one else. It was Jerry Wasserman from UBC who first suggested it and directed me to Fred Euringer’s memoir, A Fly on the Curtain, that dealt with a similar period from my early life, summer stock and University of Toronto in the late fifties. I also read my friend David Helwig’s memoir, The Names of Things, also about the same period.

Would the book be about early Canadian theatre or about my life as a late blooming celebrity? I decided on both. And added my life in the British theatre in the dynamic sixties.

Not only is the book a history of theatre and film, it is also a social history spanning the early postwar period to the present. And I am far too candid about my personal life.

Of course my X-Files experience is important and has many fans, but equally important was the light I could shed on the development of theatre in Canada.

In the book, you discuss how chance factors into the career of any actor. What can today’s actors do to increase their “luck” in the hopes of having a more successful career?

I suppose I should suggest all those things I hate doing and rarely do. Going to the right parties, meeting the right people. Being a first rate actor is all that you can control. Whether you are the right size or look is out of your control.

What kinds of discoveries can your fans expect to learn about you from reading this book that they might not know already?

Few fans of The X-Files, few producers of The X-Files, were aware of my long career in Canadian and British theatre. They will learn more of my personal life than I should have revealed. And they will learn of my personal history with the show and my thoughts about it.

You mention that Bill Davis has had many different lives. What are the accomplishments that you are most proud of as an actor and also as a person?

I am proud of my early career as something of a boy wonder in the theatre – as a director, not an actor.

I am proud and surprised to have become a successful actor, a career path I had abandoned in favour of directing when I was 20.

My short film, which I wrote, directed, and performed in, Packing Up, is still especially meaningful for me.

Founding The William Davis Centre for Actors’ Study in 1993 which continues to this day.

I am pretty pleased that at age 74 I can still climb the Grouse Grind and water ski competitively.

How influential do you feel that The X-Files was for science fiction, television, and also the Vancouver film and TV industry?

No doubt the success of The X-Files has brought attention to Vancouver as a location for science fiction projects. Many have followed, notably Supernatural and Fringe and more recently, Continuum.

How do you handle the challenge of being closely tied to one character without being typecast? What steps can actors take to avoid that and what can they do to also further their enjoyment of playing the same character on a regular basis?

Of course I am typecast sometimes. But I’m fine with that. Fortunately I am quite a different person than the character I played on X-Files so frequently I play very different roles. I don’t know how one deals with playing the same character for hundreds of episodes – I only did 35 episodes of X-Files. For me the character kept changing in subtle ways and deepening.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given in your career and what’s the most important thing from your own experience that would share with today’s actors?

On my first day as an acting student at LAMDA in London, the principal told us all to be happy, to accept that we had talent or we wouldn’t be there, and allow our work to grow. For me, beating young actors into submission is to risk destroying their talent to say nothing of debasing them as people. Talent is to be nurtured like a plant, provided with nutrients and a healthy environment. If you pull it out of the ground every week to see how it is doing you will surely kill it.

You’ve been acting at many different points in your life and have been able to witness a lot of different actors come and go throughout the industry. Which actors really stood out for you in your earlier years and which ones impress you with their work now? From your vantage point, what are the elements that make someone a legitimate talent?

There were many actors in my early years, Michael Redgrave, Joan Plowright, Paul Newman, Geraldine Page, Albert Finney. Now, Ian McKellen, Judi Dench, Anthony Hopkins.

Is there a difference between a talent and an actor? There are many film actors with amazing talent but limited to a narrow range of film and television work. To be a major star one needs training and experience in both theatre and film.

But any actor must be able to put herself in imagined circumstances and live truthfullu.

What books have been important to you throughout your career and were there any that inspired you when it came time to write your own?

I have read widely on subjects such as evolutionary biology and climate change that have influenced my thinking about life in general. I read many memoirs when I came to write mine. Peter Hall, Judi Dench, Amelia Hall, and Fred’s and David’s mentioned above. I read Christopher Plummer’s and William Shatner’s but felt I wanted to write a different kind of book.

Theatre books – Larry Moss, Hart, Uta Hagen, and, of course, Constantin Stanislavski.

What other projects are you involved in right now?

I have a small but key role in the new series Continuum. Tall Man will be released at the end of August. I shot a new Steve Austin action movie, The Package, and a low budget science fiction feature, The Singularity Principle. A lovely docudrama, The Mountain Runners has just been released. I am looking at other writing projects, a new book on acting and a new translation of Feydeau. And some directing projects are being discussed for 2013.

Where There’s Smoke … Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man is available for purchase at WilliamBDavis.com.

The post The Biz Interview: William B. Davis for “Where There’s Smoke… Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man” appeared first on Biz Books.