We spoke with Rebecca Lee to get her insights into what makeup can add to creative projects and what her advice is for the makeup artists of the future in film and television.

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Can you start by telling us a little bit about you and what you’re up to these days?
I’m the head of the makeup department for the CTV television show Motive. We are in our fourth season and I have been with the show since the beginning.

What inspired you to pursue a career in makeup?
I started as an apprentice in the theatre department of UBC. There I learnt that makeup could be a viable career. The creative aspect and the collaborative nature of the theatre process inspired me to pursue makeup as a job.

How does the makeup process stay the same or change between film, television, or commercial projects?
The size of the medium may change but the process of breaking down the script, designing characters and executing flawless looks remains the same.

In the context of an entertainment project (Film, TV, Commercial, etc.), what does effective makeup add to a character?
Makeup can add so much to a character and adds a dimension acting can’t do on its own. From full prosthetics to just a simple corrective makeup adds an extra element to the performance and helps to tell the story or the journey of the character. Makeup also helps to prepare an actor for their role and feel at they “look” the part.

What are the main advantages of using a professional makeup artist for a film, television or commercial project?
Film and TV makeup is not the same as everyday makeup. Many things must be taken into consideration such as cameras lighting and the story being told. A professional with training from a school such as New Image College has the experience to bring all these elements together, maintain continuity and keep the actors comfortable.

What’s a typical day like for you?
When shooting, my mornings usually start around 6:00am. We process the cast and get them ready for the day ahead based on the call sheet. That might include beauty makeup, corrective make up and a lot of special FX. Most episodes of Motive have a dead body so that keeps us pretty busy too. Then my team and I maintain that make up and keep it touched up and looking fresh all day. At the end of the shooting day we clean everyone up and help them look after their skin so it looks beautiful for the next day.

What have been some of your career highlights so far?
Winning an Emmy in 2007 for makeup in a miniseries was definitely a highlight and a very happy time. I’m also blessed to work with a wonderful teams of artists and I’m thankful for that everyday.

What would be your advice to someone who wants to pursue a career in makeup?
Education, education, education. A school like New Image College will provide a new makeup artist with the tools and the skills to succeed on set. The great thing about New Image is they also provide work experience. This is essential for the student to determine whether a film career is something they would enjoy and also provides the first steps to getting into professional unions.

What books have been influential to you throughout your journey in makeup?
Stage Makeup by Richard Corson is the first book I read and one I return to often. It’s excellent for learning the basic concepts of makeup and has great pictures and is updated often.

Where can people go to find out more about you and your latest projects?
My website is RebeccaLee.ca

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Our thanks to Rebecca Lee for speaking with us!

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Recommended Reading

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Stage Makeup
Richard Corson

[/bscolumns]

[bscolumns class=”one_third”]

A Complete Guide to Special Effects Makeup
Tokyo SFX Makeup Workshop

[/bscolumns]

[bscolumns class=”one_third_last”]

Special Makeup Effects for Stage and Screen
Todd Debreceni

[bscolumns class=”clear”][/bscolumns]

The post The Biz Interview: Rebecca Lee appeared first on Biz Books.

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Can you start by telling us a little bit more about you and what projects you have on the go right now?

Sure. Right now I’m working on a family drama called Common Grace which goes up at Pacific Theatre in January, and a screenplay called Trying, which is a Judd Apatow-style comedy about a couple trying to get pregnant. I’m also working as a dramaturg on Ron Reed’s play about the friendship between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien!

The 2015 Vancouver International Film Festival is coming up. Your short film, Bedbugs, which you wrote and starred in, screened there last year – along with other festival appearances. What can you share about the journey of creating the film and taking it through to festivals?

Films are incredibly collaborative things and you go in with a plan, but you don’t really know what’s going to come out until the thing is done. So it’s been an incredibly informative experience in terms of learning so much more about how films are made, how they evolve, and how everyone contributes to make a thing what it is. And I love Bedbugs. I love what a fantastic cast and crew I got to play with and how much support we got from Crazy8s to make this wacky little puppet film. So taking it to festivals just feels like gravy. Or whipping cream. Like you get to invite everyone in on the fun.

Having gained some experience on the film festival circuit, how are they beneficial for filmmakers and what challenges did you run into along the way?

I think seeing your work in front of an audience is extremely informative because you need to know if your story lands – if your jokes are funny, if your moments lead people on a journey, if people are connecting. You learn how well you succeeded in telling a story – or not. There are jokes in Bedbugs that I thought were funny and no one ever laughs at. Ever. That’s interesting to me. What should we have cut? Where did we need another beat? As far as festivals, it helps to meet people. It helps to win awards. It helps to see what other people are making and creating to spur you forward to the next thing.

In terms of challenges, I would say it’s expensive. Festival entries are expensive and going to festivals is expensive. And also it’s very time consuming to be spending so much time administrating. As a writer looking forward to the next project it’s hard spending a lot of time on emails and correspondence and uploading things to Dropbox when you’re not being paid for any of it. But it’s also a great problem to have, because it means people want to see your film.

You’re a prolific writer as well as being an actor. What inspired you to do both?

I think if you’re a storyteller, if you’re an artist, then that impulse can come out in different ways. I love bringing a character to life as an actor and connecting with my heart and mind and body to a story. It’s so physical and happens with other people – on a stage or a set. But I also love that as a writer I get to create the world, all the characters, and the whole journey myself. But the seed of  it is the same. Plus, I like to write what I want to play as an actor and what I want to see as an audience member. It’s all about story.

If someone sees your name in the credits of a film as a writer or actor, what qualities do you want the audience to associate with you as a performer and writer?

I guess I want them to see truth. I want them to see something in the story or the character that feels true or authentic to them. And I hope I make them laugh at least once.

What have been some of your career highlights at this point in time?

Getting my first professional production of a full-length play in January is pretty exciting, for sure. It’s a play I really love, full of funny, broken, deeply human people and I can’t wait to share it. Working with Kristin Lehman and Louis Ferreira on the set of Motive was something I really loved because I think the writing on that show is stellar, and they’re two incredibly gifted, hard-working, and generous actors. And every time Bedbugs plays on the big screen and people genuinely laugh, it’s a career highlight. I could eat those laughs for breakfast.

You’ve written for stage as well as for screen. What are the challenges and rewards of writing for these two mediums?

I would say that one of the challenges of theatre is that you can’t visually cut away to reveal something or button a scene or build suspense – the actor has to do it with their performance and you have to construct it with your words. On the flip side, the challenge for me in film and TV is to not use words so much – to think more visually.

The reward of film and TV both as an actor and a writer is that you have something tangible when you’re done. You can watch it again and again. You can look at it. In theatre, the beauty and the difficulty is in its ephemeral nature. But you get to live the story with the audience in real time which is this beautiful, marvelous, kind of sacred thing when it’s done well. You actually breathe the same air and hold your breath together and affect each other. It’s alive.

What advice would you give to actors who are considering writing their own material?

Do it. Absolutely do it. But also, learn about writing. I studied writing for a long time. I’ve written a lot of stuff – and it’s hard. Sometimes you write things that are bad. Very bad. It’s hard to do it period, and it’s hard to do it well. So read the books on story and structure, then practice and get feedback. And don’t let wanting to play the part cloud your judgement about whether the story works or not. Then rewrite. And rewrite again.

Which books and authors have been influential to you in your career so far?

I’m most moved by stories that explore the depth of human experience. I connect most with stories that have some kind of existential longing. Stories that make me feel, think and laugh. I loved
A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’Engle. The Brothers K by David James Duncan. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott.

I saw Good People last year, by David Lindsay-Abaire and half-way through I almost jumped out of my seat because I realized “This play is about something.” And it was fantastic. The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis, too.

And I love good television – I love The West Wing, Six Feet Under, Parenthood, The Good Wife. And I love seeing smart, funny women telling stories – they influence me. Elizabeth Meriwether. Tina Fey. Amy Poehler. Amy Schumer. Smart and funny. Gets me every time. I’m sure gonna miss Jon Stewart.

Where can we go to find out more about you?

You can go to my website, which should be updated this month, or you can find me on Twitter!

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Our thanks to Shauna Johannesen for speaking with us!

________________________________

Recommended Reading

[bscolumns class=”one_third”]

Bird by Bird:
Some Instructions
on Writing and Life
Anne Lamott

[/bscolumns]

[bscolumns class=”one_third”]

Good People
David Lindsay-Abaire

[/bscolumns]

[bscolumns class=”one_third_last”]

The Mistakes Madeline Made
Elizabeth Meriwether

[bscolumns class=”clear”][/bscolumns]

The post The Biz Interview: Shauna Johannesen appeared first on Biz Books.

With the rise of film and television productions in Vancouver, we caught up with Emilio Salituro to get his take on the state of the industry, what he looks for in potential acting clients, and what it’s like to be a talent agent in Vancouver.

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Why don’t you start by telling us a little bit about you and what you do?

First of all, I want to say thanks to Biz Books for asking me to be interviewed. I think it’s so important for actors to hear about different facets of the industry. It makes them not only a more-rounded professional but in my opinion a better artist, when they know and trust what is going on around them.

As for myself, I started off as an actor. I was classically-trained, and was in full time acting programs for 6 years before I even attempted to delve into the professional world of acting. I feel so fortunate that I was involved in well-rounded acting programs. Our days would consist of Movement, Voice, Theatre and Film History and, of course Acting and Scene Study. This is where I learned the principals of Meisner, Method, Grotowski and clown. Then our evenings would be rehearsals for the plays we were in.

After those 6 years, I immersed myself in the crazy and exhilarating Vancouver Film industry and worked as a professional actor for about 11 years. It was always a rough slog as an artist so I tried to supplement my acting career with teaching, producing and directing. I even decided that I wanted to be a restaurateur and opened a small Italian restaurant in the Lower Mainland.

One day my agent approached me and asked if I was interested in taking an agent’s position in the office. She said that I could try it out for 6 months and if I didn’t like it, I could always go back to acting. Now after almost 9 years I am an agent with Lucas Talent and am still loving every minute of it.

What is a typical day like for you as an agent?

That’s the great thing about being an agent. I really don’t think I have a typical day. We are kind of on the clock 24/7. Yeah sure, I wake up in the morning, do my East Coast breakdowns, head in the office, work on more breakdowns, email my pushes, inform my clients of auditions, do more breakdowns, negotiate contracts, announce bookings, call out more auditions and then go home and hopefully do more breakdowns. In the between time, I take meetings with my clients, potential new clients and check out a film or a play every once in a while. Did I also mention that we do breakdowns?

Even though that’s what we do, it does change every day and the excitement of what might walk in the door, or who gets a booking on what, always changes and inspires me to keep on going.

What are the most important qualities that a successful agent needs to have?

There are a lot of qualities I think agents need – organization, drive, understanding of the business, an eye for talent, approachability – but a really important factor that a lot of agents forget about is trust. It’s not only a trust in your client that they are going to do a great job when they audition, but a trust in the Casting Directors, Directors, Writers and Producers for the choices they make as well. We are all professionals and people don’t get into a position of trust for no reason!

What are the factors in deciding which actors are best-suited to audition opportunities that you come across?

The big thing for me is – does my actor/client have the essence of what the breakdown is looking for? Essence is hard to describe, but when you get to know your clients very well, you will read a breakdown and even before you’re finished, you will already have an image in your head of your actor playing that role.

How can an actor discover whether they are better-suited to film, television, theatre or commercial roles?

In my experiences if you can act, you can act. It doesn’t matter whether it is in Film, TV or theatre. Commercials are another beast entirely and so “look dependent”, that a lot of people off the street can be in commercials. The important thing the actor needs to think about is what the story is and what medium they are acting in and adjust for that type of screen/stage.

What was the moment when you decided that you wanted to be an agent?

When I was offered the position, I met with a lot of people in the industry. I was just picking up steam as an actor and for my last 2 years was making a living as an actor without having to have a day job. I met with other agents, actors and some casting directors and everybody told me not to do it! That’s when I decided that I should do it, and more importantly wanted to do it!

What do you look for in an actor?

Well we all look for the obvious – talent, a marketable look and professional work ethic. Where I differ – and this might be my traditional Italian upbringing – is that I really look for people that I could see as part of my extended family! I have this very protective big brother attitude with my clients. Sure, behind closed doors we might argue and disagree, but in the open and in public, they can do no wrong and I go to bat for them 100%.  I should be their first line of defense.

What is your opinion on the current state of the film and television industry in Canada?

I love it! My only disappointment is that we don’t produce enough local productions that can compete on the international level. Take a look at projects like Motive. Here’s a great show that takes place in Vancouver about Vancouver and also airs in the US. Toronto did the same thing with Flashpoint. We need more productions like this so that we can really be looked upon as a production city and not just a service industry. I’m also really looking forward to see what local producer Chris Haddock and the CBC have in store for us with their new project Romeo Section. Other than that, I’m very happy with the Film and TV industry here in Canada, especially BC. We have a lot of great American projects being shot here and we have the talent and crews to compete with any other city in the world!

What books would you suggest that actors read to better understand the actor-agent dynamic?

There was this one book that I read as an actor a long time ago. It might be a bit out of date now, but it gave me a great insight into the mind of an agent and probably unintentionally helped me to decide to become the agent I am today. It was called From Agent to Actor by Edgar Small. It was pretty much Edgar’s story about how he started as an actor, became a producer and then went on to become an Agent. Great read!

The other one that every actor should have in their library is Audition by Michael Shurtleff. There’s a very informative section in the book about agents, but more importantly it will make you a better at auditions. That will always please your agent!

Is there any advice you would like to quickly give an actor or a person trying to get into this business?

Definitely. As an actor you will never stop learning! Whenever you are not on set or on stage, you should be training – in class, at home or on the street. Your education as an actor is everywhere. Once you decide to become part of this crazy industry you should never watch a performance the same way again. You must always be analyzing why you liked or didn’t like a performance. You should ask yourself questions all the time. An actor is not a performer, they are student of reality and truth and if they can take their ego out of the situation and really concentrate on the story of the script, they will be able to really grow as the character. Remember – story is King!

Where can people find out more about you?

You can find out more about me and all the great agents at Lucas Talent by going to our website and by following me on Twitter.

But really you don’t need to find out about me, you should find out more about my clients, so if you have an IMDB Pro account go to my IMDB page and check out my clients!

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Our thanks to Emilio Salituro for speaking with us!

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Recommended Reading

Audition: Everything An Actor
Needs to Know
to Get the Part
Michael Shurtleff

The post The Biz Interview: Emilio Salituro appeared first on Biz Books.

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.