We spoke to Medina Hahn to find out more about her process in writing the play with Daniel Arnold and the fascinating true story that inspired it.

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Can you start by telling us a little bit about you and Any Night?

I am an actor, writer, singer, producer, wife and mother who has worked in theatre, film and television. Born in Edmonton, I have bounced back and forth between BC and Alberta for much of my life – earning a BFA from the University of Victoria and a BFA from the University of Alberta (where I met Daniel Arnold) in the process.

Any Night is a play about a troubled young dancer who moves into a new basement suite and finds herself drawn into romance with the charming young man living above her—until she starts suffering strange behaviour in her sleep. It’s a romantic mystery about privacy, trust, and the power of the subconscious. It’s a play that Daniel Arnold and I co-wrote, performed and toured for four years (including a production in Vancouver presented by the Cultch and Touchstone Theatre, and a run Off-Broadway), and now Pacific Theatre is producing a new production through their apprentice program.

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What was the inspiration for the story?

There were a couple things that inspired us to create this story… The first was the true 1987 story of Ken Parks, a man who got up in the middle of the night, drove to his in-laws house, attacked them and woke up in his car with blood on his hands. He had slept walked. We began to study somnambulism, dreams and night terrors in great detail – talking with specialists, visiting sleep labs, etc… and we became fascinated with how much the medical industry still can’t explain about our sleep/dream world. The other inspiration I can’t really tell you about without giving away some of the play! But it definitely made us want to explore the themes of fear and trust.

Can you share some of your creative process in writing the script?

The development and creation of Any Night was super unusual . We started writing it while we were touring our first play, Tuesdays & Sundays. Then our first draft got optioned into a film by a company out of  New York, so we stopped writing the play and started writing the screenplay! And then once we had a draft of the screenplay, we went back to the play, and then we back to the film and so on… for many many years. We were often on the road and in different cities. I think the play started to really come together when our director Ron Jenkins came on board, the Vancouver Playhouse helped develop it, and we did a workshop production at the Belfry Theatre in Victoria. We were able to see what worked and what didn’t. And we just kept tweaking it until it all fit into place. I actually remember us finding an entirely new storyline and writing it hours before premiering it in Toronto at the Summerworks Festival. One of the challenging and exciting things about the creative process spanning so many years, is that through those years, we were changing, the world was changing and as a result the play continued to expand and evolve.

What should audiences expect from this show?

Well, I have never been lucky enough to see someone else’s  production of it so I’m super excited to see what these young creators do with it! The great thing about this play is that it keeps you guessing and thinking. It jumps timelines and as an audience you really get to be present and go on a pretty wild ride. It’s edgy. A little scary. And it’s the type of play that gets people talking and debating with one another afterwards.

What are the three most important ingredients for a successful play?

Oh wow, if I knew that, I’d never have been involved in an unsuccessful play! There are so many aspects- only three ingredients? Okay if we are saying a successful play on paper, the first thing that comes to mind for me is a solid interesting structure, strong relationships and good dialogue. And little bit of risk. And heart. Ugh see that’s five!

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

I want to sit here and say that a bunch of technical books have been really helpful, and some definitely have – like The Intent to Live by Larry Moss, A Practical Handbook for the Actor  and Story by Robert McKee.  But it’s the books and stories about people’s journeys navigating through life that have had the most influence on me. I’m a bit of an auto-biography junkie. I love to learn of people’s ups and downs and their willingness to get back up and fight when they have been told “they can’t” or “that will never happen.” I really enjoyed Goldie Hawn’s, A Lotus Grows In The Mud and Sidney Poitier’s The Measure of a Man.

What is your most important lesson you have learned so far in your career?

Since I was a little girl, I always knew that I would be an artist. I started as a dancer and then added singing and acting to the mix. Writing and producing soon followed. I always had a strong idea of where I was heading and the arts were always a major part of me. A few years ago, I had a child and stepped away from the artistic world I knew to focus my energy on him. I remember worrying that if I was out of the creative arena for too long I might lose it or be really rusty, but when I returned, I found that I had actually grown. I’m a better actor and a better writer now than I was before. What i have learned is that when you continue to grow as a person, you can’t help but grow as an artist. And sometimes, doing something else – changing your patterns and comforts – allows for a new perspective and more openness. And those qualities are nothing  but a gift to your artistic endeavours.

What other projects do you have coming up and where can people find out more about you?

In the fall, I will be onstage at the Firehall Theatre in a remount of the fantastic new musical Miss Shakespeare, which just won a Jessie Award for Best Musical  and our feature film script of Any Night, which won the nation-wide CFF Super Channel Screenplay Award, will hopefully be going into production this winter.

You can find me at DualMinds.com, Facebook: DualMindsCanada and on Instagram: @mhahn111.

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Thanks to Medina Hahn for speaking with us!

You can see Any Night at Pacific Theatre until July 16th with nightly performances at 8PM. Tickets are “Pay What You Think It’s Worth” Cash Only after the show!

For more information, please visit PacificTheatre.org!

The post The Biz Interview: Medina Hahn appeared first on Biz Books.

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Can you start by telling us a little bit about you and The Merry Widow?

I am a Vancouver-based TV, film & theatre actress and filmmaker, as well as a soprano, dancer, and pianist. I have a voracious appetite for learning new things, and the thing that thrills me most is getting a full new script and juicy role to sink my teeth into. Most recently, I have discovered how much I love to sing, dance, and act at the same time! So after doing straight plays for years, I’m debuting with my first operetta, in the title role in The Merry Widow. It runs May 19th-29th at Presentation House in North Vancouver. Here is a 1 minute audio clip that I sing in the show with ensemble and orchestra:

The Merry Widow is a comedic operetta, with gorgeous music by Franz Lehar, and internationally loved since it premiered in 1905.  North Shore Light Opera Society (NSLOS), which has produced 68 years of musical comedy on the North Shore, placed the show in their season after Stage Director, Edette Gagné, and Music Director, Stephen Pickett, were inspired by a 2015 production starring Renée Fleming at The Metropolitan Opera.

How did you become involved in this production?

Last year, I started studying opera with my incredible voice teacher, Marisa Gaetanne. I sought her out because one of my theatre roles (Angelique in Moliere’s The Imaginary Invalid) demanded that I sing a couple of numbers. One day, on the fly, she mentioned that North Shore Light Opera was doing a production of The Merry Widow and were still looking for a Widow. I watched a YouTube production of the show and was enchanted! I auditioned without expectations and was thrilled to be offered the role of the Widow. I have been in sheer heaven ever since.

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What should audiences expect to see on stage?

Audiences can expect a great energetic show with a huge cast of twenty-six and a live orchestra – all with immense talent!  There’s some stellar singing in this show!  There’s a moving romance set amidst the clashing of cultures, political intrigue, marital affairs, gender wars and money issues.  We’re using Jeremy Sams’ very witty and snappy English translation, and our fabulous Stage Director, Edette Gagné, has created detailed, motivated and entertaining staging.  Oh and original choreography!  My co-lead, Carlos Vela-Martinez, and I have been training in Viennese Ballroom Dance with choreographer, Dominic Boyer, for the last couple of months.  And with my background in Ukrainian dance, I choreographed the folk dance numbers.  Lots of variety and family friendly, with a few subtleties for the adults!  It’s a lovely show and I am super proud of it.  Tickets can be found at nslos.com.

What was your creative process like for getting into character?

As a second generation Ukrainian prairie girl, I can relate to the character of Hanna!  She is an Eastern European farm girl who suddenly becomes one of the richest women after her 70 year old ultra rich husband dies on their honeymoon.  OK, maybe not the last bit!  But Hanna is definitely a fish out of water in a new environment, as she tries to navigate the unfamiliar high society world around her.

As Hanna spends nearly 80% of her time onstage with her romantic interest, Danilo, it has been fun mining every moment with my equally passionate colleague, Carlos.  We have put a lot of thought and effort into getting deeper with motivations, psychology, tactics, objectives, and subtext to bring Hanna and Danilo and all of their exchanges to life.  It has been a thrilling ride!

What was the biggest challenge for you with this role and how did you deal with it?

When I was first offered the role of the Widow, I went through a period of self-doubt about whether I could pull it off.  This was my first operetta role, and the role of Hanna is huge!  Could I get through a two week run of singing eight vocally demanding numbers?  Also, five months ago, I was a mezzo-soprano, squeezing out Gs and As.  Hanna is a soprano role with many As, Bs and even a couple of high Cs.

So what to do?!  I accepted the role! Then I plunged into a daily practice of body and vocal exploration and working on my role.  I ramped up my kundilini yoga and studies with my opera instructor, Marisa.  I was vigilant about getting to bed at the same time each night, and eating healthy food.  I felt as though I were training for a marathon!  And I still do, as it’s not over yet, thankfully!

Bit by bit, my range opened up.  My voice shifted into soprano territory and is literally growing by the day – I have recordings of my lessons over the months to prove it!  And now, with the show opening a week away, I am confident in my role and cannot wait to share it.  This brings to mind a quote by Lemony Snicket: “If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.”

I was extremely lucky to have this opportunity, and that Edette and Stephen believed in me the whole way.  I could not have done it without my amazing family – my husband and two preschool daughters were champions with their busy mama.  And it was also great to have an extremely supportive and awesome agent, Esther Cohen, at Carrier Talent.

What’s the most rewarding element for you about performing?

The most rewarding element of performing is feeling the energetic magical exchange between performer and live audience – when I am so fully present in my role and can feel the audience right there with me alongside my character’s journey.

What’s the most important advice that’s ever been given to you about your career?

A few years back, one of my acting teachers said to our class -“Everyone has access to their own unique personal charm, and there is nothing holding one back from finding it except oneself.” It took me years to figure out exactly what that meant!  But last year, inspired by the book A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle and after increasing my own self worth and self esteem, I was finally able to give myself permission to be myself without apologizing to myself.  My attitude towards people and the world changed for the positive.  My career took off and I was booking professional TV jobs one after another. I made a decision to let out my voice, literally, with singing.  And here I am today singing this incredible role!

What books, and authors have been influential in your career so far?

So many books have been influential on my artistic career and life!

My most favorite are:

Gandhi An Autobiography by Monhandas K. Gandhi

The Art of Time and The Return of Courage by Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber

The Story of Art and A Little History of the World by E. H. Gombrich

The Power of the Actor by Ivana Chubbuck

Story by Robert McKee

Self Management for Actors by Bonnie Gillespie (she is a wonderful person and has set up an incredible supportive community for actors)

What other projects are you involved with at the moment?

The Merry Widow has consumed nearly every spare moment at the moment! Though, a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to work on the NBC pilot, Miranda’s Rights, directed by Mad Men director Jennifer Getzinger. Once the operetta is done, I will go back to auditioning for TV and theatre (and likely musicals now!). I will pick up where I left off with some personal screenwriting projects. I have a short film (that made a shortlist for the Hot Shot Shorts Competition last fall) to shoot, and am working on a feature film as well.

Where can we find out more about you and The Merry Widow?

Olesia Shewchuk – Olesia.ca, IMDB, Facebook, and Twitter.

North Shore Light Opera Society – NSLOS.com and Facebook.

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Thanks to Olesia Shewchuk for speaking with us!

The Merry Widow is on now until May 29th at Presentation House in North Vancouver. Performances are on at 8PM Thursday to Saturday evenings along with matinees on Sunday afternoons at 3PM. Tickets are $20 to $30 and are available from PHTheatre.org

The post The Biz Interview: Olesia Shewchuk appeared first on Biz Books.

Can you discuss the creative process of your involvement in Lawrence & Holloman from the earliest days all the way to release?

Yeah, I grew up as an actor and writer in theatre and so I’d seen three productions of the stage play Lawrence & Holloman (written by the amazing Morris Panych, winner of 2 Governor General’s Awards for Drama). So when Matt asked if I wanted to do the play, I looked at it again, and went: Wait, this would make an awesome indie feature. Like the cult hit Withnail & I or Labute’s Sundance hit In the Company of Men. So we brought producer Paul Armstrong aboard, who had seen and loved the play at the Arts Club in 1999, and we got development funding from Corus Entertainment and then the Harold Greenberg Fund and BC Film (now Creative BC). After 3 years of adapting it into a screenplay, we then attached Exec Producers Mary Anne Waterhouse and Andrew Currie, then Telefilm came aboard with production financing, then we raised the rest of the money, got Super Channel involved, and made the thing. It sounds easy, but that’s only the Coles Notes. It was a humungous learning curve on me and Matt’s part. We had made a 35mm short together (The Janitors) through the NSI Drama Prize and he had made a few other shorts, but writing this feature, securing the money, and making the movie was a mind-bogglingly complex thing — and if you strive towards it being the best it can possibly be, it’s all-consuming. Oh, I co-wrote, am on the producing team, and play Holloman.

From your experience in co-writing the film, what are the most important elements that a feature film screenplay needs to be successful?

I guess I found that it needs to be able to excite the people with money or who are going to make it. That’s what it comes down to. Sometimes people wouldn’t jive with the script and you have to just say “Okay, they’re not going to help us make it.” It doesn’t mean it’s bad (necessarily), it just means the fit isn’t right. So what are the elements that attract that interest? Again, it depends who you’re talking to and pitching to. I’ve heard some producers say they want something that will sell in foreign markets, which usually means a genre picture with a bankable name actor. Story is less important. Other people, the ones we were dealing with, mostly look for that fresh idea, a different spin on a universal theme, a story that compels. But again, the alchemy is so important … really it’s all about finding partners who grab hold of what you’re writing, and how you’re writing it. So you’re always writing with an audience in mind, and then trying to find that audience. That’s what I do. When I’m structuring a story, I’m always thinking two things: Where is the character at in their journey/what would they do next? And 2: What is the reader/audience feeling now? What emotions am I invoking, where to do I take the audience next, and why should they care? Writing a story is a very manipulative exercise. I picture it like sitting around a campfire telling a story to sleepy people: it’s got to have twists and turns and take them on a visceral, emotional, and intellectual ride, and keep them awake! And hopefully, if it’s really good, also ignite in their dreams.

What was your most memorable moment from the making of Lawrence & Holloman?

Actually the moment that sticks out the most is being on the phone one-on-one with Karynn Austin, who at the time was the regional director at Telefilm Canada, and hearing her tell me how much she enjoyed the script. No major notes, just “I loved it.” I still remember where I was, what time of year it was, and the inflection of her voice. That moment was the culmination of me, Matt, and Paul’s 2-3 years of work thus far, and is what spurred the eventual greenlight towards production. In my mind it was probably the most important moment in the film’s history; without it, it may not be in front of you today nor getting all the awards and accolades. Thank you, Karynn.

You’ve worked in both film and television projects. How are they different as an actor and how does your preparation change?

This is an interesting question because I’ve been in TV but never made TV. But I made Lawrence & Holloman. So when I work in TV it’s very different than this. TV gigs for me have usually been like being a small cog in a big machine; you show up, do your acting, commit to the moment, and then go home and collect the cheque. Whereas for L&H it was all-consuming. That said, I’ve been in other films where I wasn’t making the thing, so they’ve been a lot more like a TV set too. Everyone knows their job, and the actor’s job is to act in the part. When it comes to doing that, both TV and film are the same to me. And even though every project is different, the preparation is pretty much the same: learn the lines by learning the moment to moment beats, while also making choices about character, intention, motivation, and stakes.

What books have been influential to your creative journey as a writer and actor?

Awesome, love to answer this one. Cuz I read books like this all the time! As an actor, the most thumbed-through ones on my shelf are True and False by David Mamet, Michael Shurtleff’s Audition, Larry Moss’ The Intent to Live, and A Practical Handbook for the Actor. As a writer, Robert McKee’s Story, Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat series, The Eight Characters of Comedy, and Syd Field’s The Screenwriter’s Problem Solver. Oh, I also loved the book The Activist Screenwriter and I keep a copy of One Less Bitter Actor on hand!

What advice would you give to aspiring actors and screenwriters?

Read the books above! Actors, if you want to act, act. Whether it’s classes or making your own stuff, just do it. Learn. I started getting paid to do theatre when I was 12, but I still went through a conservatory acting program, and that helped solidify a career for myself in the theatre. Screenwriters, I hear a lot of people say to develop a database of story ideas, and sure that’s important, I have that … but in my experience nothing beats sitting down and wrestling those one or two projects into the best they can possibly be in order to get them made. Writing is rewriting, I’m a firm believer in that — and you must listen to your audience. Oh, and if you want get paid to act or write, you have to treat them like crafts, but also businesses.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your career and what have you done to overcome it?

Biggest challenge has been and continues to be transitioning from a theatre-only actor to an actor who works on screen as well. What am I doing to overcome that? Making my own movies! I should probably do more to overcome it, but this is a start.

What would you like to share about your upcoming projects?

Well beyond the theatrical release of Lawrence & Holloman — which is already amazing — and the fact that it’s won 11 awards in 11 festivals, received “must-see” reviews, 9 Leo nominations, and is currently nominated for 4 Canadian Comedy Awards (all right all right all right) — I’m also thrilled that my other feature script Any Night just won the nation-wide CFF Super Channel Screenplay Award, which means it’s on Canada’s It-List of the best as-of-yet-unproduced screenplays and receives a pre-buy offer from Super Channel, worth $30K-$50K or more depending on budget. So hopefully that one will get made soon!

For more information about Lawrence & Holloman, please visit LawrenceandHolloman.com.

The post The Biz Interview: Daniel Arnold of Lawrence & Holloman appeared first on Biz Books.

Can you briefly walk us through your creative process for the production from the early stages (initial ideas, writing, etc.) all the way to the theatrical release?

For me, every project begins with a core idea or an image that eventually unpacks itself over time. On this project, it was simply a title—Hellbound?—which struck me after reading an article about hell in Maclean’s several years ago. Back then; it was merely going to be a comedic short film that asked people how likely they thought it was that they—or people they knew—were going to hell. That changed in the fall of 2008 when I edited a book on hell for a friend of mine named Brad Jersak. Called Her Gates Will Never Be Shut: Hope, Hell and the New Jerusalem, his book introduced me to a fascinating historical conversation about how to interpret what the Bible says about hell, a conversation that I wanted to translate into film.

But how to do that? This couldn’t simply be a “talking heads” academic debate, so I had to figure out ways to illustrate the concept of hell and the various perspectives on it. Thankfully, hell gives rise to all sorts of fascinating imagery, so that was very helpful. Hell is also a concept that has been interpreted and re-purposed in a variety of ways throughout the culture, such as in death metal music, so we had a lot to work with on that level as well.

From there, it was simply a matter of figuring out who were the most compelling characters in this debate, what situations would provide the most interesting observational footage, and then what sort of unifying image would help to tie everything together.

One of the most significant creative choices I made was to frame the entire conversation within the context of the 9/11 attacks on America. It just so happened that the tenth anniversary of that event coincided with our production schedule, so we went to New York to capture the raw emotion of that day. I think it serves as a powerful visual metaphor that helps us explore different perspectives on evil, suffering and justice, which is what I think the hell debate is really about.

Of course, the editing phase always causes you to see your film in a different way. They say every film gets written three times—once during pre-production, a second time during production and then a third time during editing. I couldn’t agree more. Once I started cutting the film, I realized that rather than a broad approach to the topic of hell; I needed to focus in on a specific conflict over the doctrine that was flaring up within the evangelical church. This microcosm became an effective way to explore not just hell but how we form beliefs and how we deal with people who disagree with us.

What themes and ideas do you want the audience to think about from watching the film?

On one level, this film is about a theological debate that is currently taking place within the evangelical church. But as I alluded to before, I think this film is just as interested in how this debate is taking place and the consequences of this debate not just for Christians but also for everyone else. What we believe—or don’t believe—about hell is not merely an abstract theological question. Every belief gives rise to real world consequences. So whether you believe in hell or not, I think you need to pay attention to what’s going on here, because it will affect you in some way. On another level, I hope the film prompts all of us to take a second look at what we believe, why we believe it and the effect our beliefs are having on the world. Also, how can we debate controversial topics without demonizing people who disagree with us? In the end, none of us really knows what happens after we die—if anything. But we can probably all agree that beliefs about the afterlife that cause us to be disagreeable people in this life are probably best set aside.

What was the most challenging sequence to film?

I’ll give two answers to this question. On a technical level, the most challenging event to film was the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Lower Manhattan was in total lockdown mode, with whole sections of the city cordoned off and guarded by bomb-sniffing dogs, armored personnel carriers, guard towers and thousands of police officers with machine guns. At one point we thought there was no way we were going to be able to capture the footage we needed. But thankfully it occurred to us to capture our struggle to move through a city riveted in fear, because that footage plays a key role during the lowest point of the film.

On a personal level, the most difficult thing to film was a sequence that takes place at a “hell house”—a “ministry” put on every Halloween by a church in Dallas that uses hellish scenarios to scare people into becoming Christians. I just found the whole thing so morally repugnant that it took everything in me to finish the shoot that night. And I’m glad I did, because it allowed us to capture what I believe to be one of the most poignant moments in the film.

Which accomplishments are you most proud of from each filmmaking experience that you’ve had and what are the most important lessons you’ve learned?

Oh boy, I’ve worked on a number of films now, so it’s hard to remember what I learned when! But I will say this: Something every creative person desires is true authorship, the opportunity to see their vision through from start to finish with minimal interference from other people. That’s why so many screenwriters want to become directors, because even though the writer authors the script, the director authors the film. With Hellbound?, I can say I’ve been able to fulfill every creative person’s dream. I’ve been able to take this project all the way through from initial concept to funding, production, post-production and finally to theatrical release, which we are managing as well. I’ve been in the driver’s seat the entire way, making big creative decisions—such as who to interview, what moments to capture and so on—down to the smallest decisions, such as what sort of font to use on our web page. That’s not to say I’m a micro-manager or that I haven’t had a lot of help. I’ve had a fantastic team supporting me every step of the way, including my investor Dave Krysko, who has given me tremendous latitude to pursue my vision. So while there’s nothing like having full authorship of a project, this is also a highly collaborative business, and if you don’t “play well with others,” it’s not going to go well for you.

Who are your major inspirations for becoming a director?

At the top of my list is Werner Herzog. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate him as a person, let alone his films. I think every aspiring director should watch Burden of Dreams, which documents the making of Herzog’s film Fitzcarraldo, which very nearly ended in disaster. Seeing him navigate one crisis after another and yet refuse to give up or lose his cool is truly inspirational. But apart from that, he is such a curious and thoughtful person, always gracious to the people he interviews and so adept at drawing out their personality. He has a hungry mind, and you sense he’s always probing for something beyond conscious awareness, for the essence of “what is.” I’d love to meet him one day. In fact, I have so much leftover footage from Hellbound? that I have this crazy idea of cutting it together into a film called Ode to Herzog. Stay tuned for that!

Another person whose work I really respect is Paul Thomas Anderson. Here’s a guy who is unafraid to stare into the abyss, but he still manages to hold onto hope. His images are so powerful, and he’s such a great storyteller on top of that. Magnolia and There Will Be Blood rank as two of my favorite films. They’re not easy to watch at times, but they penetrate so deep into the human experience that I can’t look away.

Of course, I also have to mention the Coen Brothers—particularly True Grit and No Country for Old Men—and Darren Aronofsky. Like Anderson, these filmmakers have somehow managed to create powerful, highly personal films within the studio system, and I really admire them for that.

What advice would you offer to aspiring directors who are looking to get started in the industry?

Don’t just talk about it; do it. I’ve learned more about filmmaking while shooting and editing spoof movie trailers with my kids than I have from any book. Watching movies and reading books about directing and storytelling is crucial, but don’t let that become a form of procrastination. There’s really no excuse not to be shooting constantly. Anyone with a smart phone can shoot a feature—in 1080p, no less—with little or no money.

So experience is one thing, but you also need to educate yourself. Go to film school if you can afford it, but once again, don’t think that having a degree makes you a filmmaker. I’ve never been to film school, and yet I’ve worked on more films than I can count. But I have spent thousands of hours reading, writing and experimenting with filming and editing techniques. I find a well-timed mistake can be the best learning experience of all.

The second part is networking. This is a relationship business, and you are only as good as your network. Most of the jobs I’ve gotten are through people I know. It’s that old adage about preparation meeting opportunity. The thing I find is that people want to jump right to opportunity. I find that if you prepare yourself well, opportunities tend to present themselves.

Which steps can directors take to build positive working relationships with their crew during the making of a film?

Even though the director is the author of the film, that doesn’t mean he or she doesn’t work with a number of “co-writers.” The way I see it, I want everyone on my crew to come away from the experience feeling like they weren’t just my hands and feet, so to speak; they truly contributed something creative to the process. So while I’m pretty clear about what I want in most instances, I’m always open to input from the crew. What do they want to take away from this experience? How can I facilitate that? And let’s be honest, on some days you’re simply so worn down you don’t know if you have it in you to continue. On those days, your crew can carry you through—but not if you’ve been abusing them every day up to that point. A film set can quickly turn into a poisonous atmosphere if grievances are allowed to fester, so I also work hard to resolve differences quickly.

What is the biggest obstacle facing independent filmmakers right now and how are you handling it?

Raising money, hands down. I handle it the same way every filmmaker does—knocking on doors until one finally opens. I was fortunate on Hellbound?, because I found a single investor who was willing to fund not only the film but also marketing and distribution. And he’s made a point of not interfering in the creative process, even though I have consulted with him at several key points along the way.

The thing is, I probably enjoy the business of filmmaking as much as I enjoy making the film itself, so pitching and promoting my idea comes quite naturally. Other filmmakers aren’t wired that way at all. So I encourage them to bring on a producer or some other partner who can help them pitch their project in a way that makes sense to investors. There really is no easy way to do it; but the better you are at selling your vision, the better your chances of seeing it realized.

Are there any books or specific authors that have been influential to you during your journey as a filmmaker?

Again, I come at this initially as a screenwriter, so I’m going to point to books like Story by Robert McKee, The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler and so on. But I’ve also learned a lot from books like Directing Shot by Shot and, believe it or not, a little book from the 1960s called How To Direct a Movie Story. I’m always reading director bios as well.

Are there any upcoming projects that you’re working on that you’d like to mention?

I have all sorts of things in the works, but something I’m most excited about is a Frank Schaeffer novel I’ve optioned called And God Called Billy… It’s a darkly comic, coming-of-age story about a young filmmaker who feels called to make “God’s movie” in Hollywood, only to have things go disastrously wrong, causing him to question everything he’s believed up to that point. I also have plans for more documentary films. I hope to be like Herzog one day, able to vacillate between documentaries and feature films according to whatever project I’m most passionate about at the time.

Hellbound? opens on Friday, October 12th in Vancouver before expanding to select Canadian cities. You can read more about the film at HellboundTheMovie.com.

The post The Biz Interview: Kevin Miller – Director of “Hellbound?” appeared first on Biz Books.

What inspired you to take on this production?

When I read this script, long before I ever had the chance to see it, I knew it was pure, absolute essential Pacific Theatre material. John Patrick Shanley wrote it for us. He didn’t know that at the time, but he did.

I also knew it was one of the great scripts I had ever read. The subtleties, the economy, the complete mastery of the ebb and flow of our sympathies and understanding, the revelations about character and event, the carefully managed perceptions and misperceptions. Absolute mastery. In service of an important, powerful, utterly human story that simply had to be told. On our stage. By our artists.

It was just as clear to me that Erla Faye Forsyth had to play Sister Aloysius, one of the great original creations in all the literature for the stage. That Erla is precisely the actress to bring an audience the elusive and intricate balances embodied in this most complex and misunderstandable – and perhaps misunderstanding – of human beings. We need to dread her, but we need to love her – and it’s darn hard to find an actress who embodies both. Effortlessly. And we’ve got her. Think of the starch of Erla’s Miss Daisy, combined with the winsome charisma of her clown character in Lucia Frangione’s Holy Mo, and you’ve got a pretty amazing, and distinctive, Sister A.

Can you briefly walk us through your creative process for this production, from the early stages all the way to opening?

No bells and whistles, no extras, no clutter. Design-wise, to match the lean economy of the script with a spare, elegant, impassioned production. Clear, uncluttered attention on actors and text: truthful, direct, un-performed; characters absolutely connected to one another, dancing, boxing, interrogating.

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

Writing In Restaurants by David Mamet. For a vision of the necessity of live theatre. I have a great deal of difficulty with what Mamet says elsewhere about the practice of acting, but find his manifestos about the power of embodied storytelling endlessly invigorating.

Backwards And Forwards by David Ball. There is no better, clearer book about the irreducible mechanism of storytelling than this. Obviously essential for playwrights and dramaturgs, but equally so for actors and especially directors.

Story by Robert McKee. There is no more thorough, detailed book about the complexities of storytelling than this. There are important differences between telling stage stories and screen stories, of course – language predominates in theatre, image in film – but truly, nearly all the rest of it applies. (Well, except all that stuff about genre: marketing-driven Hollywood has niched its product in a way we theatre types can mostly disregard. Consider it “helpful problem-solving tips” rather than gospel.)

Playwrights John Patrick Shanley, Lanford Wilson, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Helen Edmundson, William Shakespeare.

What were the biggest challenges for you as a director in developing this production and how did you deal with them?

My job as director: keep the audience in doubt. Achieve every reversal in audience sympathy and judgment that Shanley wrote into this intricate, confounding story. It’s so easy to let the audience settle too easily into one perception or another – which is not the playwright’s intention. Quite the opposite.

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

Once Doubt opens, I get back in my Artistic Director chair and polish up details on Pacific Theatre’s 2012-13 season, which we announce March 15. Then I’m up on my feet again, acting: I rejoin the cast of The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot at The Cultch in April, playing Butch Honeywell. After that, the thing I’m most excited about — I’m back in front of the keyboard again as playwright in May / June / July to start work on my first new script in a decade! My last three projects – A Bright Particular Star, You Still Can’t and Refuge Of Lies – were all about completing or reshaping earlier scripts I’d set aside. Since then, the fields had to lay fallow for a few years, due to the demands of running a theatre company. But now, three projects all think their time has come (in order of increasing difficulty): a stage adaptation of a film, a stage adaptation of a non-fiction book, and an original play about the waning friendship between two of my favourite literary figures. I’m borderline giddy to be getting back to writing – which I’d begun to thing might not ever happen again. Whew.

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Doubt: A Parable opens at PacificTheatre.org on March 2nd, 2012. You can also check out Ron’s blogs: Soul Food Vancouver, Soul Food Movies, and Oblations.

The post The Biz Interview: Ron Reed – Director of “Doubt: A Parable” appeared first on Biz Books.