Prolific television writer Larry Kaplow recently visited the VFS Main Theatre to share his experiences in the industry with our Writing for Film & Television students. Current writing student Lynn Sternberger recapped the lecture for our blog.
Guest Post By Lynn Sternberger
This past Monday, Emmy nominee and Writer’s Guild of America award winner, Larry Kaplow welcomed an audience of VFS students from the Writing for Film & Television program. For two hours, he entertained and enlightened us, charting his hard-won ascent from poetry student to production assistant on the TV series Clueless to a much sought-after break into the writers’ room with Family Law, doing research for Oscar-winning writer/producer Paul Haggis. To land his position on the long-running TV series House, Mr. Kaplow spent a month researching obscure medical cases before meeting with showrunner David Shore, a friend and mentor.
From there, Mr. Kaplow segued into a candid (and often darkly comic) exploration of how he incorporates his deeply personal life experiences into his writing. He calls his work “revelation,” mining the darker sides of his self, and illustrated the emotional heart of his storylines with clips from several episodes of House. Always emphasizing that the success of dramatic writing hinges on its life or death emotional stakes, Larry shared several of his tools for “breaking” a story from conception to writing pages, and tying each episode’s storylines to an overarching theme.
Now writing for the new TV series Body of Proof, Mr. Kaplow encouraged all in attendance to revel in the work they have chosen, despite its difficulties. He shared that TV is written by a “community of people who truly, truly care about what they do.” After answering audience questions about his own writing process (it involves wearing construction boots!) and what it’s like inside a writers’ room, it was clear Mr. Kaplow had made a strong impression.
Speaking with my fellow writers after the event, we appreciated Larry’s multi-pronged presentation – part personal journey, part business advice, and part inspiration to continue doing what we love (and to do it better and better). While we each have our own version of wearing construction boots to get down to the mental labour of writing, we can all use the insight that Mr. Kaplow offered. Plus, he’s a pretty funny guy.
Thanks, Lynn and thanks to Larry Kaplow for offering his time and inspiring our students!
Meet Paul Donnett, a Writing for Film & Television student. Paul’s been keeping a record of his year in the intense one-year program at his blog, where this story was originally published. He was kind enough to let us share. Take heed, emerging artists and VFS students of tomorrow! By Paul Donnett There are two things I discovered early at VFS: I’d have to work with others to get stuff done, and most of the people I’d be working with had come from somewhere else in the world. It’s the name of the game at VFS. Absolutely nothing gets created, produced or promoted in a vacuum. This is no surprise for people who already get the value and importance of working together with other creative types. But for those used to doing things solo, it can come as a bit of a shock. “You mean I’m going to have to let others see my work and give me their opinions? What if they hate it? What if they laugh or simply don’t get it? What if I discover I’m really no good, or don’t have what it takes to make it in the industry?” In the words of Marty McFly’s dad in Back to the Future, they’re just not sure they can take that kind of rejection! By the way, “they” are us. More precisely, “they” were me for a good share of Term 1! It’s unnerving to jot down what you think is good, dramatic stuff – a solid premise, a compelling character, a great knock-’em-dead joke – then bring it to class and watch it get analyzed, criticized, vandalized, and possibly euthanized. It’s the psycho-emotional equivalent of stripping down in front of strangers. Granted, some people are into that kind of thing, but it was a bit of stretch for me at first. I mean, I can get goofy in a crowd and say a whack of totally inappropriate things, but that’s different somehow. Seriously sharing your creative ideas – letting others hold your “babies”, as it were – can be scary, nerve-wracking stuff. Just speaking in front of others is, for some, a trauma beyond words. Great thing is, you get over it pretty quick. Your skin gets thick, you learn to listen less with less emotion, and the value of others’ input (12 heads are often better than one) becomes clearer by the day. Eventually, you even come to crave the feedback of others, finding it an indispensable part of your creative process. Fact is, becoming a successful artist seems to mean finding that weird, tricky middle ground between trusting your gut with an almost arrogant confidence and being deeply suspicious of your own final judgment on an idea. Personally, I love working with others. I’ll admit, collaboration at this level, and to this degree, took a little getting used to. But of course there is simply no way to work in the film industry without it. It’s just the way it is. The best strategy is to get used to it, and as quickly as possible! The really exciting part has been discovering how much talent and how many eager filmmakers there are around the globe. This isn’t any big surprise; I just haven’t had that many opportunities to collaborate with international artists. But the whole world is literally hanging out at VFS: fact is, almost all of us are from somewhere else! For example, I’ve had the chance so far to story-edit for students from China, Malaysia, and Syria, in departments from Entertainment Business Management, Film Production, and Digital Design. I’ve written scripts for productions with partners from Ecuador, Peru, Italy, England. Of course, we’ve all had (and will continue to have) experiences like this at VFS. My fellow writing compadres have similarly honed their chops and spread their wings with students from various departments and different countries. The benefits are mostly obvious – being exposed to different cultural perspectives, discovering unique approaches to filmmaking, tapping into an increasingly global industry – but real chances to collaborate with international artists can be like finding a needle in a haystack. Enter Vancouver Film School. One thing I’m certain of: we may never find a pool so full of eager and varied voices again. Now is the time to dive in and start swimmin’! Paul Donnett is a blogger, freelance writer, songwriter, and composer currently enrolled in Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film & Television program. Read more at his personal blog, Reel-Focused.
Is it possible to have a life-changing experience in just five days? If you were to ask past participants in Summer Intensives at Vancouver Film School, the answer would be a resounding yes! Nine programs. Five days each. A firsthand look inside our acclaimed programs. That’s what it’s all about. In one week with us this summer, you’ll: Best of all, the cost of your Summer Intensive is applied against your tuition if you choose to enroll in a full-time VFS program. If you’re seriously considering an education at VFS, you can’t lose. Visit the Summer Intensives website for all the details and to register right now.
Prairie Dog Film + Television’s founder Ron E. Scott, himself a graduate of VFS’s Film Production program, initiated this award in 2011 to encourage emerging writing talent. Students enrolled in the one-year screenwriting program at VFS are eligible to win the prize. “It’s so rewarding to have an opportunity to contribute to the growth and advancement of the next generation of writers,” says Scott. “It was another tough year of decision making, however, ‘Space Cadet’ was very well crafted and did a great job of fleshing out its characters and story world.” Head of Department Michael Baser takes great pride in the creativity demonstrated by VFS students: “We have such a talented pool of young writers that it is never an easy task to choose just one recipient. I congratulate Mike Nickel on this achievement and thank everyone at Prairie Dog who made this possible.” As for Mike, he’s feeling a mix of emotions about winning a writing award so early on in his year. “It’s incredibly unexpected and really quite humbling, especially to be recognized for something that I love doing,” he says. “It’s like the cherry on an already-too-delicious sundae. I’m indebted to the wealth of quality instruction and feedback I received from both the instructors and the fellow students during the writing of this script… I’m honoured and incredibly thankful to Prairie Dog Film + Television for being recognized in such fashion.” Congratulations, Mike! And big thanks to Prairie Dog for their commitment to encouraging young writers. Find out more about Prairie Dog Film & Television here.
Writing for Film & Television grads led the charge as Dionne Gordon and Jennifer Siddle spoke on a panel about their experiences developing and producing Plaid Men (which we posted about earlier this year). In the Animation or Puppetry category, their series took home Outstanding Series and Writing awards, while two more web series-producing Writing grads, Bob Woolsey and Andrew Menzies, were honoured for their work on the Bob and Andrew series in the Comedy category. They won an Outstanding Writing award and Andrew secured his first-ever Lead Actor award. We asked Dionne to give us a bit more info on the awards and how to get your web series seen. What does this acclaim mean for the Plaid Men team? Dionne: A lot of hard work went into our series, not just by Jenny and myself, but by our Film Production grad director/editor (camera op, focus puller, DOP, one-man film crew) Ryan Jackson, our puppet designer, our sound editor, our theme song producer, Digital Design grad Ian Berg who did the motion design for our title sequence, our actors, our web designer, and the cast of puppeteers who came out for nothing more than baked goods and veggie trays. Everyone was so supportive, and so happy to help, that any acclaim we get is validation of their hard work. As the popularity of web series grows – along with festivals like the LA Web Series Festival – what’s the key to getting your series noticed? Dionne: There is a lot to be said for social networking and really getting to understand how to use all of those tools to the fullest. But I think the other thing we realized is that the LA Web Series Festival, and other festivals like it, are key to getting your work noticed. Not only did we meet a lot of people whose work we wanted to look at, but at the screenings we saw a lot of really amazing web series that made us immediately hit our computers so that we could watch more episodes. Series that we never would have heard of otherwise. And I believe it’s being reciprocated for our series. Thanks, Dionne! And congrats to everyone involved in these web series!
For anyone who missed out this time, participants spent two consecutive weekends (Friday evening through Sunday) at VFS, getting a taste of what you will learn inside the full one-year program. After the first weekend, everyone was assigned to write their own short script to be workshopped on the second weekend. We’re lucky to have a recent participant, also a copywriter by day, give us her thoughts on the entire experience. Guest Post by Jessica Mori For 4 years now, I have paid my rent disguising myself as a “real writer” in the dark abyss known as advertising. It’s a job that demands creativity and ultimately prepares you for life as a screenwriter – high stress, tight deadlines, and constant rejection. To my relief, our guest speaker, Jim Jennewein (Richie Rich, The Flintstones) explained how he too worked as a copywriter before entering the golden gates of Hollywood, and how it served him well throughout his career. Rodger Cove, our instructor on Character, also spoke of his experience in advertising. It was clear: I was destined to be a screenwriter. Not. My first draft [of a short script] was the product of 4 days and 3 nights of procrastination. Despite all the lectures and the voices in my head saying “Just get it on the page”, I was too fraught with self-doubt to just let go and accept that your first time sucks. Come Saturday morning, I had in my hands a first draft that was pretty well awful. But, with the help of my surprisingly non-judgmental classmates and our script surgeon, instructor Kat Montagu, I was able to pinpoint the problems, reconstruct, and bring my story back to life. Second, third, and fourth drafts later, I had a script that I didn’t immediately feel the need to shred. What the Two-Weekend Intensive did for me was give me a safe place to fail. From the first day at VFS, I could feel that the instructors were there because they have a passion for what they do, and they haven’t been soured by the industry or their years of experience. They really want you to succeed and will give you the best tools and information in order to do that. Most importantly, they inspire you. Then it’s up to you to take that inspiration and do something with it – like write a crappy first draft. Because without that – without the blood, sweat, and violent cursing that goes along with putting real words onto a page, there’s no reward. And there’s definitely no screenplay. Even Ernest Hemingway said, “The first draft of anything is shit”. So there – what more inspiration do you need? If you have even the slightest interest in becoming a screenwriter, take this program. If nothing else, you’ll leave inspired. Thanks, Jessica! Check out a Flickr slideshow of photos from the Spring 2012 Two-Weekend Intensive.
Founded in 1987, VFS has become the destination for amazing artists from all over the country – and around the world. The 2012 Cross-Canada Roadshow is your chance to discover if VFS is right for you, and how you can get started on a rewarding path in the entertainment industry. Sign up to attend one of these free info sessions, where you will: - Hear about an exclusive scholarship opportunity for attendees April 11: Fredericton Click here to find out all the details and register now. We hope to see you this spring in a city near you!
Since then, Mad Men has been featured everywhere from celebrity mags to The Atlantic to Banana Republic catalogues. It’s also won more Golden Globes, Emmys, and critical acclaim than you can shake a stick at. All of this makes us particularly proud to learn that VFS Writing grad Amy Roy has been working on Season Five as a Producer’s Assistant! Generally speaking, her role is to help Maria and her writing partner/husband Andre achieve a number of daily production goals. We can’t say much more at this point, since all details surrounding the long-anticipated series return are being tightly guarded. For now, you can get to know Amy a little more in a video we shot just before she graduated! It’s featured on the Writing for Film & Television program page. Visit amctv.com for air times in your area.
Recently, Brandon co-created and shot a TV pilot project called “Honk if You’re an LA Douchebag”, which has been deemed a finalist in Comedy Central’s 2012 Pilot Competition. The stakes are high, as the winner (according to the competition website) will “receive $7,500 and a development deal with Comedy Central.” We asked Brandon to tell us a bit more about his charmingly-titled project, and what it’s been like fighting it out in a competitive industry. Congrats on getting attention for your pilot. What’s your series all about? Brandon: Why thank you very much! The short pitch is that it’s about two best friends, a woman and a man, navigating the L.A. dating scene. “Lindsey” is incredibly uptight and holds down a real job as an agent’s assistant while her friend “Sean” is jobless and lives in a makeshift bedroom in her dining room, much like I do in real life. There’s also a touch of L.A. film industry satire complete with crazy bosses asking you to do things like write a report on some new sex thing they heard about or buying presents for their various mistresses. It’s mostly based on my writing partner Zack’s and my incredible ineptitude at dating. This, my friend, is a well that runs very, very deep with episode ideas. Wow, that was actually an incredibly long pitch… I’m so sorry. Along with the perks of winning, what do you think it’ll mean for you if “Honk” is chosen by Comedy Central? Brandon: Beyond the cash and the automatic development deal with the network, it means exposure. We’ve already gotten a manager off of it and we’ve taken a couple agency meetings. The great thing about this contest is that just making the finals is a big deal. Comedy Central can enter into as many deals as they want with the finalists. Similar to American Idol, being William Hung can be just as good, or better, than being (insert name of forgotten winner). Can you talk a bit about your post-VFS journey? What kind of gigs have you been doing up until now? Brandon: I moved to Los Angeles a few months after graduation. I soon landed two internships and those two internships led to a job as an assistant to a literary manager (who is now my manager). After I fulfilled my year and a half commitment to that job, I demoted myself to part-time so I could finally focus on writing. The first product of that writing was this pilot, which I co-created and co-wrote with my friends. Working an industry job is invaluable, even if you have to basically go off the writing grid for one or two years. You make connections and meet people who will want to see your script when it’s ready. It’s a hell of a lot easier than sending out queries randomly. Oh, and I also tutor and freelance reading scripts and books to pay my enormous plastic surgery bills. Brandon: Definitely. It’s exactly why filming teaser trailers for spec scripts is the new big thing now. Any time you can show someone (producer, agent, manager, executive) what the movie or show would actually look like, it’s usually a good thing. Cons? There are no cons. If you have a little bit of money and a lot of talented friends, do it. Are there any other projects you’re working on right now that you’re trying to get out there? Brandon: We’re working on a new pilot and a feature. We’re probably more focused on the pilot right now because pilots are a lot quicker and easier to write. After we’re finished with that, we’ll move back to the feature and try to finish that up in a few months. We also do sketch comedy and will be posting some brand new videos pretty soon, including one where I travel back in time to win back a girl, but I fall in love with my past self and we… It’s very erotic. That sounds… interesting, Brandon. Thanks for the update and best of luck with Comedy Central!
The Canadian version, titled Primeval: New World, will air on Space channel and feature two Acting for Film & Television graduates in lead roles: Niall Matter (Eureka) and Sara Canning (The Vampire Diaries). It’s also worth noting that the series was re-developed by Vancouver’s own Omni Film Productions, where Writing for Film & Television graduate Michele McMahon is the Director of Drama Development. Congrats to everyone involved. We can’t wait to see the new series!
Surviving Writing: Be a Lone Wolf at Your Peril
Collaboration
VFS’s Global Village
Announcing the 2012 Summer Intensives
VFS Summer Intensives 2012
$1,000 Prairie Dog Film + Television Award Winner Announced
Writing for Film & Television student Mike Nickel is the newest recipient of the $1,000 Prairie Dog Film & Television Award for best student script. Mike’s short screenplay, “Space Cadet”, tells the story of a space-crazed young boy struggling to adjust to a new school. It was one of a handful of scripts vetted by VFS Writing staff and faculty, and chosen by Prairie Dog as the best based on its readability, character construction, and execution of concept.Winning Big at LA Web Series Festival 2012
We’re proud to announce that a number of VFS grads stormed the LA Web Series Festival recently, bringing home acclaim in multiple categories.Guest Post: Inside the Writing for Film & Television Two-Weekend Intensive
We recently held the spring installment of the Writing for Film & Television Two-Weekend Intensive, placing aspiring screenwriters inside the VFS Writing program for a chance to learn from our amazing faculty and hear from Advisory Board Member Jim Jennewein and TV writer Jennica Harper.VFS is Hitting the Road From April 11 to May 5, 2012!
We’re celebrating Vancouver Film School’s 25th anniversary by visiting 13 cities across Canada from April 11 to May 5, 2012 – and we’re bringing an exclusive scholarship opportunity with us!
- Get an inside look at student life at VFS
- Discover how VFS prepares you for your career in film, TV, games, and design
- Meet a VFS Admissions representative for application and portfolio tips
April 12: Ottawa
April 14: Toronto
April 17: Winnipeg
April 18: Saskatoon
April 19: Edmonton
April 21: Calgary
April 25: Victoria
April 26: Vancouver
May 1: Penticton
May 2: Kelowna
May 3: Kamloops
May 5: Prince GeorgeMad Men Returns This Sunday – With a VFS Writing Grad!
Before the first season of Mad Men premiered, many of us here at VFS couldn’t wait to see what the former Head of Writing for Film & Television Maria Jacquemetton was working on.Writing Grad Makes Comedy Central Finals
Writing for Film & Television grad Brandon Klaus has been working his way through the film and television scene since he graduated in 2008. After interning and building up his contacts, he’s now starting to make an impression in the comedy world.
Do you think there is an advantage in pitching a produced pilot over just a script? What are the pros and cons? Upcoming Primeval Spin-Off Features VFS Acting Grads
As reported today by The Province, Vancouver has been hosting the ongoing production of a new spin-off of the British TV series Primeval, which follows a team of scientists investigating “temporal anomalies”. And there are dinosaurs too — so what’s not to love?