ANN Macnaughton

WIFVV INTERVIEW WIFVVANN INTERVIEW MacNAUGHTON WIFVV INTERVIEW WIFVV Ann MacNaughton shared her extensive experience as a MD: In all of that are actors’ schedules, up to speed with the characters and what beats writer and story editor with a Vancouver audience at the contractual obligations…. have to be hit to build the rest of the season. If you recent Trade Forum. Her credits include story editor on AM: Absolutely. The stars always get the A plots; have to bring in writers, you try to select episodes E.N.G., My Life as a Dog, and Danger Bay; writer on but who gets more A plots, or do you balance them that don’t have many series arcs in them, or you episodic TV including Riverdale, Street Legal, and all equally? There is a rhythm to the season just as simply ask for well-crafted stories set in the series Road to Avonlea; and co-producer on Traders. Writer much as to an episode. And you may have fifteen arena and add the arcs yourself. Michelle Demers hooked up with Ann after the Forum 7-day shoots, but have to build in seven 6-day Other series, like Wind at My Back, where the for an informative look into the world of story shoots; you may have one actor guaranteed four stories are more stand-alone—a set of characters are departments. days per episode, another only two days. You may defined but it’s not about their progress through be allowed no more than fifty extras per episode, the season, and the world is distinctive but not Michelle Demers: Tell us about the road here. or more than two extra locations outside the inaccessible—are much more easy to plug into for Ann MacNaughton: I started at Harlequin studio sets. All these have to be factored in, and an outside writer. Half-hours are another thing, Enterprises in the editing department then moved one thing you learn as you go along is how to and children’s shows. over to Film and internalize those limita- MD: How do you choose an outside writer? Television—there were tions so they feel less like AM: It might be someone the head writer knows, two of us—when they limitations and more as or the network wants you to try out, or it’s were producing Leopard the ground you must be someone whose work you admire, or you’ve read a in the Snow. While that creative upon. good sample script. You then usually give them the was in post I was trying MD: With all this particulars of the story and what you need out of to develop other proper- groundwork laid, how is it, because you’ve planned it into the series mix ties for film and possibly it that a series often ends already. television. They never up in a crisis where MD: What would be your advice to someone did make another pro- they’re several scripts wanting to break into a story department? ject, but that kept us behind schedule or even AM: Try to have your work read by someone busy for at least two without the next there. Also, be aware of any internship programs, years. episode? then convince the person who has the power to After that I went to AM: People generally make you the intern, usually the creative producer. CBC for 6 years as an in- miscalculate how long it That’s by far the easiest way. But you need to have house story editor on takes to write the first set written something that shows you can write, a spec various dramatic series. of scripts, then the script of a series and something else that That’s really where I turnaround between the demonstrates what kind of writing you would do learned the craft of first and second set. And on your own. dramatic structure, simp- production realities set MD: Film is a collaborative process. Have you ly by developing and in; something that ever had anything so destroyed you didn’t want watching a whole bunch of scripts being produced. looked perfect will develop a last minute snag like your name attached? There’s nothing like that kind of experience. And the actor is unavailable or doesn’t like his lines, a AM: Yes. But you can’t always assume it’s anyone you meet so many people at a place like the CBC. pivotal location fell through, an executive changes else’s fault. Things that read really well sometimes I’m so sorry they don’t do in-house production his mind—all these demand turn-on-a-dime just don’t play. Watching what you’ve written anymore; there’s nothing like that in Canada now. rewriting that tie up members of the story produced is very instructive and humbling. You You can intern on a series, but that’s one series, department trying to always see things that you one type of production. develop the next bunch of could have done better, MD: What are the various functions of a story stuff. There can be death things you could have editor, whether it be a series, MOW, or feature? mines anywhere. “You can find a creative done without saying, AM: On long-form your job is to help the writer MD: Including nepotism. where you’ve been too realise the best script that the producer can How do you deal with that, satisfaction in writing obvious or where you were produce within his/her limitations; so you are the both creatively and unclear. It’s constant mediator between those two often conflicting politically? almost anything.” feedback and it’s done. goals. What that usually requires first is a detailed AM: I try to see it as a MD: Have you ever analysis so you understand the project, then you creative challenge. If sub- worked on a show at the ask questions of the writer; you discover—and often jected to it, you might as - Ann MacNaughton expense of your artistic help the writer discover—what it is they are writing well accept it as a given as integrity? about, using structural techniques you’ve learned there’s very little you can do about it. The thing AM: Yes. I’ve worked on shows solely to gain along the way. you do is try to minimize the damage. If it’s a experience, and the thing I learned was that you Series story editing is an entirely different writer you try to forestall problems by helping can only work like that for so long without it kettle of fish. First and foremost you are a writer, them work out the story so it works well enough affecting your creativity. I left a show once because starting as a staff writer then going up various for you to rewrite it. With actors you figure out I was having nightmares about the content I was levels of responsibility. On a TV series the story what it is they can do, then put them in scenes writing. department writes the “novel” of the series for that where they can perform that function or, if need On the other hand, I have found that no season, then breaks it down into episodes, which be, which can be cut. matter what the show, you can do very good in multi-character drama have to be satisfying MD: What about using outside writers? writing. That’s the subversive challenge of it: to dramatically in and of themselves, but also have to AM: Multi-character, highly-arced serial dramas write whatever show you’re writing extremely well. help build the characters’ developmental arc over are next to impossible to bring writers into without And that’s gratifying. You can find a creative the series. a great deal of time being spent bringing the writer satisfaction in writing almost anything..

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