SCREENWRITER

PM40011669 CANADIAN The Beaverton Fake News on Writing Real The Problem Only Part of Vampires Are Van Helsing: For Media Social Screenwriters Reach Breathes New Life Mary KillsPeople Into Death FILM | TELEVISION | RADIO | DIGITAL | RADIO TELEVISIONFILM | | MEDIA CANADA $7 SPRING 2018 VOL.20, NO.2 VOL.20, 2018 SPRING $7 CANADA tsc-2018-cs-ad-print.pdf 1 2018-02-16 4:09 PM

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K CANADIAN SCREENWRITER The journal of the Writers Guild of Canada Vol. 20 No. 2 Spring 2018

ISSN 1481-6253 Publication Mail Agreement Number Contents 400-11669 Publisher Maureen Parker Cover Editor Tom Villemaire Series Begins With ‘The End’ 6 [email protected] Mary Kills People’s inspiration came with Tara Armstrong’s obsession: Death. “Why aren’t we talking about this every Director of Communications Li Robbins five seconds?” So she did. Editorial Advisory Board By Matthew Hays Michael Amo Rachel Langer Michael MacLennan Features Susin Nielsen Social Media And Screenwriters 10 Simon Racioppa Some seek out fame and others have fame thrust upon them. President Jill Golick (Central) Social media makes it easier than ever for screenwriters to Councillors connect with the people who watch their shows. Some see it as a Michael Amo (Atlantic) passive medium and others as active. But all agree it’s important. Mark Ellis (Central) By Katherine Brodsky Simon Racioppa (Central) Dennis Heaton (Pacific) Something You Can Sink Anne-Marie Perrotta (Quebec) Andrew Wreggitt (Western) Your Teeth Into 14 Early on, they decided that vampires were only part of the Design Studio Ours problem. After that, things really took on a life of their own and Printing Renaissance Printing Inc. many ideas saw the light of day for Van Helsing screenwriters. Cover Photo: Christina Gapic By Diane Wild Canadian Screenwriter is published three times a year by Real Fake News In A Time Of the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC). Purported Fake News 18 366 Adelaide Street West, Suite 401 Toronto, Ontario M5V 1R9 How do you create a real fake news show when so many people TEL: (416) 979-7907 are calling real news fake news and how do you make that news FAX: (416) 979-9273 funnier than real life? These are weird times and The Beaverton WEBSITE: www.wgc.ca is reporting on them. In their way. Subscriptions: WGC members receive a By Mark Dillon subscription as part of their membership. Non-member subscriptions: $20 for W-Files three issues. Matt Venables & Jeremy Smith — By Greg David 23 Advertising policy: Readers should not assume that any products or services Sonja Bennett — By Cameron Archer 25 advertised in Canadian Screenwriter are endorsed by the WGC. Columns Editorial Policy: The WGC neither implicitly From the Editor/Contributors 2 nor explicitly endorses opinions or attitudes expressed in Canadian Screenwriter. Inside/Out — Jill Golick 3 Submissions are subject to editing for One Last Thing — Jason Filiatrault 28 length, style and content. Advertising Sales: News Visit www.wgc.ca or contact Li Robbins at Beat Sheet 4 [email protected] Spotlight 26 Letters to the editor are subject to editing for length. Not all letters are published. Money for Missing Writers 24 New Members 24 FROM THE EDITOR CONTRIBUTORS

When real fake news Spring 2018 has to compete with Cameron Archer runs the Canadian real news television/media website Gloryosky (gloryosky.ca), and is also a freelance arts and media writer. He lives in Eastern Ontario.

When political leaders call real news, fake news, what happens to Katherine Brodsky is a Vancouver- real fake news news shows? based writer who has written for Oh, there are the established real fake news news shows like The Washington Post, The Guardian, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, they sort of have a baked in audience. Variety, Esquire, Entertainment But how does a new fake news news show break in? Weekly, and even Playboy Magazine. New news shows, sorry, new fake news news shows, like The She has interviewed a diverse range Beaverton, how do they flourish in a day when the real news news of intriguing personalities including shows are dealing material that sounds like it belongs on the real Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Pulitzer, and fake news news shows? Nobel prize winners. Sometimes she writes scripts, too. There’s a lot to admire about the plucky show The Beaverton, Find her on Twitter @mysteriouskat and its writers, featured in this issue. Comedy is hard. And it’s even harder to make a profit by being For over 15 years, Greg David funny. has been a television critic for TV More than that, though, a satiric show about current events Guide Canada, the country’s most not only has to be, well, current but it also has to walk a fine line. trusted source for TV news. A If you don’t go far enough, you will likely lose the joke. But stray former member of the Television too far and you could be in the territory of bad taste, which can lose Critics Association, he is currently you your audience, and eventually your broadcaster. Stray another a partner at TV-Eh.com, a website way and you’re into a legal swamp that can pull you down, deeper, devoted to covering the Canadian deeper, freezing you in its icy depths, choking you with its mud and television industry. bitter liquid of defamation and damages and insurance, possibly Mark Dillon is a Toronto-based losing you your production and your job and maybe giving you a freelance journalist and former editor permanent case of libel chill and bitterness. of Playback magazine. He is author of But out there, on the edge where the laughs are, the screen- the award-winning Fifty Sides of The writers have no care for their own safety. It’s the territory they Beach Boys. need to tread. The laughs live on danger. Well, danger and a humor- ous premise. Jason Filiatrault is a slightly award- The job of the writers and showrunners of shows like The Bea- winning screenwriter whose credits verton and This Hour Has 22 Minutes, is to guide the writing around include the feature Entanglement, the all the obstacles while staying topical and inside the lines and funny. CBC series Young Drunk Punk, and The audiences for shows like this — those bright minds out this bio that you’re reading. He lives in Calgary with a cat and a Zoey. there — love those danger-loving, outrageous, biting sketches. And these days, that kind of comedy is necessary. With an Amer- Matthew Hays is a Montreal-based ican president who rails at the media on a daily basis, calling any writer, author, and university and criticism of him or his administration “fake news,” and with more college instructor. His articles have people becoming distrustful of the media, we need both the laughs appeared in the Globe and Mail, and the critiques of the powerful and of ourselves. The New York Times, Maclean’s, So what’s the difference between fake news and satire? The Toronto Star and many others. Some might say if you can’t tell the difference, satire isn’t for you. His book, The View from Here: Others might say, if you can’t tell, it’s not being done right. Conversations with Gay and Lesbian So, these laugh wranglers (a.k.a. screenwriters) at The Beaver- Filmmakers (Arsenal Pulp), won a ton deserve our nod of appreciation — for being funny while edging 2008 Lambda Literary Award. close to the line, but still making sure it’s suitable for broadcast so Diane Wild is a Vancouver-based we can all enjoy it. writer, editor and health care They are managing to magnify the funny in the everyday communicator who founded the TV, news — the real news, on their real fake news show for real laughs. eh? website and gallivants to work on the Olympics every couple of — Tom Villemaire years.

2 INSIDE/OUT — FROM THE PRESIDENT Developing Success

What kinds of TV shows should you develop for success in a marketplace that includes Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Facebook and Apple? Bold, arced series powered by unique voices that take viewers to places they’ve never been before. Think outside the box.

What kinds of series should that underlies most series that are If we want to thrive in the you develop if you’re aiming for a successful in the new markets. same market as Fleabag, Fauda, commission for a Canadian broad- Many of my writer friends in Insecure, Trapped, The End of the caster? Traditional episodic and other countries complain that F*&#ing World and Catastrophe procedural formats with minimal their producers are hapless we’re going to have to take some character arcing. Mine U.S. net- when it comes to distribution, risks. Calling Canadian broad- work television for inspiration. but Canada’s producers have casters risk averse is a massive Obviously, we have a seri- wisely built solid international understatement. ous disconnect. Broadcasters distribution chains. Protection from competi- trigger funding. If you want to I would be incredibly tion has helped build behemoth get paid, you have to make the optimistic about our future if broadcasting entities that have kinds of shows they want. Not it weren’t for the fatal flaw: a made their founders and share- the series the new players want Canadian broadcast partner is holders rich. Despite that, they to buy. Not the shows that solidi- required to get anything off the never were fully committed to fy Canada’s reputation as a great ground. the Canadian industry or to content provider. At a time when our industry developing national talent. Now The content market is should be developing as many that it isn’t quite as easy and exploding. American production series as possible, our broadcast- lucrative for them, that commit- has skyrocketed to more than ers are barely commissioning. ment is diminishing to the point 4,000 episodes per year. It used Some aren’t buying anything at of nonexistence. to take five seasons, 65 episodes all. Instead of looking for shows This could be Canada’s time. and a syndication deal to put an that are distinct and daring, We have the skills, talent, and American television series into they seek out the generic. While ideas. But if we want the success profit. These days, thanks to audiences (and writers) adore that is just beyond our reach we international sales, many series arcs, our networks discourage must find new triggers for devel- are in profit after a single season them. And when they do commis- opment funding. We have to make of just 10 episodes. This is a sion a series with guts and voice it possible for Canadian writers to great business. and international potential, they create the kinds of shows that the Canada is in a better position head on down to L.A. so Ameri- new markets seek. to succeed in it than many of can-resident writers can ensure If we don’t act, we will all be our international friends. Our it conforms to some U.S. enter- dragged into the death spiral that shows look fantastic, have a price tainment standard, rather than our broadcasters have fashioned advantage over U.S. production, cashing in on the unique voices for themselves. are written in English, and are and perspectives that Canadian built on the showrunner model writers can bring. — Jill Golick

3 BEAT SHEET

The WGC Policy Decoder: So, What IS a “Netflix Tax”? What’s Next? Decoding the “Netflix tax” Really, there’s no such thing. At time of writing it’s a bit of a There never was. When people mess, frankly, with little agree- The Backstory: use the term, there are several dif- ment on policy or nomenclature The idea of a “Netflix tax” began ferent policy proposals they could alike. Nevertheless, the WGC will with the Conservative Party be referring to, some of which ar- keep talking to government, in of Canada, when it helped kick en’t even a tax, and none of which hopes of convincing them that off the 2015 federal election would apply to Netflix alone. a clear public communications by claiming that the Liberals One policy proposal is a strategy about what’s really at had such a tax in the works. In contribution to the production stake is a better alternative to a country with high cable and of Canadian programming. This merely adopting Stephen Harp- Internet bills, and where Netflix is could take the form of an expen- er-era political language, or a popular service, the claim found diture requirement on Canadian pinning the future of the “middle some traction. Unfortunately, content, similar to what Canadian class” on this issue. this partisan political framing broadcasters currently have in the ignored the cultural sovereignty form of spending requirements issues at stake, as well as the tax for “Canadian programming ex- Writers Talking TV fairness of Canadian companies penditure” (CPE) and “programs having to collect HST while of national interest” (PNI). This The WGC’s ongoing series of on- foreign companies do not. Since would be a minimum amount of stage writer-to-writer interviews, then the Liberals have seemingly money that an OTT must spend on Writers Talking TV (WTTV), adopted the “Netflix tax” logic, the production of Canadian pro- continued in February with the and have doubled down by gramming, but that OTT would co-creator and co-showrunner of claiming it would be a “tax on the obtain the rights to the program- Hard Rock Medical, Smith Corin- middle class.” Meanwhile, many ming and get the benefit of having dia, in a lively conversation with in Quebec, typically attuned to it in their catalogue. Alternatively, fellow screenwriter Patrick Tarr, cultural issues, have emphasized a contribution could be directed showrunner of season three of the tax unfairness of de facto to a production fund like the Can- Cardinal. Also on the WTTV beat, HST exemption, even though the ada Media Fund (CMF), which this past November, showrunner HST wouldn’t directly boost the others could apply to for produc- Brad Wright talked with host cultural sector. tion funding. Sarah Dodd (Cardinal season two Fast forward to September Another policy proposal is showrunner) about writing Trav- 2017, when Minister of Canadian simply that foreign OTT’s like elers, to a very enthused audience Heritage Mélanie Joly announced Netflix collect and remit the in Vancouver. (A special thanks to her “Creative Canada” vision HST, as do virtually all Canadian WGC members Gemma Holdway for the cultural sector in a businesses. Right now, foreign and John Ward who helped make digital age. At the centre of it providers of digital products and the Vancouver event possible.) At was a commitment by Netflix to services do not have to collect roughly the same time in Toronto invest $500 million in original and remit sales tax if they are not the Guild presented WTTV, the production in Canada over the “carrying on business” in Cana- Frankie Drake Mysteries’ edition, next five years. While this was da. This is an issue with Netflix, with Carol Hay and Cal Coons good news for the industry, the but also a slew of other digital chatting with host James Hurst. announcement came without a services that don’t have a physi- Please note: all the aforemen- longer-term plan to deal with cal presence in Canada. Canada tioned WTTV events are available “over-the-top” (OTT) services needs to update its tax approach as podcasts on the WGC website, (such as Netflix) in Canada, more broadly, and there are wgc.ca. Finally, as well as taking and the threat they pose to a international efforts underway to the stage for WTTV, members Canadian broadcasting system to establish global standards for took part in Fan Expo Vancou- that depends on regulation to sales tax collection. In any event, ver on a WGC panel called Ghost support Canadian programming. HST payable on Netflix subscrip- Wars: Secrets from the Writers’ Some critics charged that this tions wouldn’t be earmarked Room, with David Elver (host), amounted to giving Netflix a for Canadian programming — it Daegan Fryklind (moderator), pass on taxation or regulation in would go to general government Damon Vignale, Gemma Holdway, Canada, while others declared coffers — so it doesn’t really ad- Karen Lam, and Rachel Langer. the end of the Netflix tax debate. dress Canadian programming. Thanks to all!

4 The members of the WGC Diversity Script of the Month committee (left to right top to bottom) Penny Gummerson, Mark Ellis, Vivian Lin, Christin Simms, Marsha Greene, Morwyn Brebner, Alejandro Alcoba, Jeremy Boxen, Nathalie Younglai, and Elan Mastai

WGC Diversity Script council officially adopted a proce- WGC Writers’ Room of the Month dural policy should an instance of at Kidscreen harassment occur. If a WGC mem- The Guild has begun an initiative ber experiences harassment and When it comes to kids’ called the WGC Diversity Script would like to report this experience programming, Canada of the Month, intended to help they are encouraged to contact the has a celebrated history of emerging screenwriters from Guild’s Executive Director Maureen international success. It springs diverse backgrounds. Participants Parker. She will review options with from Canadian screenwriters’ are encouraged to submit a script the member, and should the mem- terrific ability to create and to the WGC Diversity Script of the ber choose to take action the Guild write animated series that kids Month, and scripts will be read will ensure that anonymity will be around the world like to watch. and judged by the members of the protected. A formal grievance may The WGC presence at the annual WGC diversity committee. Each be filed against the harasser, but Kidscreen Summit is strong, month, a selected script will be only with the member’s consent. not surprisingly, (around fifty sent to a group of industry leaders Any decisions regarding actions WGC members attended the with a view to giving diverse writ- taken against a harasser will be conference in Miami earlier ers a chance to have their scripts made on a case-by-case basis. In this winter), so this year the read by someone with real deci- tandem with the harassment policy, Guild hosted a special Writers’ sion-making power. the Guild’s president, Jill Golick, Room. It brought screenwriters welcomes members to share their together with other industry experiences of harassment by professionals, the writers’ WGC harassment policy contacting her directly, and/or by generously sharing their take on filling out an online survey. It is creative elements that are the The Writers Guild of Canada does the Guild’s intention to ultimately bedrock of a successful show. not tolerate harassment of our share such stories, anonymous- Our Writers’ Room was a popular members. It’s more than sexual ly, with the membership, and for spot, with a full slate of producers harassment alone — harassment educational purposes within the and execs from around the includes discrimination, bullying, industry. Screenwriters will find world taking the opportunity to or violence. In order to formalize the relevant contact information on brainstorm ideas with talented the Guild’s position, the WGC the WGC website. WGC screenwriters.

5 FEATURE

TO DIE FOR

By Matthew Hays

Tara Armstrong and Tassie Cameron on their hit series about medically assisted suicide, Mary Kills People

As Tara Armstrong tells it, it all started with the “I was doing more producing at that point,” end. “I was always death-obsessed,” confesses the Cameron recalls. “I remember thinking how incredibly creator and a writer of the hit series Mary Kills entertaining the script was. Given the subject, it was People, season two of which is now airing. “Ever unexpected. It was funny and dark, beautifully writ- since I was a kid. And I know that sounds crazy, but ten, and so much shone through in that first script. Not I always thought, ‘Why aren’t we talking about this only was it a great script on its own, but I could sense every five seconds?’” how many different places it could go. There was tons By the time Armstrong figured out she was of potential for a limited series. I thought at the time, a writer, she recalls, “everything I wrote about ‘I’d love to produce something like this.’” was about death.” She was also a student in UBC’s Cameron says she was also drawn “to the com- creative writing program, where she took a plicated female lead. It was something I was trying screenwriting course, followed by a directed study to do when I was writing for Rookie Blue, to portray a with Peggy Thompson, a prof who turned out to be young woman, flaws and all. That gave me a taste for especially influential. really pushing an anti-heroine.” “This creative nonfiction assignment I worked Working with a producer, writer and showrun- on required that I immerse myself in something in ner with Cameron’s considerable track record was order to understand it more completely. I chose a “incredible,” says Armstrong. “Tassie knows how to hospice for people who were facing death. So I got to assemble a great team of people in the writers’ room. speak with the doctors, nurses and volunteers exten- Having Holly Dale direct all of the first season also sively. Death was part of their work, and that fascinat- meant I had a female-led team of people with a con- ed me, because we live in a death-denying society.” siderable track record.” Armstrong developed her research into Mary But the process of writing the first season was Kills People, a spec script about a doctor who covertly “unconventional,” says Armstrong. “We had a very freelances in cases of physician-assisted euthanasia, small writers’ room. A lot happens in the pilot. We acts she sees as ethical and moral despite their crim- had three weeks, which was crazy. We had to work inal status. And when Armstrong did a stint at the extremely hard to break the episodes down. Much of it Canadian Film Centre, Entertainment One optioned was intuitive; you know when the story is working and the script. Then after some networking at the Banff when it’s not. I love breaking the stories down, but it’s TV Festival, Corus signed on. Armstrong was in the very challenging. It’s a heavily-plotted series. We had writers’ room for the series Private Eyes, and that’s to figure out which scenes to explore and expand, and when Tassie Cameron first read the script. where the character arcs are.”

6 PHOTO: CHRISTINA GAPIC Tassie Cameron, left and Tara Armstrong. and left Cameron, Tassie FEATURE

“There’s something very sad about death, but there’s also something funny about it. We had to ask the question as we were writing: does it feel real, even if it’s entirely absurd?”

And it presented its challenges for Cameron, “I think if you watch the show, you can see where too: “Breaking the seasons for Mary Kills People has we’re coming from,” says Cameron. “We have to share been quite a different experience for me. This was some of Mary’s beliefs. But we’re always trying to look my first time working on a six-episode arc, which in at it from different angles, to acknowledge that many some ways, requires a different set of story skills — see it from a range of different perspectives.” it’s almost more like breaking a six-hour movie, than In the timing-is-everything department, things it is writing a traditional television series. It’s also couldn’t have been stranger for the team behind Mary been interesting to work on a show that doesn’t have Kills People. As the show was airing, Prime Minister a conventional mystery to “solve” by the end of each Justin Trudeau was acting on a campaign promise, to episode or season. Mary herself is the mystery of this legalize doctor-assisted suicide. “I was very keen to show, and it’s her interactions with the other charac- see that stalled,” says Cameron. “I’m kidding, I didn’t ters — the good guys and the bad guys, and everyone really want to see it stalled. But I did want it to be in between — that really drives the narrative forward. illegal for our purposes. Obviously it makes the show The “cat and mouse” of it all has been very interesting more compelling if Mary is doing something illegal. to write and get right.” It just meant we invented a city, Anytown, North Cameron also opted to produce and showrun, America. So we came up with “Port Denver,” where only writing half of a single episode. “Putting a team doctor-assisted suicide is still illegal.” together, figuring out how to put a season together, Cameron was always struck by the tone of getting creative approval and giving notes. I didn’t Armstrong’s spec script. A big part of the challenge want to overload,” she says. “I knew I’d have my was arriving and staying in that distinctive, complex hands full.” place, where humour meets death meets possible And she adds, “Tara is very much a perfectionist. pathos. “That tone was amazing. We wanted to I share that. We were pushing those scripts to make maintain a balance during the incredibly emotional them as entertaining as we possibly could.” moments, especially the deaths themselves. There Approaching this subject, Cameron knew one are moments of absurdity, humanity, friendship thing for sure: “I would never have come on board if it and romance. The writers in that room were so were an issue piece. I’m not into preaching to people talented in the way they brought all of those things about issues, and it was never a goal to shove it down together simultaneously. There’s a scene where a people’s throats. I’m not an earnest person. The ques- teen pulls out a gun and holds it at Mary, forcing her tion must linger, is she doing the right thing or is she to help a woman die at gunpoint. As that happens, a monster? And the questions that come up shift with a schmaltzy song begins playing. It makes it all feel each particular case that she’s handling.” entirely absurd.” “We wanted to explore the issue, but through the “We talked a lot about that in the writers’ room,” character of Mary,” Armstrong adds. “It was import- Cameron says. “It was about trying to reflect reality. ant to recognize what a complex issue this is. We’re There’s something very sad about death, but there’s not ever going to come to a consensus about it. So also something funny about it. We had to ask the much of what she’s doing is illegal, and to some people, question as we were writing: does it feel real, even if deeply immoral.” it’s entirely absurd?”

8 In the first season, we were dealing with a lot of unknowns. The real energy of the first season is that you still don’t know what you have, and are showing parts of the character to the audience.

Perfectly reflecting the show’s blunt-yet-nu- successful. What worked for season one? What char- anced tone is the show’s title, evoking the existen- acters did we love from the first season? How can we tial, in-your-face, ostensibly simple style of Beckett’s push them into new territory, into new situations?” Waiting for Godot (another work mired in death Season two meant upping the ante, Cameron obsession). “When I was first writing the script,” says. “What if Mary is asked to help a healthy man Armstrong recalls, “the opening line was “Mary die? What if a very young person wants to die? kills people for a living.” It just leapt out at me. Oh What if a woman wants to die with her husband my God, that’s the title! I texted it to a friend imme- when he is dying of a terminal illness, but she is diately. Everyone from that friend to the writers to perfectly healthy? It’s dilemmas like these that the producers to the network has been entirely down keep the show fresh and intriguing, and it’s part of with that title.” what made that initial script so inspiring, because I Handing the show a lifeline was the response could see possibilities like this from the start.” to season one, which was tremendous, both in terms Armstrong says that having a central character of audience callout and critical raves, as well as nine who is actually euthanizing people means audience Canadian Screen Award nominations. Variety critic identification is a strong point of consideration: Maureen Ryan led the charge, citing the show as “We spent a lot of time talking about whether or not one of the best of 2017. “Mary Kills People is a smart, people will go along with this character. Will people entertaining series that understands, on a core level, root for her? I think for me, the most engaging that nobody really wants to watch a TV show about characters I see on TV are the ones I’m constantly medically assisted suicide,” Ryan gushed, adding, wondering about. The ones who are enigmatic, the it’s “an energetic, savvy program that combines ones who are compelling precisely because I don’t elements of crime thrillers, medical soaps, and know everything about them. This is what I was propulsive character drama, employing all of those aiming for with Mary.” recognizable forms to illuminate the complexity of Armstrong says season two was also easier the knotty issues at its core.” because now they were writing the characters with In other words, the first season got the kind of actors in mind. “Caroline Dhavernas is phenome- reviews writers dream of. And Cameron and Arm- nal, as is our entire cast.” strong concede the reviews were gratifying and gave But for Cameron, the ongoing dark territory of them more momentum. “That Variety review really Mary Kills People has been a crucial part of the fun.” understood what it was we were working to get at,” It’s also a wonderful tonal challenge. We have to Armstrong says. strike a delicate balance between the deep emotion Penning a second season is an odd mix of confi- of the patient stories — the absurd humour that we dence and challenge, Armstrong reports. “In the first explore with Des — the romance and the police work season, we were dealing with a lot of unknowns. The with Ben — the dark and violent nature of Mary’s real energy of the first season is that you still don’t criminal antagonists — and Mary’s familial relation- know what you have, and are showing parts of the ship with her daughters and sister. character to the audience. With the second season, “We try to keep it real, honest, dark and light, there are expectations about what made the show emotional and funny… Like life and death, I suppose.”

9 FEATURE

THRUST INTO THE PUBLIC The impact of social media on writers

By Katherine Brodsky

Not too long ago, you’d be hard-pressed to find a TV people that control the destinies of their favourite fan who actually knew the names of any of the writers characters. I just think that they want to get inside behind their favourite shows. But in this era of the rise their heads.” of the showrunner and social media, things are rapidly There may have been a time when fans changing. These days, writers are increasingly thrust thought actors just made up the lines, but nowadays into the spotlight and social media has become not showrunners and screenwriters are truly being merely a way to promote a show, but to influence and recognized in television in a way that’s unprecedented. shape it as well. That also means that there’s pressure on the writers Rachel Langer, a writer for SyFy/Netflix’s and showrunners alike to be the voice of the show on Ghost Wars, jumped on the social media bandwagon social media, and to have a relationship with the fans. in 2008, as a relatively early adopter. She likens her So how much influence do fans really have on their interactions via the various platforms as an “open favourite shows? source conversation.” Initially, social media was a way Peter Mitchell is the showrunner for Murdoch for her to meet showrunners and other writers. It was a Mysteries, one of the longest running series in Canadian place to connect. TV history. The show’s Facebook page has over 130,000 On the other hand, Sarah Glinski, a writer on members, who aren’t afraid to share their detailed Degrassi, would classify herself more as an observer critiques of each episode. “So we have a general sense of sorts than an active participant. “I really just love of what turns the fans on and what turns them off. We seeing what people write, I think it’s such an interesting kind of monitor it more towards what we’re going to character study. To be aware of what’s happening in do in the future,” says Mitchell. But, he’s quick to add, the world and what different people are saying about “Just because the fans didn’t like it doesn’t mean we’re different things. There’s people from all different not going to do it again.” Fan feedback can, however, groups, cultures, and socioeconomics — just a lot of occasionally have some influence on what historical different opinions. That’s truly how I use social media.” events and characters Murdoch Mysteries explores, as But why the influx of interest from fans towards well as the mystery-romance equilibrium. writers, who, until now, have mostly stayed in the Still, the fans have to follow the lead of the show, shadows? What’s propelled them to Comic-Con not the other way around, says Mitchell. “I think stages and thousands of followers on platforms like following the fans is a recipe for — you know, give them Twitter? The answer may lie within the increased exactly what they want. Well nobody’s ever surprised transparency of the process. “I remember when I because as far as they are concerned they came up with grew up watching and living vicariously through all it … you kind of disappoint them a little. I engage in my favourite shows as a teenager, I didn’t know there conversations, but I never ask people what they want.” were showrunners, I didn’t know how shows were Langer agrees that giving fans exactly what they made but everyone’s just that much more aware right want may be the worst idea for the show. “I mean, now,” says Glinski, “They know that there’s someone I’m sure that you would have gotten just so many fan who is controlling the stories and they know that requests for Scully and Mulder to get together after that person is called the showrunner and they want season one of the X-files, but the show wouldn’t have to hear from that person because those are the worked if they had.”

10 Clockwise from top-left: Sarah Glinski; Heather Conkie; Peter Mitchell; Rachel Langer.

11 FEATURE

Besides, more often than not, by the time the shows are on the air while they’re still writing, so they first episode airs, the season has already been written actually can change the show based on fan reaction. and shot. But for us in Canada, our rooms are so short and our “I think it allows you to sort of test whether you’ve production schedule is so short that by the time it’s achieved your goals,” says Glinski, “It’s an interesting on the air, it’s kind of sealed. So then — we could do tool.” When Glinski was working on Degrassi the series something for a second season.” tackled a lot of difficult topics. “It was really exciting “Television isn’t necessarily meant to be to see once the shows aired whether people who had responded to in real time,” she adds. “As a writer on the struggled with any of those issues and were very close show sometimes you feel like you’re getting people’s to them, how they felt about what we did or whether knee-jerk responses to something when they don’t what we were trying to do with a story was successful.” know the full picture.” If the response wasn’t what was intended, it Netflix is also having an impact. WhenDegrassi allowed the writers a chance to tweak a character or was on TV, tens of thousands of people were watching storyline a bit going into the next season. “But we’ve and interacting at the same time. “Once we were on never been like, ‘fans don’t like a couple together Netflix and it was airing 10 episodes at the same time, therefore we’re gonna break that couple apart,’ that’s you never had that big mass fan reaction,” says Glinski, never how we reacted to social media. We would never “People are watching it different ways at different let them tell us how to tell our stories. But I think we’re speeds, we don’t have everyone tweeting at the same aware of when the stories we’re trying to tell didn’t time. So you don’t have that same feeling online, you work in quite the way that we wanted.” don’t have the same feedback mechanism and real Social media also allowed the issue-based show community feeling.” But, she admits that it’s also “cool to listen to fans when they were talking about specific to see that six months or a year later, people are still topics or were looking for certain kinds of characters discovering and tweeting about episodes when you to be represented. “We ask ourselves in the writers’ thought people aren’t watching this anymore.” room why we haven’t talked about it yet? If you have the It isn’t always easy for writers to ‘read the information you can’t turn it off, it’s there.” comments’ — social media brings a frenzy of unabashed For a long-running show like Heartland, according feedback, both good and bad. But whether they love it or to EP and writer Heather Conkie, fan reaction hate it, at least they are talking about it. can sometimes influence the importance put on a “Our job is making people feel things and they’re certain character. If the charisma of the character, or not always gonna be the feelings that you want to connection with another character really takes off, feel. So I think as long as they’re talking about it and then the show may put more emphasis on it, whereas if debating decisions … then we’ve done our job. We’re there’s no interest, they may play it down going forward. trying to start a conversation,” says Glinski. “I think the ways where the fans have a lot of “I always think it’s fun when people are really power is letting us know which characters they really mad or really passionate or really excited,” says Langer, respond to,” agrees Langer, “It’s easier for them in “If I made someone mad, then they’re passionate and American television, because a lot of the times the engaged. If we made someone excited, then they’re

“I remember when I grew up watching and living vicariously through all my favourite shows as a teenager, I didn’t know there were showrunners, I didn’t know how shows were made but everyone’s just that much more aware right now”

12 “I think the ways where the fans have a lot of power is letting us know which characters they really respond to”

loving it and that’s really cool. So I just kind of like to webisodes with beloved characters that take place in a see what the response is, but it’s quick, I don’t sit there parallel universe, as well interactive mysteries. and read them for hours at a time, just because you Social media allows creators to take a show know, it’s a rabbit hole.” beyond the small screen, and keep audiences engaged For many writers, social media also represents through content and interactions, keeping them a perfect tool for research, allowing unprecedented interested and active even when a show is not on the air. access into the minds and conversations of a diverse “I think, to a lot of people, our show’s characters range of people around the world — without even are real,” says Conkie, “I mean I know that sounds having to leave home. “You can go on Tumblr and you bizarre, but they’ve known them now for so long. can read first-hand accounts of what people are going When the show started the main character, Amy was through, or you can go on Twitter you can find a group 15 turning 16 and now she’s married with a baby. So of teenagers that are talking about something that people feel like they’ve lived their lives over the last 11 you’re interested in, and see how they’re talking about years. So they’re very involved with whatever any of the it and what language they’re using,” says Glinski. characters do.” When it comes to expectation for writers to be Langer believes that social media will stay active on social, there’s increasingly a pressure to polarized forever among writers. “We’re such a weird participate. “We certainly get requests to go on social breed where we like being in a group and talking to and live tweet our shows and host promos,” says Langer, other writers and sharing our ideas, but sometimes “And I get it, I mean it’s free advertising and it’s more we’re very weird about being in public — some writers interesting for the viewers if the creators and anybody just hate social and I get that. I’m not that way but I just who works for the creators are engaged.” But it’s also don’t think we’ll ever get everybody on the same page.” free work, so while Langer will often support a show she No one sees social going away anytime soon though. loves, she tries to do it on her on terms. “You know, I think sometimes people are engaged it for As she gains more attention on social, she has ego stroking,” jokes Mitchell, “and every writer likes his also learned that just because someone tweets her, ego stroked, so I don’t think it’s going to disappear. doesn’t mean she is obligated to share anything with When Conkie was first adjusting to the influx of anybody she’s not comfortable with, and that it’s not social media response for Heartland, it wasn’t easy. always realistic to talk to every single person that “There could be ninety nine really positive wonderful reaches out. “That one was tricky because it was so things said about the show and one negative thing weird and narcissistic but, you know, you just need to is the one that stays in your mind.” But she grew up protect yourself a little bit. A lot of people really want with it over the past few years and grew to find the something from you and it’s just not feasible to give it interactions eye opening and useful. to them.” “I can’t even imagine what we did without it, As social media grows, it increasingly becomes in a weird way now. And I think because of it, the an extension of the shows — and the characters showrunners and the writers are more visible and themselves. Heartland, which has the largest digital they’re more recognized. It’s not just about the actors. social media footprint across all CBC’s shows, is also The people realize that there’s a whole team behind active in the realm of transmedia, expanding on the these shows that they need to hear from. And I think character of Georgie by giving her an Instagram that’s really healthy. I think it’s terrific. And it’s also page, Georgie Rants, which she runs in character. so incredible to have so many crazy fans who take the Murdoch Mysteries has also been successful in creating time to write and express themselves.”

13 FEATURE

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW When an iconic vampire hunter meets a creative funding model

By Diane Wild

Neil LaBute may not seem like the obvious choice He was brought to Van Helsing — his first to helm the Canadian writing room of a vampire experience writing traditional episodic television television show. But the American playwright — by Nomadic Pictures producers Chad Oakes and and filmmaker, known for In the Company of Men Michael Frislev. LaBute had directed a handful of and Your Friends and Neighbors, is no stranger to episodes of their Calgary-based show Hell on Wheels writing about the dark side of humanity. And how when they proposed he take on showrunning duties much darker can you get than Van Helsing’s life and for a property they were developing, loosely based death struggles between vampires and mortals? on a graphic novel where the iconic Van Helsing “When I was a kid I used to watch Dark character was a female vampire hunter who could Shadows with my mom, so a vampire show was one turn vampires back into humans. of the first memories I have of watching TV,” says “I love the human dynamics — these people who LaBute, acknowledging that he is nonetheless not are in their own little soap opera but they’re facing a particular fan of fantasy and science fiction. He life and death at any moment,” LaBute says of the has, however, always been drawn to Dracula and at show now entering its third season. “I love to write one point adapted that story for the stage. the scenes between the big fights with vampires

14 when everyone’s just trying to survive, and falling in Not only was writing traditional episodic love, and misunderstanding each other.” television and showrunning new to LaBute, he’d “Early on, one of the mandates in the room never written with others before, so a writing room was that vampires are only part of the problem. The was a novel experience. “Some days you do feel like, people you really worry about, are the people next gosh, after all the talking we’ve done today I could to you, and behind you, who are more recognizably have written the script faster,” he says. “But in fact human,” he said. “We want to make the humans as you gain different things — new perspectives and a messed up as possible.” take you might never yourself have come up with.” “I like the mix of horror and sci-fi but at its Having worked with what she calls “auteur heart it’s really about what does it mean to be showrunners” such as Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik human,” said Van Helsing writer Jackie May. “We (Strange Empire) and Bruce Smith (19-2), among also get to investigate what does it mean to be a others, May is used to non-traditional writing rooms human who has done horrible things and now has to and those new to television. “Being different is what deal with that. All of that is meaty and interesting. I do. It’s fresh every time. One of the things I can And then you get to kill some monsters.” bring to a room is that there’s no one way to make

15 FEATURE

“I love to write the scenes between the big fights with vampires when everyone’s just trying to survive, and falling in love, and misunderstanding each other.”

television. There are many, many ways to bring a Another difference is that the Canadian writers show to camera from the writers’ room.” often can’t see the show as it first airs, because in the “Neil couldn’t be easier to work with. He’s case of Van Helsing and Ghost Wars, Syfy has the first very open to everybody else’s ideas and very open window. Barry believes there will be more and more to consensus. We don’t just pretend to value each Canadian shows that have their first run on streaming other’s opinions, we actually value each other’s services or outside of Canada. “There are more opinions.” Canadian shows than there are Canadian broadcasters Continuum’s Simon Barry was brought on board willing to make them,” he said. “Naturally that means for the first season to help develop the writing room other companies are going to make them.” and scripts, until the producers offered him his own For Ghost Wars, the producers tried to get a show in Ghost Wars. “Essentially my job was to make Canadian broadcaster but Netflix snapped up the myself redundant,” said Barry. “I felt like Neil was Canadian rights before any expressed interest. more than capable when we were halfway through He points out that unless writers take on the the season of Van Helsing. By that point he had role of producer — as he has done with his company figured out everything he needed to figure out about Reality Distortion Field — they have no control over the management of a TV series.” how their show is funded. “We’re not looking for one Besides sharing Barry’s writing talents and a fix for all, we’re taking each show as an individual production company, Ghost Wars and Van Helsing business model and seeing what best serves the share an unusual funding model. Both air on Syfy show. I don’t think there’s one cure-all for Canadian in the United States and Netflix in Canada (and television. There’s too much diversity and too much internationally), meaning that while their writing competition. You have to take each show almost like rooms, producers, directors and filming locations a pop-up business.” are Canadian, they have no Canadian broadcaster “The more of my fellow Writers Guild mem- — and therefore no Canadian Media Fund funding. bers invest in their own education in terms of how That’s true of the upcoming The Bletchley Circle: San television is financed, the less restrictive the situ- Francisco as well. ation will be. I think one of the problems right now Rarer than a vampire who craves sunlight, that for Canadian writers is there’s less and less money model may become more common as the number in the Canadian system and more and more in the of traditional broadcasters to pitch to in Canada international system. But we’ve been conditioned shrinks and the streaming service options grow. to only know how to do things within the Canadi- The main difference, said Barry, is “it’s one less an model, which is not necessarily going to support layer of notes.” all those creative minds. Learning how to double May concurs. “We get notes from Syfy, but they down on other ways of getting television financed would fit on a page and they’d be very specific things is now an essential survival skill.” about what’s worked for their audience in the past — not Because Barry and his production company the kind of in-depth notes that are common in Canada.” focus on genre, he feels that non-traditional funding

16 “A Canadian sensibility seeps in because of who we are as people. We aren’t making an attempt to articulate it or highlight it, but it’s something that happens by default.”

and streaming services as broadcasters open up the LaBute is the lone American in his writing marketplace. “In Canada it’s very hard to sustain genre room but he doesn’t feel a cultural divide — other if the Canadian broadcaster is bearing too much of than when he hears a lot of Bryan Adams, Rush, and the load,” he says, pointing to genre’s often-smaller The Guess Who on the radio, or when “a thousand audiences. “Being already on the fringe creatively in the hockey jerseys are walking toward me.” Canadian marketplace, I feel like I’m liberated from “I just see very eager writers. There’s a lot of depending on them. We don’t have to lean in creatively work in Vancouver but the shows that film here to what I think the Canadian marketplace wants.” often have their rooms in Los Angeles. Having Though Ghost Wars and Van Helsing don’t have a people in the room who are local brings an energy Canadian broadcaster, he says “a Canadian sensibility and excitement that they can do what they love to seeps in because of who we are as people. We aren’t do at home. It’s been a very positive room.” making an attempt to articulate it or highlight it, but He has kept most of the season one team it’s something that happens by default.” intact into season three. “It’s all about personality Jackie May concurs. “I don’t think we can avoid for me, being with people you feel like you can get that. I was on another show where I was actively trying along with and work. I like to put all the conflict on to write like an American and then when it was reviewed the page.” in the New York Times it was, ‘wow isn’t this a cool “Overall I use the same approach as I do in Canadian socialist look at the teen night-time drama.’” directing — make people feel like they’re wanted, “More and more in Canada we’re able to write encourage collaboration and I think you get their television shows that don’t have to be about being best work. It’s also great to be surrounded by people Canadian. It’s not the only way to achieve a Canadian who love the genre.” sensibility, to write about a specifically Canadian LaBute’s writing career reflects his desire subject. Our point of view goes beyond that. So yes, to span platforms, styles, and genres. There is we can write a vampire show and we have no choice one aspect of writing Van Helsing that he finds but for it to be a Canadian point of view.” constraining: the teaser plus six act structure to hit That point of view travels the world with Netflix an exact 42 minutes and 30 seconds. bringing the shows to an international audience. “Not that I begrudge helping sell Toyotas, “It’s fun seeing tweets in different languages from but it’s often at the cost of someone’s wonderful all around the world,” says May. “Comedy might not performance or a great storyline,” he says. “For the travel but apparently vampires do.” good of the cause you have to make some choices “The international marketplace is very, very that you wish you didn’t have to do.” friendly to genre and that’s why it’s so successful as Still, he knew that was the game when he got a model,” says Barry. “It’s not as star dependent as into it, and “I’ve gotten really good at timing scenes other shows so you can promote the concept more in my head. Soon the 42 minutes and 30 seconds than you have to promote the face of the show, and will come so naturally that it’ll make for a very that’s really handy.” awkward feature at some point.”

17 FEATURE

FAKE NEWS, CANADIAN-STYLE

By Mark Dillon

Showrunners Jeff Detsky and Luke Gordon Field made season two of The Beaverton a more timely assault on the day’s headlines

From top center: Luke Gordon Field, Micheal Chong (E&O researcher) at the head of the table, Kurt Smeaton (writer & supervising producer) and Cathryn Naiker (story coordinator). PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BEAVERTON AND STEVE WILKIE

18 The idea that website The Beaverton could be adapted Field, who has kept his role as editor-in-chief for TV was a no-brainer to Jeff Detsky. at thebeaverton.com, says that just prior to the TV The screenwriter — whose previous credits included show’s launch, the website was attracting about comedies Call Me Fitz and Seed — was a fan of American 500,000 hits per month, which has by now doubled. satirical news shows The Daily Show and The Colbert Re- The development process seemed longer to the port, and after reading The Beaverton’s humorous (I know TV newbies than to the veteran Detsky. “We put our two people who don’t think it’s all that funny!) fake-news heads together to see what kind of stories we wanted posts on Facebook, he knew there were the makings of a to tell, what would be the avenue for telling those like-minded Canadian series. stories and what twist on satirical news we could “It had a very specific voice and a built-in bring to the equation,” Detsky says. audience,” says Detsky, sitting beside The Beaverton Key to all that was getting comedians Emma co-founder Luke Gordon Field at Bell Media’s Agincourt Hunter and Miguel Rivas involved. The show centres complex, where the show has production offices and around the pair at the anchor desk riffing on headline shoots before a live studio audience. Together they are stories — things like “Oscars extend speech length showrunners on the series, which in February wrapped so male winners have time to apologize for all their production on its second 13-episode season for prodco actions.” They throw to a band of intrepid field Pier 21 Films and The Comedy Network. reporters — Laura Cilevitz, Dave Barclay, Aisha Alfa, “By early 2014, Beaverton articles were being Donavon Stinson and Marilla Wex — whose segments shared by more than just my comedy nerd friends,” sometimes feature recognizable performers such as Detsky continues. “Many had gone viral, and that’s Traders’ Rick Roberts and Corner Gas’ Tara Spencer- when I asked, ‘Why is nobody taking advantage of this Nairn. voice and why isn’t it a television show?’” In a couple of recent segments, Barclay lampoons He found Field’s email address buried on The Toronto’s sharing economy and high cost of living Beaverton’s website and sent him a note out of the by driving for Uber while simultaneously working blue. “I tried to convince him I was this TV big shot on freelance Ikea furniture assembly, while Cilevitz who would be able to make all their dreams come attends a fair where universities persuade Canadian true and they were naïve enough to believe me,” he youth not to enroll, to free up space for higher-paying recalls. He contributed pieces to the website while also foreign students. All field clips were shot in Hamilton developing the property into a TV format with Field over 13 days in the fall, taking advantage of production and Beaverton senior editors Jacob Duarte Spiel and tax-credit bonuses and more ample location space. Alexander Saxton. The latter was no small task, given the website was text-based and had never shot any video. Inspired by Chicago-based digital publisher The Onion, it was launched in 2011 by the late Laurent Noonan, who “It started from had written for the University of Toronto’s satirical newspaper Toike Oike. He was soon joined by Field, us being friends a Queen’s University history major and stand-up comedian, and Field’s schoolmate Alex Huntley, and and wanting to then by Spiel and Saxton. “It started from us being friends and wanting make each other to make each other laugh and creating this thing with no money,” Field recalls. “It was basically a laugh and creating WordPress site with no functionality whatsoever because we didn’t know how to do anything except this thing with write jokes — or at least we thought we did. Every day we would write so much and we got funnier and no money,” developed a very small audience. Then, around 2013, our articles started to go viral and it began to snowball.”

19 FEATURE

The show’s concept took flight after the high concepts, like ‘this character will be a parody of property was optioned by Toronto’s Pier 21, run that,’ but Bell Media quite rightly said, ‘Keep it simple.’ by veteran producer Laszlo Barna and Melissa They wisely thought the website is at its best when it’s Williamson. The timing couldn’t have been better, doing a cutting take on current events. Obviously you as Canadian networks were itching for just such a can’t do 22 minutes of reading a website article on TV. show. Bell Media in particular was kicking itself for It needs to be bigger and more engaging, but we agreed not having a homegrown outlet to skewer Rob Ford, that’s home base and let’s build from that.” while stateside programs The Daily Show with Jon For season two, the production has had to adapt Stewart and Jimmy Kimmel Live! reaped big laughs off to a new world — one in which the American president the Toronto mayor. makes news with every Tweet. All of the first season’s The broadcaster made a strong play for the show anchor-desk material was shot before the series went and funded a pilot that shot in 2015. A year later it to air, which left the creative team in a bind ahead of announced a series pickup on The Comedy Network the U.S. election, and so they hedged their bets and shot and the series went to air that November. From the for two different scenarios: one with Hillary Clinton beginning, the production has liaised on a day-to-day winning and the other with Donald Trump the victor. basis with Bell Media’s Sarah Fowlie, director, comedy They expected Clinton would win and believe they had original programming, and production executive a better show ready for that outcome. Bill Lundy, while Corrie Coe, senior vice president, Shooting everything in advance, Field says, original programming, also provides notes. “leaves you vulnerable to big changes happening. We “Three of us were TV outsiders, coming in trying covered Trump being elected in our first episode but to reinvent the wheel,” Field explains. “We had a lot of really never again [in season one]. It drove home the

Luke Gordon Field, Miguel Rivas and Dave

Barclay on set in Hamilton. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BEAVERTON AND JASPER SAVAGE.

20 “Every day we would write so much and we got funnier and developed a very small audience. Then, around 2013, our articles started to go viral and it began

to snowball.”

obvious reality that for a current-events show, shooting alluded to in the series, which strives to be topical. So as close to airdate as possible is vital.” Field and Huntley — who joined the TV writing team So, for season two the turnaround time was for season two after passing on season one — found whittled down to shooting with Rivas and Hunter on another outlet in the book The Beaverton Presents Monday nights for airing that Wednesday. But even in Glorious and/or Free: The True History of Canada. that smaller window the writers still need to protect Published last year by Penguin, the book consists themselves. A recent example was Trump’s State of of a series of fictitious newspaper clippings that take the Union Address, which occurred on a Tuesday an alternate account of our nation’s past. It’s rich with sandwiched between shooting and air dates. barbed details such as a 15th-century Iroquois lacrosse “We shot two versions: one if Trump’s address game played between teams called “the Cayuga Pale sticks to the script, and the other if it goes off the rails,” Faces” and “Seneca Honkies.” Four other writers Detsky explains. “The nature of the show is that we contributed to the work. make up the news, so that helps us a little, but we have “Writing a funny history book was something to figure out how to react to something like that.” Alex and I had talked about before The Beaverton While the U.S. head of state certainly has provided existed, being in history classes together and being plenty of fodder, the showrunners want to keep the huge fans of historical comedy like Blackadder and series as Canadian as the nickel rodent from which Monty Python,” Field says. it derives its name. “Our show sings best when we’re He and Detsky get plenty of input from other going after Canadian and broader social issues,” Detsky scribes on the series as well. For season two, the says, adding that’s what sets it apart from American writers’ room averaged 10 participants, some on long- counterparts such as Full Frontal with Samantha Bee term contracts and some who came in for two- to four- and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. week stints. And of course, Canada has a Prime Minister “There are so many amazing writers who have to mock. Rivas recently read an item proclaiming worked with us on the website, and comedians and “Trudeau still polling well with his core demo: non- writers we’ve wanted to work with for years, so this Canadians.” But how does our illustrious leader stack allows us to have a wonderfully diverse room with up on the laughs scale? a constantly changing energy that makes the show “He’s one fifth of a Trump at best,” Field says. “But sharper from week to week,” Field says. there are things about Justin Trudeau to make fun While there is no confirmation yet on a third of — from the political to the personal and his quest for season, the pair is hopeful the team will return to fame, shall we say. There’s a lot there. It’s just that he ridicule the next cycle of newsmakers. Detsky says happens to be in power at a time when a birthday clown he loves coming to work and walking into that small is running the United States of America.” writers’ room crammed with “very smart people who are History buff Field says his all-time favorite bit on very informed on current affairs and politics. Sometimes the show is one written by Detsky that takes a poke at it can develop into fireside chats about interesting the role Heritage Minutes have played in Canadians’ subjects, but for the most part everybody comes in every collective history education. But there is little history day with pitches and we spend all day laughing.”

21 MEMBER ALERT! Unfair Engagers The Guild has declared the following engagers “unfair” for failing to abide by grievance procedures or the decision of a joint standing committee. The WGC’s working rules prohibit members from working with unfair engagers. Project1:Layout 1 10/25/12 2:26 PM Page 1

All I Want Productions Inc. Lester Beach Entertainment Principal: Kirk Shaw Principal: Jeff Lester Battered Productions Inc. Mikisew Keemiwan Productions, Ltd. Principal: Kirk Shaw Principal: Norman Champagne Christmas Town Productions Inc. Nikolai Productions Principal: Kirk Shaw Principal: Cindy Lamb FOTP Productions Inc. Norfolk International Ltd. Principal: Richard Rapkowski Principal: William Macadam Guardian Films Inc./ Numb Productions Inc. En Garge Films Inc. Principal: Kirk Shaw Principal: Kirk Shaw Perfect Stranger Productions Inc. H & S Films Principal: Kirk Shaw Principal: Nicolas Stiliadis Prospero Entertainment Group Inc. Hiding Productions Inc. Principal: John Lambert Principal: Kirk Shaw Richard Lowry Productions Inc. High Seas Rescue Productions Inc. Principal: Richard Lowry Principal: F. Whitman Trecartin She Productions Inc. Ice Planet (1) Canada Ltd. Principal: Kirk Shaw Principal: Philip Jackson Spiritual Productions Inc. Justice Productions Inc. Principal: Kirk Shaw Principal: Kirk Shaw System Productions Inc. Kangaroo Court Productions Ltd. Principal: KirkPl eShawase Help Us Find These Writers! Principal: Robin Payne The CSCS is holding foreign secondary authors’ levies for writers T Man Productions Inc. Les Productions les Plus Belles Routes du Monde Inc. Principal: Kirk Shaw Principal: Andre Belanger (not affiliated with Spectra Animation Inc.) Zolar Productionshe Ca Inc.nadian Screenwriters Collection Society (CSCS) is Principal: KirkT hShawolding foreign secondary authors’ levies for a number of writers and uncredited productions. As CSCS does not have a current address for these writers or the productions do not have complete credit information we have not been able to forward any monies to the entitled writers. The complete list of writers and productions is available on the CSCS website at: Please Help Us Find These Writers! The CSCS is holding foreign secondary authors’ levies for writerswww.wgc.ca/cscs/hot_news/index.html If you have any information that would allow us to contact any of these writers or their agents, or if you are a credited writer The Canadian Screenwriters Collection Society (CSCS) Marisa Kingo natt [email protected] listed production, please contact: is holding foreign secondary authors’ levies for a number or call (416) 979.7907 ext. 5231 or of writers and uncredited productions. As CSCS does not 1.800.567.9974Mari sext.a K i5231.ng at [email protected] or call (416) 979.7907 ext. 5231 or have a current address for these writers or the productions 1.800.567.9974 ext. 5231. do not have complete credit information we have not been Please note that CSCS may require writers to furnish able to forward any monies to the entitled writers. The contracts inPl esupportase no teof ttheirhat Cclaim.SCS mAccordingay requir etow CSCSriters to furnish complete list of writers and productions is available on the regulations,c oifn tara writercts in doessupp onotrt oclaimf the ihisr c loraim her. A cmoniescording to CSCS CSCS website at: within twor eyearsgulat iofon sbeing, if a postedwriter d oones ournot websiteclaim h itheses or h er monies www.wgc.ca/cscs/hot_news/index.html monies revertwith toin 2theye operatingars of bein expensesg posted oofn oCSCS.ur website these monies revert to the operating expenses of CSCS. If you have any information that would allow us to contact any of these writers or their agents, or if you are a credited writer on the listed production, please contact: W-FILES Matt Venables and Jeremy Smith Pair worked their way up from directors to screenwriters

By Greg David

att Venables and Jeremy when we realized the writing was to do the set-up on a script in quite Smith as a team, are the most fun part. some time!’ It’s weird. Munusual in Canadian television. Though it’s common to Matt, do you find that, in your What did you learn about have writing teams in the United writing partnership, you writing from Simon Barry when States, it’s a rarity here. The duo complement each other? Are you worked on Continuum? wouldn’t have it any other way. you better at some things than JS: There is no bullshit. He Friends since meeting at the now- Jeremy is? taught us the whole concept of defunct Victoria Motion Picture MV: We definitely complement best idea wins, whether it comes School, Venables and Smith teamed each other. We joke that I build from the writing assistant or the up for the first time as writers in the foundation and he builds the showrunner, he doesn’t care. the room on Continuum, followed house. The thing with us is there Everyone has a voice. by Van Helsing — they’re both on is no ego. It’s always about the best season three of the vampire drama idea. When we go through a script Matt, are genre series — and the reboot of ReBoot: The together, the best line wins. particularly fun to write for Guardian Code. because you’re creating a world JS: We hate unnatural dialogue and the rules within it? Jeremy, how did the two of you and will call each other out on it, MV: I think they’re freeing meet? which is great. It’s both of our pet because you get to create these JS: When I went to film school and peeves. It might be a snappy line, whole new worlds and universes walked into class, I was kind of but nobody talks like it. There is and show more creativity than surprised by how small it was. There a way to do it and make it sound [other programs], where you might were a lot of older people there who like a real person said it. That’s just have your drama of the week. were looking for a new career path just one example of how our We get to create a whole universe or hobby. I saw these two guys who partnership works. and then create the drama within were more like me so I gravitated that universe. to them. We started hanging out Jeremy, you usually write the and making silly videos. We quickly front half of the script and Matt JS: It’s a far more vast sandbox to learned we were the only ones that writes the back half. Have you play in than a police procedural took the course seriously. This was a ever switched it up? where you’re stuck with the rules career path for us. JS: Actually, because of production of engagement. If we’re known as on season two of Van Helsing we’re ‘the genre guys’? Cool. You didn’t start out as each writing a script each and then screenwriters. You were doing a pass each. So, I’m laying the The first two seasons ofVan directors of music videos first. foundation on the back half of an Helsing can be seen on Netflix. MV: It was during the creative episode, for the first time in while, ReBoot: The Guardian Code is process of making the music videos and Matt was joking, ‘I haven’t had scheduled to air on YTV in 2018.

23 WRITERS HELPING WRITERS

Money for Missing Writers

The Writers Guild of Canada is holding monies for the writers listed below. The WGC has been unable to locate the writers and forward the money to them. If you have any information that would help us reach these writers (or their agents or estates), please contact the staff member indicated below. These writers would thank you. IPA - contact Aaron Unrau at [email protected] NFB - contact Aaron Unrau at [email protected] 1-800-567-9975 ext. 5270 1-800-567-9975 ext. 5270

Dawn Cumberbatch — Top Cops Laszlo Gefin — Revolution’s Orphans Elana Devine — Student Bodies János Szanyi — Revolution’s Orphans Warren Easton — Odyssey II Gilles Toupin — Cycling: Still the Greatest Joe Flanigan — Stargate Peter Vogler — Ernie’s Idea Gerald Fourier — Littlest Hobo John Hollard — Littlest Hobo

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Our condolences

Alison Gordon Toronto ON William Weintraub Westmount QC W-FILES Sonja Bennett A tough act to follow

By Cameron Archer

2012 graduate of the free time. If I was going to write specificity. The fact that viewers Telefilm Canada Feature another screenplay I needed to be could watch Sunnyhearts Commu- AComedy Exchange, writ- strategic about writing a produc- nity Centre on their phones forced er-actor Sonja Bennett (Mistresses, ible and commercial script that me to write in attention-grabbing Godiva’s, Cold Squad) made her would work for me on more than visuals and movement that would feature writing debut with 2014’s one front. pop on a tiny screen. Preggoland. In 2016, she created With efficiency in mind, I webseries Sunnyhearts Community trotted out an outline to producers As a writer and story editor for Centre for Telus Optik. Bennett to find out if the concept gener- Kim’s Convenience, how do you was story editor/writer for the ated any excitement. A company make sure the show retains the first season of CBC comedyKim’s was immediately interested but tone of Ins Choi’s play? Convenience (Thunderbird Films/ wanted a produced writer. I had to I think the show retained the Soulpepper Theatre Company). dig my heels in and say, wait a min- heart and spirit of Ins’ play but Bennett acted, wrote and was a ute, everyone has to get their first found its own tone. Reading the consulting producer for Simon credit sometime! Preggoland being play I found the first act comedic Barry series Ghost Wars (Nomadic selected for the Telefilm Canada and the second act more dramatic. Pictures), which recently ended its Feature Comedy Exchange, gave At the beginning of the writers’ first season on Syfy and streams me credibility as a writer and was a room, we spent a lot of time clar- in Canada on Netflix. Bennett is huge leg-up for the project. ifying what the tone of the televi- currently writing a few episodes of sion version was. CraveTV comedy Letterkenny (New How does writing for digital me- In the play, Jung stole from Metric Media/DHX Media/Play- dia, as you did for Sunnyhearts the store and then disappeared af- fun Games/Bell Media). Community Centre, differ from ter a violent family fight, vanishing writing for television? How do into a world of drugs. One of our How difficult was the transition the overall needs of digital media first tasks was figuring out how this from acting to screenwriting? affect the screenplay’s struc- dark backstory would fit into a co- Christmas is for Cats is listed ture? medic television show. Jung is also on your website as your first The sweet spot for a webisode is estranged. Telling a story about a screenplay, yet it was the second between three and four minutes, family in which the two main char- (Preggoland) that premiered at and you need to grab the audi- acters don’t speak was an interest- the 2014 Toronto International ence’s attention in the first fifteen ing challenge. Once decisions were Film Festival. seconds or they’ll bail. I found the solidified about the style of comedy When I started writing, I did it for process of writing stories with we were aiming for, adjustments fun. I wrote two screenplays before character development and a satis- were made to keep the show in the Preggoland. The first I chalked up fying journey in the three-minute right zone. Finding that pocket to practice. The second, Christmas range extremely humbling. This took some time but once it was is for Cats, got me an agent. By then level of compression requires a nailed down, pitching and writing I had children and so had very little huge amount of discipline and for the show was much simpler.

25 SPOTLIGHT News from WGC Members

Kristal Clear will screen at Josh Sager & Jerome Simpson Cat Girczyc is pleased to have HollyWeb Festival in L.A. in April. are partnering with Squeeze some newly published sci-fi works Created/written by Amanda Studio Animation to develop the available: Card + Ancient tech Fahey (CBC’s Anne, Frankie Drake new comedy series Wacky Island. (Tesseracts 20: Compostela), Night Mysteries) and starring Melanie Other shows in the works for Josh Market (The Vancouver Sci-Fi Leishman, the comedy webseries & Jerome include Kooky Peninsula, Anthology), and The Cup (Polar explores the challenges women face Zany Isthmus, and Preposterous Borealis). behind the fantasy of social media. Archipelago. Vancouver-based writer Pat Ross McKie and Debra Felstead Will Pascoe is currently adapting Holden’s project The Beekeeper’s have returned to Toronto after a a Dean Koontz novel for a U.S. Daughter is through to the polish few months in L.A. working on a cable network and developing and packaging stage of the Harold variety of projects, including one the international co-production Greenberg Development Fund. with Man of Action Entertainment. series Beneath for the producers of It’s hoped the project will go Work on the recently completed Netflix’sBabylon Berlin. into production in 2018. Stephen pilot for their comedic webseries, Hegyes of Reality Distortion Field Fully Dilated, continues. Judith Murray was invited is producing. by Southern Women in Film Carly Heffernan has wrapped & Television to present the Donald Martin has been production on season two of Second documentary Do You Know commissioned to rewrite the TV Jen for OMNI as head writer and Me Now?, a film on effective movie The Christmas Town, based showrunner. She wrote this season Alzheimer’s care giving, at on the bestselling book by Donna with co-creator and star Amanda SWIFT’s Summit 2018 in VanLiere, for Hallmark’s Movies & Joy, while co-creator and star Nashville, Tennessee. Judith Mysteries. It will shoot in British Samantha Wan story edited. wrote, directed, and co-produced Columbia and is scheduled to air in the film. December. Gillian Muller headed to South by Southwest film festival this year Michael MacLennan has returned Jacob Potashnik’s story with Rebekah Miskin to represent to his hometown of Vancouver, collection, The Golem of Hampstead the webseries, Night Owl, for the where he’s working as executive and Other Stories, was short-listed festival’s inaugural “independent producer and showrunner on The for the QWF/Concordia University episodics” programme. Bletchley Circle: San Francisco. First Book Prize and is available on Amazon and as an audio book. In February Robert J. Sawyer Sean O’Byrne just finished writing His current feature project is The was inducted into the Order the refugee/ISIS filmI Am You. Audit, a social comedy set in a tax of Ontario, the highest honour Sean is currently attached to write inspector’s office. in that province, by Elizabeth Red Carpet Burns and Dancing with Dowdeswell, the Lieutenant Demons, both of which are based on Lisa Rose Snow’s short Governor. Rob is the first person Australian best sellers. documentary Meet Maurice Crosby ever to be named to the Order for screened at the Kingston Canadian science-fiction writing. Edward Kay is shopping his pilot Film Festival. script for Get Happy, a drama Tom K. Mason has written the series set in an addiction recovery Sugith Varughese is among the pilot script for a series pulled from hospital. He is also writing the first members to be contracted comedian Phil Hartman’s files, sequel to his crime novel At Rope’s under the new second draft feature while continuing to develop his End, which is in development with film rate in the Independent own series for DHX. Seven 24 Films. Production Agreement for

26 Something Delicious, about a young British cast led by Alexz Johnson Robin Hays was selected as a finalist woman from Lahore, Pakistan who and Lauren McQueen. APL Film for her script, Post No Bills, in the comes to Canada to train as a chef. is handling sales; Canadian American Zoetrope screenplay distribution is by Indiecan contest. Craig Brown is nominated for Entertainment. a Canadian Screen Award for 3 Screenwriter Madeline Thompson Amigonauts. The second season of Bedtime Story, a short film joins producers Rob Heydon, Carlo his award-winning series But I’m comedy written by Vancouver- Liconti and L.A.-based Boris Damast in Chris Jericho! is now streaming on based Adrian Cunningham, is presenting the limited series I Siciliani, CBC Comedy. doing the festival rounds in the based on Lou Quattro’s novel. It tells U.S. in 2018. So far it’s garnered of the battles of the Cosa Nostra to Carolyn Saunders’ debut Best of the Festival award at the preserve their men-of-honour origins feature, The Wasting, opened Hollywood Short Film Festival from crime-infested encroachment, in March at Toronto’s Carlton and Grand Jury award for best maintaining the theme of ‘man’s lust for Cinema. Writer/director Carolyn short at the Mammoth Lake power’ into season two’s contemporary shot in England with a Canadian/ Film Festival. Machiavellian politics.

27 NURSERY TALE

Moving Goalposts

By Jason Filiatrault

There was a time, when I was a young and hopeful screenwriter — in other words, when I was a fool — that I thought success meant getting a screen credit. Like I said, I was a fool. And as the years passed and I slowly (very slowly, because I was in Calgary) crawled toward that credit, I remember anticipating the feeling it would bring. As if I would be stand- ing on a mountain looking down at the years of my struggle stretching back to the horizon. Which is as far from reality as that last sentence was to a decent metaphor. The truth was something very different, for which I was unpre- pared. Because, what I realized and actually edit it and it didn’t burst The point, this rather long and have come to appreciate, is that into flames? Big deal, get a theatrical meandering point, is that I wish there is no success in screenwrit- release and we’ll talk. Except we someone had told me early on that ing. There’s no raising your arms won’t talk, because even if you find there is no “victory” in screenwrit- like Rocky Balboa, no Star Wars a distributor and by some miracle ing. There is no finish line to cross medal ceremony, no... whatever they actually tell people about your and nothing you ever do will be happened to Harry Potter at the film, and even if people see it, which as good as the next thing or good end of his movie — probably an owl they won’t because it’s only playing enough to satisfy that need in you to high-fives him, I can’t remember. one day on one screen on the edge reach beyond. Point is, there are no touchdowns of town in a multiplex that usually And the sick thing is. I like it in our industry, there’s only the ex- only plays kids movies and yours is that way. It feels right. It’s how I know hausting view of a goalpost moving about an elderly couple addicted to I’m doing a job and not just goofing farther downfield. heroin or something... even if all that around having fun like a dummy. Did you get optioned? No one happens, you still have to do it all So sure, it’s annoying and I cares, go get development financing. over again forever. And if you don’t, hate that making one movie doesn’t Did you get some money to write a you’re a failure. feel like a victory because some part draft? Doesn’t matter, you need a Notice we haven’t even come of me knows that making the second broadcast license. Did you cast a lead near to approaching the question of is the real victory, but it won’t be actor? Fine, but are they a star? Oh, whether or not the script you wrote either... and so on and so forth. So they were in a movie at Sundance? was any good, which it probably maybe let’s all stop measuring our Tough shit, come back when you wasn’t. I just mean statistically success in the steps we take along the actually get to production. Is your speaking, I don’t mean you specif- path to nowhere. Let’s appreciate the series going to camera? Who cares, ically — whoever you are, I don’t writing for the writing and love the what’s the budget? Your animated know. Kelly maybe? Hi, Kelly. people we meet and the experiences show got a pick-up? Fart sound, What I mean is that simply making we share. And let’s give up on treat- how many episodes? Did you say film and TV is hard enough, forget ing each script like it’s our only hope. you write features? That’s adorable, about making it into anything There will be many losses and many here’s a cookie. other people might actually want wins and you’ll never get to enjoy a But wait! Did you actually to watch. Again, not you, Kelly — single damn one of them. get something on camera and then you’re great. I’m sorry. You’re welcome. OURS STUDIO ILLUSTRATION:

28 CALENDAR

March

5 - 11 — Canadian Screen Week academy.ca

20 — WGC Presents Writers Talking TV wgc.ca

April

19 — National Canadian Film Day canadianfilmday.ca

19 - 21 — Vancouver Web Fest vancouverwebfest.com

30 — WGC Screenwriting Awards wgc.ca

26 - May 6 — Hot Docs hotdocs.ca

May

24-June 3 — Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival insideout.ca

June

10 - 13 — Banff World Media Festival banffmediafestival.com

23 - 24 — Toronto Screenwriting Conference torontoscreenwritingconference.com

28 — WGC Presents Writers Talking TV wgc.ca WGC Screenwriting Awards The Writers Guild of Canada congratulates the 2018 finalists

BEST SCRIPT FROM SEASON ONE MOW AND MINISERIES TV DRAMA

Anne, Season 1 “I Am No Bird, And No Net Alias Grace “Part 5” Cardinal, Season 1 “John Cardinal” Ensnares Me” Written by Sarah Polley Written by Aubrey Nealon Written by Moira Walley-Beckett Anne of Green Gables: Fire and Dew Mary Kills People, Season 1 “Bloody Mary” Bellevue, Season 1 “You Don’t Understand Written by Susan Coyne Written by Tara Armstrong Me At All” Bruno & Boots: This Can’t Be Happening Pure, Season 1 “Ordination” Written by Jane Maggs Written by Michael Amo at Macdonald Hall! Ghost Wars, Season 1 “Whatever Happened Written by Adam Barken & X Company, Season 3 “Promises” to Maggie Rennie” Written by Nicolas Billon Written by Rachel Langer Mike McPhaden Bruno & Boots: The Wizzle War TWEENS & TEENS CHILDREN’S Written by Mike McPhaden Degrassi: Next Class, Season 4 “#FactsOnly” The Bagel and Becky Show, Season 1 SHORTS AND WEBSERIES Written by Courtney Jane Walker “The 12 Quadrillion Days of Christmas” Degrassi: Next Class, Season 4 Written by Evan Thaler Hickey The Drop In “#RollUpToTheClubLike” Written by Naledi Jackson Mysticons, Season 1 “Heart of Gold” Written by Matt Huether Written by Elize Morgan Hotel Transylvania: “Who’s the Boss?” Raising Expectations, Season 1 “Food Fight at Mysticons, Season 1 “Sisters in Arms” Written by Mike D’Ascenzo the Algonquin” Written by Sean Jara Spiral, Episode 101 “The Girl In The Dream” Written by Barbara Haynes DOCUMENTARY Written by Karen McClellan The Stanley Dynamic, Season 2 “The Stanley Cheer” The Hundred-Year-Old Whale TV COMEDY Written by Matt Kippen Written by Mark Leiren-Young Kim’s Convenience, Season 2 “Business The Road Forward Award” Written by Marie Clements The 22nd annual Written by Matt Kippen The Taming of the Queue WGC Screenwriting Awards Kim’s Convenience, Season 2 “Resting Place” Written by Josh Freed Written by Anita Kapila Hosted by Gavin Crawford FEATURE FILM Letterkenny, Season 2 “Relationships” Written by Kyle Tingley Written by Jared Keeso & Jacob Tierney Allure Winners announced Written by Carlos & Jason Sanchez Still Standing, Season 3 “Fort McMurray” April 30, 2018 Entanglement Written by Jonny Harris, Fraser Young, Written by Jason Filiatrault Graham Chittenden and Steve Dylan at Koerner Hall in Toronto Indian Horse Written by Dennis Foon Ticket information: The Man Who Invented Christmas www.wgc.ca Written by Susan Coyne

WGC-SA finalist ad_2018.indd 1 2/15/18 12:41 PM