All posts by Rachel

Rachel Langer is a TV writer based in Vancouver, BC. She is currently writing for Partners in Motion, as well as producing her first short film. She is an avid tweeter and social media junkie. Follow her on twitter: twitter.com/rachlanger
Awards, The Listener

Tara Spencer-Nairn Talks Writers at the Canadian Screen Awards

Listener

Tara Spencer-Nairn (The Listener) on Writers 

(Photo by Derek Langer)

I caught up with Tara at the second Industry Gala of the Canadian Screen Awards. She had some wonderful things to say about the writer’s she has worked with.

“I would be nothing without the writers – that’s where it all starts, the vision becomes reality. That’s where it all happens is the writing. As an actor I’m always very anal about my lines, I try very hard to stick to the script because I respect the time it took for the writers to pick a word, pick a line, there’s so much that goes into it, and enough of it is already thrown to the wayside once we get onto set. You have to remember, that’s where it all started – they’re the base of the pyramid.”

 

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Awards, Flashpoint

Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern at the Canadian Screen Awards

Flashpoint

Mark Ellis and Stephanie Morgenstern (Flashpoint) on The Writers Room, and Encouraging Short and Web Content Creators

(Photo by Derek Langer)

I asked Mark and Stephanie how they felt about being honoured for Flashpoint after its final season.

SM: “Very proud tonight. It was amazing. So many good shows being recognized. It’s moving to watch clips from your show at the end, when it’s been five years, compiled in sixty seconds that can take your breath away. It’s like having a rewind-flashback of everything we felt over the five years working on Flashpoint. I found it very emotional myself.”

Of course, I had to ask about the writers room and Aubrey Nealon who took home a writing award for his Flashpoint episode “Day Game”.

ME: “We are so proud of the writers room on Flashpoint. Going into the last season with a group of writers who know the show intensely, who you’ve worked with before, who fought in the trenches and know how hard the show is has been a tremendous gift. We all worked together to explore what a gift it is to know how you’re going to end a series. Every one of them has been meticulous and held us to our high standard to make sure we ended it right. We’re incredibly proud of all of them, and especially Aubrey Nealon for winning his award for “Day Game”.  He’s an excellent writer and he’s going to be a huge force in the industry.”

Interestingly enough, we had recently watched a short film called The Rememberer from an earlier year of the Crazy8’s Film Festival in which Stephanie played the lead, a woman whose lover devolved through various stages of life.  I asked her if she had any encouraging words for short film and web series creators who are starting out.

SM: “Gather courage from any source you can. We are short film makers as well. It’s our short film Rememberance that we made 10 years ago that really opened the doors to where we are now. You get to learn while you’re doing it, but at the same time prove yourself on many levels that give you credibility on your way out. We are very lucky that the short became our sort of calling card and it is in fact what made Flashpoint possible because through that we got an agent. Through the producers having seen the short film they could have some faith in our writing.”

ME: “Find stories that you’re burning to tell, and tell only those stories. If you tell them well, everything will come to you like a moth to a flame.”

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Awards, Call Me Fitz

Call Me Fitz’s Joanna Cassidy at the Canadian Screen Awards

JoannaCassidy

Joanna Cassidy (Call Me Fitz, BLADERUNNER!!) On Making TV in Canada and The Writers of Call Me Fitz

(Photo by Derek Langer)

I asked Joanna what making TV in Canada means to her:

“It means so much to me, I can’t even tell you. I mean here I am an American and we’ve seen a lot of the work go to Canada. I’ve always been in sort of an envious position of American actors going to Canada and working.  I did do a film with John Gorman here years ago, Where The Heart Is, and I’ve done many productions in Vancouver when they used to do a lot of movies of the week.

 I think Canada is a really edgy interesting place now, and I’m thrilled to be working here. I love Canada, I just love it. It’s a wonderful opportunity for me to taste the country and the people and work with some fabulous people like Sheri Elwood and Teza Lawrence. I love working with women that are thoughtful and great and have no hold backs, they just let it all loose. I haven’t had a character like this since Six Feet Under where I get to be wild and crazy.”

On the writers of Call Me Fitz:

“I show up and nothing is ever predictable. I’m constantly amazed by the scripts they put out!  This last season when the characters are stuck together at the house, we are just horrible, and wonderful together – I can’t tell you anything about it, but we go through all these different passages. Wait till you see what we get up to!”

(And then, Zhora from Bladerunner complimented me on my skin and I died of happiness. SciFi nerd’s heaven.)

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Awards, Rick Mercer Report

Rick Mercer Gives Credit To His Winning Writers at the Canadian Screen Awards

Mercer

Rick Mercer (Rick Mercer Report) on Writers

(Photo by Derek Langer)

The writing team (Rick Currie, Greg Eckler, Chris Finn, Tim Steeves, George Westerholm) from the Rick Mercer Report took home a screen for “Best Writing in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series”.  I asked Rick about his writers and their jobs, and he paid them high compliments.

“Well, the writers of RMR won the award tonight, and they’re the most tremendous group of guys that I have the privilege to work with. It’s probably the best part of my job – that I get to spend my time with them. They have a very difficult job. For starters, they write about current events and every single week I go to two different places in the country, and they have to prep me for that.”

“It’s like: This week Rick is jumping out of a plane with the Skyhawks, this week Rick is doing the Inuit winter games, this week Rick is visiting seeing eye dogs. These are not subjects which most writers are familiar with.  We do 50 separate segments a year, and they have to put their head inside it, research it and come up with material for me, and they do tremendous work. It’s a very unique job as far as writing goes.”

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Awards

Sean Cullen Gets Big Laughs at the Canadian Screen Awards

SeanCullen

Sean Cullen (Rocket Monkeys, Almost Naked Animals) On Writers & His Mentality Surrounding the Awards

(Photo by Derek Langer)

I asked Sean to talk about his experience writing and working with writers.

“That’s one thing that Canada really breeds a lot of – great writers. Like Matt Watts and Bob Martin and Tim Steeves, Luciano Casimiri, all these people who work for so many different shows. I love collaborating with writers, that’s what I think is amazing. When I have to write a novel it’s a lonely thing, when I get to write television it’s a very collaborative thing – that’s what I really enjoy.”

When I asked him how he felt about the positive response to his humour at the awards, he was humble.

“I just try and be a little irreverent and weird and silly and say things that people WANT to say, maybe – but I’m not mean. I’m just a bit strange and fun and try to not be too nervous. I just enjoy it. I love to rise to these occasions. It was fun and I hope I’m not wearing out my welcome.”

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