My Resolutions for 2013

Computer, coffee, conscience - all systems go. Let's begin:

1. Meditate, reflect and relax my spirit for at least 20 minutes each morning and evening. Sprinkle the resulting good karma liberally at work and play. 

2. Appreciate, support and make love to my wife every day. (Proceed immediately to #6 to find the strength.)

3. Unless absolutely unavoidable, get to bed by or before 10pm. Every. Single. Night.

4. Consult a doctor re: my overall health. Comprehensive check, blood work, the works. Ask re: any questionable aches, pains, warning signs before they become a pain in the ass. Literally.

5. Consult a nutritionist about the diet that will achieve optimum health. (Something's got to be at the root of all this flatulence.)

6. Follow a regular, daily exercise plan that is simple, doable, and enjoyable. (Yoga, stretches, weights, red wine - whatever's required to strengthen my core, tone my muscles, and maintain my general sexiness.)

7. Brush and floss regularly. (As my grandad always used to say, keep the teeth God gave you.)

8. Map out a plan to reduce and eliminate debt. Take steps post-haste. Dream of winning the lottery, but remember, it's just a dream.

9. Consult a financial advisor re: preparations for retirement. (The last 20 years went by in a flash; I don't expect the next 20 to get any slower.)

10. Put aside money for fun (travel, entertainment, a better hairdresser, etc.).

11. Religiously avoid diverting money put aside for #10-12 to peppermint mochas, no matter how much you miss those little candy cane sprinkles.

12. Parent my kids with maximum intentionality, listening to their hearts, goals, fears and concerns, holding them accountable, helping them build plans for their future, and refusing to stop loving them. (They're teenagers, so yes, I have to remind myself on that last one.)

13. Writing-wise, maintain and finalize current projects, while (a) completing 1-3 scripts, (b) making progress on 1 book, and (c) blogging regularly. All other activity (including reading, PS3-ing, and internet "research") is secondary.

14. Continue to build and rigorously maintain solid, productive relationships with industry people who can move my writing and film career forward. (All work and no shmoozing makes Paul a dull boy. And a virtual unknown.)

15. Track all writing competitions and opportunities, and (sound of whip cracking) "submit, mule, submit!" 

I can do this!  Now where's my yoga mat?

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Write Now #2: Embrace the Business Side of Writing

Here's a story we've all heard before.

As a rule, we writers spend as much time as possible drinking coffee, pondering the human experience, and desperately trying to funnel the end product into a story idea or two. In the process, we sometimes forget to eat, sleep, pay our bills, or wear pants, to the occasional amusement (and semi-regular hand-wringing) of those with whom we share beds and/or bathroom space.

But, we remind them, there is good reason for all of this: we are artists, with bigger fish to fry than what these admittedly non-literary types refer to as “the responsibilities of real life”. What about the responsibilities of a writer seeking to radically reshape the thinking of an entire generation via the printed page? I mean, just who do they think they are, anyway? Sure, they look at us funny when we say this and drop silly, empty threats like, “I’m going to leave you if you don’t start bathing.” But that’s because they just don’t get it.

Or so the Bohemian dream goes.  A dream inherited from beloved (and notably neurotic, single, alcoholic and/or suicidal) hero-artists like Ernest Hemmingway, Hunter S. Thompson, Jackson Pollock, and Mozart. (Throw in Nick Cage’s fictionalized version of Charlie Kauffman in Adaptation, just to comfort the screenwriters among us.)  Creativity comes from chaos, we reassure ourselves. Ergo, the more chaotic the artist, the more brilliant the art. Right?

Maybe. Or maybe not at all.

It is true that these mad geniuses produced some truly innovative and brilliant works of literature, art and music that changed the world. And I don’t doubt that the ghosts and demons haunting their mental hallways played a role in the creative process, as is true for all artists. But please forgive my reluctance at using their various cognitive, emotional and social disorders as some kind of artistic blueprint to follow on my own writer’s journey. Call me Mr. Buzz-Kill, but I believe the true source of good writing is far less tragic, infused with much less magic, and fundamentally mundane: it is the result of organized, disciplined, hard work.

It's also a ton of fun, of course. When a great idea strikes, it’s like getting hit with a tidal wave and solar flare at the same time, but in a good way.  You’re at the mall, on a bus, or reading the morning paper, and suddenly a premise or a character pops out of nowhere. Weeks of writer’s block come crumbling down in an instant, you grab and pen and piece of paper and within minutes, have the spine of your next novel or screenplay. You phone a confidante and spill your guts, not caring if they love it or not because you love it, and that’s all the matters. And when other people read it or see it, they’re going to love it, too. Your story is going to change lives. That’s the fun part. It’s why we write!

Then comes the hard part: actually writing the story. That’s where the “hard work” comes in. And any way you slice it, this is the stage where the artist in you has to shake hands with the business person in you.

That’s right, I called you a business person. Sue me. For some of us artist types, the moniker induces a kind of Pavlovian nausea, conjuring up images of blood-sucking multinationals, sharks in suits and personal heroes-turned-sellouts. I mean, what have sacred artists to do with the profane world of business? “Business” is what artists satirize, lambast, and decry. It isn’t what artists do.

If that’s you, put down the brush (or the pencil or the guitar or the laptop), find a mirror, curl your hand comfortably into a fist, and knock your skull three times while shouting, “Hellooo!” Repeat as required. The sooner you make peace with the fact that successful artists are good at managing the business side of their art, the better. Especially if you want to sell your work in the end. That`s right, I said “sell.” Get over it.

To clarify, I’m not just talking about being able to navigate the industry, deal with agents, and sign contracts. Important as all that is, I’m addressing something more fundamental. I’m talking about the deeply personal business of you getting your story written. I’d be dead and all my best ideas with me if I didn’t do this, which, in my experience, comes down to doing five basic things:

1. Organizing myself: Listing and ranking my story ideas. Listing my writing goals and milestones. Establishing deadlines. Building a writing schedule. Keeping everything stored and filed for easy access.
2. Disciplining myself. Getting honest about how personal habits and lifestyle areas are impacting my writing, and adjusting accordingly. Shutting out distractions. Turning off the TV or internet. Sticking to my schedule. Monitoring and managing my emotions. Keeping a running list of new story ideas, but always staying focused on my priority projects. Ditching the computer now and again for family or “me” time (work-life balance).
3. Marketing myself. Until I sell that novel or screenplay, how else can I put my writing talents to use? Where can I network? What competitions, meetings or workshops are coming up? What writing groups can I join? Find out! Meanwhile, build a killer portfolio. Update my resume and customize it appropriately. Get business cards made. Build a website or blog.
4. Educating and expanding myself. Read, study, view, rub shoulders with other writers to improve my writing skills. Stretch myself beyond the forms and genres I’m most comfortable with and consider any writing project. Above all, remember that the best learning comes from experience, so get outside, meet people, and keep my eyes and ears open.  But careful on this one because in the end, I’ve still got to. . .
5. Write, Mule, Write! Organizing, disciplining, marketing and educating myself isn’t the work. Writing is. Those other things help create the process and environment that enable me to write with the greatest degree of freedom and potential for success. But they must never be allowed to become the work. With this in mind, no day shall pass without pen hitting paper.

Face it, if we want to succeed as writers, we’re going to have to figure out how to marry the art of our chosen profession with the business of it. In short, we’re going to have to do it like it’s our job. By the way, I’m not just talking about what it’s going to take to make a living as a writer. That would be great. No, I’m talking about getting anything written at all.

There’s one other benefit to treating writing like a business: it helps us zero in on stories people actually want to read or watch. I like the way John Truby puts it in his classic The Anatomy of Story:

“You should always writer first for yourself; write what you care about. But you shouldn’t write only for yourself. One of the biggest mistakes writers make is to fall into the trap of either-or thinking: either I write what I care about or I write what will sell. This a false distinction, born of the old romantic notion of writing in a garret and suffering for your art. . .Remember, you will have many more ideas in your life than you can possibly develop as full stories. Always try to write something that you care about and also think will appeal to an audience. Your writing should mean a lot to you personally. But writing for an audience makes it a lot easier to do what you love.”

What writer doesn’t want that?

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Write Now #1: Find Stories Wherever You Are

"It's over," Rachel yells as she drops her fork loudly. "Why can't you get that?"

Embarrassed, Steven scans the restaurant then glares back at her in a weak attempt to preserve what little dignity he has left.

"Keep your voice down," he hisses back. "This isn't the time or place."

"It's never the time or place," she counters.

Steven rises abruptly.

"I'm going to the bathroom," he declares. "You'd better still be here when I get back."

He brushes the crumbs like bad karma from his shirt and storms off. Nine feet away and failing to mind my own business, I write down every word before tucking my note pad away and pouring two cups of coffee for table twelve.

I have no idea what their real names are or why they chose to break up on a beautiful Sunday morning at the restaurant where I work. But I'm sure glad they did. It's going to make a hell of a story.

Meanwhile, an 80-something couple sits side-by-side at a booth by the front door, oblivious to "Rachel" and "Steven" as they work their way through a crossword puzzle and flirt with all the playfulness of lovers one-quarter their age. Oh, life's crazy little juxtapositions. And another great story.

One might argue that I shouldn't stick my nose where it doesn't belong. To that I say, I'm a writer, a busybody by trade, ever in search of a good story and delighted to find one wherever I can. I don`t wish the aforementioned unhappy couple any ill will and I`ll certainly work hard to maintain their anonymity, but I'd be a fool to turn a blind eye to their misery since that's where real life happens. Real life that translates into great ideas, which in turn produce the inspiring and/or cautionary tales that guide eager readers and audiences on their own journeys.

Unless you're Paul Haggis or Nora Ephron, writing isn't a full-time gig. It's fleeting, piecemeal, by contract, part-time, and more often than not, a thankless work of passion. Which means most of us have to take whatever jobs we can waiting tables, installing home theatre systems, or hawking our store's upcoming spring collection, aching for those precious, few hours at the end of the day when we can finally drop in front of our computers to dream up stories we hope will propel us to fame and fortune, or at least to something vaguely resembling full-time work. No sympathy required or expected - we chose this. Nonetheless, in said predicament, it can be easy to languish, to second-guess, to descend into self-pity, all the while resenting an industry that seems hell-bent on picking favourites and making life for the rest of us literary hopefuls so damned difficult.

You're thinking all this, certain beyond a doubt that your day job is wasting your valuable time as it slowly sucks the last drops of creative energy from your veins, when suddenly a couple begins shouting at each on the other side of the room. Or on the other side of the store. Or at the bus stop. Or wherever you happen to find yourself.

"Wait, what's this," you mutter.

Without warning, curiosity replaces despair. Ennui gives way to "Oh my!" The sense that life as a writer is over is consumed by a killer opening scene and the seeds of a compelling first act. Hopelessness gives way to restlessness - the good kind, out of which great stories are born, nurtured, and raised to adulthood.

In other words, that which you thought life was denying you was there all along - at your disposal, ready to be tapped, mined, and organized into the beats of your next big novel or screenplay! You just needed a good, swift kick to the ankles to realize it. Imagine what would happen if you started each day with a plan to actually look for these little gems, and a grateful heart for the crappy job that provides so many of them?

Now turn to the left. Turn the right. There it is: a story waiting to happen! But for heaven's sake, stop staring!

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The Job Hunt, Pt 2: Film School Was Totally Worth It

Nicholas Humphries, director and instructor at VFS

And, boom! That's how quickly two months fly by. Really? Sixty-six days since my last post? And I call myself a writer.

Speaking of writing, here's how that has been going lately: Much better than expected.

I'd love to be able to say the two restaurant jobs I secured since last I blogged have shut me in a dank, overworked, computerless prison where creativity deigns to tap me on the shoulder for fear I'll resentfully snap back, "Later!" (I say I'd love to only because it would make for a more tragic and compelling tale. Ah, we writers, always in search of an "angle", even if we have to pull it from our own wretched, if occasionally-hyperbolized, life experience. Sick, huh?) Yes, I now find myself working seven days a week in two uniforms not of my own choosing, taking orders and doling out martinis. Yes, this former oil field manager whose salary once kissed six figures occasionally pines for the good old days.

But the truth is, shortly after graduating from Vancouver Film School, I was able to secure a writing job, too. That`s right, a bona fide (and get this, paid) job as a co-writer on a sizable indie feature film set for production next summer. I can't give away a lot of details, but it's an Indian-American love story with all the ingredients of a truly great movie, and I have the equally great fortune of working in a room filled with committed, passionate souls that resembles those heady student workshops I loved and miss so much. And did I mention I'm getting paid? Not in credits, nachos and beer, either. I'm talking real money!

On top of that, I landed four gigs (most of them paid) composing music for various productions: A promo reel for Vancouver's Cineworks, a commercial for HootSuite, a corporate promo video for Timedrops Media, and a short horror film.

Meanwhile, I've got four other projects on the boil: an original feature of my own, a web series, a biography, and a teleplay I keep promising Sir Michael Baser I'll send him for review one day. (It's coming, Michael, it's coming.) All gratis, of course, but proof that there is life after film school if one is determined to fight for it. Many of my fellow former students would say the same. Matt is collaborating with a solid team on a feature. Piers is hard at work on his own web series. Hannah recently got roped in to a TV show! I could go on. The point is, whether still in the planning stages, just getting started or already ten miles down the road, we`re all very much on the move.

(Hence my online absence in the blog department. I`ll try not to let it happen again.)

I take all of this is an unequivocal validation that going to film school was worth it. Worth the cost, the time, the sleepless, angst-filled nights, the punctuated equilibrium of our life trajectories. Whatever precisely comes of our individual hopes, dreams, and collaborations; whichever projects languish in writer's purgatory, burst forth with wild success, or fizzle into nothing, I believe it's fair now, a short three months after graduating, to drive a flag deep into the ground and claim a victory for Vancouver Film School. And for us. They did it and we did it. Point being, we couldn't have done it without each other.

As I've said in previous posts, I can't speak for the experience of every student in every department. Maybe writers instinctively look for silver linings, I don't know. But I don't think so. Because I'm looking at a script and a pay stub with my name on it. You know, that thing scientists call "proof"?

So if you're an anxious but aspiring film school student wondering if all that tuition and a potentially big and inconvenient move west is worth the bother, take this occasionally-not-so-humble writer's word for it: Yes, it is very worth it.

But take heed: those of us who have found some measure of success have done so for a reason. And that is, we gave it everything. We weren't geniuses. We weren't necessarily the very best writers in the world. (Okay, I'll speak for myself.) But we showed up in class, did the work, had a realistic view of what miracles VFS could and couldn't accomplish for us, and in the words of a well-known astronaut, never gave up and never surrendered.

If you can do that, I dare say it's infinity and beyond for you, too!

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The Job Hunt, Pt. 1: You Are Not Alone

Shhhh, be vewy, vewy quiet. It's job huntin' season.

It’s two a.m. and I’m awakened from a dream in which I take home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay by my cat, meowing to be let out. I am tempted to throw a shoe, roll over and ignore him (as is my usual custom), when a solitary word suddenly projects itself on the movie screen of my mind and sends me to the side of the bed in a cold sweat: Rent.

I search frantically for my Oscar, but it’s nowhere to be found. I sigh, grab my glasses from the nightstand, and head for the kitchen.

A swirl of sleepy yet utterly lucid thoughts follows me in my quest for a glass of milk.

Out of film school a month now. Rent due in seventeen days and I still haven’t found a job. Bills already a month behind. Two jobs may be necessary, although right now one would be nice.

I open the fridge and grab a bottle of Sunny D instead. Panic and self-doubt begin to compete for space in my brain. I don’t remember inviting either of them.

You had a perfectly good job in Alberta. Secure. Stable. Sweet money. Oil money.

I pour a glass, sit down at the dining table, and find my own reflection in the sliding glass window. I make faces at myself, but myself fails to find the humour in it.  

You had a house, two cars, a dog, half the debt. You could hit the pillow at night and sleep the sleep of the dead.

I turn to a stack of resumes on the chair beside me for solace, but they offer small comfort. I turn on my laptop and review the list of jobs I’ve applied to, recall the pavement thus far pounded. Forty-six and counting. Like the unemployed characters in my nascent web series, Men 4 Rent, I carefully weigh the pros and cons of becoming a dog sitter, a bodyguard for rich seniors, a male escort, an international jewel thief. Nothing sticks. 

But oh no, you just had to go and become a writer!

I open a browser and begin searching for work. Again. I find an article that tells me the average job hunt lasts six months. Encouraged by this good news, I click on another article that prescribes visualization and belly breathing as ways to relieve the stress of unemployment. I close my eyes and try to imagine a rainbow-covered wheat field littered with hundred dollar bills and spritely Hollywood producers calling me by my first name as they prance like pagans around a shrine built in honour of my first feature screenplay. I ponder how belly breathing differs from regular breathing.

The cat scratches at the window, still waiting to be let out. Get stuffed, I think in his direction, though not in those words.

Then I see it and all my fears melt away. A small, blue and red book sitting quietly on a shelf as if it had been waiting all week just to remind me that this, too, shall pass. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. (Ah yes, Miss Rowling, you know what it’s like.) And to the left, David Copperfield. (As do you, Charles.) And to the right, a biography of Walt Disney, who was told in a time of great personal poverty – and I quote – he “lacked imagination and had no good ideas” by the newspaper editor who then proceeded to fire him.

Alright, I get it: I'll find something if I simply keep at it. 

Stay positive.

Stay focused.

Stay connected to your network.

Remember who you are, what you love, why you're on this planet.
And no matter what, don’t. . .stop. . .writing!

I close my laptop, throw back the last of my highly-processed (but totally delicious) simulated orange drink, and stand, bleary-eyed but resolute.

Alright, cat. You can go out now. While you’re out there, you want to find me a job? Or a rabbit, whichever comes first.   

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My First IMDb Credit: Musical Score for "Away"

My first official IMDb credit for the musical score to Carlos Martinez's "Away", produced by Grace Smith in association with Vancouver Film School.

Listed September 6, 2012.

Exciting and surreal. Not quite the same as an Oscar and one day (hopefully) I'll look back and say, "Yeah, I guess that was a big deal?" But for now, it's a big milestone.

Gonna go make me a peanut butter and honey sandwich to celebrate!

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We Graduated! Now What?

Also published on Vancouver Film School's Blog (Friday, September 14, 2012)

We did it! A year ago, a few hundred of us assembled at Scotiabank Theatre for orientation, ready to learn, to prove ourselves, and ultimately, to conquer the world. On August 17, we graduated in a blaze of glory and gushy goodbyes.

Now I'm sitting here in my underwear, scrolling through the classifieds, desperately looking for any place showing even the remotest sign of considering me as an employee. Disney, CBC, Starbucks. Sigh. Such is life.

It's been over a month since my last entry. I promised myself I'd wait a week after graduating before blogging, partly to work the emotion and booze out of my system, mostly just to process a coherent thought before jotting down a worthy final chapter. Now here I sit. The computer's on. The coffee's poured. Here goes.

Time is a funny, elusive thing. Actually, it isn't a thing at all. Even as a concept, I can't quite pin it down. You have it, then it's gone. Life hands you more, and before you have time (ah, there it is) to say thank you, life takes the damn stuff back. For example, it feels like about five minutes ago that I completed my first class (a lecture on copyright law given by Ken Ashdown, August 31, 2011, main theatre), when in reality I've already been out of school nine days. What the hell? Ah, time; there is simply isn't enough of it.

However, if I measure time not as some abstract and cruel force of nature, but as a unit of experience I can ignore or grab hold of at will, it focuses me on the only "time" I really ever have: right now. And that's a good thing. Rummaging through the cupboards for a yummy analogy, I've concluded that time is like the merry-go-round that once stood tall in my elementary school playground: I can either worry about how fast that one unoccupied space keeps passing me by or bend enthusiastically at the knees and get ready to jump aboard. (Remember that one kid who would perpetually watch longingly from afar, afraid to leap? I wonder where he is today.)

What's my point? If this last wonderful, terrifying, clarifying year at Vancouver Film School taught me anything, it's this: life presents one opportunity after another but you've got to grab them while the gettin' is good. Luckily, I came in as a bit of an expert in fumbled chances and missed opportunities, so I was determined not to let anything or anyone pass me by, come hell or high water. Invitation to submit to a writing contest? Submit. Unfamiliar face in the hallway? Introduce yourself. Approaching deadline for an assignment? Don't put it off. Line-up of interesting but irrelevant shows on your PVR? Watch what you must and ignore the rest. Fridge full of beer? Alright, pop a top. Then back to work!

That pretty much explains how I got through this year, assembled a sexy portfolio, and met a whack of people I hope will assist in propelling me to riches and fame. Well, that plus yoga, white wine, and the support of the most courageous woman on the planet. I wanted this year to matter. I needed it to matter. Life's too short, man, and my dreams are too precious to just piss away and mourn at some later date. Whatever the future holds exactly, I'll always be able to tell myself that I threw everything I could at this past year, shook every hand, left no stone unturned. Well, expect for the ones that would have killed me had I added one more thing to my plate. And remembering that will always feel really, really, really good.

Graduation was a blast. Michael Baser, department head and screenwriting legend, waxed eloquent from the front even as he struggled to remember who the hell we were. Golden Bagel Awards (yes, that's right) and other assorted accolades were heaped upon us. Fellow students Kate Pragnell and Jeff McEnery delivered hilarious and touching speeches. As expected, Gillian Muller received all the Top Nerd awards. Piers Rae was voted Miss Congeniality. I took home the Networker of the Year Award, in part for being so incredibly handsome (though Baser will deny this) and also for whoring myself out every chance I got. A slideshow of the year's photos was projected from the back. Tears were shed. Cheeks were kissed. Vows to keep in touch were made.

I usually get a little antsy when a ceremony goes on too long, and ours certainly did. But I didn't care. This was our time, damn it, and I was going to enjoy every last sappy minute of it. Pass the Kleenex, please and thank you. It's simply impossible to spend as much time as we did together - walking through fire, sharing our deepest secrets, exposing ourselves so completely on the page, destroying, massaging and rebuilding each other's egos - and not feel a deep and abiding connection that's closer than we have with some of our own family and closest friends.

And we're going to need that because now it's showtime. A week to rest, maybe two, and then it's back on our feet, ready to do it all over again. For a year, we got to enjoy life in a beautiful bubble. An incredibly packed, tightly scheduled bubble, but a bubble nonetheless. Hey, maybe that's the secret; maybe we can keep living in that bubble! Yeah, yeah, we've got to get jobs, pay bills, etc., but as writers, we also need to make sure the lights in our mental "writer's room" stay on. Maybe it's not so unrealistic after all to think that we can still schedule a little writing time every day. Still get together to workshop each other's scripts and hand each other notes, building up that portfolio, staying tuned in to upcoming contests and festivals, keeping those literary muscles toned and supple. Like we're still going to class every day, pressed to write, chasing a deadline, burning the midnight oil until something finally clicks and our wildest dreams come true.

Maybe there's no maybe about it. Congrats, my forever homies! Now let's do this!

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Advice to a Struggling New Writing Student

Also published on Vancouver Film School's Blog (Friday, July 13, 2012)

Not long ago, my academic advisor, Sir Ryan Jarman, asked me if I’d be willing to talk to a new writing student. This guy (let’s call him Bill) was only into his year-long program about a month and was questioning whether he’d made the right decision or whether he should just bolt while he could rake back some of the (admittedly hefty) tuition he’d forked out.

Fair enough. I mean, if the program’s truly wasn’t up this gentleman’s alley, I could think of a lot of better ways to spend twenty grand! At the same time, I knew from experience that a month or two barely scratches the surface of what the school had to offer.

“Could you sit down with the guy,” Ryan asked, “and tell him what you think.”

So I agreed. I emailed Bill to set up a time to meet. Meanwhile, I started to imagine what his objections might be. Jumping back in my own mental time machine, I tried to remember where my head was at in term one. Granted, no two peoples’ experiences or motivations are exactly alike. But being in term five and knowing a tiny bit about human nature, I figured I could surmise a thing or two that might be irking him:  Was it really worth all that money? Would I really come out a better writer? Would my final portfolio have anything of real substance or worth? Would I actually be ready to work in the industry? Would the industry take me seriously? And what about all the people who go to VFS that never become successful? What about them, hmm?  

The day finally came for Bill and I to meet. I was ten minutes late – my own fault for lingering too long at the end of class to chat with a teacher. I rushed out into the fourth floor computer area and found Bill sitting patiently. I shook his hand and suggested we find someplace quiet. Then, standing in front of 198 Hastings with a rare Vancouver sun as our witness, he opened up.

I prefaced by telling him I wasn’t a VFS rep, that I had no personal stake in trying to persuade him to stay, and that the best I could offer in response was my own experience. He expressed his appreciation for this and then got into it.

It was easy to listen. He was pleasant, intelligent, well-spoken and earnest. He didn`t strike me as arrogant, didn’t hold himself up as too good for the program or too educated already to learn anything new. I didn’t smell fear on him, either. He wasn’t skittish or awkward, as if to suggest that all he needed was a little confidence and he’d be fine. And the guy clearly loved to write. He’d done it before, had even taken a few classes at the post-secondary level, and knew he wanted to do this for a living.

“So what’s bugging you,” I asked.

To summarize, his concerns boiled down to the following four:

1) “I feel like this program is too basic. I’ve already learned a lot of this stuff in other classes I’ve taken or in books I’ve read.” Fair enough, I said. Term one does feel like pretty basic stuff, especially if you’ve already done some writing or been studying the craft. And the curriculum does seem (at first) like a random mish-mash. Style. Dialogue. Building fully-dimensional characters. Proper formatting. And all that time just “sitting around”, watching movies! I mean, cool and everything, but if the subsequent five terms were just going to be like that, one lecture after another without introducing anything new or giving us a chance to get our hands dirty, the waste of time and money would be almost criminal.

How best to explain the ways in which it gets better, or why this is all important in the first place? I know: cite a movie! In this case, The Karate Kid. I’m talking the 1984 version with Daniel-san and Mr. Miyagi. Daniel wants to learn karate, but Miyagi “wastes his time” by making him paint fences and wash cars. This goes on for weeks. Daniel is ready to quit, sure he’s learning absolutely nothing about karate, only to find out that he’s learned not only the personal disciplines needed to succeed (hard work, persistence, attention to detail), but the requisite fighting skills as well.  The poor kid didn’t know what he didn’t know. Imagine if he had quit early. He never would have taken home the trophy and Elizabeth Shue!

Term One does feel like a lot of basic information thrown at you at once. But three things to note: First, this stuff all becomes insanely valuable in term two and onward, weapons in your arsenal you don’t dare leave home without. Second, while you may think you know all about storytelling because you’ve read McKee, got in A in grade twelve English, or have been told you’re a natural, trust me, there is still lots to learn. And third, in a word: workshops! Nothing, I mean nothing, can replace sitting in a room day after day and subjecting your work to the eyes and positive criticisms of other writers.  It’s tough, it’s does a number on your ego, but it’s absolutely indispensible. I spent years in my basement alone reading the best books, going to seminars, working on my novel, blogging like a demon, aspiring to greatness. I got more out of one month of workshops than all the books and good advice in the world could provide. Trust me, Daniel-san, you’re learning karate!

2) “Will I actually walk out of here with a portfolio I can use in the real world?” Where do I begin? First of all, if it was ever true that you get out what you put in, it is at VFS. If you treat your program like just another bunch of assignments to pass, or expect your teachers to wave a magic wand and make you brilliant, or give anything less than your all, you’re in trouble. But if you’re a true entrepreneur who believes this is your future to make, and are prepared to do whatever it takes to get good, I personally guarantee you’ll have a portfolio worth bragging about. And I don’t usually make guarantee. By the end of the second or third term alone, I knew he’d be blown away by what he’d written!

Three pieces of advice: First, create a Word document and keep a running tally of everything you’ve written (not just scripts, but outlines, beat sheets, Bibles, basic concepts, whatever) to remind and encourage yourself along the way. You’ll be blown away at every stage by what you’ve accomplished already!

Second, every time you hear about a submission opportunity – Compendium, contests, student projects from other departments, whatever – submit. Who cares if what you write isn’t “good enough”. (Submitting is how you get good!) Who cares how many times you’ve been rejected in the past? (I got two writing jobs alone this year after my work was rejected, yet people liked what I wrote enough to hire me onto other projects.) And who cares if you’re tired? By all means avoid burning out, but you just spent thousands of dollars to get good. So buck up, organize yourself, and get good! Read every email, check out every bulletin board, keep your ear to the ground. This is your time to shine - so use it!

Thirdly, if you’ve got any special talent beyond writing – directing, producing, set design, music – consider ways to add that to your portfolio. These days, a lot of successful writers are often producers as well, either turning their own stories into productions or working with other writers to. Don’t know what I mean or what the heck a producer does? Neither did I, and I’ve gobbled up numerous opportunities to produce this year. The great thing is you’re literally surrounded by people who can help you learn just about any position on a production. If you get a chance to put on a vest and simply be a watchdog (a.k.a. a production assistant) on set, do it. It`s great exposure to how movies get made and a wicked chance to network. Tap your resources, both internal and external. You’ll be amazed at what comes your way once you open yourself up!  

3) “Too much seems to depend on networking and I’m not really a self-promoter.” This is the tough one because the answer is simple, but the doing is a challenge for introverts. To some, promoting themselves feels too much like prostitution or selling used cars. I sympathize, but there’s just no way around it:  If you love writing and you want to do it for a living, you`re going to have get comfortable with meeting people and selling yourself.

4) "Will the industry really take me more serious because I've been to VFS?" In a word, yes. Because you've not only learned how to write better, you've also learned how the industry works and shown you have what it takes to gruel through the tough stuff. But don't take my word for it. Just ask around.

It doesn’t have to be icky or uncomfortable. Well, it might at first but you get used to it much quicker than you think. Refuse to be one of those people who crawls into a swimming pool slowly for fear of getting cold. Just dive in! Really. It’s that simple! Run out now and have some business cards made, then get to every event you hear about. That includes VFS events, dinners, parties, and all those Vancouver-based events outside of VFS like the Celluloid Social Club, The First Weekend Club, Women in Film, the Cold Reading Series, Praxis, VIFF, whatever.  Get to know your teachers. Meet students from other departments. It’s ridiculously easy in this city to build a growing network around you if you simply bust loose and say hello. Above all, though, be a person that people want to work with. You know what they say: it takes years to build a good reputation but only seconds to destroy it. That means being friendly, professional, reliable, and flexible. It also means listening, so learn to keep quiet when others are talking. It’s the ultimate show of respect. Who knows, you might learn a thing or two along the way! And make it a religious oath to never, ever burn a bridge.    

In the end, it’s the stuff that doesn’t appear on any curriculum that makes sticking around worth it. The stuff no course outline tells you you’re going to learn, but that you learn anyway. Things like disciplining your habits. Organizing your priorities. Managing your time. Meeting deadlines. Taking control of your emotions. Taming your ego. Getting real and calling yourself on your own excuses. Learning to take criticism with grace and processing it to your advantage. The list goes on. There’s no question in my mind that all of us, whatever our futures, will come out of VFS finely-tuned machines who are not only significantly better writers and filmmakers, but radically-improved people and surprisingly effective entrepreneurs.

Is VFS perfect? Are you kidding? Are they magicians? Hardly. Can they guarantee success? No one can, not even you. But they can take you from A to Z a lot quicker than you probably ever would all by yourself. Ultimately, each one of us has had to decide whether to stick with it or not and whether the ride is worth it. But you see, that’s my whole point. Some of us have waited for years for an opportunity like this. Now that we have it, why the heck would we run away? Fear of rejection? Fear of success? To quote Sir Eminem, “if you only had one chance or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted in one moment [or one year], would you capture it or just let it slip?” Do not lose your chance to blow, baby. Time to lose yourself in the music!

P.S. Yes, he decided to stay. But that was his decision. ;)

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Goodbye and Good Luck, Roy Hayter!

 VFS's Film Production graduation ceremonies are always a treat, never mind a great opportunity to network with tomorrow's filmmakers. Today, the 141 class held theirs (Vancity Theatre in downtown Vancouver). Great, innovative stuff from the students in that group. I've been to three of these now over the past year, and the films just keep getting better and better!

It was also Roy Hayter's last day, and he left the graduating class with a few parting pearls of wisdom. Roy has been making films for years and a VFS instructor for fourteen of those. But "filmmaker" and "instructor" only describe what he does. Granted, he does those things very well, but what I (and apparently many others) find truly fascinating about Roy is the person he is.

This past January, I had the chance to meet and work with him on the set of his VFS Compendium VI film, The Flowers, as a stand-in. (Note: Mel got to, as well - just one in a string of opportunities we've had to work together this year!). Having never been on a location before, except as a kid when my mom was a producer for CTV, I spent the day listening, learning, and absorbing. For the first time, I truly understood what an AD, a PA, a grip, and a best boy did - and why it's sometimes okay to "cheat"!

Mostly, though, I watched Roy. Not just because I'd like to sit in that chair one day, but because of the signature way he treats people while never taking his eye off the ball, regardless of the inevitable, enveloping chaos that comes with making a movie. Intelligent, confident and successful, it could be easy for Roy to treat his crew like crap and get away with it. It happens all the time.

But not once did Mel or I felt like a peon or a nuisance. Ever-gracious, Roy kept the atmosphere light and relaxed, even as we all sailed ahead at a hundred miles an hour. He smiled, he got serious; he joked, he reigned us in; he told us what to do but always checked how we were doing. In short, he was a pro at taking the emotional temperature of the room en route to the wrap. He and his crew made our first experience one of our best to date.

Then in the spring, I was brought on board as composer. In the ensuing weeks and months, Roy and I would meet to discuss the tone and feel of the film, and particularly how the music would help tell the story. We talked Stravinsky and Herrmann, Williams and Elfman, what instruments would work best here, what tone would sell the emotion there, until we'd built a map for me to populate with sound. And as before, it was a treat to work with Roy, a man as warm as he his professional. Everyone I talk to at VFS seems to have the same impression of him. I know he'd say I was overdoing it if I said any more, so I'll draw the praise to a close, out of respect. But not because there isn't more to say.

And now he's moving on to devote his full attention to directing once again. Roy, thank you for making my practical introduction to filmmaking so enjoyable. I wish you nothing but success in the years ahead. I know you'll have it!

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From Dream to Reality: Shooting "Reinventing Leonard"

Another milestone hit and reason to celebrate: After seven months of development, re-writes and pre-production, Christian Antonio Mejia Acosta, Annie Klein and I got down to business yesterday and began day one of production on "Double-Booked"!

The first film in a series called Reinventing Leonard, "Double-Booked" is the story of a 63-year old curmudgeon and book fanatic forced by circumstances to confront the modern world.

With four hours left before his plane leaves for San Francisco and Thanksgiving with his daughter, Leonard has a problem: he can either pack his clothes or a stack of his favourite books into his tiny suitcase, but he can't do both. A no-brainer you say? And yet anyone who adores books can relate. Will the stubborn old codger conquer his fears and embrace the solution that sits quietly on his bedroom shelf? You'll have to watch it to find out!

"Double-Booked" is an allegory about change, designed to make us laugh and reflect on the new crossroads we face every day as we struggle to adapt to an ever-changing world. And it was a blast to hammer out with Chris before I wrote the script.


But Leonard's story is one thing. Turning it into a movie is a different beast altogether, with its myriad, seemingly insurmountable tasks: acquiring financing (still in progress), assembling the production team (some of them didn't show up at the last minute), nailing down the cast (we had to cut a character due to a dearth of potential actors for the part), finding the location (after months of hits, misses and dead ends) lining up equipment and props (can a wall calendar really be that hard to find in June?), the list goes on.

We were surrounded by mentors and resources at VFS we couldn't have done without and for which we are eternal grateful. But at the end of the day, we were a group of independent, largely inexperienced students making our first film. Which meant we were bound to discover the very best (and only) way to make a movie when you're new: the hard way!

No one has worked harder than Chris to get Leonard off the ground and make it a success. Part man, part machine, and all heart, there's no one else I'd rather work with. He goes and he goes and never stops until things are done, and done right. The guy is passionate, professional, gracious and a fantastic emotional self-manager - indispensable 'musts' when you're sitting in the big boy's chair. Meanwhile, he actually gives a sh*t about his team members and what's going on in their lives, while still helping us to keep our eyes on the ball when it comes to production. Chris, you are in every respect a leader, a visionary and a gentleman.

Annie appeared from somewhere out of the mist, half way in time between my first coffee shop meeting with Chris back in November 2010 and today. What a find! Focused, dignified, sweet and also bullish when need be, she has brought a wealth of film experience, organizational skills and interpersonal finesse I didn't expect at this level. Some might argue it's all just part of being British. Possibly. Whatever the reason, Annie has been an absolute delight to work with. And trust me, I've worked with some real non-delights, wherever they came from!

So what was shooting day like? In a word, long. Very, very long. And fun. And frustrating. And delightful. And delirium-inducing. Probably not unlike almost every other movie shoot going on in the world as we speak. But that's not the point of this post. I'm just excited that after years of hoping and dreaming and preparing to make movies, I'm finally doing it! And that I got the opportunity to work with such an awesome group of people, including Chris and Annie, a fantastic director of photography, Gabriel Medina (with Red camera and all), and a wicked crew that included my wife, Mel, in the role of script supervisor.

I'm telling you, man, it doesn't get any better than this: having a dream, knowing what it is, and going after it until it comes true. That's not Hallmark card goo; it's your soul talking to you. And now no matter what the future holds, I will always be able to say I answered. And in the words of my grandma, that feels pretty good!


To see the Facebook "shooting day" photo album, click here. 

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That Home Stretch Kind of Feeling

In February of 2005, I spontaneously decided to interview my grandmother. We had just played three games of crib and she'd skunked me without mercy, all five feet, two inches of her. Of course she apologized each time as we drank tea and ate shortbreak in her Coquitlam apartment, in one of many magical moments I enjoyed with her.

She was 87.  None of us knew she'd get sick and be gone one short month later.

Lynn Sternberger & Evan Elberson in
Term 5 Advanced TV Pilot class

As luck would have it, I had bought a pocket recorder for journalistic purposes that morning. So out it came and the conversation began. She'd been like a mother to me my whole life and I just knew this was going to be good. I didn't realize that what started as a whim would end up being my last face-to-face conversation with her and a permanent audio scrapbook of her life and thoughts. I can't tell you how glad I am that I did that.

One of my questions had to do with the passage of time. I asked her if 87 years felt like it had gone by quickly or slowly, a short time or a long time.

"Both," she answered. "On one hand, it feels like I was 16 just yesterday. But if I really think about all the things I saw and did, and add them up, I realize I've had a long, wonderful life. And that feels pretty good."

*              *              *

The "Great Toms Tour" of August 29, 2011.
(Opening act: 70s band, "Iron Baser.")

Now, I distinctly remember reading our first term schedule like it was yesterday. And Steve Toms' backwards-ballcapped tour through the student services office. And Piers Rae's much shorter hair. And I've got the pictures to prove it. So is it possible we're really almost done? I'm not simply getting nostalgic here; I want to know where the heck the time went!

But that was August 29, 2011. So whoosh! That's what a year feels like. Doesn't get any better with age either, believe me. Time is a child you just can't ever put to bed.

The desirable, the
unstoppable Piers Rae

Having said that, time is a lot more fair than we give it credit for - assuming, of course, we take advantage of it. As students, we always knew exactly what classes would be coming up in the next term, what subjects would be covered, what we'd have to read, what assignments would be due, and when. We were urged to listen to upcoming guest speakers and to take advantage of every contest, every invitation to submit, every chance to network. We were encouraged to step outside of our comfort zones and not wait for VFS to hook us up with students in other departments. Time marches on to be sure, but we were advised by "The Baze" (a.k.a. writing department head, Michael Baser) and those that had taken the hero's journey before us to alternately discipline and spend ourselves in the pursuit of excellence, opportunity, and wherever possible, free food.

The smart ones did. And when I and tally it all up, I realize we got a buttload of stuff done! The sheer volumeof our is staggering, way beyond anything I originally imagined. Scripts, outlines, beat sheets and/or bibles for feature and short films, TV specs, original TV pilots, animated series, web series, commercials and movies of the week. And those are just the tangibles!

What we can hold in our hands at the end of a year, amazing as it is, doesn't begin to cover the intangibles: the contacts made, the industry savvy gained, the confidence developed, the collaborative skills acquired, the story-writing disciplines achieved, and perhaps most importantly, the increased self-awareness and ability to call ourselves on our own bullshit. The stuff you can't just poke brass brads through and stuff in a backpack. The stuff that makes us true professionals and, if we were really paying attention, better people.

Because it was never about tests or grades or other figurative gold stars. In the film industry, you can either do the job or you can't. You're either professional, or you're not. You're either the kind of person want to work with or you're not, and that has nothing to do with bell curves or balloons. If I may riff on the words of a wise old wizard, it all has to do with how we value and manage the time we've been given. At VFS, we were given a year. Judging by the bags under our eyes and the unmistakably improved quality of our writing, I get the impression most of us used it wisely.

So, like my grandma, when I reflect back on what we actually did, the classes we sat through, the things we discussed, the scripts we workshopped, and the number of times Kate belched in class, I realize that we had a pretty full and exciting year! It doesn't stop time from feeling like it just a'whistles by, because in some naggingly abstract way we can't quite put our fingers on, it always does. But it should at least make us feel that good that we were passionate about something, committed a year of our lives to it, give it our all and saw it through to the end. And we're better writers. And we've built relationships with some great future collaborators. And we have a way clearer idea of how the industry ticks.

All we have to do is think about where our heads were at on August 28, 2011. What we thought of ourselves. What we thought about writing. What we thought about our futures. And we'll realizing we've come a long, long way. All because we dared to step apart from our former lives and do what we always wanted to do. And not waste a second going after it!

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Invitation to Support Filming of "Reinventing Leonard" (June 2-4, 2012)

Directed & Produced by Christian Antonio Mejia Acosta | Screenplay by Paul Donnett

"Reinventing Leonard" - Film & contributor info @ Indiegogo

At the beginning of June, I'll be working with a group of international students (led by director-producer Christian Mejia Acosta) to film our original comedy, Reinventing Leonard.

This short film takes us through a maddening day in the life of 63 year-old Leonard as circumstances force him to come to terms with the modern world, symbolized by an e-reader that threatens to turn his book-centered world upside down!

It will be the first in a series of films exploring change and how we adapt to it in a rapidly evolving world. Our goal is to bring it to film festivals around the world.

We`ve already got much of what we need to move ahead but still need to raise an additional $5000 by June 16. If you are interested in supporting this project, or are simply curious about the film, take a peek at the link above and below (including summary video) form details and contributor information.

Thank you in advance for your support!

(Click Here) "Reinventing Leonard" - Film & contributor info @ Indiegogo

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My Top 20 All-Time Favourite Actors (Female)

These are my personal choices based on a combinatin of:

• how much I simply enjoy their performances, regardless of what I think of the movies they've starred in;
• the quality and uniqueness of their acting style; and
• how well I connect with them personally.

The movies listed are the ones I dig the most. Enjoy!

1. Meryl Streep
No idea where to begin. Sure, she's the queen of the screen now, but I remember when she was an unknown. (Yikes!) Since I first laid eyes on her her in 1979 (Kramer vs. Kramer, in theatres - I was nine!), I've been under her spell. Easily the most talented, versatile, mesmerizing, intelligent, funny, heart-warming actress on the planet today. And of course, beautiful beyond description. Of all the women that have my heart, you're right up there at #3! The Deer Hunter, Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie's Choice, Out of Africa, Ironweed, A Cry in the Dark, Postcards From the Edge, Music of the Heart, Adaptation, The Manchurian Candidate, The Devil Wears Prada, Doubt, Julie & Julia, It's Complicated, The Iron Lady.

2. Helen Mirren
What else can I say? She is the British Meryl Streep! And of course, a brilliant, captivating, and gorgeous actress in her own right. And a Dame to boot! Caligula, Excalibur, 2010, The Mosquito Coast, White Nights, The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, & Her Lover, The Madness of King George, Elizabeth I, The Queen, Inkheart, State of Play, The Tempest, RED, Arthur. Coming soon: Hitchcock!

3. Annette Bening
Intense, emotionally-charged, and powerful, even when understated (though that's rare!). Guilty By Suspicion, Regarding Henry, Bugsy, Richard III, The American President, The Siege, American Beauty, Open Range, The Kids Are All Right

4. Julianne Moore
Real, raw, courageous and honest, except when she's just playing it for laughs. No, even then, there's an authenticity and transparency to her performances that ring true every time. The Fugitive, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski, A Map of the World, Magnolia, Hannibal, The Shipping News, The Hours, Children of Men, Next, Blindness, A Single Man, The Kids Are All Right, Crazy, Stupid, Love. Coming up: the remake of Carrie with Moore as Mrs. White!

5. Cate Blanchett
As talented as she is stunning, Australia's #1 talent can play it brilliant or dim-witted, dolled up or dressed down, immoral or immortal! Elizabeth, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Pushing Tin, The Shipping News, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Bandits, Veronica Guerin, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Aviator, Babel, The Good German, I'm Not There, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Robin Hood, Hanna. Coming not-soon-enough: The Hobbit!

6. Emma Thompson
Comedian, screenwriter, environmental activitist and global development ambassador (for realsies) as well as actress, Thompson has a way of getting into my heart and staying there for a long time. Henry V, Dead Again, Howard's End, Much Ado Aout Nothing, The Remains of the Day, In the Name of the Father, Sense & Sensibility, Primary Colors, Love Actually, The Harry Potter films, Nanny McPhee, Stranger Than Fiction, Last Chance Harvey. Upcoming: Pixar's Brave and Men in Black 3!

7. Vanessa Redgrave
The epitome of class, elegance and fearless acting. Broke my heart when daughter Natasha Richardson died while taking skiing lessons in Quebec with husband Liam Neeson (2009). If you haven't seen much of her work onscreen, it's time to Netflix it up and get to it! A Man For All Seasons, Camelot, Isadora, Mary, Queen of Scots, The Devils, Murder on the Orient Express, Julia, Smilla`s Sense of Snow, Mrs. Dalloway, Deep Impact, Girl, Interrupted, If These Walls Could Talk 2, Atonement, Letters to Juliet, Coriolanus

8. Kate Winslet
C'mon, who doesn't love Kate? Sliding effortlessly from first class seating to the back of the subway, she plays blue blood as easily as street urchin, all the while putting her arm around us with that signature everywoman appeal. Heavenly Creatures, Sense & Sensibility, Jude, Hamlet, Titanic, Hideous Kinky, Holy Smoke!, Quills, Iris, The Life of David Gale, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Finding Neverland, Little Children, Flushed Away, The Holiday, The Reader, Revolutionary Road, Mildred Pierce (HBO), Contagion, and one of my favourite episodes of Extras with Ricky Gervais.

9. Natalie Portman
Born Natalie Hershlag in Jerusalem, she moved to the U.S. with her family at age three and ten years later blew me and everyone else away as Mathilda, an orphaned assassin-in-the-making in Luc Besson's Leon. She's been wowing us ever since. (I'm just going to pretend I never heard of the planet Naboo.) Leon (a.k.a. The Professional), Heat, Beautiful Girls, Mars Attacks!, Star Wars I-III, Anywhere But Here, Where The Heart Is, Zoolander, Cold Mountain, Garden State, Paris je t'aime, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, The Other Boleyn Girl, Brothers, Thor.

10. Lena Olin
Beautifully-paced, sexually-charged, and emotionally power-packed performances every time from Sweden's very best actress. No one else like her. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Havana, Mr. Jones, Night Falls on Manhattan, Chocolat, Darkness, The Reader, Remember Me

11. Kirsten Scott Thomas
Okay, there's almost no one else like Lena Olin, the exception being the lovely, brilliant and strangely underestimated Thomas. Four Weddings and a Funeral, Richard III, Microsmos (narrator), The English Patient, The Horse Whisperer, Random Hearts, Life As a House, The Other Boleyn Girl, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Sarah's Key, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen 

12. Bryce Dallas Howard
Forget that her dad is Richie Cunningham and a prolific director. Bryce stands tall on her own as one of today's best actresses. The Village, Lady in the Water, Spider-Man 3, Terminator Salvation, Hereafter, The Help

13. Nicole Kidman
I'm not going to knock her because she seems to spend more time walking red carpets than making movies or because she used to be married to somebody Cruise. This woman can act and she's fun to watch! Days of Thunder, Far and Away, Malice, My Life, To Die For, Batman Forever, The Peacemaker, Practical Magic, Eyes Wide Shut, Moulin Rouge!, The Others, The Hours, Dogville, the Human Stain, Cold Mountain, The Stepford Wives, Bewitched, Happy Feet, The Golden Compass, Rabbit Hole. Coming soon: Grace of Monaco

14. Viola Davis
Yes, she was wonderful in The Help, but there's a lot more where that came from! Antwone Fisher, Solaris, Disturbia, Doubt, State of Play, Law Abiding Citizen, Eat Pray Love, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

15. Dianne Wiest
The mom we all wanted. A fantastic actress and probably the sweetest woman on the planet. (Well, onscreen, at least.) Falling in Love, Footloose, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Hannah and Her Sisters, The Lost Boys, Bright Lights, Big City, Parenthood, Edward Scissorhands, The Birdcage, Practical Magic, The Horse Whisperer, I Am Sam, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Dan in Real Life, Synechdoche, New York, Rabbit Hole and TV's Law & Order

16. Judi Dench
Radiating class, confidence and occasional kick-assery, the Dame just knows how to get it done. Love, love, love her! A Room With a View, Henry V, the current James Bond series (M from Goldeneye forward), Hamlet, Mrs. Brown, Shakespeare in Love, Chocolat, Iris, The Shipping News, Pride and Prejudice, Notes on a Scandal, Jane Eyre, My Week With Marilyn, J. Edgar, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Coming next: 007 in Skyfall!

17. Julia Roberts
Sure Pretty Woman was a lot of fun to watch, but back in 1990 I scoffed at the idea that this big-mouthed, goofy, covergirl sister of Eric Roberts (that's right, there was a time when he was more famous than her!) would ever amount to anything. Then over the next two decades, she stole all of our hearts. Who knew? Mystic Pizza, Steel Magnolias, Pretty Woman, Flatliners, Hook, Sleeping With the Enemy, The Pelican Brief, Something to Talk About, Michael Collins, Mary Reilly, Conspiracy Theory, My Best Friend's Wedding, Stepmom, Runaway Bride, Notting Hill, Erin Brokovich, The Ocean's trilogy, America's Sweethearts, Mona Lisa Smile, Closer, Charlie Wilson's War, Eat Pray Love, Mirror, Mirror

18. Joan Allen
The ultimate combination of grace, confidence and inner strength. Somehow, she's able to simultaneously convey an all-knowing wisdom and an incurable, borderline-naive optimism at the same time. Brilliant. Manhunter, Peggy Sue Got Married, Tucker, In Country, Searching for Bobby Fischer, Nixon, The Crucible, The Ice Storm, Face/Off, Pleasantville, The Contender, The Notebook, The Bourne Supremacy & Ultimatum, The Upside of Anger, Bonneville. Coming soon: The Bourne Legacy!

19. Kiera Knightly
I hate to admit it, I truly do, because her skeleton and freakish underbite have always been, how do I put this nicely, far too visible for my liking. Okay, sometimes she makes me want to chuck a buzz saw at her. But at the end of the day, she really is in my opinion a great actress. Bend It Like Beckham, The original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, Love Actually, King Arthur, Domino, Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, The Duchess, Never Let Me Go, A Dangerous Method

20. Ellen Burstyn
To be honest, there are only a couple of her movies that I really like, but I love her in everything I've seen. The Last Picture Show, The Exorcist, Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Dying Young, When A Man Loves a Woman, The Spitfire Grill, Playing By Heart, Requiem For a Dream

Hate to do it, but I have to draw the line somewhere. But if beggars could be choosers:

England, Europe & Australia's finest, past & present:
Juliette Binoche, Helena Bonham Carter, Tilda Swinton, Emily Blunt, Miranda Otto, Emily Watson, Julia Ormond, Natasha Richardson

(North) America's sweethearts, past & present:
Ellen Dewhurst, Sissy Spacek, Glenn Close, Susan Sarandon, Jodie Foster, Jessica Lange, Kathleen Turner, Charlize Theron, Michelle Williams, Holly Hunter, Julianna Margulies, Robin Wright Penn, Frances McDormand, Diane Keaton, Sally Field, Naomi Watts, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Debra Winger, Kathy Bates, Diane Lane, Geena Davis, Laura Dern, Laura Linney, Jennifer Connelly, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sigourney Weaver, Elizabeth Shue, Angela Bassett, Alfie Woodward, Dakota Fanning, Joan Cusack, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Stone, Amy Irving, Mary Steenburgen, Anne Hathaway

Goddesses Forever:
Anne Bancroft, Katharine Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, Faye Dunaway, Julie Christie, Jane Fonda, Natalie Wood, Bette Davis, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Anne Margaret

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My Top 20 All-Time Favourite Actors (Male)

These are my personal choices based on a combination of:

• how much I simply enjoy their performances, regardless of what I think of the movies themselves;
• the quality and distinctness of their acting style; and
• how much I connect with them personally.

The movies I listed are the ones I dig the most. Enjoy!

1. Al Pacino
Not everything he touches turns to gold...but almost! For decades of amazing style, likability and sheer volume of great performances, Al's my number one. The Godfather trilogy (all three), Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, And Justice For All, Scarface, Sea of Love, Dick Tracy, Glengarry Glen Ross, Carlito's Way, Heat, Looking For Richard, City Hall, Donnie Brasco, The Devil's Advocate, The Insider, Any Given Sunday, Insomnia, You Don't Know Jack (TV)

2. Robert De Niro
Like Al, he's one of the industry's most intense, iconic, and thoroughly enjoyable actors. Love him. Mean Streets, The Godfather II, Taxi Driver, The Last Tycoon, New York, New York, The Deer Hunter, Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, Once Upon a Time in America, Brazil, The Mission, Angel Heart, The Untouchables, Midnight Run, We're No Angels, Stanley & Iris, Goodfellas, Awakenings, Guilty by Suspicion, Cape Fear, Casino, Heat, Cop Land, Jackie Brown, Wag the Dog, Ronin, Analyze This, Flawless, Men of Honor, The Score, Meet The Parents, The Good Shepherd, Stardust, Limitless)

3. Christopher Walken
All caricatures aside, there's simply no one else like Sir Walken. Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Dogs of War, Brainstorm, The Dead Zone, A View to a Kill, At Close Range, The Milagro Beanfield War, Biloxi Blues, Communion, King of New York, Batman Returns, Pulp Fiction, Suicide Kings, Antz, Sarah: Plain & Tall, Catch Me If You Can, Domino. 

4. Daniel Day Lewis
This guy gets inside my soul, whether playing saint or devil. The Bounty, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, My Left Foot, In The Name of the Father, The Crucible, Gangs of New York, There Will Be Blood. Can't wait for Lincoln! 

5. Geoffrey Rush
Brilliant, funny, penetratingly honest and richly-textured performances always. Twelfth Night, Shine, Elizabeth, Les Miserables, Shakespeare in Love, House on Haunted Hill, Quills, The Tailor of Panama, Frida, Finding Nemo, Pirates of the Caribbean, Life & Death of Peter Sellers, Munich, The King's Speech.

6. Denzel Washington
Tough, suave, saintly and deadly all at once. You don't mess with Denzel. A Soldier's Story, Cry Freedom, Glory, Mo' Better Blues, Malcolm X, The Pelican Brief, Philadelphia, Crimson Tide, Courage Under Fire, The Preacher's Wife, He Got Game, The Siege, The Hurricane, Remember the Titans, Training Day, John Q, Antwone Fisher, Man on Fire, The Manchurian Candidate, Inside Down, American Gangster, The Taking of Pelham 123, The Book of Eli.

7. Russell Crowe
Roman general, ship captain, boxer or corporate whistle blower, you don't mess with this guy either! The Quick & The Dead, L.A. Confidential, Mystery, Alaska, The Insider, Gladiator, Proof of Life, A Beautiful Mind, Master & Commander, Cinderella Man, 3:10 to Yuma, American Gangster, Body of Lies, State of Play, Robin Hood. Waiting impatiently for his turn as Javert in Les Miserables and Jor-El in Chris Nolan's Man of Steel!

8. Morgan Freeman
Not just the voice but also the sense that everything's going to be alright so long as he's around, even as Speed Reader in the '70s TV kid's classic, The Electric Company. Teachers, Glory, Driving Miss Daisy, Lean on Me, Unforgiven, The Power of One, The Shawshank Redemption, Outbreak, Se7en, Moll Flanders, Amistad, Kiss the Girls, Deep Impact, The Sum of All Fears, Bruce Almighty, Million Dollar Baby, March of the Penguins, Batman Begins, Lucky Number Slevin, Unleashed, Feast of Love, Gone Baby Gone, The Bucket List, The Dark Knight, Invictus, Red, and the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises.

9. Clint Eastwood
I love this man. What a career! Director, producer, composer...but an actor first. I remember the days when he was written off as just another action movie goon. Who knew? Simply too many to name, so I'll shorthand some of it: TV's Rawhide, The Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns, the Dirty Harry films, Play Misty For Me, Every Which But Loose, The Outlaw Josey Wales, Escape From Alcatraz, Firefox,Honkytonk Man, Pale Rider, Heartbreak Ridge, The Dead Pool, Unforgiven, In The Line of Fire, Absolute Power, True Crime, Space Cowboys, Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino.  

10. Harrison Ford
I'll always associate three names with my childhood and my life-long love for movies: Lucas, Spielberg, and Harrison Ford. Think about it: Ford has played icon after icon (Han Solo, Indiana Jones, Rick Deckard, and Jack Ryan to name a few) with that rare combo of "kick-ass" and "vulnerable" few other actors can pull off. American Graffiti, the original Star Wars trilogy, Force 10 From Navarone, Apocalypse Now, Hanover Street, The Frisco Kid, The Indiana Jones Quadrilogy, Blade Runner, Witness, The Mosquito Coast, Frantic, Working Girl, Presumed Innocent, Regarding Henry, Patriot Games, The Fugitive, Sabrina, The Devil's Own, Air Force One, What Lies Beneath, Cowboys & Aliens.     

11. Ed Harris
Few actors climb into a role, inhabit it, and get our attention the way Harris does. He's got my complete attention anytime he's onscreen and it's always a clinic on how to get the job done! The Right Stuff, Places in the Heart, Jacknife, The Abyss, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Firm, Needful Things, Nixon, Apollo 13, The Rock, Absolute Power, Stepmom, The Truman Show, Pollock, Waking the Dead, A Beautiful Mind, Enemy at the Gates, The Hours, Catch Me If You Can, The Human Stain, Winter Passing, A History of Violence, Gone Baby Gone, Cleaner, National Treasure, Appoloosa.


12. Michael Fassbender
I must have dozed off for half a decade because somewhere between 300 and Prometheus, Fassbender went from "who is this guy?" to "you gotta see this guy!" Quick, write this down: Hunger, Inglorious Basterds, Centurion, A Dangerous Method, and Shame. Now go watch them. Go now.

13. Leonardo DiCaprio
In my opinion, the hands-down finest actor of his generation. Relaxed and jovial or obsessive-compulsive and crazy intense, Leo simply knows how to get your attention (especially when he pairs up with my fave director, Martin Scorsese). This Boy's Life, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Quick & The Dead, The Basketball Diaries, Romeo + Juliet, Marvin's Room, Titanic, The Man in the Iron Mask, Catch Me If You Can, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed, Blood Diamond, Body of Lies, Revolutionary Road, Shutter Island, Inception, J. Edgar, and the upcoming Tarantino western, Django Unchained.

14. Alan Rickman 
So devlish and yet so reassuring. Arguably the U.K.'s greatest talent, Rickman's acting is like a fine wine: rich, good to the last drop and leaving you wanting more. Die Hard (so good!), Quigley Down Under, Truly, Madly, Deeply, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (really, he's the only reason to watch it), Bob Roberts, Sense & Sensibility, Michael Collins, Dogma, Galaxy Quest, Snape in The Harry Potter movies, Love Actually, Sweeney Todd, Bottle Shock.    

15. Jack Nicholson
Ah, Jack. Where do I begin? Little Shop of Horrors or Easy Rider? Then there's Five Easy Pieces, The Last Detail, Chinatown, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Last Tycoon, The Shining, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Reds, The Border, Terms of Endearment, Prizzi's Honor, Heartburn, The Witches of Eastwick, Broadcast News, Ironweed, Batman, A Few Good Men, Hoffa, Mars Attacks!, As Good As It Gets, About Schmidt, Anger Management, Something's Gotta Give, The Bucket List, and The Departed!  

16. Jeff Bridges
Forever the Dude and cat of tremendous range! The Last Picture Show, King Kong, Tron, Against All Odds, Star Man, Jagged Edge, The Morning After, Tucker, The Fabulous Baker Boys (with brother Beau), The Fisher King (wow!), Fearless (double wow!), White Squall, The Mirror Has Two Faces, The Big Lebowski, Arlington Road (chilling), The Contender (inspiring), Seabiscuit (sad), K-PAX (sadder), Iron Man (bad guy, really?), Crazy Heart, The Men Who Stare At Goats, Tron: Legacy, True Grit.   

17. Anthony Hopkins
Sorry, Mr. Rickman, I was wrong: Hopkins is, in my opinion, England's best. What a career! After years of British TV and multiple award nominations, to the big screen with A Bridge Too Far, The Elephant Man, The Bounty, The Good Father, Desperate Hours, the iconic Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs trilogy, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Chaplin, The Remains of the Day, Shadowlands, The Road to Wellville, Legends of the Fall, Nixon, Surviving Picasso, The Edge, Amistad, The Mask of Zorro, Meet Joe Black, Instinct, Titus, Hearts in Atlantis, Alexander, Bobby, Fracture, Beowulf, Thor, and the upcoming Hitchcock as, well, Hitchcock!


18. Michael Caine
Like Morgan Freeman, as soon as Sir Caine walks on screen my chaos turns to calm. (Maybe that's why they're both in Bruce Wayne's retinue?) Alfie, Gambit, The Italian Job, The Man Who Would Be King, Deathtrap, Educating Rita, Blame It On Rio, The Whistle Blower, The Fourth Protocol, Without a Clue, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Cider House Rules, Quills, Miss Congeniality, Austin Powers in Goldmember, The Quiet American, Batman Begins, Children of Men, The Dark Knight, Harry Brown, and the upcoming The Dark Knight Rises.    

19. Christopher Plummer
Canada's crown jewel, Plummer thanks a badly negotiated deal on The Sound of Music for forcing him into a long and illustrious career. The Man Who Would Be King, Jesus of Nazareth, Hanover Street, Somewhere in Time, The Thorn Birds (TV), Star Trek VI, Dolores Claiborne, 12 Monkeys, The Insider, Nuremberg, A Beautiful Mind, Nicholas Nickelby, National Treasure, Alexander, Inside Man, Up, Caesar & Cleopatra, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Beginners, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

20. Tom Hanks

Mr. Nice Guy hasn't always just been Sleepless in Seattle. Starting with TV's Bosom Buddies back in the 80s, he cracked me up for years before getting seriously serious and surprising us with his range.  Splash, Bachelor Party, The Man With One Red Shoe, Nothing in Common, Big, A League of Their Own, Sleepless in Seattle, Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Toy Story (all three), That Thing You Do!, Saving Private Ryan, You've Got Mail, The Green Mile, Cast Away, Catch Me If You Can, The Da Vinci Code, Charlie Wilson's War, and as writer/producer, HBO's Band of Brothers. 



*               *               *

And again, having to cut it off somewhere, my next in line:

England & Europe's finest, past & present: 
Ralph Fiennes, Richard Harris, Ian McKellan, Peter O'Toole, Max Von Sydow, Ben Kingsley, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Tim Roth, Kenneth Branagh, Christian Bale, Clive Owen, Colin Farrell, Daniel Craig, Christopher Waltz, Hugh Grant, Rutger Hauer, Jude Law

America's sweethearts, past & present:

James Stewart, Paul Newman, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Dustin Hoffman, Robert Duvall, Robert Redford, Martin Sheen, Michael Douglas, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Spacey, Nicolas Cage, Sean Penn, Bill Murray, George Clooney, Mel Gibson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Strathairn, Jeff Godlblum, Jeff Daniels, Mark Ruffalo, John Cusack, Greg Kinnear

Various masters in their prime:
Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Will Smith, Viggo Mortensen, Matt Damon, Woody Harrelson, Ryan Goslin, Javier Bardem, Sam Rockwell

Funny guys who are also great actors:
Kevin Kline, Steve Martin, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, Robert Downey Jr., Paul Giamatti, Steve Carell, Kelsey Grammer

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