Learning my place

Okay. So I'm not an actor. I may have appeared in a couple of school plays long ago in my childhood (and even sung a couple of songs in one) but my recent participation in the creation of a "pitch" video has confirmed that I have no theatrical talent.

None.

My colleagues Nancy Lynch and Gary Belding asked me recently to take part in the recording of a "pitch" video to be sent to a funding body to seek financial support for our Abigail Massey web-series project. As part of the Creative Team for the proposal, I was kind of obliged to contribute my face (and my voice) to the endeavour.

Oh my. Gary made me feel better as we rehearsed our parts -- he seemed to bumble and stumble as much as I did. Then, the camera turned on and, well, so did he. He did his entire two-minute bit in one take! Not a stumble, not a bumble, not even a pause for thought. He was smooth, professional, convincing. His delivery sounded unrehearsed and natural.

Nancy was just as good. For a person who describes herself as a writer/director, she sure can deliver her lines with conviction and power.

And then there was me. I think the raw footage has more of me saying "Can I try that again?", "Let's do that over", "Sorry", "Oh crap", etc. than my actual lines. To be honest, I finally had to release myself from the requirement of actually saying the lines of the script, satisfied instead to convey the gist of the message. Even then...

I'm happy to say that Nancy, Gary and our videographer, Joel from East Lens, were all very patient with me and never once lost their cool. Wore down their batteries, for certain. But never lost their cool.

And I'm even happier to say that our editor, Tom Belding, managed to weave a remarkably effective pitch video despite the mess I, for one, delivered to him. It's nice to work with such pros.

And it's nice to have the final proof I needed to convince myself that I am a writer, not an actor, and that I may be able to create the dialogue for our web series but I should never attempt to deliver it on camera.

Five scripts please, Mr. Walma

It looks like project number one for the new year will be preparing scripts for the proposed new Abigail Massey web series, The Station.


My colleague (and the lead on the web series project) Nancy Lynch has indicated to me that she feels we need to have no fewer than five polished scripts ready to be part of our funding applications. I have to admit, that's a little scary for me. Luckily, Nancy is an award-winning screen writer so I am in good hands. She certainly has the chops to nurse-maid me through the process and to save the day if I go too far wrong.


The proposed series will have a slightly more mature, more serious feel to it when compared to the original Abigail stories. Those stories are bright and happy and aimed at the 8- to 12-year-old group. We're thinking The Station will deal more directly with issues of war and adolescence and young love.


The scripts we plan to write will become part of our funding applications but the real star of our proposals will be the magnificent teaser trailer created late last year by Nancy and her son, Tom Belding, who happens to be an instructor at the Vancouver Film School. I was literally brought to tears the first time I watched Tom's amazing 90-second film and continue to be amazed at the level of talent, the creative eye he must have to produce a trailer of such power and beauty in so short a time.


We spent a single morning at the McAdam Station to do the filming and Tom sent along the finished trailer just a week or so later. He skillfully blended historic footage in with his own work, added a dramatic sound track and produced what I hope you'll agree is a remarkably effective product.


I'm almost afraid to write the scripts and film a pilot, for fear that we won't be able to live up to the promise of that original trailer.


But, fear not, with professionals like Nancy and Tom on our team, we're going to make something really amazing.