Ah yes…as you can see, life has been crazy. Many projects and trips on the go. I will post again very soon.

And I promise I won’t write about Sarah Palin. I think we’ve all seen enough press about her. Tina Fey, on the other hand, is definitely worth a few blog entries.

Working the press junket at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is like riding a rollercoaster. Fast, relentless, and riddled with adrenalin. Every morning, you wake up after five hours of sleep (if you’re lucky), feeling queasy, and you hop back on again. 

Imagine doing that for seven days straight. Now you understand what it’s like to chase publicists, do interviews, catch press conferences, watch dozens of movies, send content to editors, and squeeze in as many parties as humanly possible. 

Hmmm. I’m not really building a case for sympathy here, am I? 

Well. Take my word for it. From the moment you arrive at TIFF, you’re running around like a crazy person. You find yourself barking at poor, kind volunteers about…movie line length. Seriously. As though your life depended on it. We all sink to such lows. 

So for anyone tackling the TIFF press junket, here are some survival tips:

• No matter how nauseous or frazzled you feel, be sure to eat. If your schedule is insane, pack energy bars. Everyone stops for dinner. You can have real food then.
• Carry water everywhere. When you need it most, you won’t be able to find the freebie bottles. Water works better than coffee to keep you awake and on your game.
• Develop a strategy to maintain calm and keep perspective. Use a mantra, remind yourself to breathe, get a friend to meet you for five minutes. This festival too shall pass.
• Leverage the press office. They are incredibly helpful. For setting up interviews, accessing the Internet, where to buy a digital recorder in Toronto…they exist to assist you.
• Schmooze with your fellow journalists. They are fountains of knowledge. Only the rare few will be unapproachable snobs. The rest are incredibly generous and supportive.
• When you’re at the end of your rope, stop. Ask yourself why you came. What did you want out of this year’s festival? Each year, you’re guaranteed to learn something. 

Above all, remember you chose to be there. When it’s all said and done, you’ll go home with incredible stories. And that’s why we do what we do.

After many interviews, I’ve noticed an interesting cultural divide. In general (this is the signal that you are about to be fed a whopping generalization - be forewarned), American actors are very hesitant to give opinions. Whereas British actors offer opinions without even needing a question.  

Why is this? 

Both camps are very cautious – and fairly so – about giving any details about their personal lives. If you’ve read any of my previous blog entries, you already know my thoughts on that subject. But when it comes to opinions about how your film will be received, the struggle to get it made, the message, maybe even some kind of analysis of its content…there is a big divide.  

As a writer and admitted cultural studies junkie, I find this fascinating. And I’d be very curious to know what others think. 

British actors get very excited when given the opportunity to give their opinion on politics, class, the pain in the ass elements that made it tough to get their picture financed, the way the director pushed them around to get what s/he wanted. They seem to revel in the chance to have a real conversation.  

American actors are very cautious. And are particularly careful about what they say about anyone involved in the film. It’s like a secret code. Say nothing bad. If you say anything bad, your career will be over and everyone will blacklist you. So be very, very careful where you step little one. 

It’s weird. And makes for some tough (and boring) interviews. But I’m guessing that there must be an unspoken code. Or that managers and agents coach their clients never to say bad things. Until you’re such a big star that everyone is afraid of you and you can say whatever you please.  

Such a shame. The best interviews happen when you talk to an actor who is impassioned about her work and its place in the world. It sucks that people have to tiptoe around what they say for fear of being lambasted or blacklisted. But then, that problem isn’t just limited to interviews.

For a collaborative art form, film sure turns into a combative sport. Toss baby-eating egos and monstrous amounts of money into any mix and — voila! War. Same holds true in the press. Journies and celebs throw mud over the fence, always blaming the other for the mess.  

Which confuses the hell out of me. Aren’t we supposed to be on the same side? Isn’t the point of our relationship allowing audiences a peek behind the film industry curtain?  

I figure, as a journalist, I’m a mediator between the film and the fan. Respect both sides — defend each party if they’re being treated unfairly or slap them if they’re being ridiculous. Well. That should be my job. But most editors like to protect the reputation of their publication. 

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we blog. 

This week, both sides get a slap upside the head. Why? The absolute, hands-down foolishness of the Brangelina baby pictures.  

A. People, people, people. All babies look the same. Wrinkly and confused. ‘Nuff said.

B. Brad and Angelina. Really? You need a ten page magazine spread about your family? You chose to be in the film business. Not your kids.

C. Both sides. WHY do we consider this news? Congratulations. She gave birth. So have millions of other women. Can we get back to talking about the films now? 

We’ve all picked up tabloids and flipped through them. Me included. But I find them offensive. As a journalist, as a person, and as a film-lover. There are so many things I don’t want to know about an actor as I watch them on screen. Facts I’ll never be able to wipe from my mind.  

So let’s get back to talking about the work. Please. 

The more I thought about convergence, the more I realized I actually do all of my industry research online now. It was only a couple of years ago that most of the articles I read about film and TV were in printed magazines. Most of the articles I wrote were for print magazines. Oh, how things change in a few short years.

I no longer read Hollywood Reporter or Variety in print. I only check them online. IMDB introduced the Pro version…and quickly became the standard tool for finding stats on talent. Even the mags I used to read seem to be shrinking in size or getting replaced by trashy tabloids.

I bet more discussions about movies happen over MSN and Facebook than at the water cooler. It’s a very different world now. A world where Perez Hilton gets more daily hits than the Chicago Tribune. 

It doesn’t actually phase me. I know I probably should mourn for the glossy print mag. I certainly still love to hold Vanity Fair in my hands. But if I want reviews, opinions, and stats? I’d much rather get them on the web. It’s fast. It’s searchable. And no trees died.

Sign me up!

I remember when, just a few years ago, everyone was throwing around the word “convergence.” It was definitely the hot concept. Even though I suspect no one really knew what it meant…or would mean.

Suddenly, technology has become a HUGE part of our industry. Given how slowly the film biz can move, it’s truly amazing to see this abrupt shift happening. It used to be calling something “digital” was a sneer. Now, it’s a rallying cry.

This change doesn’t just affect the movies we make and where we watch TV shows. The ripple effect is felt right through the press. From how fast people expect to see reviews to online discussion of the latest buzz in the biz, online content offers amazing flexibility. At a fraction of the cost.

Just like with films, it was only a few short years ago that Internet credentials at a film festival would get begrudging validation. Now, the major trades and the major film mags have reps who write online. Film audiences expect to see content available fast. And they want their say.

It’s an exciting time that I plan to explore more on this blog. And I can’t wait to hear what you think! 

Oh my. Sometimes life just explodes and all you can do is hold on and pray you don’t get too scratched up. That’s a pretty accurate picture of what May felt like for me.

Let me explain. Most writers prefer to have one medium in which to show off their talents. It makes sense - you get to master your voice in a specialized space. I have a slightly different approach to writing. Really, it’s an addiction.

Which means, I write in many mediums. Magazines & newspapers. Screenplays & TV. Technology & communications. And now, drumroll please…video games! I was selected for an inaugural program to take fiction and non-fiction writers and school them in linear and non-linear storytelling. This “bootcamp” (I kid you not) was amazing, intense, and a major eye-opener. Even for this diverse writer.

In the ever-evolving space of digital media, my choice seems less strange to people. TV and Internet blur into webisodes. Journalism and opinion blur into blogging. Film and desperate need for exposure blur into YouTube.

In fact, in the land of journalism, the debate rages about whether blogs can be considered “true” journalism. That matters less to me than whether people are geniunely interested in what others have to say — evolving a discussion into exciting cultural phenomena and movements.

And that’s what writing is for me: capturing and expressing events relevant to human beings. No matter what format I use.

Nurtured in the Celtic land of Nova Scotia, Kate inevitably grew up to be a storyteller. Her move to Vancouver launched a successful career in the film business – now nine years strong.

From the interview trenches to the hallowed studio halls, Kate has experienced every step of the movie-making process. Her primary goal is always to make people think, feel, and, most important of all, laugh.

For more info on Kate, see http://www.scriptgrrl.com.

When I became a journalist, my primary goal was to gain credibility as a writer. So I focused on what I knew – screenwriting. I analyzed form, interviewed writers, and waxed poetic on improving a script. Little did I know that being a journalist would turn out to be an incredible education - my real-world version of film school.

Like most lessons in life, it happened while I was looking in the opposite direction. I met a magazine publisher at the Toronto International Film Festival…and suddenly had a chance to pitch an established film magazine. But they didn’t want stories on writing. They wanted full-bodied stories examining the cultural impacts of film. Score!

Why score? Well. As a writer, I’m fascinated by people and everything that makes them tick. Kinda comes with the job. Here I was being handed a chance to pitch magazine articles about just that - from a film perspective. How do movies affect us? Why do we love them so? Can films be a positive voice in the world or should they be pure entertainment?

My imagination went wild. I came up with 25 article pitches overnight. And the magazine editor loved it. He handed me my first assignment. And that’s when it hit me. Oh God. I would have to interview these people!

Like most green journalists, I shook my way through those first interviews. Then I began to love them for the goldmines they were. I had a perfectly legitimate reason to pose questions to anyone in the business. Whatever I wanted to find out about film, I could ask!

Even after courses and books and conferences about film, my real “film school” came through a channel I never would have predicted: being a journalist.

Quite often, it’s the smallest publications that are the most fun for a writer. One of my favorite outlets was IndieIN.com. Alas, the website with a huge heart but not enough funds passed away in July, 2007. This blog entry is a belated eulogy to a wonderful site run by passionate women.

IndieIN.com was the brainchild of Michelle Bryant and Julie La’Bassiere. Both wanted to create a site that celebrated and promoted independent films. They truly cared about the little films that scraped together just enough cash to get made and rarely had enough left over to get noticed.

I met Michelle at the Toronto International Film Festival. Her passion for film was undeniable … enough so, that I agreed to write for their site. The reviews and interviews I wrote for IndieIN were hands-down some of my favorites.

Not only was Michelle a kind and supportive editor but she always encouraged a writer to be creative. And when you’ve written for bigger outlets with very specific guidelines, you appreciate having a bit of room for your own style.

I’d have to say, though, the best part was the interview. Occasionally, you’d stumble across an arrogant jerk. But overall, interviewing independent filmmakers was a real joy. They’re keen, appreciative, collaborative…and oh-so passionate.

One can only imagine how many hours they’ve put into creating, editing, and promoting their film – on their own dime – only to arrive at an interview with a full appreciation of the journalist’s time and effort.

Perhaps that’s why Michelle and Julie aspired to create IndieIN. They not only loved independent films, they deeply admired the people with the courage to make them.

So if you start to feel jaded about this industry, think about the tireless enthusiasm of people like Michelle and Julie… and the filmmakers they aspired to help. It always puts a smile on my face.