Stage Fright!
CineSpark 2023
The Pacific Rim Film Festival brought to you by CineVic
You’d think, as a seasoned teacher who’s talked in front of assemblies and parent groups, that I can handle public speaking. I thought so, too. But as I prepare for this pitch, I realize how much is on the line. Winning the pitch, and the package that will fund the making of my short, Oh, Beth, isn’t just about the screenwriting - it’s about a debut role directing with an amazing team. It’s about testing my mettle, because if I can succeed at this, perhaps I can direct a few of my laurel-winning features - bring them out of my portfolio, breathe life into them, and give them an audience.
But back to the team. I met each member through CineVic, a major supporter of the indie film industry here in Victoria, at its small but mighty Storybreak group - screenwriters with varied backgrounds in filmmaking. They urged me to write a short and enter it into CineSpark and generously offered to come on board and help me make it - and direct it - if I won. My success is theirs. And that doesn’t happen a lot in the solitary world of writing.
I’ve often been told that I write with a director’s eye. I hoped that, if I could make it past the gatekeepers and producers, I might work with a director on one of my scripts. But when this amazing group of filmmakers got behind the idea of my directing Oh, Beth - it not only wet my appetite, I began to emotionally salivate at the thought of it. The more I did, the more nervous I became about the pitch. I’m not getting any younger. Sometimes the words flow on the page but stall on the tongue. I’m all wishes and prayers and a racing heart. My knees may knock on stage next week, and my hands may tremble as I hold firm to my speech, but my team’s support will anchor me. I’m grateful for them:
Michael Korican, Producer Michael Anthony, Director of Photography Sarah Nicole Faucher, 1st Assistant Director
