The past year of my life is a blur. I gave it (semi-willingly) to my home renovation. A project that we thought was going to take four months, actually took twelve. The end result is gorgeous (thank the gods) but talk about a full-on experience of having my life turned upside down, shaken up, then spun around a thousand times.

 A similar effect is happening in the Canadian TV industry at the moment. The previous television fund (CTF) has been replaced with a new fund — the Canadian Media Fund (CMF). Basically, the Canadian financing structure has officially embraced new media as a critical aspect of the evolution of television.

After going to a CMF information session, I estimate that this fund renovation is only at the stage of receiving the construction permits. We’ve done the demolition of the old house and we’ve got the design drawings for the new house, but just how will this project pan out? That’s going to be a long, drawn out, and possibly painful process.

Now. It’s likely that this renovation will turn into a work of beauty, just like my home did. And hopefully, there will be a lot more room for our collective artistic family. As far as I can see, however, the contractor has great intentions, but he’s only ever done traditional, Victorian homes and this is a modern, eco-renovation.

As someone who has created a lot of digital and communications strategies, I’m particularly concerned with how the folks creating the digital content are going to make a living. Producers know they need to provide dynamic web/media content … but how much money will go to the creator?

I am beyond excited at the possibilities for the transmedia space, but a grrl needs to make a living. And a decent one at that.

Sometimes life serves up coincidences that you just can’t ignore.

Four years ago, I conceived a screenplay set in Iran. A story in which protests by the Iranian people evolve into full-blown revolution. With the government cracking down on communication outlets, an American reporter and an Iranian woman work together to get the word out through underground tech channels.

So as I followed the recent presidential election and the fallout of the alleged election fraud, I got chills. People taking to the streets. Protesting - in person and on blogs. Mousavi posting calls to action on his website.

The blogging and tweeting echoed the story I told in an infographic script written for the Vancouver Film School. A script forged from the research I did for my screenplay. Guess what the video was about? Iranian bloggers — and their attempts to get their voices heard. A revolution within the revolution.

Persians are an intelligent, strong, and courageous people. I am inspired by their determination to get their story out to the world. They have embraced technology in the struggle for freedom of expression in a way we take for granted in North America.

Why do you think the Iranian government has blocked SMS messaging, Facebook, Twitter, and any other means of communicating instantly to organize? Because they’re scared of the power of the people.

I’m watching the news several times a day and scrolling through heart-wrenching photographs because this story embodies everything we who live in a democracy want to stand for — a chance to be heard.

Which is exactly what my script is about. And why I continue to get chills as I watch history unfold. Life connecting with art.

Cross-platform. Convergence. New Media. The many, many terms for, let’s face it, the Internet. The film and TV industries are scrambling to figure out how to work with this brave new world.

The challenge they’re really facing is how to make money. An important challenge. One I want to figure out as well. Why? Because as a writer/producer, the potential of the web is endless. For my imagination and my control issues. Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve always been fascinated by Persia. A.k.a. Iran. The history is rich, the people are intelligent, and (like many countries) the government is reprehensible. That, my friends, makes for one great story.

In fact, it’s made for many great stories. I researched and wrote an action-thriller script - Conflict of Interest. The story has received a lot of praise. Unfortunately, the region isn’t the most popular spot in Hollywood right now. Very sad for them.

While I was researching the script, however, I discovered an amazing book, We are Iran: The Persian Blogs. If you think you know everything about Iranians, this book will change your mind. This is an opportunity to hear a people’s words, thoughts, and wishes… from their fingertips.

 Then I pitched the idea for a video essay to the highly-acclaimed Digital Design department at the Vancouver Film School. They accepted… and four incredibly talented students turned my Iranian Blogs script into a visual masterpiece.

In fact, it was selected to be on the impressive motionographer.com. Their work brought tears to my eyes. I hope you enjoy it, too.

You know, I had high hopes for this TV season. Joss Whedon and JJ Abrams were launching new shows. Geeks were held in high regard with Chuck and The Big Bang Theory. Even Grey’s Anatomy got its mojo back. 

My friends will tell you, I spend September and October searching for my must-watch shows. For something fresh and exciting and, OMG, even funny. They tolerate my hibernation period (I think) because they’re happy to have me wade through the silt to find the gems. After all, I’m always happy to share my plunder.

When I find a show I adore, I’m a one-woman advertising campaign. I can’t count how many people I’ve told about Life and Dexter. If they hadn’t heard of the show or were too scared to try, I had to convince them otherwise.  And I had just found my latest addiction: The Ex List. 

The Ex List had everything. Fresh setting, great premise, irreverent humour, sexy stars, incredible timing. It was the best show I had watched in ages. And I was damn well telling the world.

So, of course, CBS cancelled it.

Never mind that the show was barely advertised. Never mind that they dumped it in the black hole of television – Friday night. Never mind that in a sane universe, The Ex List would kick the Ghost Whisperer’s ass.

There are so few comedies on TV that push the boundaries of the safe, typical sit-com formula. If we’re pushing the threshold of the person we’ll elect for the highest office in the U.S., surely the networks can back an original show. I mean, really, people. Grow a pair.

After living in sweet suspension, a wee thing called a “deadline” kicked me back into writing reality. My NSI playWRITE independent design phase was rapidly running out of time. And I had a video game to create!  Read the rest of this entry »

During the past few weeks everything in my life has been on hold. It’s like the fates got together and realized the funniest thing to do to a workaholic writer would be to wrench control away from her on every level of her life.

I’m being a tad dramatic. But would I be a storyteller if I weren’t? Read the rest of this entry »