A Cathartic Interview with Vicki Peterson

A recent analysis about female scriptwriters reminds us that the global film industry is out of balance. It skims the surface of issues surrounding women in front of and behind film–writing scripts, directing projects. In May, headline stories from Cannes to Hollywood, regurgitated topics that’ll take generations before there is any significant change to how the film business is run.

However, as part of this process, there are thousands of people, men and women, diligently imparting their wisdom, creating a network of thought, hoping to reframe the questions asked in the media. Through the magic of Twitter, I stumbled on one such person, Vicki Peterson.

Vicki spoke to me in June from her offices in Los Angeles. She is a businesswoman, author, scriptwriter, soon-to-graduate MFA student, mother to three children, wife, plus many other roles we didn’t have time to discuss. Vicki and Barbara Nicolosi, her business and writing partner, also recently published a book about screenwriting while they continue to run their company, Catharsis, together.

It’s Erica Tremblay’s Turn (and America’s, too)

After Friday’s historic US Supreme Court ruling legalising gay marriage in all US States, it’s time to share my interview with Erica Tremblay. Erica is the director of the feature-length documentary film IN THE TURN that just won Best Documentary at the Transgender Film Festival 2015 in Kiel Germany. The film has had several screenings and I expect there will be many more people lining up to see this topical story.

As film makers have access to cheaper equipment…you don’t have to be in LA to make documentary films (Erica Tremblay).

A couple of weeks ago I published an industry analysis about why there are fewer female scriptwriters in the film industry. The interview that follows relates to my Masters degree project.

Why are there fewer female scriptwriters in the film industry?

Originally I planned to research female scriptwriters to learn if it’s easier for UK women to break into TV scriptwriting compared to film. In May 2015, European and US media coverage related to discrimination and the lack of opportunities shifted my focus to explore the stories women tell. However, after conducting interviews in the industry, the issue of women being underrepresented became a topic worth exploring.

Interview with Lucy V. Hay of Bang2Write

It’s possible Anne-Cecile Ville brushed past Lucy Hay during the London Screenwriters’ Festival last year, where Lucy’s one of the event organisers and the Head Reader for the contests and other initiatives. Even if they haven’t met, I sense a similar determination emanating from Lucy, an energetic and outspoken woman who also lives in the UK. Lucy generously found some time in her busy schedule to speak to me on Skype about her experiences working in the UK film industry.

Whatever you do, do it well.

Lucy Hay in action.

The ‘V’ must stand for vivacious

Lucy, who also goes by the moniker Bang2Write, is passionate about writing, her children and being true to herself and her blog readers. She has her hands and voice in a variety of projects, from being a non-fiction writer (e.g. Writing And Selling Drama Screenplays), novelist (e.g. The Decision: Jasmine’s Story), speaker, blogger, producer, script editor, Head Reader for the London Screenwriters’ Festival…and many other roles. Suffice it to say she’s organised and disciplined. As the mother of three young children, two girls and a boy, she’s teaching them a strong work ethic that’ll ensure their own success when they grow up. She’s also a mentor and outspoken advocate about gender politics and feminism.