When I think about the pivotal, the thrilling and the most sacred moments in my life,

I think about the ‘hers.’

the words they spoke.
the solidarity they passed.

The tears they shared

The honesty they mined.
The courage they found.

& most importantly,

I think about how they made me whole.

Women I have been influenced and inspired by

(Their voices are embedded into my childhood in unique and pivotal ways)

• Lisa Ling

• Oprah Winfrey

• Sarah Polley

• Maya Angelou

• Julie Andrews

Women who challenge me to think differently

(They bring light to the ideas and broad scopes we need to have to grow and continue our life)

• Bari Weiss

• Brene Brown

• Dr.Shefali Tsabary

• Luvvii Ajayi Jones

• Jayme Poisson

Women doing things that catch my eyes

(They quite literally caught my eye from day 1)

• Jonna Jinton

• Amie Mcnee

• Brigitte Truong

• Janna Wilton Art

• Tricia Black

Earlier this year I had a scene flash before my eyes.

It’s a famous scene. From a film called “Field of Dreams”.
In all honesty, it’s not a favourite film of mine.
For a myriad reasons and mostly because baseball and I have a heart breaking personal history.

But it’s this “Build it and they will come” concept.
The idea that to see a dream fulfilled, you need to build the space for it to be before it can live.

When this scene flashed in my minds eye, I was facing many decisions that I had the ability to make, but also felt overwhelmed at the making of them.

I felt selfish.
Who am I?
To act like I could have this?

So I pondered staying in that space, not having, not requesting, not working towards and not putting into motion.

And then that scene.

Of needing to make the investment before expecting the vision to occur.

This is where I am.

I have the vision and I am in a season of pulling triggers, setting the stage and expecting.

Expectation is an otherworldly sentiment that us adults find a way to work out of our systems.

We remind ourselves of the letdowns, the reality, the way things usually turn out, our personal limitations and we decide at some point, that expectations are not safe.

But they can be the ingredient we have been missing.

So,

I’m pulling triggers.

Investing in the visions and believing that the gift of a dream is the journey in creating it.

And you?

What triggers do you need pull?

Are their dreams that you have been sitting on and have been questioning wether you are worthy enough?

Because if you are, you are already exactly who you need to be to start putting your dreams in motion.

Over the summer I have been breaking a pilot episode of a new series.

The process has been equally grueling and surprising.

What started out as a simple limited series single character scope has turned into a dark and twisty tale with hooks and cliffhangers I never saw coming.

Personally, I’d like to blame my best friend.
She dangled an observation in front of me one night that had me reeling.

In fact, it had me reeling so much that the story took a 180-degree turn and has me going in a totally different direction with it.

What happens when everything you thought wasn’t what you thought at all?

A story for the ages and a story that may in fact rock my perspective for years to come.

For these write nights this coming season, I will be lighting a ‘candle’, pouring red, and letting a playlist move me into this tale.
Sometimes I may need to work from the couch, other nights I may need the privacy of my own writing room, either way…

it’s a delicious and equally nerve-wracking journey into a tale I was not expecting on weaving.

For the past two years, I have been an executive board member of Women in Film and Television Atlantic. A board who has collectively, and tirelessly done their best to move the needle for women in film and television in our Atlantic provinces.

I am a proud board member and member of this organization.

As the end of my term approached and I realized I needed to take a step back in order to focus on other work I have reflected on what the time on this board has afforded me.

Take Aways

You Get What You Put In

When Kim McTaggart encouraged me to officially join the board she said over the phone “this is a role you get what you put in. It’s up to you the amount of work you want this to be.” That phrase not only had me instantly wanting to join, but I have carried it with me in all future situations since 2019.

It’s Okay to Listen First and Act Second

Although when new on a board you may be tempted to jump in and assert yourself. it is also helpful to take inventory of the atmosphere that is already present, discern where you best can contribute and find ways that you can bring something to the table.

You at the Table Has Value

It was easy to look at the women around me and be a bit flummoxed about how I ended up sitting with them. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that being on the board of WIFT-AT has not only brought me closer to the industry I have been working to grow in, but closer to myself. I have witnessed what I bring to the table in a fresh way, and I have also realized when I have over-shot. That’s a huge skill to see.

No One is Above Anyone Else

When we view one as bigger or louder than another, we limit the world we create. I felt valued by my board members both seasoned in their work and new.

I am not done volunteering, but now from a different seat.

Thank-you WIFT-AT for being a welcoming place for me to grow and embrace my professional voice.

This year I was privileged to join Lynn Matheson with a project in development stage to Cynthia Knights five day crash course on creating a pitch document and a stellar logline through the PEI Screenwriters Bootcamp.

Both Lynn and I were tipped upside down with the approach Cynthia uses to the early development stages of a project.

In many ways, the information wasn’t new, and yet, that back to the basics approach that Cynthia gave us was was a game changer.

The Takeaways

• Courses with a writing/creative partner are always more fun. (built in support system)

• Spending the time reworking and truly honing a logline is a key that seemingly fundamentally simple will unlock the real story.

• Never underestimate what is beneath your ideas. You have to mine for gold.

PSA

If you have’t heard Cynthia describe the goals and intention of a logline, I highly suggest you find a way to get it straight from her.

I think it's safe to say that Women Making Waves 2020 was a banner conference weekend. Not only was it a particular anniversary year, but it was also the last weekend we would all be gathering like that for a long, long while. For many of us, it was our last social event of the 2020 year.

It only made sense that we would want to recreate some of that connection, opportunities and space for our 2021 conference but the 'how' during the restrictions was a huge question.

I also think it's safe to say that the committee and forces that made Women Making Waves 2021 happen are forces.

Not only was the conference still happening and all over various webinar platforms, but it was one of the most accessible events yet.

Highlights for me:

Using the Medium of Film as a Tool for Activism with Elena Rossini and Donna Davies.

Elana's passion and compassion for others are evident not just in her documentary The Illusionist but also in her presence, conversation, and how she articulates her approach with her work.

What do Script Suprivisors Do Anyway?

As a writer, I thoroughly enjoyed hearing Daniela Saioni's methods of madness to keep continuity and intention behind a story in the front of her work and methods as a script supervisor. She also had many antidotes as a writer herself that made me fully enthused about taking notes the whole time.

Nothing About Us Without Us Understanding What With Us Truly Means

Kay Douglas, Sarah Podemski, Nathalie Younglai, and Lindsey Addawoo were absolutely on fire with their grace, insight, depth, and honesty. They managed to create a space where they honoured each other in the process of their sharing. These are women blew me away with their ability to sink into each other and the topics discussed.

My Take-Aways

• Work to create the space for others outside of yourself. When you think you've done that, create even more space. There's always more room to grow and discern what voices you are missing at the table.

• The message behind who you are and the work you are doing matters. It can have other outlets that come from its one main form.

• Appreciate each other.

• Embrace your methods of madness in work.

• Don't be a jerk when giving feedback. Be appreciative of the work it took to create and think deeply about what this creator may need to be asked to bring it to its next best level of itself.

• Sometimes there are technical difficulties, but we're all doing our best to show up, muddle through, learn and create something along the way.

In late 2020 I ended up riffing a pilot episode idea with my husband as we were getting ready for bed.

The more we talked, the more we got excited about the idea. Within minutes of showering, nightly skin-care routine, and plugging in our iPhones, it felt like an opening scene was taking shape.

I ended up writing that scene to humour him and myself.

I let him read it over Christmas break.

Cut to the new year, and I knew I wanted to work on this concept more, but how?

I had other projects to attend to.

So we decided to set a goal of a specific page number a week.

It has been a rewarding and fun experience.

He gets to read and enjoy the development process of making something from nothing once a week, and I get to have a specific type of accountability that keeps me current with my goals.

In this, it’s not about perfection, but about the progress and attempt to continue the narrative.

Who knows where this one will lead us, but it’s connecting us in something I am working on. It’s an enjoyable and challenging diversion that grows me and, it gives us something to discuss that is more than just “what’s the next chore that needs to be tackled?”

Amy Trefry

Actor, Producer & Filmmaker

Amy can be found working hard on various projects in both pre-production and production while also making sure to cultivate and continue a supportive collective atmosphere in the Atlantic film and television industry.

Amy is passionate about harnessing her fears through her creative work and has a tenacity that keeps her grounded and open to embracing vulnerability.

She also happens to use her broad experiences in life as a way to connect to the projects and those she works with on a deeper and connective level.

INSTA LIVE INTERVIEW <——

MORE AMY

IMBD

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7988155/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/amy.trefry/?hl=en

Being sponsored through Screen Nova Scotia for the third week of teaching with John Yorke was a surprise. We had all only thought the series would be two weeks altogether.

Fresh off of being short-listed for a producer's program through the National Screen Institute, having yet another week with John Yorke was a great way to jump from one training opportunity to another.

Takeaways from the third week of classes:

Be willing to continue pushing a narrative to its next edge.

It's easy to think you have the narrative down. Here are the characters. Here is their world. There is the arc—the end.
Think more in-depth about subverting expectations, hone in on the more profound meaning and message, and ultimately practice thinking outside the box.

Understand your why's and the characters' why's.

Know why you want to create this story, with these characters, this way and with these people. Consequently, understand why your characters matter and why they do what they do. Know the questions they seek to have answered. Know how you want to answer them.

Work as a team

From day one, we were thrown into groups to create a pitch. We had nearly four days to complete, cultivate, and refine a television series for pitching. I was privileged to find myself in a group with two local writers/filmmakers in my province (a surprise to all of us considering the class was full of others from Europe and other countries.) We worked together efficiently, passionately and in the end, found ways to hone in on each other's skills to create a pitch we were all proud of. Of course, given more time, we would have wanted to hone it in even more, but I would say the three of us were quite proud of each other and the process itself.

If I had anything I wish I could have had more from this series, I have to say it is just more time in class with John Yorke.

He has shown himself to be a passionate, self-aware and authentic filmmaker/storyteller while also bringing all of those elements into his teaching - a rare commodity in this world. Anyone can call themselves a teacher, but few actually create a safe space for effective learning.
To learn from someone who wants to share his knowledge, passion and help cultivate anyone to the next level of their learning and professional growth was a major privilege and honour.

Thank-you to Screen Nova Scotia for the opportunity & thank-you to John Yorke for teaching amidst the chaos we have all found ourselves in this year.

Over the past few months, Kaitlyn Adair and I have been preparing and in the beginning of stages of leading to create a podcast for WIFT-AT. It is an honour to work with innovative, intelligent and thoughtful women in the film and television industry, and this project has me both overjoyed and nervous.

It’s a sacred opportunity.

To cultivate a series that will not only highlight the work of others but also find new inroads, spaces and voices in the industry we didn’t know existed. Coming close to completing our team of various hosts that will span four provinces, we are looking towards putting the pedal to the metal from pre-production to production.

As all creative projects begin,

we don’t know where this road will ultimately take us all, or how it will take full shape. Still, we are confident that it is starting to reveal itself as an exciting and tremendous opportunity to dig deep, embrace vulnerability and hear from new and old voices.

A huge thanks to those at WIFT-AT who keep digging deep and creating a foundation for new ideas, projects and working to clear space at the table for those we have yet to meet and hear from.

Her Business Our Story Your Calling is a short documentary featuring various entrepreneurial women and their businesses' stories. Through their experiences, we aim to inspire and encourage other people (focusing on women but not limited to) to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams.

A Brilliansea Production

Director: Claire Fraser
Producer: Amy Grace
Co Writers: Claire Fraser & Amy Grace
Editor: Claire Fraser
Cinematographer/Camera Operators: Claire Fraser Devon Pennick-Reilly Amy Grace
Featuring:
Korayne Romanchuk - Koko Mod Floral Design
Kate Pepler - The Tare Shop
Elana Camille - Elana Camille Creates
Victoria Smith - Fluke Boutique
Sharlene Loveless - Glo Barre (Rebranded:Rehab Body Lab Wellness & Tanning Studio)
Claire Fraser - Claire Fraser - Photography & Videography

In this special edition of the Insta Lives, Amy & Claire discuss what’s next for Brilliansea and announce the public release of their short Short Documentary “Her Business Our Story Your Calling” for September 23rd, 2020.

Watch the Live Here:

Amy & Claire Insta Live

Call it a pandemic, insightful colleagues, actively producing independent projects for almost a decade, or maybe just old fashioned perspective. The developments this year have helped me recognize that my work as a producer has weight and value.

At my core, I am a writer, but that has helped me develop my production skills through honing what it means to craft a story. Knowing that there is a bigger picture at play and wanting to see the creative ideas I have come to fruition.

The medium of producing has been becoming more apparent in my collaborations with others. I realize that the joy for me in making anything is behind the scenes of it all. Cultivating an atmosphere of creativity, collaboration and honouring the project holistically. To see a project in its whole self drives me in anything I do.

I am not sure where my active pursuit of professional producing will lead me, but what I do know already,

producing is not just about 'making it happen'; it's about honouring the whole process and working to make sure all of the moving parts are working to their best ability.

Amy Grace sits down with Kaitlyn Adair and discusses how COVID has brought its challenges to the creative entrepreneur as well as its own blessings. Reevaluating and learning to appreciate relationships and home in a new way. 

Instal Live <——-

What a refreshing and positive conversation with Halley Davies.

Halley is a camera assistant, videographer and creative. Through our conversation Halley shares how extended time off Brough on by COVID 19 has allowed her to explore her creativity through water colour, gardening and sharing her gardening tips through her new instagram account. While she awaits to see how things will be different going back to working on film sets next month.

INSTA LIVE LINK <—-

*due to an unfortunate Instagram glitch, part of the audio from the live chat was lost.

Last month was the last week in John Yorke's Storytelling for Screenwriters Workshop through Media Xchange (and for me, also through Screen Nova Scotia). The week focused on characters and their development.

Takeaways

The most relatable and memorable characters are three-dimensional and, therefore, a true reflection of humanity's complexities.

Characters are innately as simple as they are complex.

Understanding the background and fundamentals of psychology can help us better understand why characters do what they do and what their next action may naturally be due to their coping mechanisms in both healthy and unhealthy ways.

Characters deserve to have us as writers, take the time to understand them better to deliver a holistic view of humanity.

Characters are and should be in constant movement towards a change, whatever that change may be.

What I am Revved Up About

A sincere desire to take the characters I develop, be them fictional or based on someone, (e.g. a current project on my paternal grandmother.) and give them the time and depth of understanding they deserve.

Often I focus on making sure I have the wholeness of a story down, but the gaps in the story or the parts that do not flow are resolved once the character themself are brought into the place they are going and need to be. It would seem that both character and story structure are equally as essential and feed each other.

A recognition that discussing characters with other writers and storytellers gives the insight and springboard I need to press on with the work.

At the end of this two-week journey, I feel more comfortable in story creation, inspired and left feeling connected to storytellers on a global scale. One does not have to live in the same country or time zone to share ideas, gain insight and find the gold in a character or the story itself.

Halley Davies

IATSE 667 Camera Assistant & Freelance Director of Photography

Halley can be found giving her whole self to her union and freelance work behind the camera, while also finding ways to honour her busy and quieter seasons through various creative outlets.

Halley is passionate about working on projects that have value to the viewer and takes great care in how she prepares approaches her work both physically and mentally.

She also happens to bring a healthy reflection in what she accomplishes and communicates, allowing herself and others to shift perspective and see differently.

MORE HALLEY

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/halleydavies/

Website

https://www.halleydavies.com/

Women in Film & Television Atlantics ‘Women Making Waves’ Conference sets the bar

for what it means to connect, find solidarity and hone in on one’s own personal and professional directive.

Every single woman (and man) who attends this conference brings their own unique skills and experience to the table. To witness this communing and celebrating what each of us brings is something I continue to be amazed by. This year was no different.

Highlights of the Conference

Friday Workshops

This is the first year I have been able to attend the add on workshops that kick start the conference. I had so many personal and professional takeaways from my time in the sessions I attended.

Really I’d Never Considered That! A Career Strategy Session with Sharon McGowan

Sharon approaches the industry in a unique and relaxed way. She is passionate about the work and also practical in her thinking about it. She does have an immense amount of experience behind her, which I believe is also why she can approach the journey with insight as well as a healthy dose of practicality. My take away’s from Sharon is the tenacity and how she doesn’t approach the industry with a clad iron fist of ‘now or never’ but with consistency, love for the work and showing up to continue pushing boundaries that have come against women for decades.

How to Create a Binge-Worthy Show in the Era Of Global Streaming with Amy Cameron

Having the opportunity to interview Amy Cameron for the Tidings a month before her coming allowed me the knowledge of what this woman brings to the table. Insight, discernment and a passion for the creative drive. You can see that with all the work she has done in the past and all the work she is pushing forward now lines up with her values and determination to create projects and storytelling that gives a hearty edgy wink while also making us think deeper than the mere surface.

Spotlight Conversation with Meredith MacNeill: Playing the Game While Changing the Game

Meredith made us laugh and she also made us think. I was most surprised and elated by her because admittedly I am behind in watching her sketch comedy and previous work. Her story is a story that although we might not all have, we can all relate to it. To hear her carve out space for the many elements of her life both personal and professional is refreshing and something we all need to hear again and again. It makes me less ashamed to have put my young daughter a focus the past few years and celebrate that by honouring my desire and need to be her primary caregiver I will also be able to grow into the professional and woman I need to be.

Musical Chairs Networking Lunch

This is the second year of the musical chairs networking lunch, (where everyone is given two numbers on two different coloured papers, sits at one table that corresponds to one number for the first twenty minutes of lunch and then a second table the last twenty mins.) Although I was hosting a table this year, I still gained the benefits of it. I would never have met the women and man who sat at my table if not for this unique way of getting us talking, connecting and celebrating the work we do.

The IOM Media Ventures Wave Awards Celebration Dinner

Ending the night with friends and, new connections with food drink and celebrating the work of others is all apart of creating a healthy and dynamic growing industry. A lot of exhaling was happening around the table I sat at & I was so thankful for that time.

THANK-YOU

To have something in the Maritimes with this amount of accessibility is phenomenal. From the New Waves program which introduced me to the industry, to writing for the Tidings here and there, joining the board, finding my way and connecting with women who want to see me grow and be challenged has been life-changing. We have so much to thank the founding members for spearheading this WIFT chapter form the very beginning. If anything, I hope to lift up and celebrate as many women as they continue to do.

Erica Meus-Saunders

Creator / Storyteller / Founder of Storybook-Entertainment

Erica can be found working at Screen Nova Scotia as their membership coordinator, while also running and growing her recently launched platform, ‘Storybook-Entertainment.’

Erica is passionate about the large format and possibilities in storytelling and is continually finding new ways to bring various communities, cultures and creative mediums together.

She also happens to bring a sense of thankfulness and appreciation for the collaborations she is apart of and seeks to uplift and celebrate others in every corner of her work.

MORE ERICA

Story-book Entertainment Platform

https://story-book.ca

Story-Book Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/storybook.ca/

Erica’s Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/ericameuss/

Women in Film and Television Atlantic's Women Making Waves conference is fast approaching.

Not only does the conference land on the weekend leading up to International Women's Day, but it's also the association's tenth anniversary.

Women Making Waves is special to me.

WMW. 2019. photo: Claire Fraser Photo video

It's where I saw, felt and heard that writing for the film and television industry is possible. I have started describing my experience with WIFT-AT akin to an open door. I wasn't aware that it was there, but when I found it and attempted to step in, there was an instant acceptance and making room for the new. This conference also does this. It brings top-level professionals to the Maritimes and seeks to create unity, growth and conversation to the women who work here. For me, it succeeds every time.

In the lead up to this conference, everyone has been busy at work to prepare.

Especially the WIFT-AT executive board members. For myself, I have been advance interviewing a handful of the women flying in to give talks and workshops, seeking out silent auction donations, and committing to 'hosting/facilitating' different sessions.

During one of my recent interviews, it was pointed out to me how miraculous WIFT-AT is as an association. With only one paid staff, spanning and providing opportunities for four provinces, a yearly conference, a five-week crash course on the industry, and so much else, all for women in the film and television industry.

I have to admit,

I am proud to be serving on the board. To have a chance to find my place in the association, meet and interview the women who make our industry thrive and to learn as I go. It's an honour to be alongside these women who serve on the board, have created WIFT-AT to be what it is today and to continue to find my place in it.