The scriptwriters work in secret. At the Gémeaux Prize, no category recognizes her work, and yet everyone on the fiction set refers to it. Being a screenwriter means being the nervous system of a production. As the director’s eyes and ears, a stopwatch, a point of contact for costumes, makeup, hair and props. It is also the reference for lighting designers who need to mark the time of day and editors who get their valuable notes. It’s also the actors’ safety net, especially when it comes time to reshoot a scene. Close-up of this little-known profession with three women practicing it.
A big preparation
First script assistant Another storythen script continues 5e rank Rose Carpentier-Wheeler has been working on it for two years Witches. She speaks about her job with passion and the same precision that it requires. Each scene is surgically dissected to make things easier for everyone.
Noémie O’Farrell, Céline Bonnier and Marie-Joanne Boucher play three sisters in the new annual TVA series Witches. Photo provided by Eva Maude TC/TVA
What are the main functions of a script?
Rose Carpentier-Wheeler Photo provided by Eva-Maude TC
Being a screenwriter means working hand in hand with the director. There are a lot of preparations where we need to reduce the scenario and adjust the timing. I read all the characters and act out the instructions. I give scene times and dates. This allows lighting designers to know where the sun has disappeared and prop makers to set the correct time on the clock. In Witches the action takes place in Montreal and Sainte-Piété, which is about two hours away. So a character can’t get there in half an hour. When we shoot, we are usually in a third version of the text. When filming, everything is timed. We don’t shoot in the right order, so we have to ensure continuity. Every evening I send a report to the editor with a description of all the shots, all the scenes, the moments the director preferred, the beginning of a scene in one shot and its continuation in another. If there have been changes to the texts, I write them down. I also recognize the tap dance of each scene. It is the benchmark for sound and camera. I take photos of everything to see the shooting values, the line of sight of the actor. It becomes second nature to be able to answer all questions.
What’s special? Witches ?
There are lots of flashbacks. The schedule must be clear. Each character has their story in the larger story. We need to sense in the sisters’ performance what they know or don’t know, depending on how the scene is conveyed.
Which scenes present the greatest challenges?
All the food scenes require special attention as everyone is eating. You need to know what everyone is eating or doing in regards to the dialogue. In which hand does so-and-so hold his fork? When did he refill it? Did he drink? How high was his drink? In Sorcières, the scenes in the commune also require a lot of attention because there are many characters and many emotions.
Listening and attention to detail
Isabelle Lauzon has worked with many directors. In the cinema she supervised projects by Ricardo Trogi, Luc Picard, Émile Gaudreault and Anne Émond. On television she appeared in all projects of the Rivard-Létourneau duo, Invincible has That’s how I love you. Jean-François Asselin presented him with a great challenge with the four seasons of Plan B. She is now a content producer, but still enthusiastically shares the secrets of her profession, which she practiced for around twenty years.
Photo provided by Danny Taillon
What’s special? Plan B when working on the script?
Isabelle Lauzon Photo provided by Isabelle Lauzon
When we shoot, we deconstruct the entire scenario through rental to make the location profitable. For example, we spent three days filming all the scenes in Jessie’s apartment for all the episodes. It’s a big puzzle and all the pieces have to fit together. You have to be careful to have the same costume, the same emotions, the same wound depending on where you are in the story, as there are jumps back in time and the same scene is experienced multiple times. There are many documents. In the evening I prepare for the next day. I can take out pictures to confirm the chronology.
What was the big challenge? Plan B ?
Repeat the scenes several times, but in a different way. Such is the nature of Plan B. Jessie experienced her first release from prison. He calls plan B. The second time he doesn’t really understand it. The third time he starts to change things. Then he refines his strategy. The bank robbery scene was shot in six versions in long shots and close-ups. With hat, packing bag, without hat, without glasses…
What makes a good screenwriter?
Listening, attention, thoroughness. There’s a bit of psychology in there too. You have to have judgment to decide what’s important and what you can live with because you can’t reshoot scenes forever. You have to think about editing. There is a surgical side with actors. One must think about their connection without compromising their performance. There must be a good match with the director. That’s why we often work with the same people. It takes complicity and trust. We still stick together. I spent several hidden scenes with Jean-François Asselin in a closet!
From mother to daughter
With Elizabeth Tremblay we are mother-to-daughter screenwriters, with her mother in particular having worked with Denys Arcand. She quickly stood out among American productions. She has toured several times with Johnny Depp and John Malkovich. She worked on the film last year Beau is scared with Joaquin Phoenix and spent several months in Europe for the series Franklin with Michael Douglas. The writers’ strike allowed him to happily reconnect with television sets in Quebec. Currently in Quebec for the second season ofAbout Antoineshe took over for season 2 ofA criminal case.
A criminal case. Photo provided by Yan Turcotte
What is the biggest challenge?A criminal case ?
Definitely the flashbacks. There are many. When an actor comes to you, you have to get the facts straight. At the time of her scene, do we believe she killed her father or not? In a Who Did What, every detail is important. We have to ensure consistency. The actor has to be in the right emotion. Alice’s timeline was quite complex.
What are the main differences between the Quebec plateaus and the USA?
Elizabeth Tremblay Photo provided by Elizabeth Tremblay
I would say that American chainrings are stiffer. For example, actors are not allowed to change a single word of the script without going through the showrunner. If an actor feels more comfortable saying one word instead of another, I just note it in my notes to the editor. For American productions, we shoot four to six pages a day. Here we are often at 12 pages. So that doubles the work. The mood is not the same either. I have worked with Pascal L’Heureux and Claude Desrosiers. They’re both super cool and there’s something very collaborative about it.
What qualities does it take to be a good screenwriter?
Be attentive, thorough and diplomatic. You need to know who to talk to and when. It is important to ensure harmony with all departments as we all play on the same team.