A new web series produced by the National School of Humor (ENH) as part of the Netflix scholarship program offers interviews this Monday with 18 Quebec screenwriters who have written fictional comedies for television or cinema.
Posted at 1:00 p.m.
To write) goes behind the scenes of great classics of Quebec comedy through the eyes of their screenwriter.
“We hear very little about creators about their profession. It’s when you’re all alone in front of your computer that everything happens. It is certain that there are excellent actors who interpret the roles with brio, but everything starts from the writing, even if it is an act which is not very glamorous”, estimates François Avard, one of the 18 screenwriters who took part in the project.
Photo courtesy of Koze
Francois Avard
Managing Director of the ENH and producer of the project, Louise Richer had in mind the idea of ”documenting, transmitting and promoting” the profession of screenwriter. Because people who are curious to discover the profession have so far turned to “American master classes”.
In each episode, a screenwriter talks about their working method, their motivations and their inspirations, the pitfalls that have marked their path, as well as the missteps and strokes of genius that have marked their career. And there is also, of course, some advice for the next generation over the confidences.
There are several who speak of doubt; there is a vulnerability that is displayed, created by the intimacy and closeness of the encounter.
Louise Richer, general manager of the ENH and producer of the project
“I talk a lot about the process, the writing techniques, as a team too,” emphasizes François Avard. It’s a series that tackles the profession of writing, and I find it great in tabarouette because it picks up pretty much the greatest (and I don’t even include myself in that!): Marc Brunet, who is a genius, Claude Meunier, Guy A. Lepage, Émile Gaudreault… There really is something for everyone: Rafaële Germain, Marie-Andrée Labbé, Florence Longpré with Can you hear me ?it is another form of writing than The little life, but it is nevertheless the same trade, which will give different results. »
Louise Richer wanted to include a large number of scriptwriters with varied profiles, in order to be able to show different backgrounds. “It’s the richness of this diversity that I found marvelous, to understand the requirements of the job of creator in comedy, in particular in screenwriting, she underlines. We also see comedians who have become screenwriters, such as Louis Morissette or Martin Matte. »
Photo courtesy of Koze
Louis Morissette
The 18 episodes of the web series To write), of about twenty minutes each, are available on Noovo.ca and on La fabrique culturelle (Télé-Québec). Each episode also has its long version (from 45 to 70 minutes) in podcast, on iHeartRadio.