HEIDI BRANDER
11 Questions with HEIDI BRANDER. A WILDsound FALL 2008 TV Screenplay Finalist 1. What is your screenplay about? My TV pilot revolves around a very flighty, self-absorbed girl without a clue what to do after graduating high school. The pilot follows her journey through the decision-making process, until she finally chooses Queen's University on a whim. When moving day arrives, she has some trouble adjusting to campus life, not to mention her new roommate. 2. Why did you decide to write this screenplay? I grew up watching TV shows like 90210 and Felicity that depicted university life as really serious and melodramatic. I just assumed that when I got to university I would be overwhelmed with exam stress and pregnancy scares and illicit affairs with sexy professors. I soon discovered that it wasn't like that at all; it was actually the silliest, most hilarious four years of my life. I collected enough funny material from my Frosh Week diary to write this TV pilot, and there are five more journals packed with ridiculous stories where that came from! 3. How long have you been writing screenplays? I wrote a few short film scripts in school, but I've only been writing TV scripts for the past year. 4. What is you all-time favorite film? (name only one) Definitely 30 Rock. 5. What artist in the film industry would you love to work with? I think that Tina Fey is the most brilliant human on Earth. I wish that I could surgically trade brains with her so that I could see what goes through her mind! 6. How many screenplays have you written? This is my third TV script and my first TV pilot. 7. Ideally, where would you like to be in 5 years? Writing for a living! I would love to be a staff writer on a TV series, but I also love blogging and writing for print. 8. Describe your process; do you have a set routine, method for writing? My writing technique is a little strange; I tend to do things backwards. I have a hilarious group of friends that I talk to everyday, and when somebody does or says something funny I'll write it down in a notebook. I have pages and pages of hilarious situations and punchlines that I can just build a plot around. Most writers start with a plot and add the jokes later, but I always start with the jokes! 9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about? I'm sure it's the nerdiest hobby on record, but I am terribly passionate about puns. I'm obsessed with them! I perform at my friend's comedy show each month as the "Local News Corres-PUN-dant", where I sit at a desk and make puns about stories in the news. Example: "Toronto Police seized 1,500 stolen bicycles during a raid on Queen West. A spokes-man for police said that cops have been working tire-lessly to stop this cycle-path from peddling stolen property." 10. What influenced you to enter the WILDsound Script Contest? The first TV script I ever wrote was a finalist in the last WILDsound TV Spec Script Contest. I got some great feedback that really improved my script, and now I'm back again to seek out more advice! 11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers? If you're trying to write comedy, my advice would be to surround yourself with hilarious people and write down everything that comes out of their mouths. It's trickier if you're trying to write drama - you should probably surround yourself with people who get kidnapped a lot or have a tendency to lapse into comas. Heidi Brander, Heidi Brander
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