INTERVIEW: Gordon Michael Woolvett and the Aha! Blogolicious! Media Awards

Canadian-born actor, Gordon Michael Woolvett, inspires creative innovation award


Who knew a spoof could turn into reality? Canadian-born actor, Gordon Michael Woolvett, inadvertently inspires an award for up and coming musicians, dancers and other artists.

In January of 2007, the first ever Aha! Blogolicious! Media Innovation Awards were given out for year 2006 by Seattle/Federal Way, Washington based Little Dogs Media which authors an online blog of the same name. The focus of this award is to illuminate and recognize little known or previously unknown emerging talent in all the creative fields, including but not limited to music, dance, theatre, art, filmmaking and writing.

The 2006 awards included musical groups out of Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, Washington, Exeter, England and New York City, New York as well as a short filmmaker out of Vancouver, B.C. in addition to Hamilton-born, Vancouver/Toronto based actor, Gordon Michael Woolvett.

Recipients are selected based on their showcased work on a MySpace page and are eligible only if they have been previously reviewed on the Aha! Blogolicious! Blogsite. Having a MySpace page is required and is partly an homage to the impressive impact that MySpace has had on showcasing new talent and allowing artists to reach millions of potential fans that they might otherwise never touch.

Yet the reason the awards were started in the first place is much more amusing and one of those stranger than fiction stories. The blog typically did more spoof (humor) articles prior to that time, alternating with music and art reviews of MySpace artists.

One spoof article was about Hamilton-born, Canadian actor Gordon Michael Woolvett, currently working in Vancouver, B.C., Canada and best known for his roles as Harper in Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda as well as the teen horror film, Bride of Chucky.

The article discussed a fictional Aha! Blogolicious! MediaMaker Award and the current "undead" nominee, Mr. Woolvett, poking fun at the often strange and sometimes suspicious award nomination processes common to Hollywood as well as many other major award groups.

As it turned out, several fans of Mr. Woolvett didn't realize the award was a spoof--and were understandably disappointed. It also highlighted the fact that MySpace in particular has become a welcome Mecca for music fans, as well as filmmakers, with YouTube becoming more of an influence in the short film venue as well.

The blog author, CG Anderson, was also finding many talented yet unknown musicians, dancers and other artists on MySpace and wanted to do something more than simply write about them on a weekly blog. Hence, the awards were born and a special award (with the same name as the spoof award) was given to Gordon Michael Woolvett. Unlike the Media Innovator awards, which are the ones awarded to the promising up and comers, it is the only one of the group that does not require a MySpace page.

The 2006 winners of the Aha! Blogolicious! Media Innovator Awards were the following: Summit Avenue (band, Seattle/LA), Marianas Trench (band, Vancouver, B.C.), Westcott & Rodway (musical duo, Exeter, England), Karen Nielsen (Blue Finn Productions, Vancouver, B.C.) for her short film Perceptions and Three Second Delay (band, New York City.)

Mr. Woolvett was awarded the 2006 Aha! Blogolicious! MediaMaker Lifetime Achievement Nominee Award.

Mr. Woolvett was gracious enough to grant an interview in which he discusses his career, his plans for the future and his personal take on the industry, both online and offline. The interview, after months of waiting, finally happened.

Full transcript (unaltered, except where noted, so any misspells are left in...) of interview with Gordon Michael Woolvett:

CGA: You've had a very successful acting career as well as a good start as a writer, director and producer. What do you feel your work (overall) is about? (Both at the surface, then deeper and even personally...) I know it's a bit philosophical, but I'm trying to get at what drives you in this field.

Gordon: ...Great question! Mi mind instantly jumps back to grade 10 English, studying the basis of all conflict in fiction or drama. The root of all conflict can be traced back to one of three scenarios: man against man, man against nature, man against himself / herself (please excuse my using "man" instead of "person;" that is just how it was presented back then.) For some reason I always gravitate -- whether directing, acting or writing-- toward 'man against himself'. I am fascinated by inner demons that people have to overcome and the silent struggles we don't even know are going on all around us. In Abridging the Devil's Divide Harper had to struggle with desire and power. These battles, waged against our darkest selves, are always the juiciest to me.

CGA: Where do you want to go as an artist? If you just want to be successful and buy matching mansions for you and your mum, that's ok. It's just that most artists I've met usually also have other, deeper goals for what they want to do with their work and what effects they have on the world.

Gordon: It is such a tough road and business if you truly think of yourself as an artist. There is so much involved that has nothing to do with art; and yet without all that business you wouldn't have a chance to exercise your craft. Where do I want to go? I have a number of projects that I am trying to get going. Ultimately directing-- with writing a close second-- is where my heart lies.

CGA: How did you get started? Did you always know that this was what you wanted to do?

Gordon: I started very young, around the age of 8, in theatre. I went to a theatre summer school program for a few years in a row and branched out from there. I loved it. It was such a blast. Some of my friends were like "you have to go to summer school?" But as the regular school year wound down I would be counting down the days for theatre school to start. It was so much fun!

CGA: What is your inspiration for your work? How do you stay inspired in such a tough business?

Gordon: It is tough to say where my inspiration comes from. I find more and more my respect grows for all those actors that I know and meet at auditions or functions etc. whom I can attest are brilliant; and whom struggle year after year chasing the acting dream. It is a horrible business and for every one actor you can name, there are about 1,000 you have never heard of who are probably ten times better than the one you named... just maybe not as pretty or tall or whatever. Most of the actors who have truly inspired me are ones I have worked with or met and who have achieved very little or no fame at all.

CGA: You have obvious talents in comedy, but also great dramatic appeal. You may not remember this movie, but one of my favorite scenes from you came in a little known movie called Elvis Meets Nixon. The movie itself didn't do much for me, but your short scene as a Vietnam soldier almost broke my heart--it was so quiet, clean, vulnerable, perfectly done and powerful that I never forgot it. So it begs the question, what is your favorite genre and type of work?

Gordon: My favourite genre has always been camp. I know its not a genre, but anything that has an element of camp to it really turns my crank. Favourite movie? Army of Darkness. No wait... Paper Moon. No wait... Sin City. No wait... better yet, ask me in ten minutes. I'll change my mind again.

CGA: On a related note, if you could have any part (TV, Film, Theater) past or present or future, what would it be? Or what would they be? And why? If you have a favorite actor or director or writer that you want to emulate (or exceed), then this is a good place for that, too.

Gordon: I would love to play Elric of Melnibone from the Eternal Champion series by Michael Moorcock. Actually, I heard they are making the Sword of Shannarah into a movie. I would play anything they gave me in that. Are you listening Terry Brooks? Are you an Andromeda fan?

CGA: Who are you? Who do you want to be? Who are you afraid to be? Why?

Gordon: Who am I? Um... Gordon Michael Woolvett....? Who do I want to be?...But I just want to be me! Who am I afraid to be? Um... a mime. I would be afraid to be a mime. Or maybe Lindsay Lohan.

CGA: What do you want out of life? Out of your industry? Perhaps not even just for yourself, but something that you want, in general, to happen.

Gordon: I want Canadians to go see Canadian movies. I want Canadian distributors to distribute Canadian movies so Canadians have Canadian movies to go see. And I want the government of Canada to friggin do something to make Canadian exhibitors show Canadian movies so Canadian distributors have a reason to distribute Canadian movies and Canadians have Canadian movies to go see. Then maybe I'll get to make my movie.

CGA: What are you planning next? More of a focus on acting, writing, directing or producing--and why? A focus on traditional film/TV storytelling, a particular genre or type of work, or something more radical?

Gordon: Definitely radical. I want to get my films off the ground and I want to reach people. So I am trying to take an aggressive approach. I think maybe I have an attitude problem and so I think that comes out in my writing and directing. I made a short film and I am very proud of it; but short films do not create opportunities for producers to make money, so your masterpiece rarely gets to reach a big audience. Right now I have a comedy and a very dark surf film with some serious radical action.

CGA: Anything you want to say to your fans about anything, this award, your work, anything?

Gordon: Thank you very blog-much for my blogalicious award. I am sorry I took so long to address this. But anyone who has spent anytime on my board will tell you I am at least being true to form. I don't get much time to log on. Also, to my fans: "live long and prosper!" Wait... that wasn't my line... oh here it is: "Nanoo-nanoo!" ...No that was Mork... um.... Oh yeah: "By the power of Grapthars hammer, I will avenge you!!".... um no... Trust in the hooper? Trust in the hopper? Now what was it again....

CGA: Anything else you might want to say...completely open here.

Gordon: I answer your question with another question: what is the difference between a rock? Oh yeah... I'm going to Dragoncon in Atlanta this August (the end of the month). I think Kevin and I might be hosting some late night naughty costume contest?? Don't miss it!!

CGA: OK, what is the deal with Fab Filippo and the film Canadian Bacon? At first, I thought that Fab was an alias actor name used whenever someone didn't want a credit, but now I find out he's real. Yet you were the male candy striper in the film? (Nice tan in that movie, by the way.)

Gordon: Did he get my credit?? That weasel. That downright weasel. Now that explains a very weird experience I had with a casting director years ago. She asked me about some script I was writing (which I wasn't) with some guy who I had never heard of and she kept calling me Fab. I have to admit I was quite fab back then but I had no idea what she was talking about! ;)

CGA: Optional question, do not answer if you think it might cause you problems in the industry...It seems the internet offers a lot of new opportunities for filmmakers and musicians, from having MySpace showcase your work (and be searchable by 100s of millions of people) to helping the thousands of film festivals for budding filmmakers find them, and visa versa. The only real closed option still seems to be for writers (books or film/TV)...where even the idea of self-publishing (book) is still condemned by the community (which is unlike online film work or putting your music online, where it seems to be accepted as good practice) and getting a foot in the door in the film/TV writing (scriptwriting) world is just as difficult as book publishing with few alternatives for getting material in front of audiences.

(Clarification post Gordon's response: It's easier for filmmakers and musicians to get their work in front of fans, than it is for writers, because of the nature of the work and the acceptance of alternatives like online and self-CD/DVD-publishing. Or at least that seems to be the case. There is less prejudice for self-publishing in music and film and more options for those that do, than for those involved purely in writing.)

You've been involved in the industry in a number of roles, and also use the internet as a platform for your work, what is your take on the situation--from musicians, to filmmakers, to writers?

Gordon: I am not exactly sure what you are asking but I will say this: barring obvious exceptions like disease and misfortune etc., on average God gave us each around 70 years to do whatever it is we want to do on this little ol' planet here. If you want to be a musician, if you want to be a writer, if you want to be a filmmaker... just do it. If you have an idea and you want to self publish it. Do it. If you want to make a short and upload it on you tube; do it. Because sooner or later you're going to die and you'll regret not having tried. And bigger schmucks have tried and succeeded... so why can't you?

CGA: As you may or may not know, I spend a great deal of time looking for new musical talent (and other artists, like dance groups) to review on my blog. I just recently saw on YouTube a short clip of you riffing on the guitar and improvising a song...I was surprised, you are quite good (and obviously a quick wit.) So are you a musician as well? What is your musical focus, favorites, influences?

Gordon: Man oh man. When I started acting my plan was just to use it as a way to pay for my instruments. I always wanted to be a rock star first. Then I just wanted to compose, but I kept getting work so here I am. I start ed on piano at around 4 years old. In high school I branched out to all the band instruments and now pretty much limit myself to my acoustic Dobro copy ( a steel guitar). I play a lot of slide in blues. That's the one in the clip there. I write a lot of music. I have a few synthesizers and guitars, used to have drums, etc. Sometimes I set up a little studio and write (not so often now with the kidlets around). I wrote and performed most of the music for my short, Fracture (I titled mine before the movie).

CGA: What other surprising talents might you be hiding? (Uh, remember is this a PG rated blog!) ;)

Gordon: I can rotate my tongue all the way upside down (twisting). Insert lewd joke here.

CGA: I thought about asking a silly, inane type question at the end, like what color shoes do you buy or what type of tree are you, but decided...not. ; )

Gordon: Don't worry, instead I provided silly and inane answers! ;)

Thank you again, Gordon, for this interview and without realizing it, for inspiring the creation of the Aha! Blogolicious! Media Innovation Awards. Best luck in the future, to not just you, but to all who endeavor to create and entertain, in spite of the odds.

PROFILE/INTERVIEW: Karen Nielsen, 2006 Aha! Blogolicious! Media Award Winner (Innovation) for film, Perceptions

Profile/Interview with 2006 Aha! Blogolicious! Media Award Winner Karen Nielsen (Perceptions, the movie)

Interview with Karen Nielsen, writer/director/producer of Innovation Winner, a short film using dance melded with narrative, Perceptions

This week, as promised, I profile another of the Aha! Blogolicious! Media Award winners. Karen Nielsen of Blue Finn Productions wrote, directed and produced the short film Perceptions, an intense, dramatic narrative about drug abuse and its terrifying consequences but seen through the tragic, double vision of the woman at the center of the conflict—she exists in two worlds. One is her real but very harsh existence where she cannot escape the misery or the consequences of her drug addiction. The other illusionary world is idyllic and passionate, as seen through the cloud of drug intoxication. One world is mundane and ugly; the other is lyrical and portrayed through imaginative dance and sensual dancers. In showing the drug victim’s perceptions in this manner, it makes it easier for all of us to understand the deadly pull of drug use. Drugs are used to escape reality, but the high is only imaginary and the consequences ultimately dire.

This is Karen Nielsen’s second major film offering as a director. The first, Infinite Moments, another short film about a woman dealing with the night she was raped, has also received rave reviews and acclaim. She has done several other shorts as well as a PSA promoting reading and education in Canada as well as a comedy called HULA. Her work though, seems more typically dramatic in nature and more and more seems to be taking on social issues within the context of her narratives.

Karen was born and raised in Vancouver, BC, Canada and attended the Vancouver Film School. She graduated with a Certificate of Recommendation from the Foundation Film Program I n1996. From there, she worked as an Associate Producer at the Toronto International Film Festival for the show REEL TO REAL and spent three years in Toronto working for Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox and Alliance Atlantis. Karen began her career as a producer and then as a writer/producer. Infinite Moments was Karen’s directorial debut.

[Question] What do you feel your movie is about? (both at the surface, deeper and even personally...)

[Karen] Perceptions is about a woman who is thrust into an alternative reality during a drug induced high where she is dancing in a world of her own. The woman’s perceptions are shaken as her two realities collide. As the intensity heightens and her confusion escalates, she is forced to choose between her two loves.

Perceptions addresses how we can sometimes see ourselves, compared to how we are perceived by those around us. Where the drug addicted woman sees herself as a beautiful dancer when she is high, her drug dealer as a sexy bad boy and her boyfriend as a knight in shining armor. Nothing is black and white, she is not just a strung out crazy drug-addicted woman, she is a person with issues, who is living in an alternative reality to get by. Sometimes people can get through with the support of those that love them and sometimes they don’t. The important thing is not to give up on someone because you perceive them a certain way, if the boyfriend had given up on her she would have died alone with a heartless drug dealer. The dance works in creating the alternative reality, showing how she is seeing everything and really feeling her emotion instead of being distracted by her drug-addicted appearance and only seeing that. I wanted to include the narrative to help the audience understand the journey and be aware of the judgments and perceptions that are made.

[Question] Where do you want to go as an artist? If you just want to be successful and buy matching mansions for you and your mum, that's ok. It's just that most artists I've met usually also have other, deeper goals for what they want to do with their work and what effects they have on the world.

[Karen] I think the world is endless for where I want to go as an artist. Yes I want to make narrative films that make a statement and get in peoples face. Subtlety has never been my style. Film is a wonderful way to reach huge audiences and make an awareness and hopeful change on many issues. One of the most satisfying things for me as a filmmaker is when I am approached by someone that connected with my film, and were moved by it. Just to let someone know that there are other people out there that understand or at least want to understand is so important. Too many people in this world feel that they are all alone.

I am also excited to just go out and have a little fun directing a romantic comedy or a thriller. I think all of my films will always have an underlying message, but sometimes you just need to turn your brain off and have a little fun

[Question] How did you get started? Did you always know that this was what you wanted to do?

[Karen] I started out volunteering at a local cable channel, doing some camera work and assisting the directors. When I started to think that this may fit for me I went to the Vancouver Film School. After film school, I thought I knew what I wanted to do, be an editor but that didn’t fit as nicely as I thought it would. Then I realized, I know what industry I want to be in but I am not sure where I fit in it. So over the years I tried numerous areas of the industry from production, marketing and publicity, post production and producing. Then when I was trying to figure out who should direct a short I had written, I couldn’t think of anyone that knew the story and what I wanted to say with it as much as I did. With the encouragement of my peers I decided to direct my first film ‘Infinite Moments’. For the first time in my life things began to fit and I realized I had found exactly where I was supposed to be in this industry, a director. I haven’t looked back since.

[Question] What is your inspiration for your work? How do you stay inspired in such a tough business?

[Karen] The people around me inspire me for stories and keep me inspired. From family & friends who support me and believe in me to complete strangers who see my films and are moved by them. I truly believe that everyone deserves to find happiness, and part of my happiness comes from making films and I would never let anyone stop me from following my dreams to being happy, no matter what the obstacle. As they always say, nothing in life worth having is ever easy.

[Question] Your movie has a deep social meaning to it (drug use) but you use dance as a way of telling that story. That is very innovative. Why dance? How did you come up with the idea? Is dance being used as more than a story telling mechanism here? Is it also being used as a metaphor?

[Karen] I chose to do a dance film as I wanted the challenge of being able to capture emotion through movement and not words. The music by Kubilay Uner inspired me for the story, as the music came before anything else. I had wanted to do a film revolving around the perceptions that we have of ourselves and that of others, as they are always different. I hate how society in general likes to shoebox everyone into a category. A Drug addict is disgusting and could stop if they really wanted to be clean, they are just throwing away their lives. The statement may be true, but it is not that simple and not that black and white. At the end of the day people are human and have vulnerabilities and insecurities, some more than others. Some are stronger to overcome obstacles and some are not, but that does not mean that they are less of a person because of it. I wanted the lead character in Perceptions to be seen as the strung out junkie who did want to make a change and come clean and have a wonderful future with this great supportive guy (her prince charming). That’s how I presented her, but the dance realm shows her how she sees herself. She needs the drugs to feel strong and beautiful, without them she feels insecure and disgusting, how we see her in the narrative. The dance in the film is her high, and when we are in the narrative we see her reality that she keeps slipping back to. When you see the two worlds, who wouldn’t want to stay in the dance euphoria.

The choreography by Josh Beamish really translated everything from the script along with the performances of the dancers. I learned a lot about the power of movement and expression to convey emotion and story.

[Question] What are you planning next? More dance or other arts being melded with film work? Or more traditional film storytelling?

[Karen] I am planning to do another dance film with ‘Perceptions’ choreographer Josh Beamish in which we are currently applying for funding for entitled ‘The Ballerina’ written by Dennis Goldberg and I am scheduled to shoot a short comedy in April. I am currently working on developing two feature film scripts, one drama and a comedy. I love doing a mixture of genre’s and formats of story telling. I really let the story and/or characters drive my imagination.

[Question] Anything you want to say to your fans about anything, this award, your work, anything?

[Karen] I love that people have embraced ‘Perceptions’, showing that dance is still an entertaining and powerful form of expression that people want to watch. I love pushing boundaries, and having this film represent being an innovator is very exciting and inspiring to continue telling the stories that excite me and allow myself to move outside of my comfort zone and push not only my own boundaries but push everything around me to bring my films to the world.

Thank you, Karen. It was great getting your perceptions!

For more information about Karen, her production company or her movies, including upcoming screenings, please see the information and links below:

Upcoming Screenings:
INFINITE MOMENTS
Okanagan Film Festival March 28 ­ Apr 1, 2007 (Kelowna, BC)
Rebel Planet Short Film Festival Apr 20 ­ 22, 2007 (Los Angeles, CA)
DeReel Independent Film Festival May 3 ­ 13, 2007 (Melbourne, AUS)
Swansea Bay Film Festival Tues June 5 @ Dylan Thomas Centre (Swansea Bay,
Old South Wales ­ UK)

PERCEPTIONS
Swansea Bay Film Festival Wed June 6 @ Dylan Thomas Centre (Swansea Bay,
Old South Wales ­ UK)

For more information on screenings please visit the Blue Finn Productions
website at http://www.bluefinnproductions.com

My Spaces
http://www.myspace.com/perceptionsthemovie
http://www.myspace.com/bluefinnproductions.com
http://www.myspace.com/janitorsoffice
http://www.myspace.com/infinitemomentsmovie


CG Anderson
Little Dogs Media
Aha! Blogolicious!

Please do NOT copy or redistribute this interview (or pictures) without my express permission. This is because any interviews involve other people and their proprietary work, hard work, I might add—so it is a courtesy to them to treat their hard work with respect. Thank you.