The Hot Seat - Scott Button

1. What is the first film you can remember having an effect on you?

Batman Returns is a seminal, camp, queer-coded, gothic masterpiece. It has an unhinged quality that you rarely see in studio movies today (especially superhero films). I think I probably watched it more than 20 times… at far too young an age.

2. If you could work with one filmmaker, dead or alive, who would it be?

Probably Alfred Hitchcock. His films are so glamorous and assured even as they fill you with dread. Psycho was another major movie for me, one that I also watched when I was way too young.

3. If you could remake any film, what would it be and what would you change?

I’m not sure I’m interested in “remaking” a movie, but adaptation sounds interesting. I do have a one-pager for a contemporary take on Noel Coward’s Private Lives…

4. What is your biggest passion outside of being a creator?

I started as an actor and playwright, so I will always be fond of the theatre. I love every form of it - big flashy musicals, kitchen-sink dramas, performance art where people crawl on broken glass. Live theatre is the best.

5. What are you working on now?

Allegiance (CBC)

I just finished my first season in the writer’s room of the TV series Allegiance (CBC). I’m also writing the libretto for an opera, and developing a few television projects. Next week I start rehearsals on a play as an actor, and in the new year I’ll pitch some work that’s been cooking for a while. That said… please hire me!

6. Creatively, what inspires you to continue your journey in filmmaking?

I’m not a filmmaker (yet), I’m a TV writer, playwright and actor. However, it’s been a dream of mine to eventually write and direct a film. Someday!

It’s a cliché answer, but I’m continually inspired by writers, directors and actors who take great creative risks. It’s fucking hard to take risks these days. First off, it’s really difficult to find professional, creative work that pays enough so that you can live and make the art that you want to. Then, if you’re lucky and skilled enough to have that stability and can generate something that actually reaches the public, there’s a huge push for non-threatening, dumbed-down, accessible content - whether it’s film, TV, theatre, whatever.

Two successful, recent-ish examples of television projects that took big risks are Baby Reindeer and Somebody Somewhere. The former is a miniseries adapted from a play; it became a cultural phenomenon. Baby Reindeer took risks in its structure and tone, making it feel fresh and dynamic. Somebody Somewhere is a beautifully tender comedy-drama that ran on HBO for three seasons. It’s touchingly authentic, and unlike anything else on TV. To me it takes risks by defying typical TV arcs - you’re mostly just spending time with these characters and watching them behave. It’s brilliant.

I’m aware that the above are two major shows produced by gigantic corporations. In terms of film, I’m really excited by the glut of great horror movies that are being made on small or mid-sized budgets. It’s great to see filmmakers expanding the boundaries of a familiar genre in new ways that resonate with audiences.

7. Who are your frequent collaborators and what do they bring to your projects?

Family Law Writing Team

I tend to show my writing to a few select colleagues as well as my partner before I show it to anyone else. It’s vulnerable to share a first draft, so you need to have a cohort you can share work with before you send it off to big, scary people who could hire you.

8. What is the most rewarding part about being a BC creator? What is the most challenging?

I am amazed by the amount of talent and grit in the film and television sectors of BC. It feels like every weekend there’s a festival showcasing emerging and established filmmakers. People are out here swinging big, making new stuff, attracting exciting partners and talent. On the television side, the Pacific Screenwriting Program (of which I am a proud alumnus) has been training television writers and offering them vital integration and exposure into the Vancouver television ecosystem. There is so much to be inspired by in our province.

A challenge of working in BC - and perhaps Canada, generally - is the sentiment among film/TV creators to “think small”. We’re wowed by American and overseas content while we constrain our own ambitions. It’s not only Canadian humility at work, it’s also the financing systems that incentivize (read: force) Canadian creators to scale projects to a small and achievable level. I’d love it if we could all adopt a more American-style ambition with our work and vision.

9. As a creator, how do you measure success?

What a question! This is a life-long challenge. I’d love to say I measure success in my professional and creative relationships, and the feeling of satisfaction when I complete a project and it’s out in the world. Some days, this is true. But in my darker moments, I have a shadow-gremlin that reduces any success to money and fame, which is a losing battle when you don’t have much of either. It’s a continual practice to define one’s own success and satisfaction in this career.

10. Tell us about a time you failed and how it helped you.

It took me four tries to get into the Pacific Screenwriting Program. The third time, I interviewed but, still, no luck. The rejection hurt me so badly. I was absolutely gutted, gloomy for months (granted, not a rare state of being for me). On my fourth and final attempt, I submitted a pilot which was very personal, drawn directly from my life. I felt shaky, nervous sending it in. When I was accepted, that script helped me find development opportunities, staffing and representation. It’s a continual reminder: do the thing that scares you!