He moved permanently to Los Angeles! And then the phone started ringing for Canadian jobs… Award-winning Canadian TV & feature writer-producer Wil Zmak is sure to win records for the longest commute!
Wil Zmak grew up in Toronto, and studied film at Toronto’s York University (around the same time Gray was there), as well as the Canadian Film Centre. Then, his wife’s career demanded a move to the US, and it was off to Los Angeles!
Now permanently planted in L.A., Wil was offered the first of many Canadian jobs, that would see him travel to Canada for several months at a time, flying home on weekends to be with his family. Since then, Wil has worked as a writer, producer, and story editor on several Canadian television series, including The Listener (CTV, FOX International), The Aladdin Project (CTV), Stone Undercover (Tom Stone – CBC / US syndication), Jinnah on Crime (CBC), and Being Erica (CBC).
Hear the fascinating story of how a conversation with director Paul Fox on the state of film storytelling resulted in Wil writing the script for the 2005 thriller The Dark Hours, which has won fifteen awards at international festivals, including seven for Best Feature.
Wil has also worked in development for both TV and features, and offers many helpful tips, including the best way to adapt novels to the screen; what adaptations can teach you about your original material; targeted networking; and why you shouldn’t limit yourself to the hero’s journey and commonly taught story structures.
Follow Wil Zmak on Twitter: @wilzmak
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published March 27, 2011.
097 - Dan O'Shannon (Modern Family, Frasier, Cheers)
096 - Keto Shimizu (Co-Showrunner, DC's Legends of Tomorrow)
095 - Michael Narducci (Showrunner of The Originals)
094 - Arika Lisanne Mittman (EP of Paradise Lost, Timeless)
093 - Sarah Watson (Creator of The Bold Type, Author of Most Likely)
092 - Bob Goodman (Creator of The Zeta Project, EP of Elementary)
091 – “How I Wrote That” Podcast Host Khanisha Foster (mp3)
090 – Touched By An Angel, A Prairie Home Companion Writer Ken LaZebnik (mp3)
089 – Kirby Buckets Co-Creator Mike Alber (mp3)
088 – Jimmy Kimmel Writer, 2nd Smartest in the World Rick Rosner (mp3)
087 – Hand of God Creator/Showrunner Ben Watkins (mp3)
086 – Automatic Pilot Author Bill Taub (mp3)
085 – San Diego Comic-Con Panel - How to Write a TV Pilot (mp3)
084 – Unseen Africa Pilot Producer/Host Francis Tapon (mp3)
083 – Bad Teacher Creator/Showrunner Hilary Winston (mp3)
082 – Caper Creator, Eureka Writer/Producer Amy Berg (mp3)
081 – Lost Co-Creator, Tuck Everlasting & Necessary Roughness Writer Jeffrey Lieber (mp3)
080 – UK Writers James Whitehouse & Hannah George (mp3)
079 – The Finder, The Good Guys Writer Aaron Ginsburg (mp3)
078 – The Client List Writer, Script Anatomy Consultant Tawnya Bhattacharya (mp3)
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