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Category: Inspiration

Debs books next to generations of hands - hands photo by Ricardo Moura at Unsplash
Aug262025

Inspiration at the Movies: Iron Man’s Legacy

“It’s not about me. It’s not about you, either. It’s about legacy, the legacy left behind for future generations.” – Tony Stark (Iron Man II, 2010)

Tony talks (and thinks) a lot about his legacy since his enlightenment in the first “Iron Man” movie, but this quotation is probably his best known. With intent, he changed his company away from building weapons of war. With intent, he became a leader in sustainable energy with Stark Tower. With intent, he created Ultron to create “peace in our time.” With intent, he created “B.A.R.F.” (hysterical acronym!). And his inventions go on.

But what is his legacy? It’s being Iron Man… and all that he does and sacrifices to be Iron Man.

Tony didn’t intend to become so. He became Iron Man in the desert out of necessity – brilliantly using his intelligence. Over the years he improved the suit again and again to keep Iron Man effective, and as Iron Man as well as Tony Stark, he mentored Spiderman – part of a new generation of superheroes.

What I find interesting is that Tony didn’t actually intent to become Iron Man. He never stopped inventing after becoming so – chasing ideas and inventions that he thought would be his legacy – but he also leaned in to being Iron Man and all that means.

And I’m sure we all think about legacy to some degree. Not necessarily at the scale of Iron Man or saving the world, but of what we leave behind from our professional endeavours to make a better tomorrow. As the third edition of my production management book came out this year, I got to thinking about legacy too and my legacy (finally?) became clear.

When I wrote the first book (“Surviving Production”) back in the 90s, I never thought I’d write an expanded production management version (“Film Production Management 101”) five years later, let alone re-writing and updating the PM book several times over in the next couple of decades… and its being associated with ducks on the cover (ask anyone about the PM book with the ducks on the cover).

Aside from writing, I’ve continued expanding my film industry knowledge and work experiences, which in turn feed into my book. I’ve taught film students. I’ve mentored film industry folk at many levels. I returned to school to hone my skills writing fiction and even better understand crafted story. But “Film Production Management 101” (and its ducks) keeps coming back to me – in a very good way.

I’ve met people who’ve used my book to help them become successful production managers – the universe has been kind to let me meet from time to time. I’ve had people personally and with heartfelt sincerity thank me for writing the book because it gave them the confidence to chase their dream of working in the film industry.

So, I have to admit it: my book “Film Production Management 101” is my professional legacy. It’s certainly not all of me, but it’s been around since 1997 and it’s pretty darned great (if I say so myself) and available in more countries than I’ve ever travelled to! It’s my gift to filmmakers of today and tomorrow. And that’s a pretty darned cool legacy.

What might your legacy be? You may not be able to see it yet – as both mine and Tony’s wasn’t really revealed to us until later in life – but keep being true to you and I’m sure your legacy will reveal itself to you in time.

Thank you, Tony, for the insight.

Cheers & a good shoot to you,
Deb

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“Film Production Management 101” (now in its third edition) is updated for today’s respectful workplace and sustainable practices – available worldwide, including Amazon-USA, Indigo-Canada and many other bookstores or directly from the publisher (MWP).

waking up
Nov242024

Magic Movie Moment: Casey Edison’s Wide-Eye Wake-Up

As the coming of winter brings shorter days, it’s a struggle to get out of bed in the morning – especially when it’s still dark outside. Enveloped by cozy, warm covers, it’s easy to lull one’s self into another drowse alarm cycle, but you can’t go on pressing the bar forever. At some point you have to commit to rising.

That’s when I remember Casey Edison (the mom on Maniac Mansion, played by the fabulous Deb Theaker).

person-awake-in-bedFor a wake-up scene in one episode, she squeezed her eyes tightly shut then opened them super-wide before relaxing into normal sight. Surprisingly it works! You feel a bit more awake. Doing so, it’s easier to pull back the covers and get out of bed. It’s rather amazing, since there is so little effort involved for such a dramatic effect. Maybe you have to do it a couple of times before you feel the full effect, but it beats the shock of blasting music or bright lights.

What a magic movie moment! I’ve carried this moment with me for many years now and it still works. Thank you, Casey… or rather… Deb Theaker.

OK, when exhausted tiredness creeps in later in production, I’ll scale up my morning routine to include multiple alarm clocks… but that’s a story for another time.

Cheers & a magic morning wake-up to you,
Deb

– – – – – – – – –

Where is Deb?

13-Dec/24 – Vancouver Film Industry Holiday Party for some festive fun at InFocus Film School

PM101 bookEnd of Jan/25 – “Film Production Management 101 – Third Edition” is coming to bookstores and online, but available now for pre-order (e.g. on Amazon, Amazon Canada, Indigo-Chapters, directly from the publisher MWP).

Early Feb/25 – TBA location of the Vancouver launch party & book signing. When the location is set, you can pre-order an autographed copy from the attending bookstore.

Reading week Feb/25 – A celebration party & book signing in Toronto is in discussion. If/when confirmed, you can pre-order an autographed copy from the attending bookstore.

Sep152024

Inspiration at the Movies: Tintin

Referring to the villain named Mr. Sakharine in “The Adventures of Tintin” (2011):

“A sour-faced man with a sugary name” – Captain Haddock

“May I present Monsieur Shuggair Adetittiff” – Biance Castafiore

Ya gotta love these plays on words! They make the second layer of humour for adults in a movie whose primary audience is children. Kids enjoy other humorous elements in the story – especially from slapstick and coincidence – but the movie is layered in comedy. The witty elements, like saccharine/sugar references, connect with adults and older kids like a secret in plain sight. This witty layer adds to the movie’s marketing reach, and adds to its replayability as the audience makes new discoveries with each viewing.

Isn’t that what we do in life too: re-visit places we’ve been to before and add new layers of discoveries to our memories?

Ever been back to your old school and realized that the lockers you thought where tall are actually rather short? Ever spoken with one of your old teachers and learned a new perspective on events that happened to you or your class from years before? The new realization or perspective doesn’t replace your old memory, it adds a layer to the existing memory. You can remember it as if you were young, and you can remember it with a layer of adult insight.

Just as discovering the witty layer of humour in “The Adventures of Tintin” is like a rite of passage on our journey to maturity, so too is finding and adding layers of perspectives to old life experiences. How wonderfully complex and layered our lives!

Where are you inspired to re-visit in your life to add a new perspective?

Cheers & a good shoot to you,
Deb

– – – – – – – – –

Where is Deb?

Mon. Sep. 16 – Guest Speaker at GEMS ETVP (Emerging TV Producers) Program, Vancouver BC

Tue. Oct. 8 – Guest Speaker for Telefilm at the Sustainable Production Forum (SPF24), Vancouver BC

Wed. Oct. 9 – Women in Film & TV In-Person Networking for Production Managers hosted by Netflix, London UK

Mon. Oct. 14 – Raindance’s Boozin’ n Schmoozin’ Networking for Independent Filmmakers, London UK

And FYI, the third edition of “Film Production Management 101” is coming to bookstores and online in January 2025, but available now for pre-order (e.g. on Amazon, Amazon Canada, Indigo-Chapters).

Jan102019

Inspiration at the Movies: Legally Blonde (Endorphins)

“Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.”
– Elle Woods (Legally Blonde, 2001)

With a quote like that, Elle kinda makes you want to exercise, no?

After the excess of the holiday season, I bet a lot of us are thinking about exercise this month. I sure am, but in the dark of the winter, it’s hard to feel inspired to exercise – anything from energetic work-out, fitness class or even a simple walk around the neighbourhood. When I get that way, Elle’s quote comes to my mind to get me started. And you know? She’s right. By the end of my choice of exercise, I do feel good – about it and about myself.

Now I just have to get my husband to come out and join me. 🙂

Cheers & happy endorphins to you,
Deb

– – – – – – – – – –

Deborah (Deb) Patz is the author of Write! Shoot! Edit! for teens and Film Production Management 101 for the industry – both books are published worldwide by MWP. She’s also part of the editorial board for Prism International. She doesn’t understand how her dog can be so energetic AFTER a long walk.

WHERE IS DEB? (upcoming events and appearances)
Feb. 9/19 – Author Participant with Biz Books at Digital Media Youth Expo, North Vancouver BC
March 2019 – Emerald City Comic Con, Seattle WA
July 2019 – UFVA Conference, Minneapolis, MN

WHERE TO FIND DEB’S BOOKS?
Paperback or eBook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, Waterstones, direct from the publisher and from plenty of other great bookstores worldwide.

Nov222018

Diving Into The Three Wells at Tea & Ink Writing Club

I was requested to mentor again at the Tea & Ink Writing Club and happily agreed. To do something a little different, this time I brought Matthew Kalil’s book “The Three Wells of Screenwriting” (a wonderful new MWP book on my bookshelf). It’s a book to get the inspiration juices flowing.

From the book, I introduced the group to Matthew’s three wells of creativity, and then we ran through the exercises to dive in and explore each one. Let me share a bit with you:

#1 – The External Sources Well –
The ideas and thoughts here are from external sources, like movies and books, etc. and from the writing exercises we noticed they were primarily visual. Tapping into this well was by far the fastest. Thoughts and ideas related to this well we found were very close to the surface and easily accessible.

#2 – The Imagination Well –
Wild and crazy ideas happened here. Some in space, some not. Wonder and personal philosophy inspired the ideas from this well, but it did take more focused thought to push past the external sources well to reach this well of uncharted imaginative ideas.

#3 – The Memory Well –
Finally, this well was the deepest and most personal. It triggered tender and teary emotions as well as memory of smells. No doubt it is from this well that we write most closely to the human experience, and it was clear that we required more thoughtful time than the previous two wells in order to access these memories honestly.

Gosh, we only tapped the start of Matthew’s book. He also highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each well so you know how far to wade in, that book goes on from there.

Now, in my book, “Write! Shoot! Edit!“ I see the creative process in three stages:

(1) Wild Inventor Brain (inspiration), followed by:

(2) Dr Structure Editor (the structural – but still creative – edit), and followed again by:

(3) Nitpicky Copy Editor (polishing)

As Matthew’s book is all about the inspirational stage of the creative process, you can (and we did) use The Three Wells to point one’s Wild Inventor Brain in a rough direction of where you want to go for a writing session and through freewriting explore, reveal and discover.

It was a wildly successful Tea & Ink session, and the range of writing from the participants was vast. No surprise there, as the group includes poets, novelists and short story writers.

So, if you need some inspiration to get yourself writing – or writing again – or if you have an active Wild Inventor Brain that needs a little direction in order for you to productive, dive into the three wells yourself.

Cheers & happy inspiration to you,
Deb

– – – – – – – – – –

Deborah (Deb) Patz is the author of Write! Shoot! Edit! for teens and Film Production Management 101 for the industry – both books are published worldwide by MWP. She’s also part of the editorial board for Prism International. As well as writing, she LOVES tea.

WHERE IS DEB? (upcoming events and appearances)
Nov. 29-30, 2018 – Whistler Film Festival
Feb. 9, 2019 – Author Participant with Biz Books at Digital Media Youth Expo, North Vancouver BC
July 2019 – UFVA Conference, Minneapolis, MN

WHERE TO FIND DEB’S BOOKS?
Paperback or eBook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, Waterstones, direct from the publisher and from plenty of other great bookstores worldwide.

Deb at R2R Festival
Apr172018

Inspiration at the Movies: Earth: One Amazing Day

Deb at R2R FestivalThis past weekend, I went to the closing night of the R2R Family Film Festival. It’s great to see family-friendly films from around the world on the big screen… but I digress.

Sometimes in a movie there’s a line that really rings true and you know you’re going to remember it for, well, probably for the rest of your life! It really speaks to you. Well, Saturday, I heard just such a line. Apparently it’s an African saying, but for me, it’s a line from “Earth: One Amazing Day” forever in sync in my brain with a flyover of African vistas and an adorable baby zebra. Here ’tis:

If you want to go fast, go alone.
If you want to go far, go together.

Which will you choose? In the meantime…

Cheers & a great shoot to you,
Deb

– – – – – – – – – –

Deborah (Deb) Patz is the author of Write! Shoot! Edit! for teens and Film Production Management 101 for the industry – both books are published worldwide by MWP. She’s also part of the editorial board for Prism International and she really, really, really wants to visit Africa someday.

WHERE IS DEB? (upcoming events and appearances)
Apr.19 – Guest Author – Tea & Ink Writing Club, Tri-Cities BC
May 2-3 – Guest Instructor – Powell River Digital Film (High) School, Powell River BC
May 19-24 – PM Instructor – Screenwriter’s Bootcamp, PEI
Jul.23-26 – UFVA Conference: Stories Without Borders, La Cruces, New Mexico

WHERE TO FIND DEB’S BOOKS?
Paperback or eBook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chapters/Indigo, Waterstones, direct from the publisher and from plenty of other great bookstores worldwide.