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Deborah S. Patz – Author

Author of film books for industry pros and youth

hospital bed with dvd player
Nov142025

What I Learned from Filmmaking… from a Stroke (about Johnny English)

If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know that my mom had a stroke last year. Among the effects of the story, it took away her ability to read (letters, symbols and numbers) but oddly not her ability to handwrite. If you want to learn more about that oddness, here’s last year’s post: https://www.debpatz.com/what-i-learned-about-writing-from-a-stroke/

Another lesson on the journey of recovery is from the time when she was still in the hospital: a lesson about hope.

Beyond her struggles to remember how to read, to calculate what year it was, to identify cutlery on the lunch tray, and so on… my mom had a desperate need to see the movie “Johnny English.”

Really?

Apparently, in all her hospital tests and discoveries about abilities lost and not, she wanted to know if she could still understand movie comedy and enjoy one of her most favourite films. She knew she had shelves of books in her home she might never be able to read again. She needed to know if her shelves of movies were also going to be out of reach.

She asked about the movie near daily, looking forward – no doubt with trepidation – to when she’d have the chance to see it again and find out. But until she did, she was determined that she’d not know the full extent of what was lost with the stroke.

So, one day, I brought the movie along with a portable DVD machine and headphones to the hospital. I had to help her use the machine because she couldn’t read the icons on the player – not even the buttons for play, pause or volume.

Watching her watch the movie… well, I can hardly describe the joy on her face as she discovered she could still understand the story, still catch the humour – both wit and slapstick. In that moment, the movie gave her hope: hope for the future, hope for some level of recovery. And even if some skills were going to remain lost to the stroke, she’d still have movies. She’d still have story and comedy.

You see, the medical profession keeps you alive physically, but stories can keep you alive emotionally.

That moment in the hospital will stay with me. It is the reason I entered the film industry in the first place: to truly affect people’s lives with filmed story. To make a difference in people’s lives through story.

As a filmmaker, you rarely see that connection actually happen. You are part of the movie being made and during release, it goes out strangers you may never meet. It’s a blessing that, every now and then, life will let you know that the connection is working. And hope is born in me too.

The hope and power of story!

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).

“Write! Shoot! Edit!” (written for young adults) is a choose-your-own-path book where you can follow the path of the writer, director-DP or editor to make your first films. It’s also available worldwide, including Amazon-USA, Indigo-Canada (Kobo), or directly from the publisher (MWP).

The word me on a Wednesday
Nov22025

Inspiration at the Movies: Wednesday

“Every day is about me.”
– Wednesday (Wednesday, Season 2, 2025)

‘Tis a cheeky, selfish thing to say, isn’t it?

But look at it again. There’s some wisdom there: we are – or should be – the lead in the movie of our own life. Yes, we should be of service to others in the community of life. Being of service comes back to us in many positive ways, including connection with and building of community (for we are social beings after all), through paying-it-forward, and so on.

Even Wednesday isn’t entirely selfish in her actions. She’s the hero of her own story, but also the hero of the school and hero of the community of Outcasts.

But we also need to care for self, and that’s what Wednesday’s phrase is reminding me. You have to care for yourself so that you’re able to care for others. ‘Tis a lovely, albeit cheeky, reminder, isn’t it?

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).

“Write! Shoot! Edit!” (written for young adults) is a choose-your-own-path book where you can follow the path of the writer, director-DP or editor to make your first films. It’s also available worldwide, including Amazon-USA, Indigo-Canada (Kobo), or directly from the publisher (MWP).

An orange as a jack o lantern
Oct152025

The Pumpkin-Carving Contest at Craft Service

It was October. Head Office was hosting a Halloween party and they wanted decorations, especially lots of carved pumpkins. But that’s a lot of work.

Our TV series was shooting in the studio at the building, so I volunteered the crew to carve a number of the pumpkins. And so, we hosted a pumpkin carving contest at craft service. Everyone was welcome to make a design, carve a few cuts, collaborate or grab a pumpkin and carve it alone. Craft Service gave us the space and I made sure the supplies were there and tidy throughout the day.

From all the organizing atop my daily shoot-day work, I didn’t have time to carve a pumpkin myself, but I was thrilled to see how many people participated. I was, however, wearing an orange sweater – an intensity of orange so bright that the sweater could only have been knit by your mother (and it was), and could only be worn in public in October (which it also was).

So, I had an idea.

The camera team gave me a little black camera tape and, in a few minutes, I was done. I’d attached strips of the black tape into the design of a classic jack-o-lantern face on the front of my bright orange sweater. It was now super-clear that I was the organizer of the pumpkin carving contest.

By day’s end, we had at least 12 pumpkins completed pumpkins. Head Office was thrilled. The other, unfinished / partially-finished pumpkins could be completed by others in the building.

As for the crew, I did promise it was a contest. So, I brought in the Producer to decide on the winning pumpkin. It was a hard choice to be sure. The pumpkins were an excellent mix of scary, funny, classic, creative. How would the producer choose? They took their time looking at each pumpkin, addressing its praises, for they were all fantastic and unique.  I did not envy the job I’d given them.

Then they settled on a winning choice: my sweater! The crew heartily agreed. I had to accept.

But… I did not contribute my “winning” sweater to decorate the Head Office Halloween Party.

Are you planning for a behind-the-scenes activity this Halloween season?

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).

Hand holding an award
Oct12025

What I Learned about Filmmaking Life from Guild Wars 2

“Mistakes make us human. It’s rising up again that makes us heroes.” – Your Human Character (Guild Wars 2 video game, personal story)

With the expansion to Guild Wars 2 coming out this month, I dipped back into the game and started a new character. In playing the personal story anew (where your choices affect the story you play and the characters you meet), I was affected by this advice that my character gave an NPC.

A freelance career in the film industry is indeed made up of many ups and downs over the years – some in our control and some not. I’ve turned down working on a film because I didn’t particularly like the script… and then it went on to win incredible awards. I’ve also been faced with choosing an 8-month series or a 4-day unique shoot – a harder choice to make because the longer one provided monetary security whereas the shorter one provided more glamour factor but would leave me unemployed shortly thereafter.

When it comes down to it, though, none of the choices made were “mistakes” (ok, maybe passing on the award-winning film was), but in reality, they just led to different paths through my career life. And for each path chosen, I had to rise up and keep looking for work, keep networking, keep making connections. That is the path to self-improvement in career and life.

I also love that it’s my character in Guild Wars providing the advice. It’s so true that you can give yourself your own best advice. The important step, though, is to take it… and become the best you that you can be. And then you will be a true hero in your own life.

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).

 

Business cards in a pocket
Sep152025

Industry Parties and the 2-Pocket Business Card Season

Festival season is well underway and all those industry parties! Are you ready? And how do you remember all those people you meet? Including what you talked about?

Use business cards, of course! Yes, they are still relevant.

I like to wear a blazer as part of my outfit at these parties, or at least something with two pockets. In my right pocket, I have business cards to hand-out, and in my left pocket, I place business cards that I receive during the event. Keeping them in separate pockets means I can find a business card of mine effortlessly and they don’t get mixed up with ones I’ve received.

I also keep a pen in my right pocket with my giveaway business cards. I use it to jot down a word or two or a question on the back of any received card so I know what we talked about or I can follow-up with an answer after the party.

If someone doesn’t have a physical business card – which is more and more frequent now – we can connect via digital business card or Linked-In invitation on the spot. In this case, I also have the opportunity to use one of my own giveaway cards and jot down the person’s name and a word or two on the back and transfer it to my received pocket for my own reference.

If it looks like I always use physical business cards, well, I do prefer them and their tactile nature. As an introvert, fingering my received cards gives me comfort that I’ve reached out of my comfort zone to meet people at an event. Plus, there are many options now for eco-friendly choices in card stock: post-consumer recycled material, paper made with natural fibers like hemp or bamboo, and even recycled cotton or biodegradable options.

But if I forget to bring business cards with me (which certainly has happened) or I don’t have a 2-pocket outfit, I definitely use my digital business card. I mean, we always have our mobile phone with us now, don’t we? The digital card is great with its QR code for fast connecting, and the photo avatar is fantastic for when you remember a face more so than a name.

So, whether you use a digital business card or physical one or both, consider the 2-pocket system for when you connect with people. Maybe I’ll see you at an event and we can trade cards!

Cheers & a good industry party 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).

 

city park
Sep12025

When Micro-Budget Productions = Big Budget Productions

We were a tiny, micro-budget production. I mean ten cast and crew small. Fortunately, we scored a free permit at the city park, firstly because of our micro-size, but secondly because we presented ourselves professionally, providing all the relevant details of our planned shoot day: how few of us there were; how long we’d be there; what part of the park we needed; how we’d not need to interrupt any of the public from enjoying the park or its paths and so on.

On the day, however, we received a call from the park officer who’d granted us the permit. Irate is the word that comes to mind. They were remarkably angry that we’d so badly abused the favour of a free permit. They’d had multiple complaints from the public within the first two hours of our day, complaining that we were blocking traffic, blocking footpaths, ordering public around like we’d owned the place… basically we were being exceedingly rude and entitled. I kept my cool and said how surprised and confused I was by the report because we hadn’t done any of those things. We were indeed only ten people, no park road or pathway was blocked and the only interaction we’d had with the public was to pause our rehearsal twice to allow foot traffic go by – we didn’t stop them at all. I gently asked if there happened to be a different film production in another part of the park at the same time as us.

They admitted that there was and then apologized quickly, thanking us for not in fact abusing the favour. The other production was a long running big budget production and they would give them a call next.

I did not envy the person on the receiving end of that next phone call.

From the experience, I learned a few things:

  1. If you’re asking for a favour, be straightforward and truthful, i.e. say what you’re actually going to do (or need); do not try to spin a story that you think will score you the favour.
  2. If you do receive a favour from someone, don’t abuse it.
  3. There is prejudice against micro-budget productions for being unprofessional and rude – not seeing beyond their own interests; however, that kind of behaviour can happen at any budget level. Act professional and respectful no matter how much money you have or don’t have, because…
  4. Every production – big or tiny – represents the entire film industry.

What you send out into the world comes back to you. Make it good.

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).