We are very excited to announce an Intimate Evening with the Creator, Stars, and Casting Director of “The Cape”!  The event will be a panel discussion with Thomas Wheeler, casting director Risa Bramon Garcia, and actors James Frain and Keith David, followed by a cocktail party at The Bootleg Theater on February 13th.  Any one of these guests would make for an amazing evening; we are over the moon that we will have all of them.  Click here for more information and tickets!  There is a discount for buying early, and only 100 tickets available, so you’ll want to purchase them right away.

THOMAS WHEELER is a screenwriter, producer and novelist and the creator/executive producer of The Cape. He has sold or written feature films for every major studio. He adapted his novel The Arcanum for Miramax Films and, most recently, for Gold Circle Films with Randall Wallace attached to direct. His fantasy/adventure script Arden was recently purchased by New Regency with Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum 1 & 2) attached to direct. He is also currently writing the Shrek-inspired-feature: Puss In Boots with Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Zach Galifanakis for Dreamworks Animation which is slated for a November 2011 release.

In TV he has developed and produced pilots for the CW, NBC and FOX including the ABC pilot Captain Cook’s Extraordinary Atlas and was a Consulting Producer on the NBC series Surface as well as the creator/executive producer of the critically acclaimed 2004 ABC maxi-series Empire.

I have been lucky enough to know Tom for quite some time now and he has been generous to not only work with us on the upcoming event but also grant this interview.

Can you tell us about the responsibilities of a “creator/producer” of a show?

I would be happy to. It’s one of the stranger transitions in the business to go from ‘writer of pilot’ in your room in your house just tapping away on the keys to suddenly having your show picked up and…here you are in charge of 200+ people and millions of budget dollars and a staff of writers, etc… It’s exhilarating and kind of insane. The first time around it’s usually a bumpy ride because there are so many new distractions that you’re typically – as a writer – not accustomed to dealing with. Personnel decisions. Network and studio and producer politics. Costumes. Makeup. Sets. Design. And now you’re responsible for twelve scripts too. And it just comes at you. I got my bumpy ride over with a few years ago and this time around I’m more familiar with what’s around the corner and am able to prepare myself and I’m able to enjoy it more. It’s humbling and hugely gratifying to see a group of talented individuals working so hard to realize something you’ve written and only seen in your head. It’s wonderful.

So, the creator/executive producer is typically the final pen on scripts and generally in charge of the circus. In my case, I knew going in that I wanted someone with a lot of experience running shows to help me shoulder some of the responsibilities both in running the room and managing the production. It was my very good fortune to have John Wirth come on-board. He’s awesome.

I noticed that there are some actors that you have worked with multiple times on your different projects. How do these relationships with actors develop? Is that something you enjoy?

I love actors. I used to act. I respect their process and have strong opinions about who I like and dislike. I find casting sessions really difficult because I’ve now been on both sides of the table and it’s tough. I know the work that goes into an audition. My wife is an actor and I know how hard she worked when she was going out on auditions. So, my heart goes out to those who come in, have killed themselves to get it right and, for whatever reason, it’s just not a good fit. But there is the ‘click’ that happens when an actor and the words and the idea of the character fall into place.
Jonathan Cake is a terrific British actor. He played the lead role in this Ancient Rome saga I wrote for ABC. His audition was one of those moments where it ‘clicks’ and from then on you can’t imagine anyone else in the role. He just matches with my material. You find that. He’s like a British Harrison Ford.

I’ve worked with James Frain before and he’s onboard as the villain in The Cape. James is just this wonderfully dry, cool cat. I find him really compelling to watch. In his performances he is so relaxed and does so much by doing so very little. We’re having a good time.

One of the great things about this job is you get to hunt down actors you love. They may not be super famous but I have a lot of ideas in mind as I write. For instance, there’s a larger-than-life mobster in The Cape and I always imagined him as Vinnie Jones from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. In initial conversations with our casting director Risa Bramon Garcia I mentioned this and forgot about it. Few weeks later, Vinnie’s sitting there in the office and now he’s playing the part and that kind of thing is just too cool.

I do enjoy the working relationship with actors. I like them to be a part of the conversation. I want to know what sort of things they like to do. It helps me. You obviously learn how to write dialogue to your actors. They all have different cadences and tendencies. I also lean towards actors who are prepared, easy to get along with and ready to work. When you find those folks you stick with them.

Why did you transition from acting to writing?

I had done some acting, went to acting school and felt pretty strongly that it would be my life. I enjoyed doing regional theater, etc, but when I came out to Los Angeles it was just such a different animal. I found it overwhelming. It seemed like there was a lot more business and far fewer opportunities to actually do the work. It was a strange time for me and a strange transition. I also realized that I didn’t miss the nerves I got when I acted.

There’s a long story as to how I got into the writing. But the short version is: I was 22. I happened to know a guy who knew a couple literary agents. We discussed some ideas I would like to work on. After a great deal of procrastination I finished my first screenplay – a fantasy, medieval adventure about a young thief. This script got me a manager. That manager got me an agent. Suddenly it seemed like things were happening although I was broke and had a boot on my car. However the next screenplay I wrote sold to 20th Century Fox and I’ve been writing ever since.

Does having been an actor affect your decisions and your work?

I don’t think it affects my decisions but it has been an absolutely invaluable asset in my work as a writer. I never had a clue that a writing career was as much about pitching as it was actual writing. Pitching is very, very important. Pitching well is very, very important. Lucky for me, because I was an actor and feel comfortable speaking in front of people, my pitching skills are strong. I would recommend that ALL writers take an acting class. Because when I pitch I get into it. I act things out. I make an ass of myself but you are really trying to engage your audience and all they have is you. I really enjoy pitching. It makes my acting training an advantage when in auditions I used to feel so judged, etc… But film/TV executives are just an audience and they want to be entertained. If you can entertain them, you have a great chance of selling your material.

I also think acting training gives you an advantage when writing dialogue. I talk to myself all the time when I write just trying out lines, seeing how they feel in my mouth. That kind of thing.

Do you miss acting?

Sometimes. Not a lot, though. I enjoy being once removed from the judgment of my work. I found the focus on appearance, etc., quite disconcerting. And, like I said, there are times in my work where I get to do a little bit of acting. Someday I might do more. In my animation writing I get to do a lot of voice work and that’s been a blast.

Tell us a little about Comic Con.

That was a crazy, wonderful zoo. Never been through anything like that. Never had a show there or anything. I’m a huge comic geek so I’ve been there as a fan but not for many years. It’s like the Super Bowl of geekdom now. I loved the panel. I was a nervous wreck but seeing the pilot with a crowd and hearing people cheer. That was so much fun. It was all a blur. It would be wonderful to return there with The Cape next year. Knock on wood.

You have worked in film and fiction as well as TV. How is the writer’s role different in different mediums?

Big, big differences. I enjoy them all for many different reasons. With fiction there is a purity to the writing experience that cannot be rivaled. The use of language is changed entirely. Whereas with features or TV you strive ultimately for the most economical use of words, in fiction you’re allowed much greater latitude to explore ideas, themes, environments, conversations in language. It’s completely immersive and I love that. It’s real easy to get lost in your research but it’s one of the things I enjoy the most. And while you still get notes, you really enjoy the most autonomy.

I started my career writing features. It’s the world of the big idea. And I love big ideas. I have some from time to time. One of the downsides to screenwriting is the epidemic of multiple writers on projects. It’s just a studio mentality and a tough one to break. It’s just built in now. So ‘authorship’ is tougher to achieve on a screenplay but it’s still a helluva nice way to make a living.

Screenwriting gets a bad rap sometimes. Everyone thinks they have a screenplay in them. But doing it well…

I’ve been writing screenplays for 18 years now and I’m still amazed at how little I know. There are few challenges greater than ACT TWO in a 120-page-screenplay. It’s like a long drive across Texas. ACT TWO kills a lot of ‘big ideas’ because it separates the real writers from the tourists. But if you’re fortunate enough to get to write features for a living the pay is wonderful and so is the freedom. The pace of most feature flims is glacial so you get a lot of time with your family or your hobbies or your TIVO or whatever. However if you want to see your work actually made you might get disappointed. Out of about 15 screenplays I’ve written or rewritten I’ve seen 2 produced.

In TV on the other hand I’ve been fortunate to see a lot of work produced. And that is thrilling. The budgets are different but the experience of seeing your words and the worlds you’ve dreamt of come to life…it’s tough to beat. I’ve been super fortunate in TV so far and I remind myself of this fact when I moan about the brutal pace of things. Where features are glacial, TV moves at light speed. When you’re producing a TV series you have more meetings, conflicts and chaos in an afternoon than in a full year of screenwriting. They are completely different animals. And it’s a medium where, most of the time, the writer is the boss, which is nice too.

We are big fans of Risa Bramon Garcia here at Minerva. She wrote this wonderful article, Opening the Door to Our Artistry. How do you two work together to cast the show?

Risa’s a legend. I knew about Risa as an actor from years ago. Name a seminal movie of the past 25 years and Risa likely cast it. She has outstanding taste and is a true advocate for the actor. She respects them and fights for them. She has a big impact on the show because I really trust her opinion and rely upon her to narrow choices down to just a very few. Because in TV you’re pulled in so many different directions I need to be kind of mercenary with my time. So I depend on Risa to put up the best people for the role and I pick out of that pool. If we weren’t in sync that could be a disastrous way of doing things but so far it’s worked beautifully. I love Risa. She’s terrific.

Are there any qualities in particular that you look for in actors or auditions?

Comfort. Confidence. These are very tough things to achieve because everything about the auditioning process is designed to shake an actor’s confidence. It’s brutal. There are so many layers and every room seems to get smaller, with more people and more intimidation. Ugh. But I look for someone that seems comfortable in the character’s skin. From that comfort grows the freedom to make unique choices and that’s kind of the spark you look for.

As your life grows and changes, how does that effect what you write and your professional life?

I’d say the biggest change was having children. That had a real impact on the material I was interested in writing. Earlier in my career I might’ve frowned upon subject or tone that welcomed all audiences, but now I seek out those opportunities. The stuff I’m writing now: Puss In Boots, The Cape, are projects that involve kids, that speak to kids and adults alike. I love that. That’s where I feel most comfortable at the moment.

What do you want to do that you haven’t done yet?

I would love to tackle one of those iconic comic book characters at some point: Spiderman, Flash, Fantastic Four. I’ve been a fan all my life and it would be great to get that chance. And there are a lot of reasons why I’d love to see the Cape get a season or two or three, chief among them would be the chance to really get the chance to tell an epic story. I’ve got a lot of plans for the Cape, most of which won’t fit in this first order of 13 episodes. So I would relish the opportunity to really tell that story to its fullest.

Are you ready to hear more from Tom?  It’s going to be an incredible night!  Our guests are at the top of their field and their game.  We look forward to bringing the kind of in-depth conversation and coverage that we bring online to the real world. We look forward to seeing you there!  Buy your tickets today.

Image by Ryan Kravetz