November 19/99

Cc. College Film Studies
student, Michael David Kwan,
has won a national screenwriting
competition. The Praxis Centre for
Screenwriters in Vancouver has
selected his script to go through the
workshop process later this month.

In the spring of 1998, Michael
enrolled in Introduction to
Screenwriting offered through
Continuing Education Film Studies.
He had written a story called The
Undaunted and wanted to learn how
to develop it into a screenplay.

“Tt [the course] was exceptionally
good,” says Michael. “When we got

Wednesday, November 3 was Take Our Kids to Work day
for Grade 9 students across British Columbia. Pearce
Mulholland, who attends West Vancouver Secondary, came
to work with his mother, Lauren, publicist for Continuing
Education, and helped out in the department that day. He
also attended a Communications class with instructor
Leslie Savage and delivered mail on the afternoon run with
Matt Morris, where he was mistaken for "the new guy!”
Film Studies coordinator, Bob Morris, answered Pearce's
questions about his job — mom bought lunch. Pearce is
seen abovewith Lauren (centre) and CE receptionist,
Cyndi Hardeman. (Photos by Edna Sakata.)

A taste of things to
come for grade 9
students

Accounts Payable supervisor, Susan Rodgers (centre),
brought her 14-year-old daughter, Erin, to the office for
the day. Erin attends Windsor Secondary. Reini Klein
(right), also in Accounts Payable, had his daughter, Riki,
with him for part of the day. Riki attends Magee

Secondary in Vancouver where she is enrolled in a
special half day program. Her afternoons are spent
taking ballet classes. Magee offers the SPARTS
program to talented students who are pursuing a
special interest in sports and the arts.

College student wins Praxis
screenwriting competition

into the actual writing of the scripts, it
gave me the chance of hearing mine
read by other people. That’s when I
realized that yes, that line works or had
to ask myself, ‘Did I really write that?’ “

Michael is a full-time writer and has
been since 1987. He’s written two stage
plays that have won awards and he
wanted to try writing a screenplay.

“At Cap, I could take a specific
course that focused on what J wanted to
learn,” he says. One of the things that
impressed him the most was the
feedback on the actual setup of the
scenes in the script.

“You need to hear from others

whether something that’s written on
paper is going to work in front of a
camera.”

Michael’s story is about Chinese
labourers who built the Trans-Canada
Railway through the Fraser canyon in
the late 1880s. Someone suggested the
idea to him and after some initial
reading on the subject he says, “I
dreamed up a plot and decided to do
something with it.”

Through Praxis, Michael’s
screenplay will be further developed
under the guidance of working
professionals in the film industry.

Submitted by Lauren Mulholland