MARK VON DER HEIDE
DIVERSE WRITERS BEST TV SCRIPT WINTER 2024: "A WIG AND A PRAYER"
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Beautiful downtown Burbank, California Your script or media entry stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your project ? I lived it. Coming out of the closet at 32 years old has given me a unique perspective on love, sexual dynamics and society’s expectations, as I’ve essentially lived two lives, before and after. I’m now married to a man who became a drag queen (ChaCha), and we produced a drag competition that I found fascinating as a backdrop for the story of a straight man suddenly immersed in the strange new world of a gay bar. It’s an offbeat love triangle of sorts between two men, one being a drag queen. The story doesn’t go where you think it will, as it focuses on two people begrudgingly drawn into a deeper connection as they’re confronted with their own fears and secrets. Similar to my own journey to live my truth, they each end up removing the masks they show the world. How long did it take you to write your script or produce your pitch deck/sizzle reel/trailer...and what was your development process? It’s been several years, working off and on, in between my day job as audio supervisor on the animated show, “Bob’s Burgers”. (I’ve learned a lot there!). I knew the beginning and ending, so I started by breaking the full story, writing scene descriptions and creating a bible. It began as a feature, but I quickly realized it needed to be a limited series to tell the whole story. This being my first original script, it then became about finding the right voice for introducing these characters living in my head. I lived there a lot! Once I had the first draft of the pilot, it was important to me to confirm the vibe and character motivation tracked through the story arc, so I got some feedback (to widen my internal debates), which was very helpful. I could usually tell where something wasn’t quite clicking, so it became an incremental editing process of analysis, dissection and rewriting to find the truth in each moment. It sometimes took time away to figure out how to address it. I’ve lost count of the number of drafts get here! What is your ultimate ambition as a writer or filmmaker? I’ve been working with writers, filmmakers and producers in Post Production for most of my career, helping them get their visions to the screen, and I would love to be a writing Producer. I am energized whenever I’m in the middle of creative endeavors. From 2018 - 2021 I produced my first documentary, “Pieces of Us”, that focuses on the intimate journeys of five gay, straight and transgender LGBTQ+ hate crime survivors, and seeing the whole process through from start to finish was an incredible experience. I love storytelling, whether it be fiction or non-fiction, so figuring out how to structure the narrative for this doc with the Director and Editor was a puzzle that was very interesting to me. It felt like being in a writer’s room, as unlike fiction, docs take their shape in post production, so I was right at home there. Which film directors or screenwriters inspire you? Why? For TV comedy directing, James Burrows is an absolute master with timing, physical comedy and ensemble performance, so many enduring examples! For drama, Alan Ball and Mike White are my favorite writer/creators, for their ability to seamlessly juxtapose dark/light themes and drama with comedy - creating flawed yet fascinating characters that capture your attention and your heart, just like life! For films, aside from the other master, Mr. Spielberg, I’ve been inspired by Larry Kasdan and Alfonso Cuaron as writer/directors. Their use of visual storytelling, pacing and deliberate camera placement to expose the truth in a character’s key moments is elevated to a master class in filmmaking. What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show? Such a hard question. I have so many for different reasons. “The Carol Burnett Show” was key in unlocking my love for comedy at a young age when I watched it with my Mom. Later I couldn’t miss “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and then “Frasier”. I love ensemble casts. HBO changed TV with hour dramas like “Six Feet Under” and recently “The White Lotus”. The third episode of “The Last of Us” is my favorite hour of TV in a decade. “American Beauty” is at the top of my list of favorite films along with “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Contact”. For comedy “What’s Up Doc?” and “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” and just for fun,“The Devil Wears Prada”. What advice do you have for others hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have? Step one is simple but not easy, decide to do it. There is so much power that comes from that intention. You won’t know all the answers, no one does, so venture into the unknown and trust in your vision. Allow it to evolve and grow, be open to feedback but don’t judge it into oblivion, keep learning from yourself and others, and never let go. Be authentic and unapologetically you. When the story that became my documentary presented itself, I said “someone should make a movie about that”, and then I realized it was me, so I sought out the right people to make that a reality. I approached my script the same way. I was the right person to tell this story, and I’d figure out the rest. 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I’d love to bring more visibility to my documentary, now available to stream on Amazon, Apple TV and more in North America, as the hope that comes from seeing love triumph over hate is something we all need right now. I’m on the board of a non-profit called “Gay Sons and Mothers” and we are in production on a documentary short about this special bond, so look out for that. I also produce dance music, and have a new single out called ”(Category is) Attitude” about the gay ballroom scene, now on Beatport and most other music streaming services, featuring my drag queen husband. Where can the world find you? (Website, IMDB, etc.) https://www.facebook.com/mark.vdh1 https://www.instagram.com/markvdhmusic/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-von-der-heide-6062426/ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0902150/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_2_nm_6_q_mark%2520von%2520der%2520heide https://www.piecesofusthefilm.com/ https://www.beatport.com/artist/mark-vdh/18835 |
