Interview (Part 1): Michele Atkins (2016 Nicholl Winner)

A 6-part chat with the writer of the winning script “Talking About the Sky”.

Michele Atkins wrote the original screenplay “Talking About the Sky” which won a 2016 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. Recently I had the opportunity to chat with Michele about her background, her award-winning script, the craft of screenwriting, and what winning the Nicholl has meant to her.

Today in Part 1 of a 6 part series to run each day through Saturday, Michele talks about her background in documentary filmmaking, producing commercials, and how she wound her way into screenwriting:

Scott Myers: You got a Bachelor of Science degree in documentary filmmaking, right?

Michele Atkins: Yeah, it was called more television field production, but yes it was a documentary, TV, field production. Basically running around with cameras, and lights, and shooting.

It was a combination of documentary study, television news, it encompassed pretty much all of that sort of shooting and writing.

Scott: How did you develop that interest?

Michele: When I was a kid I watched a lot of movies. I’d watch old films. I was into the films of the 40s.

As I got older, I watched a lot of films, that had to do with the making of news. Was also really into “60 Minutes,” and I thought, “This stuff is super cool!”

My parents at the same time ‑‑ whom have nothing to do with show business, or Los Angeles, or New York City, or anything like that.

They said, “You know, if you’re interested in this, you should probably start hanging around the news stations. Get in where you can here in Buffalo.”

So I started interning at TV stations, and working a job as well to save up money for college. My interests developed from there.

In my junior year, I went and lived with my father for the summer, and I ended up working as an intern on a film. A Hollywood film. I realized soon after that, “Wow, I think I like actually this film making aspect, rather than the television news sort of business.”

I fell in love with it down there in North Carolina, and realized that film was probably more of the route I wanted to take.

Scott: You graduated and now, you do quite a bit of working commercials.

Michele: Yeah. I eventually moved out to Los Angeles. I really wanted to be on set but I didn’t know anyone. It’s a lot about who you know. I guess I really don’t have to say that. We all know that.

I tried my best to get out and get on set. It wasn’t easy. I had to find a way to earn money, and so I actually worked in script development for a couple years.

I learned a lot about script notes and writing and realized that I did not want to be on the development side pretty quickly, but all of these experiences gave me knowledge that was invaluable.

I ended up getting in with a group of folks after living in LA for a couple of years that started off doing lower budget features and they were also doing commercials.

I figured it would be a great way to earn some money, have free time to nurture my own director’s reel, my own writing, and not have that nine to five job.

Scott: You’ve been doing this for quite some time with some major companies, for example UPS, Budweiser, Toyota. Could you talk about what your specific responsibilities when you’re doing these type of commercials.

Michele: I produce commercials. I worked up the ranks from PA to coordinating to UPM then to producer.

I work on budgets, push forward the creative vision, and do the hiring of the crew. There is much more than that — it is really all encompassing.

Then I decided I wanted to add on to the producing. I wanted to do more. I started directing my own projects, producing and directing my own projects and my own commercials.

Scott: This is Kaboom Productions?

Michele: Yes, I’m signed with a commercial production company that has offices in San Francisco and a satellite company in Los Angeles.

Scott: You said, “This would be a good idea to work these commercials so I can continue to do some writing.” How did that interest evolve?

Michele: They asked us this question when we were sitting around the Nicholl Fellowship luncheon conference table.

My first interest was reading. When I was a kid I always had my nose in a book. I love these imaginary worlds that you could go into from reading. I still love reading. I’m a big reader.

Then from there I started writing little plays that either my friends would be in or my family would be in. Just little tiny plays that we would do at home during the holidays. Then I moved into writing shorts and then screenplays.

I was always interested in that and I don’t think that I applied myself on a regular basis like I have been in the past five years. I was always tinkering with some writing, some little project that I was working on.

Scott: How did you go about learning the basics of screenwriting?

Michele: Originally I was in, like I mentioned development for those couple of years when I first moved out to Los Angeles in my early 20s. I really got the gist of screenwriting and format and how notes were given.

I took some classes at UCLA and I joined a couple writing groups and would just write shorts or write feature length scripts, and go in and read other people’s scripts and give notes as well as get have that back and forth with people.

Coming up with that group of folks that you can rely on, and they can rely on you, and you’re able to give feedback and get feedback. Then I started working more seriously on my projects than I had in the past.

Here is a video of Michele accepting her 2016 Nicholl Award last December:

Tomorrow in Part 2, Michele and I delve into her Nicholl winning script “Talking About the Sky”.

For Michele’s commercial reel, go here.

For my interviews with 24 other Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting winners, go here.