The pitch: Two female detectives 鈥� a Cree woman from northern Alberta and a white, third-generation cop 鈥� investigate the murder of an Indigenous teen girl in Victoria.
Along the way the pair is forced to overcome their biases as they uncover clues in the case.
Can this quintessentially B.C. story soon find a way to global TV audiences?
That鈥檚 the aim for TV writer Sarah Dodd, best known for penning scripts for Canadian crime series such as Motive and Cardinal.
鈥淵ou see all the trucks parked on your street for shows like the Arrow and The Flash and Supernatural. Those writers are all in Los Angeles and they鈥檙e not staffing Vancouver-based writers,鈥� said Dodd, who began her career shadowing the script co-ordinator on Road to Avonlea in the 1990s after graduating from the University of Victoria鈥檚 creative writing program.
As the Pacific Screenwriting Program鈥檚 (PSP) first executive-producer-in-residence, she assembled a Vancouver-based writers鈥� room in January to write the initial scripts for the murder mystery over 10 weeks.
The program received more than 130 applications from entry-level B.C. screenwriters looking to land a spot on the six-person team, part of an industry-led initiative to cultivate more creative talent in a city known for servicing foreign productions.
鈥淲e鈥檙e such a strong service town and that鈥檚 great. 鈥� But what we don鈥檛 have is many Canadian writers鈥� rooms or even writers鈥� rooms that hire Canadians,鈥� Dodd told Business in Vancouver.
鈥淧eople starting out in 麻豆传媒映画or living in 麻豆传媒映画who want careers as screenwriters, they鈥檝e traditionally looked around, seen that there are not enough opportunities and have gone to Toronto or down to L.A.鈥�
The PSP鈥檚 launch was announced in summer 2018 as a five-year program funded by Netflix Inc., the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and non-profit agency Creative BC.
The 14-week program was divided between 10 weeks in the writers鈥� room with Dodd and four weeks focused on the business of screenwriting.
For the latter curriculum the writers learned what鈥檚 involved when choosing an agent, how to pitch new ideas to a production company and how to get hired into a writers鈥� room.
Dodd led the program鈥檚 first-ever group of students, which held a graduation ceremony late last month.
The PSP鈥檚 goal is to help diversify the local film and TV sector, nudging 麻豆传媒映画from its traditional role as a service industry hub for foreign productions to a creative centre less beholden to fluctuations in the dollar or tax credits.
For now, growth in the province鈥檚 film and TV industry is still dominated by foreign productions.
The volume of film and TV production in B.C. grew 20.6 per cent annually to reach $3.58 billion in the last fiscal year, according to a March 2019 report from the CMPA.
Foreign productions accounted for $3.04 billion of that sum, growing 31.5 per cent from a year earlier.
That particular growth, however, did not translate domestically as TV productions from B.C.-based producers sank 15.1% to hit $438 million and domestic film productions from B.C.-based producers fell 74.4 per cent to $11 million.
鈥溌槎勾接郴璱s a very busy production centre but there鈥檚 an imbalance in terms of the number of television series and feature films that are written here compared to the number shot here,鈥� said PSP chairman Brian Hamilton, who is an executive producer at Vancouver-based Omnifilm Entertainment.
He likens the PSP to a 鈥渇inishing school鈥� for those who鈥檝e decided to make a career out of screenwriting.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not looking for people who are hobbyists,鈥� Hamilton told BIV, adding the city is experiencing a 鈥渕ini-boom鈥� for writers鈥� rooms that鈥檚 putting pressure on the industry to find local creative talent.
鈥淚 was speaking to an experienced network executive yesterday who was saying that they were pulling their hair out trying to find enough writers to staff a writers鈥� room locally in Vancouver, which is a great sign. It means that there鈥檚 a demand that this school is ideally positioned to meet.鈥�
The first writer from the program to fill that demand is Kat Sieniuc, who scored a job even before the official graduation date.
鈥淭his was the first time where I had ever been in a room like this, where we鈥檙e breaking story with other people, giving notes,鈥� Sieniuc, a former reporter, told BIV.
鈥淲e all feel like we hit the jackpot with Sarah.鈥�
Sieniuc will be serving as script co-ordinator for Season 2 of the Netflix horror drama The Order.
Netflix executive Chris Regina offered his congratulations to Sieniuc at last month鈥檚 graduation ceremony, adding he was pleased a writer from PSP was landing at one of his company鈥檚 shows.
The streaming giant is among the financial supporters backing the program.
Regina said during a Q&A session at the graduation ceremony that Netflix understands that, with a bevy of series being shot in Vancouver, it makes sense for the company to have local writers鈥� rooms to support future shows.
Former federal heritage minister M茅lanie Joly announced in 2017 that Ottawa鈥檚 new Creative Canada framework required Netflix to create a new production company to invest in 鈥渙riginal production in Canada鈥� over five years; Netflix committed to spend $500 million.
Regardless of Netflix鈥檚 impetus, Regina was keen to deliver advice to B.C. producers eager to pitch shows to the company: 鈥淒on鈥檛 feel intimidated that you have to come with a fully packaged show that has talent attached or a director attached.鈥�
He said he was 鈥渧ery open鈥� to seeing concepts early in the development process.
What often falls flat, though, is when creatives come to pitch sessions 鈥渙verbaked鈥� with full scripts written by a single person in a vacuum, he said.
He added that producers don鈥檛 need to come in with all the financing worked out and a location set.
鈥淲e鈥檙e most interested in the idea and having the best creative put forth,鈥� Regina said.
