Interview with Director Mark Travis - A Journey That's Well Worth Taking

In many of the interviews I have read with screenwriters, the writers have talked about the pain of handing over their vision to someone else to direct. Many screenwriters such as Richard Curtis, Anthony Minghella and Robert Towne, have successfully made the transition into directing. I thought it was time to investigate directing further so I signed up for a seminar with renowned lecturer and director Mark Travis. Travis started as a theatre director before moving into television working on sitcoms, soaps such as Melrose Place and specials before moving on to movies. He has taught all over the world in Berlin, Poland, Tokyo and Nairobi and acts as a consultant on projects (he is currently developing a project with Pixar).

Travis begins by asking for a show of hands. "How many directors are there in the room? Actors? Writers? Producers?" Each time, fewer hands go up. "You know how many producers there are in LA who haven't produced anything except business cards - and a lot of confusion?"