Karen Lam | Vancouver-Based Director, Producer, and Screenwriter

The last two weeks have been an absolute blur, but I'm happy to report that we're out of the wet woods, and back into the warm edit suite!  We have an incredible poster/creature designed by the talented Bonni Reid, who I'm lucky to call a friend and daily inspiration. 

Also, our assistant editor Dianna Todosychuk put together this little film teaser, featuring the amazing song "Black is the Colour" by my friend Shawn Bowen and his band, Didges Christ Superdrum (which will be featured in the film, too.) 

Watch trailer here.

We just finished week 2, and my brain is currently gone to mush.  Whoever thought it was a good idea to write all those night scenes in should really rethink her decision on the next feature. 

We started Monday at the famous Bleiberger farm in North Langley, BC, in an unheated shack behind the main farmhouse.  Was it gorgeous in the Valley? Yes, it was.  Were my feet frozen? Darn tootin', they were. And wet.

After two days, we moved to the woods behind Capilano University, where we'll be starting next week, too. A couple of notes:

1) When you have an indie crew working for experience (and the goodness of their hearts), it's really important to stay within 11 hrs, preferably 10.  It's about solving problems, not causing them, while still getting the best work possible. Plus, my head would look terrible on a stake.

2) Why are there still mosquitoes in February in BC?  My feet tell me it's winter and yet there they are, buzzing around like it's June. I hate bugs.

3) You need warm feet.  'Nuff said.

Finally, a big thank you again to the cast and crew ever take every day on set a total joy. The material's a wee bit dark, but that doesn't mean the mood has be.

Group shot with Dejan Loyola, Madison Smith and Richard Harmon -- the best psychopaths a director could ask for. 

After four days in an unheated warehouse studio (Terminal City), I can finally feel my feet again (thank you Mark's Work Warehouse.)  Thrilled to be working with a 99% BC-cast and crew -- and now I know why everyone wants to shoot here.  Much as my ego would love to say that I have something to do with how the film is turning out, the truth is that the talent on this film is just immense.  Actually, I have moments where I think I could get abducted by aliens, or just let a Bobblehead Me sit behind the monitor, and everything will turn out just fine.

Check out our imdb page to see who's on board: see link here.

Special kudos to my partner in crime, "Other Karen" Wong, for working tirelessly in pulling this production together (for the last two years, reading every draft and listening to me whinge), so that I'm in a special bubble-pack of creative protection.  We're starting our second week tomorrow, and I'm totally stoked.  I even bought myself a pair of Mom-jeans so I can layer all the thermal layers underneath.  Anna Wintour would not approve.  Hell, I don't even approve but have learned the hard way that you can't direct if your teeth are chattering.

Thirteen more days -- woot!

So honoured to be the recipient of this year's "Artistic Innovation Award" presented by Women in Film and Television -- Vancouver.  See link here.

"This award honours a woman who demonstrates vision, experimentation and innovation in the telling of women's stories in screen based media, and who has created a significant body of work in these forms. Karen Lam has been cited by the Horrorquest Film Festival as "having the balls to play" in the male-dominated world of horror filmmaking. Her short and feature films have been screened and lauded at festivals worldwide."

Thank you, Vancouver Women in Film and Television!

It's such a strange transition from just discussing a film, to being in full auditions, and then, oh lord, we're making a film! 

For me, the most amazing thing is hearing the dialogue you wrote in the comfort of your office suddenly taking on their own life:  when the right actors speak the words, they're not yours anymore but utterly theirs. 

Now, I need to find some warm (yet not unattractive) clothing.  Because some idiot thought it would be a good idea if the film were set in the forests of BC in February, when it's wet, cold and...Did I mention we're in a rainforest?

New poster design by the awesomely talented artist/graphic designer, Bonni Reid  (photo credit: Seth Rutledge):

Also, our 20th film festival invitation for The Stolen to the Nevermore Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina.  Two more announcements soon!

I didn't get much of a break this Christmas holiday, but thanks to my incredibly hard-working post production team, we're at fine cut on the two short films we shot on the weekend of December 8-9, 2012:  "The Meeting" and "Stalled."  I think the adage of how it isn't work if you love what you do is absolutely true in that I simply adore this filmmaking job, and I'm blessed to be working with a pretty spectacular team on both films:  Kelly Morris (who's editing The Meeting) and Jeanne Slater (who's editing Stalled). 

AND I get to work with one of my favourite actors David Lewis, who also donned his writer/producer hat on "Stalled."  That said, I'm not sure David was my biggest fan when I made him wrestle for about three hours after his hearty lunch of butter chicken.  Here's proof:

Oh, and here's Simon, who David had to wrestle...

Am I grinning evilly?  You know it.

Thrilled to announce that The Stolen won two awards last night at the Shawna Shea Independent Film Festival, in Milbury, Massachussettes (See festival link here.):  Best Horror Short Film and Best Director -- whooppeee!

As always, I'm blessed to be working with world-class cast and crew:  thank you for your dedication to your craft, and your talent!  And thank you to Skip Shea for creating this fantastic film festival:  what a wonderful way to commemorate your daughter's life!

My stint as series director on "Very Bad Men" is coming to an end (at least for the season), and I celebrated by filming two short films last weekend, on December 8 and 9th.  For anyone who has ever tried planning ONE short film, I have to say it was utterly ridiculous to attempt planning TWO for the same weekend, but it was only possible by having an incredible producing team in my corner:  Victoria Angell (who lives up to her name) didn't sleep for the five days preceding and wore out two cel phone batteries.  And David Lewis, my dark muse/actor/producer and Boss Man, as the writer/actor/producer of the second short film. 

Imagine not having locations for either shoot until Friday afternoon, the day before we shot.  I don't recommend this on a go-forward basis, and promise everyone that we'll have more lead time for the feature. (Note: my fingers may be crossed behind my back.)

Coupled with my DP Michael Balfry, an incredible cast on both days, and an infallible crew, we managed to cover 11 pages on shoot 1 in 14 hours, and 7 pages (including action sequence and toddler, thanks Jay!) on the second shoot in 10 hrs.  And no 1st AD, or continuity either.  The latter could only be possible with my brave editors, Kelly Morris and Jeanne Slater, who both thankfully come from a doc background so don't think the amount of footage (without circle takes) is insurmountable.

So, post friends, I'll probably be calling in the next few weeks for favours...sorry.

Huzzah -- episode 15 of 20 just aired last week, and we got a mention in the Huffington Post. Watch link here.  It's was a riveting case about a devout Christian woman who gets abducted by a sexual sadist, and tortured for two weeks before getting rescued by the Texas rangers. 

Things I learned:

1) Texas rangers really *do* wear white Stetsons as part of their uniform;

2) Most psychopaths that we've profiled drink soda pop; and

3)  In Texas, they still wear the stripey prison garb (see below):