Michèle Adams is returning to teach at SFU’s film pseudo-school, Praxis (named after the Klingon McGuffin moon that blows up at the start of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, which is why I attended*).

I was top in the class for keenerness, film knowledge, and neuroticism, all of which she helped me improve.

Michèle is both firm and gentle. Before Jaded‘s reading I asked her to make sure I wasn’t making a fool of myself with a quick read. While she obliged I found an abandoned grad student lounge, had a nice lie down with a drink of water, and took some deep breaths. My history of having creative writing evaluated by teachers, especially film projects some of you might recall, has been traumatic enough to emotionally scar.

My honors english classmates rejected my fiction as well (“characters who die can’t narrate”) but I just chalked that up to idiocy, especially after American Beauty. However I generally respect the opinions of experts. I want critical acclaim — I’m a narcissist, after all — but striving for it makes me over-nervous. This is something I have to get past, one of my fears. Like most hacks I want to have written something.

But it all turned out for the best: She liked Jaded well enough. If you’re looking for an intro to screenwriting Michèle is the one to pop your cherry. She’s kind, but not easy; fun, but not (completely) frivolous; and so understanding that her insight into my thinly-disguised main character saved me some money in therapy.

The class was an oasis in the middle of my final EA death march. If you’re into film I suggest you attend and network. That’s how I met my buddy who’s now a minor character on Stargate: Universe, as well as a pile of actors, editors, and general film and videogame people. Try to shoot some shorts with your classmates.

The price has come down since I attended too, natch.

* No, not really.