Category: Super Creatives series

Clayton Watson grew up in the Australian outback, and began acting at the age of 12. Three years at The Australian Film & TV Academy saw him land numerous roles in film, TV, and stage – his first lead role was in “High Flyers”. After winning an AFI for his portrayal of army brat Mickey Steele in Always Greener, Clayton landed the prestigious role of “The Kid” in the Matrix trilogy – this earned him a nomination again for Best Newcomer in a Sci-Fi. Clayton has since written six feature length scripts, a TV pilot, and continues to take on projects that are both challenging and very character driven. A great character actor, more focused on the product than the commercial viability – a lead actor in the making.

1. You’ve written a number of screenplays. Would you like to share a little about them? Do you see your foremost as an actor or a writer?

I have 8 feature length screenplays which I am currently pitching in the US, the stories are under lock and key, but they range in genre from Sci-Fi to an 1800’s true story adaptation! I always started acting in front of the camera to learn how to direct, finding that writing was a very strong forte of mine lends itself perfectly to this direction in my career.

2. What has been the highlight of your acting career to date and why?

Two years on Matrix 2 and 3 is unbeatable, the experience, the scale, and the friendships forged has opened a world to me that I read in Sci-Fi books! Also the tour of the world with the premieres was amazing, from LA to London to Cannes, I look forward to doing that again soon!

3. Has been an Australian made it harder in Hollywood or is it an advantage?

It’s an equal playing field, right time, right place, right face, with the right talent is all it comes down to – it’s a circus, and you got to be a damn good clown!

4. What would you like to be doing in five years time?

The same as the last twenty, acting, writing, and making the move to directing and producing – there’s a whole lot of things that I keep discovering in this business, and to me, that’s a pinnacle of my life.

Clayton Watson on IMBD

Clayton Watson wikipedia

Spike Spencer has been a voice actor since the early nineties. He has voiced hundreds of episodes of Anime including such notable titles as Evangelion, Vampire Knight, Battle Angel, Suikoden, Orphen, Spriggan, Nadesico, Mar, PreTear,  Buso Renkin, Code Geass 2, Bleach. His  video game credits include World of Warcraft (8 characters), Tales of Vesperia, Steambot Chronicles, Star Ocean 2, Lunar: Silver Star Harmony, BlazBlue and many others. Spike has also lent his voice to numerous radio and TV commercials.

An accomplished actor, he has worked with such notable stars as Tommy Lee Jones, Sandra Bullock, Frank Langella, Tia Carrere, and Scott Glenn and has been on set with many other stars. Spike is also an author, including “How to Be A Frickin Genius Voice Actor, Step One,” “What Happens At The Con, Stays At The Con?,” And “Don’t Kill Your Date (And Other Cooking Tips)”-(Coming soon). Spike is also a screenwriter with several projects in various stages. Spike is soon to begin production on his first feature film that he scripted, “Dwindle Down.”

1.You’ve worked as an actor, voice actor and have written a book and a screenplay. If you had to choose a single profession among them, which would you choose and why?

I would absolutely, 100 percent, unabashedly choose on camera acting. That is my first love. I never feel more alive than when I am working on a film set. One of my favorite moments is walking up to my trailer with a star on the door with my name on it (usually spelled correctly). I have worked on screen with 4 Academy Award nominees (2 winners) and those moments were just fantastic. There is nothing better than meeting someone you’ve admired for years and seen in so many movies and now you are in one with them. DAMN good feeling! So, Universe, I’d like some more of those moments please. Thanx.

I have trained for that all my life. I was always a performer even as a child, but not professionally until High School. I got the lead role in my first audition ever in the Northbrook High production of “Charley’s Aunt” and the rest is history. I was hooked as soon as the curtain fell and I heard my first real applause. So I grabbed myself an agent and turned pro. Although I’m not into theatre anymore, that moment has always stayed with me. Now I want to focus on the intensity of film acting. It’s much more real to me.

I attended the University of Houston and majored in Drama there under some fantastic teachers. I was in class with Cecil Pickett, who also taught Dennis and Randy Quaid, Brent Spiner, and Brett Cullen. I also worked with Jose Quintero, who started the Circle in the Square Theatre in New York and worked with some acting legends. Those were my two most influential teachers and they helped me really hone and internalize my craft and that is all I really want to do in life.

2. You just finished writing a screenplay. Can you share a bit about it?

Actually, as most screenplays go, I finished it 5 years ago after having worked on it for a few years prior. I did; however, just finish my second re-write and tweaking on it, third coming up. The screenplay is called Dwindle Down.” It is what you could call a cerebral thriller/ horror story with an intriguing twist. I can’t say too much about it as you know in this biz ya gots ta be careful. But I will say that it has a small cast that dies in various ways upon a theme (sound familiar?), but the twist is the key. It is about justice, revenge, and how far one person will go to achieve it. It will be shot simply, I want to achieve the feel of having the viewer really get into the room with us.

I have several other screenplays in the works in various stages. Oddly enough, comedy is my forte, but somehow my first out of the chute is a frickin horror story. Weird. And now comes the difficult part, the production. As you know it’s a wild ride to get anything produced so in 2011 I am really going to focus on a few things and get them done! So keep an eye out for “Dwindle Down.”

3. You’re one the busiest actors on the convention circuit. How important are conventions to creative professionals?

Very! I don’t think most actors really understand the power of the Con circuit nor the amount of fun they can be. For one thing, as a voice actor, you never really get to meet the other actors you work on projects with. We do our thing in the booth alone with the directors and that’s about it. Then we take off. So Cons are really where we get to meet each other, hang out, and network. That is a very powerful thing. I have gotten several jobs from that alone that I would never have had a chance to work on had I not met the director at a Con or gotten a referral from another actor. So that is a very good reason to go Con-ing. We also get to meet TV and movie stars, writers, and crazy fun fans that become friends from all over the world, including one awesome writer named Marianne!

And if you are a Maverick Adventurer (website coming soon) like myself, you can’t do better than being able to travel the world paid for by others as a very real part of your job. We can make money doing this stuff. Some bigger stars make a pantload of money on these things. As will I as soon as I land my Sci Fi series. I consider my Con appearances to be a live gig and I treat it that way. I put on a show! This year alone I hit 8 countries and about 25 cities doing the Con circuit and taking on some side adventures. I LOVE to travel and am a huge Foodie, so it all works perfectly for my lifestyle. Come see me soon at a Con near you. Thank you, Goodnight Cleveland!

4. You’ve already written one cook book. Do you have plans for more?

Actually, I have not finished the cook book yet. I have been working it as a seminar/panel at Cons for a while now. It is called “Don’t Kill Your Date (And Other Cooking Tips).” I speak all about food, travel, adventuring, lifestyle, dating, relationships and such. It originally began as an idea for a Bachelor’s cookbook, but since I discovered the Con circuit and have done so much traveling, it has evolved into something a little deeper as I keep discovering new tasty treats from around the globe. So the idea is really about simple recipes, aimed at men, so they can prepare something for their lovely ladies. Each recipe has a story and tips on how to get closer to a lifestyle that is exciting and intriguing for the gals we wish to woo. I have most of the recipes now, but the hard part is the preparing and shooting the photographs to get it done. So I am seeking a publisher for this one. I am also looking into the possibility of turning it into an actual cooking show with fun dating tips and guests from the dating world and, of course, some silliness.

I have actually written 2 other small books (self published) that I sell at Cons and through my websites. I wrote “What Happens At The Con, Stays At The Con…?” which is a series of short stories of crazy things that happen behind the scenes at these conventions and around the biz as well. Some of which I was personally involved in. I turned that into an audiobook on CD. And for those that have purchased the CD, I was the one on the waterslide… Just sayin.

I also wrote a small booklet called “How To Be A Frickin Genius Voice Actor, Step One” which is an introduction to using your voice as an instrument. It does not go into the marketing and such as I wanted to really focus on the basics for those folks who are interested in how we do what we do. So it is a good start for those who want to head down the VO road.

5. Which creative project that you’ve worked on have you enjoyed the most?

I would have to say that the best experience was working with Frank Langella and the lovey Alyson Michalka on the Disney channel movie “Now You See It.” I got to work on it for 5 weeks in New Orleans. Not only was the pay a nice thing, but every night after we wrapped I got to walk over to the French Quarter and try several different restaurants. I was living in Houston at the time and New Orleans was my second city. I love N’awlins! And I make a mean pot of gumbo. I still have an agent down there actually, I should really call him…

Anyway, it was the longest I have ever worked on a set and I absolutely loved it. I can’t wait to do more on camera work like that. It was also at that time that I finished my script for “Dwindle Down.” I was so the picture of a writer. At night I would take my laptop down to the pool side, have a nice cold pint of Guinness for quaffin’, a snifter of Scotch for sippin’, a fine cigar for smokin’, and a little Dean Martin playin’ in the background for relaxin’. Now that is the way to write a frickin’ screenplay.

Visit his official websites:
www.worldospike.com
www.spikespencer.com
www.almostevilminions.com

Paul Jenkins is one of the premier creators and writers of comic books, graphic novels and video games in the world today. After five years working with the creators of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, he began his freelance writing career in 1993 as scribe of the DC Comics Hellblazer. In 1997 Paul won an Eisner for his work on Marvel comics Inhumans series. He has since worked on virtually every comic character in the business, including Spider-Man, Batman and The Incredible Hulk, and the smash hit Wolverine: Origin, for which he won five Wizard Fan Awards.

Other work for Marvel includes the blockbuster Frontlines series, a part of the Civil War event, the Mythos series, and Captain America: Theater of War. Upcoming work includes the Thor: Heaven and Earth miniseries. In addition, his creation The Sentry has become a mainstay of the Marvel Universe. Paul’s work as Writer and/or Creative Director in the video game genre includes Twisted Metal: Black, Soul Reaver, Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, God of War and others. 2007’s The Darkness earned him a BAFTA nomination for storytelling and characterization. His latest work, Activision’s Prototype, hit stores in 2009, and he is currently hard at work on at least one unannounced blockbuster title. Paul has written a number of movie screenplays including Tatua, to be produced by Rick Schwarz (Departed, Aviator, Gangs of New York). He recently directed the 30-minute CybeRacers animated film.

1.  Paul you are involved in many creative projects, could you share with us what you have on the go at the moment and a little about your new media business.

“Trans Media” is the buzzword du jour of the entertainment industry but I’m not fond of it. That’s because in order to have a product that truly crosses between print publishing, video games, film/animation and new media (such as iPhone), you must be able to understand how to create in each arena. I have the weird distinction, I think, of actually being able to create in all of these places because I’m currently working on projects in each of them. I think being able to guide a franchise through different media is the true definition of the term.
A number of years ago, I became dissatisfied with simply writing comic books. Comics are a wonderful way to tell a story but the audience is limited. I was lucky enough to work with Dave Jaffe (then at Sony) on a couple of projects, and this put me into the world of video games. I’ve since co-directed some animation and have voice directed for a few games. My company – Clockstop Entertainment – is also working on a few iPhone and iPad application ranging from games to functional plugins.
So while I see for example a number of film production companies bringing in a video game advisor, or perhaps turning towards publishing, I haven’t found anyone yet who has the patience to learn how to actually make the games themselves. To be honest, it is really hard. I love doing games but I have often said you need to take the difficulty of directing a motion picture and multiply that by ten. Bottom line: I never sleep!

2. If you could pick any entertainment franchise to work on, which would you choose?

Honestly? I rarely answer that question directly because I’m of the opinion that all characters have validity. Maybe I feel I have a lot to say, or that you can’t shut me up, I don’t know… I’ve just never been a fan of, say, Spider-Man or the Silver Surfer anymore than I am a fan of the Green Lantern. If I had to pick one, I would probably pick the Halo franchise because I happen to think the storytelling there is very atmospheric – the game developers have really created a cool universe that just seems so real to me. Mind you, it’s probably because I normally play games at 5AM when I am ready to fall asleep. Maybe the whole thing was just a dream.

3. What has been the highlight of your career as a writer so far and why?

There are a couple. My little old Mum in Britain once called me to say how proud she was of me because the fans spoke well of the way I conducted myself at conventions. I am a fairly friendly bloke and I have always understood that the fans pay my wages. I really enjoy speaking to them, so it was nice that it got back to my Mum. Another highlight is that Joe Quesada (Marvel EIC) once called me to say that he had been speaking with Stan Lee, who had been complimentary about a story I was doing. I am sure Stan has forgotten by now but it was cool at the time.
I guess the highlight so far goes back to my days working for Mirage Studios, owners of the TMNT franchise. Back then, the place was really hopping and we were inundated with requests for our time. But one time, I pulled some major strings to have one of the actors in a Turtle suit visit a little boy dying of cancer for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The little guy died the very next day but his Mum wrote to thank me. She said that as hard as it was to lose their child (and as a parent I can barely imagine it), her last memory of her son was how excited he was to have met Raphael the Ninja Turtle. She explained that she and her husband would always think of him laughing and chatting in his final moments, and this helped them to say goodbye. That kind of thing is more important to me than any kind of accomplishment or award.

4. How do you see the creative industries in twenty years time? Will the independent mediums (TV, FILM, BOOKS, COMICS) have combined into one amorphous mass of hand held entertainment? Will there be room for the purists? Or will a new kind of fan evolve?

Will Eisner once stated the comic industry had “died twenty times during his lifetime.” I think by that he was saying that people’s interests are fickle, and probably somewhat cyclical. At some point smart phones will seem quaint because we’ll be programming our dreams or watching movies on the lapels of our jackets, or something. The truth is, each form of entertainment has its own set of rules. On a cold day you can sit down with a book, add in a dash of your imagination, and perhaps a cup of hot chocolate, and you have an experience that cannot be recreated by, say, a video game. The rules of seeing a new release at a movie theater involve overpaying for a massive Coke and a tub of popcorn, and sitting through the event until it ends. But take that same film and put it on DVD and you simply change the viewing parameters. Now, you can pause the story, go off and make a sandwich, etc. So when that same film comes onto your iPad it’s just a different way of being able to view the same film but it creates a different experience. Television did not bring an end to the movies, video games did not signify the end of novels, and iPhones are hardly likely to kill theatre. People like all types of content and all kinds of methods to consume it.
In twenty years time I would imagine we’re still going to be wearing jeans and eating junk food and reading books or playing console games. And I honestly don’t think that someone who enjoys, say, a good novel will be seen as a purist. (It should be noted, by the way, that if we do perfect a way to program our dreams, it will be the porn industry that develops it first. )