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A Conversation with Ralph Hemecker
(Executive Producer/Writer)
Q: Last year, you described Witchblade as "Excalibur meets New York cop." How would you describe the series this year?
A: If I had to sum it up, I'd say that this year Witchblade is about Sara Pezzini's quest for the grail. And she uses this thing called the Witchblade in her quest. . . Part of the quest for the grail is defining what the grail is. Is it an enlightened state of consciousness? Is it a bloodline? And part of Sara's quest is to find out why she's chosen to wear this thing. And of what is this Witchblade capable? What is her destiny? And I think that all those things tie into what is ultimately her quest, which is ultimately her own way of negotiating the world.
Q: How has Sara changed from Season 1 to Season 2?
A: I think Sara's a more dimensionalized character this year -- more enlightened. I think some of the experiences that she went through with the Witchblade, although she does not necessarily remember them all, definitely enlightened her. I think the world's a lot less black and white for her this year; she definitely sees shades of gray. And I would say that she probably has a greater sense of self-awareness.
Q: How does Sara keep it real when such bizarre things are happening around her?
A: Well I think that's one of the great things about Yancy Butler is you can put her in these incredibly strange, bizarre situations and she just grounds them. She makes 'em feel real. She responds in a very real way. She plays what's around her. She interacts with the other actors. She interacts with her environment. And in so doing, she takes things that might seem ridiculous and makes them play incredibly real.
Q: What is the most dramatic thing about this show?
A: I'd say that the most dramatic thing about this show is that you never really know what's gonna happen. Anything can happen, nothing's what it seems, anything is possible. And you know for every question there are many answers. So the most dramatic thing about this show is that in a Witchblade world, anything could happen.
Q: How are you approaching Season 2 in terms of production?
A: Well we learned a lot last year about how to do this show. And the great thing is we have the same crew back. Almost to a man, it's the same crew. So we're just trying to push the production envelope as much as we possibly can once again. Which means as much action, as much style and as much drama as we could possibly pack into a show.
Q: I understand that the decision was made to create more stand-alone episodes this year. What are the advantages?
A: Well I think there are ongoing arcs through the series this year. But I think overall that the episodes are more stand-alone. And I think that formula makes it a little more accessible for people who are just tuning in for the first time.
Q: Fans are really curious about what happens on a sound stage and what goes into making a series. How is making a series different from making a movie?
A: Well the thing about a series - and this is an oft-used analogy - is that it's like a moving freight train. When you do an episode of TV you don't have to start completely from scratch. You've got your main cast. You've got your main sets. You've established a lot of things so you don't have to begin the process from scratch. So to that extent there's less work to be done on a given episode than let's say a movie. But that's also the reason why you can pack so much into an episode, because so much is already in motion.
Q: So take us through a typical day.
A: Okay. There's the long version and the short version of the typical day. I'll give you the short version: Shoot, shoot, shoot, and go home. But basically that's what it come down to, it's just: you get the cameras up, you get your actors in there, and you just keep making shots and making scenes until you run out of time.
Q: Do you ever have those 'O sh**' moments when it's not going as planned, and how do you handle it?
A: Oh yeah, there are many a day. There are so many variables that go into the making of a movie or a television show that there's no way to know everything that could possibly happen. I think it was Orson Welles who said that movie making is basically presiding over accidents. And a lot a times that's what happens. You just kind of -- something happens and you go with it, rather than trying to fight it. I'd say it's more like surfing a big wave than designing a house.
Q: How do you know, when you're looking at the monitor, 'that's it, we've got it. We've nailed it'?
A: You don't always. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don't. But usually it's just the feeling in your gut that the scene's working right. And it's usually more of an intuitive thing than an intellectual thing. You just feel like you got it.
Q: There are a lot a terms used in production. One is 'print that.' What does it mean and how do you know . . .
A: 'Print that' means that's the take you want to use. Originally it was when -- we actually shoot the show on high def video -- but when you say 'print that' take it means lets save that to use in the editing room later. If you don't print it means you won't save it for later use.
Q: How long does it generally take to shoot one episode of Witchblade?
A: Usually it takes eight days of prep, eight days of shooting and about eight days of editing. And sometimes we have an extra day of second unit to mop stuff up or clean up some action sequences.
Q: And do you encourage the cast to improvise on set?
A: We don't encourage the cast to improvise on set. What we try to do is to do read-throughs and troubleshoot the scripts beforehand, so that everybody is one the same page. However, all of the cast is very into their characters. They're all quite talented and intelligent, and there's ample room if they want to change something to improvise. And a lot of them will come in with great ideas about their characters or lines of dialogue or possible scenes or scenarios. So I'd say that it's a very cast-friendly situation, and we're really open to their ideas.
Q: Does the cast ever try to get information out of you ahead a time?
A: All the time. Oh yeah, they're always trying to find out what's going to happen next. Where we're going, where their characters going, where the show's going. Yeah, I'm barraged with those questions quite frequently.
Q: Do you ever intentionally hold anything back, and what do they do to get it out of you?
A: If I know, I tell them and if I don't, I tell 'em. And sometimes if I know, I don't tell them. You know, it all depends . . . .the actors are often very curious what the next stage in the evolution of their character's gonna be, what the next script holds. And depending on the circumstances sometimes it's best to let them know. And sometimes it's best to let it be a surprise. And sometimes we don't even know where we're going.
Q: What happens when cameras aren't going?
A: Everything. A filmmaking team, when it's working well, is something to really behold because it's anywhere between 80 to 120 people all working together towards this common goal. So when the cameras aren't rolling, they're being set up, they're being moved, lights are being set up, actors are rehearsing, make-up's being done. All these different activities are happening simultaneously and it all converges when the cameras roll. So it's a pretty incredible thing when you see a film crew that's really up to speed. And that's one of the cool things about episodic TV is you really get into this sort of great teamwork situation where there's a lot of camaraderie and a shorthand and you can really accomplish quite a bit in a short amount of time.
Q: Seems like everybody's extremely passionate about this project. Can you describe the passion behind Witchblade?
A: I think there are a lot of reasons that the people that participate in Witchblade are passionate about it. I think one of the reasons is because people have a vested interest because they're encouraged to creatively participate and to give their ideas. I also think it's because we're doing, from my humble standpoint, a very unique television show. I think there are not a lot of shows on television like this. And I think it's a quality show. And I think that's why people that are working on it get into it.
Q: Fans love the action in this show. How much more will they get in Season 2?
A: I think we're going try to pack as much action as possible into the show. I mean it's an important component of the show. And I think in terms of television shows in general our action quotient is pretty high and pretty decently executed.
Q: Is there any sense of competition with the shows out there like Alias or Buffy?
A: I don't think there's any general sense of competition. I think there are certain other shows that are in a similar zone. But I don't think that we feel that we're in direct competition with any of them. I think they're all fairly unique and ours is in a pretty different zone than most of those other shows.
Q: You've done a lot to develop the main cast members. Are there other cast members this year that you're going to draw out and make more of?
A: I think that we're going to stick with our core cast and really try to develop them as much as possible rather than bring in new players. I mean there will be peripheral players and guest stars. But I think we've definitely established our core cast.
Q: What about characters like Gabriel Bowman and Vicki Po?
A: They're definitely in. When I say core cast, Gabriel Bowman and Vicki Po are definitely a part of that.
Q: How would you explain the huge success of the series' first season?
A: I think that there's something in the nature of the stories we tell. And something in the way we tell the stories that intrigues people. I also think that the characters and the casts themselves are quite engaging. And that people want to watch them on a weekly basis. So I think it would be a combination of all those things that really gets people into the show. And it's also weird, it's unique, it's different. So I think that people are looking for that on television.
Q: Is that what's going to give it it's edge this season?
A: I think one of the things that gives the show its edge in general, and hopefully this season, is the fact that it is about good and evil, but it's not clear cut. And it's often very difficult to discern who's good, who's bad, what's going on. And I think people are intrigued by that. And I think that does give it a very distinctive edge. The bad guys are not necessarily just bad guys. There's good in the bad, there's bad in the good. And I think that's one of the things that Sara uses the Witchblade to explore is what is the nature of good, and what is the nature of evil. On that level it's mythic. And I think people like that.
Q: I'm glad you brought that up. We have NYPD Blue, Law and Order, and Witchblade, all of which are cop stories centered in New York. Why New York? Why do you think that's the perfect backdrop?
A: I think New York is a great backdrop for a show like Witchblade because of the gothic quality of New York. The gargoyles, the older architecture and just the density and the flavor. And some of the timelessness of New York. It's obviously also a good place for a cop show because a lot of crimes happen there.
Q: How involved are you in editing?
A: Well, this (referring to equipment) is an Avid system. And it's a really powerful computer. It's one of the reasons we could turn around these shows so quickly. And we shoot 'em really high volume on footage. Our editors are kind of like fighter pilots on these things. And they slap them together real quick. We try to use the most high-end technology we can afford.
Q: Is it important for you as an executive producer to stay hands on?
A: Yeah, I think it's important to delegate but you've also got to sort of keep your finger on the pulse of what's happening as much as possible.
Q: Great! Thank you so much.
A: Thank you.
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