Deborah Pratt is a Director, Writer, Producer, Actress, and Women in Media Advisory Board Member
Questions by Sayla U’ilani Whalen
SW: You started as a performer. What inspired the expansion to work behind the camera?
DP: Coming from a background of high school plays, summer stock, and college conservatory theater, I had my professional career break as a singer and dancer in the Chicago company of an off-Broadway musical, DON’T BOTHER ME, I CAN’T COPE which led me to a nationwide talent search. That got me a contract with NBC and the chance to work with old Hollywood’s brightest lights. I got to sing with Dean Martin and dance with Gene Kelly, Sammy Davis Jr., Donald O’Connor, and Debbie Reynolds. I got to perform in Las Vegas. I picked up a guitar, taught myself to play, and became a songwriter, writing with the lead singers of WAR and the lead singer of CHICAGO.
I loved music but disliked the music industry. At the time, it was filled with too many drugs, death, and too much disrespect for women who weren’t stars. I decided to go back to acting. I went to where I felt at home, first acting in live theater, then taking advantage of living in Hollywood. I found an agent and started auditioning, landing a few roles in feature films and more work in television. I was disappointed in the roles for women and, more so, for the roles for women of color. Whenever I was offered a recurring role in a TV series, I started writing my own roles. That is what led me to work as a writer, and that skill opened the door to producing and directing and eventually creating my first Television series, QUANTUM LEAP.
SW: How do you approach the writing process?
DP: People always ask where I get my ideas. They come from everywhere: watching a couple arguing or being loving on the street, seeing young and old people, animals – beautiful or weird, looking at the sky or sea, sitting in a restaurant or bar, passing a church or driving in a car. Reading an article, book, play, or movie, just thinking about stuff… and a question comes to my mind asking me, “What if…” and my imagination starts to spin.
Sometimes, I want to know who is telling this story, what and where in the world they are. What wound drives them to be where they are and do what they feel they must do? I answer the Socratic questions, “Who, What, Why, When, and Where?” That answer takes me on a journey through my imagination, and I get to contemplate how to understand the world. I visualize every detail, including the places and times, the clothes, the weather, the music and smells that are unfolding at the moment.
Understanding or creating the rules of the world is deeply important to me. Then, I hear the voice of who is going to guide me to create the lead characters and surrounding characters. What are their strengths and struggles? How do they fit into their environment? How do they not fit in? The characters in my stories reflect the diverse world we live in, and my favorite places to write about are the past or future. Rarely do I like exploring the present. That’s something I’m working on. Then I sit down and write.
SW: How do you decide an idea/project is worth your time?
DP: An idea is significant if I can’t stop thinking about it. The characters, the story, the inciting incident. Those haunting voices stick with me until I write them down and tell the story. In my life as a creator/writer, there have been a million ideas that did not hold my mind or heart, and I let them go back into the ether of creation. Ideas come and go, but when something really sticks with me, I am compelled to flesh it out. I have to know how the story ends. The joy of imagining creates my happy place. Most of my ideas are based on and designed to spread a message of hope. Far too often it is missing in our world. If done well, it inspires and uplifts. Giving humanity a sense of optimism is the greatest gift I can share. With all the fear, cruelty, and uncertainty we encounter in life, I want to give people an escape from the struggles they are going through.
SW: Did the challenges facing women writers in the industry change over the years? If so, how?
DP: When I started, opportunities for women with the power to make decisions were few and far between. While they have progressed over the decades, we still aren’t where we should be. So, the need for women in all areas of the world is reflected first in the stories of those who stepped up and used their voices for change. We see them around us in heroes such as Jane Fonda, Shirley Chisholm, and Debbie Allen.
So many women have made their mark, yet their stories have not yet been told. Hatshepsut, the woman pharaoh of Ancient Egypt ruled for 35 years, expanded the empire, and built many of the most beautiful monuments in history. When women rule the world, it will be a better planet. That is a fact. However, historically, every time we break the glass ceiling, those in charge change the rules to hold us back. I say we inspire every generation to become pioneers, step through, and make a difference. Every chance that we get, we must reach back and give more women opportunities. It’s up to us to support each other to tell their stories, show their talents, and to inspire all humans to do the same.
In our industry, nobody works until writers write. When women executives at studios are visionaries, they must empower each other to write, direct, produce, star in, and distribute it worldwide. When we are in power on every level, then change is here. The more we continue to reach up and support one another, the greater the change will be. As Gandhi said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
SW: What do you wish you knew when you started out?
DP: I wish I knew everything I know now and had connections to all the people who could have opened the doors I needed to become as successful as I imagined becoming. At the same time, I am grateful that I was driven by passion because I knew what I wanted. I was driven by the love of being an artist that got me up every day, excited to be the best I could be at everything I did. That knowing gave me the courage to fearlessly walk through who, where, and whatever I faced with the integrity I needed to make this journey the adventure of a lifetime.
SW: What were you looking for in an intern for the Developing Filmmaker Fellowship?
DP: I was excited to be presented with this internship from Women in Media. The work they’re doing with the fellowship program to get young creatives’ foot in the door is fantastic. I have done this since my professional status has allowed me to pay it forward. I am grateful for the people who taught and inspired me to be the best I could be. To see behind the curtain into an industry that makes magic every day. I created an opportunity to learn something new from every job I ever took.
From the moment I stepped into the industry, there were challenges, but I learned to recognize talent. When Developing Filmmaker Fellowship Program Administrator, Idit Dvir sent Sayla’s resume, I was impressed by her experience. I was even more impressed by her calm confidence, intelligence, and insight into what the new generation wants in terms of entertainment. I was intrigued by the characters in her script. Our discussions on writing people and how they live and breathe in books, movies, games, and films currently tend to be anti-heros. We have talked about the need to create more heroes to change the conversation about women in general. Most of all I liked her willingness to be a team player, see what needed to be done and have the willingness to do it. In this internship, I made the decision to show her the secrets to navigating the entertainment industry. I know a lot about traditional Hollywood, but the system is changing, being reborn with new technologies that evolve each day and create new ways to tell stories. My current adventure is creating new IP (intellectual property) and telling it across a variety of trans-media platforms. I am excited to share what I am discovering with her in this new generation of entertainment, and I am grateful to Women in Media for the opportunity.
