Interview with Guernslye Honorés
Be flexible when it comes to structure. It is important to remember this when collaborating, especially when writing TV with a group of collaborators. We all come to the equation with our own skills, education, and process. When you know the rules, you can absolutely break them. Some of the most creative TV writers know this, and the shows are phenomenal and unforgettable as a result. Don’t be afraid to break the mold. Just do it with informed knowledge, especially when writing genre. More to this point, as creators, we have to be willing to change with the times. This isn’t always easy to do.
As a part of our series called “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker”, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Tonia Kempler.
Tonia Kempler is a multi-hyphenate Producer/Director/Screenwriter who splits her time between Vermont, New York, and Connecticut, though her roots run deep in a rural south still steeped in the occult traditions of the Gullah Geechee and the animism of the Cherokees. Surrounded and empowered by the lore and practices of these mystical cultures, Tonia leans toward macabre worlds with isolated, damaged, yet capable and empathic female leads. This personal connection drives her concentration on supernatural horror/thrillers and dark comedies, including features, pilots, shorts, web series, podcasts, and graphic novels.
Her approach to storytelling and understanding audience engagement is fortified by a career in the Music Industry, including concert production and managing Grammy-award-winning producers, engineers, and songwriters. “No Scrubs” for TLC and “Survivor” for Destiny’s Child are among over 100 Billboard Chart Topping songs created by her previous clients.
Tonia is the Founder of Bellem Entertainment, a full-service entertainment company with a stable of award-winning Filmmakers and Screenwriters delivering content in all formats across all genres. Bellem Entertainment’s production company specializes in world-building and character development. Current projects include an Unscripted Docu-Reality TV Series and a Coming-of-Age Thriller in pre-production. Radar Pictures and Buffalo 8 have joined Bellem Entertainment with their Found Footage Horror Feature, The Leatherface Lady.
Tonia’s accomplishments include over 200 awards, including a Top 10% Academy Nicholl’s script, Top 1% on Coverfly, inclusion in Gotham Week and SundanceLabs/ Collabs, a №1 best-selling comic, multi-award winning short films, placement in Stowe’s TV Writer’s Room/Producer Lab, Cinestory, Page Awards, Austin Film Festival, and the ScreenCraft Fellowship among others.
Bellem Entertainment sponsors fellowships for both Stowe Story Labs Vermont Retreat and Cinestory’s Television Retreat.
Tonia is a member of the Vine Global Impact, The 9 Armadillos, The Female Filmmakers Collaborative, Gotham, and more.
In addition, Tonia spearheads the Diversity Scholarship for Roadmap Writers. She is an inspired Top Tier Roadmap Writer and a 51/50 international workshop member with the Academy of Film Writing.
She is an industry script reader for the Austin Film Festival, Stowe Story Labs, and Cinestory, among others.
Tonia is currently organizing a film festival in Rutland, Vermont, as well as launching several new comic series.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit of the ‘backstory’ of how you grew up?
I grew up in Atlanta (Brookhaven) on a street with nine great aunts and uncles within walking distance. Atlanta was very different then. Each aunt and uncle had farms; cows, goats, chickens. We spent the summers plowing fields and planting. At the end of each summer, we gathered together to shell, freeze, and make jams and preserves. That street now has hundreds of houses where a single house stood. All I recognize today is a tree that still stands that marked my front yard.
We would take large family vacations. Two a year. One to the mountains, usually to visit relatives in Cherokee, and one to Florida. Both my mother and my father had large families, and everyone would go. When we would go camping, sometimes there were 15–20 tents.
Speaking of camping, those are the most memorable. Every trip, my aunts and uncles, even the great aunts and uncles, would try to outdo each other in the fear factor category. They would plan elaborate haunted walks or turn the woods into a “cabin in the woods” setting. The creativity and the terror remain unparalleled. Horror runs in my DNA; what can I say? I was destined to be a genre filmmaker.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
When I was small, I would spend my weekends with one particular great aunt and uncle. She was notorious for scaring us kids. She cut a hole in her ceiling and had a glass eye she would occasionally, if the mood struck her, position to peer down at us. She had a favorite bedtime story she would tell, “Soap Sally and Rawhead and Bloody Bones.” The night would always end with her telling us “to look up and be good; Soap Sally was always watching and loved to turn bad kids into soap.” I have thought of her often and fondly throughout my life and promised myself I would one day make short horror tales in her memory. To date, I have over 200 accolades all dedicated to her. I couldn’t imagine my childhood without her influence. And I am not sure I would have followed this path without her unrelenting love of all things horror being passed on to all of us.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your filmmaking career?
There are so many. Funny things happen on just about every shoot. One that jumps out above the rest and still makes me laugh out loud was the first proof of concept I filmed with my partner, Bulent Gurcan. We were still getting to know each other and how to navigate productions together. We were filming a short film of a thriller feature we had just written. To put the humor into context, I should preface that my partner is the Barehanded Killer from Naked & Afraid. He is not shy about nudity. His work ethic and intense “just get it done” attitude mirrors mine. We don’t get stuck, we problem-solve, and we problem-solve fast when on set. The scene we were filming was at the end of a long shoot day, and the actress could not work overtime.
We had to nail this scene and pack up with minimal delay. Bulent had to play our serial killer. His outfit was black jeans and a black butcher’s apron. The black jeans were nowhere to be found. So he comes out bare-naked with just the apron on and his lovely black gloves. His prop was lipstick — longer story. The cinematographer and gaffer’s reaction was hysterical. Both were shocked and couldn’t contain their outbursts. Bulent, however, was not amused. He is comical without even trying to be. He turned around and said, “Be professional; you’ve never seen a grown man’s butt. Can we just get on with it?” He was so mad that it made us all laugh harder, gut-wrenching laughs. To this day, he’s still angry about it, and we still laugh. Some visuals just aren’t as funny when you try to describe them.
Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?
We are a closed-lip production company and go out of our way to respect privacy. At Bellem, what happens on set, stays in the archives. We’ve come to have a great reputation in that regard. Our relationships are everything.
But I can share a fun moment about one of our DPs, Shaun Maddox. He is truly a gem in more ways than one. This guy on several shoots had to be the DP, the gaffer, the editor, the psychologist, and an actor.
We have this game we play when we do internal proof of concepts or low-budget shorts where just the intimate team comes together to get a small project done fast. After the principle shoot, we switch roles and do a micro short to add to a comedic horror series called “Bulent the Monster Hunter,” which is just for us. I call it our morale booster. It’s a team sport just for fun after a tense day. Making a film, regardless of length or format, can test patience and push boundaries. This is how we regroup and laugh. It leaves the team with incredible memories. Maybe one day we’ll toss them out, but they are more of a celebration short “for our eyes only” when we wrap.
The challenge is to do a short using only six scenes, clocking under two minutes. Everyone on set wears a different hat — the lead actor becomes the writer, the DP becomes the actor, I become the gaffer, and so on. On one shoot, Shaun was the monster. Bulent is always the monster hunter; his role never changes. The comedic element is that he fails terribly in his efforts to take down the monster. Shaun was by far the best monster we’ve had yet. His hunch-backed walk was hysterical and completely natural. I was the DP and the sound engineer. I couldn’t film the scenes for laughing. We finally got it done, but it was a fun mess. I applaud Addie Silva, our lead actress, for her writing skills that day.
Addie was particularly taxed past her comfort zone on the principle shoot. She was the victim of a serial killer in the proof of concept we had filmed earlier. She was wrapped in saran wrap, duct taped, chained, and buried alive. She couldn’t wait to get her chance to go after Bulent. Her payback was brilliant.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Hands down, David Hamilton Nicols. I have so much gratitude and reverence for this man. He saw something in us and has shown his belief and support in countless ways. We are in development and headed for a theatrical release with an industry icon due to his introduction. I can’t thank him enough.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Just Do It” — this iconic Nike quote personifies my work ethic, and those who have chosen to stand by my side on this journey are equally driven, resilient, and reliable. You won’t hear complaints or excuses from this gang. We truly just get it done, whatever it takes.
I am very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?
At Bellem Entertainment, it is our mission to aid and provide a platform for unheard voices in the creative community. I personally spearhead several diversity funds and provide scholarships and fellowships for several of the larger writer retreats.
As both an aging woman and a woman raised by Native American relatives and an extended Gullah Geechee family, I appreciate the acceptance and access allowed today.
Filmmaking is my second career. I got my start in Music and had a very successful career. I left music to raise my children and decided I would start down an entirely new career path — screenwriting. Being allowed to tell my stories based on a lifetime of experience and knowledge has been a true blessing. I am grateful for everyone who has believed in me and made room for my unique voice. We all have stories that only we can tell based on our individual journeys. Cinema will only benefit from more willingness to allow more opportunities for diverse voices.
Some cultures share the oral tradition of story-telling, passing stories down from one generation to the next. In my own family, stories were passed down this way. These are not stories one can grab off the internet, maybe some watered-down version, but the heartbeat gets lost somewhere along the way. It is always better to at least consult with someone who lived (or lives) the life one plans to explore before committing to a project. We all have to ask ourselves a very crucial question — “Is it our story to tell?” There is a fine line between storytelling and exploiting. And we each have to be honest when answering this for ourselves. There are several projects that truly are, at first glimpse, my stories to tell because of how I was raised, but in reality, they are not, so I’ve shelved those series. I was raised with an extended Gullah Geechee family, that doesn’t give me the right to share their stories with the world. I have written them, and they’ll forever be part of my private library.
…integrity, believability, and authenticity — those are my three reasons!
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?
We have several unscripted series that we are excited about. We have good traction and will be making announcements accordingly.
We have a found footage horror that is moving into pre-production. We hope to be behind the camera this year.
We started a writer’s collaborative called the 9 Armadillos. We are all very excited about the projects we are churning out. My partners are Bulent Gurcan, Jana Zinser, James Moorer, Eamon Cogan, Nicole Eilers, Gia El Aynaoui, Tequoia Urbina, and Tony Ferrendelli. Watch for us!
Which aspect of your work makes you most proud? Can you explain or give a story?
I am a true collaborator, and I love to share my creative endeavors with a team. Screenwriting is such a solo endeavor, to be able to have partners and collaborators in the trenches alongside you is critical. I guess I am most proud of the heart I put behind my creative process and the belief I am able to instill in my team. There is no “I” when it comes to making films.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
Five things I wish someone told me when I first started:
These have changed over the years and will continue to evolve, I am sure.
1) Confidence is overrated. It’s okay to be terrified and shaking in your boots. Humility is a beautiful trait. I try to approach life and work with a fearless attitude, but that does not mean I am not terrified. I am just willing to face my fears head-on and give it all I’ve got. I remember in the early days of screenwriting, I was so nervous when sending pages out. And even worse, you should have seen my face when I found out screenwriters had to pitch their own material. “What, you mean the introvert doesn’t get to hide behind the keyboard — aren’t writers given a free pass to be the loner?” Ha, nope. These people are investing in us just as much as the project. The thought of pitching, even on Zoom, was debilitating. So what did I do? I joined Roadmap Writers and threw myself right into the frying pan. Sweaty palms, pacing, jumping jacks, a pot of coffee, a bottle of wine, the whole bit — whatever it took to smile in the face of fear and talk about my project. A huge thank you to my good friend, Joey Tuccio, for providing such a wonderful platform for writers. I wouldn’t be here without Joey and Roadmap. In addition to the pitch sessions, I took an industry reading class with Beverly Neufeld, where I had to role-play and walk in the shoes of the exec tasked with giving the feedback. What I found out is that it is equally difficult to be the one who has to give a critique. My entire perception changed that day. I realized the playing field is a lot more equal than we initially assume.
2) You can tackle the fear of cold calls and get your calls returned. You just have to have a very specific “ask,” and no, that is not, “Will you fund my project, or will you read my pages.” It’s more along the lines of, “I see you filmed in Ontario. Could you recommend a good location scout?” This will usually open up the conversation to a more general discussion, and you may just build an ally. This approach shows that you took the time to research not only what your project’s needs are but also what the person or company you are contacting could specifically offer or add. Your approach can make people feel seen and appreciated.
This became clear when one of my projects was included in the Gotham, a buyers’ market in Brooklyn. I was on a panel, and one of the producers said, “ I love to help up-and-coming filmmakers and will answer every call as long as they have a very well-thought-out question or ask.” She went on to explain that, to her, this showed the creator was well on their way with their project and had already put in the time and effort to stand out. I have thought about that sense and how true it is. When you are willing to put in the hard work and sacrifice, the different asks can be boiled down to a specific request for a specific company. This eliminates wasting anyone’s time. For instance, you may want a recommendation for a line producer. Do your research and make sure you ask the right person for this recommendation at the right time. It does matter.
3) There is no such thing as a perfect script. You can take years laboring over pages just to have them completely unravel as soon as you get a production partner — and then again once you secure talent — and again once you acquire financing. The script is the roadmap for an entire cast and crew. We sometimes forget that fact. You must have tough skin and a collaborative mindset. The project will continue to change until it hits the screen, even during the edit. I remember my first pages and the time I spent getting feedback and bleeding over the rewrites. Little did I know the same amount of time, if not more, was going to be spent building a team for the project and seeking the right investors. The pages are just the beginning of the journey. Don’t get stuck in your driveway when you have to make it all the way across the country. I am not saying don’t put the time into the pages. I’m simply suggesting you don’t get stuck there.
4) Be flexible when it comes to structure. It is important to remember this when collaborating, especially when writing TV with a group of collaborators. We all come to the equation with our own skills, education, and process. When you know the rules, you can absolutely break them. Some of the most creative TV writers know this, and the shows are phenomenal and unforgettable as a result. Don’t be afraid to break the mold. Just do it with informed knowledge, especially when writing genre. More to this point, as creators, we have to be willing to change with the times. This isn’t always easy to do.
5) Don’t force yourself to brand your style of writing. As controversial as this last one is, I must mention it as one of the five. If you are a writer who can write across all formats and genres, do not limit your creativity because you’ve been told you must have a brand. Yes, this is important for many of us who do have a special space we want to live in professionally. For example: if you only write horror and you want executives seeking horror to think of you. By all means, hone your brand so you stand out. But if you are a writer who can write across all formats and ideas come to you easily and vary in genre, please do not limit your creative output to gain favor. I branded myself a horror-girl for a long time. I was very prolific, and I wrote everything else that came to me; I just didn’t pitch it. That was probably the worst mistake of my screenwriting career. As soon as I realized I truly was just a creative outlet with an abundance of ideas, I branded myself as a multi-hyphenate genre-agnostic creator. That’s who I am; why reel in what I have to offer?
When you create a film, which stakeholders have the greatest impact on the artistic and cinematic choices you make? Is it the viewers, the critics, the financiers, or your own personal artistic vision? Can you share a story with us or give an example about what you mean?
Actually, all stakeholders are equal. I guess it starts with my artistic vision, but the goal is always the experience of the audience. We ask the audience to trust us with their time. We enter into a relationship for the duration of the film, whether a feature-length or a short. It is always my aim to make sure I deliver on my part. I will taper or heighten my vision and choices according to the target audience for each project. It is for them we make our art. The financiers are similar. We ask them to trust us to take care of their investment. We can’t do that unless we deliver our artistic vision in a way that our intended audience will receive openly. And critics — we count on critics’ keen insight and recommendations. They are an integral part of each project. This means paying special attention to our themes and how they are being reflected in our films.
I made a short horror film that was going to be used as a teaching aid for tweens in a class I was instructing called “Script to Screen.” The kids were tasked with writing a short 3–5 page script, which they would shoot, edit, and present over the course of a week. I had originally written the short to be shot as a proof of concept for a feature-length horror that I intended to pitch to major studios. The feature, if made, was geared for an Rated R audience. I had to taper my artistic vision for the short and make choices that would fit the tween audience I would be instructing. It would not have worked to shoot the short film I had originally intended. It ended up being a very subtle, dark piece with zero violence or blood. It worked beautifully for the kids who took my class.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
“People taking care of people,” whether this means showing up at hospitals to make cards for sick patients or volunteering to sit with someone at a senior living facility. Giving doesn’t have to be complicated. The simplest random act of kindness can mean so much. It costs us nothing to compliment someone or to smile, yet both can change a person’s day in an instant.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this. 🙂
Keanu Reeves. Simply put, I am in awe of the man. He has had his share of misfortunes and has remained one of the most giving, kind human beings on the planet. There’s just not a close second.
How can our readers further follow you online?
I am on all social media outlets, and our website is www.bellementertainment.com
This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!
Thank you! This was so much fun!
About the interviewer: Guernslye Honoré, affectionately known as “Gee-Gee”, is an amalgamation of creativity, vision, and endless enthusiasm. She has elegantly twined the worlds of writing, acting, and digital marketing into an inspiring tapestry of achievement. As the creative genius at the heart of Esma Marketing & Publishing, she leads her team to unprecedented heights with her comprehensive understanding of the industry and her innate flair for innovation. Her boundless passion and sense of purpose radiate from every endeavor she undertakes, turning ideas into reality and creating a realm of infinite possibilities. A true dynamo, Gee-Gee’s name has become synonymous with inspirational leadership and the art of creating success.
Tonia Kempler: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.