Interview with Sylvia Hysen Reader Views is happy to be talking with Sylvia Hysen, screenplay writer and first-time novelist of the new, soon to be classic, teen novel, “A Very Dairy Christmas.” Sylvia is talking with Juanita Watson, Assistant Editor of Reader Views. Juanita: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us today Sylvia. Please give us an idea of the storyline in “A Very Dairy Christmas.”
Juanita: I understand that “A Very Dairy Christmas” is an adaptation of your award winning screenplay of the same title. Tell us more about this – When did you write it, what award did you win? Etc. Sylvia: I completed the screenplay in 2002 and submitted it to the 2003 IFFF screenplay competition (International Family Film Festival). I entered the Best Comedy category and won! It was the only contest I entered; and I chose this competition based on the criteria of the award—that is, family entertainment. Juanita: What inspired you to originally write your screenplay, and why did you decide to turn it into a novel? Sylvia: My kids were in the pre-teen stages at the time and I felt there was a lack of quality PG movies that we could all see together. (I’m happy to say more films are being produced today than ever with the success of The Princess Diaries and Freaky Friday.) I was working in network promos at the time and decided to write a property that I would someday like to co-produce. I opted to shelf the project for a while after I met with Madonna Coffman, founder of Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that provides prosthetic hairpieces to underprivileged children who have lost their hair due to medical conditions such as alopecia areata, pediatric cancer and burns. (One of the characters in the story suffers from leukemia and has lost her hair as a result.) At a sit down meeting, she informed me that Locks of Love was lacking applicants—NOT cash or hair donations, but rather the children in need of their service—due to a lack of public awareness of their program (over 2 million kids suffer from medical hair loss). It was then that I decided to adapt the screenplay into a novel, believing that infiltration into the public library system would spread the message to a greater number of people; and ultimately connect Locks of Love with the children who would benefit from their free custom hairpieces. Juanita: Who would be your target audience for “A Very Dairy Christmas”? Sylvia: For the novel, my target audience is any woman over the age of thirteen who is either a daughter, a mother or a grandparent. The film has a wider PG audience, however, with more emphasis placed on physical stunts (boarding school pranks and barnyard antics) and sex appeal (fashionable teens and sexy models). Juanita: Callie Michaels is considered a pop-culture princess, and your book has many references to fashion. What is the significance in having your lead character a teenager caught up in the world of pop-culture? Sylvia: Every generation speaks their own language. I figured that if I was going to gain the respect of women thirty years younger than me I would have to meet them on their playing field armed with a vanilla latte and a copy of the latest Cosmo Girl magazine! Fashion is a universal concept regardless of age, so it was my bait. Juanita: What is your deeper meaning by converging the two, polar-opposite cultures of Callie Michaels’ New York, and her German grandparents’ dairy farm? Sylvia: Basically, that no matter how far up the food chain you think you are, there’s always someone who thinks they’re higher. Callie attends a very prestigious boarding school and is considered “trash” by some of the blue blooded families. Likewise, she displays an air of superiority and exhibits prejudices toward her humble immigrant grandparents and other members of their small dairy farming community. In the end, Callie discovers that she has things in common with people from all walks of life and that every generation has something valuable to contribute to society. Juanita: How do you use comedy to convey the very significant messages found in “A Very Dairy Christmas”? Sylvia: I use corporate branding and references to famous people and popular electronic devices (iPod, Sony PSP, etc.) to drive my humor. Callie’s grandparents immigrated to the US in the 1950’s yet they still possess heavy German accents. Their accents, coupled with their lack of familiarity with pop-culture, provide the perfect opportunity for communication breakdowns such as when Elsa, Callie’s grandmother, refers to a Cuisinart as the unfamiliar “Squeeze and Start”, and directs her granddaughter to the drawer that contains a rolling pin! As expected, Callie views the rolling pin as a prehistoric tool. Juanita: I understand that “A Very Dairy Christmas” has strong themes regarding family and friends. Can you elaborate on the underlying messages in your book? Sylvia: Simply stated…friends can be family and family can be friends! The sooner a person figures that out, the sooner they’ll be on track to a fulfilling life. Juanita: What type of inspiration will “A Very Dairy Christmas” offer to readers? Sylvia: For those fortunate enough to be blessed with money, it will inspire them to redirect more funds toward charitable causes and less to self-indulgence. For those with limited assets, it will inspire them to share their talents with loved-ones and the less fortunate. In other words, we all have assets to share regardless of our age or financial position in life. Callie chooses to use the money her mother would have spent on a ski trip to fund a spectacular Christmas party for children with leukemia. She experiences a true sense of accomplishment and self-worth for the first time in her young life. Callie’s grandparents’ friends and neighbors on the other hand exhibit their sense of charity through their constant concern for each other’s well being—proving that kindness comes in all sized packages! Juanita: Sylvia, what are your thoughts on how the true meaning of Christmas seems to be increasingly lost in these modern times? Sylvia: Unfortunately, we live in materialistic times. That’s just a fact, plain and simple. There are more holidays today that require greeting cards, gifts and decorations than any other period in history; and Christmas, which was intended to be a celebration of the birth of Christ, has somehow become the mother of all gift-giving holidays. But regardless of how one feels about the financial burden created by holidays—Christmas in particular, I have to wonder how alienated our society would become without them. Is it possible that it takes a royal pain-in-the-ass, commercial driven holiday to get us to pick up the phone just to say hello or to browse the card aisle for the perfect sentiment, or to heaven forbid, think about the needs or desires of someone other than ourselves? Commercial holidays are like permanent reminders not to forget about your loved ones. On one hand, it brings us closer; on the other hand, it strips our bank accounts! But from a mother’s perspective, there was nothing more gratifying than seeing the excitement in the eyes of my children on Christmas morning. So in my mind, the jury is still out as to whether or not Christmas has lost its value! Juanita:: Sylvia, you graduated with a film degree from California State University, Northridge and have worked in the entertainment industry since the late 1980's. Can you tell us a little about your career up to this point? And, do you think fans will be seeing “A Very Dairy Christmas” on the big screen or television in the future? Sylvia: I started my career at Carson Productions…yes, Johnny’s production company…as a production office assistant (oops…I’m sounding very old). From there I moved into commercial production (those nasty little messages that interrupt our favorite TV programming); from there network promos (fall season lineups, public service campaigns). And yes, it is my sincere hope that I will get to make the movie that I set out to make over four years ago…everything in good time, however. Juanita: What do your two teenage children think about “A Very Dairy Christmas”? Sylvia: Since so many of the scenarios and punch lines come from our family experiences together—scaled down, of course—they see themselves as mini-contributors to the project…I just laugh, figuring that I’ll probably expire before the copyright lapses anyway, so why burst their bubble! Juanita: What do you ultimately want readers to experience and/or understand by reading “A Very Dairy Christmas? Sylvia:First off, I want them to hang on and enjoy the ride! Then I want them to laugh and I want them to cry, and I want them to get angry at all the social injustice and stereotyping that surrounds us. I want them to identify with the characters and situations and relate them to people they know. But most of all, I want them to appreciate their own uniqueness’, and hopefully they will be inspired to share their talents with others…even if that talent is simply making someone else feel good about themselves. Juanita: Sylvia, this is your first novel. Do you have any plans for writing another? Sylvia: It just so happens that I’m writing A Very Dairy Summer, the conclusion to the Michelsohn family saga. It’s the second book in a two-part series and does for “first love” what A Very Dairy Christmas does for “family bonds”. Juanita: How can readers find out more about you and your endeavors? Sylvia: Visit www.bookwire.com to view my AuthorWrap and keep checking our web site at http://averydairychristmas.com/ for updates. We plan a major overhaul this fall which will include an author column in addition to other added features. Juanita: Sylvia, your new book “A Very Dairy Christmas” sounds highly entertaining, and a must-read for families this upcoming season. Thanks for talking with us today. Do you have any last thoughts for your readers? Sylvia: Actually, a couple of requests…Number one, if you’re planning on buying my book as a gift for someone else, be sure to borrow it; and if you’re planning on buying it for yourself, be sure to lend it! And number two, if you know a child with permanent or long-term medical hair loss, please refer them to Locks of Love. They’re ready to help! Read Review of A Very Dairy Christmas |
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