Best Thing You’ll Ever Do follows an entrepreneur in her mid-30s and her struggle to decide between motherhood and a career.
This award-winning series is directed by Catherine Fordham and stars Monica West, Bhavesh Patel, Michelle Ang, Myra Lucretia Taylor and Liam Vincent.
What inspired your web series?
The concept for Best Thing You’ll Ever Do came in response to something that kept happening to me after I got engaged. People ( i.e. church ladies, family, best friends, total strangers) started asking me: “When are you going to have a baby?” And I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised? But the question hit me like a pie in the face. I’d spent my 20s and early 30s intensely pursuing my career as an actress. When I turned 34, I finally started getting offered some excellent roles and opportunities. On top of all of this, I met my husband! So in my mid-30s I felt like my life was finally coming together and then all of the sudden this baby question hits me. I started to think that a lot of women in my generation must feel this way: working so hard to see their dreams coming true and then laying awake at night worrying about having to give it all up or even wanting to give it all up to have a baby.
And then let’s face it: most stories around having a baby focus on what it’s like to be pregnant or have children. Knocked Up, Jane the Virgin, Juno, What to Expect When You’re Expecting… most shows and movies fail to portray a woman actually making this major life decision and I wanted to explore the decision at the forefront of a story.
Why did you choose web series as your format?
I’ve read many stories on women’s decisions to have a baby or not (this story by Paula Derrow is one of my favourite) but I wanted to see a “baby decision” front-and-centre and I felt strongly that I could accomplish making Best Thing in the web format (rather than TV) and that the episodes would be easily watchable and shareable on the internet.
The emotions that are depicted in your work felt real and honest. How did you work with your actors to bring those emotions to the screen?
Thank you! Our casting director, Elvy Yost, introduced us to some really talented actors. And our director, Catherine Fordham, is wonderful at bringing out actors’ best performances. Her direction on the dock at the end Episode 4, with the three different versions of the main character of Mae, looking at one another: that one “Mae” could be slightly shocked at seeing the others, another curious and another could feel a question of doubt, was one of my favourite moments of working on set with Catherine during Best Thing.
The choice between career and motherhood is an issue that affects many women today. What reaction did you get from women in particular, when they saw your work?
One of the best responses we’ve gotten has been from women in their 60s and 70s who’ve finished raising their children and said to Catherine and me that they really appreciated what we created. Being part of a generation who didn’t necessarily feel like they had a choice, it was just the natural order of life to finish school (or not), get married, and have babies. More than one mother has said to us that although they love their kids, they might not have had them if they felt they had the choice. I think that’s pretty remarkable. Another great response has been from guys in their 20s and 30s who say they feel some of these same worries and pressures about managing a career and having a baby, which makes me feel like they see themselves as an integral part of the everyday work of children’s upbringing, which I think is wonderful.
What do you want your audience to take away from this series?
I made Best Thing You’ll Ever Do to give other women a story they can personally relate to… regardless of whether their answer is the same as Mae’s. And I think we all (not just women!) can benefit from exploring this so common yet rarely discussed topic.
Do you have any future plans for this series?
As of May 26th Best Thing is streaming exclusively on Seed&Spark, which we’re very excited about because when people watch the series there we can make money (to make more episodes)! I’m also exploring branding opportunities as well as a production partnership to make more episodes.
What advice would you give to emerging creators?
Write a logline first and run it by at least 20 people before you start to write your series. Get comfortable saying it in the most straightforward and entertaining way. A logline should do two things: 1) allow someone to envision your series very clearly 2) and make them want to see it!. Make sure it’s a subject you feel passionate about, that you can imagine resonating with other people, and that no one has written about the subject from your perspective yet (ie – don’t write another series about a struggling actor – no one cares!). Write an outline and a beat sheet and then write the script. You’ll save a lot of time (and heartache!) if you know exactly what you’re writing about before you start. And then, shoot for the stars when you write your script – it’s my experience that the interesting locations, a talented crew and actors, and a beautiful soundtrack will come when you do!
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