Norm Coyne
He is the Executive Producer of James Douglas‘ The Doctor’s Case Dollar Baby Film.
SKSM: May you introduce yourself to our readers?
Norm Coyne: My name is Norm Coyne. I am the Executive Producer on our Dollar Baby adaptation of “The Doctor’s Case”. James Douglas (screenwriter/director/producer of the film) and I formed a production company called Barker Street Cinema when we broke ground on the production and have been working on developing other projects ever since. We are currently in post production on the pilot for a television series about ghost hunting called Wicked Ways which stars actress/cosplay superstar LeeAnna Vamp and actor/voice acting legend Mark Meer. It is a unique spin on the paranormal investigation genre and we are super excited about it.
SKSM: When did you know you wanted to become a producer?
Norm Coyne: I spent a lot of time as a child consuming any and all of the films I possibly could. Storytelling has always been something I have a deep admiration for. Pulling people together in pursuit of dreams is an extremely romantic notion to me. Producing films is the cross section of these two. It is a natural fit. In that respect, I guess I always knew I wanted to produce.
SKSM: How did you become involved in The Doctor’s Case Dollar Baby film?
Norm Coyne: I met James Douglas years earlier as his print marketing rep (I worked at a newspaper called the Prince George Citizen and James was managing the media for Barkerville Historic Town). Through the years, James and I became close friends and collaborated on a few big projects together including a 150th anniversary magazine for Barkerville, a comic con called the Barkerville Geekend (which is where we met Denise Crosby), and Northern FanCon (an entertainment expo that has seen tens of thousands of attendees and has hosted guests like William Shatner, Kevin Smith, Tia Carrere, Karl Urban, Jewel Staite, Alan Tudyk, Tricia Helfer, Sean Astin to name only a few). During that time, we had also been making short films with our friends Chad Magnant, Michael Kroetsch, and Stu Cawood. We had been entertaining a bigger project when James caught wind of the Dollar Baby program. He applied, got the rights and invited me to be part of what would become a life changing experience for both of us.
SKSM: Can you tell us about your work in the film?
Norm Coyne: My job was to do whatever it takes to help James realize his vision. On the baseline, James and I worked closely on crowdfunding the film. I also secured some significant contributions from a handful of other local supporters to fund the production. The Doctor’s Case has become a bit of a catalyst for our local film industry and these champions who helped us finance the production – Brent Marshall and Kyle Bachman to name a couple – are still very much at the forefront. Throughout and after the production, I have worked closely with James on developing the brand of our adaptation of The Doctor’s Case – press releases, media management, etc. A very real commitment of time and resources is making sure the film is being seen by as many eyes as possible while complying with the agreement with Stephen King. We have screened at many festivals over the past 2 years and we have to go through case by case whether we are able to attend. To me the most valuable part of the Dollar Baby program is connecting with other filmmakers and industry professionals on the festival circuit and at screenings. A lot of my work has gone into building those relationships.
SKSM: What was it like to work with James Douglas on this film?
Norm Coyne: James is one of the most magnificent human beings alive and a true artist. His commitment to honouring the source material while breathing life into the story was a spectacle to behold. The Doctor’s Case is an absolutely remarkable accomplishment and I sincerely admire the sacrifices he made to see the production through. My one hope – call it a Christmas wish – is that Stephen King himself watches the film one day and graces James with a few words or a call. There is no doubt in my mind that the film would impress King and it would mean the world to James for that 65 minutes of attention.
SKSM: Was there any funny things that happened while filming (Bloopers, etc)?
Norm Coyne: A cat wandered onto set and made the final cut…. Like that kind of blooper?
SKSM: Are you a fan of Stephen King’s work?
Norm Coyne: I think it would be hard to find someone who is not a fan of Stephen King in some shape or form. His body of work is so vast and extends far beyond the realm of horror that his name typically invokes. In July, Screen Rant released an article of the 5 Best (and Worst) Stephen King Adaptations (According to IMDB). The list for the Best was
- The Shawshank Redemption
- The Green Mile
- The Shining
- Stand By Me
- The Doctor’s Case
Looking at this list really hit it home for me that some of King’s biggest successes are drama. He writes characters that engage us in a way that most don’t. Am I fan? HUGE FAN.
SKSM: What are you working on nowadays?
Norm Coyne: As I mentioned earlier, we are in post production on Wicked Ways. We are also in talks to work on a project with fellow Dollar Baby alumni Bev Vincent who is one of the friends we have made along the way on this remarkable journey. We have a docu-series we are pitching right now called “Hollywood Forever” which will see us partner again with Denise Crosby and Skye Borgman – another friend from our festival run of The Doctor’s Case. Skye’s film “Abducted in Plain Sight” went on to become a Netflix hit. We have a travel series we are developing right now with Ming Chen (from AMC’s Comic Book Men) and model/cosplay superstar Ivy Doomkitty. We have a web series called “Northern Lights, Camera, Action” which features interviews with some of our past guests of Northern FanCon (Edward James Olmos, Rachel Talalay, Michael Uslan, Marc Bernardin, and Skye Borgman). This series will chronicle our efforts in building film industry in a small city. We are trying hard to make sure the profile we have gained from The Doctor’s Case leads to bigger and better things for our team.
SKSM: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. Something you’d like to tell our readers?
Norm Coyne: We are so grateful to be part of the Dollar Baby community. I would just like to impart how important it is to recognize the filmmakers behind any of the Dollar Baby projects. Without exception, they have made these films at great cost and the attention they receive helps them to continue and grow into bigger things. So support the filmmakers – follow them on Twitter, Stephen King has offered a tremendous opportunity of exposure – so feed that momentum with your attention 🙂
