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|title=
|text=
"It’s never the same. I mean - it is the same but it’s never the same. You go to new locations, you go to a different set that’s been built… it was one thing last week; it’s entirely new this week. There’s always something different in the film world and that’s what got me into the work in the first place."
|author= [[Kevin Parks]]
|source= Supernatural First Assistant Director
}}
''Supernatural From Script to Screen is a series of interviews with the crew of Supernatural by Jules Wilkinson, Supernatural Wiki Administrator.''<br>See also:* [[Supernatural From Script to Screen: Director's Commentary on "Trial and Error" with Kevin Parks]]* [[Supernatural From Script to Screen: Director's Commentary on "Bad Boys" with Kevin Parks]]
<br>
Fans of ''Supernatural'' know that many teams are part of making an episode – camera crew, wardrobe, VFX, SFX, set design, the art department, construction, transport and of course the actors and director. Key in making all that hard and creative work comes together in the right place at the right time is First Assistant Director [[Kevin Parks]] who has been on Supernatural since Season One. <br><br>
==MAKING AN EPISODE==
[[File:Kevin parks editor.jpg|right|frame|Kevin at the WB Studios in L.A. to edit his episode]]
'''Jules:''' ''As the Assistant Director, you are like the project manager for the crew, coordinating all the production activity and making sure that everything is ready for when the Director starts shooting, and that it all runs smoothly during the shoot. Where does that start for you?'' <br>
'''Kevin:''' When people get paid for their job then they have to step up to play. If it doesn’t happen, I go talk to them later, like how can we fix this for the future? I mean we all make mistakes and mistakes are made. But what is more frustrating is when people make the same mistakes. If you make the same mistakes you haven’t learned from making the first one. Basically it comes down to proper communication and prep of what you want and when you want it. <br>
In the crew in Vancouver here, we have onset about 120 people. I have my team too, I have [[Debra Herst|Deb Herst]] as my second, and we have my third. So I mean in the grand scheme, the first A.D. oversees all of that. I stay on set and run the set and Deb will be basically in or off set and getting the next day ready and deal with departments for the next day's requirements. We have an eight day schedule. So Deb’ll go day to day and make sure people on set know what’s coming up next. My third A.D. runs the hair and makeup trailers, so he knows when the cast are coming in for that day and keeps that flow going through. I'm overseeing all that with the help of my AD team to make sure that the day to day is flowing through. And as you said before, communication is the key thing here. Without communication you’re not going to do anything. <br><br>
'''Jules:''' ''How do you make that communication work well?''<br>
==DIRECTORIAL DEBUT==
[[File:Kevinparksdirector.jpg|right|frame|Kevin with the back of his Director's chair]]
'''Jules:''' ''So how did the opportunity to direct come up?''<br>
'''Jules:''' ''So what do you mean by that when you say that you want to keep the story with the actors?''<br>
'''Kevin:''' Well the story comes out with the actors. I mean my biggest Achilles heel in this whole process is actually dealing with the talent. Because as an A.D. I deal with them but just basically saying "you go on next" or "by the time you get here you should finish your dialogue" opposed to what are you trying to get out of them emotionally in the dialogue, and also help progress the story a lot. So I tried to blend in a lot of [[Kim Manners]], a lot of Bob Singer, and what I'd learned from [[Phil SgriccaPhilip Sgriccia]] about the whole post-production and the visual effects things.<br>
Also understanding how editors can cut shots together allows you to not get stuck thinking I’ve got to make this one shot perfect. I think, well the cutaways are going to make it work so it’s only going to be this portion of this particular shot that will be used.<br>
'''Jules:''' ''So what are you looking for?''<br>
'''Kevin:''' You’re looking at what the part should be. You’re looking for whether or not they can understand the idea of the character from the pages you give them to read. You always go for the better actor to pull it off. A look you can always change with wardrobe and hair and make-up but you want the best actor you can possibly get. We had some people read that were just way off base. It was like - "oh really, how did you get that out of that page? " Those ones you can cut away right away. It was it was valuable to do and to see who [[Jeremy Carver]] and Bob pick. I put my first and second choices up and then they pick their choices.<br><br>
'''Jules:''' ''Sounds like American Idol!''<br>
[[File:Kevinprepares.jpg|right|frame|Kevin at home prepping for the episode]]
'''Kevin:''' Yeah it is. They do casting in L.A. and I view the tapes and again give the first and second choices and we decide on that. But it’s weird... for people who are supposed to be so involved in the storytelling, which is the actors telling the story, the process of getting there is so removed. Actors don’t get feedback out of it. They’re there for about five minutes and if they nailed it in five minutes, great. And if they haven’t, they don’t know why.<br>
Ty had never watched his episode from Season Two. So when he came into the show and then he wanted to know more about the [[Vampires|vampire lore]], I went through it with him but I also got him his episode to watch. It was good for him because actually was able to get an understanding of what a vampire is. <br><br>
'''Jules:''' ''Jim Michael always refers to you as "Parksapedia". Your legendary knowledge must come in very handy when you’re going to get fired all these questions from all the new people on set, to have that at your recall must be very handy.'' <br>
'''Kevin:''' Working with the talent is where the creative side of directing comes in. Right when they’re coming for the blocking, I mean I’ve already sketched out where I want people to go, and then you start hearing them read it and you go through and then you start going on points you want to pick up on and once the blocking’s done and everybody’s off lighting, then I kind of pull them aside and we go through a bit. And that was a new process doing that because that was something I’m not normally ever involved in.<br>
==THE EVOLUTION OF SUPERNATURAL==
[[File:BSK Kevin P.jpg|frame|right|For part of Season 8, the shooting location signs for the show read "BSK" standing for "Bike Shorts Kevin"]]
'''Jules:''' ''How is it different working on ''Supernatural'' now than it was in those first couple of years?'' <br>
The springboard for the show is basically built on the fact that [[Eric Kripke]] had a very good five year plan. [[Sera Gamble]] came in; she did a good job for the two seasons of keeping it going. [[Jeremy Carver]] used to be one of our writers back in seasons four. Now he’s come back as a show runner. <br>
Jeremy’s done a really good job of reinventing this season. I mean first five years we were basically working on what’s going on with Sam, what’s going on with the demons and all of sudden the angels come in and it’s the apocalypse to win. Then we came back in season six and [[Castiel]] is trying to rebuild heaven, he’s going to take over, he blows up and then Season Seven they're facing the [[Leviathan]]. Now it’s like what do you do with the mythology. He’s re-measured the stuff with the [[The Word of God|tablets]], picking up what was in last season, and bringing in the other storylines and he’s doing a great job. And it’s evident because our ratings have gone up. <br><br>
==GETTING STARTED==
[[File:Kuma.jpg|right|frame|Kevin & Jill's new Samoyed puppy Kuma. Their last dog [[Chilko]] appeared in 3 episodes of Supernatural]]
'''Jules:''' ''So how did you get started in the business?'' <br>
==RIDE TO CONQUER CANCER==
'''Note: You can donate to Kevin's team Supernatural in the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer [http://www.conquercancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Vancouver2013?px=2242279&pg=personal&fr_id=1441 here].'''
[[File:Rcc.jpg|right|frame|With Jared & Jensen's support, Team Supernatural was being honoured at the Ride to Conquer Cancer Ambassador party with $15,150 raised]]
'''Jules:''' ''One thing that brought you to the broader notice of fans was your involvement in the [http://www.conquercancer.ca/index.html Ride to Conquer Cancer]. How did you get involved in that?''<br>
==FANDOM==
[[File:Kevinandrusty.jpg|right|frame|Kevin makes a surprise appearance for fans on [[Russ Hamilton]]'s Location Tour in 2012]]
'''Jules:''' ''So what’s it been like for you, being on [[Twitter]] and having that interaction with the show's fans?''<br>
The really hardcore fans that would actually show up in a rainstorm, they're dedicated. One time in Season Two, and we were in the driving rain, we were doing a scene at Boundary Bay and off in the distance we saw the fans. It was a driving rainstorm and they’re watching us at about quarter mile away. It’s like, really? Wow, that’s dedicated. And with fans like that? I give them all the gratitude and all the thanks to actually watch the show because if they didn’t watch it, didn’t support it, we wouldn’t be here.<br>
==AcknowledgmentsAcknowledgements==Interview by Jules Wilkinson, Supernatural Wiki Admin Many thanks to Kevin Parks for his generosity in doing this interview. All photos are from Kevin's Twitter account, except for the last one. Nothing in fandom is a solo activity, and this work was made better by beta and proofreading betaing input by counteragent.<br><br>
You can comment on this interview on the ''Talk'' page for this entry, or to Kevin at [https://twitter.com/#!/SNKevinandJill @SNKevinandJill] or Jules at [https://twitter.com/#!/SuperWiki @SuperWiki]<br><br>
''Interview conducted 13 December 2012 ; posted 4 February 2013''
[[Category:Production]][[Category:Cast & Crew]] [[Category:Crew]][[Category:Interviews]]
