Helen Cho

Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
I have been living in New Orleans for the past few years which is a vibrant, passionate city. Just this past week, though, I’ve made the move back to the beaches of Los Angeles.
 
Your script stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your story and why did you write a script instead of a short story or a novel?
My background is in Film and Television. I came up in the camera department. I’ve always wanted to be a DP but I realized there were not enough people telling the stories I wanted to tell. I met Sally one summer in the Upper Peninsula when shooting a documentary on the writers of the UP. The UP has always been a popular place for writers, Hemingway used to spend time there as a young man as well as Arthur Miller and Jim Harrison. Sally was a UP poet and we became friends, sharing stories of our unique cultures. We both realized that women were not protected or valued in either of our cultures and I learned about MMIW, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Indigenous girls as young as 11 years-old go missing everyday throughout the Northern US and Southern Canada. In fact, murder is the third leading cause of death for Indigenous women. Over 6000 reported missing with only 116 cases in the FBI’s missing persons database. And nobody knows. Which is why this story needs to be told.
We actually were working on a novel which was Sally’s domain. Unfortunately she passed suddenly on September 7.
We love Nordic Noir from Scandinavia. There are many similarities between these stories and Into the Cold. The visuals and bleakness of landscape appealed to my visual sentiments and the social justice element fell right in line with what we were trying to say.

How long did it take you to write your script...and what is your writing process? Do you outline...use index cards...white board...or just start with FADE IN?
We started during the pandemic. We had many conversations — what would the characters look and feel like? Our antagonist, she is inspired by Ghislaine Maxwell. We would talk about why a woman would prey on young girls. Once we had the story worked out, we knew our ending, I just started writing.
 
I enrolled in the UCLA Professional TV Writing Program in 2021 which helped tremendously. I’m very methodical about the prepping. I beat, use index cards and outline before I really dive in. It can be grueling but when I spend the time it’s much easier to write. When complete I sent the script to services that offered professional feedback, Black List and others, including the Santa Barbara contest. I take feedback seriously and make appropriate changes to the script for the better.
I’d say from beginning to end the process took about two years.
 
What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
I want to be a show runner.  I want to create shows that matter in a way that consumes the viewer. I want the audience to feel like I do when I’m watching a show I can’t get out of my head, that I need to watch again once it ends because I’m so attached to the characters and the world. 
I do tend to gravitate towards content that highlights women’s issues in locations that are not familiar to the masses. It’s more fun.
 
Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
Growing up I watched a lot of sitcoms. Those were the days of Norman Lear, James Brooks, and Susan Harris. These days, outside of everyone’s favorites: Aaron Sorkin, David Simon, Vince Gilligan, Richard Price, and David Chase… I am inspired by Anna Winger for “Unorthodox,” Bong Joon Ho “Parasite,” Jordan Peele, Kristen Wiig, Amy Sherman-Palladino, and Louie CK.
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
These days I really enjoy The Offer and Ted Lasso. Growing up it was anything Norman Lear, Soap, Taxi, and I Love Lucy.  I also love Louis CK, Fleabag, Unorthodox, The Night Of, Friday Night Lights, Sharp Objects, GoT,  Avatar, the Last Airbender, The Killing, and Reservation Dogs. 
Features: Get Out, Parasite, Studio Ghibli, Star Wars, Out of Sight, City Lights, and everything by Zhang Yimou. My Cousin Vinny, Midnight Run, The Jerk, Groundhog Day, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Jaws…
 
What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Educate yourselves. Learn the process. Learn how to beat and outline. Listen to feedback. Temper your arrogance. Don’t be too precious with it.  Then, write from the heart.
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I have a short about the Vietnamese community in New Orleans that I’ve written and would like to direct called “My Dad is a Gangster” as well as a couple other New Orleans based scripts.
I have a couple other pilots that I’m developing: one is a sci-fi fantasy which takes place in Bhutan that I think might do well as a comic book / graphic novel, the other a more contemporary show about Asian American women that I’d like to shoot in Los Angeles.

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