Peter Stebbings is no ordinary director who took on the changing weather of the Marlborough Sounds
Watch The Sounds on CBC Gem now
Peter Stebbings is a writer, producer, screenwriter and director who started cultivating his acting craft in theatre at the age of 12.
"I knew early on I wanted to be an actor. I remember my mother wanting me to get a proper education at university, for 'something to fall back on.' I remember telling her that if I had something to fall back on, I would fall back on it. So I went to theatre school." says Stebbings.
His on-screen career took off in the late '80s, and over the past 30 years, the 49-year-old racked up over 60 acting credits and a dozen directing credits to his name — including Murdoch Mysteries, The Borgias, Immortals, Crossbones, Empire of Dirt, Frankie Drake Mysteries and Bates Motel.
His latest venture sees him directing CBC's eight-part thriller series, The Sounds, a show about a complicated web of grieving wives, cheating husbands, embezzlement and historic crime — which you can now watch on CBC Gem.
The director talks about why he loves directing, what it was like directing a show like The Sounds which is set against the majestic Pelorus Sound — the largest of the four Marlborough Sounds (an extensive network of sea-drowned valleys) of New Zealand — and more.
Directing takes the front seat
Stebbings' 2009 directorial debut was a film he also wrote called Defendor — a superhero dramedy, starring himself alongside a famous cast (Woody Harelson, Elias Koates, Sandra Oh, Michael Kelly and Kat Dennings) which turned out to be career changing.
"This script started the conversation of me being a director, I guess. Once I had the bug though, directing became an imperative," so much so that though he still enjoys acting, it has taken a back seat to writing and directing.
Directing encompasses everything from leadership and time management to creative direction and Stebbings says he enjoys all of it — from the initial stages of reading a script when his imagination starts firing up to execution and figuring out how to marry the prettiest frame with the best performance.
"That's an interesting rubric to me, that requires a lot of mental energy, and I like a challenge."
I love how directing engages every part of my brain.- Peter Stebbings
Managing his time wisely is probably the biggest challenge as a director, says Stebbings. But he loves the camaraderie and finds it very satisfying when everyone "rows in the same direction."
And when it comes to pulling a great performance from the cast, he has the advantage of being an actor himself, which gives him the ability to, as he puts it, "empathize with the actors' experiences."
"I remember my first day on Defendor and psyching myself up to work with Woody. I thought, 'Well, if nothing else, I should be able to talk to him about acting.' And that movie was interesting because each actor had their own and very different approach to the work.
"I learned a lot from them. It was comforting to see them try stuff that didn't always come off. They were fallible and that was refreshing to see."
Working with the cast of The Sounds was similar, says Stebbings. "Oh my goodness, what a sensational cast — all with a different approach to work."
I would work with the cast of The Sounds again, any day.- Peter Stebbings
The director adds that he has profound respect for what actors do because it's very hard to be emotionally available on cue and make it look easy. Especially, if you're having a bad day.
'Boat rowing' in New Zealand
Although Stebbings doesn't think of himself as the captain of the ship, The Sounds crew begged to differ.
"The crew in New Zealand did, in fact, furnish me with a captain's hat when we embarked on our water work, which I wore at a jaunty angle."
"As much as I'd like the buck to stop with me, with a project like The Sounds, there are several partners, all with strong and valid opinions so you have to envelop those and ensure notes are addressed. That's all part of the boat rowing experience."
He likes to widen his circles to include the ideas and talents of the people he's working with. "Sometimes I feel like a counsellor, coaxing the best of people — including myself."
And while the biggest challenge of filming in New Zealand was the weather because it can "change on you in seconds" — from heavy rain to clear blue skies and back to ominous skies as far as the eye could see — his experience there was sensational, "a little bit life changing [and] a little bit spiritual."
The land, the sea, the flora and fauna of New Zealand are breathtaking, reflects Stebbings, and The Sounds crew was wonderful to work with.
"We became a well-oiled machine, achieving a heck of a lot with a lot of invention."
Watch The Sounds on CBC Gem now and follow @thesoundscbc on Instagram for updates about the series, behind the scenes, interviews with the cast and more.