My Husband’s Seven Wives, the thriller film I directed for Reel One, now on Lifetime! Hear me talk about the secrets to TV movie thriller success: HERE

EXCLUSIVE | ‘My Husband’s Seven Wives’ director Louise Alston reveals secret formula that keeps audiences hooked on TV movies

By Chaithra Annechira
Updated On : 05:25 PST, Feb 19, 2024

Known for her intelligent, bold, and heartfelt storytelling, Alston’s cinematic journey includes hits like ‘Jucy’ and ‘Back of the Net’.

In an exclusive interview with MEAWW, Alston shares insights into her creative process, the impact of the SAG-AFTRA strike on the industry, valuable advice to aspiring young filmmakers, and more.

Excerpts from the interview

Your latest directorial venture ‘My Husband’s Seven Wives’ on Lifetime is  keeping in with the ongoing trend from the network of creating engrossing films ‘inspired’ by true events. Do you think the audience for ‘true crime’ derived shows has increased over the years?

I think these stories are in some way a reflection of the crazy times we live in. I think watching true or inspired woman-in-peril movies or listening to true crime stories helps us feel like there’s a path to a happy ending even in the darkest times.

Even if it’s not happy, truth and justice will win in the end, no matter how confused and out of control we feel in real life!

TV movies unfairly get short shrift from ‘critics’, but audiences love them. What is the secret of these movies that keeps people engaged?

High-stakes woman-centered stories have been a staple of cinema from the start. Femme fatales, fallen women, and good women in treacherous and morally ambiguous circumstances are the bread and butter of Hollywood.

Everyone loves high-stakes melodrama. Especially if it makes you gasp or shed a tear. 

You have worked on several ‘shorts’. How important is this genre of filmmaking to the development of a young director?

Shorts are an important stepping stone in a filmmaking career. But I think theatre is an even more helpful way to learn the principles of show business. Also, often theatre is cheaper than maxing out your credit card for a short film.

Theatre means making a show over a period of time. You have to learn to work with actors for a couple of months, not just a weekend. It builds relationships and reputations, which are the most important parts of a film career.

What would you say is the major difference between directing a TV series and a feature film, and do you prefer one over the other?

In lots of ways, TV and film have merged. Directing ‘My Husband’s Seven Wives’, I was delivering a Lifetime branded product, which is what you do on TV. Executives build the project well before you’re even called up. But by making a more indie project, you can make more creative decisions.

Having said that, I felt lots of freedom directing the children’s movie ‘Back of the Net’, and I always wanted to get it on Disney, so my vision had not just an audience, but a brand in mind. When Disney picked it up and it became a Disney Original, I cried with happiness!

The latest SAG-AFTRA strike shone a light on the hard — and often unrecognized — work done by writers and directors away from the glitz and glamor of big Hollywood productions. What advice would you give to a young filmmaker just starting in the industry?

Make relationships and projects with your generation. Don’t feel bad if older, more established people don’t “pick” you.

Be confident that the people you develop with will grow together and the relationships will continue to grow as long as you keep creating.

Make things! Strategize how to keep making things. Even if that means moving back in with your mother and father… or making art, or making TikToks.

Just keep creating, keep learning, and keep building relationships. Trust that you will live a happy and rewarding artistic life, no matter where it leads you. Also, as soon as you have money or good credit, buy property! Lol.