iF Magazine Article: Kevin Williamson on "Vampire Diaries"

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Interview: KEVIN WILLIAMSON ON "THE VAMPIRE DIARIES"

The writer/producer talks about his new hit series on the CW

By ABBIE BERNSTEIN, Contributing Writer
Published 4/1/2010


Kevin Williamson found success on the big screen as the creator/writer of the SCREAM horror series and on television by creating the growing-up-different-in-a-small-town WB hit "DAWSON’S CREEK".

He therefore seems a perfect choice as the executive producer/show runner for CW’s "THE VAMPIRE DIARIES", which combines both small-town outsiders and horror in its tale of beautiful high school student Elena (Nina Dobrev) in a love triangle with two vampire brothers, good Stefan (Paul Wesley) and evil Damon (Ian Somerhalder).

Williamson talks about the show, adapted from a series of novels by L.J. Smith.





Although the big plot points are mapped out in advance, Williamson says that the more he and the other writers see the work of the cast, the more the characters are being written to suit the actors playing them.

“When you do series television, once you get in a groove and you actually start to see your actors, you see how Paul is playing Stefan and you see what your actors can do and you write towards the characters they are creating, and so now I hopefully write dialogue for them better.

But at the same time, I know what they’re about. I know Nina. I know she’s a dancer. I know her background more, I know her history. And so Elena is going to start encompassing things that I know that will just make me utilize Nina the actress even more. I know her strengths now.”







The casting is a source of particular satisfaction for Williamson.

“You know, it is always hard to find that anchor. If you look at the CW, there is always that anchor girl. All the shows, they always have that one girl who is the anchor of the show who everything revolves around. And it is so hard to cast that part that you actually see when you do it and when you don’t do it. And I’ve seen shows that don’t do it, and it’s sad. We so scored with her and the two guys [Somerhalder and Wesley].

I mean, I feel like I’ve hit a home run and for whatever part I played in that, I pat myself on the back, because that has saved me so many. They just save me on a daily basis. They’re so good. Debrev started out brilliant and she’s still pretty brilliant. I think what’s changed is they’re all getting more comfortable in their roles, and so there’s this feeling that she’s taking over the role now. She owns it, it’s hers now.

It’s a lot more about getting the script– it’s just her now. I feel like now I’m writing for Elena/Nina, who are all one and the same now. Not only that, but she delivers on the first take. This is a girl who just walks in the door and is ready. She’s a natural. She knows what she’s doing and she’s so talented. We haven’t even tapped her. I don’t know if we’ll even be able to tap her for this show. It might be a movie ten years from now that taps whatever else is in there. Because I’m going to try to use everything I can, but there’s a lot in there. And I think that girl is mega-talented.”






Given the great popularity of "VAMPIRE", it looks as though the series may last for years. Is Williamson concerned about running out of plot?

“Oh, we’re grinding story,” he replies.

“No, we’re just trying to get to the good part, because we’re not running out of story. As anyone knows, we actually have tent-poled the first three seasons, so we know the tent poles we’re trying to reach for the first three seasons.

So we’re not really going through story, we’re just trying to get to the next chapter.”




The show will continue to revolve around Elena, Stefan and Damon for the foreseeable future,

Williamson adds. “Those are our core group, and our supporting characters we’re going to stick to for the first season. And then we’re going to be bringing in new characters who are sort of recurring, like Melinda Clarke as Matt’s mother.

I’m hoping that she will always be Matt’s mother, so while she’ll initially come in for three episodes, I hope she’ll come back.”







The series’ setting of Mystica Falls, Virginia is actually a location in Covington, Georgia. Williamson praises the Georgia Film Commission and the Atlanta Film Office for their helpfulness.

“In the beginning, when I first went down there, they put me in a big old truck and drove me around to every town and showed me every single – “Well, this could be Mystic Falls, or this could be Mystic Falls.”

We spent two days on the road and they showed me so much, and I realized how beautiful it was – it reminded me of growing up in North Carolina and it reminded me of small-town America, pre-Civil War. They had all the wonderful Civil War elements.

I know that our flashbacks are a large part of the show and that we can really make them look great, but it’s all there. Covington is Mystic Falls. It has that beautiful little picture-perfect town, with the town square in the center with the statue. I think "IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT" was shot there. I know right before we were there, the remake of HALLOWEEN II shot there as Haddonfield, Illinois. Once I realized, ‘Well, this is where Michael Myers was,’ we were okay.”








Long-running shows with immortal characters have a problem unique to the genre. If "VAMPIRE DIARIES" has a life comparable to, say, that of "HIGHLANDER: THE SERIES" or "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER", has Williamson contemplated how he’s going to explain it when his now very young-looking vampires start to appear a little older?

Williamson laughs at the question. “You know what? I haven’t really thought about that, but modern technology – we’ll just increase the visual effects budget. It’ll be great.”

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