TV Writer Podcast - Audio: Recent Episodes
Gray Jones
Hosted by TV editor/writer Gray Jones, the TV Writer Podcast has featured interviews with everyone from the bottom to the top of the TV industry... show creators like Beau Willimon (House of Cards) and Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars) to recent graduates of TV writing fellowship programs.
Conventional wisdom says you need to write many scripts before you'll write a good one, and you'll never sell your spec pilot. Mickey Fisher proves both wrong!
Mickey Fisher biography:
Mickey Fisher is the creator of the CBS television series "Extant," executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Amblin Television, starring Halle Berry, and the NBC series "Reverie," Ex- ecutive Produced by Amblin Television, starring Sarah Shahi. He has also worked on "The Strain" (FX), "Mars" (NatGeo), and "Jack Ryan" (Amazon).
In 2018, his play "Replica" received its world premiere at Stages Repertory Theatre in Houston. He attended the College Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati for Musical Theater and worked as an actor in Chicago, New York, and regional theaters all over the country before moving to Los Angeles.
Follow Mickey on Twitter: @MickeyFisher73
Migrating to Hive Social? Follow @GrayJones.
Visit new primary sponsor The BlueCat Screenplay Competition on the web: bluecatscreenplay.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, Gray Jones interviews Emmy and Golden Globe winner Kira Snyder, who has written and produced "The Handmaid's Tale", "The 100," "Eureka," and the feature film "Pacific Rim: Uprising."
Kira Snyder Biography:
Kira Snyder most recently was Executive Producer and Co-Showrunner of "Demimonde," J.J. Abrams’ sci-fi drama for HBO, where she currently has an overall deal for television. Previously Kira was a writer and producer on "The Handmaid’s Tale" for Hulu, for which she has won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a PGA Award, and two WGA Awards. Kira also received nominations for the Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series Emmy and the USC Scripter Award for her Season 2 episode of "The Handmaid’s Tale," “Holly,” and an Episodic Drama WGA Award nomination for her Season 4 episode “Testimony.”
Her other film and television work includes the blockbuster feature film "Pacific Rim: Uprising," pilot scripts for Hulu, FX, and Amazon, "The 100" on the CW, "Incursion" for Starz, Syfy’s "Eureka" and "Alphas," and the CBS vampire cult hit "Moonlight."
"The Parish Mail" ebooks, Kira’s interactive Young Adult supernatural mystery series, are available for Kindle. Formerly a computer game designer, Kira has created games for Microsoft, the MIT Press textbook Rules Of Play, and Electronic Arts, including the seminal, award-winning alternate reality game "Majestic."
Kira grew up in a Navy family and is a longtime mentor with the Veterans Writing Project at the Writers’ Guild Foundation. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two black cats.
Follow Kira on Twitter: @sugarjonze
Migrating to Hive Social? Follow @GrayJones.
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, Gray Jones interviews TV writer J. Holtham, known for Marvel's Cloak & Dagger, Marvel's Jessica Jones, Supergirl and The Handmaid's Tale.
J. Holtham Biography:
J. Holtham is a screenwriter, playwright, comic book writer and blogger. TV credits include "Pitch" (Fox), "Marvel's Cloak & Dagger" (Freeform), Marvel's Jessica Jones (Netflix), "Supergirl" (CW) and "The Handmaid's Tale" (Hulu). Theatre credits include Ensemble Studio Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Second Stage Theater, Bespoke Plays. Essays and reporting include American Theatre, Thrillist, Slate. He has written for such comics as Star Trek: The Mirror War (IDW), Marvel Voices: Legacy (2022) (Marvel Comics), and Spider- verse Unlimited (Marvel Unlimited). Podcasts include Marvel’s Wastelanders: Hawkeye. J. is a board member on The 24 Hour Plays and Ojai Playwrights Conference. He is a proud product of public education.
Follow J. on Instagram: @jholtham
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
Devil in Ohio premiered at #1 on Netflix, and was in the global top 10 for 3 weeks straight. This week, Gray Jones interviews author-creator-showrunner Daria Polatin.
Daria Polatin bio:
Daria Polatin is an accomplished TV showrunner and executive producer, award-winning playwright and author of Egyptian descent.
Daria is the creator, showrunner and executive producer of "Devil in Ohio," a Netflix Limited Series starring Emily Deschanel, which debuted at #1 on Netflix and ran in the Netflix Global Top 10 for three weeks. Daria authored the best-selling thriller novel of the same name, which she adapted into the series. Having worked on twelve seasons of television, Daria was co-executive producer of Stephen King’s "Castle Rock" (Hulu), where her episode “The Laughing Place” was named one of Entertainment Weekly’s Best TV Episodes of 2019.
Additional TV credits include "Jack Ryan" (Amazon), "Hunters" (Amazon), Heels (Starz) and Shut Eye (Hulu).
In theater, Daria wrote and directed her new play "Palmyra" at Center Theatre Group’s Kirk Douglas Theatre, which ran on CTG’s Digital Stage. Her plays have been produced at The Kennedy Center, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Cherry Lane Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre NY, Cape Cod Theater Project, The Wilshire Ebell Theatre, in London and Hong Kong. She has produced and directed theater in New York and Los Angeles, including directing the play "H40 + 1" written by and starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau from "Game of Thrones."
Daria completed residencies with London’s Royal Court Theatre, Center Theatre Group, The Echo Theater, and earned her B.F.A. from Boston University and M.F.A. from Columbia University. She is a founding member of The Kilroys, the advocacy group for gender parity in the American theater.
Daria has always been drawn to telling engaging stories that explore the complexities of the human condition. Under her 1001 Pictures banner, she continues to write and produce propulsive stories that challenge and entertain.
Follow Daria on Twitter: @DariaPolatin
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews a fellow York University Screenwriting alumnus, veteran comedy writer Rob Sheridan.
Rob Sheridan is an LA-based writer with extensive credits in both the US and Canada. Rob has written on such series as "2 Broke Girls" (WBTV/CBS), "Impastor" (TVLand), "Mad Love" (Sony Television/CBS), "18 To Life" (CBC/CW), "Corner Gas" (CTV), "Little Mosque on the Prairie" (CBC), "Less Than Kind" (HBO Canada), and "The Red Green Show" (CBC), as well as having developed original pilots for ABC Studios and Warner Bros. Television.
Additionally, Rob is a frequent contributor to the Just for Laughs comedy festival in Montreal, writing monologue and variety material for a wide range of performers in recent years including Will Forte, Sarah Silverman, Trevor Noah, Jeff Goldblum, Whitney Cummings and Carrie Fisher. He is repped by WME Entertainment in Los Angeles and managed by Meridian Artists in Toronto.
Check out Rob's YouTube channel, "Up All Night With Bob."
Follow Rob on Twitter: @therobsheridan
Visit new primary sponsor The BlueCat Screenplay Competition on the web: bluecatscreenplay.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews TV show creator & showrunner Brent Piaskoski.
About Brent:
Prior to focusing his creative energy on writing, Brent Piaskoski spent over a decade honing his comedic craft on the mean stages of some very cold comedy clubs (i.e. Canada). He went on to write and produce over 160 episodes of TV. Ryan Gosling still thanks Brent for writing his fist on-screen kiss ("Breaker High"). And Dave Foley might still owe Brent money for sneaking him back into Canada to star in CTV’s primetime sitcom "Spun Out." Brent also created the tween sitcom "The Latest Buzz" (Family Channel/STARZ), which launched the career of "Riverdale's" Vanessa Morgan. He’s won some nifty awards including a Gemini and three WGC Awards, was robbed of the Golden Globe and Academy Award, but lives to fight another day (pending an actual nomination). In 2019 he was a WGA TV Writer Access Project honoree.
Follow Brent on Twitter: @brentpiaskoski
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
After interviewing over 130 TV writers, I can't count how many times I've heard how lost writers felt when they first stepped into a writers' room. Wouldn't it be great if there was a book to help you understand how to succeed in all types of staffs, with all types of personalities, working for all types of showrunners? Well, now there is -- Niceole Levy's comprehensive book "The Writers' Room Survival Guide" is now available! CLICK HERE to order -- I guarantee you will want it on your shelf, and it makes a great gift for the budding TV writer, or anyone who wants to know what life is like for a TV writer from when they clock in to when they clock out.
Niceole Levy Bio:
Niceole Levy grew up under the bright stars of the Mojave Desert before swapping them for bright lights of Los Angeles. Studying acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts yielded the epiphany that she preferred writing. She worked as a police dispatcher to pay her way through undergraduate USC, and then completed the Master of Professional Writing program, also at USC.
An alum of the CBS Writers Mentoring Program, NBC’s Writers on the Verge, and the WGAw Showrunner Training Program, Niceole has written on "Ironside," "Allegiance," "The Mysteries of Laura," "Shades of Blue," "Cloak & Dagger," "Fate: the Winx Saga," and "S.W.A.T." She also co-wrote a feature, "The Banker," with former Allegiance showrunner and director George Nolfi, available on AppleTV+.
Niceole is currently a co-executive producer on "The Recruit," which will air on Netflix, and has several TV and feature projects in development. The Writers’ Room Survival Guide is her first book.
Follow Niceole on Twitter: @niceolecookies
Visit new primary sponsor The BlueCat Screenplay Competition on the web: bluecatscreenplay.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
Supercharge your characters while minimizing the work in creating them! This week host Gray Jones asks authors Christopher and Kathy Riley all about their new book, The Defining Moment.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The best storytelling explores character formation and transformation. Sometimes the shaping of characters takes place in slow, smooth, steadily bending arcs, other times in sudden, jagged, cataclysmic moments. Without discovering these moments, it’s impossible for an actor or writer to fully realize their character. In The Defining Moment: How Writers and Actors Build Characters, screenwriters and story gurus Christopher and Kathy Riley share the secret to creating character-defining moments—moments without which the character couldn’t exist, and through which characters transform before our eyes.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Christopher Riley is a professional screenwriter who cowrote with his wife Kathy Riley the award-winning German language film "After the Truth." The Rileys have written scripts for Disney’s Touchstone Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Mandalay Television Pictures, Sean Connery’s Fountainbridge Films, and Robert Cort Productions. Christopher produced the action-thriller "Red Line" and executive produced the web series "Bump+." He began his career as a proofreader in the standard-setting script processing department at Warner Bros., a department he eventually rose to manage. He is the former director of the Act One Hollywood Writing Program, the author of the classic screenplay format guide The Hollywood Standard, an instructor of screenwriting at the undergraduate and graduate levels, a founding partner of Story Masters Film Academy, and a longtime member of the Writers Guild of America West.
Kathy Riley cowrote the award-winning feature film "After the Truth." In addition to her work as a writer for Touchstone Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Mandalay Television Pictures, Fountainbridge Films, and Robert Cort Productions, Kathy holds a master’s degree in public health and is a certified health education specialist. She serves as vice president of family support for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and has worked extensively on behalf of families of children diagnosed with brain tumors. She also holds a certification of professional achievement in narrative medicine from Columbia University and is a longtime member of the Writers Guild of America West.
Follow Christopher on Twitter: @hwoodstandard
Follow Kathy on Instagram: @kathywecan
BUY THEIR BOOKS AND SUPPORT THE PODCAST:
Click on "The Defining Moment: How Writers and Actors Build Characters" and "The Hollywood Standard" to buy on Amazon.
Visit primary sponsor Script Anatomy on the web: scriptanatomy.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
Want to get to the heart of comedy? Look no further than this week's episode, as host Gray Jones interviews comedy guru Steve Kaplan.
Steve Kaplan Bio:
For years, Steve Kaplan has been one of the industry's most respected and sought-after expert on comedy. His first book, "The Hidden Tools of Comedy," is a best-seller in its field, and his new book, "The Comic Hero's Journey: Serious Story Structure for Fabulously Funny Films" was recently published.
In addition to having taught at UCLA, NYU, Yale and other universities, Steve Kaplan created the HBO Workspace, the HBO New Writers Program and was co-founder and Artistic Director of Manhattan Punch Line Theatre. In addition to development projects for HBO, he has taught workshops at companies such as DreamWorks, Disney Animation, Aardman Animation, NBC's Writers on the Verge, and others.
In addition to private coaching and one-on-one consultations, Steve has taught his Comedy Intensive workshops to thousands of students around the world, including--in pre-pandemic times--Los Angeles, New York, Australia and Mumbai. He's presently teaching online via Zoom. You can find out all about it at KaplanComedy.com.
Follow Steve on Twitter: @skcomedy.
BUY STEVE'S BOOKS AND SUPPORT THE PODCAST:
Click on "The Hidden Tools of Comedy" and "The Comic Hero's Journey: Serious Story Structure for Fabulously Funny Films" to buy on Amazon.
Visit primary sponsor Script Anatomy on the web: scriptanatomy.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" was the spark that ignited the career of film/TV writer-director Amitabh Klemm, instructor at Script Anatomy.
An award-winning, biracial filmmaker born amongst the cornfields of Iowa; Amitabh Klemm made his way to Los Angles by way of USC where he completed an MFA in directing.
Most recently, he staffed in the writer’s room for “#FBF,” a screen-reality feature film starring Ashley Judd, produced by Timur Bekmambetov. Prior to the pandemic, he broke into TV directing with an episode of the half-hour comedy “All the Way Black,” for BET.
After film school, Amitabh directed and produced branded marketing content for clients like the Obama Administration, Sperry Apparel, TOMs Shoes, Focus Features, Complex Magazine, and Leonardo DiCaprio. He is a recipient of the Panavision New Filmmaker Grant and resides in Pasadena, CA with his wife and rescue dog, Skylar.
Please Note: Interview recorded on December 2, 2021.
Follow Amitabh on Twitter: @AmitabhKlemm
Visit primary sponsor Script Anatomy on the web: scriptanatomy.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, learn about how to break in to both comic writing and TV writing, as host Gray Jones interviews TV & comic writer Jay Faerber.
Originally from rural Pennsylvania, Jay Faerber grew up on a steady diet of comic books, detective novels, and cop shows. After writing and drawing his own comics throughout high school, Jay started getting work from Marvel and DC in the late 90s, writing such titles as “Generation X,” “New Warriors,” and “Titans.”
Craving more creative freedom, Jay turned his attention to Image Comics, where he created the superhero soap opera series “Noble Causes,” which ran for over 40 issues. He also co-created numerous other series, including “Dynamo 5,” "Near Death,” “Copperhead,” and “Elsewhere.”
In 2010, Jay was accepted into the Warner Bros TV Writers Workshop, and after completing that program, he landed a staff writer job on the CW series, “Ringer,” starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. After “Ringer” was cancelled, Jay was staffed on another CW series, “Star-Crossed.” He then wrote on all three seasons of the CBS summer series, “Zoo," and was most recently a writer/producer on the last two seasons of the CW series “Supergirl.”
In a special section at the beginning of the podcast, Jay answers pressing fan questions related to the last season and series finale of "Supergirl," as well as other viewer-submitted questions.
Jay lives in Burbank with his wife and son.
Follow Jay on Twitter: @JayFaerber
Visit primary sponsor Script Anatomy on the web: scriptanatomy.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
His Grandfather was in the original Our Gang comedies... This week, host Gray Jones interviews comedy writer and Script Anatomy instructor Aaron Vaccaro.
Aaron Vaccaro bio:
He grew up in the San Fernando Valley (the non-porny part) and was always enamored by the entertainment industry, inspired by his grandfather, who starred in the original "Our Gang" comedies. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Film Studies, Aaron set out to become a television writer. He scored several Writers’ Assistant stints – on "24," "Ghost Whisperer," "The New Adventures of Old Christine," "Wilfred," and "Mike & Molly." After being chosen as one of the NBC’s Writers on the Verge, Aaron has gone on to write for "Mike & Molly" and "Superior Donuts," both on CBS, "Team Kaylie" on Netflix, and most recently "Drama Club" on Nickelodeon.
He has developed projects with Netflix, Disney, Universal Cable Productions, Viola Davis’ production company, and once sold a feature entitled "Sasquatch vs. The Abominable Snowman," which is every bit as insane as it sounds.
Aaron now has an M.F.A. in Screenwriting and has taught screenwriting courses at AFI, UCSB, CSUN, LA Valley College and now Script Anatomy.
Follow Aaron on Twitter: @HairyPizzaBagel
Visit primary sponsor Script Anatomy on the web: scriptanatomy.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
From Alaska to the CIA to being the funny drama guy... this week host Gray Jones interviews TV writer and Script Anatomy instructor Zach Ayers.
Zach Ayers is a versatile TV writer who has found his stride as the funny guy in a drama room. Although before his TV career, Zach spent five years in a deadly-serious job at the Central Intelligence Agency. There he wrote and produced top-secret training films that taught US intelligence officers how to do their job well and survive doing it. He knows all the scary stuff. Which, in retrospect, Zach finds hilarious.
Recently, Zach wrote and produced the bio-series "American Soul" (BET). Other credits include "Siren" (Freeform), "State of Affairs" (NBC) and "A.N.T. Farm" (Disney). He’s also developed and sold several TV projects of his own across genres and formats. Zach's one of those oddball writers who actually loves to pitch.
Zach's an alumnus of the ABC/Disney Writing Fellowship, Second City and Ithaca College. He grew up in rural, working-class Alaska, learning how to drive a forklift before he learned how to drive a car. But now he’s 100% city kid, living with his family and his cat Balki on the eastside of Los Angeles. He still does his own yardwork.
Follow Zach on Twitter: @ZachTellsLies
Visit primary sponsor Script Anatomy on the web: scriptanatomy.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews screen & TV writer career coach Lee Jessup, who recently published the book Getting It Write: An Insider's Guide to a Screenwriting Career.
Lee Jessup is a career coach for professional and emerging screenwriters, a twice-published, best-selling author, who has served as consultant for Universal’s Writers Program, NBC International, and Final Draft’s Big Break contest. Lee’s clients include writers who have major spec, pilot and pitch sales under their belts, staffed TV writers, TV writing program fellows, writers named to The Hit List, The Blood List, The Young & Hungry List and The Black List, major contest winners, as well as writers just beginning to chart their professional course.
Lee is the author of Breaking In: Tales From The Screenwriting Trenches (Focal Press) And Getting It Write: An Insider’s Guide To A Screenwriting Career (MWP). Just click on the links to buy these excellent books on Amazon!
Her professional background includes a stint as a working screenwriter, a development executive, and the director of ScriptShark.com. Lee has appeared in countless screenwriting conferences and panels domestically, abroad, and online, and has been the interview subject of countless podcasts. Never too far from the industry, She resides in Los Angeles with her family.
Follow Lee on Twitter: @LeeZJessup
Visit Lee's website: leejessup.com
Visit primary sponsor Script Anatomy on the web: scriptanatomy.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
Sasha Feiler is the only funny person to ever come out of Siberia, and you’ll have to take her word for it since Siberia is the last place you’d want to visit! This week, host Gray Jones interviews comedy writer, performer & Script Anatomy instructor Sasha Feiler.
She fled Siberia and came to New York at nineteen with $40 in her pocket. At some point, after her paperwork got messed up, she became an illegal immigrant. Which was super fun (it wasn’t).
She graduated Brooklyn College on a full Presidential Scholarship with an MFA in Television Production and worked as an editor and producer at CNN. She quickly realized there weren’t a lot of laughs at CNN so she quit and moved to Los Angeles where she started performing and writing on improv and sketch teams at UCB, iO West and Second City.
A Script Anatomy alum—check out her testimonial video about Structure lab—she has written for "Robot Chicken" (Adult Swim) and was a fellow at The Colony, A3 (formerly Abrams) Agency’s incubator for emerging writers. The execs at The Colony attached themselves as Producers to her pilot "Queen Bitch" about a socially challenged dog trainer.
Sasha currently hosts a comedy podcast "Shut Up I Love It," competes in dog agility with her Champion Entlebucher Spoon and makes hospital visits with her therapy other Entlebucher Shark. These days, she rarely visits Siberia, using the lame excuse of “Once it’s below 72 degrees, I’m dead.”
She is repped by Bellevue Management, you can find her on IG @shutupiloveit1, or on Twitter at @shutupiloveit1.
Visit primary sponsor Script Anatomy on the web: scriptanatomy.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
He wrote the book on directing great TV... literally! This week, host Gray Jones interviews veteran TV director Dan Attias, who has worked on such hit shows as "The Boys," "The Walking Dead," "Homeland," "House," "Lost," "The Sopranos," and dozens more.
Dan Attias has worked as a director in the film and television industry for 37 years. As a director of series television he has received the Directors Guild of America award for outstanding direction of dramatic television and has been nominated for multiple Emmy awards for his comedy directing.
Dan continues to work on some of the most celebrated and critically acclaimed American television shows, including "Homeland," "The Americans," "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," "Billions," and "The Boys." Previously he has directed "The Sopranos," "The Wire," "Six Feet Under," "True Blood," "Entourage," "The Killing," "The Walking Dead," "True Detective," "Ray Donovan," "Bloodline," "Friday Night Lights," "Northern Exposure," "House," "Lost," "Alias," among many others.
Dan's first professional directing assignment was the feature film, Stephen King’s "Silver Bullet," produced by Dino DeLaurentiis. He started his career studying acting, then worked as an assistant director on "E.T. The Extraterrestrial," "Airplane!," "One From the Heart" and several other feature films.
Dan has taught acting and directing workshops in the United States, and has appeared as a guest speaker at festivals in Italy, Brazil, Greece, Mexico and Canada. Before working in the film and television industry, Dan was enrolled in a Ph.D. program in English literature at U.C.L.A., then transferred to the Theater Arts Department where he earned an M.F.A. in film production.
Gray gives a high recommendation to his new book, Directing Great Television. CLICK HERE to buy it and support the podcast (currently $5 off on Amazon).
Visit primary sponsor Script Anatomy on the web: scriptanatomy.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
What if you get a non-writing job in the industry, and then thrive in that job... how do you break in to the entry level in TV writing? Find out this week, as host Gray Jones interviews Script Anatomy instructor Jim Galasso.
Jim Galasso spent his formative years obsessed with writing plays, making short movies and watching Eddie Murphy and the "Rocky" franchise on loop. His love of storytelling led to writing for the local newspaper (The Connecticut Post), and later for a nightly news show, "Up To The Minute" on CBS.
After graduating from Northeastern University, Jim moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in screenwriting. He worked in reality and documentaries at World of Wonder Productions, eventually becoming Head of Development, composing an endless stream of show proposals. But his desire was always scripted TV, and eventually Jim landed at Lost (ABC). He started as Writers' PA, was promoted to Writers' Assistant, then bumped to Staff Writer on the Emmy award winning show's final season.
Jim has since written for Hawaii Five-0 (CBS) and the sci-fi family series Beyond (Freeform). He has also done uncredited rewrites on pilots and worked on series treatments. Jim writes pilots spanning many genres, from sci-fi to political thrillers, with the special focus on character interaction and sharp dialogue. Look hard enough and you'll even see the Eddie Murphy and Rocky influences. Or at least get a montage with a fresh synthesizer beat.
Jim tells us all about the two courses he currently teaches at Script Anatomy - the TV Structure Lab and the TV Pilot Lab (which is coming up February 1st). These fill up fast, so if they interest you, book early!
Follow Jim on Twitter: @JGJR22
Visit primary sponsor Script Anatomy on the web: scriptanatomy.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
No more reverse engineering! Former development exec Kelly Edwards lifts the veil, and tells you exactly how to get the studio to say 'yes' to your pitch in her new book, The Executive Chair.
Kelly Edwards Biography
Veteran producer and creative executive Kelly Edwards has worked at every major studio in Hollywood. After years as a feature exec on the Sony and Disney lots, Edwards eventually shifted her focus to television, where she served as a development exec at both Fox and UPN.
After producing a drama series for Paramount, she moved on to NBCUniversal, where she oversaw diversity for their twenty networks. Edwards spent her final stint as an exec creating HBO’s emerging artists programs.
Edwards holds a B.A. in Theater from Vassar and an MFA in Writing for Film and Television from Emerson College. She has been a Sundance Episodic Lab fellow and was recently staffed on the new Fox drama "Our Kind Of People." Her new book "The Executive Chair: A Writer’s Guide To TV Series Development," was released October 12th.
Buy it here to support the podcast: The Executive Chair.
Follow Kelly on Twitter: @kellyedwards_co.
Visit primary sponsor Script Anatomy on the web: scriptanatomy.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
We are constantly told to "pick a lane." But what if our creativity is stifled by only doing one thing? Is it possible to make a living as a multi-hyphenate? This week, host Gray Jones interviews Meg Messmer to find out.
Meg Messmer grew up in a small town in Michigan, and without knowing anyone in the business, worked her way up with sheer grit and determination, as an actor, working in development, and as a talent manager, earning six figures despite being an active mom.
But she found a passion for producing and creating projects that she could act in. That led to co-creating, self-producing and showrunning the intellectual dark comedy web series "Intersection," shot in Atlanta, with a full writers room.
Learn more about Meg at her website, megmessmer.com. Follow her on Instagram at @megmessmer and on Twitter at @MeganMessmer. CLICK HERE to learn more about her Facebook group "The Multi-Hyphenate Creative Community."
Photo credit: Jordana Dale.
Visit primary sponsor Script Anatomy on the web: scriptanatomy.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
Jeff Vlaming is 30 year veteran television writer and producer, whose almost uninterrupted string of hit shows has included "Northern Exposure," "The X-Files," SyFy's "Battlestar Galactica," "NCIS," "Numb3rs," "Fringe," "Teen Wolf," "Hannibal," "Outcast," "The 100" and "Debris."
How did he have such a long string of success? According to Jeff, he broke every rule, and never stopped writing.
Abridged Biography via Wikipedia:
Vlaming came to Los Angeles, California from Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he had worked as an advertising art director. In 1992, he sold a freelance script to the CBS series "Northern Exposure" (then in its third season), and joined the writing staff the following season.
In 1994, Vlaming moved to the USA series "Weird Science," where he wrote 13 episodes.
In Fall 1995, he joined the writing staff for the third season of the FOX drama "The X-Files." From there, he wrote on the last season of ABC's "Lois & Clark," and the WB series "Rescue 77."
Vlaming was a writer-producer on the FOX series "Keen Eddie" and CBS's "NCIS," followed by USA's American remake of the English crime drama "Touching Evil."
After writing three scripts for SyFy's "Battlestar Galactica," Vlaming joined the CW series "Reaper" as a supervising producer for its two-year stint.
In 2009, he joined the second season of the FOX series "Fringe" as a writer and supervising producer.
His freelance episode of "Stargate: Universe," "Human" received a Gemini Award for series star Robert Carlyle. In 2011, Vlaming was on MTV's re-imagining of "Teen Wolf" as a Co-executive producer and writer.
After two seasons as a co-executive producer on the NBC series "Hannibal," Vlaming was a co-executive producer on the Cinemax series "Outcast" based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman (creator of "The Walking Dead.")
Jeff Vlaming was a writer and executive producer for the final three seasons of the Jason Rothenberg CW series "The 100" and is currently a writer and executive producer on JH Wyman's NBC series "Debris."
Vlaming was also part of the writing/creative team behind Microsoft's Xbox One game "Quantum Break".
He maintains, or tries to, a stream of daily doodles, some related to his TV work, on Twitter at @jvlamingwriter.
Visit primary sponsor Script Anatomy on the web: scriptanatomy.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
Just in time for tax season! This week is Money Talk for writers of all kinds, as host Gray Jones interviews Trina Rozen, CPA, founder of Writers' Room CPA.
TRINA ROZEN, CPA BIOGRAPHY:
Trina Rozen, CPA, has more than 15 years of executive accounting experience in the entertainment industry. She was first the manager of the accounting team at Cast and Crew Payroll. She then ran an accounting department at CBS Studios.
Along the way, she noticed the costly mistakes that writers were making, mostly because they weren’t comfortable with money. This year she founded Writers’ Room CPA to help alleviate the issues that arise from letting monthly payments slip, or not saving for taxes. She has created a framework for writers that begins at home—a series of savings actions coupled with income-generating decisions that can help you become financially solvent. There is nothing better than going to sleep at night worried only about your character’s motivations, and not how you will meet a big tax bill!
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
0:56 - Podcast primary sponsor, scriptanatomy.com. 2:29 - Interview start, introduction. 3:11 - Trina’s origins as an entertainment accountant. 4:29 - Mistakes writers make in their finances. 5:53 - When should you incorporate? Why would you not want to incorporate yet. 9:08 - What is an S Corporation and what makes it different? 9:49 - What about liability issues? 10:46 - If someone wants to incorporate, does it have to be done before April 15? 11:20 - What is involved in incorporating? 12:31 - Sponsor break - Visit avgearguy.com and drivingfootage.com 13:41 - What does Writers’ Room CPA bring to the table? 15:21 - Considerations with working from home, especially during Covid. 17:54 - What tools does Trina offer when she brings on new clients? 19:00 - What are the easiest, most time-saving deductions writers can take right now? 21:02 - What easy steps can bring financial peace of mind? 24:00 - Financial planning and investing. 27:10 - Success stories. 29:21 - Last thoughts — how can writers find out more?
Follow Writers' Room CPA on Twitter: @writersroomcpa
Visit Writers' Room CPA on the web: writersroomcpa.com
Visit primary sponsor Script Anatomy on the web: scriptanatomy.com
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews Tawnya Bhattacharya, founder of the #1 TV writing school in the USA, Script Anatomy.
Please watch Tawnya's original interview from June 2013 (episode 078) to find out about her background, how she teamed up with Ali Laventhol (interviewed in episode 115), and how and why she started Script Anatomy.
TAWNYA BHATTACHARYA BIOGRAPHY:
Tawnya Benavides Bhattacharya is the Founder & CEO of Script Anatomy and currently the Co-Executive Producer of Apple’s "Salsa."
A screenwriting teacher for the past 15 years, Bhattacharya launched Script Anatomy in 2011 just as her career was taking off. Her objective: to use her experience of breaking into the TV industry and building a career to help other writers do the same.
She created a unique writing curriculum with trademark tools for development, writing and rewriting, which have helped hundreds of writers get a job writing for TV, find representation, or sell pilots, screenplays and novels.
As a guest instructor, Tawnya has brought the Script Anatomy method to the Disney | ABC Writing Program, The WGA Foundations, WGFestival, the Austin Film Festival, the Producer's Guild (PGA) Power of Diversity Workshop, Hugo House in Seattle, the Willamette Writers Conference, Stage 32, The International Screenwriters Association, TV Writers Fund and the CineStory TV Writers Retreat in Idyllwild. Her column “Your TV Guide“ can be read in Script Magazine. She's also been a guest on several podcasts, including Scripts & Scribes, Sell Your Screenplay, The TV Writer Podcast, and On the Page.
Bhattacharya and her writing partner, Ali Laventhol, are Co-Executive Producers and prior to Apple’s Salsa, she and her writing partner have written on "Ginny & Georgia" (Netflix), "A Million Little Things" (ABC), "Famous in Love" (Freeform), "The Night Shift" (NBC), "Perception" (TNT), "The Client List" (Lifetime) and "Fairly Legal" (USA). They've sold pilots to eOne, Lionsgate and MGM and been hired to do rewrites for Legendary. They are currently writing a movie for Ozy Media and Lifetime based on Trump's "Zero Tolerance" policy and family separation at the border.
They are former NBC Writers on the Verge fellows, and were semi-finalists for the ABC Disney Fellowship before getting a job that took them out of the running. Bhattacharya was also a FOX Writer’s Intensive fellow. The team is repped by Industry Entertainment and Morris Yorn and UTA.
Bhattacharya, an alumnus of Cornish College of the Arts Conservatory, studied acting and playwriting, and interned with playwright, Marie Irene Fornes and New City Theater in Seattle. She has performed in Seattle, Chicago, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic and LA.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
2:14 - Interview start, intro 3:22 - Why she feels Script Anatomy is the #1 TV writing school in America. 7:08 - The value of current working writers doing the teaching. Talks about some of her teachers and the courses they teach. 12:24 - Theory vs practical, how there is a huge system teaching theory, but Script Anatomy teaches practical tools. Tawnya expands on their method. 26:36 - Explain why they teach a lot about how to develop projects. Tawnya tells about some of the tools they use, particularly around theme. 34:58 - The successes of Script Anatomy alumni. 41:22 - The community outside the classes. 44:42 - Sponsor break - visit sponsors avgearguy.com & drivingfootage.com. 45:52 - Script Anatomy’s offerings in 2021. 50:24 - Where should someone start? 54:59 - Other workshops, and weekend festival they’re planning. 58:45 - Tawnya tells how to navigate their website, and script consultation services they provide. 1:02:36 - How should someone prepare for one of Script Anatomy’s classes, so they can hit the ground running? 1:05:57 - Her recommended writing books. 1:09:55 - What will set people up for success in 2021? 1:13:03 - Conclusion
Follow Tawnya on Twitter: @tbhattacharya
Visit Script Anatomy on the web: scriptanatomy.com
Follow Script Anatomy on Twitter: @scriptanatomy
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews Ali Laventhol, most recently co-executive producer on 'Ginny & Georgia' with her writing partner Tawnya Bhattacharya of Script Anatomy.
Ali Laventhol Biography
Ali Laventhol got her start in show business working on movies like 'National Treasure: Book of Secrets,' 'Terminator: Salvation' and 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.' Only not as a writer. She was a visual effects compositor for features, commercials and music videos before making the leap to her original love: writing.
Teaming up with Tawnya Bhattacharya and together attending the NBC Writers on the Verge writing fellowship led to staff gigs on shows like 'A Million Little Things,' 'Famous In Love,' 'Perception,' and 'The Client List.' Most recently the duo have been Co-Executive Producers for 'Ginny & Georgia' at Netflix and 'Salsa' at Apple.
A former competitive equestrian and certified massage therapist, Ali currently teaches TV writing at Script Anatomy. Her free time is generally spent playing in local tennis leagues or with her rescue mutt, Mavis, who has her extremely well trained.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
0:04 - Intro, special discounts for podcast listeners - 15% off photo & video scanning/importing at avgearguy.com, and 20% off 9-angle driving plates at drivingfootage.com. 3:41 - Interview start, Ali’s background in visual effects. 10:22 - How she made the career transition into writing. 11:50 - Building a writing partnership with Tawnya Bhattacharya, after meeting her at Writers Boot Camp in 2005. 13:57 - How they got into NBC’s Writers on the Verge, and their experience in the writing fellowship, including getting representation and their first job. Discussion about being in a writing partnership. 19:30 - Her experience on their first staff job, ‘Fairly Legal.’ 22:08 - Signposts of their subsequent 8 year successful run, going from one show to another. 25:07 - Discussing producer responsibilities, like visiting set, casting, etc. 27:35 - Their more recent projects, discussing different showrunning styles. 30:40 - Co-executive producing on ‘Ginny & Georgia’ and their most recent project for AppleTV, which was primarily developed over Zoom in a mini-room format. 33:43 - Script tips based on her wealth of experience reading scripts, and coaching and teaching through Script Anatomy. 36:51 - What Script Anatomy offers writers. 39:55 - The most common advice she gives newer writers. 46:37 - Do you really need to go to film school? 48:09 - What does she wish she had known at the start of her career, that she knows now: how different each showrunner is. 49:52 - What helps to get through the harder times? 51:13 - End of interview, how to connect with her.
Follow Ali on Twitter: @AliLaventhol.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews Cameron Johnson, TV writer on 'Empire' and 'Zoe Ever After,' who has sold several pilots.
Cameron Johnson Biography
Cameron Johnson grew up in the Bay Area and studied political science at USC, because if you tell your family you’re going to be a lawyer, you don’t just commit to the bit – you get a degree in it. However, while there, he secretly pursued an additional education in screenwriting.
After several torturous years prepping the best and brattiest of Brentwood for the SAT, he became a writer on the BET show 'Zoe Ever After.' He then sold 'White People Problems,' an hour dramedy about a wealthy, dysfunctional black family to Bravo, and is currently redeveloping it as a half-hour for Peacock.
Cameron has spent the past two seasons working on Fox’s 'Empire', where he wrote and produced six episodes and managed the 160,000 follower writers’ Twitter account. He also sold 'Diversity Hire,' a satirical look at race in the workplace, to Fox in 2019.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
2:02 - Interview start, Cameron’s background, from the Bay Area to Political Science at USC. 5:00 - from Poli Sci to his first writing gig. 7:07 - Writing material that wasn’t his voice. 8:12 - How he learned to write from his unique point of view, and what led to his first staff job. 13:13 - His relationship with representation. 15:21 - His first experience on staff, on 'Zoe Ever After.' 19:10 - Sponsor break 20:16 - Selling 'White People Problems,' and what led to his job on 'Empire.' 24:02 - The trial by fire in going from multi-cam comedy to one hour drama, and what he learned in the process. 27:42 - On developing and selling 'Diversity Hire' in a bidding war. 30:16 - Explaining a “put pilot” commitment. 31:02 - On the insecurities of a writer, and whether success makes them go away. 32:30 - How he got involved with Fake Empire, co-creating 'Tom Swift,' which will be a back-door pilot inside 'Nancy Drew.' 36:31 - How he develops and manages his various projects. 38:59 - Advice to greener writers. 46:22 - How does someone develop their own voice, and learn to tell authentic stories? 49:05 - Conclusion.
Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronJAwesome.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buying Final Draft screenwriting software? Use this link to support the podcast: tinyurl.com/BuyFinalDraft.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews Lee Aronsohn, co-creator and showrunner of "Two and a Half Men" and EP of "The Big Bang Theory," and actor/writer/producer/director Jason Kyle, the founders of the Creators Writing Room.
Lee Aronsohn Biography:
Lee Aronsohn served as showrunner of "Two and a Half Men," a show which he co-created with Chuck Lorre, and he was also an executive producer on "The Big Bang Theory." His work spans over three decades, having written for hit shows such as "The Love Boat," "Who's the Boss," "Charles in Charge," "Cybill," "CSI," and others.
Jason Kyle Biography:
Jason is an actor, comedian, writer and voice actor best known for his roles in "100 Blocks,", "Redress," and "Watch Dogs 2." He was also the creator, producer, director and lead actor in "The Bay Area Show." He currently works in development at Sony Pictures TV, with Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa (creators of "Homeland" and "24").
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
2:25 - Interview start 3:38 - Lee’s background, from “The Love Boat” to “Big Bang Theory” and “Two and a Half Men.” 5:17 - How the industry has changed over the years. 6:23 - How needing health insurance led to co-creating and running “Two and a Half Men.” 10:01 - How “Big Bang Theory” almost didn’t make it, and needed a second pilot. 13:32 - Jason’s background, from the peace corps in Albania to standup comedy. 18:08 - His next few years acting, directing, producing and writing. 23:05 - The “meet cute” — how they connected and ended up working together. 26:25 - Sponsor break. 27:32 - All about The Creators Writing Room - free content and fee-based classes over Zoom. 32:28 - Why free content on the internet isn’t enough. 36:33 - What the Zoom format provides, especially with their small class sizes. 40:33 - Discussing the different classes they offer. 43:18 - Free Co-Pilot Zoom sessions where they deconstruct pilot scripts 45:49 - Wrap up, website info.
Visit The Creators Writing Room at theCWRoom.com and follow on Twitter: @thecwroom.
Follow Lee Aronsohn on Twitter: @BennyAce
Follow Jason Kyle on Twitter: @GetMeJasonKyle
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews Elaine Loh, TV writer on the new "Gossip Girl" and "Dynasty," and also award-winning film writer/director and actor.
Elaine Loh Biography
Elaine recently wrote on the new "Gossip Girl" reboot for HBO Max and is now writing on "Dynasty" for The CW. She is humbled to be a fellow in the HBO Writers Program, as well as to have been named on the coveted Young & Hungry List and as one of the Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch by the International Screenwriters Association. She has had scripts place in the world-renowned PAGE Awards (Silver Prize), Austin Film Festival (3 times), Final Draft Big Break (Top Ten), Tracking Board Launch Pad (Top 50), the ISA (Grand Prize), and the second round of the Sundance Episodic Lab (twice).
Elaine is also a director and her short form series "DOXXED" won Best Short Comedy at Catalyst (formerly itvfest), Best Achievement at Raindance, and a Telly Award (find out more at www.doxxed-series.com). She won the Grand Prize and Audience Vote at the NewFilmmakers LA On Location Project ($60k in cash and prizes) and scored an honorable mention in the Justin Lin/NBCUniversal Interpretations short film contest. She has also directed two short films that screened at Academy-qualifying festivals.
On a personal note, Elaine was born in Singapore, grew up in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and then moved to Massachusetts. She studied Psychology and Math at Brown University, does not speak any Chinese, loves Wendy's junior bacon cheeseburgers, and can solve a Rubik's cube in less than two minutes.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
1:03 - Interview start; her background, studying psychology and math at Brown, and how she pivoted into acting. 3:30 - When she started writing, and why. 4:04 - Her filmmaking and writing before TV, including placing and being recognized in many competitions. Why she considers competitions so important. 7:39 - How she developed as a writer, going a less traditional route into the industry. 12:45 - Compares Gossip Girl and Dynasty, how they helped prepare her to write a script.
14:14 - Sponsor break - visit drivingfootage.com for 4K 9-angle driving plates for TV & film, and podcast viewers get 10% off photo/video scanning and importing at avgearguy.com.
15:21 - Getting into and going through the HBO writing fellowship. 18:45 - Getting staffed on Gossip Girl. 20:07 - Being in the writers room for the first time. 22:59 - The pandemic hit, but she was able to land a job on Dynasty. How that show has been different. 25:00 - How her acting experience, and writing directing films has helped her as a TV writer. 27:48 - On developing for TV. 31:45 - Her volunteer work, and what it means to her. 32:21 - Advice to greener writers, especially when asking someone to read your script. 44:05 - Not giving up. 47:30 - On her award winning web series (www.doxxed-series.com), and how it was great training in telling episodic stories, and in the future, how to run a show.
Elaine runs a political advocacy group that encourages greater civic engagement and raises money for charities. Check it out at www.operationchecksandbalances.org.
Visit Elaine's website at www.ElaineLoh.com and follow her on Twitter: @ThatElaineLoh.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews Michael Jamin, TV comedy writer and showrunner who has written on such shows as "King of the Hill," "Maron," and "Beavis and Butthead," and is currently a consulting producer on "Tacoma FD."
Housekeeping Announcement:
This is the 20th weekly episode since quarantine started, and I am taking a 2-week break before resuming right after Labor Day. I am actively seeking new show runners and upper level writers to interview, so if you know anyone you think would be a good fit, please reach out.
Michael Jamin Biography:
For the past 25 years, Michael Jamin has been a television writer and showrunner. His many credits include "King of the Hill," "Wilfred," "Maron," "Beavis and Butthead," "Brickleberry," "Just Shoot Me," "Rules of Engagement," "Tacoma FD" and many more.
Get 3 lessons from Michael's new class "The Showrunner’s Guide to TV Writing" for FREE! Visit michaeljamin.com/gray/ for details.
Photo Credit: Paula Marshall
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
1:43 - Interview start, Michael’s backstory, having the desire to write but no experience. Got a few PA jobs, and then while working on “Lois & Clark” he and his writing partner Sivert Glarum had a chance to pitch an episode, which became one of the highest rated episodes of the season. 5:19 - When he first got representation, and how it didn’t really help him… was when he first got on staff for “Just Shoot Me” that things really took off. Shares what it was like when he first got on staff and didn’t feel he was contributing. Speaks about his mentors during the 4 seasons he was on the show, and some of the advice they gave. 8:17 - Landed the job on “King of the Hill,” where he also wrote for 4 seasons. Speaks about how at that time, it was much more common to jump from show to show as you negotiated more money or a better position. 10:05 - When he and Sivert started running the room, on “Glenn Martin, D.D.S.” Talks about difference of running the room and writing for animation and live action, single camera vs multi-camera. 11:20 - Fun stories about running the room in live action for the first time, on “Maron.” 13:57 - Talks about his development process, where he finds ideas and projects. 14:50 - His most recent show, “Takoma F.D.” 16:08 - Sponsor break. 17:14 - All about Michael’s new TV & screenwriting online course, “The Showrunner’s Guide to TV Writing.” Visit http://michaeljamin.com/gray for 3 free lessons. 20:32 - State of the industry now vs 20 years ago — easier to break in, but harder to make a living. 21:29 - How he hustles for work — doesn’t depend on his agent, and is constantly writing new material. 23:03 - Aside from his course, suggests reading and studying lots of scripts. 23:55 - Advice to greener writers… write and work on your craft every day. What separates a mediocre script from a good script? In interviews? What gets a writer fired from a staff? 28:59 - What does he wish he had known when he started out? How to break a story. How to learn that skill. 30:41 - How to make it long-term in this business — be nice to people.
Follow Michael on Twitter: @MJaminWriter
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews Greta Heinemann, a TV/film writer who grew up on the Bavarian/Austrian border, and overcame language and immigration barriers to break in to Hollywood.
Greta Heinemann Biography:
Greta Heinemann grew up at the Bavarian-Austrian border and raised herself watching an abundance of German-dubbed US TV shows by day, and action movies by night. Greta has since learned how to speak English and fought hard to immigrate to the US to pursue her dreams of becoming a screenwriter. She currently serves as Supervising Producer on NBC’s "Good Girls," has a show in development at HBO-Max and is in development on a feature film with David Leitch's 87North and Amblin Partners.
Greta also developed the Writer's Wright – The Writer's Wright is an all-in-one productivity coach, career planner, journal, and notebook specifically developed to help aspiring and working writers structure their careers and lives just as thoroughly as their stories. Find more hours in the day. Make goals and deadlines less intimidating. Inspire. Stay sane, and always drive your story forward.
Find out more at writerswrightjournal.com.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
1:40 - Interview start, with her beginnings near the Bavarian/Austrian border, living alone from the age of 11, and learning English by watching TV. 6:48 - How she immigrated to the US… sent 200 applications for internships, and only one was answered. Eventually found an LGBTQ-friendly production company, but had to go back and forth to Germany for 2 years before she got sponsored on a special skills work visa. 14:39 - Got green card — was finally able to apply for writing fellowships, and also became an intern writing coverage. 17:53 - Got into Humanitas New Voices fellowship, and then the CBS Writers Mentoring Program in the same year, and describes the differences between the programs (plus how the TV Writer Podcast helped her get in!). 29:04 - Discusses representation, and why she changed a few times. 32:06 - Staffing on “NCIS: New Orleans” from her first showrunner meeting (and what led up to that), and how she learned the ropes. 46:18 - How after 4 years she left to develop shows. 49:11 - Staffing on NBC’s “Good Girls.” 52:13 - Sponsor break. Visit drivingfootage.com for 4K 9-angle driving plates, or avgearguy.com for laptop rentals, and scanning/importing of photos, tapes, documents and more. 53:12 - More about writing NBC’s “Good Girls.” 56:42 - Her current feature film project and pilot for HBO. 1:02:32 - Where she sees herself in 5-10 years, and her least and most favorite parts about TV writing. 1:08:45 - Advice to greener writers. 1:15:27 - What does she know now that she wishes she had known when she started out.
Follow Greta on Twitter: @GretaHeinemann
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews Priyanka Mattoo, a writer/filmmaker and former UTA & WME agent who shares how to find a Hollywood mentor during lockdown.
Priyanka Mattoo Biography:
Priyanka is a writer and filmmaker in Los Angeles. She was formerly an agent at UTA and WME, as well as Jack Black’s partner at their production company, Electric Dynamite. Priyanka is the co-founder of EARIOS, a women-led podcast network, and co-hosts its critically-acclaimed beauty/wellness podcast, "Foxy Browns."
Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Vulture, and The Hairpin, and her film work in festivals from Sundance to Cannes. She was raised in India, England, and Saudi Arabia before moving to the U.S. in high school, and holds degrees in Italian and Law from the University of Michigan.
Priyanka now lives in Venice (California) with her husband and kids.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
1:43 - Interview start 3:10 - Her back story, a wild ride! Studied law, and ended up at UTA, where she found she had a talent for it and rose up quickly. 8:01 - Found she wasn’t fulfilled, and something was missing — partnered with Jack Black to build a TV production company. Sold 40 pitches while she was at that company. 9:33 - Had a yearning to write and direct her own projects, and after making her first short film, felt she found her niche. Also sold a TV pilot version of it. 12:10 - About her female-focused podcast network, and the podcast she hosts. 15:05 - Discussing her excellent industry-related column on Vulture. 18:48 - Sponsor break - drivingfootage.com and avgearguy.com. 19:46 - Finding a mentor during lockdown. 20:59 - Are there exceptions to her advice about not doing cold contact? Having a touch point, or referral. Building a lateral network. 25:44 - Very important to use this time to hone craft and produce material - write scripts, try shooting a short film or podcast. 30:25 - Don’t talk about yourself. Ask questions, offer help, make other people’s lives better. Never ask for a mentor — let them notice and ask you. 33:50 - How to ask without asking. How to be the person they want to mentor. Don’t gossip or slander. Read a lot, and live a life outside of TV. Be relentlessly pleasant… to everyone, at every level. Listen, notice needs and find a way to meet them. 42:42 - Your online presence during lockdown. What to do and not to do. 49:22 - Using SideTime to reach out to established industry people for a fee.
Follow Priyanka on Twitter: @naanking
Visit Priyanka's website: primattoo.com
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews Will Pascoe, showrunner of "Absentia." Will also wrote for such shows as "The Finder," "Orphan Black," "Da Vinci's Demons," and "Shut Eye."
This episode is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering TV Writer Podcast listeners a 10% discount on any of her services. To get your 10% off, reach out to her directly and tell her Gray sent you!
In this episode, Will has great tips on how not to get fired when you first get on staff, work/life balance, crafting your voice, standing out among the competition, and mentoring others. He also talks about running "Absentia," including some of the challenges with shooting on another continent.
COVID-19 NOTE: though it was shot in person, safety was maintained through masks when not shooting, long lenses to separate camera and talent, shooting outdoors, and maintaining social distance.
Will Pascoe Bio:
Originally from Canada, Will Pascoe is an award-winning television writer and occasional documentary film director. After writing half-hour television series like "Degrassi," Will made the jump to writing one-hour television dramas full-time, working on the military-medical series, "Combat Hospital" for ABC and Sony. He then went on to work on Fox’s short-lived series, "The Finder," and later won a Humanitas New Voices prize and received a blind script deal with Fox to develop his own television show.
He then became an upper-level writer and co-producer on BBC America’s, "Orphan Black." His episode “Variations Under Domestication” was selected by Entertainment Weekly as one of the best hours of television of the decade and won Will a Writer’s Guild Award and nominations for an Edgar Allan Poe Award and a Hugo Award (where he lost to his idol George R.R. Martin for his "Game of Thrones" “Red Wedding” episode). As well, "Orphan Black" won Will a Peabody Award for his work on the series.
Other credits include the BBC Worldwide/Starz drama series, "Da Vinci’s Demons" and Hulu’s drama series, "Shut Eye." He’s developed television series for Fox, Playtone and Universal Studios. He's currently running season three of Amazon Prime’s hit series, "Absentia." He resides in Los Angeles.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
0:25- Interview start, talking about Will’s origins in Canada.
2:26 - First professional writing credit became infamous episode of “DeGrassi.”
3:35 - His first staff job on “Combat Hospital.”
4:42 - Thanks to Hart Hanson, landed a gig on “The Finder,” his first Hollywood show.
5:27 - How he learned to write TV mostly self taught, reading books and scripts, and doing a lot of writing, crafting his own voice.
8:34 - How directing documentaries has influenced his writing, becoming a student of human behavior and interaction, and trying to understand the world.
9:53 - Many of his scripts have stood out… discusses the “Orphan Black” episode which was selected by Entertainment Weekly as one of the best hours of television of the decade.
12:04 - About winning the Humanitas New Voices Award, selling a pilot to Fox, and moving to Los Angeles (including victories and challenges, and immigration).
19:07 - Comparing his path to the more traditional way of breaking in to Hollywood.
21:56 - Sponsor break.
22:54 - Talks about his experience in the Showrunner Training Program, learning about work/life balance for a showrunner. How the information and network of relationships has helped him in the time since.
30:29 - Coming in cold as the showrunner for “Absentia.”
33:31 - The challenges with shooting in Bulgaria, including a funny story about language barriers.
38:21 - Will’s development process, and some of the projects he’s developing.
41:53 - On pitching his material… pitching with slides, and why it’s more difficult via Zoom. Funny stories about Zoom calls.
47:29 - Positives that may come from COVID-19 — better treatment of production crews, better conditions on set.
51:56 - Differences between Canadian and American shows. How new staff writers are treated in each, and advice for new staff writers in US shows. Asking more established writers frequently for a “temperature check” — how did I do in the writers room this week? How more mature writers should go out of their way to encourage newer writers.
57:10 - How Will mentors other writers. Paying it forward.
58:20 - Advice to newer writers, in interviews and on the page. Have ideas for the show, and know the show really well.
1:02:22 - How to stand out among the competition. Make the showrunner’s job easier, constantly push yourself to improve your writing, and always keep learning. Leave your comfort zone, and challenge yourself with different types of writing.
Follow Will Pascoe on Twitter: @EvilWillPascoe
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews Jami O'Brien, creator & showrunner of "N0S4A2" on AMC.
This episode is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering TV Writer Podcast listeners a 10% discount on any of her services. To get your 10% off, reach out to her directly and tell her Gray sent you!
In this episode, Jami has great tips for the writers room, improving your writing, winning in interviews, adapting pre-existing material, and general career advice.
Jami O'Brien Bio:
Jami O'Brien created and showruns "NOS4A2" for AMC. Previously, she’s written for "Fear the Walking Dead," "Hell on Wheels," "Big Love," and "Flesh and Bone," which was nominated for a Writer’s Guild Award. Jami has an MFA in Playwriting from the Yale School of Drama.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
1:06 - Interview start, mention her show “N0S4A2.”
2:00 - Her back story - writing as a kid, Yale playwriting, and eventually moving to LA because of a friend who was a TV writer.
5:18 - Her first LA job, assisting a manager, learning about the industry.
7:11 - When she first started trying to write for TV, got a writing assistant job thanks to one of her Yale professors who was a show runner. Resisted writing a spec, but when she finally did, got good traction from it and landed an agent. Still did not get staffed right away, but after several interviews she was staffed on “Lie To Me.”
12:38 - What it was like to finally write on staff.
14:10 - Talks about her next couple of shows, “The Deep End,” “Big Love,” and a longer stint on “Hell on Wheels.” Describes great lessons she learned from the showrunners and another writer who was a mentor, which helped her scripts to be rewritten less and less.
19:32 - Sponsor break.
20:37 - How she got an overall deal at AMC, got attached to the “N0S4A2” project, and was co-EP on “Fear the Walking Dead.”
23:06 - Her process in how she adapted the book “N0S4A2” into a series, and doing a mini writer’s room.
25:53 - Being a part of the Showrunner Training Program.
30:39 - What it was like to build a staff and run a show for the first time. Some discussion about mini writers rooms.
34:28 - What is she looking for when she interviews new writers? Looking for a voice, a point of view, and something unique. Must stand out from the bulk of scripts which are pretty good.
37:19 - What she looks for in interviews.
38:17 - Where her show is at with respect to Coronavirus.
39:13 - How she feels about the current TV landscape.
41:06 - Advice to younger self.
42:52 - Mistakes she sees newer writers making.
Follow Jami on Twitter: @jami_obrien
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews UK show creator / showrunner and practicing doctor Dan Sefton, who is also the co-founder of the independent production company Seven Seas Films.
This episode is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering TV Writer Podcast listeners a 10% discount on any of her services. To get your 10% off, reach out to her directly and tell her Gray sent you!
Dan Sefton Bio:
Dan Sefton is a prolific television writer who founded Seven Seas Films in 2016 alongside producer Simon Lupton, with the aim of creating and producing TV drama for the UK and international markets, putting the writer at the center of the process. Together they have several projects in development, including "The last Days of Marilyn," in partnership with 101 Studios.
Previously an A&E doctor, he started his television career as a hobby; writing episodes of UK medical dramas such as "Doctors," "Casualty" and "Holby City." Delving into the world of scripted drama, Dan also wrote episodes of Harlan Coben’s "The Five" (Sky One), "Death in Paradise" (BBC One), "Monarch of the Glen" (BBC One), "Mr Selfridge" (ITV) and "Secret Diary of a Call Girl" (ITV2). Having written comedy series "Porters" for UKTV to critical acclaim, Dan went on to write the original four-part drama series, "Delicious," starring Dawn French, Emilia Fox and Iain Glen for Bandit TV and Sky One. He also wrote four-part thriller "Trust Me" for Red Productions and BBC One, starring Jodie Whittaker, which was broadcast in August 2017.
Most recently, Dan's writing credits include Tiger Aspect’s "The Good Karma Hospital," now in its third series on ITV, and "The Mallorca Files" with Cosmopolitan Pictures and ProSieben for BBC One which is in production with series two.
In May 2019, Great Point, the UK’s leading independent media and investment firm, invested in Seven Seas Films.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
1:42 - Interview start… how Dan started out as a medical doctor, and amazingly, continues to practice medicine while writing. How the first script he ever wrote was produced, for the UK show “Doctors.” Many medical shows followed… Dan discusses the difference between his real life experiences and the shows the end up on TV, how he was actually more appealing to producers when he was practicing medicine than when he quit it, and how he maintains the balance between the two.
9:41 - Dan discusses how representation works in the UK, and his experience with representation.
12:19 - How freelance scripts work in the UK… how there is not as much of a writing room in the UK, but how there are non-writing creative producers who do a lot of the series building and planning.
17:27 - How he made the jump to creating and running shows.
21:40 - The process from pitch to production of how he creates shows. How in the UK, you work much more with independent production companies to pitch shows to the network… discussion on the UK process is similar to how reality TV is developed in the US.
26:40 - Why and how he created his own production company.
29:29 - Sponsor break
30:26 - Differences between the US and the UK in how a show is run… how UK TV is much more of a writer auteur medium, but the US excels at delivering volume. Could a US writing room work in the UK?
36:54 - Dan has worked in several genres… is that easier in the UK?
40:40 - With shorter seasons in the UK, is it easier for a younger writer to get a show off the ground? How pairing with established production companies can help. How his company Seven Seas looks for new unique voices, but expects people to have done a lot of homework before walking in the door.
49:37 - Does he see many writers crossing the pond, one way or the other? Mostly, he sees showrunners from the US attracted to the writer-as-auteur system.
52:44 - Advice to greener writers… understand that you are the product, not just your script. What do you bring to the table? You must be able to sell that too. Also, know what you are getting into, and be willing to work very hard. It’s better to write a fresh take on a genre than to reinvent the wheel. And… train yourself to work very quickly, even if it’s not for a specific deadline.
Follow Dan on Twitter: @dansefton
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews writer-producer Steve Harper, who wrote for "God Friended Me," "American Crime," and "Covert Affairs," and created the hit web series "Send Me."
This episode is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering a 10% discount on her online "Writing TV" class, which runs Saturdays from July 11 - August 1. To get your 10% off, use the coupon code onthepage10 at checkout.
In this interview, Steve shares how his acting and playwriting experience has helped him in his TV writing, the way the CBS Writers Mentoring Program helped him to win in showrunner meetings, how adapting in a gap in his career resulted in a hit web series that kickstarted the next leg of his career, and tips for networking. He also shares about the current racial unrest, challenges he has faced as an African American writer, and where he sees Hollywood needs to change going forward, in the diversity in writing staffs, and in the stories that are told.
Steve Harper is a native New Yorker who grew up in a house with a Catholic father and a mother obsessed with Stephen King and true crime novels. He enjoys writing character-based dramas that (sometimes) make use of magical realism.
Steve served as producer on the CBS show "God Friended Me." He was co-producer on the upcoming HBO Max series "Tell Me Your Secrets" and wrote for ABC’s "American Crime" (created by John Ridley). Steve spent two seasons on the USA network’s "Covert Affairs."
His original web series "Send Me" - about time traveling black people - (CLICK HERE to view on YouTube) premiered on BET.com to 1.66 million views, won multiple festival awards, and garnered a 2016 Emmy nomination for series lead Tracie Thoms. Steve’s short films include "Betty on The Bed" (writer, producer, director and actor) and "Intelligence" (writer).
He has written more than 20 plays, which have been workshopped and produced in New York, L.A. and in between. He also coaches writers through his company Your Creative Life. Steve is a graduate of Yale, The A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theatre Training at Harvard, Juilliard’s playwriting program and the CBS Writers Mentoring Program.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE: 01:57 - Interview start, discussing Steve’s background and influences. 04:13 - Studying at Yale, Harvard, and Juilliard, and writing over 20 plays — how playwriting can be an excellent training ground for TV writers. 14:03 - His acting work, and how that also helped prepare him for TV writing. 16:26 - Being accepted to CBS Writers Mentoring Program, and what the experience was like. 19:30 - What he learned about how to win in showrunner and other meetings, and lots of detail on how to network after the meeting. 27:14 - Getting on his first writing staff, on Covert Affairs… learning the culture of the room, and how to contribute to the stories being told. 32:40 - After Covert Affairs… 3 whole years of not being staffed, how he adapted, and did the web series “Send Me,” which got an Emmy nomination for the series lead, and led to his new series, “American Crime.” 36:55 - How Steve feels about the current racial tensions, and the challenges he has faced as an African American writer and actor. What can be done to change the situation? What can change Hollywood, both in diversity of hiring and in the stories that are told? 51:46 - Advice for greener writers: cheerful persistence, adapting and be continuously developing new material. Also what inspires you? Proactively reach out to people.
Follow Steve on Twitter: @HarperCreates
Photo Credit: Greg Crowder
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews writer-producer Evan Bleiweiss, who has written for "The Vampire Diaries," "Rosewood," and "The Crossing," and has sold several TV pilots, though he never went to college.
This episode is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering a 10% discount on her online "Writing TV" class, which runs Saturdays from July 11 - August 1. To get your 10% off, use the coupon code onthepage10 at checkout.
Evan Bleiweiss grew up on Long Island, but his family moved to Los Angeles in time for him to attend high school here. It was a teacher's encouragement of his unique voice that led him to pursue writing... and it just so happened that he played hockey with then-unknown Shawn Ryan. Shawn gave him an opportunity to intern on the pilot of "The Shield," but then encouraged him to take some time to hone his craft before really trying to break in. That's exactly what he did... and another relationship led to him being hired onto the series in season 4 as a post-PA. By the 7th season, he was a writer's assistant, and ended up co-writing the penultimate episode of the series.
You might see a pattern emerging... Evan credits many of his opportunities and successes to taking the time to foster relationships. He shares many great stories about staffing on "The Vampire Diaries," "Matador," "Black Sails," and then the full run of "Rosewood," where he rose to supervising producer level. His many sold pilots include a remake of "Big Trouble In Little China," which is an amazing story of a pilot he wrote on spec WITHOUT the rights, but ended up being contracted to do a paid rewrite.
Evan has a lot of advice for greener writers, and he shares how a strong work ethic, the willingness to study hard and hone his craft, active networking, and the fact that he was already based in LA made it possible for him to break in without a college degree..
INDEX TO THE EPISODE: 2:16 - Interview start; Evan’s background, how a high school teacher inspired his interest in writing for film & TV. 6:00 - How playing hockey with Shawn Ryan led to him becoming an intern on "The Shield." 8:00 - How Shawn Ryan encouraged him to take time to hone his craft, and he started writing together with a friend of his. 10:41 - How they wrote a play together that got produced in LA. 11:32 - How another hockey buddy led him to apply for a post PA job on "The Shield," which he did for over 2 seasons and learned a ton. 16:24 - How on his 3rd season at "The Shield," he applied to be a writers assistant and got the job. 17:07 - how he proved himself invaluable by being an encyclopedia of everything that had happened on the show, and he ended up co-writing the second-last episode of the series. 20:01 - Discussion about how he didn’t need to go to college to break in. 21:18 - Discussion about his representation. 21:57 - Using the 2008 Writers Strike to write a killer spec pilot, and wrote a TV version of "Big Trouble In Little China" (without permission), and the crazy circumstances that led to him being contracted to re-write it as a real pilot. 26:13 - On getting an agent and writing his next pilot. 28:36 - His first staff gig on "The Vampire Diaries." 31:26 - Leaving "The Vampire Diaries" after 2 seasons, when his daughter was born. Took time off, then was staffed on "Matador." 34:18 - How he landed on his feet when his show was unexpectedly cancelled, and ended up working on "Black Sails" season 3. 37:24 - How an old friend he kept up with led him to work on "Rosewood," which was his first chance to be on a series from beginning to end. 40:06 - How another relationship led to him working on "The Crossing." 41:37 - Getting back to developing his own projects, selling a couple of pilots. with a stint on "See" for Apple and the upcoming show "Archive 81" for Netflix. 45:34 - Coping with COVID-19. 46:25 - What mistakes he sees younger writers making. Learning to break story very quickly, and to write quickly. Not being precious with your ideas. Writing specs to practice writing the voice of the show runner. 52:47 - How he never saw not going to college as a disadvantage. 55:25 - Who his mentors have been over the years. How he feels you need to be always learning. Watching a show while reading the script to study it. Fostering relationships. 59:00 - Advice to younger self - reassurance that you are on the right path, even if things are hard. Don’t give up! If you work really hard and persist, people will notice. Throw yourself all the way in — read lots of scripts, study, put the work in to learning your craft.
Follow Evan on Twitter: @EPBleiweiss
Photo credit: Kenchy Ragsdale
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
PLEASE NOTE: we are now doing Tuesday releases, to line up with Script Magazine's release dates.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews Carole Kirschner, creator and director of the CBS Diversity Institute Writers Mentoring Program, and director of the Showrunner Training Program.
This episode is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering a 10% discount on her online "Writing TV" class, which runs Saturdays from July 11 - August 1. To get your 10% off, use the coupon code onthepage10 at checkout.
This is Carole Kirschner’s third appearance on the podcast — be sure to check out her first interview in episode 054, where she talked about her own career path through the industry and her excellent book, Hollywood Game Plan. Her second appearance was in Gray’s well attended panel at San Diego Comic-Con called “How to Write a TV Pilot,” in episode 085.
In this new interview, Carole reveals tons of great tips on how to stand out from the rest of the pack in your submissions to the CBS Diversity Writers Mentoring Program. Her advice is also applicable to the other writing fellowships, and college applications as well. She also has great tips on what makes or breaks writing samples, and shares at length about the Showrunner Training Program and the current state of the industry.
Having worked as a senior level television development executive for eighteen years (including her posts at CBS and as head of Steven Spielberg’s first Amblin Television), Carole has read over heard over 3,000 pitches, read more than 1,000 scripts, bought hundreds of projects and was involved in developing dozens of television series.
She is currently the Director of the Writers Guild of America’s Showrunner Training Program, the creator and Director of the CBS Diversity Writers Mentoring Program and is consulting with the Jewish Writers Initiative Program.
She’s also an author and international speaker. In her role as an entertainment career coach she helps aspiring writers, producers and directors navigate Hollywood as they break in and move up in the entertainment industry.
Her book, Hollywood Game Plan: How to Land a Job in Film, TV and Digital Entertainment, published by Michael Weise Publishers, is taught in film schools and universities around the country.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE: 0:00 - Introduction 4:01 - Interview start, discussing how the industry has and hasn’t changed since she published Hollywood Game Plan 8 years ago. How she considers it easier to get your content produced, and social media is playing a bigger role. 8:20 - Main topic of interview — expanding on her Twitter thread discussing script submissions to CBS Diversity Institute Writers Mentoring Program. What is the program and why would someone want to apply for it? 12:15 - 6-8 are chosen each year from over 1,300 submissions. What will make your application stand out? 13:22 - How the letter of interest/personal essay is a writing sample. 19:30 - Story submissions - make it something only you can write, but universal. 22:02 - Need genuine life experience, not just being inspired from TV you’ve watched. Read other mediums, not just TV. 26:13 - What makes a compelling spec episode? Do stunt scripts work? 35:08 - Why stay within one genre? Finding your sweet spot and sticking to it. What will you bring to the room? 40:12 - How many are disqualified for not following instructions, and why? 42:53 - What is the track record of the program? 44:19 - Sponsor break. 45:30 - All about the Showrunner Training Program, moving from being a writer to a manager, delivering quality scripts on time. What does the program offer? Who is eligible? 52:40 - What is its track record? 56:41 - What is the landscape like for breaking in to television writing in 2020, virus aside? How she finds people aren’t working hard enough on their careers. 59:58 - How important is a college education now? 1:01:05 - How is COVID-19 changing the way someone might break in? 1:03:17 - Final advice and call to action.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
PLEASE NOTE: we are now doing Tuesday releases, to line up with Script Magazine's release dates.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews writer Spiro Skentzos, who has written for "Arrow," "Grimm," and TV pilots, as well as "Chadam," an animated web series he co-created.
This episode is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering a 10% discount on her online "Writing TV" class, which runs Saturdays from July 11 - August 1. To get your 10% off, use the coupon code onthepage10 at checkout.
Spiro Skentzos grew up in a multi-ethnic family speaking Spanish, Greek, and English – and the inevitable mash-up of Magical Realism and ancient mythology primed him as a child to fall hard for genre stories, the world-building fantasy of comic books, and Star Wars.
His first foray into screenwriting was as a young boy, when he wrote a script for his Star Wars figures where they battled his sister’s giant, menacing Barbie dolls—and he’s been writing ever since.
His professional career began in comedy on “George Lopez." Then Spiro co-created and co-wrote the animated sci-fi/zombie web series “Chadam.” He’s written on two seasons on “Grimm,” a season on “Arrow,” and has sold 3 pilots.
To inspire the next generation of writers, Spiro created the “Intro to TV Writing” panel at Comic-Con, currently in its eleventh year. He’s a graduate of NBC’s Writers on the Verge Program, and co-chairs the WGA’s LGBTQ+ Committee. When not writing, he paints (on canvas, not houses), is learning French, and still enjoys reading comics. Follow Spiro on twitter @spirographo & IG @spirovisionproductions.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
01:29 - Interview start. 02:18 - How is the virus affecting you? 04:41 - His background, art history major at U of Michigan. 05:31 - Started as an assistant on the George Lopez Show. 05:44 - How he “almost” got representation air that time. 07:34 - How he made the shift to genre writing, and where his love of mythology and comic books came from. 08:44 - Co-creating, co-writing animated web series Chadam, trying to break into one hour drama. Agent horror story, and the spec that got him into NBC Writers on the Verge. 10:19 - 2008 writers strike was a setback, but NBC really pushed to get him onto a show, and he finally got on staff on Grimm. 13:02 - On developing and selling pilots and a feature, and then staffing on Arrow. 15:19 - Sponsors. 16:17 - All about Arrow. 18:01 - What he’s been working on since Arrow. 18:57 - Who his mentors have been - Erika Kennair, Karen Horn, others, and the importance of fostering friendships. Also how he mentors others. 22:18 - How and why he got started moderating panels. 25:49 - how he learned and hones his craft. 27:21 - toughest part and best part about being a TV writer. Turning bad experiences into a story. 31:08 - How Peak TV is changing TV writing… smaller staffs, shorter runs. 34:14 - His future plans. 37:45 - Tips for greener writers, general writing & career tips.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
PLEASE NOTE: we are now doing Tuesday releases, to line up with Script Magazine's release dates.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews veteran producer Shawn Ryan, who has created or co-created a number of series, including The Shield, The Chicago Code, Last Resort, Timeless, and his current series SWAT.
This episode is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering a 10% discount to TV Writer Podcast viewers. To get your 10% off, contact Pilar through her website and mention the podcast.
Shawn Ryan started out writing and acting in plays. He won the prestigious Norman Lear Playwriting Award, which included an opportunity to come to Los Angeles and observe the TV series My Two Dads. One of his pitches got turned into an episode for the series, and he knew he wanted to write for TV! But it would be several years of hard work, honing his craft and writing over a dozen spec scripts, before he finally got his first staff gig on Nash Bridges.
Shawn is a learner, and a very hard worker. He has many helpful stories to tell about how he learned his craft, and how he learned to be his own worst critic. You'll love hearing how he came to create and run The Shield when he had very little production experience, and how he learned to create and co-create so many successful series.
Timeless fans will be especially excited to hear about how he co-created that show with Eric Kripke, the love he has for the show and the fans, and how hopeful he is for future continuation of the story.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
1:22 - Interview start, overview of creating and helping to create and run shows in a competitive industry. 3:24 - How has COVID-19 affected him? 7:18 - Back at the beginning, how did winning the Normal Lear Playwriting Award help launch his career? Discusses theater and playwriting, then going to Hollywood to observe My Two Dads as part of the award, and starting to pitch ideas on the show. 10:56 - Harder times after that show, getting days jobs and learning to increase his work ethic. Was a clever writer, but needed to learn the craft of being a deep writer. 12:28 - Wrote 16-17 spec scripts… talks about the 3 most important factors in breaking in. 14:53 - His first staff gig on Nash Bridges, after writing freelance episodes of Life with Louie. 16:54 - How the years of struggle are important for a writer. 19:23 - How not getting hired on Buffy the Vampire Slayer was actually better for his career — describes this training ground on Nash Bridges with Carlton Cuse and John Worth in detail, and working on Angel. Learning to become valuable to a show by being a story machine. 25:31 - How The Shield was born out of a spec pilot he had written… how he didn’t have much production experience but was open about what he didn’t know and relied on good people around him to succeed. Lots of detail about building this show for the new FX Network. 37:44 - The next few years, successfully developing many projects, working on The Unit with David Mamet, Mad Dogs. Getting excited about projects. 41:48 - Sponsor messages. 43:02 - All about co-creating Timeless with Eric Kirpke, and running that show. How he loves history, and the book The People’s History was a great resource for stories. How amazed he is by the fans, and how he is hopeful about the show’s future. 51:27 - How he feels about Peak TV as a show creator. Will TV decline the way movies did? 54:22 - Advice to younger writers, and to people trying to break in. How he asked to read a spec that was getting that writer work, and studied it. Learned not to settle for B+ work.
Follow Shawn on Twitter: @ShawnRyanTV
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
PLEASE NOTE: we are now doing Tuesday releases, to line up with Script Magazine's release dates.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews writer/producer team Benjamin Raab and Deric A. Hughes, currently co-executive producing Legacies on the CW, who have written and produced on Arrow, Scream: the Series, The Flash, Beauty and the Beast and Warehouse 13.
Episode 099 is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering a 10% discount on her interactive-online class “Rewrite Techniques,” running Four Saturdays, May 23 – June 13. To get your 10% off, use the code onthepage10 at checkout.
Benjamin Raab and Deric A. Hughes have written together for almost 20 years. Ben got his start in comic books, which led to their “geek cute” in a comic book shop. They describe how it took many years of writing and applying, including for for a comic book series and web series, and multiple years applying for fellowships, before they finally landed a spot in NBC Writers on the Verge.
While still in that fellowship, they were staffed on Warehouse 13, and have high praise for the positive creative environment fostered by showrunner Jack Kenny (interviewed in episode 2). From there, they wrote on Beauty and the Beast, The Flash, Scream: The Series, and Arrow, before landing a co-EP gig on Legacies.
They also describe their experience in the Showrunner Training Program, what they’ve learned, and how important it is to mentor others and “pay it forward.”
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
0:00 - Fun blooper from the interview. 2:01 - Interview starts, Ben & Deric describe the “geek cute” of their writing partnership, in a comic book shop. 4:44 - Deric tells about his background, and what led to them writing together. 6:52 - the years of hard work from when they started writing together to when they got into NBC Writers on the Verge, including writing a comic series and web series. 13:59 - Their experience getting into and attending the Writers on the Verge program, then staffing on Warehouse 13 while still in the program. 17:39 - Their experience writing on Warehouse 13 under showrunner Jack Kenny 21:30 - Discussion about going to set for their episodes, and different showrunner philosophies. Do they focus on trying to get work with showrunners they like? Also about stepping stones in your career. 27:12 - Puppy cameo! (Also 50:07) 31:23 - On getting fired from shows, bad showrunner experiences. Other trials and tribulations. 39:22 - Sponsor break 40:21 - All about the Showrunner Training Program — how a lot of being a good showrunner boils down to being good communicator, and hiring the right people to do each job (and then letting them do their job). 52:44 - The mentoring they’ve received, and paying it forward. 1:00:56 - Advice to greener writers - be patient, check your ego at the door, listen, learn, never stop being a student.
Follow Ben on Twitter: @Wondermasons. Follow Deric on Twitter: @dblackanese.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
PLEASE NOTE: starting today we are moving to Tuesday releases, to line up with Script Magazine's release dates.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews veteran comedy writer Ken Estin, showrunner of Cheers and Taxi and creator of The Tracy Ullman Show, and Paula Finn, the author of Sitcom Writers Talk Shop.
Episode 099 is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering a 10% discount on her interactive-online class “Rewrite Techniques,” running Four Saturdays, May 23 - June 13. To get your 10% off, use the code onthepage10at checkout.
Paula Finn grew up in the shadow of her late father Herbert Finn, who wrote on such classic comedies as The Honeymooners, The Flintstones, and Gilligan's Island. This also gave her unique access for her book. In Sitcom Writers Talk Shop, Paula interviewed some of the greatest names of the genre: Carl Reiner, Norman Lear, James L. Brooks, Phil Rosenthal, and many more.
Ken Estin, one of her interviewees, is also in this interview; he tells compelling stories of his unique path into the industry, becoming a showrunner of an Emmy-winning series within 2 years of getting on staff, running Taxi and Cheers, and creating The Tracy Ullman Show. He gives great advice and insight on comedy writing, and how writing sitcoms differs from single camera comedies.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
2:39 - Interview start. 3:10 - Paula talks about growing up in the home of veteran comedy writer Herbert Finn, what she learned from hanging around sitcom sets. 4:47 - What led to her writing the book Sitcom Writers Talk Shop, and what it was like to interview the greats like Norman Lear, James L. Brooks and Carl Reiner. 7:45 - Ken discusses writing on Taxi, and having to have big jokes, and other differences between writing then and now. 11:28 - Ken shares about his unique path into the industry, sending a Bob Newhart spec script to the Bob Newhart show… how that led to staffing on Taxi, and what he learned while writing that show. 18:57 - How Ken became the showrunner of an Emmy-winning show within 2 years of getting on staff, and then later ran Cheers. 22:55 - Ken talks about some of the careers that were made on Taxi. 25:50 - Sponsor ads. 26:50 - Specifics of comedy writing - coming up with ideas and jokes, and if there are rules to follow. 31:01 - What is the best part about writing comedy? The hardest? 34:43 - What is different about writing single camera comedies? 37:09 - Ken discusses creating the Tracy Ullman Show. 41:30 - How do veteran comedy writers feel about the state of the industry now? 43:11 - Paula shares highlights of interviewing the great comedy writers for her book, and what the response has been to it. 47:20 - Advice to someone starting out in comedy writing.
Follow Paula on Twitter: @Talkingcomedy
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
Upcoming weekly interviews will include Shawn Ryan (creator of Timeless and The Shield), writers from Arrow, The Flash, Legacies and Warehouse 13, and lots more! PLEASE NOTE: there will be no episode the week of Memorial Day, and we will be moving to Tuesday releases in June, to line up with Script Magazine's release dates.
This week, host Gray Jones interviews veteran TV & feature writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe, executive producer of Elementary, and developer/EP of The Dresden Files and Andromeda.
Episode 098 is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering a 10% discount on her interactive-online class “Rewrite Techniques,” running Four Saturdays, May 23 - June 13. To get your 10% off, use the code onthepage10at checkout.
Robert Hewitt Wolfe attended UCLA for screenwriting. His first screenplay, “Paper Dragons,” placed second in the prestigious Goldwyn awards. He started out writing features, but soon was able to pitch and write an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, which led to staffing on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, where he would write for five years.
After leaving Deep Space Nine, Robert worked on several pilots; one was produced as a TV movie called Futuresport, starring Dean Cain and Wesley Snipes.
Robert was then approached to develop the syndicated series Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda, where he would serve as head writer for two years.
Robert has a lot of great stories of the subsequent years, writing for The 4400, The Gates, Alphas, Star-Crossed, and developing the series The Dresden Files. In 2016, he landed on Elementary for another long run; he explains how different it is writing for a series that doesn't have a writing room.
Robert has spent a lot of time developing pilots, features, and novels, and has great advice for what's needed on the page.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
2:16 interview start. 2:58 - Describes Star Trek franchise’s open script submissions. 3:49 - how he had an agent fresh out of film school at UCLA because of placing in contest, and was able to come in to Star Trek: The Next Generation to pitch. 5:37 - how he initially wanted to write features, and some features he wrote sold, but ended up in TV. 7:06 - his first staff writing experience, from the beginning of Deep Space Nine - discusses his many mentors from the show, and how different that room was to other more current shows. 12:00 - why he eventually left Deep Space Nine, but then was approached to develop Andromeda; stories about what it was like to develop and run that show. 18:53 - his career right after leaving Andromeda, back to writing features. 19:53 - went back to TV to help launch The 4400, then developed pilots, including the one that became The Dresden Files. Talks about that time, being a number two for two different shows, writing for several others, before landing on Elementary. 23:30 - talks about writing on Elementary, and what it was like to write without a writers room. Talks about the difference between that and having a writers room. 28:06 - talks about his mentors, and what he learned from them. 29:29 - mentoring others - how he feels it’s part of the job. 31:36 - sponsor break. 32:35 - discusses development, and what he does between shows - different situations, and how to succeed; finding your passion. 36:58 - talks about chasing IP, and why IP is so important. 41:25 - discusses his most recent show, Prodigal Son. 43:12 - what’s next - lots of irons in the fire. 45:52 - what will production be like after COVID-19. 49:50 - help for greener writers - make the show runner’s life easier, help their vision to come true, research. 53:08 - advice on the page - characters, dialogue, scene & story structure. 57:13 - general career advice - TV is a team sport. 59:28 - least and most favorite parts of being a TV writer.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
Upcoming weekly interviews will include Shawn Ryan (creator of Timeless and The Shield), writers from Arrow, The Flash, Legacies and Warehouse 13, and lots more!
This week, host Gray Jones interviews multiple Emmy winning and Oscar-nominated comedy writer Dan O'Shannon, Executive Producer of Cheers, Frasier, and Modern Family, and author of the book, What Are You Laughing At?
Episode 097 is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering a 10% discount on any of her services: to get your 10% off, reach out to Pilar directly and mention the TV Writer Podcast.
Dan O’Shannon is a writer and producer who has worked on such hit comedies as Newhart, Cheers, and Frasier, as well as many other TV series, like The Odd Couple, Better Off Ted, and the drama Jericho. He was an executive producer on Modern Family until he left after season 5, to accept a development deal at CBS TV Studios.
Dan has won six Emmy Awards, five WGA Awards, and several Golden Globe Awards for his TV work. He also was nominated for an Academy Award for writing the short animated film Redux Riding Hood, which was produced by Disney. Another animated short he wrote and produced, The Fan and the Flower, received an Annie Award.
Dan is the author of two books, What Are You Laughing At? A Comprehensive Guide to the Comedic Event, and The Adventures of Mrs. Jesus.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
2:40 - Intro, Gray geeks out about how Dan wrote on Newhart. 4:13 - What inspired Dan to do standup comedy - how he learned to be funny. 5:15 - Challenges in learning to write TV comedy pre-internet — how he took a one-way trip to LA with $100 in his pocket. 7:33 - Talk about his book - is it possible to learn how to be funny? 10:13 - How important is it for a comedy writer to do standup? Also learning how to tell a story. 12:05 - How multicam comedy offers a chance to learn how a live audience will react to jokes. 13:13 - How he made the jump from standup to TV writing. 15:10 - You’re in the writer’s room — now what? Mistakes writers make when they get on staff. 18:25 - The tough times between the first staff gig and his bigger shows. 20:48 - Secrets on how to get freelance scripts sold. 21:26 - How the writer’s strike of 1988 led to him pairing up with Tom Anderson in a writing team, getting staffed on Newhart and Cheers together, eventually showrunning the show together, and then how they split apart in a way that didn’t hurt their careers. 24:10 - On creating the series Maggie. 27:23 - The time between Maggie and Modern Family, writing drama shows for the first time. 29:04 - How Modern Family was different from a writing perspective - tight, economical writing and using mockumentary. Also discussed the production and post-production of the show. 33:10 - Single cam vs multicam from a writing perspective. 36:00 - The onset of social networks and how that affected writing. 39:00 - On developing pilots, and writing on The Orville. 41:12 - What has been the hardest part about writing for TV? On the pressure of always having to work toward deadlines, and not having a real life. 43:51 - The best part about writing for TV - working with and hanging out with some of the funniest people, and making people laugh. 45:38 - How the industry has changed over the last 35 years. 49:39 - How he distilled his decades of observations into the book What Are You Laughing At? 51:07 - About his book Adventures of Mrs. Jesus. 52:39 - Advice for less experienced writers - making your showrunner happy, what elements you need to have a successful career as a writer, and how to pitch successfully. 59:26 - What he looks for when hiring writers, in interviews and on the page. Does he read specs or pilots? Why writing a spec is so valuable, even if people will only read pilots. 1:06:27 - What might he say to his younger self based on what he knows now — don’t make your career your identity.
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
Upcoming weekly interviews will include Shawn Ryan (creator of Timeless and The Shield), writers from Arrow, The Flash, Legacies and Warehouse 13, and lots more!
This week, host Gray Jones catches up with Keto Shimizu, co-showrunner and EP for DC's Legends of Tomorrow, and who formerly wrote for Arrow, Being Human, and The Cape.
Episode 096 is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering a 10% discount on any of her services: to get your 10% off, reach out to Pilar directly and mention the TV Writer Podcast.
Don't forget that Gray interviewed Keto back in 2011 (episode 10), after she had just been staffed on The Cape. In that interview, she shares a lot about how she broke in to the industry. Check it out HERE or on any of the podcast aggregators.
Keto Shimizu biography:
Keto Shimizu was born in Princeton, NJ and spent much of her youth traveling the globe with a world music choir. A life-long fan of movies and comic books, she attended film school at Emerson College in Boston, then moved to Los Angeles in 2007 to pursue a career in the industry.
Following graduation she worked in post-production, using nights and weekends to follow her true passion: writing. Her hard work paid off, as she was accepted into NBC’s “Writers on the Verge” in 2009, and shortly thereafter was staffed on NBC's The Cape. Following its cancellation, she moved on to SyFy's Being Human where she spent two seasons.
She was then brought on to CW's Arrow, and after three years writing for the DC comic adaptation she transferred to the spinoff Legends of Tomorrow where she is currently a writer and Executive Producer.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
2:18 - Intro, catching us up on her career since The Cape 11:15 - what was the experience like in the tough time after her first staff gig 13:59 - what to do between jobs 15:08 - using your genre calling card 18:27 - where she sees herself after Legends of Tomorrow 19:19 - the projects she’s currently developing 20:08 - on interviewing new writers 21:37 - on mentoring others, and general advice on pursuing a TV writing career 24:55 - how is the virus affecting Legends of Tomorrow
Follow Keto on Twitter: @ketomizu
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
Upcoming weekly interviews will include Dan O'Shannon (EP of Cheers, Frasier, and Modern Family), Shawn Ryan(creator of Timeless and The Shield) and lots more!
This week, host Gray Jones interviews Michael Narducci, showrunner and EP for The Originals, co-EP for The Crossing, and writer and producer for The Vampire Diaries.
Episode 094 is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering a 10% discount on any of her services: to get your 10% off, reach out to Pilar directly and mention the TV Writer Podcast.
Michael Narducci biography:
Currently working on an as yet unannounced Netflix series, Michael recently developed Warriors through ABC Studios. Prior to that, he was the showrunner of The Originals for Warner Brothers TV, and also served as a writer on The Vampire Diaries, Medium, The 4400, and The Crossing.
Michael was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio. He attended Harvard University where he lettered in football and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in psychology. He went on to receive his MFA in Creative Writing from The University of Virginia. His short stories have appeared in The Texas Review, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Pembroke and Gadfly magazine. He taught creative writing at The Idyllwild Arts Academy for seven years and has also taught writing in Boston, Charlottesville, South Central Los Angeles, and South Korea.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
2:01 - Interview start 2:38 - how COVID-19 is affecting him and his work 6:16 - how he went to Harvard and lettered in football but ended up doing an MFA in creative writing 8:38 - how he published short stories, taught in school for several years, and started writing specs 11:50 - how the Warner Brothers writing fellowship helped him get his first staff gig and an agent 14:43 - on landing the staff gig without going the traditional route of being an assistant 18:15 - on having a manager since before the WB program, and what he feels managers offer 20:18 - in between series, what happens? Details about show runner meetings and pitching. 22:57 - landing the gig on Medium after a lot of unsuccessful interviews 24:49 - landing the gig on Vampire Diaries, and what made that show different 27:51 - traveling to New Orleans to research the Originals spinoff, moving up to EP 28:53 - getting an overall deal, and consulting on The Crossing 30:54 - on development 31:09 - what showrunners are looking for in interviews 32:42 - Michael shares about many mentors who have helped him along the way 36:04 - on being a learner, and a team player - references the book Difficult Men, and the masculine vs feminine style of showrunning 39:28 - his showrunning on The Originals, mentoring others 41:30 - on having an overriding principal idea for each season, with examples from each season of The Originals 45:08 - why mentoring and giving back is important to him, and the value of story 50:00 - on development, and some of the projects he has developed 56:17 - what he is most passionate about - common cause, ensemble shows where people begin as adversaries but grow together, and making people care about characters and story. 1:00:22 - hardest thing about being a TV writer 1:04:10 - best part about being a TV writer - the “what if” brainstorming sessions, and collaboration with other writers to develop story, working with incredible actors and seeing it come to life on scene . 1:06:26 - what is positive in the industry and what needs to change? 1:07:42 - how much more diversity there is in writers rooms now, and how it is a great time to break in 1:09:35 - advice to greener writers - what he looks for when interviewing and reading scripts, and mistakes he sees people making, including on social media.
Follow Michael on Twitter: @MichaelNarducci
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
Upcoming weekly interviews will include Keto Shimizu (EP, Legends of Tomorrow), Dan O'Shannon (EP of Cheers, Frasier, and Modern Family), Shawn Ryan (creator of Timeless and The Shield) and lots more!
This week, host Gray Jones interviews Arika Lisanne Mittman, EP of Paradise Lost on Spectrum Originals, and Timeless. She also wrote and produced on Elementary and Dexter.
Episode 094 is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering a 10% discount on any of her services: to get your 10% off, reach out to Pilar directly and mention the TV Writer Podcast.
Arika got her start as an assistant on Dawson's Creek... though she would not get her first staff gig for several years, she landed an agent during that time.
Her career took a detour when she was asked to head up a web initiative for Sony, producing dramatic short series for their website. This experience, combined with many years networking as an assistant led to her first staff gig on South of Nowhere. One of her first scripts there led to a WGA Award nomination and a Humanitas Award.
She tells about several series where she was stuck at the staff writer level, but how she was able to catch up on Medium and Dexter, which was really the show that put her on the map.
After several seasons of Elementary, and one season of Timeless, she was finally ready for the jump to showrunner -- and shares about her first experience showrunning on Timeless, a show she was very passionate about, and then co-showrunning the new Spectrum Original Paradise Lost and getting it off the ground.
Arika is very open about the challenges of balancing a family with a busy TV career, and shares great tips about how to win in showrunner interviews, on the page, and in the writer's room.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
1:58 - How is the virus affecting you? How will this impact the industry going forward — is there a “new normal” that will be a different way of doing business? 8:18 - Her unconventional start in the industry, pioneering into online content for Sony; how she has seen some parallels in Twitter and networking directly with fans. 16:26 - About South of Nowhere, her first staff writing gig, and how she was nominated for a WGA award and won a Humanitas award for one of her first scripts. 20:21 - Her experience getting an agent while still an assistant at Dawson’s Creek; got fired by that agent, and signed with another later on. 22:33 - How valuable it is to be an assistant, and what your attitude and work ethic needs to be — how this network will be what gets you work later on. 24:13 - On staff, now what? Her trials and tribulations on her first few shows… repeating the staff level three times, shows getting cancelled, and how Dexter changed the game. 30:48 - On developing pilots, while still working on Dexter and having 2 young kids. 32:53 - On getting offered a position on Elementary 34:17 - How it wasn’t easy - some of her challenges working her way up. 41:12 - Landing the gig on Timeless and becoming showrunner for the first time — how being passionate about the show is a key to getting the job, and the experience from the start of the show to its cancellation and movie wrap up. 51:40 - on Paradise Lost, co-showrunning a show, starting from scratch and staffing it. 53:24 - building a diverse staff. 56:25 - Help for greener writers — what she looks for in an interview, being enthusiastic about the project and being able to articulate why, as well as what you bring to the table. 1:00:49 - What she looks for on the page. 1:02:38 - Juggling young kids and a writing room, or working from home developing projects — how does she manage? What is her writing habit? 1:04:11 - Final thoughts — general career advice to greener writers.
Follow Arika on Twitter: @arikalisanne
You can help with the ongoing costs of bringing these weekly podcasts to you by becoming a patron of the podcast – for as little as 25¢ per episode! There are many reward levels. CLICK HERE to find out more.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
Upcoming weekly interviews will include Michael Narducci (EP, The Originals), Keto Shimizu (EP, Legends of Tomorrow), Dan O'Shannon (EP of Cheers, Frasier, and Modern Family) and lots more!
This week, host Gray Jones returns to the Skype format due to the Coronavirus quarantine, but you're sure to love his interview with Sarah Watson, creator of The Bold Type and executive producer on Parentood!
Episode 093 is sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv. Pilar is offering a 10% discount on her interactive online class, Writing the First Draft, which started April 4th, but can be joined any time up to the second class on April 11th. To get your 10% off, use the code onthepage10 at checkout.
Sarah is very open about the challenges along the way, and how she was able to spin some of the toughest experiences into victories, including her incredibly hopeful young adult novel, Most Likely. Just like the message of the book, she is optimistic that the world is changing for the better, and that the upcoming generation will be the key.
Learn about the innovative way she turned a class she taught at UCLA into a virtual writers room... how getting on staff wasn't the Holy Grail, but each new opportunity taught her invaluable lessons... how getting onto a network show really propelled her career forward, and how she really found her voice working with Jason Katims on Parenthood... how and why she cancelled a meeting and went straight to Disneyland to buy a season's pass... how taking a year off and being unavailable turned her into a hot commodity, even leading to a successful pitch to Steven Spielberg and an option on her book!
She also talks about what it was like to be in production on a pilot and getting ready for the big launch of her book, and having to shut it all down overnight because of COVID-19.
INDEX TO THE EPISODE:
0:00 - Introduction 2:57 - Interview starts 3:15 - Shooting pilot, book launch interrupted by COVID-19 9:45 - TV writing course Sarah teaches at UCLA, and why that program is special 13:38 - How Sarah got started, working on Rachel’s Room 15:23 - Early days, how Sarah got on staff 18:44 - How Sarah’s career really took off when she landed a gig on a network show 24:21 - Working on The Middleman with Javi Grillo-Marxuach 26:37 - Writing on Parenthood, and how she really found her voice 29:14 - How she got an overall deal and started to develop shows 34:50 - All the details about developing The Bold Type which is on its fourth season 38:38 - How a soul crushing year led to a hopeful YA novel 44:20 - Details about her untitled re-enactment pilot, and pitching to Steven Spielberg 50:59 - On adapting her YA novel for Amazon 51:45 - Advice to greener writers
Follow Sarah on Twitter: @SarahWatson42
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
Upcoming weekly interviews will include Arika Lisanne Mittman (Paradise Lost, Timeless), Michael Narducci (The Originals), and lots more!
The TV Writer Podcast is back, and better than before! In our re-launch, host Gray Jones will be primarily interviewing showrunners and EP level writers. We'll be moving away from the focus on the newbie writer, and aiming more at the oft-neglected staff to mid-level writer. There is now a dedicated audio-only feed at iTunes, Podbean, Spotify and coming soon to Pandora. You can access the video version via YouTube, iTunes, Podbean, and on the web at tvwriterpodcast.com. Follow @GrayJones on Twitter for updates on upcoming interviews, and be sure to subscribe, like, and post reviews on all of these aggregators. We'll be bringing WEEKLY episodes every Monday during the stay-at-home order due to Coronavirus / COVID-19.
In episode 092, sponsored by Pilar Alessandra of onthepage.tv, host Gray Jones interviews Bob Goodman, winner of two Daytime Emmy Awards, creator of The Zeta Project, and EP of Elementary and Supervising Producer for Warehouse 13. Speaking of On The Page, Pilar is offering a 10% discount on her interactive online class, Writing the First Draft, which starts April 4th. To get your 10% off, use the code onthepage10 at checkout.
Topics of discussion in the interview included:
• What to consider when choosing college programs. • Singing the praises of the Children of Tendu podcast. • The 5 most important things to succeed in Hollywood. • How to avoid getting pigeon-holed. • How to pick the right jobs for your resume. • Why he feels we need to purge “paying your dues” from our lexicon. • The glut of Peak TV with 500+ shows — why it is more competitive than ever. • Going from animated show creator / showrunner to 1 hour drama staff writer. • About development at the EP level. • About picking your battles with the network. • How a show is staffed. • Do’s and don’ts in staffing meetings. • How your job is to get into the showrunner’s head. • What needs to be on the page when staffing, and what is the kiss of death? • On why taking the long view is so important when looking at your career.
If you are interested in breaking in, check out Bob's other excellent interviews on episode 8 of the Creative Writing Career podcast, and on Storybeat with Steve Cuden.
Be sure to watch until the end, and listen for the contest code -- if you follow GrayJones and tweet the contest code before Friday, April 3rd, you will be entered into a draw to win... 2 rolls of toilet paper! Other prizes may be added too.
Bob Goodman official bio:
Bob Goodman is a television writer-producer who most recently served as Executive Producer on the hit CBS TV series Elementary, and before that he wrote and produced on Syfy’s Warehouse 13.
Prior to his work in live-action, Bob wrote for many years in animation, primarily as a staffer at Warner Bros. His credits include Batman, Superman, Batman Beyond, Justice League Unlimited and Ben Ten; plus he created and ran the Batman Beyond spin-off The Zeta Project. He’s written web-series and videogames including the Dungeons & Dragons game Demon Stone, and several direct-to-DVD animated features including the two-part Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.
Bob has received two Daytime Emmy Awards, as well as an Annie Award nomination for Individual Achievement in Writing. He currently has a pilot in development at ABC.
Follow Bob on Twitter: @b0bg00dman
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com.
Upcoming weekly interviews will include Sarah Watson (The Bold Type, The Goonies reboot), Arika Lisanne Mittman (Paradise Lost, Timeless), Michael Narducci (The Originals), and lots more!
PLEASE NOTE: ON THE FIRST VERSION OF THE PODCAST GRAPHIC, BOB WAS INCORRECTLY SHOWN AS EXECUTIVE PRODUCER OF WAREHOUSE 13. THIS WAS QUICKLY CORRECTED.
This week, Gray Jones interviews Khanisha Foster, host of the Stephen’s College M.F.A program’s “How I Wrote That” podcast, which features Hollywood’s most successful working female writers discussing their journey and current projects.
Khanisha Foster is a mixed race actress, writer, teaching artist, the Associate Artistic Director of 2nd Story and a TCG’s Young Leader of Color. She is currently enrolled in the M.F.A program and touring with her Solo Show “Actor of Color.”
Follow Khanisha on Twitter: @KhanishaFoster.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published July 5, 2016.
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Ken LaZebnik is the founder and director of the Master of Fine Arts in TV and Screenwriting program at Stephens College, a low residency program based in Hollywood, which aims to increase the number of female writers working in Hollywood.
Ken writes for television, film and the theater. His work includes collaborating with Garrison Keillor on Robert Altman’s last film, A Prairie Home Companion, and many years of writing and producing for hour-long television dramas, including seven years of writing and producing the drama Touched By An Angel. Two of his plays have won citations from The American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA). His first book, Hollywood Digs: An Archaeology of Shadows, was published in 2014 by Kelly’s Cove Press – a collection of essays about personal encounters with Hollywood history.
LaZebnik’s feature work includes the Lionsgate film Thomas Kinkade’s Christmas Cottage, released in 2008, starring Peter O’Toole and Marcia Gay Harden. His television writing has also included Army Wives, Providence, Star Trek: Enterprise, and the new series When Calls The Heart on the Hallmark Channel.
Ken’s plays have frequently been premiered at The Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis, directed by Jack Reuler. The most recent of these collaborations was On The Spectrum, which premiered in November, 2011. On The Spectrum was awarded a Steinberg Citation from the American Theatre Critics Association, and had a successful run in Los Angeles at the Fountain Theatre. Other plays Mixed Blood has premiered include Vestibular Sense, League of Nations, and Calvinisms.
His play Rachel Calof, adapted from the memoir of a Jewish homesteader in North Dakota, is a one-woman show starring Kate Fuglei. His play Theory of Mind, commissioned for young audiences by the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, has also been produced in Minnesota, Hawaii and Michigan.
Follow Ken on Twitter: @KenLaZebnik.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published May 31, 2016.
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Remember Mike Alber’s incredible story in episode 035? Well, hold on to your hats, because he’s got a lot more to share in this follow up interview! How did he go from zombies to cartoons? Read on and watch!
When we last caught up with Mike Alber, he and co-writer Gabe Snyder were staffed on MTV’s Death Valley. When it didn’t get renewed, they took a lot of meetings around town, but nothing seemed to click. It was a general meeting at Disney XD that would take their careers in a whole new direction.
Mike tells the incredible story of how he and Gabe wrote and shot the pilot for Kirby Buckets, and when it didn’t test well, Disney XD actually gave them the chance to do a rewrite and shoot it again with different actors! Not only did the second pilot fly, but Disney XD ordered 20 episodes in the first season, and 26 episodes for the second.
Mike has a lot of practical advice for both upcoming and working writers, based on several more years experience under his belt, and staffing his own show.
Make sure you watch his previous interview in episode 035 as well, as he went into great detail about his unique path in to the industry.
Follow Mike on Twitter: @malber or @malber2000.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published November 20, 2015.
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What would you do if you were ranked among the top three smartest people in the world? This week’s guest, TV comedy writer Rick G. Rosner, is sure to surprise you with his answers!
Rick G. Rosner is not your typical genius. From attending high school not twice, but three times, to working as a bouncer and nude model, Rick has taken a very atypical path to becoming a TV writer.
From his first opportunity writing for an MTV show in 1987, to a large number of clip shows, comedy shows and pilots, to a long stint with Jimmy Kimmel, Rick has worked in many forms of comedy writing.
Be sure to watch to the end, when he shares many helpful tips on breaking in to comedy writing.
Follow Rick on Twitter: @dumbassgenius
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published October 30, 2015.
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Ben Watkins moved 14 times by the time he graduated high school. As a kid, his experiences ran the gamut from living in a fancy, gated community, to being homeless and sleeping in a 1976 Ford Monarch. He was married and had a family by the time he graduated college.
Before he turned to writing, Ben had worked more than 30 jobs ranging from plastics salesman to paralegal to soap opera stud. With such an eclectic background, it’s no wonder he has emerged as one of the most original storytellers in television.
Ben Watkins began the transition to writing with the award-winning Sundance short film Quest to Ref, which he wrote, co-directed and starred in. Soon after adapting that project into a feature screenplay for Universal, Watkins joined USA Network’s Burn Notice. He rose from staff writer to executive producer, before moving on to create the provocative Amazon Originals series, Hand of God. Watkins recently completed production on season one of Hand of God, which premiered in September.
Ben resides in El Segundo, California, with his wife and four sons.
Follow Ben on Twitter: @_benipedia_
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published September 30, 2015.
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Bill Taub has written and produced hundreds of hours of television over several decades, including many pilots that have gone to series. His new book on TV pilot writing, Automatic Pilot, is an indispensable tool for your arsenal!
Bill Taub is a native New Yorker who’s gone from Forest Hills to Beverly Hills. He has been obsessed with television since he was five, and considers himself a student as well as a participant in the medium. He came to television writing through advertising, as a writer-producer, Clio winner, and creative trouble shooter at several New York agencies.
His decades of experience in the industry have included both drama and comedies, including such hits as Barney Miller, Hill Street Blues, Newhart, and Cagney & Lacey. Pilots he has written that have gone to series have included Friday the 13th: The Series, The Odyssey, and Relic Hunter.
The more he studies the work of those he admires most, the one thing that becomes apparent is they either didn’t know all the rules, or they ignored them. It’s their originality, their uniqueness, that have made their work such a tremendous success. Whether it’s the work of David Shore, David Kelley, David Milch, or Larry David (the confederacy of “Davids” as he calls them), they didn’t know what they weren’t supposed to do — or didn’t know what they didn’t know.
Recently, Bill distilled the system he created and developed for his UCLA Extension Writers’ Program Workshop into the book Automatic Pilot.
Bill splits his time between Los Angeles and Toronto, where his wife’s family resides. He keeps himself busy with half a dozen other projects, pilots, web series, consulting, as well as occasionally teaching online thru the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program and the Laugh Factory.
Follow Bill on Twitter: @BillyTaub
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published September 1, 2014.
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Couldn’t make it to Gray’s How To Write a TV Pilot panel at Comic-Con this year? No problem! Here is the complete video, including Q & A.
CONTEST/EXTRAS LINK: http://tvwriterpodcast.com/pilot
Have you ever thought of a perfect idea for a TV series? Find out how to write it! Gray Jones moderates a discussion and Q & A with powerhouse panelists Jen Grisanti, William Rabkin, Bill Taub, and Carole Kirschner. Get that idea from your brain to the screen!
Great questions were fielded from the packed house, including how to write a show bible, differences between one hour drama and sitcom writing, as well as single camera versus multi camera sitcoms, creating a TV show with an ensemble cast, and lots more!
Did you know that writing a spec episode of an existing show is still recommended for your portfolio? Find out why! Which screenwriting contests are the best for TV scripts? All these answers and more are found in this hour-long video!
MODERATOR:
Gray Jones (@GrayJones) – TV Editor/Writer, Author (Breaking In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews)
PANELISTS:
Jen Grisanti (@JenGrisanti) – Story/Career Consultant, Author (Story Line: Finding the Gold In Your Life Story, TV Writing Tool Kit: How To Write A Script that Sells)
William Rabkin (@WritingThePilot) – TV Writer, Author (Writing the Pilot, Successful Television Writing)
Bill Taub (@BillyTaub) – TV Writer, Author (Automatic Pilot)
Carole Kirschner (@Carole_POTL) – Director, WGA Show Runner Training Program, Author (Hollywood Game Plan: How to Land a Job in Film, TV and Digital Entertainment)
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published August 28, 2014.
Author, Harvard MBA grad and world-renowned backpacker Francis Tapon is on a 4-year journey to all 54 African countries. How can he turn this into a 4-season TV series? By going a non-traditional route, of course!
The TV landscape continues to divide into thousands of channels, and it seems there’s a new online distribution player every month. More channels means less advertising per channel, and budgets are shrinking. Higher budget shows may be in trouble, but there’s a veritable gold rush for independent producers who can produce great content more cheaply. The challenge is that the funding models are different, and very few have a handle on the best strategy to stay ahead of this rapidly changing field.
Francis Tapon, a successful author and world traveler, has a promising idea for an episodic documentary series, called The Unseen Africa. But like Corinna Mendis, who shot her own scripted pilot, Francis has decided to forego the traditional pitch process and produce a full pilot himself, assisted by a Kickstarter campaign for part of the budget.
Will he be successful? Is this a viable path to getting your own reality or documentary series off the ground? Find out on this week’s podcast!
A little more about Francis:
Francis Tapon is a world-renowned author and world traveler, author of The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us and Hike Your Own Hike: 7 Life Lessons from Backpacking Across America.
He walked across America four times: he thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, and in 2007, became the first to do a round-trip on the Continental Divide Trail. In 2009, he was one of the finalists for the California Outdoors Hall of Fame, which “features nominees who are world-renowned for their skills and who have helped inspire thousands of others to take part in the great outdoors.”
Though he speaks several languages due to his South American and French ancestry, Francis hails from San Francisco.
More info on The Unseen Africa Kickstarter campaign: CLICK HERE
Follow Francis Tapon on Twitter: @ftapon
Francis Tapon’s blog and website: francistapon.com
The Unseen Africa website: theunseenafrica.com
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published May 25, 2014.
Hilary Winston is the creator and showrunner of Bad Teacher, which premieres April 24 at 9:30 pm on CBS! Gray Jones caught up with her a few days before the premiere.
In the interview, Hilary has great tips on career development and networking, as well as writing, pitching, and selling pilots. She also has a fascinating personal story… how she started as an intern at the White House in the Clinton administration and ended up writing comedy in Hollywood… how even after writing scripts on a writing staff, becoming an assistant for several years was the best thing for her career.
Hilary’s official bio:
Hilary Winston is an author and writer/producer of television and film. Prior to developing and executive producing Bad Teacher, Winston wrote for network and cable television series, including the Emmy Award-winning comedy My Name is Earl, Happy Endings, and Community.
Winston expanded into novel writing and is the author of a dating memoir, My Boyfriend Wrote a Book about Me, which she adapted as a movie for Paramount Studios. Also, she pens a monthly column for Playboy Magazine.
Winston began her writing career by getting people coffee at various places like National Public Radio and Hollywood Squares. She can now proudly say someone else gets her coffee. Unfortunately, she doesn’t like coffee.
Winston grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas. Currently, she resides in Los Angeles with her husband and her cats, Lolly and Gordon.
Make sure to watch Bad Teacher Thursdays at 9:30 pm on CBS!
Follow Hilary on Twitter: @hilarywinston
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published April 19, 2014.
The TV Writer Podcast is back, better than ever! Host Gray Jones has moved permanently to LA, and the podcast now features exclusive in-person video interviews with Hollywood TV writers and producers. This week’s fun episode is with Amy Berg, co-creator of the new web series Caper, and producer/writer for Person of Interest, Eureka, Leverage, and The 4400.
Amy Berg is a self-confessed power nerd, and her office proves it! Gray & Amy have fun geeking out over her collection of sci fi figurines, before getting down to business.
What gutsy move fresh out of college landed her a meeting with Joss Whedon?
How did a failed interview lead to her first staff TV writing job, at 22 years old?
How was it a good thing that she lost out on a job to Jane Espenson?
How did a spec script from the point of view of a dog kick her career into high gear?
What’s her advice about “gimmick” scripts?
And how did she end up creating a web series after so many years producing television?
Speaking about Caper, check out new episodes every Wednesday, plus lots of bonus content at Geek and Sundry!
Follow Amy on Twitter: @bergopolis
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published February 26, 2014.
Co-creator of Lost… creator of Miami Medical… writer of Tuck Everlasting… showrunner of Necessary Roughness… what more do we need to say? You’re sure to love this week’s interview with feature & TV writer Jeffrey Lieber!
One day in 1986, after blowing up a glass beaker in a lab in high school, Jeffrey Lieber’s science teacher, Dr. Nagoi, turned to him and said, “Jeffrey… you be an actor… you be a writer… maybe have a family… but please, dear God, don’t be a chemist.” And it was those words that launched a journey that has ended up with Mr. Lieber becoming a screenwriter, showrunner, blogger, father and husband. Every day, while pursuing his passions, Mr. Lieber takes a moment to stop and thank Dr. Nagoi for his sage advice.
In our first video interview from a backyard, Jeffrey has many humorous anecdotes about his efforts to secure an agent, writing Tuck Everlasting, developing Lost, creating Miami Medical, showrunning Necessary Roughness, and his path between all these projects. He also has great advice about breaking in, and how to get noticed.
Follow Jeffrey on Twitter: @JeffLieber
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published August 1, 2013.
In the UK, TV pilots get “optioned” the same way feature scripts do in the US! Learn about this and many other fascinating differences between writing in the UK, the US, and Canada, in Gray’s fun interview with UK writing team James Whitehouse and Hannah George.
James Whitehouse and Hannah George started working together nearly four years ago.
Since then, they have worked for the BBC, writing six episodes of the award-winning new CBBC children’s drama series ‘Wolfblood,’ which has since been acquired by Disney for international release. They have also written on Nickleodeon’s hit series ‘The House of Anubis.’
They have a had several of their own scripts optioned in genres as diverse as children’s sci-fi, and adult sitcom, and drama. They are currently in development with several companies for these, and writing on CBBC comedy show ‘The Slammer.’
In this fun interview, they tell what you should look for in a writing partner, and describe many fascinating differences about writing in the UK versus writing in Hollywood or Canada, including optioning TV specs, writing without a full time writers room, and much more!
They are represented by Harriet Pennington-Legh at Troika.
Follow James on Twitter: @JMJWhitehouse
Follow Hannah on Twitter: @HannahMGeorge
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published June 31, 2013.
Think there’s only one way to break in? You won’t after watching this interview with Aaron Ginsburg! He could win a prize for the most outrageous way of breaking in.
Aaron Ginsburg (now on The CW’s THE 100) is a writer/producer who has worked in television, film and video games for over a decade. Along with his longtime writing partner, Wade McIntyre, he was recently a Co-Producer on NBC’s DO NO HARM, he wrote the next installment in the popular family comedy HOME ALONE franchise (HOME ALONE: THE HOLIDAY HEIST), and he is currently co-writing a new comic for SKYBOUND (The Walking Dead) entitled CLONE.
Ginsburg & McIntyre have also written for FOX’s quirky comedies THE FINDER and THE GOOD GUYS, and Ginsburg spent three months in Bogotá, Colombia producing USA Network’s BURN NOTICE prequel feature, THE FALL OF SAM AXE. Their comedy short, A NINJA PAID HALF MY RENT, was an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival several years ago and where it went on to be featured at dozens of other festivals (including HBO Aspen Comedy Arts Festival, SXSW and the LA Film Festival). Ginsburg & McIntyre sold the 1/2 hour single-camera comedy CROWDED APARTMENT to SPIKE TV, and wrote the dark indie thriller INSIGHT (starring Justified’s Natalie Zea, Chuck’s Adam Baldwin, and Christopher Lloyd) which was released in over 40 theaters and is currently streaming on Netflix.
In the gaming world, Ginsburg & McIntyre wrote the script for Activsion’s mega-hit videogame, CALL OF DUTY 2: BIG RED ONE which won the prestigious award for Outstanding Achievement in Story and Character Development from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. For the past 7+ years, Ginsburg has directed LA’s hit stage show, THE THRILLING ADVENTURE HOUR at Largo at the Coronet.
Follow Aaron on Twitter: @DrLawyercop
Transcript from Aaron’s guest chat on the TV Writer Chat: CLICK HERE
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published June 28, 2013.
Tawnya Bhattacharya has worked as a TV writer, feature writer, teacher, and consultant, and has great tips to share on both writing and developing your career!
Tawnya Bhattacharya currently writes for the hit TV series, THE CLIENT LIST on Lifetime, along with her writing partner, Ali Laventhol. The team previously worked on USA’s FAIRLY LEGALand are repped by ICM Partners and Rain Management Group. Before that, their NURSE JACKIE spec got them into the NBC Writers on the Verge fellowship program. The duo are currently in development with Battleplan on their original pilot.
Tawnya’s solo work includes several optioned features and writing assignments. She was one of a handful selected for the Fox Writers Initiative in 2009, where she optioned her original pilot to Fox.
Bhattacharya taught screenwriting at Writers Boot Camp in 2005 to 2009 where she helped hundreds of writers at various levels create and develop their screenplay projects through courses and script consultations. In 2010, she launched Script Anatomy: a company designed to help screen and television writers reach their personal writing goals and elevate their storytelling through private script consultation, group feature and television writing classes and workshops.
WEBSITE: scriptanatomy.com
Follow Tawnya on Twitter: @ScriptAnatomy
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published June 22, 2013.
Sterling Anderson is back! In an interview that is sure to change the path of your career, Sterling relates in great depth how and why some artists fail, and others succeed. This one is not just for writers!
No stranger to the podcast (interviewed in episode 053), Sterling Anderson is back for a full video in-person interview, to give us a much deeper look at his great career wisdom. He shares many tips from his second writing book, Writing Without Fear, 15 Steps Towards Becoming a Successful (Artist) Writer. If you haven’t read his books, you will want to after this interview!
In particular, Sterling shares about deconstructing the various forms of self sabotage, and what winning habits you can replace them with. The lessons are practical for any artist, or anyone with a dream!
Sterling also discusses his new script consulting / mentoring company, Sterling Writers Group, and has some strong words to say about why it’s important to do your homework when choosing a script consultant or mentor.
For more info:
– Watch Sterling’s first podcast interview: PODCAST 053 – Visit Sterling’s personal website: sterlingandersonwriter.com – Visit the Sterling Writers Group website: sterlingwritersgroup.com
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published May 28, 2012.
Are you a sci fi fan? Then you are certain to love this week’s interview with Mark Verheiden, EP of Hemlock Grove on Netflix! Mark is a veteran of sci fi in several forms: TV, features, and comics.
Mark Verheiden is an executive producer of the Netflix original series “Hemlock Grove.” His previous television work includes writing and producing the Peabody Award winning “Battlestar Galactica,” as well as “Falling Skies,” “Heroes” and “Smallville,” among others.
In the feature film world, Verheiden made his mark writing the #1 box-office feature films “Timecop” and “The Mask.”
His audience extends to the comic book world, as he has written more than 125 books for DC Comics and Dark Horse Comics, including “Superman,” “Superman/Batman,” “Aliens” and “Predator.”
Verheiden grew up in Portland, Oregon, where he was an active member of the comic book fan community while studying film. He is a lifelong science fiction fan, which has served him well in his twenty-five year career in film, television and comics.
Mark Verheiden on Twitter: @MarkVerheiden
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published May 12, 2013.
This week we meet Scott Manville… an entrepreneur who used his experience as the former Head of TV Development for Merv Griffin Entertainment, to create the unique Television Writers Vault, a resource that connects writers with top producers and network executives.
With 15 years of professional experience in TV program development, Scott Manville is the Founder and President of the Television Writers Vault (tvwritersvault.com), an online marketplace used by top producers and network executives sourcing new show concepts and stories for TV.
As the former Head of TV Development for Merv Griffin Entertainment, his hands-on experience within that development and pitching process inspired this groundbreaking service for the protection and promotion of new concepts and formats being pitched to Industry buyers.
Back in his days of development, Scott worked on writing pitches and formats that were produced as “Click” (game show, which was Ryan Seacrest’s first TV hosting gig), “Men Are From Mars,” “Good Samaritan,” and other in-house projects for Griffin.
The Television Writers Vault is the first industry website to bring new TV show “ideas” from everyday people outside the industry, to production and global broadcast on major networks, such as A&E, Discovery Channel, SyFy, OLN, and other international outlets. Scott is also a professional pitch writer, offering services for writers and creators developing reality-based concepts for television.
Scott also created www.creatorsvault.com and www.castmyreality.com… Check them out!
For more info and great resources, visit www.tvwritersvault.comand www.scottmanville.com.
Scott Manville on Twitter: @tvwritersvault or @ScottManville
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published April 29, 2013.
From never being on a TV staff, to becoming the creator and showrunner of “House of Cards,” Netflix’s original foray into dramatic television and the corrupted world of politics… this week’s interview with screenwriter, painter, and playwright Beau Willimon is sure to inspire you!
Beau Willimon is a screenwriter, playwright, producer and most recently, an executive producer, showrunner and creator of Netflix’s original series “House of Cards,” a wicked one-hour drama, from Media Rights Capital, that slithers behind the curtain of power, sex, ambition, love, greed and corruption in modern Washington D.C.
His play “Farragut North,” became the basis for the motion picture screenplay “Ides of March,” which he co-wrote with George Clooney and Grant Heslov. “Ides of March” earned Willimon Academy Award®, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay, and it won The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Award for Best Screenplay.
Other plays include “Lower Ninth” (Flea Theater, 2008; UK premiere, Donmar Warehouse, 2010), and “Spirit Control” (Manhattan Theatre Club, 2010). Subsequent productions of his plays have been mounted across the U.S. and overseas. Willimon was a recipient of the Lila Acheson Wallace Juilliard Playwriting Fellowship, named 2008 Playwright-in-Residence at the Donmar Warehouse, and he is a two-time winner of the Lincoln Center Le Comte du Nouy Award. Current theater commissions include works for the National Theatre of Great Britain, South Coast Rep, and the Flea Theater.
His most recent play, “The Parisian Woman,” premieres at South Coast Repertory in the spring and will star Dana Delany, Steven Culp, Linda Gehringer and Rebecca Mozo. The play was inspired by Henri Becque’s “La Parisienne.”
Recently Willimon co-founded Westward Productions, a film and television production company, with co-founder Jordan Tappis. Among Westward Production’s current projects is the forthcoming “Wally and Andre Shoot Ibsen” – a film adaption of Ibsen’s play “Master Builder” developed by Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory, directed by Jonathan Demme. Willimon is an Executive Producer on the film. Other projects in development include a documentary about adventure traveler Karl Bushby’s quest to circumnavigate the globe on foot over the course of two decades, and a documentary about Westerly Windina, a transgender Australian woman formerly known as legendary pro-surfer Peter Drouyn.
In addition to his career as a writer and producer, Willimon served on a number of political campaigns, including Chuck Schumer’s 1998 senate race, Bill Bradley’s 2000 presidential race, Hillary Clinton’s 2000 senate race and Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential race.
Willimon graduated with a B.A. from Columbia University in 1999 and an M.F.A. in Playwriting from Columbia University’s School of the Arts in 2003. A St. Louis native, he now resides in Brooklyn, NY.
Beau’s Twitter: @BeauWillimon
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published April 14, 2013.
The odds of a pilot script being sold and produced are incredibly small. What if you absolutely must see your story come to life? This week we meet Corinna Mendis, who despite having no film schooling or previous experience, independently produced and shot her own spec pilot!
Corinna Mendis, a native New Yorker, grew up wanting to become an actress. When her parents threatened to cut her off, she put creative pursuits on a shelf, and dug herself in to university studies. Two bachelor’s degrees and two Master’s degrees later, she found she couldn’t stop writing, especially about the trials and tribulations of the homeless population at a homeless center she volunteered at in Long Island, New York.
She pursued books, classes, seminars, and any resource she could find, to learn about the television writing process, including classes with Larry Brody, author of Television Writing from the Inside Out.
Rather than try to sell her pilot in script form, Corinna decided to produce it herself! With Larry’s encouragement and support, she spent $25,000 of her own money to produce “Not In My Neighborhood,” a single camera half hour TV pilot shot in the same homeless shelter where she volunteered.
Corinna learned a tremendous amount in the process… so much so, that she encourages anyone who is currently thinking about film school to consider instead following in her footsteps, and learning through doing.
The entire pilot “Not In My Neighborhood” is available online: CLICK HERE
Or, you can see a trailer for it here: CLICK HERE
Corinna’s Twitter: @CorinnaMendis
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published March 24, 2013.
Writing teams are popular in Hollywood, as they can give shows more bang for their buck. But are they popular in Canada? Find out as we meet Jeremy Smith and Matt Venables, a Vancouver-based writing team currently staffed on Continuum.
Born in Barrie, Ontario and living in Vancouver, Jeremy Smithgraduated the Victoria Motion Picture School in 2000 and has been in the film industry ever since, thoroughly learning all aspects of production working as a Producer’s and Executive’s assistant on television series and feature films.
During the first season of Continuum, Jeremy was a Story Editor and co-wrote his first credited hour drama with fellow writer Jonathan Lloyd Walker. He also acted as the Creative director for the Continuum Transmedia Campaign.
Jeremy’s Twitter: @CaptainPunch
Matthew Venables’ love of music lead him to the world of film. Bands like Suicidal Tendencies and Public Enemy’s socially conscious lyrics inspired him to write poetry and song lyrics. After graduating from Victoria Motion Picture School in 1999, he moved to Vancouver and started directing music videos with fellow filmmakers Jeremy Smith and Troy Sitter under the “The Lollypop Kids” moniker. He has spent the past decade working on various TV series and Films learning the trade and crafting his art. After spending a year with the writing team of Continuum, Matthew’s writing talent earned him his first credited script assignment.
Matt’s Twitter: @palithean
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published March 17, 2013.
What are your excuses for not writing? This week we meet Vivi Anna / Tawny Stokes, a successful novelist and screenwriter, who writes and publishes mountains of material while being a single mom and homeschooling her teenage daughter!
Vivi Anna is an award-winning Canadian multi-published author in paranormal romance, urban fantasy, scifi, and young adult under the name Tawny Stokes. Since 2003, she’s written and published close to 23 books for New York publishers such as Harlequin, Kensington and Avon. She’s also independently published several projects on her own.
Vivi is also a screenwriter and TV writer and is one of the co-founders of the weekly TV Writer Chat. One of her pilots, adapted from one of her books, was a finalist in both the Austin and Slamdance Film Festivals in 2011.
Vivi is excellent at time management, having accomplished all of these things while being a single parent and home schooling her children. In this interview, she discusses some of her secrets, as well as trying to break in to Hollywood from thousands of miles away, and her impressions of the TV Writer Chat pilot writing program so far.
Website: www.vivianna.net Twitter: @authorViviAnna
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published February 19, 2013.
Whether you’re a feature or TV writer, actor, or novelist, The Emotion Thesaurus is an indispensable tool for your arsenal. Find out why, in this week’s insightful interview with co-author Angela Ackerman!
Angela Ackerman lives in Calgary, Alberta with her husband and two teen boys. A lover of mystery and mythology, her chapter books, middle grade and young adult novels are represented by Jill Corcoran of The Herman Agency.
Angela is also the co-author of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Expression, a unique writing resource that tackles the “show-don’t-tell” aspect of character emotion. A strong believer in writers helping writers, Angela teaches workshops, runs critique groups both online and in person, and blogs at the award-winning resource, The Bookshelf Muse, a description hub for writers, editors and teachers.
In the interview, we discuss the many uses for The Emotion Thesaurus: to help train your powers of observation, as a scene tool, to help rewriting, to enhance readability of your scripts, and much more!
Website: thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.ca Twitter: @AngelaAckerman
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published February 10, 2013.
Rick Muirragui did everything right… moved to LA, got assistant jobs on well known shows, wrote tons of spec material, and wrote freelance episodes for the shows he worked on, but it was when he was accepted into the NBC Writers on the Verge writing fellowship that his career really took off!
Rick Muirragui grew up in Virginia, but traveled a lot because his father was in the US Army. After studying journalism and writing several spec features, he moved to Los Angeles and became interested in television.
He landed assistant jobs on well known sci fi shows Roswell and Firefly. One show led to another, and he wrote freelance episodes when he could. However, he was on several short-lived shows, and his first potential staff writing job got killed by the 2007 Writers Strike.
Rick decided his career needed a boost, so he applied to the NBC’s Writers on the Verge fellowship program in 2008. He got an agent through a script he wrote in that program, and finally landed a staff job on Men of a Certain Age. From there, he has written for Past Life, The Good Guys, and his current series, Suits.
In his interview, Rick discusses the “Dos and Don’ts” of writers room etiquette, the importance of outlining, and the destructive power of negativity vs. the constructive power of “what if.” In addition, he takes us through the process of a TV episode, from idea to finished script.
Follow Rick on Twitter: @the_real_rick
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published January 27, 2013.
TV Writer Chat is launching a new FREE TV pilot writing program, and today’s interview with screenwriter/novelist Jamie Livingstontells you all you need to know!
Jamie Livingston is a great example of how you are never too busy to write! Aside from working full time at the restaurant she owns with her husband, she has a successful jewelry business, publishes a mystery novel series under the pen-name Jamie Lee Scott, attends conferences, made a short film, and wrote several screenplays… and that was just 2012! On the novel front, her ‘The Gotcha Detective Agency’ mysteries include Let Us Prey, Textual Relations, Death of a Sales Rep, What a Meth and Whine and Dine.
Her short script, No One Knows, was produced this summer and will hit the film festivals in 2013. You can watch the trailer HERE.
She currently writes feature films and TV dramedy, and is a co-founder of both ScriptChat and TV Writer Chat. She is also the former president of the Romance Writers of America’s screenwriting chapter, Script Scene.
In today’s interview, Gray and Jamie go over all the details about the TV Writer Chat’s new FREE pilot writing program, as well as explaining about Scriptchat and TV Writer Chat, and some important fundamentals about how to write for TV. Make sure to sign up for the newsletter ASAP and join the chat on Sunday night at 6:30pm, as the program is already underway! CLICK HERE for an easy link to the chat room (Twitter account required).
Website: www.jamielivingston.com or www.jamieleescott.com Twitter: @Jamie_LD Facebook: www.facebook.com/jamie.JLD
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published January 9, 2013.
Acting, directing, writing, producing, teaching, stand-up comedy… LaMont Ferrell wears a lot of hats!
Originally from Philadelphia, LaMont Ferrell has been entertaining audiences for many years. He has performed for a variety of ages and ethnicities across the US, and around the world. A local magazine describes his act as, “Energetic, creative and original, but most of all just plain funny.”
After winning the 1996 Comic Relief Comedy Festival’s “Funniest New Comic” Award, he took his comedic writing talents to TV, and started writing for various sitcoms such as BET’s ‘Nothin’ But a Woman,’ the WB’s The Parent ’Hood and UPN’s Moesha. He won The Media Projects 2000 Shine Award for a Moesha episode he co-wrote.
LaMont is a busy pilot writer, having had sales to the Fox Network, TBS, and the UPN Network. He also works in motion picture writing, having been hired to punch up the movie, The Cookout, and is in pre-production for Family Business, a film based on the true story of his family’s restaurant business in Philadelphia.
In 2003, LaMont formed his own production company, Just Jokes Entertainment, and produced and directed three volumes of his own stand-up comedy DVD series. ‘LaMont Ferrell’s Just Jokes Comedy Tour’ features himself, several national known comedians and hilarious skits. The DVD is available online at www.justjokesentertainment.com, Netflix.com and various media outlets around the country.
He is currently a writer for BET’s series Reed Between the Linesand Let’s Stay Together. Also, you might have seen him in his recurring role on the hit NBC show, The Office.
In his interview, LaMont discusses how to train your observational skills, being a “clean” comic, and being an entrepreneur in today’s market.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published November 25, 2012.
This week Gray talks all about management, with special guest Jenny Frankfurt.
Jenny Frankfurt is a film and television literary manager/producer who owns the company Highstreet Management in Los Angeles. She currently represents such writing talent as Sterling Anderson, David Madsen, Norma Vela, Joel Thomas, Malcolm Kohll, Jill Campbell, Crystal Hubbard, Phil O’Shea and others – most based in Los Angeles and the UK, but others throughout the US. She has sold television shows (both reality and fiction), features, and staffed television shows for almost 20 years.
After graduating from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Jenny began her career in representation by working at the William Morris Agency in New York, where she worked for a legendary film, tv and playwrights agent, who represented such writers as Eric Bogosian, William Mastrosimone, Warren Leight, Eric Overmyer and Jon Robin Baitz.
From NYC Jenny moved to Los Angeles where she worked at ICM with clients such as Susan Sarandon, Louis Malle, Johnny Depp, Lasse Hallstrom and Will Smith. After deciding management would give her more freedom to produce and influence her client’s careers, she started working with manager Rick Yorn and clients such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Claire Danes and Benicio Del Toro.
Jenny tried her own hand at producing the independent feature Johnny Hit and Run Pauline, to which Emma Thompson was attached as Executive Producer. Jenny then started working with the infamous manager Benny Medina at Handprint Entertainment, and incorporating all the time she had recently spent in London, started specializing in working with British and European clients including Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and writers, directors and production companies such as James MacInnes, Saul Metzstein, Daniel Bronzite and the production company F&ME. She soon became Head of Handprint’s Literary Department.
Follow her on Twitter: @TryingTrue
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published November 18, 2012.
All about the pitch! This week our special guest is Stephanie Palmer, who wrote the definitive book on pitching, Good in a Room.
Stephanie Palmer helps creative people learn to pitch ideas and sell their projects.
Stephanie founded Good in a Room in 2005 and is the author of the book Good in a Room (Random House, 2008). She has been featured on The Today Show on NBC, The Early Show on CBS, KTLA, Los Angeles Times, National Public Radio and in Inc, Atlantic, Variety, Script, and Speaker magazines.
She has led workshops for organizations including Google, William Morris Endeavor, Merrill Lynch, Warner Brothers, UCLA, USC, National Speaker’s Association Graduate School, Asia Media Festival, International Creativity Conference, The Screenwriting Expo, and The Great American PitchFest. She is the moderator for the American Film Market’s annual Pitch Conference.
Previously, Stephanie was the Director of Creative Affairs for MGM where she supervised the acquisition, development and production of feature films, and heard over 3000 pitches. Some of her projects included 21, Legally Blonde, Be Cool, The Brothers Grimm, Agent Cody Banks, Agent Cody Banks 2, A Guy Thing and Good Boy.
The Hollywood Reporter named her one of the “Top 35 Executives Under 35.” She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and lives with her husband and son in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
She shares examples of successful film and TV pitches on her blog: www.goodinaroom.com/blog.
Follow her on Twitter: @GoodInARoom Like her on Facebook: Facebook.com/GoodInARoom
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published November 11, 2012.
Proof that directing a showcase film works, this week features an in-person video interview at the studio of director Bradley Walsh.
After graduating from York University, director Bradley Walsh was a very successful music video director. He then moved to commercials, but yearned to tell more dramatic stories. It wasn’t until he wrote and directed a showcase short film that he was able to break in to directing for television.
Since then, he has directed for many TV series and TV movies, including Instant Star, One Tree Hill, Salem Falls, and A Killer Among Us.
Bradley is a great example of how to make a career transition within the industry, and gives great tips on breaking in as a director.
Watch his episode of Beauty and the Beast on Thursday, November 1st, 9/8c on The CW!
Follow Bradley on Twitter: @Bonspielmusic
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published November 1, 2012.
We’re debunking more Hollywood myths today! Bob DeResoa, writer of the hit feature ‘Killers‘ and the hit USA show ‘White Collar,’ has lots to say about the things we believe and shouldn’t.
Photo Credit: Blake Gardner
Where Bob DeRosa comes from, nice guys finish first. The Florida-born screenwriter recently finished his first season as a writer on the hit USA show ‘White Collar.’ He previously wrote Lionsgate’s action-comedy ‘Killers,’ starring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl, and co-wrote director Jieho Lee’s crime-drama ‘The Air I Breathe.’
After graduating from the University of Florida, Bob returned home to Orlando and became a leading figure in the city’s thriving theatre and film community. In addition to co-founding the award-winning comedy troupe THEM, Bob spent three years programming for the Florida Film Festival. After relocating to Los Angeles, Bob wrote two evenings of one-act plays and is a regular contributor to the ongoing late-night series ‘Serial Killers’ at Sacred Fools Theater in Hollywood.
When he’s not writing, Bob studies Kenpo karate and spends time with his lady Jen and their three kids, who look suspiciously like cats.
In today’s interview: the myth of breaking in, personal branding, writers room etiquette, and lots more!
Follow Bob on Twitter: @thembob
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published October 26, 2012.
Today is all about mentors, pitching, pilots, and breaking in! In a new topical format, today’s podcast with TV writer-producer Kam Miller is sure to help your career… buckle up!
Kam Miller is a TV writer-producer who has created pilots for FOX, CBS, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Television, and Universal Cable Productions. She wrote for the long-running show Law & Order: SVUas well as the short-lived show Killer Instinct. Her first feature, The Iris Effect, was produced while she was at USC film school. She also wrote and directed Descendents of Eden, a sci-fi short film that premiered at the San Diego Comic-Con Film Festival.
As a grad student, she created the highly successful USC First Pitch, the official pitch festival for the USC School of Cinematic Arts. As an alumnae, she co- created USC First Team, a program that shepherds teams of writers, directors, and producers through development and takes feature projects out to the industry.
Currently, Kam is attached to the TV project Grave Sight, which is based on True Blood author Charlaine Harris’ Harper Connelly book series. Kam is attached to another pilot with the producers of Saving Grace and The Glades. She also is finishing her first novel, Myth of Crime.
On her blog, Glass half-full in Hollywood, Kam shares insights from other film and TV industry professionals about how they keep their glasses half-full in a town that can be draining. You can find it at kammiller.com. Follow Kam on twitter: @kammotion.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published October 22, 2012.
As a production manager, David Barlow got his break into writing by a very unusual method… pitching jokes on set! Since then, he has created two series, including the long running Seeing Things, and has over 30 years experience writing in LA, Vancouver, and Toronto.
Most recently, David Barlow was a co-executive producer and writer on the Showcase series King. Previously, he was a producer-writer on the CBC series The Border – twice nominated for the Best Dramatic Series Gemini. He has co-created two television series – Nothing Good Too for a Cowboy (with Charles Lazer), and Seeing Things (with Louis del Grande). His series credits as a story editor and/or writer include Durham County, Blue Murder, Cold Squad, and North of 60.
Barlow may be the only producer to receive Gemini nominations for both Best Dramatic Series (E.N.G.) and Best Sports Program in the same year. The documentary was ‘Chasing the Dream,’ produced with Peter Raymont and William Thomas.
Barlow has received two Gemini Awards for Best Comedy Series (‘Seeing Things’), a Gemini for Best Writing in a Dramatic Series (Max Glick), the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television’s Margaret Collier Award for his body of work as a screenwriter, and the WGC’s Writer’s Block Award for service to Canadian screenwriters.
He is also a faculty member of the Advanced Television and Film and Media Arts programs at Sheridan College, Oakville and has conducted professional screenwriting workshops across Canada, in Singapore, and in Dublin.
David has lots of great tips on how to break in… you don’t want to miss this one!
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published October 15, 2012.
From Fresh Prince of Bel Air to Weeds, Devon K. Shepard has been a busy TV writer/producer for the last 23 years. He’s full of wisdom on what made that possible!
Devon K. Shepard was born in South Central California. From a very early age, he always had a love of television and film. His parents recognized this love, so on Saturday afternoons, they would drop Devon, his younger brother and older sister at the local movie theater where they would watch movies all day long.
That love of movie translated into a Radio, Television and Film degree from Cal State Northridge. Upon graduation, Devon was hired as a music intern for the television magazine show, Entertainment Tonight. His big break, however, came when he met Rob Edwards(The Princess and the Frog) at a barber shop in South Central California. Because he was always cracking jokes on whomever sat in the barber chair, Rob thought that he was funny and asked him to interview for a writer’s trainee job for a show called Out All Nightstarring Patti LaBelle, Vivica A. Fox and Morris Chestnut. Devon was hired for the job and has been working in television ever since.
Devon’s credits include The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, MADtv, Everybody Hates Chris, Weeds and this year’s hot new show, House Of Lies. Devon made his directorial and acting debut in a short film, My Brother’s Keeper, which he also wrote. Devon is married to Ranada Shepard, a writer in her own right, and they reside in Chatsworth, California, with their three sons.
In his interview, Devon talks about how crucial it is to have a great work ethic, to elevate your craft no matter what stage you’re at, to keep evolving your writing for current issues, and to keep abreast of technological changes like social media and new production techniques. He also talks about researching other cultures to make your characters more believable, and writing material in different genres so you’re not pigeon-holed.
Inspired by Norman Lear and John Hughes, Devon values well crafted & developed characters, and has moved away from comedy to dramatic television.
Follow Devon Shepard on Twitter: @DevonShepard
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published September 3, 2012.
What do you get when you cross a life coach with a screenwriter? That’s what we’re going to find out today, as we meet Jenna Avery!
Jenna Avery is a screenwriter who devoted the last year to redesigning her life to support her passion for writing. Her most recently completed project is a sci-fi action script called “Progeny.” She is also a life coach and the founder of the Writer’s Circle — an online “Just Do The Writing” accountability system — designed to help writers get the support, accountability, and inspiration they need to finish all their writing projects and get their work into the world. Jenna blogs about writing, creativity, and life purpose at JennaAvery.com.
Jenna and Gray talk at length about the many blocks that writers face, and what it takes to get our butts in the seat!
Follow Jenna on Twitter: @JennaAvery
Read Jenna’s regular column on ScriptMag: Get a New Story
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published August 7, 2012.
“The best writers in town have everything in their arsenal.” Janine Sherman Barrois is our guest this week, and she knows what she’s talking about!
After growing up in Massachusetts, Janine Sherman Barrois moved to Virginia in high school, and began writing for the school paper. She quickly learned that her love was not of reporting facts, but of telling stories. She attended Howard University, where on the advice of her roommate’s dad, director Gilbert Moses, she did a major in English, and a minor in film, so she could read more books.
She moved to Los Angeles… Janine is quick to remind the viewer that it took a few years of odd jobs before she was able to land her first staff gig. An important step along the way was the Warner Bros. Writers Workshop… she had previously been denied, but succeeded in landing a place in the workshop when she paired up with a writing partner.
She and her writing partner got several TV comedy staff gigs, including Lush Life, Eddie Murphy’s The PJ’s, and The Jamie Foxx Show. Then, after getting some attention from a feature script they wrote, they got a job on Third Watch. After the first season, Janine stayed in drama, while her partner went back to comedy.
After several seasons of Third Watch, Janine worked for several seasons on ER, ending up at the EP level. Then she auditioned for Criminal Minds — and is careful to point out that they actually read her writing samples, though she was an EP already — and joined the staff as EP at the beginning of season 6.
Janine was nominated for five NAACP Image Awards and a Humanitas Award for her writing. She also serves on the board of the William H. Johnson Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to giving scholarships to African-American Contemporary artists.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published June 30, 2012.
His horror films have broken records, and his his current FearNet series was renewed almost immediately out of the gate. This week we meet hard-working producer-writer-actor-director-showrunner Adam Green!
After graduating from Hofstra University in New York with a Bachelor of Science degree in Television and Film Production, Adam Green made his first feature “Coffee & Donuts” for $400, by borrowing equipment and using friends and volunteers for the cast and crew.
What really put Adam on the map, though, was “Hatchet.” An old school horror film, Hatchet went viral, broke records for distributor Anchor Bay, and spawned two sequels. Adam has tales to tell about the scares behind the scenes, dealing with the ratings board and getting it released.
Adam’s “ArieScope Pictures,” which he had founded in 1997 with director of photography Will Barratt, was able to build on the success of Hatchet, and has produced a string of successful independent movies, including “Grace,” “Frozen,” and “Spiral.”
But Adam has an incredibly strong work ethic, and wasn’t content with just features. He re-developed his feature “Coffee & Donuts” for television, and sold it as the sitcom “Holliston” to FearNet. It launched to incredible success, and was almost immediately renewed for a second season. Adam not only runs the show, but directs and stars in it as well.
Adam is currently in production on “Hatchet 3,” and is also developing several other features, including “Killer Pizza,” and “Digging Up the Marrow.”
Follow Adam on Twitter: @Adam_Fn_Green.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published June 2, 2012.
After studying at Tisch School of the Arts in New York, Brandon David Cole set a goal of writing and directing three feature films by the time he was 30. Not only did he hit that goal, but his three indie features, which he also produced and edited, all sold for distribution!
Brandon David Cole started his filmmaking career making BMX videos at age 14 with his dad’s 2-piece VHS camera. Eventually filmmaking became more of a focus than BMX riding for Brandon and he found himself at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts Film & Television program.
After graduation from NYU, Brandon wrote, directed and produced 3 independent feature films, all of which were sold for distribution. He has directed several television commercials and music videos, and edited a long list of reality television shows for MTV, VH1, Discovery, Spike, Speed, MSNBC, G4, Style and E!.
Brandon has made his own dollies, jibs, car mounts other support gear for all three of his feature films, working with machinist friends to create custom rigs. When Brandon bought a Canon 7D DSLR camera and asked his neighbor to build him a shoulder rig in his machine shop, the Midas Mount brand of camera support was born.
In addition to running the camera support brand Midas Mount, Brandon continues to write, produce and direct feature films, documentaries and reality television shows.
For more information about Brandon’s support gear, including the new SnapFocus, go to http://www.midasmount.com.
Follow Brandon on Twitter: @MidasMount.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published May 17, 2012.
She won an International Emmy Award for her series Dark Oracle, and received 16 Gemini Awards for her series Being Erica. This week, we meet Canadian series creator and showrunner Jana Sinyor!
After attending McGill for religious studies, it was an epiphany after a tough shift at a call center that led Jana Sinyor to pursue writing for the screen.
In her interview, Jana shares how her time at the Canadian Film Centre and attending screenwriting functions and parties led to her first freelance script for ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation,’ to writing for a children’s series, and then to create her own original series, ‘Dark Oracle,’ which won an International Emmy Award for Best Youth Drama.
Next Jana created the CBC critically-acclaimed one hour drama ‘Being Erica,’ on which she served as Executive Producer and Showrunner. Temple Street Productions produced the series, which subsequently sold to ABC Soapnet and many territories around the world. Being Erica has been nominated for 16 Gemini Awards – winning three. Jana is in active development on a new one hour series for ABC, as well as a new show for CBC with collaborator Aaron Martin.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published May 15, 2012.
From executive at Amblin Entertainment to director of the Showrunner Training Program, Carole Kirschner has the goods on how to break in to Hollywood… so much so, she wrote a book about it!
Carole Kirschner has worked as a senior level television executive for sixteen years. Her posts at CBS and as Vice President of Television at Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment have given her an insider’s angle on how to get in, move up and sell projects. She helped develop award-winning shows like Murphy Brown, Designing Women and Steven Spielberg Presents Tiny Toon Adventures. She is also a respected presenter and educator through USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and UCLA Extension, among others.
Carole is the creator of the CBS Diversity Institute Writers Mentoring Program. She also collaborated with writer/producer Jeffrey Melvoin to develop the curriculum for the Writers Guild of America Showrunner Training Program, and as the Director, oversees it.
A regular entertainment industry speaker, Ms. Kirschner leads seminars on how to succeed in Hollywood, including strategic networking, pitching and self-promotion for creative professionals who shy away from promoting themselves. Through her career coaching practice, Park on the Lot, she consults with both Hollywood beginners who need a roadmap on breaking in as well as seasoned writers, executives and other professionals who wish to move up and go bigger. Her book, Hollywood Game Plan: How to Land a Job in Film, TV and Digital Entertainment hit stores March 2012.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published April 20, 2012.
Sterling Anderson is an award-winning screenwriter, TV writer, and author. His newest book, Beyond Screenwriting, goes where no other industry book goes… into the trenches of today’s writer in Hollywood.
Sterling Anderson has written for some of the most popular network television shows, such as The Unit on CBS, as well as NBC’s Mediumand Heist. His TV movie The Simple Life of Noah Dearborn, written for CBS and starring Sidney Poitier, received an Emmy nomination and won an Image Award. Sterling’s extensive resume also includes screenplays written for Lions Gate, Disney, HBO, TriStar Pictures and Columbia Pictures.
A graduate in English from St. Mary’s College, the accomplished writer also spent five years teaching screenwriting courses as an adjunct professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
Sterling’s first book, ‘Does He Cheat?,’ is a hair-raising, controversial expose on infidelity. He has written three books on writing, ‘Writing Without Fear’ (2010), Beyond Screenwriting (on Kindle and in paperback), and Writing Without Fear: 15 Steps Toward Becoming a Successful (Artist) Writer (on Kindle only). The author often guest lectures and panels on screenwriting at film schools and festivals across the country.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Sterling spent his early childhood in Tuskegee, Alabama, before moving to Davis, California. He writes from Los Angeles today. His talents span far outside the world of writing. Sterling has a fifth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and was an award-winning winemaker in Napa Valley.
Follow Sterling on Twitter: @byondscrnwrting
Visit Sterling’s website: sterlingandersonwriter.com
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published April 4, 2012.
For Daniel Knauf, his first TV staff gig wasn’t until his forties, when he sold Carnivàle to HBO… and he’s still breaking barriers today, as he launches the new cutting-edge online experience Bxx: Haunted.
March 23rd, 2012 was the launch of Bxx: Haunted! Register for your invitation at http://www.bxxweb.com.
To celebrate this innovative new storytelling concept, Gray has an interview with its creator, Daniel Knauf. Daniel is best known for TV show he created, HBO’S Carnivàle. Daniel has also worked on My Own Worst Enemy and Spartacus: War of the Damned
[Ed. note – since this interview, Daniel was an executive producer on Dracula and co-executive producer on The Blacklist.]
You’ll love his amazing story!
Follow Daniel Knauf on Twitter: @Daniel_Knauf
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published March 23, 2012.
Reality TV now represents 57% of American television… and yes, they need writers! This might just be the easiest way to break into the entertainment industry. Want to know more? Find out all the goods on reality TV, with author, writer, and producer Troy Devolld.
Troy DeVolld is a writer and producer in the reality television genre.
He began his career with Mtv’s Fear and The Osbournes and has gone on to write and/or produce major reality hits Dancing With the Stars, The Surreal Life, Flipping Out, Black Gold and more, including his current show, VH1’s Basketball Wives. In 2009, he was jointly nominated for a Daytime Emmy for his work on Style Network’s Split Ends.
Troy is a graduate of Full Sail University and a member of The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, The Caucus for Producers Writers and Directors, and the WGA West’s Nonfiction Writers Caucus.
Follow Troy Devolld on Twitter: @RealityTVTroy
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published March 12, 2012.
Four years ago, Kyle Killen faced an ultimatum from his pregnant wife: sell something, or call it quits on this “hobby.” Fast forward to the present: Kyle has sold two features that have gone into production and sold two pilots that have gone to series. One of those pilots is NBC’s Awake, which has wowed critics and audiences alike.
Kyle Killen was raised in a small Texas town but grew up loving movies. He moved to Los Angeles to attend USC film school, but after a series of odd jobs and internships didn’t pan out, he packed his bags and moved back to Texas.
Despite following one of his USC professors’ seemingly counterproductive advice to “quit writing if he could,” Kyle found he couldn’t shake the writing bug. Whenever he tried a new job, he ended up writing about it, and so decided to give Hollywood one more shot.
The only complication: Kyle’s wife was pregnant with twins, and gave him an ultimatum, to sell a script within the next nine months, or change careers to something more stable. Around nine months later, Kyla sold the critically acclaimed feature The Beaver, which ended up going into production with Jodie Foster as director, and starring Foster and Mel Gibson!
Kyle was on the map, and followed it up by selling the pilot Lone Star to Fox, who took it to series, but pulled the plug when the ratings didn’t pan out. They believed in his storytelling, however, and asked him to sign a 2-year overall deal and come up with a new series.
That series was Awake, which just launched Thursday nights on NBC. Critics are calling it the best pilot of this season! If you haven’t had a chance, watch the pilot online, and tune in on Thursday night for the exciting second episode.
Kyle also sold another feature, Scenic Route, which is currently in production.
Follow Kyle on Twitter: @killen8
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published March 6, 2012.
Five years ago, a good spec TV script could land you a job on staff. Now, everyone wants spec pilots. So where are the resources on how to write one? Enter William Rabkin: not only has he written and/or produced hundreds of hours of dramatic television, but he literally wrote the book on pilot writing.
William Rabkin served as showrunner on the long-running Dick Van Dyke mystery series Diagnosis Murder and on the action-adventure spectacle Martial Law. His many writing and producing credits include The Glades, Monk, Psych, Nero Wolfe, Missing, Spenser: For Hire, seaQuest 2032, Hunter and The Cosby Mysteries.
He has also written a dozen network TV pilots. His work has been nominated twice for the Edgar Award for best television episode by the Mystery Writers of America.
Writing the Pilot is not Bill’s first book on TV writing… he also co-wrote Successful Television Writing (2003), with Lee Goldberg. Bill is also the author of the novels A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Read, Mind Over Magic, The Call of the Mild, A Fatal Frame of Mind, and Mind-Altering Murder.
Bill is the co-creator and co-editor of The Dead Man, a monthly series of supernatural action thrillers published by Amazon’s 47North imprint, and has written three instalments.
Rabkin is part of the core faculty of UCR-Palm Desert’s M.F.A. in Creative Writing & Writing for the Performing Arts.
Follow William Rabkin on Twitter: @writingthepilot
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published November 5, 2011.
Brandy Rivers is currently a literary manager/producer at Gersh Agency and working in both film and television. She is responsible for representing authors, screenwriters, and directors as well as developing underlying material including novels, articles, blogs, video games and life rights for production.
In this interview Brandy goes into great depth about what a manager offers a writer, how they can get you work, what you need to do on your end, and what they’re looking for in taking you on as a client.
Prior to becoming a manager, Brandy worked in development, most recently at Underground Films, a production/management company whose credits include Remember Me, a film she helped oversee from development through post production.
Previously, she worked at Summit Entertainment where she helped develop such projects as the Twilight franchise, Sex Drive, and Knowing.
She began her career at Jerry Bruckheimer Television where she worked on over 430 hours of primetime network television including the CSI franchise, Without a Trace, Cold Case, E Ring, and Close to Home among many others.
Brandy is a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina where she received a BA in Psychology and played Division 1 Soccer.
Follow Brandy on Twitter: @brandyrivers8
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published April 12, 2012.
From family TV to teaching web series writing… Ross Brown wrote for some of the biggest family sitcoms of the eighties and nineties, including creating a show that would be the launching pad for Halle Berry‘s career.
Few of us have more humble beginnings… Ross Brown literally started out on his hands and knees, as a stand-in for a dog in a dog commercial. Clearly there was nowhere to go but up! And up he went, as a 2nd assistant director and then 1st assistant director on such hits as films Private Benjamin and National Lampoon’s Vacation, as well as TV series Knots Landing.
But Ross wanted to write… and write he did. A spec Webster episode led a staff gig on The Cosby Show, followed by The Facts of Life, Who’s The Boss, Step by Step, and many other popular sitcoms. He also created prime time series for ABC, CBS and the WB, such as Living Dolls, in which he helped cast young model Halle Berry in her first acting role.
Ross then began teaching and expanding his writing horizons. His play Hindsight received two staged readings at the Pasadena Playhouse (Pasadena, California) in July of 2007. His short play Field of Vision was performed in Chicago at the Appetite Theater’s Bruschetta 2008 festival.
Currently Ross is an Assistant Professor of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University in Orange, CA, where he developed a series of cutting-edge courses on creating TV series for the Internet. This series led to his popular book, Byte-Sized Television: Create Your Own TV Series for the Internet.
Discover more about Ross at his website: http://bytesized.tv
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Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published January 16, 2012.
John Vorhaus is best known as the author of The Comic Toolbox: How to be Funny Even if You’re Not. This seminal book on writing comedy for television and film is now available in four languages, and continues to be a definitive source of information and inspiration for writers from Santa Monica to Scandinavia.
An international consultant in television and film script development, Vorhaus has worked for television networks, film schools, and production companies in 30 countries on four continents.
Vorhaus’ own screenwriting credits include Married… with Children, Head of the Class, The Sentinel, The Flash and many overseas television shows and films, including the sitcoms House Arrest and Pretty, Sick and Twisted, and the movie Save Angel Hope.
John is also the author of the six-volume Killer Poker series, plus miscellaneous other books on the subject, including the novel Under the Gun, a “how-to whodunit” set in the world of high stakes tournament poker. His other novels include The California Roll and its upcoming sequel, The Albuquerque Turkey.
Vorhaus is a graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University and a member of the Writers Guild of America. He has taught writing at Northwestern University and the American Film Institute, and lectured for such disparate groups as Mensa and the New Jersey Romance Writers Association.
Discover more about John at his website: http://johnvorhaus.com
Follow John on Twitter: @TrueFactBarFact
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Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published December 23, 2011.
The doctor is in! This week features none other than the TV Script Doctor herself, Sarah McLaughlin, who also happens to be a successful comedy writer on shows such as That 70’s Show and Drop Dead Diva.
Growing up in New York, Sarah McLaughlin wasn’t allowed to watch television… fascinated by the forbidden fruit, she pursued journalism at the University of Colorado, and before long she was in Los Angeles working as a production assistant on the final season of Home Improvement.
On Home Improvement, she fell in love with scripted television, but didn’t know anything about the industry. She used her time there wisely, talking to as many people in different TV jobs as she could, and reading as many scripts as she could get her hands on.
After taking a course at UCLA and writing some spec scripts, she landed a spot in the Warner Brothers Writers Workshop. Though tremendously helpful, it didn’t directly land her a writing gig. However, she was able to use her position as a writer’s assistant on That 70’s Show to pitch and write her own episode, and her writing career took off!
After a few short stints on other shows, she ended back on That 70’s Show, where she worked her way up for several seasons. She went on to work on South Park, and sell pilots to MTV and Sony Television, before landing work on her current show, Drop Dead Diva.
Between her staff experience, and her work as a script evaluator and creative consultant for the Warner Bros. Writers Workshop and The Disney/ABC writers fellowship, Sarah understands what it takes to have your script go from the “reject” pile to the “yes” pile. In this podcast, she shares many great tips on how to improve your spec or pilot script, as well as sharing how a TV episode goes from idea to finished product.
Sarah works as a consultant to both new and working writers through her website: http://tvscriptdoctor.com
Follow Sarah on Twitter: @tvscriptdoctor
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published December 17, 2011.
This week we are proud to welcome the creator of some of the UK’s finest and highest-rated TV series of the 1970s, recipient of the Best Series Writer award by the Writers Guild of Great Britain, writer-author-series creator John Finch!
John Finch was born in Liverpool during the Depression. When his father disappeared, he moved with his mother to a mining community in Yorkshire. Life was tough, and by the time he left school at the age of 14 he had been to 12 schools, including an orphanage.
At the outbreak of war, he joined the Merchant Navy at the age of 16 and sailed from Liverpool in 1941. He served as a sparks on a freighter, a tanker, a troop ship, and a rescue tug before being medically discharged in 1944.
He worked various jobs upon returning from the war, gradually moving toward writing as a career. In this time, he wrote for various magazines such as Illustrated and Picture Post, with occasional contributions to the BBC, and his first play, the first in television to have an industrial setting, was transmitted in 1958.
In 1960, he became the first trainee writer to be contracted to write Coronation Street, now the world’s longest-running TV soap opera, and later became editor and producer. He went on to became Granada’s most prolific writer and created, wrote and edited many of the company’s longest-running serials and series. These included the 52-hour series A Family at War, which sold throughout the world and is still being transmitted in countries such as India and Pakistan, and throughout the Middle East. Norwegian viewers recently voted it the best television series ever. He later created and personally wrote every episode of the 39-hour series Sam, a tribute to his mining village upbringing, and went on to create and write many other long-running series.
In 1975, he was given the award of Best Series Writer by the Writers Guild of Great Britain, and received the Broadcasting Press Guild Critics Award for Sam in the same year.
His novel, Cuddon Return, was a bestseller, and in 2002 he completed his first play for the theatre, JOE, described as “a play for two actors and a load of junk.” It has been warmly praised by critics, producers, actors and fellow writers.
He has lived with his family for many years in the Yorkshire Dales.
Visit John’s website: johnfinch.com
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published December 10, 2011.
She wrote the book on TV writing … literally! And she also started what has become the most esteemed graduate school for television writing. This week Gray has a wonderful chat with author, writer, and professor Pamela Douglas.
Born and raised in New York, Pamela Douglas wrote poetry, stories and plays, and was involved in journalism. Her work was published in small magazines, and won her some prizes. This led to a job offer across the country, as program director for experimental public TV station in Los Angeles.
When the station went broke, a bold interview led to her being hired as an executive in feature film development at MCA-Universal. She honed her craft there, writing several unproduced features, but grew to realize that television was where she wanted to be.
The first TV episode she ever wrote, for Trapper John M.D., won an Emmy® for actress Madge Sinclair, and Pamela was off to the races! She worked on many well-known shows, and was honored with many awards, such as a Humanitas Award for Between Mother and Daughter, an original drama which also won a nomination for a Writers Guild Award. Multiple Emmy nominations and awards from American Women in Radio and Television went to other dramas she has written.
Seeing a need in the industry, Pamela started the TV writing program at the School of Cinematic Arts of the University of Southern California, and is now a tenured professor there. Her book, Writing the TV Drama Series: How to Succeed as a Professional Writer in TV is considered one of the premier books on the subject, and has just been updated with a third edition.
You can find out more about her non-screenwriting works on her websites: http://pamdouglasbooks.com and http://pamdouglasart.com.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published November 30, 2011.
From Robert McKee’s “Screenwriting 101” class at USC, to co-developing a successful spinoff of a John Hughes classic, to writing on some of the most well-known shows of the last two decades, writer-producer-author-director Alan Cross has a lot of great stories to tell!
Born and raised in Alaska, Alan Cross filled his time with watching TV. He came to California to attend art school, but when he discovered a TV writing book, he was hooked. He switched to USC, where he had the fortune of attending Robert McKee’s “Screenwriting 101” class.
After working some odd jobs, he finally landed a staff TV writing job, and his dream of working in TV was realized! After several seasons of the comedy Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, he and his writing partner co-developed the TV adaptation of the John Hughes classic teen comedyWeird Science, which he helmed as co-executive producer for its successful five-season run.
After Weird Science, Alan co-executive produced Veronica’s Closet as well as Get Real, and was a consulting producer on Dawson’s Creek.
Since then, Alan has written on well known shows Star Trek: Enterprise, Desperate Housewives, Reaper, and more.
Follow Alan on Twitter: @Alancrossss
Visit Alan’s website: http://www.alancrosswriter.com
In the Video Tips section, Gray has a very practical lesson on holding the camera steady with or without extra gear, applicable to shooting with a still camera, camcorder, or DSLR camera. Featured gear includes the Steady Freddy and Indisystem AIRsupport.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published November 20, 2011.
It’s podcast mashup time! Instructor, author, and script consultant Pilar Alessandra, host of the “On the Page” podcast, joins Gray for a wonderful interview.
Pilar Alessandra moved to L.A. from Boston to pursue acting, but immediately fell in love with storytelling, and got a job as a script reader for Amblin Entertainment. With the formation of DreamWorks, she became Senior Story Analyst and a reader liaison between the studio and Robert Zemeckis’ company, ImageMovers. Her expert script analysis was also sought out by The Robert Evans Company, Cineville Entertainment, Handprint Entertainment, and Saturday Night Live Studios, and work at Interscope Communications led her to a position as Senior Story Analyst for Scott Kroopf’s production company Radar Pictures.
Pilar was later bitten by the “teaching bug” while teaching screenwriting and story analysis at the UCLA Writers’ Program. In 2001, she started her own company, “On the Page,” and in 2004 opened the On the Page Writers Studio in Sherman Oaks, California. In the interest of expanding access to her teaching tools, she presents weekly “On the Page” podcasts with guest hosts from within the industry. The shows regularly appear in the iTunes Top 100 list of film and TV podcasts.
In this interview, she discusses overcoming writer’s block, how a writers group mixing TV and feature writers can actually benefit both groups, the most important elements when pursuing a writing career, and much more!
Follow Pilar on Twitter: @onthepage
Visit her website: http://onthepage.tv
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published November 12, 2011.
Today brings not just one but two interviews with Phil Klemmer, a writer on all five seasons of Chuck, and all four seasons of Veronica Mars. We also launch the new “Video Tips” segment of the podcast, and welcome a number of new sponsors.
After graduating with a classics major at Stanford, Phil Klemmermoved to L.A. and became a reader for Propaganda Films. There, he worked with such names as Michel Gondry and Spike Jonze, though his first break would come through Rob Thomas, who he met through Rob’s “crazy Halloween parties.”
Based on a Six Feet Under spec script that Phil wrote in two weeks, Rob hired him to write on Veronica Mars, a job that would last four seasons.
After Veronica Mars, Phil got a job on NBC’s Chuck, a show that has always been on the bubble for renewal. After the third season, renewal news came late, and most of the Chuck writers, including Phil, took jobs on other shows.
Phil describes what it was like to work on NBC’s Undercovers, a show that he says was doomed even before it aired, and then how he fortuitously returned to Chuck mid-season, immediately after Undercovers was cancelled.
Then Klemmer talks about the present, sharing how the cast and crew of Chuck are gelling like never before, but are already nostalgic about the end, as Chuck wraps up production for good on December 7th.
In the Video Tips section, Gray talks about how easy it is to add custom color looks to your showcase film or webisodes using Red Giant Software’s Magic Bullet Suite.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published November 5, 2011.
He was born on the first day of the Great Depression, did competitive ski racing in Europe, and went to spy school to become a special agent. But a passion for writing led Eric Kaldor to Hollywood, and he has many stories to tell about his journey!
After spending some time as a sports producer, Eric Kaldor landed his first TV writing gig. He then went on to write for some of the most well known hits of the 1970s: Emergency, Kojak, The Rockford Files, and The Incredible Hulk.
You’ll love hearing about how TV writing worked in the 1970s, and how much it differs from the group writing of today. Also, Eric is full of amusing anecdotes about his path to and through Hollywood.
After 1980, Eric left TV writing to raise his family and build a successful family business with his wife. He started acting, and has had parts in films, like 2006’s Hollywoodland, and many recent shows, including ER and House.
Eric never stopped writing … he is currently working on a novel, and publishing it a chapter at a time on his website at erickaldor.com.
Follow Eric on Twitter: @EricKaldor
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published October 28, 2011.
Comedy writer Kristin Newman spent almost 10 years writing on very well-known comedies, and had her own pilot shot and picked up to series (though not aired). She now brings her talents to a one-hour drama, on NBC’s Chuck.
Kristin Newman got an early break, with a production staff job on Everybody Loves Raymond. She graduated to writer’s assistant on Nikita, Mad About You, and That 70s Show.
She ended up stuck in the 70s (in a good way!) for the next seven years, rising up from staff writer to supervising producer. Moving on to How I Met Your Mother as co-executive producer, she also landed an overall deal at Fox … which was unfortunately cut short when the 2007 writers strike happened.
Because of an injury, Kristin was not able to walk the picket lines. What could she do? She wrote the pilot Single With Parents, which was shot with Alyssa Milano and Beau Bridges, and picked up to series … though it unfortunately never aired.
Then came NBC’s Chuck. She entered the staff as co-executive producer in its fourth season, and is currently breaking the series finale. Make sure to watch the final season, when Chuck returns on Friday, October 28th!
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published October 18, 2011.
This week we hear from another animation writer / story editor. Christopher Yost has been working on animated TV series, comics, and features for almost 10 years, for well-known Marvel and D.C. franchises.
After a number of years as an advertising producer in Detroit, Michigan, Christopher Yost decided he needed to make the jump to Hollywood. He attended the Peter Stark Producing program at USC, but realized while there that writing was really his passion.
An internship at Marvel Studios led to his first break, writing a script for Marvel’s animated property X-Men: Evolution. Soon he was writing such well-known titles as D.C.’s The Batman and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and eventually became head writer and story editor on Fantastic Four, Iron Man: Armored Adventures, and The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
During this time he also wrote two animated DVD features, Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, and Hulk vs. Wolverine.
Yost also works in comic books, writing for Marvel’s X-Men and Spider-Man franchises, DC’s Batman franchise, and the adaptation of the sci-fi classic Ender’s Game. His first creator-owned original graphic novel Killer of Demonsdebuted in March of 2009 to critical acclaim.
Yost is currently working in the Marvel Writers Program, helping develop potential live-action feature properties for Marvel Studios as well as handling additional writing and reshoot scenes for the Marvel Studios film Thor.
Follow Christopher Yost on Twitter: @Yost
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published October 4, 2011.
Animation writer/creative producer/story editor David Dias was a hit on the TV Writer Chat several weeks ago, and is back for a one hour interview discussing all the ins and outs of writing animation for all ages, including many great tips on breaking in, pitching, and getting your idea off the ground.
After a BFA in film production from York University in Toronto, David started assistant editing at Nelvana, one of the biggest animation companies in Canada. He soon realized that he wanted to write, and landed a job on an in-house writing staff. For the next five years, he wrote for a large variety of shows, before becoming an independent writer-producer.
David has credits on over 40 animated shows from the mid-1990’s to the present, including such well known titles as Franklin, The Berenstain Bears, Doodlebops, Caillou, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That, Magi-Nation, Max & Ruby, and Redekai: Conquer the Kairu.
Breaking the usual chronological interview format, Gray and David spend almost a full hour talking about all aspects of animation writing, including how to know which companies are accepting open pitches, what you need to be able to pitch, how the quality of art can make or break a pitch, how to land an artist without having to pay up front, and much more!
Follow David Dias on Twitter: @DiasDave
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published October 5, 2011.
Ever heard of someone who didn’t live in L.A. or New York landing a staff TV writing gig? How about sight unseen, hired from a phone interview? Meet Mike Alber, who sold many pitches to a major network, wrote on a web series, and even landed a staff writing gig while not even living in the same state!
Mike & writing partner Gabe Snyder met in high school, and clicked right away. Despite going to different colleges in different cities, they wrote together constantly. Mike was on track to be a doctor, but after starting med school he realized that writing was his passion, so he switched his masters studies to creative writing.
Gabe moved to L.A. in 2006, but Mike continued his studies in Ohio. They placed in several screenplay competitions, but it was through an honorable mention at a trackingb.com contest that they got their first option. They were on the map! One relationship led to another, and soon they sold several pitches to Spike TV, worked on the web series Ultradome, signed for management and representation, and were taking meetings all over town.
Mike tells the amazing story of how his newborn daughter kept him away from L.A., yet he was able to land his first TV staff gig, on MTV’s Death Valley, with a phone call from the hospital waiting room! Mike finally did move to L.A. this year, and does advise that everyone else should move to L.A. first — his luck is not easy to repeat!
Mike and Gabe are idea machines, and Mike has great advice on how you can be one too!
Follow Mike on Twitter: @malber
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published September 25, 2011.
Within seven years of graduating from film school, Sheri Elwood had not only created her own successful TV series, but had written and directed a feature film starring Kirsten Dunst and Lynn Redgrave. Fast forward to the present: her current series, Call Me Fitz, which was inspired by her own family, has just won seven Gemini Awards.
After graduating from Ryerson University’s Film Program in Toronto, Sheri Elwood was awarded the National Apprenticeship Award from the Academy of Canadian Film and Television. This launched her to many seasons of comedy writing for networks such as Disney, Fox, The Family Channel, and YTV. By 1999, she had created her own series for tweens, I Was a Sixth Grade Alien, which went two seasons.
In the off season, Sheri wrote and directed a Gemini nominated short film, Eb and Flo, and her first feature film, the romantic teen drama, Deeply, starring Lynn Redgrave, Kirsten Dunst and Brent Carver. Deeply premiered to a four-star review at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was also nominated for four Genie Awards.
Elwood teamed with Lionsgate TV to create the comedy series Beta Males for the CW Network, and also wrote for the 1-hr ABC/CTV drama Defying Gravity for Fox Television Studios with creator James Parriott (Grey’s Anatomy).
Fulfilling a dream to capture the spirit of her loving and unique family on TV, Elwood created the edgy cable series Call Me Fitz, starring Jason Priestly, for TMN/Movie Central. They have just begun shooting season three, with Elwood writing, directing, and showrunning. You can catch Call Me Fitz on HBO Canada, or in the U.S. on Netflix or DirecTV.
Elwood has just signed a blind development deal with Jerry Bruckheimer Television.
Sheri splits her time between Los Angeles and Nova Scotia, where she and her family spend time at their century-old schoolhouse and love to ring the bell.
Follow Sheri on Twitter: @elwoodink
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published September 11, 2011.
Want to shoot a showcase film? Web series? Crowd fund a project? This week Gray talks to Koo — a Webby Award winner, DIY filmmaker, and the creator of NoFilmSchool.com and its excellent free DSLR Cinematography Guide.
Koo co-wrote, directed, shot, and edited the “urban western” webseries The West Side, which won the Webby Award for Best Drama Series. Filmmaker Magazine heralded the series as “ingenious low-budget independent filmmaking that just happens to be viewable only on the web,” and named him one of their 25 New Faces of Film.
Koo has shot for Focus Features, The Workbook Project, and Ralph Lauren; he has written for Filmmaker Magazine and Weblogs, Inc.; and he has served as Senior Designer for Rhapsody and MTV. His films have been official selections at several film festivals nationwide, and he was the recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
His website NoFilmSchool.com focuses on DIY filmmaking and independent creativity, and won Total Film’s Best Creative Blog award. He is in pre-pre-production on his first feature film, Man-Child, which is being funded through a crowd funding Kickstarter campaign.
Follow Koo on Twitter: @ryanbkoo
Visit Koo’s web site: NoFilmSchool.com
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published September 5, 2011.
Do spec pilot scripts sell? What about pilots shot on spec? This week Gray talks to successful author-writer-producer Rob Thomas, creator of Cupid, Veronica Mars, and most recently, Party Down.
Rob Thomas has a fascinating story. He went from basketball and football player to rock band bassist, then graduated from college with a history degree and taught high school … all by his early twenties!
He moved to L.A. in the early 1990s to work at Channel One News, an L.A.-based TV news show aimed at teenagers. He then got a book deal, and published four young adult novels and a collection of short stories.
One of his novels led him to his break in Hollywood, and he got on the staff of Dawson’s Creek in its first season. Fourteen months after starting Dawson’s Creek, Rob wrote and sold the pilot Cupid, which was picked up! Halfway through its first season he became the showrunner.
Rob shares some great stories about how he came up with the idea for the critically acclaimed Veronica Mars, which he wrote on spec, and also how he not only wrote Party Down on spec, but shot the pilot with his own money at his own house!
Follow Rob on Twitter: @slaverat1
Visit Rob’s web site: www.slaverats.com
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published August 28, 2011.
We have another Harvard grad this week … comedy writer Dan Goor, currently supervising producer of the hit sitcom Parks and Recreation.
Though Dan actually studied biochemistry at Harvard, he spent his free time doing improv and theatre. He was accepted to med school, but deferred his admission, as he got an amazing travel grant for a one-year trip around the world.
When he returned, his friend Charlie Grandy was applying for writing jobs, and Dan asked if they could apply together. Their application was approved at The Daily Show, and the rest was history!
After writing for several years on The Daily Show, Dan & Charlie decided to break up their writing partnership, and Dan went on to write for Last Call with Carson Daily, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Office, and now Parks and Recreation.
In this long interview, Dan goes into great detail about the process of writing Parks and Recreation, with very helpful tidbits from behind the scenes, including how to build a story, how to get the most out of the various departments, and the role of improv in the performances. He also gives very practical advice on writing your own pilots and spec scripts. You don’t want to miss this one!
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published August 14, 2011.
Writer-producer Ari Posner delivered a humorous valedictorian speech to his Harvard class in 1986, and has been making us laugh ever since!
After graduating from Harvard, Ari worked as a reporter for numerous publications such as the Miami Herald, The Boston Phoenix, and The New Republic. However, he found himself continually drawn toward writing comedy.
Awarded a full scholarship to study at USC, Ari moved to L.A., and soon after graduating was on his first sitcom staff, Fox’s Partners. Since then he has worked on numerous multi-camera sitcoms, hour-long dramas, and single camera comedies, including such titles as Popular, Reba, Mental, and Call Me Fitz, which was recently nominated for 16 Gemini Awards.
He has also written and developed many pilots, for such companies as Sony Pictures Television, Happy Madison Productions, Gary Sanchez Productions, CBS, and Disney Channel.
In this interview, Ari takes us on an entertaining look at his journey through the industry, and gives incredibly helpful tips on writing pilots and other original material, and how to use that material to break in.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published August 10, 2011.
Writer-producer-author Sheldon Bull was challenged by friend and co-writer Blake Snyder to write a Save the Cat for sitcom writing. Thus was born Elephant Bucks: An Inside Guide to Writing for TV Sitcoms.
Sheldon Bull has earned Elephant Bucks as a highly successful TV writer and producer for 30 years.
He has held positions from story editor to executive producer on 11 different primetime network situation comedies, working with and writing for stars like Bill Cosby, Alan Alda, Danny DeVito, Bob Newhart, Henry Winkler, Craig T. Nelson, Loni Anderson, Betty White, and Melissa Joan Hart.
Sheldon has produced a string of hit series including Newhart, A Different World, Coach, and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.
He lives in the Los Angeles area … You can visit his website at www.sheldonbull.com.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published July 21, 2011.
Writer Tamiko Brooks grew up in Detroit, but knew from an early age she wanted to work in the entertainment industry. She was not only the first Nickelodeon live action fellow, but was also accepted to the Disney/ABC writing fellowship.
Tamiko Brooks earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia College Chicago. After graduation, she headed west to L.A., and got a job as an assistant on the TV sitcom, Moesha. Under the mentorship of some of the writers, Tamiko began writing spec sitcoms and ultimately received her first writing credit in 1999 with an episode of Moesha.
Soon after, Tamiko was accepted to the first year of the Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship, along with former podcast interviewee Courtney Lilly. She was relocated to Orlando, FL to work on the Nick sitcom, Taina.
After that, she became an ABC/Disney writing fellow. As a result, she was placed on the sitcom, 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter. The head writer was so impressed with her that he hired her on staff, and she was with the show for two seasons until its cancellation.
Tamiko was then hired as a writer on Half & Half. Additionally, Tamiko has written freelance assignments for The Proud Family and the daytime drama One Life to Live.
You’ll learn a lot from Tamiko about navigating the industry, and dealing with the ups and downs and cyclical nature of TV schedules.
Make sure you take part in the TV Writer Chat this Sunday night, as it will feature the launch of the first TV Writer Podcast contest, with some amazing prizes! Get the details about the chat at tvwriterchat.com.
Follow Tamiko on Twitter: @TamikoBrooks
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published July 13, 2011.
Writer-director Eric Haywood started out as a successful Atlanta-based music video director, but since moving to Los Angeles has written for cable and network television, has written a TV movie, and has written and directed many short films. You’ll love hearing how he has approached every step of his interesting journey through the industry!
Eric was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He began his career as a music video director while still enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in filmmaking. After relocating to Atlanta, Eric went on to direct and produce videos featuring such artists as Usher, Cee-Lo Green, Outkast, New Edition, Ice-T, Tupac Shakur, and legendary Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins. His video for Bay Area rapper E-40’s song “Sprinkle Me” was selected by MTV and XXL Magazine as the #10 Greatest West-Coast Rap Video of All Time.
Eric then turned his focus to writing, and moved to Los Angeles, where he landed jobs as a writer on all five seasons of Showtime’s Soul Food: The Series, and NBC’s police drama Hawaii. Along the way, he has periodically returned to his filmmaking roots, writing and directing three short films (Staring at the Sun, Intersection, and Nick of Time), each of which has screened at a number of film festivals around the country.
Most recently, Eric wrote the Hallmark Channel Original Movie Relative Stranger, starring Eriq LaSalle and directed by Charles Burnett. After premiering in the spring of 2009, the film garnered three NAACP Image Award nominations and a Best Supporting Actress Emmy® nomination for Cicely Tyson.
Follow Eric on Twitter: @Eric_Haywood
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published July 1, 2011.
Jen Grisanti is a story career consultant, independent producer, writing instructor for Writers on the Verge at NBC, blogger for The Huffington Post and author of the new books, Story Line: Finding Gold in Your Life Story and TV Writing Tool Kit: How To Write a Script That Sells.
Jen spent 12 years under the mentorship of Aaron Spelling, eventually running Current Programs at Spelling Television Inc., covering all of Spelling’s shows including Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, and Charmed. In 2004, Jen was promoted to VP of Current Programs at CBS/Paramount, where she covered such shows as Medium, Numbers, NCIS, 4400, and Girlfriends. While at CBS/Paramount, she served as a mentor in the CBS Diversity Program, which seeks out and nurtures young writers and directors.
In January 2008, Jen launched Jen Grisanti Consultancy Inc., a consulting firm dedicated to helping talented writers break into the industry. By drawing on her 12-year experience as a studio executive where she gave daily notes to executive producers & showrunners, Jen personally guides writers to shape their material, hone their pitches, and focus their careers. Since launching, Jen has worked with over 300 writers working in television, features, and novels. In the first three years, already 20 of her clients have staffed as writers on television shows and two have sold pilots that went to series. In 2008, Jen was hired to be the Writing Instructor for NBC’s Writers on the Verge.
Her brand is Developing From Within. Her company hosts Storywise Seminars and Teleseminars as a way to get this message out. In addition to her books, she has CDs and workbooks, and also has an excellent Storywise Podcast Series available on iTunes and her website.
Visit her website at jengrisanticonsultancy.com.
Follow Jen on Twitter: @JenGrisanti
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published June 24, 2011.
Comedy writer & stand-up comic Karey Dornetto has worked on all kinds of comedy shows, from sketch to traditional sitcom, and many in between.
The daughter of a military professor and an ex-nun, Karey was headed for a life of financial trading before taking the plunge to join the sketch comedy group The Perch, in Charlotte, NC. Still working in finance, she moved to New York and began to perform stand-up comedy.
In New York, she wrote a story called “Fat Basketball Diaries” for the online magazine, Girlcomic.net. This story would prove to be a major turning point for her, as the response to the story convinced her she could become a writer. It also helped her land management in L.A., and her first TV writing gig, on South Park.
Moving to Los Angeles, Karey landed gig after gig on a wide variety of comedy shows, such as The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, Dog Bites Man, Arrested Development, Community, and her current show, Portlandia. She has a lot of great stories about her path through the industry, as well as her experiences with the different comedy and writing styles.
For more information and writing samples, visit her website at kareydornetto.com.
Follow Karey on Twitter: @KareyDornetto
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published June 18, 2011.
Comedy writer Courtney Lilly has only been in Hollywood 11 years, and yet has had tremendous success on a number of well-known sitcoms, including Arrested Development, Everybody Hates Chris, My Boys, and The Cleveland Show. You’re going to love his story!
Working as a journalist on the east coast, Courtney Lilly decided pretty quickly that journalism was not for him. He knew nothing about TV writing, but read everything he could about it, and got accepted to the Nickelodeon Fellowship’s first year, in 2000.
After staffing on the animated show Invader ZIM, Courtney tells how he ended up as an assistant to a lawyer in Encino. Though it seemed like he was far from his goal, he shares how “prepared luck” landed him an influential manager, who helped him land a staff gig on Arrested Development.
From there, Courtney goes into great detail about time on Arrested Development, Everybody Hates Chris, My Boys, and his current show, the Family Guy animated spinoff, The Cleveland Show.
He gives a lot of great tips on breaking in, including the wisdom: “Everyone takes bets … you might as well bet on yourself!”
Follow Courtney on Twitter: @CourtneyLilly
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published June 17, 2011.
Next in our “writers who have done it all” series is Vancouver-based TV/feature/graphic novel writer, poet, and stand-up comic Jennica Harper. Not only has she worked in many genres and mediums, but she has great tips and anecdotes about them.
Jennica Harper has published poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction in over 25 publications in Canada and the United States, as well as two poetry collections, and a graphic novel Abigail’s War, which she currently developing as a feature with Zeros2Heroes Media.
An award-winning stand-up comic, Jennica is a lot of fun to listen to … You’ll love the discussion on how story editing for Canadian features has many similarities to TV writing in Hollywood, yet how Hollywood feature writing differs from the Canadian approach.
Jennica also has a lot of great tips about breaking in, planting many seeds, and being aggressive at going after what you want.
Follow Jennica on Twitter: @jennicaharper
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published June 2, 2011.
This week we meet another writer who has done it all… Toronto-based writer Andrea Moodie has worked in features, scripted dramatic television, documentaries, reality and lifestyle television, interactive games, and web series. She has a lot of tips on writing for these different mediums, and the differences between them!
Most writers interrupt their lives to write — Andrea interrupts her writing for life. Writing in all forms consumes her, and so it’s not surprising she’s written material for many mediums, and many of her projects have won awards and critical acclaim.
You might recognize some of the titles of shows she’s written for — Property Virgins, Animals at Work, The List, the sci-fi drama Psi Factor, and webisode missions for SyFy’s Sanctuary, among many others.
A graduate of Queens University Film Studies, The Drama Studio London USA, and the Canadian Film Centre, Andrea is an active member of the writing community as a juror for the Dora, Gemini and Writers Guild Top Ten Awards.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published May 21, 2011.
Do you want to write comedy? Reality? Scripted? Work in development? Write a pilot? Web series? Or maybe work as an executive? This week we have a massive 82 minute podcast with Chad Gervich… and he’s done it all!
Chad Gervich is a television producer, bestselling author, and award- winning playwright who currently has a comedy development deal with 20th Century Fox, and is a writer-producer for After Lately, E!’s hit half-hour comedy starring Chelsea Handler.
As a writer and producer, Chad created Style Network’s hit comedy/reality show, Foody Call, before going on to write, produce, and develop shows (both scripted and reality) for ABC, FOX, Warner Brothers, Endemol, E!, Overbrook, SuperDelicious, CBS Studios, TruTV, Zoo Productions, Fox Reality Channel, Renegade 83, Food Network, and the Weinstein Company. His credits include Wipeout, Cupcake Wars, Reality Binge, Speeders, and others.
Prior to producing, Chad spent five years as a development executive with the Littlefield Company, former NBC president Warren Littlefield’s production company, developing pilots and series for NBC, ABC, UPN, the WB, and Paramount TV. Chad also worked in production on shows such as The Wanda Sykes Show, Star Search, The Academy Awards, and Malcolm in the Middle.
As an author, Chad’s best-selling TV-writing handbook, Small Screen, Big Picture: A Writers Guide to the TV Business, debuted in 2008 to critical acclaim and outstanding sales, and it’s presently being used as a textbook in the CBS Diversity Writing Program, the WGA Showrunners Training Program, NBC’s Writers on the Verge, NATPE’s Diversity Fellowship, California State, and USC’s TV classes.
Chad currently writes Script Magazine’s popular weekly Primetime blog, and contributes regularly to many other publications, including Daily Variety. In addition, he created and produced Morning Call Time, Hollywood’s first daily audio news podcast.
One of Chad’s passions is teaching. With a Playwriting MFA from UCLA, he has spent years teaching writing and producing classes for Mediabistro, Gotham Writers Workshop, Writing Pad, and StoryStudio Chicago, as well as lecturing at colleges and schools such as UCLA and Vanderbilt. He also speaks at festivals and conferences such as the TV/Film Summit, and the Great American Pitchfest.
Follow Chad on Twitter: @ChadGervich
Visit Chad’s website: www.chadgervich.com
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published May 15, 2011.
To tackle the immense, cutting edge topic of social networking for the writer, we needed to call in a panel of experts… in a round table discussion set in a cool 3D environment, our three esteemed guests were Jeanne Veillette Bowermanand Jamie Livingston of #Scriptchat, and Joshua Stecker of Script Magazine; Gray Jones, in addition to moderating, represented Ink Canada.
In Part 1, we discussed: Are you getting the most out of Facebook and Twitter? What are the differences between them? What pitfalls should you avoid and/or protect yourself against? Why are some people getting a lot more Twitter followers than you? How can you network with top writers without seeming too pushy?
In Part 2 this week, we get a lot more specific. We discuss several resources on Facebook, Twitter, and the web in great detail. Jeanne demonstrates how you can attack Twitter with the same creativity with which you attack a script, and maybe even land a job or an agent from it. We expound on blogs and bloggers, of course we talk about more dos and don’ts, and there is an exciting call to arms at the end. We cover all of this and much more in part 2 of our massive 100 minute discussion.
Meet our panel: Jeanne Veillette Bowerman is the Co-Founder and moderator of the weekly Twitter screenwriters’ chat, #Scriptchat, and a regular columnist for Write On Online and Script Magazine. A graduate of Cornell University, she’s written several spec scripts, including the adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Slavery by Another Name, with its author, Douglas A. Blackmon, senior national correspondent of The Wall Street Journal.
Jamie Livingston is a writer, Co-Founder of #Scriptchat, and President of Romance Writers of America Screenwriting Chapter Script Scene. She’s a business owner and former magazine writer.
Joshua Stecker is the West Coast/Web editor of Script Magazine, co-owner/producer of Modjeska Playhouse theatre company, and a part-time actor.
Gray Jones is a reality TV editor, produced writer, and internationally award winning short film producer. In addition to hosting the TV Writer Podcast in partnership with Script Magazine, he also hosts Chuck vs. the Podcast for NBC’s Chuck, which has been voted the #1 TV-themed podcast in the entire world continuously for the last 28 months. He also runs a database of TV Writers on Twitter, which contains 700 writers and continues to climb.
Follow the round table participants on Twitter: Jeanne Veillette Bowerman: @jeannevb Jamie Livingston: @Jamie_LD Joshua Stecker: @joshuastecker Gray Jones: @GrayJones
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published May 1, 2011.
To tackle the immense, cutting edge topic of social networking for the writer, we needed to call in a panel of experts… in a round table discussion set in a cool 3D environment, our three esteemed guests were Jeanne Veillette Bowermanand Jamie Livingston of #Scriptchat, and Joshua Stecker of Script Magazine; Gray Jones, in addition to moderating, represented Ink Canada.
Part 1: Are you getting the most out of Facebook and Twitter? What are the differences between them? What pitfalls should you avoid and/or protect yourself against? Why are some people getting a lot more Twitter followers than you? How can you network with top writers without seeming too pushy? We cover all of these topics and much more in part 1 of our massive 100 minute discussion.
In Part 2, we will get a lot more specific. We discuss several resources on Facebook, Twitter, and the web in great detail. Jeanne demonstrates how you can attack Twitter with the same creativity with which you attack a script, and maybe even land a job or an agent from it. We expound on blogs and bloggers, of course we talk about more dos and don’ts, and there is an exciting call to arms at the end. We cover all of this and much more in part 2 of our massive 100 minute discussion.
Meet our panel: Jeanne Veillette Bowerman is the Co-Founder and moderator of the weekly Twitter screenwriters’ chat, #Scriptchat, and a regular columnist for Write On Online and Script Magazine. A graduate of Cornell University, she’s written several spec scripts, including the adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Slavery by Another Name, with its author, Douglas A. Blackmon, senior national correspondent of The Wall Street Journal.
Jamie Livingston is a writer, Co-Founder of #Scriptchat, and President of Romance Writers of America Screenwriting Chapter Script Scene. She’s a business owner and former magazine writer.
Joshua Stecker is the West Coast/Web editor of Script Magazine, co-owner/producer of Modjeska Playhouse theatre company, and a part-time actor.
Gray Jones is a reality TV editor, produced writer, and internationally award winning short film producer. In addition to hosting the TV Writer Podcast in partnership with Script Magazine, he also hosts Chuck vs. the Podcast for NBC’s Chuck, which has been voted the #1 TV-themed podcast in the entire world continuously for the last 28 months. He also runs a database of TV Writers on Twitter, which contains 700 writers and continues to climb.
Follow the round table participants on Twitter: Jeanne Veillette Bowerman: @jeannevb Jamie Livingston: @Jamie_LD Joshua Stecker: @joshuastecker Gray Jones: @GrayJones
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published April 24, 2011.
What’s another way to spell “juggernaut?” You could easily spell it C-S-I, or N-C-I-S. The franchises spawned by these shows dominate the ratings, and continue to deliver week after week, month after month. We are very fortunate to have writer-producer Corey Miller with us this week… you’re going to love his story!
Wannabe writers are often told: “get a job as an assistant!” Corey took this to a new level… you’ll love hearing how youthful naivete helped him to land a job with Oliver Stone, why life on Lois & Clark was much better without email, and how he spent much longer than usual in various assisting and coordinating positions before becoming a staff writer, and why it was worth the wait.
Through it all, Corey kept writing, and even though he didn’t have an agent, he sold two freelance scripts to CSI, and his next chapter began! In addition to a story he and then co-writer Philip Chung had sold to Lois & Clark, Corey has also written for six seasons of CSI: Miami, for NCIS: Los Angeles, The Forgotten, and Body of Proof.
Corey also wrote the independent feature Border to Border, and recently sold a pilot to The Peter Chernin Company and Fox.
Follow Corey on Twitter: @TooMuchFire
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published April 20, 2011.
Just like there are far fewer resources for learning TV writing than for learning to write features, there are an incredibly small number of resources for learning to write for animated TV. That’s why it is a great privilege to have animation writer Steven Darancette open a window for us into this field.
As an L.A.-based episodic TV animation writer, Steven has written for shows at Warner Bros. Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and others, including such well known animated shows as Ozzy & Drix, and Krypto – The Superdog. He has also created over a dozen animated TV series pitches that are in varying stages of development. He has a lot of wisdom to share!
Why will learning to draw help you to write scripts for animation? How does the pay structure for daytime animation work, and why is it highly different from primetime animated shows? Is it true that you pitch by email, even without an agent? If so, how? What problems will a US writer face if they want to tap into the large Canadian animation market?
Steven has also written and produced features, and has a number of projects in development. He has some interesting advice on what to do with the unsold feature scripts you’re written, which are now collecting dust in your drawer…
Follow Steven on Twitter: @sdarancette
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published April 11, 2011.
This week we have an absolute treat… a 46-minute interview with Emmy-nominated writer-producer, playwright, director, and author of the TV Writer’s Workbook, Ellen Sandler!
Entertainment Today calls Ellen Sandler the “Dalai Lama of television writing”… her TV Writer’s Workbook is used by the top film schools in the world, including USC, UCLA, and NYU. The praise is well-deserved… like Save the Cat by Blake Snyder does for feature writing, Ellen’s book comes from a writer’s approach, telling you in very simple, easy to understand terms, virtually everything you need to know to be a successful TV writer.
Ellen is a seasoned writer — she was nominated for an Emmy for her work as a Co-Executive Producer of the CBS hit series, Everybody Loves Raymond. She has written for many other prime time network television comedies, including ABC’s Coach, and has created original television pilots for ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox Family, Oxygen Network, and the Disney Channel.
Both a teacher and a consultant, Ellen provides script development and career coaching for professionals and emerging writers in the entertainment industry, as well as writing workshops and seminars at conferences and universities both in the US and abroad.
Do we need to tell you she has a ton of wisdom to share? Even if you haven’t read her book, you’ll benefit greatly from the interview. If you have, you’ll get a lot of extra depth.
Follow Ellen on Twitter: @sandlerink — or visit her website at www.sandlerink.com.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published April 2, 2011.
He moved permanently to Los Angeles! And then the phone started ringing for Canadian jobs… Award-winning Canadian TV & feature writer-producer Wil Zmak is sure to win records for the longest commute!
Wil Zmak grew up in Toronto, and studied film at Toronto’s York University (around the same time Gray was there), as well as the Canadian Film Centre. Then, his wife’s career demanded a move to the US, and it was off to Los Angeles!
Now permanently planted in L.A., Wil was offered the first of many Canadian jobs, that would see him travel to Canada for several months at a time, flying home on weekends to be with his family. Since then, Wil has worked as a writer, producer, and story editor on several Canadian television series, including The Listener (CTV, FOX International), The Aladdin Project (CTV), Stone Undercover (Tom Stone – CBC / US syndication), Jinnah on Crime (CBC), and Being Erica (CBC).
Hear the fascinating story of how a conversation with director Paul Fox on the state of film storytelling resulted in Wil writing the script for the 2005 thriller The Dark Hours, which has won fifteen awards at international festivals, including seven for Best Feature.
Wil has also worked in development for both TV and features, and offers many helpful tips, including the best way to adapt novels to the screen; what adaptations can teach you about your original material; targeted networking; and why you shouldn’t limit yourself to the hero’s journey and commonly taught story structures.
Follow Wil Zmak on Twitter: @wilzmak
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published March 27, 2011.
Whether you live in Los Angeles, Toronto, or anywhere else, you’re going to love this interview with Canadian TV & feature writer Matt McLennan. Not only is it full to the brim with tips on breaking in and getting ahead, but you’ll be inspired by Matt’s tenacious “never give up” attitude, his resourcefulness, and his desire to mentor.
Once Matt set his eyes on the goal, nothing would stop him from achieving it. He read books, worked as a script reader, sent out hundreds of unsolicited emails, worked as personal assistant and production assistant, and met with anyone who could give him advice on the industry.
When one door would close, Matt would open another. When he did get a job, he would milk it for all it was worth, volunteering his time for duties outside his job description, so he could learn as many aspects as possible of what it takes to put a show together.
Learn the amazing story of how he proposed an innovative solution to a modestly budgeted teen show, to use indie local bands for fresh but inexpensive music. Matt ended up helping to promote many bands that would use the TV show to springboard to greater success, and at the same time he was credited not only for his writing, but for his music supervision as well!
To top it all off, Matt graciously offers his email address to any writers who would like to seek his advice or help. if you’ve learned anything from Matt, take him up on the offer!
Matt’s latest show, HBO’s “Call Me Fitz,” starring Jason Priestley, begins airing in April.
Follow Matt on Twitter: @mattmaclennan
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published March 19, 2011.
The prevailing wisdom says that “you must move to L.A.” if you want to make it as a TV or feature writer. This week we meet Tim Stubinski, a Canadian writer who has not only had several features optioned, but got an award winning television pilot produced and on the air… all while living in a small town five hours away from Toronto.
Are you frustrated, trying to work at a day job, while writing in your spare time? Tim Stubinski continues to work as a salesman in his small town, yet is constantly networking, pitching, and writing. He offers great tips on how to write the best query letters, how to pitch over the phone, and how social media tools like Facebook and Twitter are invaluable to anyone trying to break into writing, but especially the “remote writer.”
Hear how he and his writing partner Michael Markus managed to get several feature scripts optioned, and how they made the decision to turn one of their features into a TV pilot, called Wolf Canyon. This pilot got produced by Really Real Films out of Vancouver, starring Kevin Sorbo, Lorne Cardinal and comedienne Nikki Payne… it aired nationwide in Canada, and won five LEO awards!
As a salesman and successful writer, Tim offers much encouragement to other remote writers. He shares openly about the statistics he has observed in how many rejections he must get through before he finds someone who will read and respond to his script, and reminds us all that when selling a script, it’s the “yes” that matters!
Follow Tim on Twitter: @timstubinski
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published March 13, 2011.
Best known as the writer of the original cult horror film, Ginger Snaps, award-winning writer-producer Karen Waltonhas developed original and adapted film projects in almost every genre with top producers in Canada, the UK and the American studio system for almost twenty years.
The episode starts with… homework! For the first time, Gray assigns a book to read – The TV Writer’s Workbook, by Emmy-nominated writer Ellen Sandler – as he’ll be talking to Ellen on April 1st, and wants to solicit informed questions about her book.
Then on to the interview with Karen Walton…
After graduating from the Canadian Film Centre, Karen wrote a critically acclaimed independent horror film, Ginger Snaps, that has become a cult hit, and is listed by many critics on their all-time top 10 lists of high school horror films.
This film led to many years of assignment writing, and Karen shares the differences between writing an independent feature versus feature development in the studio system.
Karen has also written critically acclaimed TV movies, including the Gemini-winning The Many Trials of One Jane Doe, and she talks about the challenges of adapting true events, writing socially and morally conscious material, and writing a movie within the confines of the television format.
Karen has also been busy in series television, including freelance episodes of CBC’s Straight Up and CTV’s The Eleventh Hour, being a executive story editor on Showtime’s Queer as Folk, and just recently, she has started as a writer-supervising producer on season 4 of CTV’s Flashpoint, which airs on CBS in the US.
But wait, there’s more… Karen is the executive producer of the successful web series for tweens, Ruby Skye P.I.; has an original paranormal series currently optioned; is an active member of the Writer’s Guild of America – West, Canada, and Quebec’s SARTEC; and if that’s not enough… is the founder and current editor of the online writer’s community Ink Canada.
Follow Karen Walton on Twitter: @inkcanada
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published March 4, 2011.
This episode serves as the end of our Women TV Writers series and the beginning of our Canadian TV Market series, which will run through the month of March.
Today we meet Daegan Fryklind: a well-established Canadian writer who lives in Vancouver, but often comes to Toronto for writing jobs. In addition to working on well-known series Being Erica, The Listener, and Cold Squad, she has won a Leo Award for Best Dramatic Series Screenwriting (JPod), has been nominated for a Canadian Screenwriter Award (Robson Arms), and co-wrote the animated feature Edison & Leo, which won “Best Animated Feature” at the Bangkok International Animation Film Festival.
In our longest interview yet, she touches on many aspects of the Canadian writing market, from why animated shows are an excellent way to develop dialogue writing skills, to how Canadian TV writing fellowships differ from US fellowships, to rewriting scripts to meet Canadian funding guidelines, to the changing landscape for writers in Vancouver vs Toronto.
Because the Canadian writing market is in many ways tougher than the US market, writers like Daegan can offer great tips to US writers who are trying to break in… plus, find out what part of the Canadian industry might actually entice US writers to move north!
Follow Daegan Fryklind on Twitter: @daeganf
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published February 25, 2011.
Next up in our Women TV Writers series, we meet Keto Shimizu, an alumnus of the NBC Writers on the Verge program, who landed a staff writing gig on NBC’s The Cape in her mid-twenties, just three years after arriving in L.A. Want to find out how?
Though young, Keto has a lot of very practical advice for getting started in the business. Find out how she used her connections from Boston’s Emerson College to land several jobs in L.A., including post-production assistant on the recent TRON: Legacy.
Then, learn all about the NBC Writers on the Verge program, and how continuing to network with its participants helped her to draft a new TV pilot that was instrumental in her securing representation.
Finally, find out about The Cape — how advice to “geek out” paid off in landing the gig as a full staff writer, and also a great behind the scenes look at the writers room and how the first season has gone from script to screen!
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published January 24, 2011.
As we continue our Women TV Writers series, we are excited to present our first writing team, Elisabeth R. Finch and Kate Barnow, who wrote for HBO’s True Blood, and now are staffed on ABC’s No Ordinary Family.
They had very different paths into the industry… Elisabeth was a playwright from Jersey and Kate a former history major writing an unproducible period piece. Which women’s career website connected them with True Blood? And how did their jobs as assistant and script coordinator equip them to write the True Blood comic book?
Find out how they managed to write three freelance True Blood scripts while still performing their other job duties, and then how they made the jump to full staff writers at No Ordinary Family. They also share many of the ways that the writing process varies between cable shows and network shows.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published January 18, 2011.
As we begin our Women TV Writers series, we are excited to have two interviews with Ali Adler, Co-Executive Producer and writer of ABC’s exciting new show, No Ordinary Family.
Gray kicks off the episode with a discussion on the current employment statistics for women and minorities in TV writing.
Then, we feature an interview Gray had with Ali in February 2009, when she talked about how she got started writing, her career path, her work with the Young Storytellers Foundation, and also much about the process of writing Chuck.
In Gray’s latest interview with Ali, they discuss her experiences on various staffs, her opinion on how to motivate women to break in, and much about her experiences on her new show, No Ordinary Family. She answers many fan questions, and teases about what’s to come in what she promises are some very strong upcoming episodes.
[ed. note: Ali Adler moved on to be the show runner for Supergirl on CBS.]
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published January 8, 2011.
What if you were called in to run a show that had just aired its first four episodes, and was put on hold? That happened to former Chuckwriter/co-executive producer Scott Rosenbaum, and it he accepted the challenge!
It wasn’t easy, but Scott steered the show V into new waters, and it has gotten stronger and stronger ever since.
You’ll be fascinated to hear how Scott lost his writing staff due to production delays, and had to deliver the last two episodes and the pitch for season 2 by himself, with just the studio as a sounding board!
Hear also how he selected the season 2 writing staff, his advice for writing spec scripts, how to properly prepare for a staffing interview, and how a chance meeting ended up securing an actor for one of the most important new characters in season 2.
We also include an interview Gray had with Scott back in March 2010, just before his first V episodes started to air. In this interview he shares his career path, from how he got started as a writer to his work on Chuck, including insight on why “bottle episodes” often end up being the strongest.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published January 2, 2011.
Are you wondering whether to write features or television? To try to get a pilot produced, or to work on a staff? Or are you concerned you don’t have enough time to write because of your busy family life?
This week we meet someone who does it all… Dan McDermott, co-executive producer and writer on Fox’s Human Target, which began its second season this Wednesday.
You’ll love hearing how Dan manages to write both features and television at the same time, with great success! While writing the action-packed blockbuster “Eagle Eye,” he also successfully sold the pilot for and executive produced the TV series “Angela’s Eyes.”
He shares many cool stories, including how he came up with the idea for Eagle Eye, his work on the Romancing the Stone remake, and why the iconic ending of the original Soylent Green is only the midpoint of his adaptation of the story.
Oh, yeah… and he does this all with a wife and son! He shares practical advice on how to balance family life, features, and television at the same time.
Make sure you watch Dan’s work on Human Target, airing on Fox on Wednesdays at 8/7c. Also, check out our interview with Human Targetshowrunner Matt Miller if you haven’t already!
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published November 16, 2010.
He’s won 5 Prime Time Emmys, a Grammy, a Peabody, and a Television Critics’ Association Award, and was even named a “SuperJew” by Time Out New York. No, he doesn’t have superpowers, but that hasn’t stopped comedy writer Rob Kutner from writing over 1000 episodes of great comedy shows The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and Dennis Miller Live.
Oh, and did we mention that he’s a best-selling author too? His recent satirical end-of-times bestseller Apocalypse How: Turn the End Times into the Best of Times! is one of the top 100 parodies at Amazon.com.
You’ll love hearing how he got his comedy start as the only Jewish kid in a Christian kindergarten class… How studies at Princeton led to him being deported from Uzbekistan… How Dennis Miller gave him his first break… and all his tips for getting in to comedy writing.
Rob recommends several books in the podcast — you can find them all, including his book “Apocalypse How,” on Amazon.
Rob also takes the time to answer many fan questions that came in over Twitter… You can follow him at @ApocalypseHow.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published October 7, 2010.
In the final part of our series on the crossover between SyFy’s hit shows Warehouse 13 and Eureka, this week Gray talks to the co-creator and showrunner of Eureka, Jaime Paglia, and the actor who made the crossover, Neil Grayston.
You’ll love hearing about how Jaime Paglia and Andrew Cosby came up with the idea for this sci fi comedy hybrid, set in a fictional small town with a Northern Exposure feel. Jaime explains exactly what has made this show a hit for SyFy, bringing millions of new viewers to the network who might not ordinarily watch sci fi. He also talks about how he and Jack Kenny came up with the idea for the crossover episode, and how a chance plane ride with Stan Lee resulted in a cameo on the show!
Then we have the privilege of hearing from actor Neil Grayston, who plays Douglas Fargo on Eureka. He shares about his process when he gets a script, how his character has changed over Eureka‘s four seasons, and what it was like to shoot the crossover episodes. Plus, he tells some funny anecdotes about Terminator and Star Warsthrowbacks, and working with his BFF Allison Scagliotti.
Gray also tells about some cool resources, including the new TV Writer Twitter Database, and an upcoming interview with Chuck co-creator Chris Fedak on his other podcast, at chuckpodcast.com.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
Continuing our series on the crossover between SyFy’s hit shows Warehouse 13 and Eureka, this week Gray talks to the writer of the crossover episode on the Warehouse 13 side, Ian Stokes.
So far we’ve heard from two showrunners… this time, we have the privilege to hear a very fresh breaking in story, as Ian has very recently made the jump from assistant to full staff writer.
You’re sure to love Ian’s story, how he went from being a P.A. for Robert Zemeckis to being a staff writer on SyFy’s #1 show, in only four years!
He also shares some interesting perspectives about working in development at SyFy Network before getting the job on Warehouse 13, and also some valuable and practical tips to writers trying to break in to television writing.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published September 1, 2010.
Warehouse 13 has been breaking records for the SyFy network since its launch. Today we are pleased to bring you an interview with Warehouse 13 showrunner Jack Kenny.
A graduate of the Juilliard School Theatre Center, Jack was a member of John Houseman’s “The Acting Company” and has acted on Broadway. He is also a director, and a successful show creator.
He talks about co-writing and going solo, his experiences co-creating the controversial show The Book of Daniel, and how he serendipitously came to run Warehouse 13. He also shares many great stories of how Warehouse 13 came to be, the changes he made after the pilot, experiences writing and shooting the show, and what’s to come toward the season finale in September.
Of special interest is the recent crossover episode between Warehouse 13 and Eureka (SyFy). The cross-pollination was a success, increasing ratings not only for the crossover, but also subsequent episodes. Hear Jack tell how a chance meeting at Comic-Con and someone’s BFF led to the crossover.
After the interview, you’ll hear about a new database of TV writers on Twitter, and if you’re watching the video, you’ll see how you can contact any of Warehouse 13‘s writers on Twitter. While you’re at it, why don’t you follow Gray?
For more information about Jack, including a list of credits, click herefor his IMDB profile. Wikipedia also has a page on Jack here.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.comor on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published August 28, 2010.
Script magazine is proud to announce our editorial partnership with TVWriterPodcast.com! Hosted by Gray Jones, the TV Writer Podcast is devoted to interviews with working TV writers. It is brought to you by Script magazine and Scriptmag.com, the leading source for scriptwriting information on the web.
For the inaugural episode, Gray Jones has not one but two interviews with Human Target show runner Matt Miller. The first interview was done by host Jones on his other show, Chuck vs. the Podcast, and talks about Miller’s career path and how he ended up on Chuck. Then Jones’ second interview with Miller takes you to the present — hear all about his plans for season 2 of Human Target.
Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.
Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,000 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.
First published August 13, 2010.