On The Page

Narrative and documentary filmmaker Oanh-Nhi Nguyen makes movies about her family, their past and the intergenerational experience. Here she talks about what she's learned as a writer-director and how she makes sure that networking is a regular part of her process.

Award-winning documentary director Molly Bernstein discusses the process and narrative approach that went into researching, developing and directing her documentaries about Maus creator Art Spiegelman and magician Ricky Jay.

Screenwriter and major league baseball scout J.D. Elliby talks about the authenticity, character arcs, obstacles, and emotional moments that help create a great on-screen baseball story. 

Lenses, lighting, looks, and "oners.” What are the filming techniques that help tell the story beyond the page? Writer/director Jeremy Walton breaks it down for us. 

This episode was originally recorded in 2021 with director Philip Barantini, currently best known as the director of “Adolescence” a four-part series on Netflix. This episode focuses on his independent feature film Boiling Point, also shot in one take. Hear how he kept the camera moving while also telling a rich story of an intense night in a restaurant.

Up and comer Billy Zeinert talks about writing "smart popcorn," familiar stories with novel twists.

Married creative partners Joshua Dean and Jo Rochelle describe the shared teaching experiences that inspired the writing of the independent feature Dead Deer High and the adventures they encountered while making it. 

Writer/director Saraswathi (Vani) Buyyala talks about her journey from being a teenager in India to becoming the head of Rhythm and Hues Asia and eventually following her creative passions with her production company Dancing Atoms.

Pilar takes a moment to talk about the themes, triggers and ah-hah moments that work to create a strong act three in a feature film. Surprise announcement at the end of the episode!

Writer Craig T. Williams talks about his approach to making industry relationships, nailing interviews and about the fact that all of his opportunities, including his first writers room job, happened after the age of 50.

Pilar and her friends Brian Pope, Mike Musa and Alex Troxler get together for their annual discussion about the best screenplay and best adapted screenplay Oscar nominees.

Television writer Taylor Vaughn Lasley talks about her latest Peabody-award nominated project and the unique method of building story she teaches her students at Syracuse University's Newhouse School. 

On the Page “rising star" Tamar Feinkind has found stories from her dad, herself, her motherhood and her Jewish identity. Here, she talks about her projects, pitches and a pivotal name reclamation that helped change everything.

Political turmoil! Climate disasters! How can a comedy writer find the funny? Marc Warzecha, writer, comedian and director of The Sketch School, is here to help.

Writer Tiffany Bratcher worked her way up from writers PA to writer for the Amazon Prime series On Call and story editor for Chicago PD. Here she talks about writing procedural and half-hour drama, police ride-alongs and the need to always be pitching. 

Writer Jan Kimbrough discusses The Women's List, a nonprofit spotlighting production-ready scripts by women writers.

Pilar and her husband Pat describe how their real life story felt like a movie story as they evacuated Los Angeles during the wildfires.

Filmmaker, author, comedian Sari Karplus made a movie with her kids on a lark and ended up winning film festivals! Listen to her take on working with kids, how she wrote four childrens' books and how taking time to “look at the trees,” might just be the key to a work / life balance.

Writer/director/educator Rae Shaw discusses her new book, The Short, emphasizing the many forms of short form storytelling and the different approaches that can be taken to writing it.

Pilar reads and gives feedback on the loglines that didn't make the top fifteen lists for the 2024 Logline Contest.

Pilar and Aadip read, evaluate and vote on feature and TV loglines sent in by listeners!

Career coach Lee Jessup returns to discuss the industry changes and writing trends of 2024 and shares what's ahead for the new year.

Writer/Director Coley Sohn talks about the fun and frustration of writing and directing her independent movie “Mudkey,” which satirizes the right/left divide during one miserable day on a Florida island.

Writer/Publicists Alexandra Grizinski and Jenny Beres talk about ways that screenwriters can mine their personal story to get interest in their scripts as well as the ways they can expand to different media to help them get work and get noticed.

It's time for the annual On the Page logline competition!  Pilar explains the rules and gives the deadline.

Filmmaker Pooja Parvati Gupta's experience in reality shows turned out to be excellent narrative training for creating compelling scripted stories. Hear how she made the choice to move from one to the other and how personal experience impacts her storytelling.

Writer Alan Jenkins created 1/6, a comic book based on the “what-ifs” of a successful insurrection. Now, he's seeing many of those imagined scenarios play out in real time. Here he talks about the ways that comic books have taken political stands over the years and gives guidelines for writers to help them be more empathetic in their writing and creative workplace. 

Writer Aaron Kozak was a winner at the Austin Screenwriting Festival this year and a finalist in two other categories! Here he talks about the many ideas he's put on the page, his ability to write a lot of material very fast and how moving away from Los Angeles has made him a better writer.

Virgil Williams, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of Mudbound, talks about his latest feature film, an adaptation of the August Wilson playThe Piano Lesson, produced by Denzel Washington and directed by Malcolm Washington.

When actor/writer Mia Serafino was given the opportunity to audition for the Netflix show Beef, she knew this was a script worthy of changing her Christmas plans. Here she talks about what speaks to her in scripts and how this has informed her own journey as a writer.

Lynn Renee Maxcy, writer for The Handmaid's Tale and The Complex talks about her love of sci-fi and speculative fiction where, no matter how dark it seems, a story can always provide hope.

Screenwriters Rafael Aguilo and Neal Thibedeau have written more than ten projects over the past four years and Pilar thinks they need their big break! Here they talk about their favorite projects and their style of collaboration.

Producer Kim Zubick (Togo, The Zookeepers Wife) emphasizes the need for emotion in verbal pitches, pitch-decks and sizzle reels.

Filmmaker and marketing specialist Chris Brennan discusses ways that screenwriters can market themselves and their work by creating a new mindset, thinking about how they can “add value” and strategizing their social media and e-mails in more effective ways.

Writer/Director/Professor Shahari Moore draws from her “well" of experience and knowledge as she writes personal stories that grab the attention of industry and writers labs.

Adrian Colón Jr went from being a Wayans fan to working in the writers room with them on the new CBS show Poppa's House. Hear what he learned as he went from Writers PA to CBS Fellow to working writer.

Actress, director, writer Tiffany Yvonne Cox (Reasonable Doubt, Napa Ever After) talks about the work she does on screen, on the page and behind the scenes to improve artists' lives and "expose the world one story at a time."

How do you write a character over 50? By writing them as a superhero. From their secret lair to their Kryptonite, Pilar gives a tip-packed lesson in writing mature characters.

From working in development for Ivan Reitman to writing short stories and making the Love List with her feature film, Victoria Male has done it all. Here she shares a wealth of information including her unique take on IP and the secret skills that come with being a “fan girl." 

Director Elliott Lester returns to talk about how a gender swap and involvement by Peter Dinklage brought him to his latest project, The Thicket. 

Career coach Lee Jessup discusses Hollywood's current “contraction” and suggests that it might ultimately result in a positive outcome.

Writer/Director Tracie Laymon turned a painful truth into an award-winning independent feature. Hear how she conceived, wrote, directed and produced Bob Trevino Likes It, earning the jury prize for Best Narrative Feature and the Audience Award at the 2024 South by Southwest Film Festival. 

Writer James “Doc” Mason digs into the elements of the logline as discussed in his book, Mastering the Logline: How To Excite Hollywood in a Single Sentence.

From getting stuck in a Zoom room to working in hospice, everything that writer Lauren Glover (Chicago Med, Fight Night) thought was an obstacle, came full circle to help her in her writing career. 

Barbara Stepansky, writer/producer on Outlander and head writer on Woman of the Dead, talks about how the rules of the shows she writes on present creative challenges that make her job even more interesting.

Writer/Director Marie-Emmanuelle Hartness comes from a personal place in her work and asks the same of her students at Emerson College. 

Writer and “good witch,” Glenda L. Richardson describes her process for capturing voices and crafting stories for celebrities such as Kevin Hart, Tiffany Haddish and Taraji P. Henson.

Entertainment attorney and composer Corey Field sees his work as helping writers and creators achieve their dreams. Here he explains the difference between sales, options and work-for-hire and discusses potential gains and traps along the way. 

Writer Delondra Mesa (American Rust, Pretty Little Liars) talks about her approach to discovering story and creating content even as the industry experiences “The Great Contraction.” 

Director Dans Karagannis and Writer Liz Renner discuss their journey meeting in an On the Page class and joining together to make their short film Damned If You Do, currently screening in major festivals. 

Writer Suha AL Khalifa is a senior writer at the Saudi Giant MBC Studios (Rashash, Devil's Promise) and also wrote the region's first female super-hero film. She talks about how her experience as a psychotherapist and as a "cultural hybrid" (Bahrain, UK, and US) has informed her writing and storytelling.