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15 episodes with tv writers
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2 episodes with tv writers
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2 episodes with tv writers
2 episodes with tv writers
2 episodes with tv writers
2 episodes with tv writers
2 episodes with tv writers
Want to see the video version of this podcast? Please visit YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h32PYO4ArpU Charla Lauriston is a TV writer and the lead mentor at The Werking Writer School, a course that prepares new and aspiring screenwriters with at least one completed script for professional careers as TV Writers. Over five weeks, students learn how to mindfully build self-confidence from the inside out, navigate the Writer's Room and the Hollywood machine, build a professional network, and create their own productivity system. In addition to The Werking Writer School, Charla is a Vancouver and Los Angeles based comedian, writer, and director. BUY THE BOOK ON AMAZON (Charla mentions the author in this video) So Good They Can't Ignore You - Cal Newport https://amzn.to/3NSSR3o MORE VIDEOS WITH CHARLA LAURISTON https://buff.ly/3Necv8H CONNECT WITH CHARLA LAURISTON https://www.charlalauriston.com https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4398114 https://www.instagram.com/charlalauriston https://www.youtube.com/@charlalauristonTV CONNECT WITH THE WERKING WRITER https://thewerkingwriter.com https://www.instagram.com/thewerkingwriter VIEWERS ALSO WATCHED If You Can't Answer These 3 Questions You Don't Have A Story - https://youtu.be/Z_wid1qLEsY The One Scene A Writer Should Never Delete - https://youtu.be/anbGJNZbsmE How A Writer Can Turn An Ordinary Idea Into A Great One - https://youtu.be/G8Kl1tGBJT0 What Writers Get Wrong About The Hero's Journey - https://youtu.be/woiCxsRej10 If A Writer Makes This Mistake The Story Is Over - https://youtu.be/juxCiuj4R60 CONNECT WITH FILM COURAGE http://www.FilmCourage.com http://twitter.com/#!/FilmCourage https://www.facebook.com/filmcourage https://www.instagram.com/filmcourage http://filmcourage.tumblr.com http://pinterest.com/filmcourage SUBSCRIBE TO THE FILM COURAGE YOUTUBE CHANNEL http://bit.ly/18DPN37 SUPPORT FILM COURAGE BY BECOMING A MEMBER https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs8o1mdWAfefJkdBg632_tg/join SUPPORT FILM COURAGE BY BECOMING A PATRON https://www.patreon.com/filmcourage LISTEN TO THE FILM COURAGE PODCAST https://soundcloud.com/filmcourage-com (Affiliates) ►WE USE THIS CAMERA (B&H) – https://buff.ly/3rWqrra ►WE USE THIS SOUND RECORDER (AMAZON) – http://amzn.to/2tbFlM9 Stuff we use: LENS - Most people ask us what camera we use, no one ever asks about the lens which filmmakers always tell us is more important. This lens was a big investment for us and one we wish we could have made sooner. Started using this lens at the end of 2013 - http://amzn.to/2tbtmOq AUDIO Rode VideoMic Pro - The Rode mic helps us capture our backup audio. It also helps us sync up our audio in post https://amzn.to/425k5rG Audio Recorder - If we had to do it all over again, this is probably the first item we would have bought - https://amzn.to/3WEuz0k LIGHTS - Although we like to use as much natural light as we can, we often enhance the lighting with this small portable light. We have two of them and they have saved us a number of times - http://amzn.to/2u5UnHv *Disclaimer: This video and description contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, we'll receive a small commission. This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make videos like this. Thank you for your support!
JOIN TSL WORKSHOPS: http://tslworkshops.circle.so Though he's perhaps best known as Miguel on This Is Us, Jon Huertas has been a TV staple for decades, having worked on broadcast, cable, and streaming, both in front of and behind the camera. With such a deep well of experience, Jon has incredible advice for TV writers in today's conversation.
Today we talk about India's mango market and what farmers are doing to preserve the authenticity Alphonso mangoes and how Indian film and TV writers are pushing for copyrights over the finished projects. In this episode we're be joined by Soumya Gupta, our in-house expert of all things media and entertainment. Tune in!Also read: Writers write with few rights - Part 2
In Love with the Process | Filmmaking | Photography | Lifestyle |
We've heard that television is the writer's medium, the ultimate destination for writers seeking creative control and power. In this world, writers become showrunners, leading some of the most stressful yet rewarding jobs in the business, and building their own writers' rooms filled with talented and hungry writers eager for their big break. But what is a writers' room actually like? Joining host Mike Pecci on today's episode of In Love with the Process podcast is writer and showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith (Cobra Kai, Twisted Metal). Smith shares details about his 10-year journey from a writers' room assistant to running some of the biggest shows on TV. This is the in-depth episode you've been asking for about TV writing, so grab a coffee, open up a notes doc, and strap in for the new episode of ILWP! --------------------------------- Go to inlovewiththeprocess.com to see trailers and clips! ►MJ's IG: https://www.instagram.com/iammichaeljonathan/ ►Mike Pecci's IG: instagram.com/mikepecci ►ILWP's IG: instagram.com/inlovewiththeprocesspod -------------> Featuring Music from: ►Code Elektro ►Mitch Murder The Episode is Sponsored by ► Puget Systems: puget.systems/go/ILWTP ► FujiFilm: fujifilm-x.com/ ► FujiFilm Shop: bit.ly/3Q2zTHw ► FujiFilm Refurb: bit.ly/3I9NLh4 ► FujiFilmX-H2S: bit.ly/3i22hN5
How do you go from Yale and Heidegger to Hollywood and "How many explosions can I fit on a page?" Writer David Loong is here to go over just that and his journey from Philosophy student to member of the 2024 - 2025 NBC TV Writers Program. More about David Loong: David Loong writes genre dramas featuring deep worldbuilding and multicultural, code-switching outsiders. Born in Hong Kong, he attended high school in Oxfordshire, England before getting a B.A. in history from Yale University. After brief career flirtations with consulting, crypto, and underwater archaeology, Loong earned an MFA from USC's Screenwriting Division. He was selected for The Thousand Miles Project, UCP's highly regarded talent incubator. After the program, he signed a deal with UCP to develop an original pilot, “The Englishman,” a boarding school thriller centered around a mysterious and cutthroat school competition, with "Pachinko" showrunner Soo Hugh. Loong is repped by Anonymous Content and IAG. More about the NBC TV Writers Program: Created in 2005, the NBC TV Writers Program is the company's premier program that develops emerging episodic television writers whose distinct points of view and lived experiences provide unique perspectives to the writers' room. This includes talent from various socio-economic backgrounds, geographic locations, racial and ethnic backgrounds, people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ community and veterans, among other communities. The program prepares writers to be staffed on scripted series with the long-term goal of developing the next generation of showrunners. Find us at www.werewatchingwhat.com or instagram.com/werewatchingwhat David Loong can be found at davidloong.me THEDHK can be found at instagram.com/thedhk , twitter.com/thedhk, and facebook.com/thedhkmovies
Harper's has a great cover story this month entitled “The Life and Death of Hollywood” by the intellectual historian, podcast and general muckraker Daniel Bessner. Film & tv writers face an existential threat, Bessner told me, from a Hollywood now controlled by four financialized mega-companies operated by MBA touting execs. But is this really new, I asked him, or is today's dismal story just another rerun of the standard anti-capitalist narrative of creatives getting screwed by the money men? Yes, it is new, Bessner insists, because today's existential crisis of Hollywood's film & tv writers is the canary in the coal mine for an entire professional elite of lawyers, journalists and academics about to be hit by the AI powered tsunami of 21st century techno-capitalism. Daniel Bessner is currently the Annett H. and Kenneth B. Pyle Associate Professor in American Foreign Policy at the University of Washington. He is a member of the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies and previously held the Joff Hanauer Honors Professorship in Western Civilization. He is also a Non-Resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, an Associate of the Alameda Institute, and a Contributing Editor at Jacobin. In 2019-2020, he served as a foreign policy advisor to Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign; in 2024, for unclear reasons, the Russian government sanctioned him. Daniel is an intellectual historian, and his work has focused on three areas of inquiry: the history and contemporary practice of U.S. foreign relations; the history and theory of liberalism; and, most recently, the history and practice of the entertainment industry. He is the author of Democracy in Exile: Hans Speier and the Rise of the Defense Intellectual (Cornell, 2018), which you may order here. He is also the co-editor, with Nicolas Guilhot, of The Decisionist Imagination: Sovereignty, Social Science, and Democracy in the Twentieth Century (Berghahn, 2019), which you may order here; and the co-editor, with Michael Brenes, of Rethinking U.S. World Power: Domestic Histories of U.S. Foreign Relations (Palgrave, 2024), which you may order here.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe
Streamers have begun giving writers notes based on the “second screen.” What is that and why does it matter? Ken goes on a rant this week. Listen to more podcasts like this: https://wavepodcastnetwork.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Tim and Jim strap on their revealing short shorts for a timely review of the original 1936 Flash Gordon Serial, "Planet in Peril!" We unpack all things parallel to Star Wars, knife fights with shark men, culturally inappropriate emperors, and planets in peril! Speaking of Planets in Peril, there's also an Earthquake in NY that happens mid-pod. Talk about production value! And Dune's deleted scenes, Cerveza Crystal, and more! Plus, we announce that we'll be participating in May the 4th's Pod-A-Thon to benefit the Make-A-Wish foundation! http://bit.ly/podathon24
Another #maxfundrive bonus episode for you! Thank you to everyone who has boosted or become a #maxfundrive member, it's because of you that we can put out episodes like this. We sat down with comedy writer Andy Bobrow about his sitcom writing rules. Andy is a writer who's script Greatest American Heroes (ep link here) was last year's MaxFunDrive episode. We had an incredible cast for that one including Will Forte, Stephen Root, Rachel Harris, Sam Richardson and more. Andy has written on Malcolm In The Middle, Community, Last Man On earth, Brooklyin Nine-Nine and currently he's been writing for Krapopolis. Recently, he posted some of his sitcom writing rules on twitter that we found to be super spot on and we wanted to talk to him about it. There's a lot of extremely practical advice in this one. Things that can help comedy writers at any level who are maybe stuck on a scene or looking for general things not to do. You can find his list here This is for all writers or fans who are interested in the craft of how comedy shows are written. If you get something useful out of this conversation please consider becoming a #maxfun member at just $5 a month by going to maximumfun.org/donate. Thanks for listening! Enjoy! MaxFunDrive ends on March 29, 2024! Support our show now by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.
Host Tasha Huo brings on her Gersh agent, Mark Hartogsohn, for the first in a series designed to help Screenwriters navigate what it means to get an Agent and maximize your working relationship once you have an Agent. In this introductory installment, Tasha and Josh discuss how Mark became a Hollywood agent, what it means to be a Lit Agent for Screen and TV Writers, and how he goes about finding new clients. Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Jim, Tim, and Greg look ahead at what 2024 has in store for Star Wars, unpack theories about the Star Wats theory guy and try to figure out who the next big sci-fi filmmakers will be.
In this episode Kaia Alexander, founder of the Entertainment Business School, moderates a panel of diverse TV writers who discuss their scripts on The Stunt List. The conversation highlights the importance of a supportive community for writers, inspirations, what makes a good story and favorite movie snacks! The goal of the Stunt List and its new original script divisions The Dead List and The Originals Bureau is to amplify a diverse portfolio of voices through writer-forward showcases and radical kindness. Like a “Netflix For Writers,” the interactive website presentation showcases a complete brand image at the script stage. The aim is to give the industry a glimpse into how the screenplay would feel as a finished movie—through a streaming-style layout and theatrical-like marquee that offers rad visuals including poster artwork, trailers, proof of concepts and script teasers. You'll find sold and produced industry pros, repped and ready writers, to undiscovered and underrepresented voices on the verge. Your next writer AND your next greenlight are here. We are a team of writers and producers who find joy in giving back to this incredible community by volunteering to run The Stunt List and its initiatives.” Learn more at: OfficialStuntList.com Panelists: Elizabeth Ditty, HELLCATS OF THE CARIBBEAN, Twitter/IG/Threads: @ditty1013 | bsky: @elizabethditty.com Jelena Woehr, KATABASIS, @jelenawoehr (Twitter) @yellinawar (Insta) Nanea Taylor, AS BEFORE, @tay_nanea Josh Price & Sarah Mack, SHRINK RETREAT, @actorjoshprice and @thesarahmack Eddie Hamel, MURDER TOWN, @EC_Hamel Jonathan Melikidse, Moku Moku, @jmelikidse, https://808mokumoku.com/ Zack Morrison, CANUSA STREET, https://twitter.com/ZackMorrison18 Stephen Nolly, HOWLIE, https://twitter.com/skndeep Matthew Tuthill, CADY RING, https://www.matt-tuthill.com/, https://twitter.com/MCTuthill Joseph Mwamba, NIGHTS PHOENIX, https://twitter.com/JoeMightLikeTV Stacey Russell, YOUNGBLOODS, https://twitter.com/staceycrussell Tim Westland, FOR THE ARTICLES, www.timwestland.com, https://twitter.com/timwestland Connect with your host Kaia Alexander: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ https://twitter.com/thisiskaia Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A. Get career training and a free ebook “How to Pitch Anything in 1Min.” at www.EntertainmentBusinessLeague.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Going Places WAS a show. In fact, it was part of ABC's famous TGIF lineup during the 1990 to 1991 season, and lasted just 19 episodes. It was about two brothers from Chicago who move to LA to take jobs as TV comedy writers, and move into a house owned by the show's producer. Also living with them are two women who also write for the show. Hijinks ensue? Going Places stood out as a workplace comedy for adults, as compared to the more typically family-oriented shows in the Friday night block like Full House and Family Matters, the mainstays of TGIF. Brynn, Aaron and Barry get in an old convertible, drive down to LA and run out onto the beach at sunset…which will make sense once you listen to the episode! Visit our website! thatwasashow.com Follow us on Instagram @thatwasashow Merch: redbubble.com/people/thatwasashow Hosted by: Brynn Byrne @brynnabyrne Aaron Yeger @aaronyeger Andrew “Barry” Helmer @andrewhelmer Podcast logo and artwork by Brian Walker @briguywalker
Green Left journalist's Isaac Nellist and Chloe DS go through the latest news from across the continent and around the world. For more information on all of these stories, read our in-depth coverage here. Music and editing by LittleArcherBeats. Stop Black Deaths in Custody | Housing Justice Summit | Peoples' Blockade of the World's Largest Coal Port | Listen to Green Left Radio on 3CR Read Green Left articles featured in this episode here. We acknowledge that this was produced on stolen Aboriginal land. We express solidarity with ongoing struggles for justice for First Nations people and pay our respects to Elders past and present. If you like our work, become a supporter: https://www.greenleft.org.au/support Support Green Left on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/greenleft Green Left online: https://www.greenleft.org.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreenLeftOnline/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/greenleftonline YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/greenleftonline TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greenleftonline Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenleftonline/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@greenleftonline Podbean: https://greenleftonline.podbean.com/ Telegram: https://t.me/greenleftonline Podcast available on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Antennapod, Itunes and PodcastAddict.
Ken delves deeper into why we laugh and why we don't laugh. And why veteran comedy writers are still sometimes puzzled.More podcasts at WAVE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/artist/wave-podcast-network/1437831426See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
As the WGA and SAG strikes continue, it can be easy to forget why they are on strike in the first place. Many people don't really understand the production process or how things are so bad that professional writers have been willing to stop working for nearly 5 months. In this episode, I speak with veteran TV writer and executive producer, Ricky Manning and staff writer and story editor, Brittany Northcross, about their perspectives on the strikes. They also pull back the veil a bit and talk about working conditions of writers and how that has changed with the advent of streaming. The contrast between Ricky and Brittany's journeys into becoming television writers shows how much the industry has changed and how unforgiving it has been for newer writers over the past decade. This strike about the future of creative labor and invites us all to consider how our work is be respected and used in the greater landscape. Note: I have consulted with SAG about this episode and have tried to adhere to all necessary guidelines. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/interspectional/support
We cover all the pressing questions: Are Ugnaughts pig people? Why are Twileks so hot but Bib Fortuna is not? are Mandalorians just Lord of the Rings Dwarves? Did Sabine invent the Knights of Ren? Rex or No Rex in ROTJ? And! Greg issues the best and most complete non-Feloni-delivered analysis of LothWolves, Ezra, and the World between Worlds you've ever heard.
Greg takes a break from the WGA negotiating committee to explain the reasoning behind some in the Star Wars community honoring the SAG strike rules, including us, and we finally dive into why George Lucas left the WGA and DGA. Then, we tackle "how do you binge," plus... What great series of the last decade did Jim fast forward and why does Greg have a homemade TV Guide?
With the Hollywood writers strike showing no signs of slowing down, many creative professionals have been forced to look for alternative sources of work. Zack Arnold is an award-winning Hollywood film & television editor and producer(Cobra Kai, Burn Notice, Empire, Shooter, Glee) and others. He is also the CEO of the Optimize Yourself podcast and program, which helps individuals directly affected by the strike, adjust to the situation by offering his insight and guidance to them and their careers. His interviews with outlets such as the Washington Post, The Hollywood Times, Evening Standard and Variety have enabled him to share his expertise with a wider audience. The overwhelming response to his message has seen Zack field hundreds of calls over the past three months from creative professionals looking for new opportunities. Through his company, Optimize Yourself, he has been able to help these people find more balanced, sustainable and fulfilling careers. Visit --- https://optimizeyourself.me/
What are the similarities and differences when it comes to working in film versus working in podcasting? What lessons can we take from filmmaking into the audio space, and vice versa? In today's episode, No Film School's GG Hawkins, Andrew Barbot, Joanna Hausmann, and Marcus Thorne Bagalà discuss: The inspiration behind this roundtable discussion Starting in TV and moving into podcasting Opportunities for experimenting and world building Hijacking listeners imaginations through podcasting The differences in casting for podcast shows versus tv shows The challenges involved in scripted podcasts Using sound design to avoid exposition Grounding your podcast in specificity Being much more aware of sound and audio People getting into the space that don't understand it Memorable Quotes “Maybe I forgot about it because I just blacked it all out.” [11:49] “You have flexibility in audio that you don't have in tv and film.” [19:19] “Is this something you want to spend hours of your week doing, not because an audience will like it, but because it will come naturally to you.” [39:54] Resources: You Feeling This Podcast trailer Andrew's work Follow Andrew on Twitter Joanna's work Follow Joanna on Instagram Marcus' work Follow Marcus on Twitter Find No Film School everywhere: On the Web https://nofilmschool.com/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nofilmschool Twitter https://twitter.com/nofilmschool YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/nofilmschool Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nofilmschool Send us an email with questions or feedback: podcast@nofilmschool.com! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For Independence Day, we're celebrating the REBELS. We give you the full YubNub Rebels Season One experience, breaking down structure, pacing, space battles, looking up stuff as we discuss it, and why did Grand Moff Tarkin kill his own men? Plus, Greg takes us inside a Star Wars cartoon writers room, and Tim reveals his favorite Star Wars TV show.
Ya boiz talk behind-the-scenes Indiana Jones transcripts, Jaleel While in Skeleton Crew, the Star Wars vibes of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and ask why Jay Leno never hangs out with George Lucas.
*Disclaimer, we are not lawyers -- even though today's guest, Rob's good friend (and former writer's group member), Pamela Nash, is. She has also acted on his behalf as de facto legal counsel for all of his screenwriting contracts -- and some for this podcast as well -- and breaks down the vague and (what is often) unenforceable language of various legal contracts that Rob & Kay have gotten over the years. Our Weekly Resource: Found a great article over on Pipeline Artists written by Ken Aguado (twitter handle, @kaguado) entitled, “Not-Boring Legal Agreements for Film & TV Writers” which gives a (very) basic overview of the most common legal agreements/contracts that screenwriters find themselves privy to. It's a short, but good read, and there's links to some Writer's Guild resources within the article so you can further rabbit hole down over this very complicated subject. Notes From the Episode: Zack's Original Instagram video (for our Twitter Drama Bumper) Maureen Ryan's book, "Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood" Vomit Draft Notebook How to Make a Movie for $1000 Pam's Twitter Kay's Twitter Rob's Twitter Zack's Twitter Email us(!)
Another meandering delightful conversation that hits on delayed Star Wars movies, release schedules, George Lucas' hopes and dreams, the New Star Wars Outlaws, and so much more. Do we take on James Cameron? (we're not ascared). Do we have to look a lot of stuff up on Wookipedia? Yes. Are we ostensibly funny? Hell yeah. OOPS ALL NUBS!
We get into the Writers Guild of America strike, why this is an important labor action to watch, the terrible conditions they are striking again, the mindset of the professional class of capital managers that control “content” production, and how the potential use of AI in tv/movies follows from already existing practices like “mini-rooms,” which brought gig economy dynamics to the work of writing. Stuff we reference: ••• As the Writers' Strike Enters Its Third Week, the Studios Aren't Budging https://jacobin.com/2023/05/writers-guild-of-america-strike-tv-shows-film-artificial-intelligence-studios ••• TV Writers Say They're Striking to Stop the Destruction of Their Profession https://jacobin.com/2023/05/writers-strike-wga-amptp-streaming-pay ••• Is This the End of the TV Writers' Room as We Know It? https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/08/the-end-of-the-tv-writers-room-as-we-know-it-mini-rooms ••• Your Boss Wants AI to Replace You. The Writer's Strike Shows How to Fight Back https://www.latimes.com/business/technology/story/2023-05-11/column-the-writers-strike-is-only-the-beginning-a-rebellion-against-ai-is-underway ••• Will a Chatbot Write the Next ‘Succession'? https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/29/business/media/writers-guild-hollywood-ai-chatgpt.html ••• ‘Disrespectful to the Craft:' Actors Say They're Being Asked to Sign Away Their Voice to AI https://www.vice.com/en/article/5d37za/voice-actors-sign-away-rights-to-artificial-intelligence ••• Writers vs. robots: Hollywood moved toward automation long before AI https://www.fastcompany.com/90893629/hollywood-started-leaning-toward-automation-long-before-ai Subscribe to hear more analysis and commentary in our premium episodes every week! https://www.patreon.com/thismachinekills Hosted by Jathan Sadowski (www.twitter.com/jathansadowski) and Edward Ongweso Jr. (www.twitter.com/bigblackjacobin). Production / Music by Jereme Brown (www.twitter.com/braunestahl)
A grab bag of nubs today! Ya BOIZ discusses walking between the worlds of Star Trek and Star Wars, dissects an excellent listener theory on why stormtroopers have lousy aim, and dive into the Rebels cartoon and manga! Plus, why does C-3PO have a silver leg!?
Yub Nub Goes Clickbait! We review Star Wars Insider Issue #38 to determine who were the top 20 Star Wars characters in 1998. Plus, the goo and foam behind what makes a Wompa; who Wins in a Fight: Neo or Anakin? And LIVE strike updates coming in while we were recording. We're not sure how we accidentally turned into BuzzFeed, but it was one of our favorite episodes to date!
Tim, Jim, and Greg celebrate the glory that is Young Jedi Academy, and Greg makes a big announcement about his role in the galaxy. Plus, the guys get personal as they explain what's at stake for each of them in the WGA strike.
Liz Moseley is joined by Tortoise's political editor Cat Neilan, investigations editor Alexi Mostrous and head of live events Mark St Andrew. In this episode they discuss the American writers strike, the Conservative Party's problem with housing and dire warnings about the future of artificial intelligence.Tortoise is a newsroom devoted to slow journalism.For early access and ad-free listening subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts or join Tortoise for £60 a year.As a member you'll also get our newsletters and tickets to live events. Just go to tortoisemedia.com/slowdown.If you'd like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Democracy Now! spoke to striking TV writers on Tuesday outside of the New York offices of Peacock, NBCUniversal's streaming service. It was the Writers Guild of America's first picket line since the strike began.
Democracy Now! spoke to striking TV writers on Tuesday outside of the New York offices of Peacock, NBCUniversal's streaming service. It was the Writers Guild of America's first picket line since the strike began.
May the Fourth be with you! Tim and Jim rule of two to break down the WGA strike (prerecorded on Sunday with a force premonition of it's imminence) and revel in our experiences seeing Return of the Jedi in theaters for its 4th anniversary. Plus we hear from fans in 1983, and Jim's 5-year-old gets a sick burn in on Nicole Kidman.
Kara Brown's confidence and self-assuredness have taken her far in her career as a writer, and those are qualities she shares with Katharine Hepburn's Tracy in THE PHILADELPHIA STORY. Of course, with that self-possession comes a set of assumptions others make about you, and getting held to a special standard. Jordan and Kara get into all of this, bond over their shared memories of the heyday of blog culture, and compare notes on not having impostor syndrome.Then, one quick thing Karen Gillan's Nebula. Fancy Pasta Bitch in Vogue***With Jordan Crucchiola and Kara Brown
Michael Wallace has the top stories from the WCBS newsroom.
Tim and Jim rule of two as they talk about the post-Mandalorian bounty of content! We cover final Mando thoughts, Visions, Jedi Fallen Order/ Survivor, Rebels, the Thrawn trilogy, Young Jedi Adventures, and more! Plus.... what is happening over at the Star Wars website???
"No. No. No." Krang Grogu pays off, the armorer swings it, Moff Gideon is a try-hard, Mandalorians don't go down with the ship, sleepy Mythasaurs... and everything else we loved about Mando's epic season 3 finale!
On Monday, the members of the Writers' Guild of America decided by 97.85% to authorize a strike over issues like how streaming has changed the funding model for TV and film, and Artificial Intelligence in the writers room. Self-described investigative comedian Adam Conover, YouTube and TV personality, WGA West board member and professional explainer, explains.
An Epic YubNub begins with Greg, Tim, and Jim recapping Star Wars Celebration and all the new projects from the Disney Combine. Then, Jim and Tim rule-of-two it to break down Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 7 Chapter 23: "The Spies" Who are "The Spies?" Daddy Hux, Thrawn, Metal Gear Moff, and... was that the Mythasaur?
Witness the firepower of a fully armed and operational YubNub! Greg, Tim, & Jim tackle Mando Season 3, episode 6, "Chapter 22: Guns for Hire." An episode so delightfully bananas that we don't cover Jack Black until 50 minutes in. Droid bars, Boston Dynamics, and Great Scott! Plus Trek meets Wars, Jim sings Lizzo, shout-outs, yub-flubs, and a deep dive on the word THE.
Novelist and screenwriter Stephen Markley on writing his 900-page epic novel The Deluge, writing sprawling narratives and what it's like to count Stephen King as a fan. We talk about writing for the TV show Only Murders in the Building, making money as a writer, and what it takes to succeed and persist. *QUOTES“You can't guarantee your book will be a success...it comes down to loving the work, loving what you're doing, loving the story you're telling, and being ready..."*ABOUT STEPHEN MARKLEYStephen Markley is the author of The Deluge: A Novel. His previous books include the critically acclaimed bestseller Ohio: A Novel, Publish This Book, and Tales of Iceland. He has also written for the Hulu comedy Only Murderers in the Building. He is a graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop. *RESOURCESThe Deluge by Stephen MarkleyIowa Writers WorkshopOnly Murders in the BuildingS1 Ep7: "The Boy from 6B"S2 Ep7: "Flipping the Pieces"Steve's appearance on Late Night with Seth MyersSteve's previous books: Publish This Book, Tales of Iceland, OhioThis is Us creator Dan Fogelman*FOLLOW STEPHEN MARKLEYWebsite: stephenmarkley.comInstagram: @stephen.markley*For show notes, transcripts and to attend our live podcasts visit: podcast.londonwriterssalon.comFor free writing sessions, join free Writers' Hours: writershour.com*FOLLOW LONDON WRITERS' SALONTwitter: twitter.com/WritersSalonInstagram: instagram.com/londonwriterssalonFacebook: facebook.com/LondonWritersSalonIf you're enjoying this show, please rate and review this show!
In this episode, Steve and Tananarive talk about the power of group storytelling and collaboration: how to make it work, how it can go wrong, and how artists can grow from moving from the solitary to being a part of a Mastermind group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today Tim takes you behind the curtain with TV Writers Dave Rygalski and Eddie Feldman! Dave Rygalski was a Writer/Director on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and Late Night With David Letterman among others, Dave produced comedy segments with Dana Carvey, Tim Meadows, Tom Arnold, Rosie O'Donnell, J.B. Smoove, Tim Stack, and many other comedy stars. Dave has also worked on a variety of Comedy, Variety, Awards, and Game Shows and Sit-Coms for NBC, ABC, FX, MTV, CNBC, and Comedy Central. EDDIE FELDMANN as Head Writer and Executive Producer and a winner of five Prime Time Emmy Awards while being nominated 11 times. He has also won three Writer's Guild Awards, being nominated seven times. Eddie has also Executive Produced and/or written such iconic shows as the Emmy-winning Law and Order, Heist, The Emmy Awards, Dennis Miller Live, The Showbiz Show with David Spade, The NASCAR Sprint Cup Awards, and The Wanda Sykes Show. He wrote the episode the NY Times called the “hit of the series” for HBO's long-running animated show “Happily Ever After." On Twitter - Dave Rygalski - @LudwigFauci Eddie Feldmann - @EddieFeldmann Tim Stack - @TVsTimStack Tim Stack - Host Jeremiah Higgins - Executive Producer Richard Dugan - Sound Engineer
Sometimes it takes time working and learning in a broken system to find the path to changing lives. After more than 25 years in education, John Camp (or Camp, as he prefers to be called) was on the lookout for something that was more student-centered and progressive at a school level than what he had experienced thus far. As founding head of teaching and learning at New England Innovation Academy, Camp and his colleagues are on a mission to prepare a new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs to enter the workforce and make a big impact. How do they do that? By focusing on student-centered learning based on what the lead stakeholders (students and teachers) know is best.The school integrates many subjects into one lesson and has let go of both a traditional semester system and old-school assessment and grading. Listen in to hear more about how this innovative school is changing the way we teach and learn. About John Camp: Camp had led and taught in independent schools for over 25 years. He is the founding Head of Teaching and Learning at New England Innovation Academy, which opened in the fall of 2021. He is an assessment guru, including being the architect of NEIA's competency-based system. Camp also teaches Humanities and writing classes, such as “The TV Writers' Room,” and interdisciplinary courses such as “The Art and Physics of Time Travel.” At St. Mark's School, which bestowed him with The Trustees Chair and the Kidder Faculty Prize, Camp served as the Director of Experiential Learning and Associate Director of The Center of Innovation in Teaching and Learning. Jump in the Conversation: [1:38] - How Camp got started in transforming the system [3:36] - What he's created [5:16] - Student and staff opportunities for innovation for students [6:03] - Integration isn't an exception to the rule; it IS the rule [7:46] - How to assess in this model [8:58] - What an assessment looks like [10:06] - Letter grades are single data point [11:50] - Feedback is key for any assessment system [14:15] - What is human centered design [16:10] - Be awesome and be able to defend why you're teaching something [16:50] - Unpacking some course titles [20:56] - What innovation looks like in past jobs [21:28] - Big perk of building a new school [22:50] - Have the courage to try to fix something if you see it needs to be fixed [23:39] - Stepping out of status quo school landscape [25:37] - Turbo Time [29:10] - What Camp would change about schools [30:49] - Maureen's Takeaways Links & Resources New England Innovation Academy Heidi Hayes Jacobs on rethinking schools Sum of Us book Email Maureen Maureen's TEDx: Changing My Mind to Change Our Schools The Education Evolution Facebook: Follow Education Evolution Twitter: Follow Education Evolution LinkedIn: Follow Education Evolution EdActive Collective Maureen's book: Creating Micro-Schools for Colorful Mismatched Kids Micro-school feature on Good Morning America The Micro-School Coalition Facebook: The Micro-School Coalition LEADPrep
This week Ashley Scott Meyers talks with writer Katie White. Our guest, Katie White worked her way up from being a writer's assistant on the popular CBS series, NCIS to writing two episodes of the show and joining the WGA. Katie White talks about working in television, the do's and don't of a Writers' Room […]
Bryan Behar is a writer/producer known for Wilfred, Glenn Martin D.D.S., and Las Man Standing. Join Michael Jamin and Bryan Behar in this deep conversation, perfect for emerging writers or aspiring TV Writers.Show NotesBryan Behar on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0066864/Bryan Behar on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bryanbeharBryan Behar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bryan_behar/Michael's Online Screenwriting Course - https://michaeljamin.com/courseFree Screenwriting Lesson - https://michaeljamin.com/freeJoin My Watchlist - https://michaeljamin.com/watchlistAuto-Generated TranscriptsMichael Jamin:Someone said, well, you know, when are they gonna, are they gonna bring back multi-camera sick? They should bring 'em back.Bryan Behar:They exist Uhhuh. But they exist either for the very old or the very young. But there's been an entire generation that has been raised without them.Michael Jamin:Right? AndBryan Behar:Which infuriates me because as a historian of the, of the genre, I look back as recently as a couple years ago, and in the previous, I think 60 years of sitcoms, the number one sitcom on the air, uh, in terms of total viewers had been a multicam in 59 of the six first 60 years.Michael Jamin:You're listening to Screenwriters Need to Hear This with Michael Jam.Hey everybody, welcome to Screenwriters. Need to hear this. I'm Michael Jam. I got a special guest today. But you know, the way, um, the Letterman show always opens with, you know, my next guest needs no introduction. Well, my next guest needs an introduction, but he's like, . But, but you know what? All writers need introductions. No one's ever heard of any of us. But I'm here with Brian Behar and he is, dude, this guy's got a, he's a sitcom writer with a list of a laundry list of shows that he's worked on. I'm Brian. I'm gonna run through those cuz I'm sure you've forgotten half the credits. That's how many credits you have. AllBryan Behar:Right. I, I could name three, so please.Michael Jamin:, we started his, his career with the illustrious teen Angel, and then we slowly move up to working. I remember that show. I'd forgotten you were on work. You had some,Bryan Behar:I started with Ned and Stacy, but that may not have appeared on the, on your laundry list.Michael Jamin:Uh, my researchers who basically just download imdb did not tell me that. But we're gonna go on the IMDB order. , okay. That's accurate. Uh, then dag, remember that show with Andy and Eileen Baby Bob, you remember that show Baby Bob?Bryan Behar:The biggest hit I've ever been on ,Michael Jamin:Then a usaBryan Behar:And I still quit because I, as I told the Showrun my self-esteem can't handle running into anyone I went to high school with telling them I'm on Baby Bob. Sorry, Saltzman.Michael Jamin:Sorry. The, then a usa and then Andy Richter controls the universe. Guys, hang on. This guy's got so many credits then I'm with her. Although we're not sure if it's I'm with her or I'm with her.Bryan Behar:Brent Must Berger said I'm with her. So it was, I'm with herMichael Jamin:, I'm with her. I'm coughing. Then eight simple rules. How many of the rules did you ever get to before they canceled the show, by the way?Bryan Behar:Uh, we were on the fourth rule.Michael Jamin:Fourth rule. I was on, by the way, rules of engagement. So, oh.Bryan Behar:And I've done three shows with the working of the titleMichael Jamin:. Then, then the New Adventures of Old Christine. The, the old conventions of new Christine would've been better, but apparently that's okay. Then The Jake Effect.Bryan Behar:Yes.Michael Jamin:Weak shots. I don't even know what that is, to be honest.Bryan Behar:Oh, that was an, that was a highly touted one hour.Michael Jamin:Oh, so you can talk about some drama experience.Bryan Behar:I can talk about anything.Michael Jamin:It doesn't mean, doesn't mean what you're talking about, but you can talk aboutBryan Behar:Any Yeah, no, you're not gonna be able to stop meMichael Jamin: then. Big. Okay. Big shots then. True. Jackson vp, which was on NickelodeonBryan Behar:One episode. I, I wrote a, I wrote a story. Let's not get carried away.Michael Jamin:All right. Let's not give you too much credit then. Wil, which we worked on together.Bryan Behar:Yes.Michael Jamin:Talking Dog Show.Bryan Behar:Oh, that's where's our other Talking dog show? That that should have been a, uh, oh,Michael Jamin:Getting there. Glen Martin dds. No one knows what that is, but that's when we first worked together.Bryan Behar:But if you love, uh, Canadian cable Claymation shows you might like GlenMichael Jamin:. You might like it. Uh, last Man StandingBryan Behar:Like animation with a laugh track that isn't jaber. You're gonna love Glen. You're,Michael Jamin:That's how they promoted it. Then, uh, last Man Standing, which you were not one of the last men standing on that show.Bryan Behar:No, I was the first to go. ButMichael Jamin:. Well, Jack, no, Jack was the first to go.Bryan Behar:That's true. GreaterMichael Jamin:Was the first to go.Bryan Behar:Then he came back and then he went again, and then he came back. So, yes,Michael Jamin:I didn't realize he came back. Sorry. Then saved me. I don't know what that is. Do you know what that is?Bryan Behar:Give me a moment.Michael Jamin:Was that just a letter that you wrote to your agentBryan Behar:? Um, I did, I did write that letter from the writer's room of Save Me . Um, that was a show about Ann Hay, uh, think she Can Speak to God. And that was the least crazy part of the show.Michael Jamin:Oh, I did not know that. We'll talk about that.Bryan Behar:Yes, please.Michael Jamin:Uh, then we'll talk about Kirsty, which we worked again on You guys brought, I mean, me and my partner in on to do a freelance of that. And I had the great Cogan on the show a couple weeks ago.Bryan Behar:Oh my goodness. Well, you, you've got to everyone before me. Oh,Michael Jamin:I I, yeah. This is the bottom of the barrel week. IBryan Behar:Know, I saw on the list. I was like,Michael Jamin:. Really?Bryan Behar:So go ahead.Michael Jamin:Uh, I also have here Jennifer FallsBryan Behar:And does not get back up. Yes. All yes, I've heard them all. Uh,Michael Jamin:Ratings falls then Ned and Stacy we have on here. I don't know why it's, it's out of order here, but yes, that was 1997 N and Stacy there. And then finally, uh, you were the, you were the showrunner of Fuller House, the, the full House Free make.Bryan Behar:That is correct. I was,Michael Jamin:Now you,Bryan Behar:Is the first time you're hearingMichael Jamin:This. I had no idea. , you've, now you're fond to say that I think you've, like, you've worked on 20, it's 26 shows. Is that what it is?Bryan Behar:21 shows in 26 seasons,Michael Jamin:21 shows. And think about, so this is a career, guys. YouBryan Behar:Are, this is a hard way to do it.Michael Jamin:It is the hard way.Bryan Behar:Apply for a new job twice a year.Michael Jamin:Yeah. And it's act I mean, to be honest, it was, um, it was more doable then than it is now. I mean, now it's really hard to do that.Bryan Behar:I have no idea what people do now. Yeah. Which is, which makes me a sort of, sort of a sham as a, a teacher of, of sitcoms as I'm trying to, um, encourage and promote people to take a, take the, the risk and, uh, and jump in. But, uh, I have no idea what a career trajectory, uh, looks like today. It was, it, it, it it was very, uh, understandable when we broke in. Yeah. Like, it, like there was a clearer path and you're like, oh, I can go from show to show and there's enough sitcoms and there's, you know, I can just, if I lose one job, I'll just walk to the next bungalow on CBS Bradford and knock on the door and hope somebody else lets us in. ButMichael Jamin:That's, that's what I say. I say maybe I wonder if you agree. I say that, um, I think it's easier to break in now, but it's harder to make a sustain a career. What do you think?Bryan Behar:Um, well, I'm, I'm certainly not gonna disagree with you on your own show. I mean, you, you ,Michael Jamin:Please, if you do, I just edit it out.Bryan Behar:You have your burgeoning media empire here and I looking to be part of it. Um, God, how many does it? Okay. Um, I think you're right. Um, and by that, i I, I don't know if it's harder to sustain a career. I see a lot more people not entirely willing to commit to putting a career together.Michael Jamin:What does thatBryan Behar:Mean? Which, I mean, there's been such, um, on social media and in the press, there's such a sort of hype surrounding the concept of like the celebrity showrun that, and, and sort of with the advent of streaming services, that there's this idea that anyone can get a show on the air at any time and immediately jump from like an unemployed, unemployable, aspiring writer to a show runner. Mm-hmm. without doing any of the work in between. Like, you know, I know I hate to sound old fashioned, but you and I, we definitely put in the time working up the rung, working up the ladder. So when we finally got that call to run a show, I, you know, we, we had the skill set presumably, you know, we had been learning, we'd been acquiring a certain set of skills. Um, and I don't know that that is really like, promoted as much,Michael Jamin:But are you seeing people with not, with not a lot of experience becoming share owners?Bryan Behar:No. Um, but I'm seeing, but I'm hearing a lot of that's the aspiration.Michael Jamin:Oh, oh, yes. That's for sure. I hear that a lot.Bryan Behar:You know, like, you know, because I know you talk to a lot of people, you know, who were, you know, aspiring TV writers. And I, you know, I was doing a lot of talks on, on Clubhouse, and a lot of ask me anything kind of talks on, on Twitter and, and the, the question always sort of circles back to how do I sell a pilot to Netflix? How do I get a show on the streamer? How do I become a show runner? And it's not like, oh, what samples do I need Yeah. To break in? What skills do I need to move up the ladder? You know, it's just a different mindset. Like, it never would've occurred to me. I didn't, I didn't even sell a pilot or even attempt a pilot until I had been on 12 networks at college.Michael Jamin:It's so fun, Brian. It's like, maybe we're just the old guys, but this is exactly what I say all the time. I mean, so I'm glad that I'm not the only one saying it, or thinking atBryan Behar:Least. No, there are, there are two old guys in the Yeah, we have become the guys from the puppets, butMichael Jamin:The cranky old guys Yeah. InBryan Behar:Waldorf and Staler.Michael Jamin:But, but you, so I wanna actually wanna mention this. I wanna jump around for a second. So yes, you are also teaching at Chapman University. You're teaching, uh, is it television writing? What are you, what's their course?Bryan Behar:Um, yeah. Um, I'm teaching, I, I just, I started last semester from, this was my first time. Um, and, and currently in this fall semester, I'm teaching two classes. One is a sitcom writing class, uh, for graduate students, uhhuh. And one is a pilot writing class for undergrads. And then I'm gonna do two, they've already asked me back, uh, for two sitcom classes, uh, in the spring semester.Michael Jamin:Wow, that'sBryan Behar:Great. Yeah. It seems to be what I do. Uh,Michael Jamin:So you're enjoying it then? I loveBryan Behar:It. I love it. And I, uh,Michael Jamin:You weren't sure if you were gonna enjoy it?Bryan Behar:No, I, it, it actually took a little bit of Mm, a little coaxing internally in the family. You know, my wife had a bit of a come to Jesus moment with me. You know how, I don't know if you've heard the old joke, but they say that in Hollywood, you're retired for seven years before you realize it. Well, I had been retired for three years, and my wife was certainly well aware, and I was, I was starting to get it. Um, and she really was, you know, she really sat me down and said, like, you know, is this what you wanna do the rest of your life? Just keep banging your head against the same wall? Or is there, is there a wall you can go around and find something that gives you joy? And this has been great. WhatMichael Jamin:Exactly do you like about it?Bryan Behar:Well, I like not being on a TV show, which apparently Hollywood, Hollywood and myself have the same, likeMichael Jamin:You do have the same goal for you.Bryan Behar:They both, my, my, uh, agent manager, Hollywood producers and teaching, I'll see it the same way. .Michael Jamin:Um,Bryan Behar:No, I, I, I love, I mean, it, it, it's something so special to be around people who just are filled with nothing but hope and nothing but confidence. And, you know, it's really, I mean, if I have to spend my days around people who are positive and, and still love, have a love for the art and a love for the craft, and would give anything to be in television or be, you know, be by myself or be around a lot of bitter people complaining about why they're not in, you know, I'll take the four hours of driving down to Orange County anytime. Uh, it, it's, it's been great. And I didn't, I had no idea if I would like it.Michael Jamin:Well, first of all, it's not really a four hour drive.Bryan Behar:It's, it's two hours each way.Michael Jamin:Right. Okay. Um,Bryan Behar:So yes, for clarity's sake. Okay. It's not a four hour drive each way, but it is.Michael Jamin:But, and I'm sure what surprises you, cause it does surprise me, is just, is how much you actually know about how to do this. Right.Bryan Behar:That's the other fun part. I mean, that's is, I mean, and I don't mean it in like a smug, self satisfactory kind of way that like, wow, I'm, I'm smart, I've learned things, but when you're, when you're actually seeing it through the perspective of, of new writers and, you know, and new students and, and you're imparting knowledge on them, and, and it's, and like you said, it's not even knowledge that you're aware you have. Right. It's, we've almost picked it up by osmosis. But I mean, you know, me and I think you're a lot, you're really kind of the same way where, you know, we were both students of, of television, students of the TV history, students of the craft, you know, more than a lot of people who we did it alongside. I mean, so I think it makes sense. The, the two of us have found virgins of, of offering guidance and coaching and Yeah. And, you know, and trying to impart expertise. But it, it is, it is really satisfying and gratifying to, to realize like, wow, I, I actually did learn something. I actually have a certain level of skill. And, you know, all those years were not for, not, yeah. I'm spelling not differently in those two cases, butMichael Jamin:K nBryan Behar:O t not for nothing. Yes. , I mean, I know you're from the tri-state area. I should, I should have said it more colloquial,Michael Jamin:But, um, and so, yeah. Good. So, and you're enjoying that and you, the class sizes are kind of small or what?Bryan Behar:Yeah, I had, uh, seven last semester. My grad student was, is nine, and then 15, uh, I got 15 in my, uh, pilot class, you know, but it's, it's way tougher than I expected. You know, like, I, like they turn in, you know, like pages of a script or an outline, uh, the day before we go into class. And I, and I'm so like, you know, of, of the neurotic sense of I need to give them their money's worth, you know, they're paying a lot for the, so I write up about three pages of notes per student, per class. Wow. So, pilot class, that's, I'm writing up 45 pages of notes between the hours of two and eight on a Thursday night just to make sure I have something to give themMichael Jamin:A lot of work, dude,Bryan Behar:You know, you know, on Friday. And it's like, wow, you know, I, I used to do half the amount of work for a lot more money, but it, you know, I don't know that I would do that again. AndMichael Jamin:Let me be clear.Bryan Behar:And that's okay. I've made, I really have made my peace, which, which is threatening to people. You know, I had, I had lunch with a writer we both know the, uh, last week. And he is like, you, you want back in? I was like, no, I really don't. He's like, you can't be at peace. I'm like, no, I'm at peace. He goes, what if I offered youMichael Jamin:Go?Bryan Behar:Yeah. And I was like, he goes, what if I offered you a job on a, on a, on a pilot? I was like, okay, well first you'd have to get it on the air and you're not going to offer it. I said, but yeah, sure. Let's say you offered me a job. I'm not gonna like turn it down out of hand. Um, but I don't think it's gonna happen. He goes, yeah, probably not. He goes, your old partner's, uh, wife works at the network. She never let me hire you anyway. I'm like, then why are we having this discussion? You, you better pay for lunch.Michael Jamin:Could you wait, can you say who it was?Bryan Behar:This was Marco from, uh,Michael Jamin:Oh, Marco, really? MarcoBryan Behar:From, uh, yeah, from our Kirsty,Michael Jamin:Yes. Marco from Hello Marco from Kirsty.Bryan Behar:Hello Marco from KirstyMichael Jamin:.Bryan Behar:One of, one of my dear friends. But, you know, but I think, you know, for a lot of people that you know this, and I'm not singling him out, you know, that being a writer on television becomes one's identity. And, and it was for me for a long, long time, you know, you know, 25, 26 years, uh, of doing it. But it, you know, at some point you just have to read the writing on the wall, if that's, if that's where your career is at. And, and that's where IMichael Jamin:Are you still doing any other writing outside? Just for your, for personal reasons?Bryan Behar:Yeah, I'm doing all kinds of writing, but none of which is with the intent ofMichael Jamin:Making aBryan Behar:TV show, selling a pilot or, or getting back in, you know, on staff. Yeah. And, and that's, you know, you know, we've talked about this off camera a lot over the last, you know, five, six years just finding our own voices and, and finding other avenues to, to write on, you know, on my own. And so I'm like, I'm still writing a, you know, you know, a lot of essays. Um, I, you know, I, I had written I think 40 essays for the Huffington Post, um, over the past five years, another 20, 25 for Medium. And, and then I've moved my stuff over, uh, to sub stack. Um, so I recently wrote a, an article about growing up in Encino that was shared 10,000 times. Um, and I performed it at a, um, wow. I performed it at a spoken word, and I,Michael Jamin:And that was all from Sub, it got shared 10,000 times.Bryan Behar:Yeah. Yeah.Michael Jamin:Wait, what? We'll plug it.Bryan Behar:Apparently. I know a lot about the Valley,Michael Jamin:But, and you have a lot of thought. We'll plug it again at the end, but I wanna make sure, might as well mention it now as well. What's your sub name?Bryan Behar:Oh, find You. I assume it's, it, it has to be Brian Behar. That's with Brian with a Y. But I can, I can check. I'm sorry. This is, this is not gonna make great television watching an old Jew look, look up his SubT. But, uh, I just, um, I just got O brian behar.com, but I just got two Twitter notifications saying that even though this, uh, episode hasn't aired, it's already been referred to as two JulieMichael Jamin:, Elon Musk's ahead of time.Bryan Behar:. He's,Michael Jamin:He's, he's, he's making it better. Um,Bryan Behar:Yeah, I've lost 10,000 followers in the last week, and I don't think I've gotten that much less funny. I, but uh, I mean, there's, there's just a Twitter at Trisha. Yeah. So, as you, but in, in reference to your other question, yeah. I'm still still posting a ton on Twitter and on, on Facebook. I, I wrote a novella, um, which is just a novel that I didn't have enough words to legally call a novel. Uh, I've been writing my articles, doing spoken words, so really doing everything but the stuff that used to pay me. And, uh, but, and loving itMichael Jamin:And loving itBryan Behar:And loving it.Michael Jamin:And that's great. I wanna, so I wanna circle back to stuff that I wanna ask you, how you broke into the business. Although it's odd because I'm not sure how helpful it is for people since so much has changed, but we might as well talkBryan Behar:About it. Yeah. I mean, sitcoms used to be on Kiddo Scopes when we were breaking in , you know, was it the Dumont network that gave me myMichael Jamin:First job? , yes.Bryan Behar:I mean, my story is sort of, sort of interesting for people who like ancient history, , um, you know, cuz in many ways I was an overnight success. I wrote one spec script and was on the staff of n and Stacy two months later. Um, but this was an overnight success that, that was seven years in the making, right? Um, between the time I graduated from college, brown University. Um,Michael Jamin:Oh, for applause. Nothing.Bryan Behar:Oh, for applause. Hold for salute. Thank you. Thank you. Everyone still holding, still holding. No one seems to, no one seems to care as much as, as I do, um, between graduation and, and, and even knowing at the time of graduation that I desperately wanted to be a sitcom writer, it was seven years between then and actually getting my first job Right. Um, for the first few years. It, it just felt as though it was not like a conceivable path in my mind. It's, it felt like that was for like the funny people. That's what other people did. Um, but I knew I wanted to write mm-hmm. , and that was something I discovered at Brown. Like, I, I went to Brown thinking I was gonna be a lawyer, like all dutiful Jewish boys trying to buy their mother's affection through grades, . Um, that didn't work. So I decided I might as well do something I actually am good at and something that I like. Uh, and I started to realize that like, wow, people seem to be laughing when I'm writing stuff for the school paper. So I knew I wanted to write comedy, but, uh, a job in advertising actually felt more, uh, conceivable to me. And, and as such, I went on that path and I, and I worked as a copywriter for seven years. AndMichael Jamin:That was in New York, or out hereBryan Behar:On the west coast. Started in San Diego, then Los Angeles, and finished up in San Francisco.Michael Jamin:Okay.Bryan Behar:Um, and I was pretty good at it, and I was starting to actually get like a, a decent amount of success and traction, but all the while I could not shake the feeling that I really wanna write tv. I really wanna be a comedy writer. And if I don't try it soon, I'm gonna reach that point where I am too successful or too well paid at, at something I don't wanna do to ever take the chance. So, um, my old partner, uh, was a college friend Steve, and he said, Hey, I'm writing a specs script. And I was like, wait, you don't wanna be a TV writer? That's my dream. He's like, well, I'm doing it with another friend of ours. I said, well, tell her we're not doing it. And he and I wrote it over a facsimile machine while he was in LA and I was living in San Francisco. We were never even in the same room. Wow. AndMichael Jamin:And he was an executive at the time?Bryan Behar:He was an executive. He frequently wore suspenders by choice.Michael Jamin:I'm sorry. He was a TV executive, right? He was at, was he at a, where was he? Wonder Brother abc. WhereBryan Behar:Was he? He was at Universal. He was at Columbia. He was at spelling and he was at nbc. Yeah. So he was well into that career, but he also, he was, you know, he wa he'd been to enough tapings and be like, wow, these people aren't that smart. Like, right. Like, I can write, I can write mediocre multi-campus, it comes as well as the next guy . SoMichael Jamin:You guys teamed up, you wrote a spec and then what?Bryan Behar:And then we, we were on staff two months later. HowMichael Jamin:Did you get into, how did you get into someone's hands? What,Bryan Behar:Uh, well, he was dating the woman who became our agent. ThatMichael Jamin:Helps.Bryan Behar:And so, so there is thatMichael Jamin:,Bryan Behar:I mean, he had dated her earlier. They had met in the, uh, UTA mail room. Hi. SoMichael Jamin:That's right. She, she was my, our agent at one point too.Bryan Behar:Yeah. Um, but like I will say to our credit, like, she was like, you have to send it to me. But we were, we thought that it was almost not kosher and it sent it to some other people who were gonna sign us Uhhuh. Um, so it was a good, but here's the thing, it was a good spec. Um, and I see why we got hired, but we took a year to write it. Yeah.Because like, you know, we had unlimited time. There was no constraints of being on a show. And then we get to our first job and they say, oh, well we need our, your first script in a week. Right? Well, we had no, we had no system in place. We had never even been in the same city. Right. So we totally panicked, wrote it as quickly as possible, turned it in, and we're like, I think we did it. And we got called in by our boss, Michael Whitehorn is like, guys, you know, I have to say about this script. Like, it reads like a Marks Brothers movie. And I was like, well, thank you very much. I I appreciate. He's like, no, this is terrible. He goes, I love the March Brothers, but that's not how you write tv. He goes, there's no story, there's no setups.It's just bouncing from joke to joke. Mm-hmm. . And it literally read like it felt writing it like it was done out of panic. Yeah. And he, and he told us he was gonna have to fire us. And this was like, you know, I finally was living my dream after years and years. He did. You already. And, and within like a month it was, it was all gonna go away. And I had quit my career in San, in San Francisco in advertising. Moved down here. I had just gotten married, you know, I always like to say, other than death, divorce, and space travel, I took on all of life's great stressors in one month. But did And did you get fired from it? We did not. What happened? Here's some advice for you young folk. Yeah. Cause I know young folks like this podcast. Um, they might, they might to laugh .Um, he said, well, legally, I have to give you a second script. So you know how long ago it was when you had a two script guarantee? Yeah. He goes, so I might as well let you write it anyway cause I don't have to pay you. Right. So at that point, we, we had nothing to lose because we'd already suffered like all the indignity of being fired and everyone in the room knew it. So we kind of just slowed down and like pieced it together a lot more carefully and a lot more artfully. You know, we still, you know, we still had a ton of jokes, but it wasn't in this like, frantic style. And he, and he, to his credit, he said, this is so much better. I'm gonna, I'm taking it back. I'm gonna let you keep your job. And we ended up staying there for 24 episodes and we wrote four of them.Mm-hmm. , and we were, you know, sort of off to the races. But it, you know, so much attention is given to getting that first job. And so little attention is given to how do you keep it? Yep. How do you get the second one? How do you go from jobs two to jobs three and four? And that's like, that's the stuff that I'm trying to help people with both online and in my class, which is anyone can kind of break in with like, you know, and I've heard you talk on your, your ticks about one hit wonders. Like, that's not what people should be aspiring to. They shouldn't be aspiring to, well I, I, you know, I sold this one movie, or I sold this one pilot. But how do you get on a show? How do you, how do you keep, how do you stay in the boss's good graces mm-hmm. , how do you make friends on a staff as a staff writer, um, without being the annoying staff writer who feels compelled to fill the air with your voice mm-hmm. because you think that everyone's judging you and keeping score. And these are, you know, again, these are all super valuable, but, you know, lessons that are kind of lost arts in my mind. Um,Michael Jamin:I totally agree. It's also, you know, when I, the first script that I wrote, this is even Withouts before I met my partner, it was a good script. It got me signed by Bro Cro and Webner. But I thought I would never write. It wasn't my first script. It was the first script. I guess it was good, but I, I thought I would never do it. How could I do it again? I don't, I I got lucky. I didn't know how, I didn't know what a story was. I just got lucky, you know?Bryan Behar:Yeah. I hundred percent felt that and felt that for a long time. I mean, when I was writing like samples, and again, I, I, I sort of jumped ahead and didn't mention that I was trying to write samples for all seven of those years.Michael Jamin:Yeah.Bryan Behar:And I tried it with three or four different partners. I tried it on my own. Interesting. Um, and my real issue was I couldn't finish. You know, like people always say like, what, you know, what's the, what's your biggest advice? I'm like, finish a script. Yeah. Because I would belly ache at coffee shop houses all over Le Brea. Like, why am I not on staff? Oh, do you have a sample? Well, I've never finished oneMichael Jamin:,Bryan Behar:You know, but like, how did people not know about me? I, I won't stop talking about it, but like, I think I, I, deep down I felt that if I were to finish a script and I don't get hired then like I no longer have a sustainable dream. Like as long as it was still out there, it was something that I could always like shoot for as a safety valve if I didn't like what I was doing in advertising or in life. But once you finish something, then it becomes tangible and people would read it. But if you don't do that, it it, there's no way for them to advance you. So, uh,Michael Jamin:Yeah. Yeah. I mean it's so interesting you say about keeping the job I did. I definitely talk about that as well. It's like, how do you keep your job? And so I've seen, I've seen so many, and you must see more than me, but young staff, writers just flame out flame. They get, it's a shame cuz you get this job, but you're not ready for it. And then you're done.Bryan Behar:You, I've seen so many people get the first job and never get the second job.Michael Jamin:Yeah. Yeah.Bryan Behar:If you get the second job, there's a pretty good chance that you're inMichael Jamin:Uhhuh.Bryan Behar:Um, now again, that was in the mid nineties when NBC alone had 18 sitcoms on its fall schedule. Yeah. I don't mean 18 sitcoms on all the network, I mean, just on one of the networks. And it's not like the others, you know, were only doing, you know, biopics you, you know, this was an, an era where there was a clear path forward where you could, you could rise through the ranks. You could go from show to show you could take, you know, good credits and get a better job on another show. Mm-hmm. . Um, I mean we used to always, always, before we knew you guys, we used to resent the hell out of you. We're like, you know, cause we, you know, we'd been on like 10 shows while you guys were on Just Shoot Me in King of the Hill. Yeah.Michael Jamin:Yeah.Bryan Behar:And it's like, wow, that is a, that is an entirely other way of doing it. Which is we, we would look at you and like, so you're telling me you can get on a really good show, stay there, do a good job, stay there for a long time, then get on a better show. Yeah. And do that for a long time. And that was, you know, andMichael Jamin:A lot of that is luck. Like, you know, we got on a good show and it went four seasons and you got on a show that didn't get, you know, four seasons and then you have to, and so yeah. A lot of that is, you know, that's just luck really. You know,Bryan Behar:A lot of it is. Yes. I mean, and yet, you know, like now I've had some opportunities to sort of reflect back on my career and there are situations like old Christine for example, which ran for six years, but we just ran for the first 13 episodes. Right. Um, you know, if I knew better how to play the game, um, or you know, not to take defeat so much to heart. Um, you know, and a lot of that had to do with like, sort of grappling with depression and a lot of things mm-hmm. . Um, but like I, you know, if I knew now, if I knew then what I know now, I think there might have been a few opportunities along the way where I could have kept a job for longer. But, um, nothing I can do about that now.Michael Jamin:Not that it, not that really makes a difference, but Do you, do you see any change between the way young staff writers are today? Like when you were doing one of your last few shows and the work when you were first starting off, do you see a change in their attitudes or their readiness or anything?Bryan Behar:No. Um, I'm, I'm trying to think. You know, because I, I was very fortunate on Fuller House that I was able to promote a ton of younger writers from within the system, uh, and, and was able to give them their first staff writing jobs. Right. Um, and like that was a little different than how I had done it, which was, you know, in my case. And I think maybe, maybe in your case, but I, I don't wanna speak for you. Like, certainly in our case it was you write samples and you break in as a staff writer. And I see more and more that the only way in for a lot of people is to take other jobs on a show in the production working as a PA and then working up to a writing's assistant or start as a writing assistant then becoming the, you know, the, you know, the writing supervisor or, or you know, like that that sort of path, uh, of promotion from within seems to be a lot more common. I know that didn't answer your, that didn't answer your question specifically about the writers themselves. No. They, they seem just like young writers mm-hmm. who were, you know, who were appreciative of the shot. It seems like they've all been maybe out in the cold a lot longer than we were Yeah. Uh, before they get their first break. And I think there's less certainty about what comes after because there just aren't as many sitcoms in general and multi cams in specific.Michael Jamin:I did a post about this just a couple days ago about, cuz someone said, well, you know, when are they gonna, are they gonna bring back multi-camera sick? They should bring them back. And I was like, you know, at some point, maybe in 10 or 15 years, it might almost be impossible because whoBryan Behar:It might be Im now.Michael Jamin:Well, why do you thinkBryan Behar:So they, they exist Uhhuh, but they exist either for the very old or the very young mm-hmm. and there's been an entire, and I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt you, but there's been an entire generation that has been raised without them.Michael Jamin:Right.Bryan Behar:And which infuriates me because as a historian of the, of the genre, I look back as recently as a couple years ago, and in the previous, I think 60 years of sitcoms, the number one sitcom on the air, uh, in terms of total viewers had been a multicam in 59 of the six first 60 years.Michael Jamin:Yeah.Bryan Behar:Um, and this even includes like, you know, what you might call like the heyday of the single camera era. And yes, there have been a few hits that have become sizable monsters like Modern Family and The Office, but the Office even more so, you know, once it became syndicated or once it went to Netflix. Um, but even during that, those shows having their heydays, the top rated sitcoms were still two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory. You know, I mean, I am someone who strongly believes that, that the multi cam has always been more popular than the single cam. But, and maybe we've spoken about this before, but executives didn't think it was as cool to talk about it at their, you know, west side cocktail parties. And nobody wanted to be the one who developed, you know, a big embarrassing show with a laugh track. So they would just keep plowing ahead.Michael Jamin:But they always say they're looking for it because it costs less money.Bryan Behar:They always say it, but they never buy them. Yeah. And in fact, many times we would, Steve and I would sell a pilot to someone, um, as a single cam knowing that that's the only thing that those networks were putting on that year. And they say, no, no, no, we're really looking for multi cams. They would change our pilot to a Multicam and then pick it up and say, well, nobody's, there's nowhere, nowhere on the schedule where we can place us a multicam. Yeah. There's, wait a second. You made me do it. Yeah.Michael Jamin:Um, why do youBryan Behar:Think, I'm not gonna say it would've gotten on anyway, so, butMichael Jamin:Why do you think they couldn't make it today? Do you think it's just a scheduling thing? Cause I had a different feeling about it.Bryan Behar:I think it's a scheduling thing on the one hand. Um, and I've read some articles recently about the difficulty in scheduling multi cams alongside single cams. There was an article just like this week in fact. But beyond that, I think it's, it is almost just like, why isn't there rock and roll on Top 40 radio because there hasn't been in 15 years, so there's nobody alive in that age demo who would listen to it.Michael Jamin:You think so? You think it's a viewership thing? Cause I don't, that's not what I do. I think the problem is, is I think it, when we jumped on a set, you know, when we first were on sitcoms, like, especially in Multicam, there's so much to learn about how to produce a multi-camera show that we weren't, we weren't even thinking of like running one in 10 15. Like, it was like, I don't know how to do this. Even when I'm working on it, I'm like, I wouldn't be, you couldn't put me in charge of this. And then, but now, but you, but you come out of a school. So like we were on Just Shoot Me and that came out of was on Frazier. So we kind of grew outta the Frazier School, which grew outta the cheer school. So there's like this column of like writers before you that you learn from.Bryan Behar:Yeah. It's like coming out of like the Bill Belichick coaches tree. Yeah.Michael Jamin:Right. VeryBryan Behar:Similar. You if you're, if you're a, you know, a co-executive producer on, on one on Levian show, then you can be the executive producer on when you get a deal on your next show. Like, very common to putThem,Michael Jamin:Hey, it's Michael Jamin. If you like my videos and you want me to email them to you for free, join my watch list. Every Friday I send out my top three videos. These are for writers, actors, creative types. You could unsubscribe whenever you want. I'm not gonna spam you and it's absolutely free. Just go to michael jamin.com/watchlist.Now, like if you wanted to put a single, a multi-camera show on the air, where's the talent pool other than a bunch of old guys or people who've never done it before?Bryan Behar:Yeah. And, and, and like, you know, I sounded a little facetious earlier when I said it was the purview of the very old or the very young. But like, I mean that both in terms of the people who create it and the people who watch it, you know, it, it's either like pretty old fashioned, the last remnants of like CBS multi cams mm-hmm. or it's a Disney channel, Nickelodeon show. Right. Um, and what used to be like the mainstream of comedy doesn't exist that that really vast middle Yeah. Isn't there anymore in terms of, of multi cams, either in terms of like the space that's given on the schedule or in, in the age of the people who consume it. Yeah. Um, so I just think that people now think of it as old fashioned and kind of, there's a superficial, there's a fakeness to it.Yeah. An artificiality, not superficial, an artificiality to it. Cuz now that they've seen enough comedies that are written, you know, written and produced like little movies mm-hmm. , you know, I think it's part of this, it's part of the movie of TV that's happening in the more general sense mm-hmm. that, you know, when you look at the streaming services and, and I, and I think me teaching a class on pilot writing and like of the, of the 15 kids that are writing pilots, 14 are writing one hours mm-hmm. one is writing a single camp, but of the one hours most are done in like, in genres of, you know, it's superheroes, it's science fiction, it's it's space and it's zombies. Yeah. You know, like all of which wouldn't have been on television when we were breaking in. Yeah. It was multi cam comedies and procedural dramas and that was it. It was, and it was like you could wrap your hands around it. It doesn't mean that it was like a glorious time in terms of, you know, this great diversity of product, but like from the perspective of people trying to, you know, like rise up through the hierarchy, it was a lot more tangible and easier to comprehend. Yeah.Michael Jamin:I was even thinking of shows, like even the shows were like, gimme a break or, or small Wonder. Like, those shows were also very comfortable, you know, or Punky Brewster, like they were comfortable shows they don't exist anymore.Bryan Behar:It feels like you're setting me up. But I am, I have long been of as much as I try to write edgy stuff and like you and I were on Will, I mean, you know. Yeah. Like we both have, you know, the bonafides of, you know, to write cool single camera stuff. But I've also been of the belief that the calm and sitcom often stands just as much for comfort as it does for comedy. Yeah. And all those shows you described, um, there was a comforting, soothing value. Now some of it has to do with, we were young at the time, some of it has to do with our own nostalgia for an easier time. But I mean, that's why I got into sitcoms in the first place because, you know, my family life was pretty rough. I didn't have a ton of friends, but I loved the Brady Bunch. Yeah. Um, and I found that even like, at a very, very young age, like I found that world incredibly soothing.Michael Jamin:But that's not a good example. Cause that was a single camera show.Bryan Behar:I know. But it, it doesn't feel like a single camera show. Um, and you're right. But, uh, I mean, but whether, but it was still, it was still a family sitcom. Yeah. Um, and like for instance, like when I, like when we were first offered the chance to write on Fuller House, not to run it, but just, you know, to be a co-executive producer in the first season, I had no interest mm-hmm. and I was like, I never saw Full House. Um, but two, but two things sort of changed my mind. One was my daughter, who was like maybe like 13, 14 at the time, and she's like, you're gonna take this meeting and you're not gonna fuck it up. She's like, this is gonna be huge. Because she, you know, she knew the power of the original Full house as a kid who sort of grew up on the reruns and like whatever, she was homesick from school, we would tape her five episodes of the Brady Bunch and five episodes of, um, full House.It seemed easier than actually parenting or offering her medicine. Um, but that's neither hit nor the other. But the other thing was realizing like, okay, I don't know Full House, but I sure know the Brady Bunch. And that full house served the exact same function for kids who were 10 years younger than me as the Brady Bunch did in my life. And I'm like, oh, I know what that felt like to Yeah. I know what it felt like to be that age and, and want to be soothed by a TV show and wanna feel like you're part of a, you know, a surrogate family on the air. And, and that that really helped, helped me as a way inMichael Jamin:Yeah.Bryan Behar:So realize is that kind of showMichael Jamin:Yeah. It's an interesting, it really is an interesting time for writers. What are you, what are you, how are you advising your students to break in then? What are you telling them?Bryan Behar:Well, I try not to spend as much time on the how to break in mm-hmm. as to give them the tools that might open the door and might help them. And, and, and I, you know what, what I do, again, I'm, I'm, I'm sort of evading the question by design. Um, like for instance, I, I run my classes as if they were a writer's room. I push all the tables together. We sit around one big table with me at the front, like a big mock, just like the old days. Yeah. At one 20th. At one 20th. The salary. Right. Of, of, but like, I want them to get used to what it, you know, what it feels like to, you know, pitch amongst their peers what it feels like to, you know, offer an idea or a joke to somebody at the head of the table.So like, as far as teaching them the craft, I think I'm doing a pretty good job. I don't know that I have as much wisdom when it comes to how does one break in these days. Right. Um, I alluded to in a teeny bit earlier, which is one of the things I will say is do not turn down any job on a television show mm-hmm. , because that has become more and more the only way in is to rise through the ranks. It, it is entirely a function of who, you know, so many of the jobs come from the people doing, you know, the non-writing jobs that, you know, that lead into it.Michael Jamin:But you also have to be ready. It's not, it's not enough to know somebody. Your script has to, you have to know how to writeBryan Behar:Well. Yeah. I don't know that you're gonna get those writing assistant jobs or those pa jobs even without a script. So, I mean, you have to have a great script now just to get those jobs.Michael Jamin:Oh, okay. I wasn't aware ofBryan Behar:That. I think you do. I'veMichael Jamin:Never, I've never read any, I've never asked a pa or write assistant to read their, I'd rather not read their script.Bryan Behar:Yeah, no, I, I, I mean, I'm of the, I'm of the, I'm the same way. I just would rather assume that they, that they're funny. Right. Uh, you know, after the interview, but like you, I, again, since I wasn't running the show, um, when we started out, I don't know if they had spec scripts originally. Right. I inherited so many of them, you know, so, but you know, but what I tell them is like, you know, you're sitting there behind the keyboards. Like, nobody wants you to be the one pitching jokes all day long, but like, pick your battles. Like, you know, I've seen, I've seen writing assistants like win a job from pitching a, you know, lobbying a giant joke out of the corner of the room when no one's expecting it. Right. You know, and in some ways, like the pressure's off. No one is expecting you to save the day.Mm-hmm. . Um, and I always say like, if you really need to be funny, be funny at lunch, you know, like when you're just like, cuz then you were, if you're sitting around one table at lunch, you're all just people. There's not that same hierarchy. Right. People. And then a year from now when we say, oh, we need a staff writer, we were far more likely to say like, oh, so and so made me laugh, you know, you know, while I was eating my gato grill. Then, uh, you know, then have to read a stack of scripts. You know, you know, so like I say, like you can break it as a staff writer, the traditional way you can get hired, um, at, in another type of job. Like we've just been talking about within the production. And then there's all these writing programs that mm-hmm. Things still exist, even though Warner Brothers a few weeks ago said they were canceling the Warner program. They brought it back. They brought it back. Okay. Yeah. That's like, that is like the third way. And that, that's still a valid and beyond that, I don't really know how, I know people all wanna be discovered. Everyone, everyone wants to like write a pilot that gets bought by a streamer mm-hmm. and they wanna be a celebrity showrun. Right. And I don't know, I don't know that that exists, but it probably exists just enough that everyone thinks they can do it. Yeah. Like for instance, like I'm teaching at Chapman, which is a fabulous program. It like barely existed 20 years ago, and now it's like the fourth film school in the country according to the, you know, the most recent rankings. And like, their big claim to fame is the two brothers who created Stranger Things like in their twenties. Right. Like out of nowhere, I think they had one credit. And the next thing you know, they have a show that's the biggest show on all television in all mediums. Right. Streamer, cable pay, cable, anything. And I forgot broadcast that used to be a thing that we cared about. Um, but like, everyone's like, well, the Duffer Brothers did it. Why can't I create some, some genre of sci-fi? And it's like, you can possibly, but that's again, that's the exception. Yeah. What's gonna happen if you don't,Michael Jamin:I think that's exactly right. I think that's, that's the exception. It's, and it's such a remarkable exception that the media picks up on it and talks about it because it's what an unusual story. And then therefore people think, oh, that's how you do it. You know,Bryan Behar:And I guess that's, I mean, if we really were being fair, there's always been that media story of the V kid, you know mm-hmm. 20 years ago it was Josh Schwartz, he's, he's 11 years old and he created the oc Yeah. You know, there's always, you know, there's always someone who got, you know, I think James L. Brooks was one of them, you know? Right. Like, there's always somebody who in their twenties gets a show on the air and ruin it for everybody else. Mm-hmm. . But, but, but I mean, by ruin it by everybody else is it creates this illusion that all you need to do is sell a pilot, not learn how to write tv.Michael Jamin:Yeah. I, you know, I remember when we were first signed, or when I, yeah, I guess it was with Sheer signed and, um, our agent said, oh, oh, no, no. She said it to me before, before I was with Sheer. She said, you know, I signed one new baby writer a year. You're the baby writer. In three years you're gonna be running your own show. And, and I, and I, I, I smiled very play. Oh, that's great. And then after I hung up, I was seriously panicked. I was like, run my own show. I, I, I don't even know if I can write another script. Like that's the last thing I wanna do is run our own show.Bryan Behar:Of course. Now here's something I'm gonna admit to you that you're, you're gonna laugh at me. And, and, and That's okay. It would not be the first time. Like Steve, and, and, and I can't talk too much about it because it's part of ongoing litigation, some of the specifics of this. But Steve and I were offered the opportunity to run Fuller House, uh, beginning season four.Michael Jamin:Mm-hmm. .Bryan Behar:Um, so we had been doing this for I think 22 years. I was like 53 years old, 52 years old. And I said no, because of the thought of running a show, even with 22 years experience, even at 52 years old, seemed inconceivable to me. Yeah. Now, you know, I have a history of severe panic disorder and a lot of other things that, that contribute to that. And then they came back and offered it to us again. They're like, no, no, we, we thought about someone else, it's you. And we said no again, um, because no, now we're, we're in a kind of an extreme case, but part of it was a function of that ship had sailed in my mind mm-hmm. as far as like being a possibility. Like when you, when you're hitting your, your, you know, your your early to mid fifties and you've not run a show, I think in it's a, it's a, it is a fair assumption to say that the business doesn't see you that way.Mm-hmm. , like you're, you know, Steve and I were very competent number twos and very competent number threes mm-hmm. . Um, but the thought of actually like taking on the big chair still seemed like something that like engendered panic. Yeah. And, and then, you know what? We did it and I loved it and I, I loved doing it. I was eager to do it again. Um, you know, we did 30, 31 episodes, uh, under our helm and like started to take on responsibilities and facets that I'd never, ever even thought about. Right. It was great. So, and I, so even though I never got to do it another time or another time yet, I'm thrilled that I was able to get past that fear because it really was like the sort of the last fear that was out there for me.Michael Jamin:But the thing is, when people say that, when people say, I wanna run my own show, and I said, do you, you don't even know what a Showrun does. Like why would you, like, why, why are you signing up for a job? You don't even know what the job entails.Bryan Behar:Well, because they've seen Matt Wener give an interview at the end of Madman or Vince Gilligan, the end of Breaking Bad. And they know that like, you know, they know what their salaries are and they know their celebrities. Yeah. You know, and they get good, you know, they get good tables at Mr. Chap. I mean, I don't know, but like, I didn't know what his, there was no such thing as a celebrity Showrun when we were breaking in. Like there were, yes, there were successful people. You know, like I was very aware who created Seinfeld and friends and who created Cheers and what the back ends were. Right. But that thing where, and it really is kind of a function of premium tv, like sort of the Post Sopranos one hour world, you know, the Mad Men, Sopranos, breaking beds, the Shield, the Wire Deadwood, like those have really kind of deified the one hour show runner as like pop culture celebrities.Michael Jamin:Yeah.Bryan Behar:And they've, they've sort of become the new film directors. Yeah.Michael Jamin:Right.Bryan Behar:So everybody wants that.Michael Jamin:Right.Bryan Behar:And again, like if you see the Duffer Brothers do it, you know, at, at 28 years old or however, however young they were, um, people are, people rightly do ask Why not us? Mm-hmm. . But again, like I had been doing TV for 22 or 23 years before I took over that show and still had no conception of what running a show entailed. Yeah. In terms of just the sheer enormity of the pressure of the responsibility. And that was with two of us, and that was with two of us dividing the task. I had no idea how someone does that on their own. Yeah. Cause even with two people that felt like, like, like a, her her lay super human effort. Yep. You know, and I'm sure you found the same thing, like, um, there's so many different, you're making a decision all day long, every day at a furious pace. Yep. And yet there's nothing like it. Like it was such, it was, you know, and I don't mean like just from like a, the standpoint of like, I felt powerful, but like, there were like, having such a sense of purpose every day was fantastic. Uhhuh,You know, overcoming fears and like developing like a skill like that I didn't even know I needed to possess. Like, that was interesting. Yeah. You know, so I feel, I mean, it certainly helps me as a teacher because if I had never run a show, I'd feel like a little bit like a fraud offering notes and like fixing scripts and mm-hmm. having now having done it, like at, I'm not gonna say the highest levels, but a high level. Right. Um, you know, I feel like far more qualified to be the one teaching people. Cause I feel like I've done at least the equivalent of that in, in tv.Michael Jamin:Yeah. It, it's, it's interesting because even as I, before I started doing, like talking on social media, I was like, well, you know who, I'm not Vince Gilligan, I'm not Chuck Lori, I'm not Steve Levitan. I'm not, I'm not the highest there is, you know, um, what,Bryan Behar:Well, two things come to mind. Number one, don't sell yourself short because you're still super high within, you're still super high within the, you know, the pecking order. Like, once you take out those, those few brand names, right. You've done it. You've, you've run multiple shows. You've run multiple good shows and people liked working for you. And, uh, you know, like the, the job we did together on, on Glen Martin was a pleasure. And, uh, you know, that's probably the closest I ever felt to like really writing in my own voice Yeah. And kind of just letting go and not being self-conscious and just writing whatever felt silly or funny. Right. So that's one thing you've done. But the other thing where I think you have a leg up in fact, is what was the last time Chuck Laurie or Steve Leviton had to really think about what they were gonna do next and plot accordingly. You know, like both of them just go to CS and say, get me a get me, you know, get me a show on Hulu. And they do. Like, but that's not like how people in real, in real life behave.Michael Jamin:Yeah. I, that's one I talked about with my wife. She goes, well, yeah, but that, those are the superstars you can talk to. You can speak to what does it mean to be a working writer who's not a superstar? Who'sBryan Behar:That's, that's a hundred percent right. It's a little insulting that our wives know about people who are superstars and they, they tend to usually be taller, um, Who had a here, but like, um, I don't, I don't know that Steve Levitator or Chuck Laurie or you know, or Larry David is gonna speak as, you know, as succinctly or as I impactfully as you do about, you know, the like day to day mechanics of breaking in, building a career, keeping a job. And those are, you know, those are the things that I talk about day to day. And, and now I've moved on to the third, you know, the third thing, which is how do I build like a sort of a purposeful life outside of the writer's room, right. And, and try to use the skills that I developed or the knowledge that I accrued and either help others or, you know, game satisfaction for myself. And I'm, you know, trying really hard to still do both without, you know, the, you know, the old crutches that I used to have, which is, you know, getting laughs from a, from a gaggle of Jews,Michael Jamin:It's so,Bryan Behar:And JBMichael Jamin:N JB, we, um, you know, I, when people, they'll comment on social media, sometimes I'll, I'll make a post and then I guess people are, I dunno if they're being argumentative or just trying to impress me or whatever, but they'll say, yeah, but Quentin Tarantino says, and I'm like, Quentin Tarantino is anybody just, is anyone mistaking you for Quentin Tarantino ? Yeah. No, I mean, have his career,Bryan Behar:But I mean, but they're, they're, I mean, it's beyond annoying, but that's always been the case. I remember like my, one of my first or second jobs running into like, the wife of someone I went to college with, and she's like, why aren't you on Seinfeld or South Park? That's what we watch. Yeah. You don't watch the shows you're on. It's like, okay, first of all, like, you're a viewer. You didn't create either of those shows unless you're, unless you change your name to Matt Stone. Like you're not those people. So like, pipe down a little. I said, secondly, you have to think about this. Like, it's the nba, like, hey, like I'm coming out of college, I wanna be on the Lakers. Who gives a fuck what you want? You were drafted by the Pelicans. Like, like, we don't get to choose where we write.Yeah. Like, oh, Tarantino said like, okay, you're not Tarantino. Like, trust me, I'm doing better than you are. So like , you know, I mean, yes. But that, I mean, that's gone on forever and ever. I'll tell you a story. My grandmother re she rested me. She just, she passed away a year ago and she ended up being, she lived in 99 years and eight months and ended up dying as a very kind person for like the first 95 years. She wasn't Right. And like, she would admit that, and like, we had no relationship and like on, I, I had been on four jobs at the time. Um, and on all four she told me how much she didn't like the show. I was on . So she invited Beth and I out for dinner. I hope it wasn't Glen Martin . No, no, no, no, no. That would've been later that she didn't like, okay, what's, she's like, who watches Claymation ?Why is there a laugh track? Scooby . But she, so she invites Beth and I have to dinner with her and her, her boyfriend. Um, and she's like, oh, that show that Then Stacy, I hated that show. And I'm like, oh, well I'm on a different show now. Oh, I don't like that show either. Okay. And I literally said, grandma, like I, I'm happy to tell you that before I, right before I came to dinner today, I came, I'm coming directly from a meeting. I had just had a meeting on Frazier. Uhhuh. Now Frazier at the time had just won the me for Best comedy five years in a row. Right. Anything's gonna oppress her. And she goes, Ugh. She goes, I hate that show. That's a dumb show, . So I say to myself, okay, and I turn to Beth, like, she can see that I'm soothing, and Beth and I are Huling and I'm like, the woman doesn't know anything about television.She's an older, she's an older Jewish woman from a different era. She's not gonna like anything you do. She, she knows nothing about television. I was like, you're right. That's why would I get myself upset? She knows nothing. And then she says, why don't you write something like David Kelly mm-hmm. . And then the boyfriend says, it's David E. Kelly. And then I realized, no, she knew a tremendous amount about television shouldn't . Like she knew chapter in verse, everything that he had written from Allie McBeal to picket fences. She just didn't like what I was doing. Right. , I don't remember, I don't remember how we got to this, but Oh, annoying people telling us our credits aren't good enough. Right. It's like, yeah. Like, I remember, I remember when people were on Raymond for the, you know, all nine years, and I'd be like, these lucky SAPs, like had, they haven't had to go through anything that we've gone through.They got one job. They had a, they had to go to a few movie nights on a Sunday with Phil Rosenthal never eat dinner there. Yeah. And to get nine years of fat paychecks. And that's just not, that wasn't our experience, but our experience certainly prepared us for more kinds of experiences. And I, and it certainly behooved me, I believe when it, when it was time to run a show, you know, I definitely had far more of an awareness of what I wanted a room to feel like mm-hmm. , uh, what I wanted it not to feel like specifically. Yeah. Uh, you know, based on having had so many different kinds of experiences. And that's, that's like 0.2 that I alw
Happy Thanksgiving to all of our Dead Pilots Society listeners! This week we caught up with Emily Cutler (Fresh off The Boat, AP Bio) the writer of Step Dave! Emily talks in depth about how the Step Dave format came to her. Also, Andrew will give you a brief education about what a format even is! Emily felt a special connection to the material because, like Annie in the pilot, her husband is 10 years younger than her. She told us about how she mined material from her own marriage to pitch and develop the show. Emily also discusses her early career transition from an actor to a writer and she shared with us her best practices for people wanting to staff. This is a really great episode with a brilliant writer. Enjoy it and thanks for listening! Get the video for the table read of Step Dave for as little as $5 by going to https://maximumfun.org/joinFor more Dead Pilots Society episodes and information about our live shows, please subscribe to the podcast!Make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, and Twitter, and visit our website at deadpilotssociety.com
Television writer and producer Brigitte Muñoz-Liebowitz really struggled to find a character that she saw herself in -- a Latinx, first-generation American, striving to do her best as a woman in a male-dominated world. But when she found Amy Santiago (played on BROOKLYN NINE-NINE by Melissa Fumero), Brig REALLY found her -- she got hired to write on BROOKLYN NINE-NINE not long after the show began, and it kickstarted her career writing for TV comedies (People of Earth, Love Life, One Day at a Time, Gordita Chronicles).Then, Jordan has one quick thing about a heatwave rewatch of 1983's KRULL.***With Jordan Crucchiola and Brigitte Muñoz-Liebowitz
Like other big deal TV creators, Robert and Michelle King are thriving in the streaming era. The duo behind the long-running CBS show The Good Wife is making two shows for Paramount+, with more on the way. As The Good Fight - a Good Wife spinoff - enters its sixth and final season, Recode's Peter Kafka talks to the Kings about the move from broadcast to streaming, and why they spend a lot of time tweaking the Trump administration, but less talking about the pandemic. Plus: a very costly Bitcoin miscalculation. Featuring: Michelle & Robert King (@RKing618), TV Writers & Show Runners Host: Peter Kafka (@pkafka), Senior Editor at Recode More to explore: Subscribe for free to Recode Media, Peter Kafka, one of the media industry's most acclaimed reporters, talks to business titans, journalists, comedians, and more to get their take on today's media landscape. About Recode by Vox: Recode by Vox helps you understand how tech is changing the world — and changing us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sascha Rothchild is an Emmy-nominated screenwriter, who has written and produced lauded shows such as GLOW, The Bold Type, The Baby-Sitters Club, and The Carrie Diaries. In 2015, she was named one of Variety's “10 TV Writers to Watch.” Rothchild has written for LA Weekly, the Los Angeles Times, Elle, and the Miami Herald, and adapted her article, "How to Get Divorced by 30" into both a memoir and a screenplay for Universal Studios. She graduated from the honors program of Boston College summa cum laude, with a major in theater and screenwriting. Blood Sugar is her debut novel.How Do You Write Podcast: Explore the processes of working writers with bestselling author Rachael Herron. Want tips on how to write the book you long to finish? Here you'll gain insight from other writers on how to get in the chair, tricks to stay in it, and inspiration to get your own words flowing. Join Rachael's Slack channel, Onward Writers: https://join.slack.com/t/onwardwriters/shared_invite/zt-7a3gorfm-C15cTKh_47CEdWIBW~RKwgRachael can be YOUR mini-coach, and she'll answer all your questions on the show! http://patreon.com/rachael See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
I've heard time and time again that TV Writers and Hollywood have an agenda. In my 26 years of TV writing and showrunning experience, I don't agree.Show NotesMichael's Online Screenwriting Course - https://michaeljamin.com/courseFree Screenwriting Lesson - https://michaeljamin.com/freeJoin My Watchlist - https://michaeljamin.com/watchlist
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