Podcasts about Writers Guild

This Pudding Has No Theme: Kevin Hinchey Fifty-first Episode: Kevin is a graduate of Fairfield University and NYU's Graduate Film School, a writer, a film professor, a filmmaker, a screenwriter, and was a member of the Writers Guild of America (West) in California for nearly 40 years. He's also one of the most prolific storytellers I know. Most recently he was the co-director, writer, and researcher of the documentary film, Love, Work and Knowledge: The Life and Trials of Wilhelm Reich. He's currently writing a play about Ulysses S. Grant. Kevin has been a friend for more than 30 years. He once told me that, in expressing his dissatisfaction with a dessert, Winston Churchill is reputed to have said, “This pudding has no theme.” When I invited Kevin to join me on The Anxious Voyage, he accepted on the condition that we adopt Churchill's expression as our theme for the show. And so, we shall. Please join us for a themeless hour of stories, banter, friendship, and creativity. Video Version: https://www.youtube.com/live/t01TXwSJJ6o?si=VvbebMPR7aNIl66A Learn more about Mark here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4cXoftnMYJ7bREYG-K9eng https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-anxious-voyage/about/?viewAsMember=true https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100095313165139 https://www.linkedin.com/in/markobrien/ https://www.facebook.com/MarkNelsonOBrien https://www.facebook.com/MartinTheMarlin/ mark@obriencg.com

Prize Director Michael Kelleher talks to 2025 Windham-Campbell Prize for Drama recipient Roy Williams about Dael Orlandersmith's 2002 play Yellowman. Roy Williams has written fifteen plays since The No Boys Cricket Club premiered at Theatre Stratford East in 1996. Williams's many accolades include the Visionary Honours Award (2022), the Writers Guild of Great Britain Award (2011), the Alfred Fagon Award (2010 and 1997), the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Most Promising Playwright (2001), and a nomination for the Olivier Awards (2011). In addition to writing for the stage, Williams also writes for film, television, and radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome back the team behind the film "No Country for Old People"   About "No Country for Old People":   A filmmaker chronicles her mother's last 6 months in a 5-star nursing home exposing what is a national systemic, deadly, profit-over-people business model. No Country For Old People; a Nursing Home Exposé is a scorching documentary posed to set the long-term care industry, policy makers, and the country ablaze. Shining a much-needed light on what is truly a national human emergency.   No Country for Old People; a Nursing Home Exposé is a 3-part documentary that exposes the dark realities of neglect and abuse in nursing homes and throughout U.S. long-term care industry.   The film answers four questions: What happens. 2. How does it happen? 3. Why does it happen? 4. And how do we fix it?   The film highlights a systemic crisis - the result of corporate greed - that has been taking a devastating human toll within the walls of our nation's long-term care facilities for decades.   The film weaves personal loss with journalistic rigor, exposing a pattern of abuse that is enabled by profit-first models that include chronic understaffing, undertraining, and financial exploitation.   PERSONAL STORIES AND EMOTIONAL IMPACT:   The filmmaker's own experience with her mother along with other emotional testimonies emphasize the human cost of systemic failure and illustrate the severe consequences of poor nursing home care.   The film is both deeply personal and widely resonant — amplifying voices too often silenced and inviting viewers to confront uncomfortable truths about aging, policy, and accountability in America.   About Susie Singer Carter:   Susie Singer Carter is a multi-award-winning, Oscar qualified filmmaker, writer, director, producer, actor, podcast producer, host, and Caregiver Advocate. She is best known for writing, directing, and producing the 2018 Oscar qualified short film, My Mom and The Girl starring Valerie Harper in her final performance, writing and producing “Bratz the Movie” for Lionsgate, and co-producing “Soul Surfer” for Sony.   Susie also produces and hosts the podcast Love Conquers Alz – awarded BEST PODCAST 2020 by New Media Film Festival and is #4 on Feedspots' 2022 25 Best Alzheimer's Podcasts list. Susie is also the co-creator, co-writer, co-star, and director of the outrageous horror/comedy narrative podcast I Love Lucifer, nominated Best Audio Fiction 2023 by Indie Series Awards.   Susie wrote the screenplay, “RUN”, based on the book “Plain Jane” and is attached to direct in spring 2024. She is currently writing, producing, and directing a docuseries, No Country For Old People, which centers on the Nursing Home Neglect and the systemic healthcare crisis responsible for it. She is also a host of the Writers Guild of America West's 3rd & Fairfax Podcast.   About Rick Mountcastle:   Mr. Mountcastle is the former United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia (2017-2018) and is a retired award-winning federal and state prosecutor. He led the prosecution of Purdue Pharma for fraudulently marketing OxyContin, as portrayed in the Emmy-nominated limited miniseries "Dopesick" (streaming on Hulu).   He also led the criminal and civil prosecution of Abbott Laboratories for fraudulently marketing the anti-epileptic, Depakote, for use as a chemical restraint for dementia patients in nursing homes, resulting in Abbott's guilty plea to a felony and payment of $1.5 billion, at the time the largest penalty against a pharmaceutical company for misconduct related to a single drug.   Mr. Mountcastle spent his career prosecuting healthcare companies and executives who exploited vulnerable patients for profit, and brings his passion to change a system that allows such exploitation to this project.   About Don Priess:   For over two decades, Don Priess has shunned sleep in order to become a highly sought-after, award winning writer, producer, director and editor. He co-founded Modern Media, now one of the top marketing and infomercial production companies in the world.   After six years and hundreds of TV and radio commercials, Don decided to spread his wings and since his credits include projects for CBS/Dic Entertainment, Nickelodeon, Buena Vista, American Movie Classics, Lifetime, Hanna-Barbera, Playboy Entertainment and more.   While continuing to work on a wide variety of entertainment projects, Don teamed with the highly energetic and talented Susie Singer Carter as part of Go Girl Media. Together they were the writers and Co-Executive Producers of two series for CBS, “CAKE” and “DANCE REVOLUTION”, SURVIVING HAWKING, and “SILVER LININGS” for Fox Television Studios.

Writer of “Jaws" & "The Jerk" Carl Gottlieb talks about working with Spielberg, Steve Martin, Carl Reiner, David Crosby, Joan Baez, improv group The Committee, performing comedy in the army, how the Smothers Brothers Show was the hippest most popular show at the time and somehow also cancelled. Bio:  Carl Gottlieb is a screenwriter (Jaws, The Jerk), director (Caveman), & actor (Mash). His book, THE JAWS LOG, remains the most popular book about the making of a motion picture ever written.  He also wrote WHICH WAY IS UP with Richard Pryor. He was a member of the classic San Francisco Improv group, The Committee.  And a writer on the controversial Smothers Brothers show. He served on the Board of Directors of the Writers Guild of America, and was on the faculty of the Film Division of the School of the Arts at Columbia University, the American Film Institute, the University of Miami's School of Communications and the University of Southern California's School of Cinema & Television.

Today on What's My Frame I'm joined by Writer/Director, Ryan Landels. This is a beautiful episode spotlighting the importance of community and finding your fellow collaborators. Ryan is a Canadian-born American writer/director who recently sold his genre-bending thriller CUL-DE-SAC to Sony, with his frequent collaborator Jon M. Chu (WICKED) producing.He is currently developing a project in the vein of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN for Hobie Films, which got both Matt Shakman (THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS) and Joachim Rønning (TRON: ARES) attached in the pitch stage. Ryan is also writing a four-quadrant fantasy adventure for Electric Somewhere, and wrote the screenplay for JEM AND THE HOLOGRAMS – Universal's live-action adaptation of Hasbro's toyline and animated series that was theatrically released worldwide.In TV, Ryan wrote the multiple Primetime Emmy-winning BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: A 30TH CELEBRATION for Disney+ and ABC, with the hybrid live-action and animation tribute starring Martin Short, Josh Groban, Rita Moreno, David Alan Grier and H.E.R. He recently wrote and directed the hit original movies SANTA TELL ME and SUGARPLUMMED for Hallmark, with SANTA TELL ME becoming the No. 1 new Christmas movie of 2024 across all broadcast networks and streaming platforms. Ryan also adapted TOM CLANCY'S GHOST RECON: WILDLANDS for Amazon and Ubisoft, created and directed ABBY NORMAL for Disney Channel, and wrote and directed on three seasons of Hulu and Paramount's hit streaming series, THE LXD.Ryan is a graduate of the USC School of Cinema-Television, which he attended with the support of a scholarship from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. His thesis film THE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS went to more than thirty festivals internationally, won the Audience Award at Slamdance and was featured in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.Ryan is based out of Los Angeles and a member of the Writers Guild of America, the Producers Guild of America, the Directors Guild of Canada and the Television Academy. He is represented by Rob Carlson at the United Talent Agency and Mike Fera at Kaplan/Perrone.Official SiteFollow Ryan on InstagramTHE MIDNIGHT EXPRESS--What's My Frame, hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Laura Linda Bradley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the WMF creative community now!Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsmyframe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IMDb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠What's My Frame? official site⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠What's My Frame? merch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

First up, Ralph welcomes the co-founders of Doctors Against Genocide, Dr. Karameh Hawash-Kuemmerle and Dr. Nidal Jboor, to discuss their dedication to succeeding where global governments have failed in confronting genocide—particularly the acute genocide in Gaza. Then, Ralph speaks to Marcus Sims, who turns felled and fallen trees into sustainable-harvested lumber with his company Treincarnation. Finally, Ralph has co-written an open letter to Barack Obama, urging him to step up and do his part to fight against Donald Trump.Dr. Karameh Hawash-Kuemmerle is a clinical pediatric neurologist who specializes in traumatic brain injury and epilepsy at Boston Children's Hospital. Dr. Nidal Jboor is a doctor of internal medicine and geriatrics working in Michigan. They are co-founders of Doctors Against Genocide.We think: as American people, we are good people. We don't stand for these crimes. We don't accept that any child, any mother, any father, any elderly in the world will be starved to death—no matter where they are, no matter who they are, no matter who is committing this crime. And we are especially appalled to know that all these crimes are being done in our name, with our tax money. They are cutting the funding from our basic programs here, from our neighborhoods, to send more billions to mass slaughter children. So that's why we're going to DC. We're going to talk to the people who are enabling this. We think they already failed their constituents, they failed their country, they are putting our country on the wrong side of history.Dr. Nidal JboorAnyone who did not call this a genocide yet—and did not demand full accountability for genocide, both for the United States and for Israel—is enabling and allowing this crime to continue further.Dr. Nidal JboorWe are committed to having our eyes open whenever and wherever there is a genocide or there are war crimes, crimes against humanity—no matter who commits them. And it's very important for us to stand with the victims, with the community that is suffering, and never take the side or give a platform for the perpetrators.Dr. Karameh KuemmerleOur focus on the situation in Gaza comes from the simple fact that our country is complicit. And because of that, we actually have the moral obligation and the practical obligation to speak up. So it is not because we think that other genocides are not happening or are not important. We actually think every genocide should never happen. It's anti-human to commit genocide. And we always ask our colleagues to come to us to help uplift the voices of the communities of genocide and hopefully we will have more bandwidth to do a lot more. But the situation in Gaza is unique because there is almost a collusion of all these powerful players to complete this genocide in Gaza and basically oppress every resistance to it. There are many things that make what is happening in Gaza unique—for example, the inability to leave, using food as a weapon, having complete siege on the population, having a major superpower supported by another major superpower bombing a population of two million people in a very small area, constantly, nonstop for two years.Dr. Karameh KuemmerleAll professions have their own specialized civic duties…And I want to tell the listeners that the people who are peace-loving all over the world vastly outnumber, vastly outnumber the warmongers and the cruel and vicious interests that have taken advantage of the situation.Ralph NaderMarcus Sims is the owner of Treincarnation, which creates sustainably-harvested lumber and builds custom furniture from trees felled by storms or removed to make way for development.I think there's a lot of support for what I'm doing, but my work is contrasted to the industrial lumber system, which is “chop them down and cut them up,” a lot of it done by huge machines. So it takes a lot more attention and care to do the kind of work that I'm doing. And of course the finances—as you know, finances play a big part in any kind of industry and how they can manage to make money. So I'm certainly making a living, a good living with what I'm doing. I don't know exactly how we can get from the current system into one that was probably used in the past, where the intelligence of human beings is more engaged and we're not slaves to industrial processes.Marcus SimsNews 7/25/25* This week, Israel shelled the Holy Family Church in Gaza. During the last months of his life, Pope Francis was in constant communication with this church and its pastor, Father Gabriel Romanelli, calling them every single night. Three people were killed in this strike and Father Romanelli was injured, as were other congregants. In a speech after the strike, Pope Leo called for an immediate ceasefire and decried the “barbarity of war,” Reuters reports. He added, "I appeal to the international community to observe humanitarian law and respect the obligation to protect civilians as well as the prohibition of collective punishment, of indiscriminate use of force and forced displacement of the population.” According to the National Catholic Reporter, Pope Leo XIV spoke with Palestinian president Mahmood Abbas following this attack and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu called to “express Israel's regret for what he called an accidental attack.”2. In Belgium, the Hind Rajab Foundation – named for the five-year-old girl in Gaza killed along with six of her family members and the paramedics coming to her rescue – reports, “Belgian federal police have arrested and interrogated two Israeli soldiers credibly accused of war crimes in Gaza. The action came in response to an urgent legal complaint filed by the Hind Rajab Foundation and the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) earlier this week.” The soldiers, who had come to Belgium to attend the Tomorrowland music festival were, “formally interrogated and released. The Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office has confirmed that a criminal investigation is now underway.”3. In a shameful, undemocratic move, the Executive Committee of the National Education Association has voted to reject the member-approved resolution to boycott materials promulgated by the ADL, Axios reports. This helps keep the ADL entrenched as the arbiter of what is and is not antisemitism, a charge they have weaponized and used as a cudgel again and again to silence any criticism of the state of Israel.4. In New York, disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo continues to campaign in his increasingly long-shot independent bid for Mayor of New York City. Recently, Cuomo held a campaign breakfast attended by 450 at the Hampton Synagogue, where he said, “I would wager that in the primary, more than 50% of the Jewish people voted for Mamdani.” If true, this would be a stunning victory not only for Zohran himself but for the pro-Palestine movement, which has been maligned in bad faith as antisemitic. Cuomo added that many younger Jewish voters are, “pro-Palestinian, and they don't consider it being anti-Israel.” This from the Forward.5. Another intra-ethnic cleavage is emerging among voters in New York City – this time, Italian-Americans. While Mamdani visited Uganda, the country of his birth, anti-Zohran Italians rallied in front of his Assembly district office in Queens. The New York Times reports this protest, “ostensibly led by the Italian American Civil Rights League, a group that took its name from but had no apparent ties to a defunct organization founded by [Mafia boss] Joseph A. Colombo Sr,...until recently, when Mr. Colombo's grandson, Anthony E. Colombo Jr….joined the group's board in May.” As the Times notes, this protest was held in response to a, “recently resurfaced social media photo from 2020 showing Mr. Mamdani giving the middle finger to a Columbus statue.” However, a large group of pro-Zohran Italian-American counterprotestors rallied across the street, carrying signs that read “Paisans for Zohran!” and “You Eat Jar Sauce!”6. In Minneapolis, many are drawing parallels between Mamdani and insurgent Democratic Socialist candidate Omar Fateh, who won the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party's endorsement for the mayoralty over incumbent Jacob Frey. Fateh, a state senator, won “at least 60% of the Minneapolis DFL delegate vote Saturday…in the party's first endorsement of a mayoral candidate in 16 years,” per the Minnesota Star Tribune. This endorsement gives Fateh a major boost in his campaign and indicates that the Zohran phenomenon is not confined to New York City.7. Last week, Paramount – one of the largest media conglomerates and parent company of CBS – canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert less than 48 hours after Colbert called CBS News's $16 million settlement with Trump a, “big fat bribe,” implying it would help curry favor with the administration regarding the proposed merger between Paramount and Skydance. Incensed, the Writers Guild of America East issued a statement calling on New York State Attorney General Letitia James, to, “launch an investigation into potential wrongdoing at Paramount…[and for]…our elected leaders to hold those responsible to account…demand answers about why this beloved program was canceled and to assure the public that Colbert and his writers were not censored due to their views or the whims of the President.”8. At the same time, CNN reports Paramount's “owner-in-waiting,” David Ellison is in talks to acquire Bari Weiss's publication The Free Press. According to the Financial Times, Weiss is seeking over $200 million for the purchase. However, this goes further than a potential acquisition. Puck reports that if brought in, Weiss would serve as an “ideological guide” for CBS News. This, paired with the recent piece in the Hollywood Reporter stating that Skydance “promised to eliminate all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives,” at Paramount, gives a fuller picture of the “anti-woke” direction CBS would take under the new leadership. With news Thursday that federal regulators have approved the merger, it seems fair to conclude that these moves mollified the president.9. Turning to Latin America, AP reports the U.S., Venezuela and El Salvador have successfully concluded an intricate tripartite prisoner exchange. This deal includes the release of 10 Americans jailed in Venezuela and 252 Venezuelans held in El Salvador's notorious and dystopian CECOT prison complex. The freed Americans include some who were accused of participating in a U.S.-backed coup attempt against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in 2024 and one who was convicted of a triple homicide in Madrid, according to EL PAÍS. All parties seem satisfied with this agreement, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying “Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now free and back in our homeland,” while President Maduro pronounced the occasion “a day of blessings and good news…the perfect day for Venezuela.”10. Finally, prominent British tech writer Ed Zitron is out with “The Hater's Guide To The AI Bubble.” In this piece, Zitron – a noted critic of AI writ large – details tech companies' expenditures on AI as compared to the revenues, and the numbers are stark. Microsoft has reaped $13 billion, with $10 billion from OpenAI, sold at “a heavily discounted rate that essentially only covers costs for operating the servers," while expenditures total $80 billion. Amazon AI revenues In 2025 amount to $5 billion, while capital expenditures total $105 billion. Google AI revenue stands at $7.7 billion, with capital expenditures standing at $75 billion. Meta AI revenue in 2025 is a paltry $2-3 billion. Their capital expenditures: $72 billion. Perhaps most deliciously, while Tesla has spent around $11 billion on AI in 2025, the company “Does Not Appear To Make Money From Generative AI” at all. Hopefully these numbers serve as a wakeup call for companies to stop dumping money down the AI drain, since clearly the immense adverse impact on the environment is not dissuading them.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Charlie Kaufman is one of the most celebrated screenwriters and directors, known for movies like “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and “Anomalisa.” Three of his scripts appear in the Writers Guild of America's list of the 101 greatest movie screenplays ever written. He's received an Academy Award, an Emmy, three BAFTA awards, two Independent Spirit Awards, and a Writer's Guild of America Award.  He joins Google to discuss his film, “I'm Thinking of Ending Things,” a psychological thriller exploring regret, longing, and the fragility of the human spirit. The film tells the story of a young woman, played by Jessie Buckley, who makes a road trip with her boyfriend to his family's farm. After being trapped at the farm during a snowstorm, she questions the nature of everything she knew or understood about her boyfriend, herself, and the world. Originally published in September 2020. Watch this episode at youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle.

Co-showrunners Tracey Wigfield and Lang Fisher discuss running their latest writers' room, how the pitching process has changed for them throughout their careers, why figuring out the story is like being good at math, and much more. Tracey Wigfield is a TV writer and showrunner. She created the NBC series Great News and the Saved by the Bell revival on Peacock. Before that, she was a writer on 30 Rock as well as The Mindy Project. Lang Fisher is a TV writer, showrunner and director. She co-created the Netflix series Never Have I Ever and was a writer on 30 Rock, The Mindy Project and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Together, Tracey and Lang are the co-showrunners of The Four Seasons, which they co-created alongside Tina Fey. The miniseries is an adaptation of the 1981 film of the same name, written and directed by Alan Alda. It follows three married couples whose decades-long friendship is tested when one of the couples divorces, complicating their tradition of quarterly weekend getaways. The Four Seasons premiered on Netflix in May 2025 and was renewed for a second season the same month. --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: wgaeast.org/onwriting Follow the Guild on social media: @WGAEast OnWriting is a production of the Writers Guild of America East. The show is produced by WGA East staff members Jason Gordon, Tiana Timmerberg, and Molly Beer. Production, editing, and mix by Giulia Hjort. Original music is by Taylor Bradshaw. Artwork is designed by Molly Beer.

Title: Languaging in Hampton RoadsEpisode 18: Williamsburg Poet Laureate talks character, community and spitting barsHosts: Jill Winkowski and Prue SalaskyDate: July 18, 2025Length: 36 minutesPublication Frequency: Fourth Friday (approx) of each monthIn this episode, a follow to Ep. 6 (June 2024) we catch up with Lacroy “Atlas” Nixon, a spoken word artist, slam performer and founder of the nonprofit Slam Connection. He's the newly named inaugural poet laureate of Williamsburg, Va. In Ep. 6: Creative Community: Spoken Word in Hampton Roads, published a year ago in June 2024, we featured interviews with three of the region's spoken word performers, Tanya Cunningham, George Mendez, and Nixon to showcase the genre and the local community.Since then, Nixon has been named poet laureate for the City of Williamsburg. In this interview, (recorded on June 29, 2025, and lightly edited) we spoke to him about his new role which officially started this month. In it, he explains the process of becoming a poet laureate and says that the emphasis of his two-year post will be on engaging the area's youth. Much of his work will involve pursuing partnerships with existing organizations, such as:Slam Connection, (https://slamconnection.my.canva.site)established by Nixon in 2022, has a mission of encouraging self-expression, healthy discourse and spitting bars (a term explained in Nixon's interview), and empowering youth through spoken word poetry. It hosts open mic nights, slam contests, and writing events. It also involves a strong service component. 2. The Ampersand International Arts Festival, www.ampersandfestival.com, an annual arts festival held in Williamsburg in March, “is part of the CIty of Williamsburg's initiatives to support town and gown collaboration between the City, the College of William and Mary, Colonial Williamsburg, and partners.” 3. 2nd Sundays, Williamsburg's Art & Music Festival, https://2ndsundayswilliamsburg.com4. The Poetry Society of Virginia, https://poetrysocietyofvirginia.org; a 100-year-old nonprofit dedicated to cultivating the writing and enjoyment of poetry.5. Writers Guild of Virginia, https://www.writersguildva.com; Nixon is a board member of the nonprofit that offers classes, workshops and events for writers.In the interview, Nixon references first Friday open mic nights at Column15 Cafe and Roastery, 701 Merrimac Trail R, Williamsburg; www.column15.com; and slam competitions at the Kimball Theatre, Duke of Gloucester Street, www.colonialwilliamsburg.org.He also credits the location Bazaaro's Deli in the Williamsburg Premium Outlets,  63A 5715 Richmond Rd, Williamsburg, www.bazaaros.com for hosting slam contests.He also talks about competing in Southern Fried,www.southernfriedpoetryslam.com, one of the largest spoken word and performance poetry tournaments in the world. The event is held annually in a southern US city in the first week of June. Nixon's team placed sixth in the 2025 competition in Knoxville, Tenn. Send your feedback, comments and questions to languaginghr@gmail.com. Also, check out our newly updated website, languaginghr.wordpress.com and engage with us on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks to our summer interns, Kaitlyn Asato of Christopher Newport University and Sarah Phillips of Old Dominion University, for their work on the website and social media respectively. 

Saturday Night Live head writers Alison Gates, Streeter Seidell and Kent Sublette join Greg Iwinski to talk about the process of writing for a different host every week, how giving notes to writers differs from giving notes to the cast, what writing for SNL teaches you about rejection, and much more. Alison Gates, Streeter Seidell and Kent Sublette are the current head writers of Saturday Night Live. Kent has been a head writer for the show since 2016, and Alison and Streeter have been head writers since 2022. Greg Iwinski is an Emmy-winning comedy writer whose credits include Last Week Tonight, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Game Theory with Bomani Jones. --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: wgaeast.org/onwriting Follow the Guild on social media: @WGAEast OnWriting is a production of the Writers Guild of America East. The show is produced by WGA East staff members Jason Gordon, Tiana Timmerberg, and Molly Beer. Production, editing, and mix by Giulia Hjort. Original music is by Taylor Bradshaw. Artwork is designed by Molly Beer.

Terri Morgan owns LumaTouch and is the co-founder,and designer of the popular mobile editing solution, LumaFusion, which was designed and developed specifically to enhance the creative process of storytelling through video editing. In her words, “Video and audio express deeper stories.” OWC RADiO host, Cirina Catania, spoke with her about the use of AI contrasting with creative courage and spontaneity. Terri has spent the last two years highly researching the subject and we think you will find her outlook enlightening. If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe and tell all your friends about us! We love our listeners. And, if you have ideas for segments, write to OWCRadio@catania.us. We are always up for new ideas! You can find OWC RADiO at OWCRadio.com, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all other podcatchers! ABOUT OWC: Other World Computing, under the leadership of Larry O'Connor since he was 15 years old, has expanded to all corners of the world and works every day to create hardware and software that make the lives of creatives and business-oriented companies faster, more efficient and more stable.  Go to MacSales.com for more information and to discover an ecosystem that serves your needs. As Larry says, “Our dedication to excellence and sustainable innovation extends beyond our day-to-day business and into the community. We strive for zero waste, both environmentally and strategically. Our outlook is to the long term, and in everything we do, we look for simplicity in action and sustainability in practice. For us, it's as much about building exceptional relationships, as it is about building exceptional products.” ABOUT CIRINA CATANIA: Cirina Catania, is a successful filmmaker, former Sr Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at MGM-UA and United Artists and one of the co-founders and former director of the Sundance Film Festival. She is the founder, CEO and Executive Director of the non-profit, High School Media Collective. Cirina is Founder/Lead Creative at the Catania Group Global, Showrunner and Host of OWC RADiO and partner, Lumberjack System, as well as Tech Ambassador for companies such as Blackmagic Design.  She is a long-time member of the Producers Guild, Writers Guild, Cinematographers Guild, the National Press Club, National Press Photographer's Association, and more. She has worked as a writer, director, supervising producer, cinematographer, post-producer, or marketing exec on over 150 film, television and new media projects for the big screen as well as for networks such as National Geographic and Discovery. Cirina is based in San Diego, D.C. and Berlin when she is not on the road filming in the Amazon or other exotic locations. She is very proud of the fact that she has not yet contracted Malaria and that after all these years, she still loves her job!

Meet Jim Rash - actor, comedian, screenwriter, and filmmaker. You may recognize him as his role as Dean Craig Pelton on Community, a role which he was nominated for at the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2012. He co-wrote The Descendants (2011), for which he received the Academy Award, Independent Spirit Award, and Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. We had an absolutely wonderful conversation and I hope you enJOY!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three intrepid Writers Guild of America East member Captains – Sarah Montana, Devin Delliquanti and Suzanne Weber – kick off the summer season of the WGAE's OnWriting podcast with a roundtable discussion of our Film and Television Captains Network: what is a Captain, how Captains further the Guild's ability to provide effective union representation for each and every member, the all-important WGA Captain hat and more.   The WGAE Captains Network is a group of dedicated and engaged WGAE members in the Guild's Film/TV/Streaming sector who connect other members in their workplace and networks to the union. They work to build community for members and to facilitate communication between their teams and union leadership and staff. Sarah Montana is a screenwriter who primarily writes romcoms, often involving a Santa or Christmas theme, for networks like Hallmark Channel, and is also a member of the WGAE Council. Devin Delliquanti is a writer who currently works at The Daily Show, and has written recently on the Grammy Awards and multiple Jordan Klepper specials. Suzanne Weber is a television writer and developer who was previously on the writing staff for Disney's Andi Mack and for the ill-fated Lizzie McGuire reboot, and is also a member of the WGAE Council. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast

The DaVinci International Film Festival's seventh season will unveil on October 10, 2025 at the Grove in Los Angeles. OWC RADiO Host, Cirina Catania,  spoke with Chadwick Pelletier, the festival founder, filmmaker, and CEO.  She discovered that there is much more underneath all the amazing films and the team supporting them…Listen in,  because it is your dream up on their stage. f you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe and tell all your friends about us! We love our listeners. And, if you have ideas for segments, write to OWCRadio@catania.us. We are always up for new ideas! You can find OWC RADiO at OWCRadio.com, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all other podcatchers! ABOUT OWC: Other World Computing, under the leadership of Larry O'Connor, has expanded to all corners of the world and creates hardware and software that make the lives of creatives and business-oriented companies faster, more efficient and more stable.  Go to MacSales.com for more information and to discover an ecosystem that serves your needs. As Larry says, “Our dedication to excellence and sustainable innovation extends beyond our day-to-day business and into the community. We strive for zero waste, both environmentally and strategically. Our outlook is to the long term, and in everything we do, we look for simplicity in action and sustainability in practice. For us, it's as much about building exceptional relationships, as it is about building exceptional products.” ABOUT CIRINA CATANIA: Cirina Catania, is a successful filmmaker, former Sr Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at MGM-UA and United Artists and one of the co-founders and former director of the Sundance Film Festival. She is the founder, CEO and Executive Director of the non-profit, High School Media Collective. Cirina is Founder/Lead Creative at the Catania Group Global, Showrunner and Host of OWC RADiO and partner, Lumberjack System, as well as Tech Ambassador for companies such as Blackmagic Design.  She is a long-time member of the Producers Guild, Writers Guild, Cinematographers Guild, the National Press Club, National Press Photographer's Association, and more. She has worked as a writer, director, supervising producer, cinematographer, post-producer, or marketing exec on over 150 film, television and new media projects for the big screen as well as for networks such as National Geographic and Discovery. Cirina is based in San Diego, D.C. and Berlin when she is not on the road filming in the Amazon or other exotic locations. She is very proud of the fact that she has not yet contracted Malaria and that after all these years, she still loves her job!

Philip Hodgetts and Gregory Clarke are traveling for 75 days straight, covering over 10,000 miles throughout Australia. What gear are they using to post their daily YouTube videos? OWC RADiO host, Cirina Catania, tracks them down and gets the details for us. If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe and tell all your friends about us! We love our listeners. And, if you have ideas for segments, write to OWCRadio@catania.us. We are always up for new ideas! You can find OWC RADiO at OWCRadio.com, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all other podcatchers! ABOUT OWC: Other World Computing, under the leadership of Larry O'Connor since he was 15 years old, has expanded to all corners of the world and works every day to create hardware and software that make the lives of creatives and business-oriented companies faster, more efficient and more stable.  Go to MacSales.com for more information and to discover an ecosystem that serves your needs. As Larry says, “Our dedication to excellence and sustainable innovation extends beyond our day-to-day business and into the community. We strive for zero waste, both environmentally and strategically. Our outlook is to the long term, and in everything we do, we look for simplicity in action and sustainability in practice. For us, it's as much about building exceptional relationships, as it is about building exceptional products.” ABOUT CIRINA CATANIA: Cirina Catania, is a successful filmmaker, former Sr Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at MGM-UA and United Artists and one of the co-founders and former director of the Sundance Film Festival. She is the founder, CEO and Executive Director of the non-profit, High School Media Collective. Cirina is Founder/Lead Creative at the Catania Group Global, Showrunner and Host of OWC RADiO and partner, Lumberjack System, as well as Tech Ambassador for companies such as Blackmagic Design.  She is a long-time member of the Producers Guild, Writers Guild, Cinematographers Guild, the National Press Club, National Press Photographer's Association, and more. She has worked as a writer, director, supervising producer, cinematographer, post-producer, or marketing exec on over 150 film, television and new media projects for the big screen as well as for networks such as National Geographic and Discovery. Cirina is based in San Diego, D.C. and Berlin when she is not on the road filming in the Amazon or other exotic locations. She is very proud of the fact that she has not yet contracted Malaria and that after all these years, she still loves her job!

Johnny Mac discusses the return of Dave Chappelle's summer shows and a conversation between Chappelle and Mo Amer about their experiences and challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent Writers Guild strike. The episode also covers Theo Von's comments on Palestine, John Mulaney's uncertain future with Netflix, and insights on the late-night show circuit, including Seth Meyers and Brett Goldstein's anecdotes. The episode concludes with a story about Jeff Garlin walking out on a comedy dinner perhaps due to a payment dispute.00:00  Dave Chappelle's Summer Shows00:23 Mo Amer and Dave Chappelle's Conversation02:14 Theo Von's Take on Palestine02:58 John Mulaney's Netflix Show Speculations06:07 Seth Meyers on Hosting Late Night08:10 Brett Goldstein's Journey to Ted Lasso11:05 Jeff Garland's Comedy Dinner WalkoutGet the show without ads. Five bucks.  For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app which says UNINTERRUPTED LISTENING. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus.    Contact John at john@thesharkdeck dot com  John's free substack about the media:  Media Thoughts  is mcdpod.substack.com DCN on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@dailycomedynews https://linktr.ee/dailycomedynews You can also support the show at www.buymeacoffee.com/dailycomedynewsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news--4522158/support.

Political Detox explores the state of our society, the anxiety we are feeling, and ways we can navigate the chaos. Dr. G and Chad talk about current challenges we all face, and offer coping strategies to maintain sobriety amidst uncertainty. Political Detox explores the state of our society, the anxiety we are feeling, and ways we can navigate the chaos. Dr. G and Tonya talk about the administration's attempt to rewrite American history by erasing culture. Rick Najera is a creative force whose pen has carved bold, brown lines across Broadway stages, Hollywood screens, and the national conversation on Latino identity. A true original, Rick's storytelling blends sharp wit, deep heart, and fearless cultural commentary. From the bright lights of Latinologues on Broadway—his groundbreaking work that gave voice to untold Latino stories—to the writer's room of In Living Color and Mad TV (where he worked with Key and Peel and Jamie Fox and Jenifer Lopez), Rick has always led with authenticity. His Showtime comedy specials, Diary of a Dad Man and Legally Brown, showcase his rare ability to make you laugh while cracking open truths about family, faith, and identity. A writer, actor, producer, and cultural visionary, Rick's credits span television, film, and theater—including work with Fox, Hulu, Warner Bros., and major studios—while never losing sight of his mission: to elevate the Latino narrative. As the creator and host of Latino Thought Makers, Rick has become a leading voice in the dialogue around Latino excellence and empowerment, speaking across the nation to inspire the next generation, interviewing Dr. Cornel West and Dolores Huerta and Danny Trejo and many more. Whether it's behind the scenes or center stage, Rick Najera doesn't just tell stories—he builds bridges, breaks barriers, and makes sure we all laugh along the way. Latin History for Morons marks the second time he has worked with Leguizamo. He wrote the holiday classic Nothing Like the Holidays starring John Leguizamo. Most recently, he wrote and directed Sweet 15, his interactive Quinceanera that played to audiences in Miami and Chicago. With two Writers Guild nominations for his work in comedy, he is a rare writer that finds brave stories that make you laugh. His new historical novel Love Truth and Loyalty will be published in the fall. Learn more about Rick at www.ricknajera.com.

"Comedy writers learn early on that we have a high degree of anonymity," writes podcast guest Alan Zweibel in his memoir Laugh Lines: My Life Helping Funny People Be Funnier. "Our words are spoken publicly by others who often have famous faces. Or by unknown people on their way to having famous faces." As one of the founding writers on Saturday Night Live, Alan's words were given voice by a cast of virtual unknowns, all on their way to becoming famous faces, eventually earning worldwide acclaim as some of the most iconic comic performers of their generation. Over the course of his 50-year career, he has penned jokes for dozens of Borscht Belt comedians and written for some of SNL's most memorable characters (such as Gilda Radner's "Roseanne Rosannadanna," John Belushi's "Samurai," and Garrett Morris's "Chico Escuela"), and helped to craft SNL producer Lorne Michaels's now-legendary appeal to invite the Beatles to appear on the show for the standard artist fee of $3,000.  Alan is the recipient of five Emmy Awards for his work in television, which in addition to SNL also includes "It's Garry Shandling's Show" (which he co-created and produced), "The Late Show with David Letterman," and "Curb Your Enthusiasm." He is the author of 11 books, including the 2006 Thurber Prize-winning novel The Other Shulman, and Bunny Bunny: Gilda Radner—A Sort of Romantic Comedy, and six off-Broadway plays. He also collaborated with Billy Crystal on the Tony Award-winning play "700 Sundays," and with Martin Short on his Broadway hit "Fame Becomes Me," and co-wrote the screenplays for the films "Dragnet," "North," "The Story of Us," and "Here Today." He joins us on the podcast to reflect on a singular career as one of our leading comedy writers and humorists—and a wickedly funny body of work that has earned him an honorary Ph.D. from the State University of New York, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Writers Guild of America, East.  Learn more about Alan Zweibel: Website Facebook Instagram Bluesky Please support the sponsors who support our show: John Kasich's Heaven Help Us (now available for pre-order) Ritani Jewelers Daniel Paisner's Balloon Dog Daniel Paisner's SHOW: The Making and Unmaking of a Network Television Pilot Heaven Help Us by John Kasich Unforgiving: Lessons from the Fall by Lindsey Jacobellis Film Movement Plus (PODCAST) | 30% discount Libro.fm (ASTOLDTO) | 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 when you start your membership Film Freaks Forever! podcast, hosted by Mark Jordan Legan and Phoef Sutton Everyday Shakespeare podcast A Mighty Blaze podcast The Writer's Bone Podcast Network Misfits Market (WRITERSBONE) | $15 off your first order  Film Movement Plus (PODCAST) | 30% discount Wizard Pins (WRITERSBONE) | 20% discount

The stupendous publication of Edna Ferber's Giant in 1952 set off a storm of protest over the novel's portrayal of Texas manners, money and mores with oil-rich Texans threatening to shoot, lynch or ban Ferber from ever entering the state again.In Giant Love, Julie Gilbert writes of the internationally best-selling Ferber, one of the most widely read writers in the first half of the 20th Century – her evolution from mid-west maverick girl-reporter to Pulitzer Prize winning, beloved American novelist, from her want-to-be actress days to becoming Broadway's acclaimed prize-winning playwright whose collaborators – George S. Kauffman and Moss Hart, among them, were, along with Ferber, herself, the most successful playwrights of their time.bout the AuthorJULIE GILBERT was born in New York City and was educated at Boston University. She is the author of four books, among them a biography of her great aunt, Edna Ferber, Edna Ferber and Her Circle and Opposite Attraction: The Lives of Erich Maria Remarque and Paulette Goddard, Gilbert is a member of The Dramatists Guild, The Writers Guild of America, East, The Authors Guild, Actors' Equity, and League of Professional Theater Women. She has taught Creative Writing at New York University's School of Continuing Education and currently heads The Writers Academy at The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida where she lives part time, as well as in New York City.For more info on the book click HERE

Zilia Balkansky-Sellés reads "Thoughts while rolling the garbage bin," "End of April, Rainy Sky," "Gaggle of Boys," and "The House Across the Street."Zilia is a writer and actor based in Bloomington, Indiana. Her poems have been published in the online journal Comparative Woman, and in the books Trigger Warnings, edited by Joan Hawkins and Kalynn Brower, and Stormwash: Environmental Poems, edited by Hiromi Yoshida. Her work appeared in the 2023 Ryder Magazine, Poetry Edition and has been presented at spoken-word events hosted by the Writers Guild at Bloomington.

In this episode of Visual Intonation, we sit down with Lyandre Pierre, a multifaceted writer, director, and producer based in Los Angeles, hailing from Tennessee. With a rich background in production for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, as well as various independent media projects, Lyandre has carved out a unique space in the entertainment industry. His web series The 6th Degree has garnered critical acclaim, and his diverse portfolio spans comedy, drama, and everything in between. We dive deep into his creative process, exploring how he blends storytelling with the drive to entertain and uplift audiences.  We also explore Lyandre's recent work as a producer on Merit x Zoe and his role as the creator of the Third Wheel Material series. As a member of the Writers Guild of America, he shares his perspective on the writing process and how his experience in production shapes the way he approaches both big projects and independent ventures. In this candid conversation, Lyandre opens up about the challenges and triumphs that come with building a career in the entertainment world, and the importance of creating work that connects with others.  Whether you're a budding creator or a long-time fan of Lyandre's work, this episode offers a unique insight into the life of an artist who continuously pushes boundaries while staying true to his passion for storytelling. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about creativity, perseverance, and the power of entertainment to bring joy to the world. Lyandre Pierre's Website: https://www.lyandrepierre.com/Lyandre Pierre's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyandreLyandre Pierre's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelyandre/Lyandre Pierre's ImDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8623888/Lyandre Pierre's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@morrowentertainmentLyandre Pierre's Coverfly: https://writers.coverfly.com/profile/writer-05edaab8e-85038Lyandre Pierre: https://blcklst.com/profile/lyandre-pierreSupport the showVisual Intonation Website: https://www.visualintonations.com/Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.comVante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyvante/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@directedbyvante

Zilia Balkansky-Sellés reads "Elephant Born, "Mulch Pile," "April 20, 2021," and "The Assurance of a Sunflower." Zilia is a writer and actor based in Bloomington, Indiana. Her poems have been published in the online journal Comparative Woman, and in the books Trigger Warnings, edited by Joan Hawkins and Kalynn Brower, and Stormwash: Environmental Poems, edited by Hiromi Yoshida. Her work appeared in the 2023 Ryder Magazine, Poetry Edition and has been presented at spoken-word events hosted by the Writers Guild at Bloomington.

After opening investigations into several media companies in recent months, The FCC has found its latest target– MSNBC. Why did FCC chairman Brenan Carr claim that specific broadcasts on MSNBC were not in “public interest?” Also, what’s behind the Writers Guild’s decision to block members from working on a Martin Scorsese produced film? Kim Masters and Matt Belloni investigate.  Plus, Masters speaks with actress, activist, and filmmaker Daryl Hannah, whose new concert film, Coastal, offers an intimate look at her husband, the legendary Neil Young, on his 2023 solo tour. Hannah also recounts a painful experience with Harvey Weinstein on the Kill Bill press tour, and reveals what prompted her to proclaim “Slava Ukraini” at this year’s Oscars.

After opening investigations into several media companies in recent months, The FCC has found its latest target– MSNBC. Why did FCC chairman Brenan Carr claim that specific broadcasts on MSNBC were not in “public interest?” Also, what's behind the Writers Guild's decision to block members from working on a Martin Scorsese produced film? Kim Masters and Matt Belloni investigate.  Plus, Masters speaks with actress, activist, and filmmaker Daryl Hannah, whose new concert film, Coastal, offers an intimate look at her husband, the legendary Neil Young, on his 2023 solo tour. Hannah also recounts a painful experience with Harvey Weinstein on the Kill Bill press tour, and reveals what prompted her to proclaim “Slava Ukraini” at this year's Oscars.

Welcome to OWC RADiO, where we take a close look into the minds of innovators who are shaping the world of tech and creativity. Our host, Cirina Catania, goes behind the scenes today with Loren Mally, Director of Sales for the Jellyfish product line, a collaborative storage solution that's become a go-to for filmmakers, editors, studios, and creatives around the world. Please subscribe, hit that "like" button, and listen in to another great interview with two big brains. They talked about Loren's journey, OWC's vision, the power behind Jellyfish, the power of collaborative editing, and how the sales landscape is evolving — including whether AI is playing a role. Whether you're editing the next blockbuster, running a content studio, or simply love geeking out on tech, this one's for you. And, if you are at the NAB show in Vegas, stop by the OWC booth and say "hi" to Loren and the whole team. They'll be waiting for you in the upper South Hall #SLU2. ABOUT OWC: Other World Computing, under the leadership of Larry O'Connor since he was 15 years old, has expanded to all corners of the world and works every day to create hardware and software that make the lives of creatives and business-oriented companies faster, more efficient, and more stable.  Go to MacSales.com for more information and to discover an ecosystem tailored for you. As Larry says, “Our dedication to excellence and sustainable innovation extends beyond our day-to-day business and into the community. We strive for zero waste, both environmentally and strategically. Our outlook is towards the long term, and, in everything we do, we look for simplicity in action and sustainability in practice. For us, it's as much about building exceptional relationships, as it is about building exceptional products.” ABOUT CIRINA CATANIA: Cirina Catania, is a successful filmmaker, former Sr Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at MGM-UA and United Artists, and one of the co-founders and former director of the Sundance Film Festival. Cirina is Founder/Lead Creative at the Catania Group Global, Showrunner and Host of OWC RADiO and partner, Lumberjack System, as well as Tech Ambassador for companies such as Blackmagic Design.  She is a long-time member of the Producers Guild, Writers Guild, Cinematographers Guild, the National Press Club, National Press Photographer's Association, and more. She has worked as a writer, director, supervising producer, cinematographer, post-producer, or marketing exec on over 150 film, television and new media projects for the big screen as well as for networks such as National Geographic and Discovery. Cirina is based in San Diego, D.C. and Berlin when she is not on the road filming in the Amazon or other exotic locations. She is very proud of the fact that she has not yet contracted Malaria and that after all these years, she still loves her job!

Welcome to another Cinema Sounds & Secrets Tribute episode! This week Janet, John, (and Pen) highlight one of the most honored American screenwriters in motion picture history… Bo Goldman! Called the “the screenwriter's screenwriter” Goldman received two Academy Awards for his screenplays of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) and Melvin and Howard (1980), two Golden Globe Awards, two Writers Guild of America Awards and the Guild's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. Listen to learn more about one of the true greats, known for films like The Rose (1979), Shoot the Moon (1982), Scent of a Woman (1992), and Meet Joe Black (1998).  To learn more about this episode and others, visit the official Cinema Sounds & Secrets website!  

What do you get when Emmy and Writers Guild of America award nominated, New York Times bestseller author Tom Straw blends a pulse pounding spy thriller with reality television? You get The Accidental Joe, featuring popular reality show chef Sebastian Pike who inadvertently finds himself working as an intelligence asset for a three letter government agency. Using a celebrity cooking show in an exotic location to hide a clandestine operation—what could possible go wrong? Straw is an accomplished television writer and showrunner for such notable series as Night Court, Nurse Jackie, Grace Under Fire, and others. That screenwriting experience makes for cinematic crime fiction and you can count on an entertaining, tightly plotted story that will grab you by the croquembouche.

Legally immigrating to the United States involves red tape, legalese, mounds of paperwork, money and a lot of finger crossing. Felipe Torres Medina is a Peabody and Writers Guild of America Award–winning writer for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”. He joins host Krys Boyd to discuss his seemingly impossible journey to obtain a green card, why navigating the system can feel Kafkaesque, and what a proposed option for the rich to buy their citizenship could mean for the American Dream. His book is “America, Let Me In: A Choose Your Immigration Story. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Managing video content is more challenging than ever. In this episode of OWC RADiO, host Cirina Catania speaks with Sam Bogoch, CEO of Axle.ai. They explore how Axle's media asset management is transforming the way creators, businesses, and organizations handle large volumes of video. From AI-assisted tagging and search to automated organization, Axle.ai makes it easier to manage digital assets. Whether you're an independent filmmaker, a production company, or even a school or church, this technology is a game-changer. Axle.ai offers powerful tools to simplify content management. With features like automated tagging, intelligent search, and seamless collaboration, it helps teams find and organize their media faster than ever. During their conversation, Sam shares his journey in developing this groundbreaking technology. He explains how Axle.ai solves real-world challenges for creatives working with massive media libraries. If you've ever struggled to find a specific clip in a sea of files, this episode is for you! Enjoying the podcast? Subscribe and spread the word! We love our listeners and always welcome new ideas. Feel free to comment! You can find OWC RADiO at OWCRadio.com, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major podcast platforms! Chapter Markers: [00:00:00] - Introduction & Sponsor MessageCirina introduces the episode, guest Sam Bogoch, and acknowledges OWC as the sponsor.[00:01:14] - The Importance of AI in Media ManagementSam discusses the challenges of managing large media libraries and how AI is transforming the process.[00:07:05] - Axle.ai's Beginnings & EvolutionSam shares how Axle.ai was founded, inspired by gaps in the industry while working at Avid.[00:13:08] - How Axle.ai WorksA deep dive into how Axle.ai's AI-driven media asset management helps content creators efficiently find and organize files.[00:18:40] - Use Cases & Industry ApplicationsSam explains how Axle.ai benefits churches, sports teams, filmmakers, and corporate media teams.[00:23:14] - Future of AI in Media & Closing ThoughtsA look at where AI is headed in media asset management and final reflections from Cirina and Sam. Key Takeaways:= AI-powered media management saves time and eliminates the frustration of lost files= Automation is the key to efficiently handling large video archives= Axle.ai benefits everyone, from corporate teams to solo filmmakers= AI improves collaboration, allowing teams to access and edit media with ease= As media continues to evolve, AI-driven asset management will be essential for content creators ABOUT OWC: Other World Computing, under the leadership of Larry O'Connor since he was 15 years old, has expanded to all corners of the world and creates hardware and software that make the lives of creatives and business-oriented companies faster, more efficient and more stable.  Go to MacSales.com for more information and to discover an ecosystem that serves your needs. As Larry says, “Our dedication to excellence and sustainable innovation extends beyond our day-to-day business and into the community. We strive for zero waste, both environmentally and strategically. Our outlook is to the long term, and in everything we do, we look for simplicity in action and sustainability in practice. For us, it's as much about building exceptional relationships, as it is about building exceptional products.” ABOUT CIRINA CATANIA: Cirina Catania, is a successful filmmaker, former Sr Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at MGM-UA and United Artists and one of the co-founders and former director of the Sundance Film Festival. She is the founder, CEO and Executive Director of the non-profit, High School Media Collective. Cirina is Founder/Lead Creative at the Catania Group Global, Showrunner and Host of OWC RADiO and partner, Lumberjack System, as well as Tech Ambassador for companies such as Blackmagic Design.  She is a long-time member of the Producers Guild, Writers Guild, Cinematographers Guild,

By Walt HickeyDouble feature today!Welcome to the Numlock Sunday edition.This week, I spoke to Alissa Wilkinson who is out with the brand new book, We Tell Ourselves Stories: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine.I'm a huge fan of Alissa, she's a phenomenal critic and I thought this topic — what happens when one of the most important American literary figures heads out to Hollywood to work on the most important American medium — is super fascinating. It's a really wonderful book and if you're a longtime Joan Didion fan or simply a future Joan Didion fan, it's a look at a really transformative era of Hollywood and should be a fun read regardless.Alissa can be found at the New York Times, and the book is available wherever books are sold.This interview has been condensed and edited. All right, Alissa, thank you so much for coming on.Yeah, thanks for having me. It's good to be back, wherever we are.Yes, you are the author of We Tell Ourselves Stories: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine. It's a really exciting book. It's a really exciting approach, for a Joan Didion biography and placing her in the current of American mainstream culture for a few years. I guess just backing out, what got you interested in Joan Didion to begin with? When did you first get into her work?Joan Didion and I did not become acquainted, metaphorically, until after I got out of college. I studied Tech and IT in college, and thus didn't read any books, because they don't make you read books in school, or they didn't when I was there. I moved to New York right afterward. I was riding the subway. There were all these ads for this book called The Year of Magical Thinking. It was the year 2005, the book had just come out. The Year of Magical Thinking is Didion's National Book Award-winning memoir about the year after her husband died, suddenly of a heart attack in '03. It's sort of a meditation on grief, but it's not really what that sounds like. If people haven't read it's very Didion. You know, it's not sentimental, it's constantly examining the narratives that she's telling herself about grief.So I just saw these ads on the walls. I was like, what is this book that everybody seems to be reading? I just bought it and read it. And it just so happened that it was right after my father, who was 46 at the time, was diagnosed with a very aggressive leukemia, and then died shortly thereafter, which was shocking, obviously. The closer I get to that age, it feels even more shocking that he was so young. I didn't have any idea how to process that emotion or experience. The book was unexpectedly helpful. But it also introduced me to a writer who I'd never read before, who felt like she was looking at things from a different angle than everyone else.Of course, she had a couple more books come out after that. But I don't remember this distinctly, but probably what happened is I went to some bookstore, The Strand or something, and bought The White Album and Slouching Towards Bethlehem off the front table as everyone does because those books have just been there for decades.From that, I learned more, starting to understand how writing could work. I didn't realize how form and content could interact that way. Over the years, I would review a book by her or about her for one publication or another. Then when I was in graduate school, getting my MFA in nonfiction, I wrote a bit about her because I was going through a moment of not being sure if my husband and I were going to stay in New York or we were going to move to California. They sort of obligate you to go through a goodbye to all that phase if you are contemplating that — her famous essay about leaving New York. And then, we did stay in New York City. But ultimately, that's 20 years of history.Then in 2020, I was having a conversation (that was quite-early pandemic) with my agent about possible books I might write. I had outlined a bunch of books to her. Then she was like, “These all sound like great ideas. But I've always wanted to rep a book on Joan Didion. So I just wanted to put that bug in your ear.” I was like, “Oh, okay. That seems like something I should probably do.”It took a while to find an angle, which wound up being Didion in Hollywood. This is mostly because I realized that a lot of people don't really know her as a Hollywood figure, even though she's a pretty major Hollywood figure for a period of time. The more of her work I read, the more I realized that her work is fruitfully understood as the work of a woman who was profoundly influenced by (and later thinking in terms of Hollywood metaphors) whether she was writing about California or American politics or even grief.So that's the long-winded way of saying I wasn't, you know, acquainted with her work until adulthood, but then it became something that became a guiding light for me as a writer.That's really fascinating. I love it. Because again I think a lot of attention on Didion has been paid since her passing. But this book is really exciting because you came at it from looking at the work as it relates to Hollywood. What was Didion's experience in Hollywood? What would people have seen from it, but also, what is her place there?The directly Hollywood parts of her life start when she's in her 30s. She and her husband — John Gregory Dunn, also a writer and her screenwriting partner — moved from New York City, where they had met and gotten married, to Los Angeles. John's brother, Nick Dunn later became one of the most important early true crime writers at Vanity Fair, believe it or not. But at the time, he was working as a TV producer. He and his wife were there. So they moved to Los Angeles. It was sort of a moment where, you know, it's all well and good to be a journalist and a novelist. If you want to support yourself, Hollywood is where it's at.So they get there at a moment when the business is shifting from these big-budget movies — the Golden Age — to the new Hollywood, where everything is sort of gritty and small and countercultural. That's the moment they arrive. They worked in Hollywood. I mean, they worked literally in Hollywood for many years after that. And then in Hollywood even when they moved back to New York in the '80s as screenwriters still.People sometimes don't realize that they wrote a bunch of produced screenplays. The earliest was The Panic in Needle Park. Obviously, they adapted Didion's novel Play It As It Lays. There are several others, but one that a lot of people don't realize they wrote was the version of A Star is Born that stars Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. It was their idea to shift the Star is Born template from Hollywood entities to rock stars. That was their idea. Of course, when Bradley Cooper made his version, he iterated on that. So their work was as screenwriters but also as figures in the Hollywood scene because they were literary people at the same time that they were screenwriters. They knew all the actors, and they knew all the producers and the executives.John actually wrote, I think, two of the best books ever written on Hollywood decades apart. One called The Studio, where he just roamed around on the Fox backlot. For a year for reasons he couldn't understand, he got access. That was right when the catastrophe that was Dr. Doolittle was coming out. So you get to hear the inside of the studio. Then later, he wrote a book called Monster, which is about their like eight-year long attempt to get their film Up Close and Personal made, which eventually they did. It's a really good look at what the normal Hollywood experience was at the time: which is like: you come up with an idea, but it will only vaguely resemble the final product once all the studios get done with it.So it's, it's really, that's all very interesting. They're threaded through the history of Hollywood in that period. On top of it for the book (I realized as I was working on it) that a lot of Didion's early life is influenced by especially her obsession with John Wayne and also with the bigger mythology of California and the West, a lot of which she sees as framed through Hollywood Westerns.Then in the '80s, she pivoted to political reporting for a long while. If you read her political writing, it is very, very, very much about Hollywood logic seeping into American political culture. There's an essay called “Inside Baseball” about the Dukakis campaign that appears in Political Fictions, her book that was published on September 11, 2001. In that book, she writes about how these political campaigns are directed and set up like a production for the cameras and how that was becoming not just the campaign, but the presidency itself. Of course, she had no use for Ronald Reagan, and everything she writes about him is very damning. But a lot of it was because she saw him as the embodiment of Hollywood logic entering the political sphere and felt like these are two separate things and they need to not be going together.So all of that appeared to me as I was reading. You know, once you see it, you can't unsee it. It just made sense for me to write about it. On top of it, she was still alive when I was writing the proposal and shopping it around. So she actually died two months after we sold the book to my publisher. It meant I was extra grateful for this angle because I knew there'd be a lot more books on her, but I wanted to come at it from an angle that I hadn't seen before. So many people have written about her in Hollywood before, but not quite through this lens.Yeah. What were some things that you discovered in the course of your research? Obviously, she's such an interesting figure, but she's also lived so very publicly that I'm just super interested to find out what are some of the things that you learned? It can be about her, but it can also be the Hollywood system as a whole.Yeah. I mean, I didn't interview her for obvious reasons.Understandable, entirely understandable.Pretty much everyone in her life also is gone with the exception really of Griffin Dunn, who is her nephew, John's nephew, the actor. But other than that, it felt like I needed to look at it through a critical lens. So it meant examining a lot of texts. A lot of Didion's magazine work (which was a huge part of her life) is published in the books that people read like Slouching Towards Bethlehem and The White Album and all the other books. What was interesting to me was discovering (I mean, not “discovering” because other people have read it) that there is some work that's not published and it's mostly her criticism.Most of that criticism was published in the late '50s and the early '60s when she was living in New York City, working at Vogue and trying to make it in the literary scene that was New York at that time, which was a very unique place. I mean, she was writing criticism and essays for both, you know, like National Review and The Nation at the same time, which was just hard to conceive of today. It was something you'd do back then. Yeah, wild stuff.A lot of that criticism was never collected into books. The most interesting is that she'd been working at Vogue for a long time in various positions, but she wound up getting added to the film critic column at Vogue in, '62, I want to say, although I might have that date slightly off. She basically alternated weeks with another critic for a few years, writing that until she started writing in movies proper. It's never a great idea to be a critic and a screenwriter at the same time.Her criticism is fascinating. So briefly, for instance, she shared that column with Pauline Kael. Pauline Kael became well known after she wrote about Bonnie and Clyde. This was prior to that. This is several years prior to that. They also hated each other for a long time afterward, which is funny, because, in some ways, their style is very different but their persona is actually very similar. So I wonder about that.But in any case, even when she wasn't sharing the column with Pauline Kael, it was a literal column in a magazine. So it's like one column of text, she can say barely anything. She was always a bit of a contrarian, but she was actively not interested in the things that were occupying New York critics at the time. Things like the Auteur Theory, what was happening in France, the downtown scene and the Shirley Clark's of the world. She had no use for it. At some point, she accuses Billy Wilder of having really no sense of humor, which is very funny.When you read her criticism, you see a person who is very invested in a classical notion of Hollywood as a place that shows us fantasies that we can indulge in for a while. She talks in her very first column about how she doesn't really need movies to be masterpieces, she just wants them to have moments. When she says moments, she means big swelling things that happen in a movie that make her feel things.It's so opposite, I think, to most people's view of Didion. Most people associate her with this snobbish elitism or something, which I don't think is untrue when we're talking about literature. But for her, the movies were like entertainment, and entering that business was a choice to enter that world. She wasn't attempting to elevate the discourse or something.I just think that's fascinating. She also has some great insights there. But as a film critic, I find myself disagreeing with most of her reviews. But I think that doesn't matter. It was more interesting to see how she conceived of the movies. There is a moment later on, in another piece that I don't think has been republished anywhere from the New York Review of Books, where she writes about the movies of Woody Allen. She hates them. It's right at the point where he's making like Manhattan and Annie Hall, like the good stuff. She just has no use for them. It's one of the funniest pieces. I won't spoil the ending because it's hilarious, and it's in the book.That writing was of huge interest to me and hasn't been republished in books. I was very grateful to get access to it, in part because it is in the archives — the electronic archives of the New York Public Library. But at the time, the library was closed. So I had to call the library and have a librarian get on Zoom with me for like an hour and a half to figure out how I could get in the proverbial back door of the library to get access while the library wasn't open.That's magnificent. That's such a cool way to go to the archives because some stuff just hasn't been published. If it wasn't digitized, then it's not digitized. That's incredible.Yeah, it's there, but you can barely print them off because they're in PDFs. They're like scanned images that are super high res, so the printer just dies when you try to print them. It's all very fascinating. I hope it gets republished at some point because I think there's enough interest in her work that it's fascinating to see this other aspect of her taste and her persona.It's really interesting that she seems to have wanted to meet the medium where it is, right? She wasn't trying to literary-up Hollywood. I mean, LA can be a bit of a friction. It's not exactly a literary town in the way that some East Coast metropolises can be. It is interesting that she was enamored by the movies. Do you want to speak about what things were like for her when she moved out?Yeah, it is funny because, at the same time, the first two movies that they wrote and produced are The Panic in Needle Park, which is probably the most new Hollywood movie you can imagine. It's about addicts at Needle Park, which is actually right where the 72nd Street subway stop is on the Upper West Side. If people have been there, it's hard to imagine. But that was apparently where they all sat around, and there were a lot of needles. It's apparently the first movie supposedly where someone shoots up live on camera.So it was the '70s. That's amazing.Yes, and it launched Al Pacino's film career! Yeah, it's wild. You watch it and you're just like, “How is this coming from the woman who's about all this arty farty stuff in the movies.” And Play It As It Lays has a very similar, almost avant-garde vibe to it. It's very, very interesting. You see it later on in the work that they made.A key thing to remember about them (and something I didn't realize before I started researching the book)was that Didion and Dunn were novelists who worked in journalism because everybody did. They wrote movies, according to them (you can only go off of what they said. A lot of it is John writing these jaunty articles. He's a very funny writer) because “we had tuition and a mortgage. This is how you pay for it.”This comes up later on, they needed to keep their WGA insurance because John had heart trouble. The best way to have health insurance was to remain in the Writers Guild. Remaining in the Writers Guild means you had to have a certain amount of work produced through union means. They were big union supporters. For them this was not, this was very strictly not an auteurist undertaking. This was not like, “Oh, I'm gonna go write these amazing screenplays that give my concept of the world to the audience.” It's not like Bonnie and Clyding going on here. It's very like, “We wrote these based on some stories that we thought would be cool.”I like that a lot. Like the idea that A Star is Born was like a pot boiler. That's really delightful.Completely. It was totally taken away from them by Streisand and John Peters at some point. But they were like, “Yeah, I mean, you know, it happens. We still got paid.”Yeah, if it can happen to Superman, it can happen to you.It happens to everybody, you know, don't get too precious about it. The important thing is did your novel come out and was it supported by its publisher?So just tracing some of their arcs in Hollywood. Obviously, Didion's one of the most influential writers of her generation, there's a very rich literary tradition. Where do we see her footprint, her imprint in Hollywood? What are some of the ways that we can see her register in Hollywood, or reverberate outside of it?In the business itself, I don't know that she was influential directly. What we see is on the outside of it. So a lot of people were friends. She was like a famous hostess, famous hostess. The New York Public Library archives are set to open at the end of March, of Didion and Dunn's work, which was like completely incidental to my publication date. I just got lucky. There's a bunch of screenplays in there that they worked on that weren't produced. There's also her cookbooks, and I'm very excited to go through those and see that. So you might meet somebody there.Her account of what the vibe was when the Manson murders occurred, which is published in her essay The White Album, is still the one people talk about, even though there are a lot of different ways to come at it. That's how we think about the Manson murders: through her lens. Later on, when she's not writing directly about Hollywood anymore (and not really writing in Hollywood as much) but instead is writing about the headlines, about news events, about sensationalism in the news, she becomes a great media critic. We start to see her taking the things that she learned (having been around Hollywood people, having been on movie sets, having seen how the sausage is made) and she starts writing about politics. In that age, it is Hollywood's logic that you perform for the TV. We have the debates suddenly becoming televised, the conventions becoming televised, we start to see candidates who seem specifically groomed to win because they look good on TV. They're starting to win and rule the day.She writes about Newt Gingrich. Of course, Gingrich was the first politician to figure out how to harness C-SPAN to his own ends — the fact that there were TV cameras on the congressional floor. So she's writing about all of this stuff at a time when you can see other people writing about it. I mean, Neil Postman famously writes about it. But the way Didion does it is always very pegged to reviewing somebody's book, or she's thinking about a particular event, or she's been on the campaign plane or something like that. Like she's been on the inside, but with an outsider's eye.That also crops up in, for instance, her essays. “Sentimental Journeys” is one of her most famous ones. That one's about the case of the Central Park Five, and the jogger who was murdered. Of course, now, we're many decades out from that, and the convictions were vacated. We know about coerced confessions. Also Donald Trump arrives in the middle of that whole thing.But she's actually not interested in the guilt or innocence question, because a lot of people were writing about that. She's interested in how the city of New York and the nation perform themselves for themselves, seeing themselves through the long lens of a movie and telling themselves stories about themselves. You see this over and over in her writing, no matter what she's writing about. I think once she moved away from writing about the business so much, she became very interested in how Hollywood logic had taken over American public life writ large.That's fascinating. Like, again, she spends time in the industry, then basically she can only see it through that lens. Of course, Michael Dukakis in a tank is trying to be a set piece, of course in front of the Berlin Wall, you're finally doing set decoration rather than doing it outside of a brick wall somewhere. You mentioned the New York thing in Performing New York. I have lived in the city for over a decade now. The dumbest thing is when the mayor gets to wear the silly jacket whenever there's a snowstorm that says “Mr. Mayor.” It's all an act in so many ways. I guess that political choreography had to come from somewhere, and it seems like she was documenting a lot of that initial rise.Yeah, I think she really saw it. The question I would ask her, if I could, is how cognizant she was that she kept doing that. As someone who's written for a long time, you don't always recognize that you have the one thing you write about all the time. Other people then bring it up to you and you're like, “Oh, I guess you're right.” Even when you move into her grief memoir phase, which is how I think about the last few original works that she published, she uses movie logic constantly in those.I mean, The Year of Magical Thinking is a cyclical book, she goes over the same events over and over. But if you actually look at the language she's using, she talks about running the tape back, she talks about the edit, she talks about all these things as if she's running her own life through how a movie would tell a story. Maybe she knew very deliberately. She's not a person who does things just haphazardly, but it has the feeling of being so baked into her psyche at this point that she would never even think of trying to escape it.Fascinating.Yeah, that idea that you don't know what you are potentially doing, I've thought about that. I don't know what mine is. But either way. It's such a cool way to look at it. On a certain level, she pretty much succeeded at that, though, right? I think that when people think about Joan Didion, they think about a life that freshens up a movie, right? Like, it workedVery much, yeah. I'm gonna be really curious to see what happens over the next 10 years or so. I've been thinking about figures like Sylvia Plath or women with larger-than-life iconography and reputation and how there's a constant need to relook at their legacies and reinvent and rethink and reimagine them. There's a lot in the life of Didion that I think remains to be explored. I'm really curious to see where people go with it, especially with the opening of these archives and new personal information making its way into the world.Yeah, even just your ability to break some of those stories that have been locked away in archives out sounds like a really exciting addition to the scholarship. Just backing out a little bit, we live in a moment in which the relationship between pop culture and political life is fairly directly intertwined. Setting aside the steel-plated elephant in the room, you and I are friendly because we bonded over this idea that movies really are consequential. Coming out of this book and coming out of reporting on it, what are some of the relevances for today in particular?Yeah, I mean, a lot more than I thought, I guess, five years ago. I started work on the book at the end of Trump One, and it's coming out at the beginning of Trump Two, and there was this period in the middle of a slightly different vibe. But even then I watch TikTok or whatever. You see people talk about “main character energy” or the “vibe shift” or all of romanticizing your life. I would have loved to read a Didion essay on the way that young people sort of view themselves through the logic of the screens they have lived on and the way that has shaped America for a long time.I should confirm this, I don't think she wrote about Obama, or if she did, it was only a little bit. So her political writing ends in George W. Bush's era. I think there's one piece on Obama, and then she's writing about other things. It's just interesting to think about how her ideas of what has happened to political culture in America have seeped into the present day.I think the Hollywood logic, the cinematic logic has given way to reality TV logic. That's very much the logic of the Trump world, right? Still performing for cameras, but the cameras have shifted. The way that we want things from the cameras has shifted, too. Reality TV is a lot about creating moments of drama where they may or may not actually exist and bombarding you with them. I think that's a lot of what we see and what we feel now. I have to imagine she would think about it that way.There is one interesting essay that I feel has only recently been talked about. It's at the beginning of my book, too. It was in a documentary, and Gia Tolentino wrote about it recently. It's this essay she wrote in 2000 about Martha Stewart and about Martha Stewart's website. It feels like the 2000s was like, “What is this website thing? Why are people so into it?” But really, it's an essay about parasocial relationships that people develop (with women in particular) who they invent stories around and how those stories correspond to greater American archetypes. It's a really interesting essay, not least because I think it's an essay also about people's parasocial relationships with Joan Didion.So the rise of her celebrity in the 21st century, where people know who she is and carry around a tote bag, but don't really know what they're getting themselves into is very interesting to me. I think it is also something she thought about quite a bit, while also consciously courting it.Yeah, I mean, that makes a ton of sense. For someone who was so adept at using cinematic language to describe her own life with every living being having a camera directly next to them at all times. It seems like we are very much living in a world that she had at least put a lot of thought into, even if the technology wasn't around for her to specifically address it.Yes, completely.On that note, where can folks find the book? Where can folks find you? What's the elevator pitch for why they ought to check this out? Joan Didion superfan or just rather novice?Exactly! I think this book is not just for the fans, let me put it that way. Certainly, I think anyone who considers themselves a Didion fan will have a lot to enjoy here. The stuff you didn't know, hadn't read or just a new way to think through her cultural impact. But also, this is really a book that's as much for people who are just interested in thinking about the world we live in today a little critically. It's certainly a biography of American political culture as much as it is of Didion. There's a great deal of Hollywood history in there as well. Thinking about that sweep of the American century and change is what the book is doing. It's very, very, very informed by what I do in my day job as a movie critic at The New York Times. Thinking about what movies mean, what do they tell us about ourselves? I think this is what this book does. I have been told it's very fun to read. So I'm happy about that. It's not ponderous at all, which is good. It's also not that long.It comes out March 11th from Live Right, which is a Norton imprint. There will be an audiobook at the end of May that I am reading, which I'm excited about. And I'll be on tour for a large amount of March on the East Coast. Then in California, there's a virtual date, and there's a good chance I'll be popping up elsewhere all year, too. Those updates will be on my social feeds, which are all @alissawilkinson on whatever platform except X, which is fine because I don't really post there anymore.Alyssa, thank you so much for coming on.Thank you so much.Edited by Crystal Wang.If you have anything you'd like to see in this Sunday special, shoot me an email. Comment below! Thanks for reading, and thanks so much for supporting Numlock.Thank you so much for becoming a paid subscriber! Send links to me on Twitter at @WaltHickey or email me with numbers, tips or feedback at walt@numlock.news. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.numlock.com/subscribe

Check out our other Arnold Schwarzenegger topics: 965: Last Action Hero, 1004: Predator, and 1014: Terminator 2. We briefly touch upon the ethical use of AI and the recent Writers Guild of America strike, which you can learn more about from our episode Inside View of the 2023 media strikes. Next week on The Rad Network: we'll feature Crank (2006), and a friend of the podcast has BIG NEWS!

Today's show features a conversation with Charles Burnett, who Martin Scorsese and Steven Soderbergh credit as one of America's greatest filmmakers.  His creative works tell personal and intimate stories – exploration of culture, relationships, social justice, mental illness, discrimination, and love. He was born in Mississippi in 1944 but moved to Watts in South Los Angeles in 1947. Killer of Sheep, based on his life in Watts,  was his student thesis film at UCLA but it wasn't until he was awarded an honorary Academy Award in 2017 that it began to be seen. It was his first full-length feature and took five years to complete, and it set him apart, even at a young age, as a great filmmaker. The '60s were not necessarily kind to Black filmmakers and complicated music rights kept Killer of Sheep away from wide distribution until Steven Soderberg took it under his wing and helped restore it. He also cleared the music rights and found distribution.  It has since been admitted into the Library of Congress and called a national treasure. Other films from Charles include “The Annihilation of Fish” with James Earl Jones and Lynn Redgrave; My Brother's Wedding, The Glass Shield, and To Sleep With Anger starring Danny Glover. Martin Scorcese was quoted in a review by Daniel Borrero, saying, “Charles Burnett is one of the finest filmmakers in this country. His pictures speak in a unique voice that is uniquely and completely his own.  I am honored to be speaking with Charles Burnett and am grateful for his candor about the industry and his gracious depiction of unfolding events in his life. We can all learn from him. If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe and tell all your friends about us! We love our listeners. And, if you have ideas for segments, write to OWCRadio@catania.us. We are always up for new ideas! You can find OWC RADiO at OWCRadio.com, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all other podcatchers! ABOUT OWC: Other World Computing, under the leadership of Larry O'Connor since he was 15 years old, has expanded to all corners of the world and works every day to create hardware and software that make the lives of creatives and business-oriented companies faster, more efficient and more stable.  Go to MacSales.com for more information and to discover an ecosystem that serves your needs. Cirina Catania, is a successful filmmaker, former Sr Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at MGM-UA and United Artists and one of the co-founders and former director of the Sundance Film Festival. She is the founder, CEO and Executive Director of the non-profit, High School Media Collective. Cirina is Founder/Lead Creative at the Catania Group Global, Showrunner and Host of OWC RADiO and partner, Lumberjack System, as well as Tech Ambassador for companies such as Blackmagic Design.  She is a long-time member of the Producers Guild, Writers Guild, Cinematographers Guild, the National Press Club, National Press Photographer's Association, and more.

What do The Brutalist, Emilia Pérez, Dune Part II, and A Complete Unknown have in common? Yes, they’re all films nominated for Oscars at this Sunday’s ceremony. But they share something else – all of these films used Artificial Intelligence tools in some form during production. For the Brutalist and Emilia Pérez, AI was employed to alter actor’s voices while singing, or speaking Hungarian. For Dune and A Complete Unknown, AI tools changed actor or stunt double’s appearances. AI usage in film has been controversial for years. In 2023, both the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, the screen actors guild, went on strike – picketing in part over concerns regarding AI. But now, the red carpet will be full of directors and producers who relied on AI in small ways in their journey to the Oscars. So what does this say about the state of the film industry? Will this lead, as some have warned before, to the death of the movies? Guest: Brett Halperin is a University of Washington doctoral student in human centered design and engineering, and cinema and media studies. Related Links: ‘AI is Soulless’: Hollywood Film Workers Strike and Emerging Perceptions of Generative Cinema - ACM Digital Library Q&A: How AI is changing the film industry - UW News Oscars Consider Requiring Films to Disclose AI Use After ‘The Brutalist’ and ‘Emilia Pérez’ Controversies - Variety Thank you to the supporters of KUOW. You help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes. Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cirina Catania, host of OWC RADiO, and Larry O'Connor, CEO and Founder of Other World Computing, discuss the fires in Southern California and what we should do to protect our media if we have to evacuate. We send our warmest thoughts and prayers to those who have lost their homes and the families of those who lost their lives. If you have had to evacuate, our sympathies are with you. During this crisis and those recently undergone by people in North Carolina, Florida, Tennessee, and other areas impacted by horrific natural disasters, we couldn't help but think about the advice we might give to help all of us prepare. Heaven forbid something else happens, but let's be ready if it does. This episode of OWC RADiO is advice on what to do if you have valuable media. What hardware, software, media management tools, and peripherals should you be prepared to take with you? If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe and tell all your friends about us! We love our listeners. And, if you have ideas for segments, write to OWCRadio@catania.us. We are always up for new ideas! You can find OWC RADiO at OWCRadio.com, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all other podcatchers! ABOUT OWC: Other World Computing, under the leadership of Larry O'Connor since he was 15 years old, has expanded to all corners of the world and works daily to create hardware and software that make the lives of creatives and business-oriented companies faster, more efficient, and more stable.  Go to MacSales.com for more information and discover an ecosystem serving your needs. As Larry says, “Our dedication to excellence and sustainable innovation extends beyond our day-to-day business and into the community. We strive for zero waste, both environmentally and strategically. Our outlook is on the long term, and in everything we do, we look for simplicity in action and sustainability in practice. For us, it's as much about building exceptional relationships, as it is about building exceptional products.” ABOUT CIRINA CATANIA: Cirina Catania, is a successful filmmaker, former Sr Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at MGM-UA and United Artists, and one of the co-founders and former director of the Sundance Film Festival. She is the founder, CE,O and Executive Director of the non-profit, High School Media Collective. Cirina is Founder/Lead Creative at the Catania Group Global, Showrunner and Host of OWC RADiO and partner, Lumberjack System, as well as Tech Ambassador for companies such as Blackmagic Design.  She is a long-time member of the Producers Guild, Writers Guild, Cinematographers Guild, the National Press Club, the National Press Photographer's Association, and more. She has worked as a writer, director, supervising producer, cinematographer, post-producer, or marketing exec on over 150 film, television, and new media projects for the big screen as well as for networks such as National Geographic and Discovery. Cirina is based in San Diego, D.C., and Berlin when she is not on the road filming in the Amazon or other exotic locations. She is very proud of the fact that she has not yet contracted Malaria and that after all these years, she still loves her job!

We are honored to welcome back Emmy-winning writer Marilyn Suzanne Miller to the podcast. A vital creative force behind Saturday Night Live's original era, she is a three-time Emmy recipient for her work on both SNL and The Tracey Ullman Show (as well as earning the Humanitas Prize for her episode of Murphy Brown).From initially turning down SNL to becoming one of its defining voices, Marilyn shares her extraordinary journey that led to the creation of some of the show's most beloved characters, including The Festrunk Brothers and Judy Miller. She also discusses her significant contributions to the musical sketches of the show's original era and the importance of a character like Rhonda Weiss being showcased on television. Marilyn also delves into her subsequent returns to SNL, including writing for the 25th Anniversary Special that earned her a Writers Guild of America Award, and touches on her impressive work beyond the show.---------------------------------Subscribe today!Follow us on social media: X (Twitter): NR4PTProjectBluesky: nr4ptproject.bsky.socialInstagram: nr4ptprojectFacebook: The Not Ready for Prime Time ProjectContact Us: Website: https://www.nr4project.comEmail: nr4ptproject@gmail.com

Who loves doing free work? No one. Who loves getting free work? The studios. “If-come” deals — where a writer develops a show under contract but only sees money if the show sells — are on the rise post-Writers Guild strike and have led to a new “involuntary servitude,” even among big-name scribes. Ashley Cullins joins Sean McNulty, Elaine Low and Richard Rushfield to outline what's happening and who's fighting back. Plus: Katey Rich breaks down Oscar nominations, and Elaine shares the state of the unscripted market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joseph McBride is a film historian and a professor in the School of Cinema at San Francisco State University. He is the author of biographies of Frank Capra, John Ford, and Steven Spielberg; three books on Orson Welles; and critical studies of Ernst Lubitsch, Billy Wilder, and the Coen Brothers. He acted for Welles in The Other Side of the Wind and has won a Writers Guild of America award. His latest book is called "George Cukor's People: Acting for a Master Director" (Columbia University Press, 2025). The director of classic films such as "Sylvia Scarlett", "The Philadelphia Story", "Gaslight", "Adam's Rib", "A Star Is Born", and "My Fair Lady", George Cukor is widely admired but often misunderstood. Reductively stereotyped in his time as a woman's director—a thinly veiled, disparaging code for gay—he brilliantly directed a wide range of iconic actors and actresses, including Cary Grant, Greta Garbo, Spencer Tracy, Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, and Maggie Smith. As Katharine Hepburn, the star of ten Cukor films, told the director, “All the people in your pictures are as goddamned good as they can possibly be, and that's your stamp.”

Michael Kammes is a technology visionary in the media and entertainment industry, with nearly 20 years of experience designing and building production and post-production workflows, systems, and facility integrations. As Senior Director of Innovation at Shift Media, Michael plays a pivotal role in shaping cutting-edge solutions for the industry. He's also held leadership roles at BeBop Technology and Key Code Media, showcasing his expertise in cloud-based post-production and systems integration. Beyond the technical side, Michael's creative work includes roles as a Dialogue Editor, Supervising Sound Editor, and Re-Recording Mixer. An Apple Certified Trainer, Avid Certified Support Representative, and member of Motion Picture Sound Editors, Michael is a sought-after speaker on trends in post-production and hosts the popular "5 THINGS" podcast, which draws an audience of industry insiders worldwide. If you enjoy our podcast, please subscribe and tell all your friends about us! We love our listeners. And, if you have ideas for segments, write to OWCRadio@catania.us. We are always up for new ideas! You can find OWC RADiO at OWCRadio.com, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all other podcatchers! Michael Kammes has visited OWC RADiO on several occasions and if you'd like to follow him further, visit any of the following links: 1. About his book on Remote Collaboration, 2. Virtualizing Post Production in the Cloud with Bebop Tech, 3. NAB 2019 ABOUT OWC: Other World Computing, under the leadership of Larry O'Connor since he was 15 years old, has expanded to all corners of the world and creates hardware and software that make the lives of creatives and business-oriented companies faster, more efficient and more stable.  Go to MacSales.com for more information and to discover an ecosystem that serves your needs. As Larry says, “Our dedication to excellence and sustainable innovation extends beyond our day-to-day business and into the community. We strive for zero waste, both environmentally and strategically. Our outlook is long-term, and in everything we do, we look for simplicity in action and sustainability in practice. For us, it's as much about building exceptional relationships, as it is about building exceptional products.” ABOUT CIRINA CATANIA: Cirina Catania, is a successful filmmaker, former Sr Vice President of Worldwide Marketing at MGM-UA and United Artists, and one of the co-founders and former director of the Sundance Film Festival. She is the founder, CEO, and Executive Director of the non-profit, High School Media Collective. Cirina is Founder/Lead Creative at the Catania Group Global, Showrunner and Host of OWC RADiO and partner, Lumberjack System, and Tech Ambassador for companies such as Blackmagic Design.  She is a long-time member of the Producers Guild, Writers Guild, Cinematographers Guild, the National Press Club, the National Press Photographer's Association, and more. She has worked as a writer, director, supervising producer, cinematographer, post-producer, or marketing exec on over 150 film, television, and new media projects for the big screen as well as for networks such as National Geographic and Discovery.

The director of classic films such as Sylvia Scarlett, The Philadelphia Story, Gaslight, Adam's Rib, A Star Is Born, and My Fair Lady, George Cukor is widely admired but often misunderstood. Reductively stereotyped in his time as a "woman's director"-a thinly veiled, disparaging code for "gay"-he brilliantly directed a wide range of iconic actors and actresses, including Cary Grant, Greta Garbo, Spencer Tracy, Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, and Maggie Smith. As Katharine Hepburn, the star of ten Cukor films, told the director, "All the people in your pictures are as goddamned good as they can possibly be, and that's your stamp." In this groundbreaking, lavishly illustrated critical study, Joseph McBride provides insightful and revealing essayistic portraits of Cukor's actors in their most memorable roles. The queer filmmaker gravitated to socially adventurous, subversively rule-breaking, audacious dreamers who are often sexually transgressive and gender fluid in ways that seem strikingly modern today. McBride shows that Cukor's seemingly self-effacing body of work is characterized by a discreet way of channeling his feelings through his actors. He expertly cajoled actors, usually gently but sometimes with bracing harshness, to delve deeply into emotional areas they tended to keep safely hidden. Cukor's wry wit, his keen sense of psychological and social observation, his charm and irony, and his toughness and resilience kept him active for more than five decades in Hollywood. George Cukor's People: Acting for a Master Director (Columbia UP, 2024) gives him the in-depth, multifaceted examination his rich achievement deserves. Joseph McBride is a film historian and a professor in the School of Cinema at San Francisco State University. He is the author of biographies of Frank Capra, John Ford, and Steven Spielberg; three books on Orson Welles; and critical studies of Ernst Lubitsch, Billy Wilder, and the Coen Brothers. He acted for Welles in The Other Side of the Wind and has won a Writers Guild of America award. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The director of classic films such as Sylvia Scarlett, The Philadelphia Story, Gaslight, Adam's Rib, A Star Is Born, and My Fair Lady, George Cukor is widely admired but often misunderstood. Reductively stereotyped in his time as a "woman's director"-a thinly veiled, disparaging code for "gay"-he brilliantly directed a wide range of iconic actors and actresses, including Cary Grant, Greta Garbo, Spencer Tracy, Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, and Maggie Smith. As Katharine Hepburn, the star of ten Cukor films, told the director, "All the people in your pictures are as goddamned good as they can possibly be, and that's your stamp." In this groundbreaking, lavishly illustrated critical study, Joseph McBride provides insightful and revealing essayistic portraits of Cukor's actors in their most memorable roles. The queer filmmaker gravitated to socially adventurous, subversively rule-breaking, audacious dreamers who are often sexually transgressive and gender fluid in ways that seem strikingly modern today. McBride shows that Cukor's seemingly self-effacing body of work is characterized by a discreet way of channeling his feelings through his actors. He expertly cajoled actors, usually gently but sometimes with bracing harshness, to delve deeply into emotional areas they tended to keep safely hidden. Cukor's wry wit, his keen sense of psychological and social observation, his charm and irony, and his toughness and resilience kept him active for more than five decades in Hollywood. George Cukor's People: Acting for a Master Director (Columbia UP, 2024) gives him the in-depth, multifaceted examination his rich achievement deserves. Joseph McBride is a film historian and a professor in the School of Cinema at San Francisco State University. He is the author of biographies of Frank Capra, John Ford, and Steven Spielberg; three books on Orson Welles; and critical studies of Ernst Lubitsch, Billy Wilder, and the Coen Brothers. He acted for Welles in The Other Side of the Wind and has won a Writers Guild of America award. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

The director of classic films such as Sylvia Scarlett, The Philadelphia Story, Gaslight, Adam's Rib, A Star Is Born, and My Fair Lady, George Cukor is widely admired but often misunderstood. Reductively stereotyped in his time as a "woman's director"-a thinly veiled, disparaging code for "gay"-he brilliantly directed a wide range of iconic actors and actresses, including Cary Grant, Greta Garbo, Spencer Tracy, Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, and Maggie Smith. As Katharine Hepburn, the star of ten Cukor films, told the director, "All the people in your pictures are as goddamned good as they can possibly be, and that's your stamp." In this groundbreaking, lavishly illustrated critical study, Joseph McBride provides insightful and revealing essayistic portraits of Cukor's actors in their most memorable roles. The queer filmmaker gravitated to socially adventurous, subversively rule-breaking, audacious dreamers who are often sexually transgressive and gender fluid in ways that seem strikingly modern today. McBride shows that Cukor's seemingly self-effacing body of work is characterized by a discreet way of channeling his feelings through his actors. He expertly cajoled actors, usually gently but sometimes with bracing harshness, to delve deeply into emotional areas they tended to keep safely hidden. Cukor's wry wit, his keen sense of psychological and social observation, his charm and irony, and his toughness and resilience kept him active for more than five decades in Hollywood. George Cukor's People: Acting for a Master Director (Columbia UP, 2024) gives him the in-depth, multifaceted examination his rich achievement deserves. Joseph McBride is a film historian and a professor in the School of Cinema at San Francisco State University. He is the author of biographies of Frank Capra, John Ford, and Steven Spielberg; three books on Orson Welles; and critical studies of Ernst Lubitsch, Billy Wilder, and the Coen Brothers. He acted for Welles in The Other Side of the Wind and has won a Writers Guild of America award. Morteza Hajizadeh is a Ph.D. graduate in English from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. His research interests are Cultural Studies; Critical Theory; Environmental History; Medieval (Intellectual) History; Gothic Studies; 18th and 19th Century British Literature. YouTube channel. Twitter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/film

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/AnalyticAnalytic Dreamz delves deep into the ongoing SAG-AFTRA video game actors strike on this segment of Notorious Mass Effect. Here's what you'll learn:Strike Overview:The strike commenced on July 26, 2024, involving SAG-AFTRA union members within the video game sector, primarily due to disputes over the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in games. With the strike approaching its 100th day, negotiations have been tense, with the latest talks on October 23 yielding no resolution.Key Employers Involved:Major video game companies like Activision, Disney Character Voices, EA Productions, Insomniac Games, Take 2, and WB Games are at the negotiation table. Despite recent discussions, no agreement has been reached, leaving the door open for further talks.Major Issues & Agreements:The central conflict revolves around AI terms, focusing on the need for clear protections against the unauthorized use of digital replicas for voice and motion capture. While 24 out of 25 proposals have tentative agreements, AI remains the unresolved issue. In January, SAG-AFTRA made strides with Replica Studios, ensuring performers' consent for voice replication.Interim Agreements:Over 120 games from 49 companies have opted into Interim Interactive Media Agreements (IIMA), which allow production to continue under SAG-AFTRA's terms. However, there have been allegations against Formosa Interactive for attempting to circumvent the strike by hiring nonunion talent for "League of Legends."Voting & Union Response:A strike was overwhelmingly authorized by 98.32% of SAG-AFTRA members in September 2023. Critics, however, have pointed out issues with transparency and enforcement of union agreements.Impact & Broader Context:While games currently on the market or in late-stage development remain largely unaffected, new projects might see delays. The strike's outcome could significantly influence the future of game development, particularly in how AI is integrated.Comparative Labor Movements:This strike echoes similar labor actions in entertainment, like the Writers Guild of America strike, focusing on AI's role. The broader entertainment industry, including film and TV, has seen production slowdowns, which could forecast future trends in gaming.Join Analytic Dreamz on Notorious Mass Effect for an in-depth analysis of these developments, providing insights into what this means for gamers, developers, and the industry at large.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/analytic-dreamz-notorious-mass-effect/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Christin Marie Baker is an American producer, director, and screenwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. She is the founder and CEO of Tello Films, a streaming network, production, and distribution company of films and web series with a lesbian focus. www.instagram.com/christintello/ www.tellofilms.com Connect with your host Kaia all 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 1 Min.” at www.EntertainmentBusinessLeague.com In this episode Kaia interviews Kristen Baker, a pioneering lesbian filmmaker, Emmy-nominated producer, and CEO of Tello Films—the longest-running LGBTQ streaming platform dedicated to showcasing diverse queer narratives. Our discussion explores her rich career, which spans over the years as she has dedicated herself to amplifying authentic lesbian stories in film and television. Kristen's work is a testament to her commitment to increasing visibility for LGBTQ narratives, especially in a landscape where such stories are frequently sidelined. As Kristen recounts her journey into the film industry, she shares how a serendipitous opportunity as an extra on a film set ignited her passion for storytelling and led her to pursue a career in filmmaking. We delve into her educational background and early work experiences, which include invaluable insights gained from her time at Regency Productions and the Writers Guild of America. Kristen reflects on her pivot to non-profit work and eventual return to the industry as she founded Tello Films in 2007, recognizing the urgent need for a platform offering queer narratives. The conversation transitions to the importance of representation in holiday rom-coms, a genre historically dominated by cisgender heterosexual narratives. Kristen highlights Tello Films' groundbreaking contributions, including "Season of Love," the first lesbian holiday rom-com focused on main protagonistic characters rather than side roles. She expresses her frustration over the industry's slow progress concerning funding and supporting LGBTQ projects, emphasizing Tello's mission to provide a space for stories that resonate with queer audiences. Kristen further discusses her current projects, showcasing Tello's latest festive releases and their emphasis on authentic representation. We explore her dual role as a creative producer, where she not only manages projects but actively participates in scriptwriting, encouraging a collaborative environment that nurtures the next wave of queer storytellers. Her work on a travel show focusing on lesbian festivals marks a refreshing expansion into unscripted content, revealing the vital need for safe spaces for queer women to connect and celebrate. Throughout our conversation, Kristen thoughtfully addresses challenges faced by LGBTQ filmmakers, particularly in securing financing and building a supportive audience. She emphasizes the importance of perseverance, networking, and finding mentors as essential tools for budding creators. Reflecting on her personal experiences, Kristen suggests that cultivating a dedicated following through smaller projects can help aspiring filmmakers gain recognition and funding for larger works. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ai has struck yet again with negotiations nearly breaking down between the Writers Guild and PBS because the studio wasn't willing to offer protections for their work. Mikkel and Victoria have many thoughts on how AI will impact content creation in the future. Check them out here!Hear about that and more on This Week In Nerd News.Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or StitcherFollow Black Nerd Problems on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new Craftwork episode featuring a conversation with Franklin Leonard, founder and CEO of The Black List, a company dedicated to identifying and supporting remarkable screenwriting and fiction through its annual survey of Hollywood's most liked screenplays and its online marketplace for screenplays, television pilots, theatrical plays, and novels. To date, more than 400 scripts from the Black List's annual survey have been produced as feature films, resulting in more than $30B in global box office and 300 Academy Award nominations and 50 wins, including four Best Pictures and nearly half of the screenwriting Oscars awarded since 2007. Leonard has worked in feature film development at Universal Pictures and the production companies of Will Smith, Sydney Pollack & Anthony Minghella, and Leonardo DiCaprio. He's been a juror at the Sundance, Toronto, and Mumbai film festivals and one of Hollywood Reporter's '35 Under 35', Black Enterprise magazine's “40 Emerging Leaders for Our Future”, and Fast Company's “100 Most Creative People in Business." In 2019, the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAe) presented him with the Evelyn Burkey award for elevating the honor and dignity of screenwriters. Leonard is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and served as an advisor for the 2022 Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Exhibition "In America." He is a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and the Executives branch of the Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). His TED talk "How I Accidentally Changed the Way That Movies Get Made" has been viewed more than 1.75 million times.n 1.75 million times.  *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly literary podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Subscribe to Brad Listi's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch Twitter Instagram  TikTok Bluesky Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anyone could write a book for kids, right? Well, that does seem to be the prevailing view, so Hannah's been on the Zoom with Emma Reeves, writer and Chair of The Writers Guild of Great Britain, to find out why and how she writes for children, and why it's nowhere near as easy as everyone thinks. * Emma's new play for kids, The Glass Slippers, is at The Lighthuse in Poole from December 7 until Christmas Eve. Find our more here: https://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk/event/the-glass-slippers/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What are the unseen challenges faced by diplomats, and what role do they play in maintaining global order? How do TV shows influence our understanding of real-world politics? How do women navigate power, and what does it take for them to lead in politics?Debora Cahn is the Emmy-nominated showrunner and executive producer ofNetflix's The Diplomat, a political thriller series starring Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell. She's worked with television's leading showrunners, including Shonda Rhymes, Terence Winter, Steven Levinson, and Howard Gordon. Her career began working on Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing which has led to projects such as the hit Showtime series Homeland, ABC's long-running medical drama Grey's Anatomy, and HBO's Vinyl, which was co-created by Martin Scorsese. She's the winner of two Writers Guild of America Awards for The West Wing and FX's limited series Fosse/Verdon and the 2023 Quincy Award for Responsible Statecraft.“The question of who's good and who's bad is always front of mind for me because my basic goal is to get to the place where no one is good or bad; everybody is in an unspeakably complicated situation. From the very beginning of the series, this event happens. We believe that it was perpetrated by Iran. Fairly quickly, we learn through the relationships that have been built over time between our heroes, Kate and Hal, and people in other countries that they've negotiated with that the assumptions we're making are completely incorrect. In fact, the people we assume have some sort of malintent toward us are being falsely accused. Someone else is playing on the stereotypes we have of those people in order to send us off in the wrong direction.I feel very fortunate that the medium I'm in is television, which is a very long form of storytelling. You're not telling a single story; you're telling a world. You're inviting people into a world and asking them to live there with you and these characters for a period of time. The best I can do is build a world where people grapple with these important questions and try their best. All I can expect from people and from myself is that we're trying to do something larger than ourselves.”www.creativeprocess.infoIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastimage credit: Netflix

“The question of who's good and who's bad is always front of mind for me because my basic goal is to get to the place where no one is good or bad; everybody is in an unspeakably complicated situation. From the very beginning of the series, this event happens. We believe that it was perpetrated by Iran. Fairly quickly, we learn through the relationships that have been built over time between our heroes, Kate and Hal, and people in other countries that they've negotiated with that the assumptions we're making are completely incorrect. In fact, the people we assume have some sort of malintent toward us are being falsely accused. Someone else is playing on the stereotypes we have of those people in order to send us off in the wrong direction.I feel very fortunate that the medium I'm in is television, which is a very long form of storytelling. You're not telling a single story; you're telling a world. You're inviting people into a world and asking them to live there with you and these characters for a period of time. The best I can do is build a world where people grapple with these important questions and try their best. All I can expect from people and from myself is that we're trying to do something larger than ourselves.”Debora Cahn is the Emmy-nominated showrunner and executive producer ofNetflix's The Diplomat, a political thriller series starring Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell. She's worked with television's leading showrunners, including Shonda Rhymes, Terence Winter, Steven Levinson, and Howard Gordon. Her career began working on Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing which has led to projects such as the hit Showtime series Homeland, ABC's long-running medical drama Grey's Anatomy, and HBO's Vinyl, which was co-created by Martin Scorsese. She's the winner of two Writers Guild of America Awards for The West Wing and FX's limited series Fosse/Verdon and the 2023 Quincy Award for Responsible Statecraft.www.creativeprocess.infoIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastimage credit: Alex Bailey / Netflix

What are the unseen challenges faced by diplomats, and what role do they play in maintaining global order? How do TV shows influence our understanding of real-world politics? How do women navigate power, and what does it take for them to lead in politics?Debora Cahn is the Emmy-nominated showrunner and executive producer ofNetflix's The Diplomat, a political thriller series starring Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell. She's worked with television's leading showrunners, including Shonda Rhymes, Terence Winter, Steven Levinson, and Howard Gordon. Her career began working on Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing which has led to projects such as the hit Showtime series Homeland, ABC's long-running medical drama Grey's Anatomy, and HBO's Vinyl, which was co-created by Martin Scorsese. She's the winner of two Writers Guild of America Awards for The West Wing and FX's limited series Fosse/Verdon and the 2023 Quincy Award for Responsible Statecraft.“The question of who's good and who's bad is always front of mind for me because my basic goal is to get to the place where no one is good or bad; everybody is in an unspeakably complicated situation. From the very beginning of the series, this event happens. We believe that it was perpetrated by Iran. Fairly quickly, we learn through the relationships that have been built over time between our heroes, Kate and Hal, and people in other countries that they've negotiated with that the assumptions we're making are completely incorrect. In fact, the people we assume have some sort of malintent toward us are being falsely accused. Someone else is playing on the stereotypes we have of those people in order to send us off in the wrong direction.I feel very fortunate that the medium I'm in is television, which is a very long form of storytelling. You're not telling a single story; you're telling a world. You're inviting people into a world and asking them to live there with you and these characters for a period of time. The best I can do is build a world where people grapple with these important questions and try their best. All I can expect from people and from myself is that we're trying to do something larger than ourselves.”www.creativeprocess.infoIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastimage credit: Netflix

“The question of who's good and who's bad is always front of mind for me because my basic goal is to get to the place where no one is good or bad; everybody is in an unspeakably complicated situation. From the very beginning of the series, this event happens. We believe that it was perpetrated by Iran. Fairly quickly, we learn through the relationships that have been built over time between our heroes, Kate and Hal, and people in other countries that they've negotiated with that the assumptions we're making are completely incorrect. In fact, the people we assume have some sort of malintent toward us are being falsely accused. Someone else is playing on the stereotypes we have of those people in order to send us off in the wrong direction.I feel very fortunate that the medium I'm in is television, which is a very long form of storytelling. You're not telling a single story; you're telling a world. You're inviting people into a world and asking them to live there with you and these characters for a period of time. The best I can do is build a world where people grapple with these important questions and try their best. All I can expect from people and from myself is that we're trying to do something larger than ourselves.”Debora Cahn is the Emmy-nominated showrunner and executive producer ofNetflix's The Diplomat, a political thriller series starring Keri Russell and Rufus Sewell. She's worked with television's leading showrunners, including Shonda Rhymes, Terence Winter, Steven Levinson, and Howard Gordon. Her career began working on Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing which has led to projects such as the hit Showtime series Homeland, ABC's long-running medical drama Grey's Anatomy, and HBO's Vinyl, which was co-created by Martin Scorsese. She's the winner of two Writers Guild of America Awards for The West Wing and FX's limited series Fosse/Verdon and the 2023 Quincy Award for Responsible Statecraft.www.creativeprocess.infoIG www.instagram.com/creativeprocesspodcastimage credit: Alex Bailey / Netflix