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 Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Top 50 Movies of the Decade... or Not?
Posted by Chad
Time Out New York has posted their list of 50 movies that "mattered" over the last decade. Take a look, see what you think...
http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/film/80947/the-tony-top-50-movies-of-the-decade/2.html
My two cents?... terrible list. I don't know what their criteria was, but it certainly doesn't seem to be the "best" movies... and I'm not sure how most of these movies "matter"...
They've got some nice picks in there-- "Children of Men," "Inglourious Basterds," "I Heart Huckabees," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin"-- but most of this list leaves me with a big WTF.
I mean, come on... "Synechdoche, NY" at #22? "Synechdoche, NY" is a HORRIBLE movie... and while maybe that's a little subjective-- #22?! Ahead of "Inglourious Basterds?" Sorry-- just not acceptable.
"Miami Vice" at #35? "AI" at #31? "The New World" at #4? WHAT?
And NOT A SINGLE MENTION of "Lord of the Rings?" No "Spiderman," "X-Men," "Batman," or "Iron Man?" What about "The Departed?" Or "Borat?"
Not one Pixar movie-- "The Incredibles," "Up," "Finding Nemo," "Wall-E?" NOTHING?!
What about "Bowling for Columbine" or "Farenheit 9/11?" Michael Moore's movies may not be the "best" documentaries ever, but they've certainly "MATTERED," especially over the last decade.
I won't even mention the omission of "The Bourne Ultimatum," which could've just filled out spots 1-49...
I had to watch this 5 times just to wash that list off myself...
Fun Stuff | Interesting Talking Points
Wednesday, November 25, 2009 7:56:09 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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 Monday, November 23, 2009
Diversity Part II... Writers Rooms Differences... Talking w/ Maiya Williams
Posted by Chad
After my post last week about the WGA report on the status of screenwriter diversity, several of you emailed-- and SWM posted-- wondering how this report is accurate... and if it is, how could this be?
After all, as SWM points out: "Every single agent in town knows the
best way to sell a new writer is by saying they're 'diverse,'" and "almost
every new writer program emphasizes diversity, even those that say they
mean diversity of experience... When programs looking to discover new talent have to say that they want
the best writers and not the most diverse people, there's a problem."
Diversity today is a strange and sticky topic, and I certainly don't have all the answers... or, for that matter, even all the questions. So I sat down with Maiya Williams, one of the writers here at The Wanda Sykes Show, to discuss. Maiya has written for sketch shows such as MadTV, multi-camera sitcoms like The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Roc, and now a talk show. That's a lot of different types of shows, and a lot of different writers rooms, giving her a wide variety of experiences.
Here are Maiya's thoughts on different types of writing processes... as well as the state of diversity in today's writers rooms...
ME: Maiya, you’ve
written for sitcoms, sketch shows, and now a talk show. How do the writers rooms, and their
writing processes, work differently on these different types of shows?
MAIYA: When you’re on a
sitcom, the show is usually the point of view of the executive producer. [They want different writers with
different voices], but it is definitely a point of view everyone has to match. So you write in room full of people,
where everyone pitches, [and the show] has everyone’s voices, but [it mostly]
has the voice of the show.
On a show like
“MadTV,” they want to have everyone’s sensibility in the sketches. Some people like politics, some people
like gross-out humor, some people like silliness. [And since] they want the show to have many different points
of view… they prefer people write alone, or with one other person, so they have
[different sketches] to choose from.
There was rarely a
room on “MadTV,” but sometimes—if there was a guest or a sketch that no one
pitched, but was assigned—they would assign it to three people. “You people peel off and write this
sketch”… but it was rare anything was worked on by the whole staff. We had twelve people on staff, and
that’s a lot of voices for [a single] sketch, but not for a sitcom. In fact, I can’t remember one time we
[all worked] on something. When
the show was being shot, people might suggest a joke to throw in, but that was
the only time other people might work on your sketch, if people were watching
and something just popped into their head.
On a show like “The
Wanda Sykes Show,” where there’s one person’s point of view—and since none of
us is Wanda—she’s the only one with her point of view. But we try to match it as much as
possible. We don’t write together
because they want volume. Rather
than having seven people come up with ten jokes, they want seven people to come
up with seventy jokes in the same amount of time.
ME: The WGA recently released a report saying there was “little if
any” improvement in employment for diversity and minority writers. But it
seems like every studio has a diversity writers program, agents say they’re all
looking for diversity writers, and every show wants diversity writers and
minorities. So is Hollywood a better place for minority writers,
including women? Is it harder, easier, or the same for diverse writers to
find a job?
MAIYA: It’s a complicated
question because there are many things at work.
No, it is not good for
minorities, despite the fact of diversity programs.
Diversity programs bring
people in, and attract brand new writers, and put them on shows at the lowest
level of writer, but a lot of times these people don’t graduate to higher
levels. [In theory, these]
diversity programs are trying to get more minorities [hired, so they eventually
get to] positions of leadership and executive producer positions. [But since these low-level writers
don’t always graduate, they almost never get to those higher levels.]
The secondary problem,
and the reason that’s an issue, is that minorities get pigeon-holed in
Hollywood, especially in sitcoms.
As a minority writer, I
work mainly on black shows; only once have I worked on a show with no black
actors. I went to Harvard, majored
in history and literature, and I always thought my sensibility would be a show
like “Frasier.” But I always end
up on hip-hop shows, where I have to do a lot of research. But that doesn’t matter, because I’m
black… and that’s a black show.
I’ve made a good career
writing for black shows, but black shows have become “ghetto-ized.” In the 1970’s, you didn’t have two nights
of black shows. [All the black
shows were] just on FOX, which was a lesser network. Then they were on the WB… and then on UPN and the CW, which
were even lesser networks than FOX.
As networks start up, they start up with black shows. But as they get a bit of success, they
drop those shows because they’re so specific.
Nowadays, it’s difficult
to find a black show on television.
I can only speak from the perspective of a black writer, but—from the
point of view of a black writer—when there are fewer black shows, there are
fewer black writers working.
ME: What advice would you have for young minority writers trying
to break in?
MAIYA: My advice, if you’re
just starting out: Write for
hour-long shows, which seem to be a little more color-blind. They have black actors without being
black shows, so your resume will have a richness to it and you won’t get
pigeon-holed. If you have a sense
of humor, there are some funny hour-long shows. So even though sitcoms are coming back, unless you want to
be pigeon-holed, write for hour-long shows first.
Career Advice | Guest Perspectives | Interesting Talking Points | Reader Questions | Writing TV
Monday, November 23, 2009 9:38:50 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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 Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Diversity in Writers Rooms? Think Again...
Posted by Chad
Interesting, but sad, article in this morning's Variety... detailing the WGA's 2009 Hollywood Writers Report about diversity amongst writers. And it turns out... there isn't much.
"White males continue to dominate in both the film and television
sectors," says Darnell Hunt, the UCLA professor who wrote the study. "Although women and minorities closed the
earnings gaps with white men in television a bit, the earnings gaps in
film grew. These findings are clearly out of step with a nation that
elected its first African American president in 2008, a nation in which
more than half of the population is female and nearly a third is
non-white."
Based on 2007 statistics, one of the more noticeable differences is in the annual income of "diverse" feature writers versus the annual income of white male feature writers. Minority writers earned $61,912; white male writers earned $98,875; this is an even wider gap than four years earlier in 2003, where the difference was only $87,392 versus $90,476.
Click HERE to read the entire story...
Or click HERE to get the actual WGA report.
Industry Updates | Interesting Talking Points
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 4:14:31 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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 Tuesday, November 17, 2009
WEBSITE OF THE DAY: JayCut.com
Posted by Chad
Wanted to pass along a pretty cool website...
For those of you who don't need all the bells and whistles (or pricetags) of Final Cut or Avid, but still want to edit home movies or online videos, check out JayCut-- a simple online editing application that lets you upload and edit videos, then put them on Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, etc... or put them on DVD or iPod. And best of all-- it's totally free!
In all fairness, I haven't spent a ton of time on JayCut... yet... but I've played around on the site... and it seems pretty cool and useful. The site claims you can use it to make shorts or "creative masterpieces"... and while I'm not sure it's what you'd wanna use to make the next "This Is It," it certainly seems user-friendly enough to make quick and simple videos, shorts, even sizzle reels or short presentations.
And as a quick bonus-- also check out Download3000, a free site that lets you download YouTube videos (together, you can use these applications to download footage, remix it, mash it up, splice it into your own work, whatever you wanna do...)
Books Tools Resources | Digital Media and Web Series | Fun Stuff
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 6:42:05 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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 Thursday, November 12, 2009
Meet Rick Qualliotine, Co-EP
Posted by Chad
I’m
writing this while sitting in the office of our Co-Executive Producer, Rick Qualliotine—the only
person at The Wanda Sykes Show who has actually PAINTED HIS OFFICE… making this
easiest the coolest office in the place (one wall is a bright warm
orange-yellow).
Rick started his career in
theater, producing plays and stage shows, before moving on to television, where
he has helped get shows like The Showbiz Show with David Spade, HGTV Summer
Showdown, and now The Wanda Sykes Show, up on their feet.
So I’m
asking Rick…
What are
the biggest challenges when getting a new show up on its feet?
Here’s
what Rick says, in his own words...
1) NOT MENTALLY IMPLODING WHILE YOU WAIT FOR YOUR DEAL TO CLOSE.
Getting to the point where you actually start making something is a
grueling, pressure-filled, and sometimes a financially difficult time. Even if you’ve pitched and sold
something, sometimes it will take a long while for there to be any money. So frequently you’re waiting and
waiting for a deal to close… and waiting for production to start… and waiting
for any money to start coming. So
just getting to the point where you’re actually making something can be very
stressful and difficult.
2) You’d be
amazed how frequently it turns out that what you’ve sold isn’t what the buyer
wants. So going back and forth trying to
figure out what the show is, depending on the genre, can be very
challenging. What people
frequently forget is that when they say “I sold my show, I sold my project,”
that really means someone else owns it.
So when you start telling them what the show is and that’s not what they
want it to be, there’s a very difficult back-and-forth… and what the show is
and who’s gonna star in it and who’s gonna write it. After you’ve sold it, it’s somebody else’s. They need you to execute it, but it’s
theirs.
3) Staying
on top of all the different pieces as it starts to move really fast. It’s a huge elaborate, collaborative process. I always go back to this David Mamet
quote, which I’ll paraphrase: “Producing a play or directing a film is like
running a marathon. Launching a
television series is like running until your heart explodes.”
When you make a TV show, you’re usually looking at making
13 or 22 episodes. Just doing the math, that’s either 7½ -11 or 13-22 hours of
material that you have to imagine, write, perform, and edit. It takes years to do that for a feature
film, to produce that much material.
And we generally have about 30 weeks. So that requires a huge team and lots of people writing
simultaneously. You must overlap
your writing, your production, and post.
So as soon as those things start to overlap, you have to—as a showrunner—move
in and out of those essential pieces.
That’s why, in television, directors take an episode or a couple
episodes; then, the next week it moves on to the next director, whereas
producers and writers stay on and generate all the material. So if you’re a showrunner, you must
have someone sitting in the [writers] room who you trust. You have to have someone on the stage
who you trust. You have to have
someone editing who you trust. But
you also have to be able to interface with all those people simultaneously,
while dealing with the network, and all the usual challenges of managing
people.
Career Advice | Guest Perspectives | Writing Advice | Writing TV
Thursday, November 12, 2009 6:22:18 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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 Friday, November 06, 2009
Live from the Wanda Sykes Show...
Posted by Chad
I've been meaning to write about this for the past couple of weeks, but I wanted to let you all know about the premiere of the new show I'm working on... "The Wanda Sykes Show," FOX's new late night talk show which premieres tomorrow night, November 7, at 11 pm (EST).
I’ve been a huge Wanda fan for years, so I was thrilled
about the chance to work with her.
For me, Wanda’s at her best when she’s serving as the voice of the
everyman, breaking down large social and political ideas into hilariously simple,
digestible, no-bullshit bites and articulating thoughts and questions
everyone’s thinking but is afraid to ask.
This is my first time working on a network late-night talk
show. (I produced a late-night talk
show pilot for E! a couple years ago, but this is a whole different ballgame…)
The show mixes traditional talk show elements, like the
opening monologue, with dashes of “The Daily Show,” “Real Time with Bill
Maher,” and “Chelsea Lately.” It’s
got a bit of everything: one act makes fun of that week’s news and clips,
another has Wanda and a panel of guests debating controversial social topics.
I work with the writers, putting together all the clip-based
segments… finding the clips, developing sketches or jokes around them, etc.
So far it’s been a great time… a lot of hard work and late
nights as we figure out how the show plays, what works/what doesn’t, which
sketches fit with Wanda’s voice… but an incredible experience. This writing staff has some of the most
talented writers I’ve ever worked with… watching them brainstorm, pitch, and
punch the jokes is an incredible education.
Anyway, over the next few weeks and months, I hope to be
able to bring you first-hand reports from the world of production, as well as interviews
and advice from the writers and staff.
And if you have questions, please email them in… and if I can’t answer
them myself, I’m sure someone here can!
In the mean time, here’s one of my favorite Wanda stand-up
bits…
Writing TV
Friday, November 06, 2009 4:55:10 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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 Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Pilot-writing Seminar next Tuesday!
Posted by Chad
Hey, everyone--
Thanks so much to all of you who came to last week's Final Draft/Script magazine and Writers Boot Camp panel, "Getting into the Writers Room." It was a terrific evening, and it was great seeing some of you there!
Wanted to let you all know about another great opportunity...
Next Tuesday, Nov. 10, I'm teaching "Writing the TV Pilot," a 3-hour seminar for Mediabistro, here in Los Angeles.
If you've got an idea for the next "True Blood" or "Modern Family"... or if you're toying with various ideas and trying to decide which to write... or even if you just want to get your creative TV juices flowing... this is a great three hours. We'll cover the creative mechanics of what makes successful pilots work... how pilots and series are developed and produced... how projects are pitched and sold... and how to get to the right people so you can get your idea on the air!
Anyway, if you're interested, click HERE to sign up or get more information... or just go to this link...
http://www.mediabistro.com/courses/cache/crs5219.asp
Hope to see you all there!
P.S. Also, in a shameless moment of self-promotional excitement, I just wanna tell you guys about some cool updates...
My book, Small Screen, Big Picture: A Writer's Guide to the TV Business , was recently selected as a "textbook" for both NBC's Writers on the Verge program, as well as NAPTE's Diversity Fellowship. And as of this morning, it hit some new all-time highs on Amazon's bestseller list...
#2 - Performing Arts career guides #3 - TV/Screenwriting books #86 - Writing reference books (I know this isn't super-high, but it's the first time it's ever cracked this particular list!)
Thanks to all of you for your support-- just wanted to let you know!
Classes Seminars Workshops | Writing TV
Tuesday, November 03, 2009 12:31:41 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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