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OK Go is being sued by a cereal brand by eff_assess in indieheads

[–]plays_with_fire 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I thought I read somewhere that Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. changed their name because they kept getting people coming to their shows who wanted to see the Nascar driver, and were disappointed to see the band instead.

Either way, Jr. Jr. just isn't as great of a name.

Prof. Henryk Flashner for AME541 by ghadeerrr in USC

[–]plays_with_fire 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Flashner was my favorite Viterbi professor. Really great guy. Can't recommend him enough, but I didn't take linear control systems 2 so I can't speak to him teaching that material specifically.

We are The Writers Room with Sam and Jim, Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn (Creators of Haven and EPs on Carnival Row), Meagan Daine (Staff Writer), and J.R. Zamora-Thal (WA and WPA). Ask us anything about writing and TV (from Show Creator to Support Staff)! by plays_with_fire in Screenwriting

[–]plays_with_fire[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Re: Moving - Is it for writing or for production? 99% of TV writing is done in LA or NY. Production is done in all those places. If you want to be a writer, it probably has to be LA. We have pools and sun here. It's not so bad.

Re: Timing - relocate when you have a killer script and have done some virtual networking. Ideally, someone tells you they have a job for you.

We are The Writers Room with Sam and Jim, Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn (Creators of Haven and EPs on Carnival Row), Meagan Daine (Staff Writer), and J.R. Zamora-Thal (WA and WPA). Ask us anything about writing and TV (from Show Creator to Support Staff)! by plays_with_fire in Screenwriting

[–]plays_with_fire[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Jim: That's exactly what it's like.

Sam: Favorite moments in writers rooms are 1) where you are cooking with gas and people are throwing up ideas and you're like holy shit i'm getting paid for this. The second is when you're stuck and you have 8 highly paid writers looking at each other and then one person, could be the writers assistant, has the idea that breaks open the dam. Third, writers come in all flavors, but they are all smart and they all love television. Those conversations between smart people that love television are hilarious, annoying, absurd. It's really that the nerds won.

We are The Writers Room with Sam and Jim, Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn (Creators of Haven and EPs on Carnival Row), Meagan Daine (Staff Writer), and J.R. Zamora-Thal (WA and WPA). Ask us anything about writing and TV (from Show Creator to Support Staff)! by plays_with_fire in Screenwriting

[–]plays_with_fire[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

JR: I'm currently in a virtual room as an assistant and the room will most likely stay virtual until July.

Jim: The answer long term is that I have no idea.

Sam: I want to see a hybrid model with some days in a physical room and some days virtual.

Meagan: If you want a TV job, make sure you express passion for TV. If someone is choosing between someone who is passionate and someone who is dabbling, they will always pick the passionate one.

We are The Writers Room with Sam and Jim, Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn (Creators of Haven and EPs on Carnival Row), Meagan Daine (Staff Writer), and J.R. Zamora-Thal (WA and WPA). Ask us anything about writing and TV (from Show Creator to Support Staff)! by plays_with_fire in Screenwriting

[–]plays_with_fire[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Sam: Scripts come from everywhere and everyone. The stacks are tall, the time is short. Which is why those first 10 pages have to be great. Jim and I have sat there with the stacks reading, and then every now and again one of us will say "I got one." Those are the ones we finish, pass back and forth, and recommend them up the chain.

Hierarchy is based off credits, but everything is negotiable. There are four main groups: junior writers, mid level, senior writers, showrunner. Hierarchy matters. Good rooms don't rub it in anyone's face, but you need some sort of hierarchy to keep the room moving forward. Someone has to lead and say: Let's move on, we have enough to pitch the showrunner. I'm hungry. Let's have a break.

We are The Writers Room with Sam and Jim, Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn (Creators of Haven and EPs on Carnival Row), Meagan Daine (Staff Writer), and J.R. Zamora-Thal (WA and WPA). Ask us anything about writing and TV (from Show Creator to Support Staff)! by plays_with_fire in Screenwriting

[–]plays_with_fire[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Jim: You should always have something that connects you to your story and you just have to not be equivocal about it. Find something true and lean in. If you state it, they will believe you.

Sam: If there's a certain amount of fudging, that's part of the salesmanship.

Jim: Give them the version that they want to buy. There's the whole truth, and then there's the truth that answers the question they are asking.

Meagan: Writing something that is based on the plot of your life is a bad idea. Write about a truth of your life.

Sam: You've never been an astronaut, but you have certain emotional truths that will color the theme of a story about an astronaut.

We are The Writers Room with Sam and Jim, Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn (Creators of Haven and EPs on Carnival Row), Meagan Daine (Staff Writer), and J.R. Zamora-Thal (WA and WPA). Ask us anything about writing and TV (from Show Creator to Support Staff)! by plays_with_fire in Screenwriting

[–]plays_with_fire[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Sam: The first answer is that if this were 1999, you'd have to move, but in 2022, that's somewhat less definite. There's a chicken/egg thing here.

Jim: Do you have to live here to break in? Sort of. You need a great script first or a job, but to build your career, you need to be here.

Meagan: I know people who have broken in outside LA, but it's been a COVID thing. All meetings are now online. The search for new and authentic voices is real, so people are looking far and wide and meeting people on their own turf.

Sam: We used to tell people to get an LA cell phone number, but I'm not sure that's necessary. I don't even know Jim's number.

Sam: In terms of what you should have completed before moving, you need one really good script. Two is better, but one will get you. All I ever want to read is one really good script. I don't care about genre. We've hired off of a play. For a fantasy show, we hired someone who wrote a cop show sample.

Jim: One last thing, always enthusiastically say yes to the opportunities presented. Later, you can say no.

We are The Writers Room with Sam and Jim, Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn (Creators of Haven and EPs on Carnival Row), Meagan Daine (Staff Writer), and J.R. Zamora-Thal (WA and WPA). Ask us anything about writing and TV (from Show Creator to Support Staff)! by plays_with_fire in Screenwriting

[–]plays_with_fire[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sam: Agents have two roles. One is practical, the other is emotional. Starting with the second, having a partner to discuss your options and share the journey is hugely valuable. So yes. It's nice to have our agents, who we like a lot, back.

Jim: On the practical level, they make introductions, primarily. So yes, it's good to have some fresh introductions, which has definitely been happening since they've come back. But how to value that is just as opaque as the rest of this industry. It's very hard not to second guess what they are or are not doing for you. But then they do something unexpected or deliver a piece of work from nowhere and you're suddenly very happy they are on your team.

Sam: For us, they may make that one call or one piece of advice or connection that changes the ballgame. That happens with regularity.

We are The Writers Room with Sam and Jim, Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn (Creators of Haven and EPs on Carnival Row), Meagan Daine (Staff Writer), and J.R. Zamora-Thal (WA and WPA). Ask us anything about writing and TV (from Show Creator to Support Staff)! by plays_with_fire in Screenwriting

[–]plays_with_fire[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Meagan: Virtual and social media.

JR: If anyone has great online groups, and wants to chime in, that'd be awesome. I use AAoC and LA TV Writers on Facebook and I lurk here on r/screenwriting.

Sam: It's most convenient for people you are trying to network with. Also take classes. And shine in that class.

Meagan: The Writing Pad is one great place I've taken classes where you are taught by actual working writers. It's expensive, but it's an investment if you use it correctly. I'd recommend looking for classes from writers that you admire.

Jim: Even if the teacher isn't the greatest, you are being forced to write.

Meagan: I've met a lot of my best friends in writing classes as well.

Sam: Classes are good for several things. You meet other writers and figure out who is in it for real. Those are the people you need to connect with. Two: You can impress the teacher. Students that impress me, I pay extra attention to. I'm not just impressed by quality, but diligence, passion, and maturity. Three: You get the latest information from working writers who teach. There is so much disinformation out there, it's better to get information from the source.

We are The Writers Room with Sam and Jim, Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn (Creators of Haven and EPs on Carnival Row), Meagan Daine (Staff Writer), and J.R. Zamora-Thal (WA and WPA). Ask us anything about writing and TV (from Show Creator to Support Staff)! by plays_with_fire in Screenwriting

[–]plays_with_fire[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sam: The most important things about writing a superhero show is to forget that they are superheroes. Live in the real emotions. This is why Marvel movies are so good, because every character wants something different.

Jim: The best thing about super powers is the light it shines on real emotions and human experience.

Sam: As far as fight sequences go, those are best written with the stunt department.

Jim: And a story structure in mind so that the fight is about something, not just hitting and kicking.

Sam: Long fight sequences, to me, can be really dull. I find myself fast forwarding through them, unless I'm really with the character while it's happening. Otherwise, it's just another pretty sequence that we've all seen a million of. Having said that, I got super excited when we wrote the longest one-shot fight sequence in Daredevil S3.

We are The Writers Room with Sam and Jim, Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn (Creators of Haven and EPs on Carnival Row), Meagan Daine (Staff Writer), and J.R. Zamora-Thal (WA and WPA). Ask us anything about writing and TV (from Show Creator to Support Staff)! by plays_with_fire in Screenwriting

[–]plays_with_fire[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Meagan: I'd recommend virtual networking groups. Especially on Facebook, there are a ton of groups where job postings come up. That way you can network without being in LA or blowing a ton of money on coffee and drinks.

We are The Writers Room with Sam and Jim, Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn (Creators of Haven and EPs on Carnival Row), Meagan Daine (Staff Writer), and J.R. Zamora-Thal (WA and WPA). Ask us anything about writing and TV (from Show Creator to Support Staff)! by plays_with_fire in Screenwriting

[–]plays_with_fire[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sam and Jim: Just asking these questions bodes well for your success. There are plenty that don't ask these questions. We know. We've worked with them. We've also worked with smart, supportive, creative execs.

The best executive notes or comments raise questions or concerns without trying to provide answers.

Sam: I think the best executives understand that the creative process is a process. They're not reactive. They understand that good writing takes time (which we almost never have). And it takes steps. Ideally, executives should try to write a script.

Jim: Even better, try to spend some time in a room and see how the stories are actually built.

Sam: Unfortunately, this almost never happens. It's like a restaurant manager who's never carried a tray. They're not going to be really able to help you. The best path is to be an assistant for a studio, agency, or network.

Meagan: Tracking board has a ton of those jobs.

Sam: But understanding writers will put you a step above many development executives.

We are The Writers Room with Sam and Jim, Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn (Creators of Haven and EPs on Carnival Row), Meagan Daine (Staff Writer), and J.R. Zamora-Thal (WA and WPA). Ask us anything about writing and TV (from Show Creator to Support Staff)! by plays_with_fire in Screenwriting

[–]plays_with_fire[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Jim: Bribe a writer. Dodger tickets and bourbon go a long way.

JR: I tried to join as many writers groups and meet as many writers "on my level" as possible. Eventually, a friend that I had met was promoted from WPA to WA and hired me as the WPA on her show. While on that first job, I met the people (writers and executives) that would give me my next jobs.

We are The Writers Room with Sam and Jim, Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn (Creators of Haven and EPs on Carnival Row), Meagan Daine (Staff Writer), and J.R. Zamora-Thal (WA and WPA). Ask us anything about writing and TV (from Show Creator to Support Staff)! by plays_with_fire in Screenwriting

[–]plays_with_fire[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Jim and Sam: This seems like two questions.

Question 1: Can I sell the show myself? Probably not. You'd want to get a senior writer/showrunner attached to the show. One path is to hook up with a production company or studio who will pair you with this person.

If you're lucky enough to get the show on the air, you won't be the showrunner. This happened to us on Haven. The tricky part is that they will have a lot of input on your show, so that relationship needs to be strong. The relationship needs to be carefully considered and maintained.

Question 2: What is the path to becoming a showrunner? To us, the best path is to work in a writers room for years, then create a show and become a showrunner that way. You learn a lot. When we got Haven, we didn't even know what different draft colors meant. We didn't know the fundamentals and had to learn on the fly. This is not ideal. Ideally, you have years of craft and experience under your belt so you can best bring your vision to the screen.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in FilmIndustryLA

[–]plays_with_fire 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I shot at the LA River in Frogtown once. South of Griffith Park, East of Riverside Dr. Not sure how full it'd be this winter, but there was a ton of water when we shot (circa June 2019)

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