Stagione 2
Jeff Wadlow, Aja Gabel & MJ Wesner
Rebecca Sonnenshine
David J. Rosen
Jeremy Slater
Jeremy Robbins
Chandler Levack
Brian McElhaney & Nick Kocher (BriTANicK)
Rachel Shukert
James Eason-Garcia
Paul Schrader
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A moment of snorkeling panic deep in a Tulum cenote became a joke between friends before it became the inspiration for a shark movie that made the 2019 Black List. Screenwriters Aja Gabel and MJ Wesner and writer/director Jeff Wadlow sit down with Brian and Bailey to discuss The Devil’s Mouth (Amazon Prime Video), its seven-year journey getting to the screen, and what it takes to build a lasting career in show business. How do you write a shark movie with a predator already right there within the friend group? What sort of things might a director change when tackling a project they didn’t write? What’s the difference between selling a script and having a career? How do you pitch a project you haven’t written yet? And how do your particular writing talents make you unique but not special? Jeff, Aja and MJ have plenty to say about what changed, what stayed the same, and how they made it all fit together as The Devil’s Mouth moved along from idea to screenplay to production to the screen. Produced by Brian Landwehr and Bailey Patterson.
She was just five years old when she read the Little House on the Prairie books that made her want to tell stories. Today, she’s the screenwriter and showrunner taking us back into that world. Screenwriter/showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine (The Housemaid, The Housemaid 2, The Boys, Archive 81) sits down with Brian and Bailey to discuss why she writes, how she writes, and how the entertainment business really works. How did an old-school VHS camcorder teach her plenty about storytelling? How did writing screenplay coverage nudge her into a screenwriting career of her own? How did she turn the things she enjoyed most into commercial successes? How did she adapt the bestselling novel The Housemaid by treating it as “a personal horror story”? And how is “genre writing” perhaps not quite what people think it is? Rebecca has plenty to say about crafting the tension of The Housemaid, landing the project of her childhood dreams, and the world-building secrets that make a 150-year-old story feel like it’s about us, right now. Produced by Brian Landwehr and Bailey Patterson.
After leaving the world of advertising for life as a writer, countless publishers passed on his novel before he finally heard the unexpected yes that changed everything. Screenwriter David J. Rosen sits down with Brian and Bailey to discuss why he writes, how he writes, the path that got him where he is, and the practices that keep him there. How did a panicky moment at a Snapple sales meeting push him toward writing? When are screenwriters maybe better off not knowing the rules? Can a thriller be funny without spoiling the stakes? Why would he ever tell himself to “just write it badly?” And what might be more important than talent and luck when it comes to your screenwriting career? David has plenty to say about how his Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed series made it to Apple TV, and why you may want to focus on getting your screenplay done, instead of making it perfect. Produced by Brian Landwehr and Bailey Patterson
His 2015 Fantastic Four screenplay was rewritten by so many other writers that eventually just three words of his remained. Today he’s the sole screenwriter on Mortal Kombat II, and already tackling the sequel. Screenwriter Jeremy Slater sits down with Brian and Bailey to discuss why he writes, how he writes, and what other writers would do well to keep in mind on their own journeys. How does a kid too scared to take a bath after watching Jaws end up writing for Marvel and DC? Why should screenwriters be careful about considering themselves “artists”? What keeps him returning to the page even when the goalposts keep moving? How does he cap off his writing each day by setting himself up for success the next morning? What are Hollywood “round table” meetings all about, and how do they work? And why does he say screenplays are primarily “promotional documents”? Jeremy has plenty to say about how his Mortal Kombat II made it to theaters, how he makes sure he’s a screenwriter people want to work with, and how he keeps it that way. Produced by Brian Landwehr and Bailey Patterson
He wrote a screenplay his reps didn’t even know about. Five years later, his movie is on Netflix, starring Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton. Screenwriter Jeremy Robbins sits down with Brian and Bailey for a deep dive into how that all happened, how he navigates the film and television industries, and why he writes. How did Jeremy become a writer? What does he think about working in writers’ rooms versus writing alone? Why does he focus on spec screenplays even with other deals on the table? How does a script started during the pandemic make it to Netflix? What did a 2021 spot on The Black List end up meaning for him years later? And what can close-up magic possibly teach us about effective pitching? Jeremy has plenty to share about why he wrote his action survival thriller Apex, and how the screenplay evolved before reaching the screen. Produced by Brian Landwehr and Bailey Patterson
Canadian writer-director Chandler Levack sits down with Brian and Bailey for a deep dive into how and why she writes. How did her music journalism experiences inform her screenwriting? How did she make her first film without a studio deal? How does she deconstruct her favourite screenplays when building her own scenes? Why are rom-com tropes so worthy of our love and respect? How do filmmaking careers really get started these days? Why was she so excited to get a call from Adam Sandler? And how could her parents boost her career by faking an illness? With both of her newest projects dropping the very same day—Mile End Kicks in theaters, and Roommates on Netflix—Chandler has plenty to share, and she doesn’t hold back. Produced by Brian Landwehr and Bailey Patterson
Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher of BriTANicK fame sit down with Brian and Bailey for a deep dive into how and why they write. How is their collaboration like an open romantic relationship? What were the writers’ rooms on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Saturday Night Live like? How can a detailed outline save your screenplay before you even start writing? How is effective pitching much more than just describing your project well? And what did they learn from their time in the director’s chairs? And why are Brian and Brian so happy about the spelling of their names? After over 18 years working together—and with their directorial debut Pizza Movie now streaming on Hulu and Disney+, and Over Your Dead Body hitting theaters April 24th—Brian and Nick have plenty to share. Produced by Brian Landwehr and Bailey Patterson.
This episode features Rachel Shukert, showrunner behind The Baby-Sitters Club (Netflix) and executive producer on The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu), charting her fascinatingly unconventional path from New York memoirist and playwright to Hollywood showrunner. Is television overstaffed right now? What’s the best way to get yourself into a writers’ room? How should writers think about the anxieties that both propel them and get in the way? Brian and Bailey discuss all this and more with Rachel, including what she learned from her first chaotic writers’ room, what it was really like producing GLOW alongside Jenji Kohan, and how she has kept building her television career through Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu) and most recently The 'Burbs (Peacock). Produced by Brian Landwehr and Bailey Patterson 1IoJcK62EnPRcPNjz7Yg Links mentioned in this episode: Everything Is Going To Be Great by Rachel Shukert https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Going-Great-Underfunded-Overexposed/dp/0061782351 Have You No Shame? by Rachel Shukert https://www.amazon.com/Have-You-No-Shame-Regrettable/dp/0345498615
Imagine writing for an animated Disney series. Now, imagine being invited to write for the Star Wars universe. And imagine that leading you to the Marvel universe. And now, imagine your audience is preschoolers! In this episode of Living To Write, Brian and Bailey talk with James Eason-Garcia, who has done all this and more. His behind-the-scenes stories are fun and enlightening, and his industry and craft advice applies to far more than just animation and writing for kids. Join us to hear everything from how the industry works to how to fine-tune your portfolio to get the attention your writing deserves. And along the way, James even shares his strategy for storing 30,000 comic books! Produced by Bailey Patterson and Brian Landwehr
Paul Schrader wrote classics like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The Last Temptation of Christ, directed American Gigolo, Affliction and First Reformed, documented the history of the transcendental style of film, and he’s still hard at work telling stories with impact. In this special episode, we present his engaging Story Summit VIP Guest Lecture, recorded shortly after the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where he premiered his latest feature, Oh, Canada. Hear how a strict Calvinist upbringing devoid of cinema led to Paul picking up the mantle of the transcendental style of filmmaking, and how he utilizes metaphor to draw audiences into his stories without all the handholding. If you care about meaningful cinema with lasting impact, or simply want to hear what Taxi Driver is actually all about, don’t miss this episode. Produced by Brian Landwehr and Bailey Patterson