Author: rstay3@gmail.com

ADVICE, Interview, People

Kelly Pancho: Not Your Typical Studio Executive

|Kelly.Pancho|

Kelly Pancho is a Current Executive for CBS Studios. She is responsible for shows both on streaming and cable outlets.

Kelly has a lovely demeanor. She’s one of those executives that always appears to be calm and poised, which is a wonderful asset to possess, especially when you’re in a job that requires you to constantly put out fires. But who knew simmering under her executive armor was a writer/director just waiting to come out from under the surface? Recently she wrote and directed a short film called, GROUNDED, which made its screening debut at Comic Con this year for the San Diego Int’l Children’s Film Festival.

RS: Describe yourself in a logline.

KP: I currently work as a studio exec and have a passion for filmmaking, all things space-related, and ice cream.

RS: You moved from producing and development to current programming. What has been the biggest difference? Was there a learning curve? 

KP: Learning the internal responsibilities and processes that are unique to the studio has been a challenge. Moving to current (programming) also means you’re always in “go” mode because you’re constantly shooting. 

RS: Tell me something that’s not on your resume? 

KP: My first job working in production was at Nickelodeon: I still have fond memories of shooting in the scorching Florida heat and the sickly smell of slime.

What is a piece of advice you’d give both an emerging writer and established one?

Kelly:

I’d encourage any emerging writers to be open to collaboration. To seasoned writers, I’d say find something in every project that still gets you excited.

RS: From your perspective and after working in the industry as long as you have, what is a piece of advice you would give an emerging writer? What would you tell an established writer? 

KP: I’d encourage any emerging writers to be open to collaboration. I’ve encountered many writers newer to the process that are so protective of their concepts (asking producers to sign an NDA or not discussing ideas openly) that they miss an opportunity to engage. To seasoned writers, I’d say find something in every project that still gets you excited.

RS: What do you wish someone would have taught you early on?  

KP: That the industry is small and whatever lane you pick is the lane where you’ll find opportunities.

RS: How do you work with writers? Are you hands on or more of an arm’s length kind of executive? Do you have a particular process unique to you?  

KP: I think writers would describe me as hands-on. That said, I always try to be mindful of the big picture, no matter how detailed my notes may be: is the audience going to follow your story? Is your intent coming through? Are we servicing the character arcs in a meaningful way? I feel responsible for helping writers circumnavigate potential issues (i.e. getting ahead of notes we know the network will give) and be a sounding board. I’m also there to support the writer when they have to address a tricky note, yet preserve the creative integrity of their work.

When do you know a script won’t make it over the finish line?

Kelly:

The 2nd draft. That said, the first story area (will show) if there are going to be major script issues down the line.

RS: When do you reach the realization that a script is not going to make it over the finish line? After how many drafts?  

KP: The second draft, once you’ve seen how the notes have (or haven’t) been addressed. That said, it’s also clear right from the first story area if there are going to be major script issues down the line.

RS: It’s clear you have a propensity to create. What was the inspiration behind the story of your short film, GROUNDED?

KP: Despite having always worked on the exec side of things, I truly love directing and writing. At heart I’m a film geek, so I love cameras and rigs and editing and production design. I’ve started directing shorts in my spare time to feed that creative beast.

I wanted to shoot a short on a shoestring: one actor, using natural light, and only what I had on hand (in this case, my backyard). Our dilapidated shed reminded me of this cupboard that used to scare the crap out of me as a kid. It was dark, menacing, and made my young mind run wild. That provided the inspiration for the core conflict: the yard itself had to come to life!

RS: Being an executive, did you call upon a lot of favors re: casting, gathering a crew, etc.? 

KP: Yes, I definitely benefited by being surrounded with talented people in my working life. The actor was the son of my boss, several of my crew were former assistants, and my fantastic DP, Mika, came recommended from a DP I admired and worked with on a broadcast pilot.  

RS: Now that you have dipped your toe into the other side of the creative pond (writing and directing), are your colleagues looking at you in a different light?

KP: I’m not sure if it’s a different light, but it’s sparked a lot of conversations and reminded me there’s a lot of great creative minds out there.    

RS: Your short was invited to screen at Comic Con. Did you enjoy watching people watch it? 

KP: I found it simultaneously gratifying and terrifying, because you’re always hoping they’ll react in the way you intended (are they laughing, are they enjoying themselves?). I was surprised and honored for the film to have been invited to screen there – I had never been before and it was a blast!  

RS: What kinds of material do you gravitate towards?  

KP: I love anything with a strong story engine that makes me sit up in my seat. I tend to gravitate towards stories about people discovering their voices, their strengths, etc.

RS: What hobbies do you partake in – in order to destress?

KP: I enjoy playing piano, ice skating, and painting/crafty stuff, although I’m not sure any of those things necessarily help me to destress…I’m too much of a perfectionist. If I need to destress, it’s a day at the spa!

RS: It’s vacation time. Do you choose a beach, a mountain adventure, or a city with much culture to explore?

KP: The beach is my happy place.

If starting out today, how would you navigate as an executive?

Kelly:

Your network of people grows from those early relationships. I’d be more mindful about where in the industry I was planting my roots.

RS: If you were just starting out today, how would you go about navigating the executive dance? Anything you would do differently?

KP: If I were starting out again, I’d be more mindful about where in the industry I was planting my roots, as your network of people grows from those early relationships. The early part of my career was spent in an adjacent part of the industry and I didn’t transition into development/production until much later. That said, I’ve found real value in my background now (and also met my husband that way!), so I wouldn’t change anything.

RS: What job outside of the industry would you be drawn to?

KP: Theoretical physics. I like learning how the world works.

RS: It’s evident that TV continues to be an over-saturated market. What’s the good news for writers and producers? What’s the bad news? 

KP: The good news is that there’s always a market for great stories and talented people. However, it does feel like not as many projects are being bought as in years past, so there are times when even good projects may not be picked up because there’s simply not enough slots.

RS: Beyond agents and managers, do you have other means or resources as to how you find new voices? 

KP: I tend to let manager and agents introduce us because there is a vetting process there. That said, I’ve directly connected with writers through the WGA platform, have occasionally taken a cold-call general, and love meeting writers from the studio diversity programs. I’ll also lean on my assistant to flag any newer writers that are worth looking at.

RS: As a viewer, what’s your favorite type of show? Do you have a favorite Podcast?

KP: I feel like my taste varies, but in general I love shows with strong characters, some adventure, some comedy, and heart. I tend not to gravitate to anything on either end of the spectrum – nothing too dark or too fluffy. I love a fun ride and want to be entertained, but want to feel real stakes.

I don’t listen to a ton of podcasts, but I love Team Deakins, which my husband introduced me to. It’s hosted by the legendary DP Roger Deakins and his partner, James. They have these amazing, really honest, in-depth discussions with everyone — from other DPs, to Directors, and ADs.

RS: Name one of your idiosyncrasies.

KP: I fidget! I never realized how much until I was forced to stare at myself on zoom calls and noticed that everyone else can sit still properly for an hour. Also, I have to take off my shoes when I have to really concentrate. I have no idea why. 

(Side Note: I read that when we take off our shoes and our feet feel the ground beneath us, it reduces stress as well as grounds and focuses us. It also helps to curl your toes into the carpet, dirt, grass, etc.)

RS: When do you feel most creative and how do you stay creative?

KP: It randomly comes in spurts – sometimes I wake up and have to find a pen and scribble (down) an idea. In terms of staying creative, I think you have to stay curious and keep a sense of wonder about the world.

RS: Outside of the job, what’s the last thing you learned?

KP: That life will continually kick you in the ass if you let it. And also that my dog will eat anything if he sees me eat it first.

What are some of your pet peeves?

Kelly:

Arrogance and people who mistreat those who work for them. Also, (writers) don’t be sloppy, proof your scripts!

RS: Do you have any pet peeves?  

KP: Arrogance and people who mistreat those who work for them. There’s no excuse for either. Also, (writers) don’t be sloppy. Proof your scripts! 

RS: With general meetings, what are you looking for in a writer? 

KP: I want to get a sense of the writer’s personality and story sense. Are they collaborative? Quick on their feet? How do they approach character? What are their tastes, do they understand story structure? I usually don’t approach these questions head-on, but like to get a sense of them through the general course of conversation.

RS: Do you have a piece of advice a parent or a best friend gave you that has been helpful through out the years? Words to live by when life gets hard?

KP: You won’t know if you don’t try.

RS: Has anyone ever told you that you look like someone famous? If so, who?

KP: Nope. I’m half-asian and half-caucasian, so there aren’t a ton of us out there. I hope that changes.

What is the secret to a successful pitch?

Kelly:

In my experience, it’s when the writer has cracked what the show is “about” on a deep level and it’s baked into the character arcs and story engine. It doesn’t matter if you have the most amazing visuals or a fantastic package…

If you don’t have a clear theme that is woven into the execution of the story, you don’t have a show.

RS: In your opinion, what’s the secret to a successful pitch? 

KP: In my experience, it’s when the writer has really cracked what the show is “about” on a deep level, and it’s baked into the character arcs and story engine. That applies to both comedies and dramas. It doesn’t matter if you have the most amazing visuals or a fantastic package – if you don’t have a clear theme that is woven into the execution of the story, you don’t have a show.

RS: How do you define failure?

KP: Never trying in the first place.

RS: What does taking a risk look like for you?

KP: It’s doing something out of your comfort zone.

RS: Is there a line from a movie or TV show that you often quote?

KP: Clever girl.

(SIDE NOTE: If you don’t know this quote it’s said by the raptor hunter, Muldoon – from Jurassic Park. I LOVE this quote and use it all the time.)

RS: What inspires you? 

KP: People who are passionate about and really good at their craft.

RS: The material you’ve loved — what specific things did the script include that made it so good? 

KP: Get me invested in a character and I’m along for the ride. I love stories that balance drama and comedy. I’m also a sucker for a strong story structure – not in the sense of something being formulaic, but in planning out a story in such a way that the characters are constantly being challenged and struggling and learning and growing. That’s the good stuff.

RS: Is there a showrunner out there you’d love to work with? What do you love about them?

KP: Jon Favreau! He’s found a way to take the heart of what people love about the massive Star Wars franchise and plays to it. In every interview, he’s obviously such a fan and has done his homework. Not to mention he produced a show utilizing a new technology and workflow, which must have been challenging.

I also recently re-watched the pilot of Orphan Black and have admired Graeme Manson from afar.

RS: What’s the biggest compliment you’ve ever received? 

KP: A showrunner I developed with told me that I should be a writer – I can’t think of a higher compliment.

RS: What’s the hardest piece of criticism you’ve ever received?

KP: Someone I admired felt I wasn’t being respectful of them. I was so taken aback, but it made me reflect on my approach to different people.

RS: Describe your favorite meal.

KP: One shared with my family and friends and ending with something sweet!

RS: What is next for you on the writing/directing side of your life? 

KP: I’m steadily working on shorts in my spare time as a labor of love. I shot another short during the height of the pandemic in my house with only myself, my husband, and my sister.  It was a challenge and a great reminder that even when shooting on an iPhone with basically no crew, you can still create an engaging story. I’m editing that now and am currently writing a short that I hope to shoot during a long weekend in the spring.  

RS: Ok. What question do you wish I would have asked? What question are you glad I didn’t?

KP: Hmmm…you didn’t ask what my favorite movies are! I love movies as much as TV and could wax poetic about them for days. I’m glad you didn’t ask where I’m from. Because I’m from Florida… Yeah, I know. 

And there you have it. The “K”aptivating Kelly Pancho! For the record, I would never shame her for where she’s from. That said, it does go to show you — generalizations are just that and there are always exceptions to the rule! 

And btw… the picture with Kelly and the fake rabbit? Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Only a creative mind, right? Priceless. 

If you liked this post, you might like: https://rebecca-stay.com/eric-kim-current-executive-extraordinaire

Bio: 

Kelly Pancho is a VP of Streaming & Cable Current Series for CBS Studios. She was previously the Head of Development at CannyLads Productions and produced the comedy series I FEEL BAD. Before working in development, Pancho oversaw the creative team at Deluxe, and produced behind-the-scenes featurettes and games. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband and two Shar Peis.   

ADVICE, Interview, People

The Sheep Queen, Auriel Rudnick

|Auriel.Rudnick|

The best part of my job is constantly meeting new people. You get to learn about various backgrounds, cultures, and what everyone’s origin story is — their way into the business. Why did I call her The Sheep Queen? Because it’s alluring and mysterious and well… I’ll let her explain!

Hard work, perseverance, determination. We all know these are three important ingredients to a successful career. It’s what you need in order to stay in the game.

Meeting the right person at the right time doesn’t hurt either. Auriel walked into an interview to be a writer’s assistant and met the woman that would eventually give her a golden opportunity. Lauren Iungerich, showrunner of Netflix’s, On My Block is one of the “helpers” we all hope to meet along our path. Auriel worked hard and when the time came, Lauren promoted her to staff writer.

CUT TO: An overall deal at Paramount Television Studios. Hard work, perseverance, determination… with a splash of luck thrown in for good measure.

RS: Where did you grow up? 

AR: I grew up in Mar Vista on the west side of LA. Cul de sacs, ocean air. It’s changed a lot since I was a kid, but I’ll always love it there.

RS: What was your favorite fast food place?

AR: I’m not sure if this counts as fast food, but Tito’s Tacos in Culver City was – and still is – my favorite quick bite to eat.

RS: You started as a writer’s assistant on the Netflix show, On My Block before graduating to staff writer. What do you think you did right in order to make that leap? (besides the obvious of a strong writing sample).

AR: So much of being in a room is about the people. I was lucky because I really got along with the writers in that room. It was an incredible group, and we all just enjoyed being together. I worked hard as a writers’ assistant in that room.

On making the leap from Writer’s Asst. to Staff Writer:

I stayed late nights making sure those notes were the best they could be. I proved to my bosses that I was an important member of the team. I was passionate.

There were high expectations for that job, and I stayed late nights making sure those notes were the best they could be. As the writers’ assistant, I proved to my bosses that I was an important member of the team and not only did I understand the show, but I was passionate about it.

RS: Describe the ideal showrunner. 

AR: I know this is going to sound strange but after years of being in rooms, I believe the best showrunners are like kindergarten teachers. Kind, gentle, fair, but always in charge. They keep any personal drama at home unless a story serves a purpose in the room. If there’s some sort of emergency or stress among the faculty, the teacher doesn’t tell the kindergarten students about it unless it involves them. That said, I’ve worked with incredible showrunners who don’t fit this mold at all. But if you ask me, this kind of showrunning keeps a room friendly, professional, and efficient.

What showrunners get right:

The best are like kindergarten teachers: Kind, gentle, fair, but always in charge.

RS: What do you think some showrunners get wrong? 

AR: Two things come to mind. First, I think sometimes showrunners can lose sight of the destination. And that’s tough. Feeling like you’re a member of a ship’s crew, working your butt off for a captain who’s either lost or changing their mind about where to go. I’d much rather be in a room for a show that isn’t totally my taste as long as the showrunner knows what they want. Writing can be a maddening process – I mean always, but especially when it starts to feel like a guessing game for what your boss may want when they themselves don’t even know.

What showrunners get wrong:

I’ve seen showrunners get a bit too personal, overshare in a room. The best kind of showrunner enforces boundaries.

Second, I’ve seen showrunners get a bit too personal, overshare in a room… and encourage writers to do the same. It’s tricky because obviously writing is personal, it is spilling your guts, but I think lines should always be drawn. People should only share if and what they want. It’s healthy to remember that these jobs are… jobs. And writers’ rooms are places of work. This is so tough to remember because creating with other writers is such an intimate, exciting journey but I think for that very reason, the best kind of showrunner enforces boundaries.

RS: Favorite board game? 

AR: Settlers of Catan! I call myself The Sheep Queen. It’s an unconventional strategy, but it’s worked out for me.

(Side Note: I read this: “During almost every game, there will be an excess of sheep at some point. Everyone will have sheep, and everyone will be trying to unload them. A person with a well situated sheep port can turn this into an advantage, but this route is only worth pursuing if it’s convenient within a player’s larger strategy. Above all, don’t focus too heavily on acquiring sheep early in the game. They will come. They always come.”)

RS: Are you a competitive person? What are you most competitive about? 

AR: I am very competitive when it comes to games… Sheep Queen here. But outside of games and in life, I shy away from competition. I don’t know why, but I really don’t like competing for things. I like to sit back, stay out of all that, and just try to do my own thing. I admire my friends who can just jump right in and face off with people, but I am not that way.

RS: If you could shadow one writer, one director, and one actor on a show, who would they be and why? 

AR: I’d shadow David Simon. I’d just kill to be a fly on the wall in one of his rooms. I love his storytelling, the humanity in his shows, the complexity of the subject matter he takes on. For directors, I’d have to say Andrea Arnold. She’s one of the reasons I wanted to work in all this. She’s a real artist. Her work hits to the core. I dream about getting to see her work with her actors. And that leads me to actors… Dang. I’d say Dominique Fishback. She is supremely talented… I bet she can do anything. I’m so curious what her process is like.

RS: If you were given the freedom to reboot a show, what series would it be and why? 

AR: Carnivàle! I loved that show. Vibrant and bleak at the same time. And so many fascinating characters to explore. The series was set against the backdrop of the Great Depression so for a reboot, it’d be interesting to consider other backdrops/time periods for a different traveling carnival.

RS: Do you have a company name/logo to go with your Paramount Television Studios overall deal? 

AR: I don’t have a logo yet, but my company is called Rora Pictures. I named it after my grandmother Aurora, my mom’s mom. She was an impressive woman. The second Mexican American female graduate of Southern Methodist University and the first Mexican American personality on PBS’s Dallas Channel – she was a high school Spanish teacher and taught Spanish on the network. She faced a ton of adversity growing up in Dallas and teaching at predominantly white schools there.

A sign that reads “Rora Pictures” hangs beside my office door on the Paramount lot and I have a photo of her sitting on my desk. I think she’d get a kick out of that if she were with us today.

RS: Taking from your various staffing jobs, is there an area that you are drawn to, beyond the walls of the writer’s room? I.E., on set, in editing, in a mix, casting, etc.

AR: I love being on set. In fact, I intended to be a director. That’s why I went to film school and how I got caught up in this writing business in the first place. In college, I worked on set every weekend trying my hand at different roles in different departments. When I wasn’t directing, I worked mostly in the art department and loved it.

Beyond writing, other areas drawn to:

I love being on set. I also love the editing process. The edit feels like part two of the writing process.

When it comes to my own projects, I enjoy watching actors work. I also love the editing process. You think you’ve written something when you’ve put it down on the page, but that’s only the beginning. The edit feels like part two of the writing process.

RS: What’s the last thing that made you cry (and don’t say this q&a!) 

AR: Ha! I’ve recently been watching Reservation Dogs (FX on Hulu). It’s a beautiful show, and there is one episode in particular that just made me weep. Episode 6 called “Hunting.” I won’t give anything away, but I highly recommend the watch.

RS: Any pet peeves?

AR: Entitlement. I see it a lot in this industry and it drives me crazy.

RS: What is a rich part of your family tapestry that has defined you as a writer? 

AR: My ancestral history! Family is so important to my parents and they’re both storytellers, so growing up I’d hear these mythic stories about my grandparents and great grandparents and great great grandparents and so on… From Mexico to Jewish shtetls in Europe, my ancestry contains wild stories with so much beauty and heartbreak. These stories have most definitely shaped me as a writer.

RS: I always talk to my writers about skeletons in their closet… that it’s important to lure them out and use them in their writing. Any skeletons you plan on writing about? 

AR: As a kid, I was the nerdiest, most dedicated fan of a certain famous musician. I mean… I was obsessed. Head over heels in love. Then in my adulthood, I had the most disappointing run in with this musician, and I absolutely plan on writing about that fantasy-turned-sad-reality love story someday. But until then, I’d like that skeleton to remain in that closet.

RS: We all need down time to refresh. What does that time look like for you?

AR: Cooking, being with family and going on long walks with my husband and our dog. Time to refresh is so important, especially for the creative process. I try to find ways of working these activities into my routine. I have learned I am most productive with a healthy work/life balance.

RS: Have you ever been given dialogue notes? How were they given? 

AR: Yes! One that haunts me is “be more specific.” And honestly, it’s a great note. I mean, specificity is key.

On best dialogue note given:

“Be more specific.” It’s a great note. Specificity is key.

I sometimes get lost in the fun of writing a scene and let my characters speak poetically or with big, obvious statements. It’s good “first draft” writing, but the truth is… people don’t speak like that! I was given that note a few times on a period piece I worked on, and it made the next draft that much better.

RS: What’s important to you as far as character descriptions in a script? 

AR: First, I think character descriptions should be as concise as possible because your introduction to that person – their first actions, first lines – will also describe that person. That initial “character description” should just leave an impression. For this reason, I am turned off by physical descriptions because I don’t see a point to them unless they have to do with the story and/or arc of that character. For example, it’s way more important for me to know a character is “rebellious” than it is for me to know they are “blonde.”

RS: What gets you out of a writing funk?

AR: Oof. This one’s tough. Sometimes there isn’t an answer. Sometimes you just must wait for the clouds to part. But in that waiting period, I do find it helpful to establish a routine. I make myself get up, drink coffee, go for a walk, sit down in front of a notebook and wait for the writing fairies to come. When I’m on a deadline, it’s different. I don’t have the freedom to “wait” so instead, I write what I can. I force it out. Because at least then I have something to work with. Sometimes, it’s not great. But it’s a start.

RS: If you could drop yourself into the middle of the following genres, which films would they be?:  Sci-fi, Romantic comedy, Drama, Musical, and Documentary.

AR: If I had to drop into a sci-fi it would hands down be the original Jurassic Park. I practically did live on Isla Nublar in my pretend world as a child, and honestly, I do a great velociraptor impression to this day, so I feel like I’d blend right in and survive.

Romantic comedy? Drop me right into Colin Firth’s storyline in Love Actually. I’ll take that writing retreat in that gorgeous house and that sweet, sweet love story any day. Drama? Any drama is going to be painful, but I think the pain would be worth it if I were dropped into a film like Portrait of a Lady on Fire. That epic affair in the most gorgeous of places… alright! Musical? Moana please.

Documentary? Do I dare say Grey Gardens?

RS: Proudest career moment thus far? 

AR: The first office I ever had as my own (as a writer on staff) was in the same building where I worked my first assistant job. The window in my new office was a window I passed every day as an assistant going on coffee runs, lunch runs… having that office felt surreal. I remember sitting at my empty desk on the first day of that job feeling so proud and so grateful.

RS: Best advice you received that you think is worthy of passing down? 

AR: My dear friend, the incredible writer Beth Henley, told me to look for windows in my writing. She was referring to a draft of something I wrote before I was to write the next draft. She explained that sometimes in our writing our subconscious leaves us hints – little windows – to the next draft of the story we’re trying to tell. She told me to open those windows.

Advice worthy of handing down:

Look for windows in your writing.

And so sometimes I’ll spit out a first draft, read through it and realize “Fire! I keep alluding to fire!” And then I investigate that and turns out fire might be more important to my story than I originally thought. Fire might work its way into the next draft in a surprising way.

So now when I write, I’m on the lookout for those windows. (By the way, I’m positive I’m butchering Beth’s advice and am certain she said this all way more eloquently. I’m also now questioning if these were windows or doors… but we’re going to say windows.)

RS: What’s advice you wish you would have received early on?

AR: Don’t search for an agent or manager too soon. Everyone thinks they need someone representing them at the very start because representation means work. But that’s not the case. So much of this industry is about personal connections. A showrunner would way rather hire a hardworking assistant they know than the client of a manager or agent they’ve never met.

On Agents and Managers:

Don’t search too soon. Work on your craft, take jobs, and make your own connections. When you get to a certain place, the right people will start noticing you.

I wish someone had told me this sooner: Work on your craft, take jobs and make your own connections. When you get to a certain place, the right people will start noticing you.

RS: What’s the best part about writing for you? Are you a character writer or do you love getting lost in a great plot?

AR: Trick question, right? It’s all miserable? Ha! No, I’m only half kidding. I think one of my favorite parts of writing is when I’m starting a project… when I’m figuring out what the story is about.

I start making playlists, listening to music, going on long walks, imagining… then certain ideas float by and I grab them and toss them into a notebook. Soon character and plot swirl together, and eventually something starts to take shape. That part of the process I love.

RS: In what ways have you evolved as a writer? 

AR: I value my curiosity a lot more. When I started out, I thought I needed to write stories other people would find interesting or entertaining. And that’s the about the worst thing I could do. That kind of thinking leads to shallow, lifeless writing. Now I only let myself gravitate towards subjects I find interesting even if I don’t yet know why. Eventually, the why will reveal itself… and then a story follows.

There you have it. The Alluring Auriel Rudnick.

Curious about more writers from Netflix’s ON MY BLOCK, go to: https://rebecca-stay.com/qa-with-netflixs-on-my-block-writer-adam-starks

Bio: 

Born and raised in LA, Auriel grew up writing, performing, and forcing friends to act in homemade music videos she would shoot on her dad’s RCA camcorder. Eventually, she headed east to New York City where she received a BFA in Film and TV from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. While in school, Auriel worked for Michel Gondry’s Partizan Entertainment and spent her days assisting on music videos and commercials. After returning to LA, Auriel assisted on several shows including “The Path” (Hulu) and “Star Trek: Discovery” (CBS All Access), before landing her first staffing gig on Netflix’s hit coming-of-age series, “On My Block.”

Since then, her credits include Chernin Entertainment’s “Circe,” Paramount Television Studios and Hulu’s upcoming “The Devil in the White City,” and a to-be-announced FX show. Most recently, Auriel was a consulting producer on Paramount Television Studios’ “Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies.” She is currently developing projects with Paramount Television under a three-year overall deal with the studio.

ADVICE, Interview, People

Peg Cafferty: Producer, Writer, Actress

|Peg.Cafferty|

I was working with Dan Bucatinsky and Lisa Kudrow at Is or Isn’t Ent. when I met Peg. She had the rights to a format based on a popular Irish show called, Paths To Freedom and we fell in love with both the IP and Peg.  A writer was attached and we were able to sell it to FOX, but (unfortunately) it didn’t make it to pilot. However, she was wonderful to work along side; collaborative, smart, and most of all… an amazing human.

She is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of PLAY HOUSE STUDIOS. She’s a passionate activist and her mantra centers around going after projects that shine a light on women’s issues, gender equality, social justice as well as topics that move the needle as far as seeing change in the world.

What better way is there than to spend your days being the change you want to see in the world… and having fun in the process?

RS: Pitch your job like a TV show… what would it sound like in a logline?

PC: “A pale, freckly, ginger, single mother runs an international production company – juggling film and TV projects, soliciting post production jobs, driving carpool with smelly rowers from a HS crew, making a right mess of all things domestic – attempts to have some sort of social life in the midst of a global pandemic. She misses the business lunch terribly; and yearns for the opportunity to wear gorgeous shoes outside of her closet.” 

RS: Describe a day in the life of Peg.

PC: My days are rarely the same. Being a partner in a company that is based in the Republic of Ireland, my days always start early. I try desperately to make a daily 5:45am hot yoga class, but it doesn’t always happen. A typical day is filled with multiple Zoom calls from my loft to connect with my team and clients. Periodic trips back and forth to Ireland or travel to a set location keeps my calendar full and active.

My activities are varied and dominated with energy and focus on building PLAY HOUSE STUDIOS. I do spend time assembling some sort of boring, undercooked dinner when I am home with my children. My children have great appreciation for take-out. My evenings are spent reading. Weekends are reserved for dinners with dear friends and family time.

RS: How many projects are you currently juggling? 

PC: We have a slate of about 15 projects that we are producing in Ireland, UK and US on our production side, and on the post production side we have about 8 projects at the moment.

RS: What’s the most thrilling part of your job? The most difficult? 

PC: I love storytelling in all of its forms and I really enjoy collaboration with brilliant people. I love working with directors, writers, actors, and designers and watching vision come to fruition. Every day I am on a set is a good day.

Best part of job:

Collaboration with brilliant people

Most difficult:

Contracts, negotiations

The loads of contracts, negotiations, cash-flowing Minimum Guarantee’s and tax credits need my attention and time but don’t spark joy. Thankfully, my partner, Lorcan excels at these skills and tasks – all things I am troubled by.

RS: What is different about your Irish production company than your previous American one?

PC: Being an Irish-based company gives us access to tax credits, and we are a “High Potential Start Up” with Enterprise Ireland. Being part of Enterprise Ireland has been such a gift to us as entrepreneurs. The professional and financial support from Enterprise Ireland keeps us focused and aligned with a network and collective vision for innovation and opportunity.

We are committed to financial transparency and have mentors and accountants in place that manage our growth plan; that accountability is invaluable. Lorcan manages the office and work flow for post-production in Greystones, County Wicklow, just south of Dublin. Kathleen Glynn and I work from the States to expand our portfolios and manage productions.

As our post-production is 100% remote, we had a film – SAVAGE WATERS – where the editing team collaboratively worked from six different countries. It was fortunate that we had set up a remote post-production facility just before the pandemic. We have exceeded our first year revenue goal by miles (or reams) as a result.

RS: As far as producing, are there things other countries are doing better than the U.S.? 

PC: The treaties that exist between Ireland and every other country makes shooting with tax credits attractive. Also, the work hours are not as taxing for the cast and crew(s). Work days are far more humane.

RS: Do you work closely with writers? If so, what does that process look like? Are you someone that likes to give general notes or someone that likes to roll up her sleeves and get in the weeds with the writers? 

PC: I do work closely with writers, both in general notes and rolling up my sleeves – depending on the project. There is a writer we are working with at the moment on several projects named Jeremy Massey, and he is brilliant. He listens to notes but really creates characters and narratives that are so nuanced and thoughtful.

The adaptation process is so tricky and not my specialty. The book to screen adaptation is much harder than managing a spec project in my experience.

RS: Any desire to give writing a go? 

PC: I have written and co-written plays and scripts. I have a screenplay that I started during the Covid-19 lockdown, but need to steal the time to finish it. I have too many projects that take priority at the moment. 

RS: What was the first thing you ever produced? 

PC: I produced, “MEN AND OTHER INSECTS” with Melissa DeWaters in NYC in 2000. I also wrote it and was a part of the ensemble of actresses in it. The play was a series of monologues that looked at relationships between men and women in all stages of life. (It ended with a monologue about the praying mantas who eats her mate after sex).

I was largely influenced by Eve Ensler at the time and loved that series of monologues linked together to study a social topic as a format. It was very much a f%ck you to the patriarchy. The play was developed at the Neighborhood Playhouse and the dramaturge was Mary Baldrige, who passed away last week. It was such an honor to work with her.

RS: What is a mistake you learned from right away? 

PC: Gosh, there are so many. I guess expecting your reps to do all the work was an early one. It takes such a focused, strategic team effort to pull together a film or series and sometimes that means staying with something for years.

On mistakes learned:

Expecting your reps to do all of the work. It takes a focused, strategic team effort to pull together a film or series.

Every story has its moment to be told and being mindful of when that time has or should come is important. Having a plan B is always a good idea and considering outside-the-box solutions is also important.

Patience and tenacity are the most important parts of producing.

RS: Do you find there are mistakes you still make now and again? 

PC: Absolutely. Mistakes are a part of being human and the gift in making mistakes is in really learning from them.

I am much better now at walking away from people or projects that my gut tells me are not a good fit or honorable or worth my time and investment.

I usually make mistakes when I don’t trust my inner voice.

RS: What do you consider “Producing 101”? Something every newbie should know right out of the gate? 

PC: Your job as a producer is to find a story that you want to tell and to assemble a group of collaborative, creative people (writer, director, actors, designers, editors) who work together to tell the best story.

Producing 101:

Half of what you do is creative and the other half requires a powerful business acumen.

Your management skills and ability to stay motivated and to keep everyone focused on realistic timelines are what will move things forward.

Your management skills and ability to stay motivated and to keep everyone focused on realistic timelines are what will move things forward. Half of what you do is creative and the other half requires a powerful business acumen. You can assemble accountants and attorneys but you still have to read and process all of the details.

The job is largely sales, management, and operations on the business side. 

RS: Is there a film and/or TV show out there today you wish you would have produced? If so, why? 

PC: I was truly blown away by Maggie Gyllenhaal’s directorial debut, THE LOST DAUGHTER. I had read the book a few years back and found the story to be like Ibsen’s, A DOLL’S HOUSE, but on steroids and so much of the book was internal. 

Maggie’s adaptation was brilliant visual storytelling as well as exquisite dialogue. It was also timeless. The film was incredibly well shot and every detail was perfect. The rhythm of the film was remarkable and the characters were all so well defined. I could smell the beach; the sound design was spot on and every single performance was gorgeous. Maggie did an amazing job of soliciting every mother’s deepest, darkest thoughts as well as the long term impacts of our decisions as parents. Olivia Coleman was beyond vulnerable and human and so filled with pain as was Jesse Buckley. I am haunted by the film and would love to work with Maggie.

RS: Do you miss acting? 

PC: It’s funny you should ask that. A director we are working with just wrote a lovely supporting role for me and I have decided to take it. It has been a long time since I was in front of the camera but I am ready for this role and I am looking forward to stepping into it. 

I really admire people like Marielle Heller who are not afraid to go between directing and acting. Eric Stoltz and Dan Bucatinski also navigate those spaces really well. For a long time I felt like it was frowned upon to go between different parts of the filmmaking process, but now I know that there are skill sets built from each part of the art form, and the more you understand each one, the more powerful you are from any position.

RS: Proudest moment to date? 

PC: I think INDIA’S DAUGHTER winning the Peabody was an incredible moment. I learned so much from director/producer Leslee Udwin; Leslee literally moved in with me and my family as we were raising funds and seeking distribution and managing award campaigns.

Leslee not only created a film about ending rape culture, she ignited conversations that led to changes in legislation. She started an NGO about gender respect that has rolled out globally. INDIA’s DAUGHTER left audiences weeping and that led to action. It made me understand the power that a film can have.

My heart is in these types of films, for sure. Ending violence against women is a journey and INDIA’S DAUGHTER paved a way for change. It was an honor to be a part of that project. The women from Women Moving Millions and Vital Voices were so inspirational as well. The film opened my eyes and my network to people that are now dear friends and a part of my life today. I am so grateful that Leslee offered me the opportunity to work with her.

RS: How did you come to finding partners in your business? Was there a specific moment when you thought they were the perfect fit for you? What was it? 

PC: I was working with Zanzibar Films in Ireland on the adaptation of Johnny O’Callaghan’s play, WHO’S YOUR DADDY? about his journey as a gay, caucasian, Irishman who adopted a black baby boy from Uganda at a time when it was punishable by death to be gay in Uganda. Lorcan Kavanaugh was running development for Edwina Forkin there. Lorcan and I would speak a few times a week as we worked together. 

On finding the right partners:

There was a lot of grace and ease in creating this company and our skill sets are different, but complimentary.

He was creating a post budget and I thought he had made a huge mistake as posting in Ireland is less than half of what is in the  U.S. An American (producer) friend had asked me to run the numbers on what it would take to open a post house in Ireland so they could establish one there. Lorcan created the business plan as he had run a post house for ten years previously. When the friend said, “Let’s put a pin in that,” we decided to open it ourselves. Technically I poached Lorcan away from Edwina, whom I adore. I hope she has forgiven me for it.

Lorcan has skill sets that balance mine. He is strong in numbers, operations, and legal, but he is also a prolific writer. He can dissect a script very quickly. He is direct and open and really a pleasure to work with.

I met Kathleen Glynn through INDIA’S DAUGHTER. Kathleen had produced things like, FAHRENHEIT 9/11 and BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE and had become a friend and mentor. She is one of those people who has no idea how talented and fabulous she is and she has mentored so very many people, especially women in this business. I rang her and asked her to join us and she said yes. There was a lot of grace and ease in creating this company and again our skill sets are different but complementary. 

RS: What are the qualities you look for when contemplating partnering on a project? With both content and your collaborators? 

PC: I think a good partner provides a skill, world view, disposition, connection, value or competency that you lack and need. Good partners must trust each other’s judgement and voice. A good partner is collaborative, trustworthy, and understanding. Having work partners whose work ethic is the same as your own and who can communicate effectively are paramount.

On contemplating projects:

Good partners must trust each other.

A good partner is collaborative, trustworthy, and understanding. Having work partners whose work ethic is the same as your own and who can communicate effectively are paramount.

Producers need both patience and perseverance.

Regarding content, sometimes we are looking for a specific genre so we are reading through heaps of scripts to find the next one. Many projects come to us randomly. The wand finds the wizard. I really believe you produce what you are called to produce and this is imperative, as it can take 5-7 years to get a movie made. Producers need both patience and perseverance. 

RS: What is a project you would not pursue or you consider off limits? 

PC: We are not fans of gratuitous violence or projects without a defined narrative. Both are highly offensive.

RS: Describe an embarrassing moment you experienced… in the job. 

PC: In the summer of 2019 I had just arrived at my family’s home in Ireland. It was a 4.5 hour journey from the airport and I was bathed in jet lag. My mother had poured me a lovely glass of rose. As I settled in I decided to check my texts. There was a text from a writer with a very dark take on a project, and all of his previous communications were also quite dark and serious for a project that required levity and humor. I typed out, “I don’t think ‘Writer’ is a joyful enough human to take on this adaptation” and pressed send… only instead of sending it to Lorcan, I had sent it to the writer whom I was supposed to meet in Dublin two days later.

This writer replied quickly saying, “ It is no longer necessary to meet on Tuesday. Joylessly yours, Writer.” I was mortified and hugely embarrassed, of course. To this day my mother will sometimes say, “Joylessly Yours” and have a good laugh at my expense. I no longer send texts after a glass of rose.

RS: What piece of advice can you share with emerging talent starting out? (Producer, writer, etc.) What do you wish someone would have shared with you?

PC: I would say get on as many sets as possible in any capacity that you can to observe and ask questions.  Cultivate a group of people pursuing the same things or in the business you want to be in. Understand every aspect of the business, as you may need to pivot between positions.

On advice for producers starting out:

Get on as many sets as possible in any capacity; observe and ask questions. Be open and flexible. Read, watch, study the craft. And have FUN!

Be open and flexible. Read scripts, watch interviews. Study the craft – know its history in order to understand its future. And, have fun! Pursue joy and work your arse off. Work smarter than anyone in the room.

RS: If you only had time for one: A great book or a great podcast? 

PC: A podcast allows me to multi-task: walking, hiking, folding laundry, burning a dinner or driving and, dear Lord, I need to multitask. 

RS: Who are you dying to work with? 

PC: The list is so long….Kari Skogland, Glenn Close, Simon Curtis, Aaron Sorkin, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Marielle Heller, Nancy Meyers, Gabriel Byrne, Jamie Dornan, Viola Davis, Kenneth Brannagh, Kate Winslet, Idris Alba, Maysoon Zayid, and Timothee Chalamet. They all have a voice that inspires me. 

RS: If you could drop yourself into one genre, which would it be and why? 

PC: It would definitely be a musical. A big, crazy musical with amazing ensemble pieces, tight harmonies, glamorous costumes, and fabulous, well-written solos for a middle-aged female lead. I grew up in a home where tin whistles and fiddles were constantly blaring in the background. Irish folk music and some American country were the soundtrack to our lives – myself, my parents, and four siblings. Every major family gathering ended with a session and I have always been a singer. Musical theatre is what opened all of the other doors for me.

My children are both singers and musicians and my loft is constantly filled with music. There is occasionally a grand jete or an awkward, but joyful leap through the air of my loft. Wild, insane kitchen dancing is encouraged in our home. As I am typing these answers my son has asked, Please listen to my new song. Is it better in A or C? The musical format never takes itself too seriously and that is always a good thang. We are co-producing a new musical drama that will shoot in Wales in March and we are very excited about it.

RS: What does the perfect work-life balance look like to you? 

PC: I don’t really believe that a balance is possible, so I am trying to be deeply present wherever I am. My children are both artists as well and they love when I am on a set and want to hear all of the details, which is really lucky. The work world and life world intersect sometimes and I love it when that happens. But time to work, time to be with family and friends, time to relax and reflect are all priorities and if I can find time for all of them I have some sort of balance.

I feel incredibly blessed to be surrounded by collaborators that I really admire and am fond of. I recently spent five hours in a car with director James Seale on a chilly recce in the wild, west of Ireland. I was never bored or fatigued. It is great fun to work with him as he is constantly honing his craft with research and understanding.

I think living my best life, supporting the people I love, honoring the work of collaborators, doing no harm, and telling stories that inspire conversations around elevating the human experience are what I strive for.  

RS: Do you like to binge watch or wait a week until the next episode? 

PC: I like to binge watch, for sure. Watching YELLOWSTONE during the COVID lockdown provided such delicious escapism. Those wide open spaces and gorgeous mountains provided an outlet I craved so desperately. I hate to admit it, but I am also a full immersion person. I can become obsessed with a topic, a genre, a film, a series, a philosophy, a diet…

RS: What’s a recent film or TV show that emotionally resonated with you? 

PC: I loved UNORTHODOX as a limited series. It was brilliantly cast, directed, and shot. CHERNOBYL was also really well done and I am hoping to work with Anne Mensah. CODA is such a beautiful film also.

 Belfast, The Lost Daughter, Tammy Faye, The Tender Bar are all amazing.

RS: Are you a “I’ve got a ten-year plan” or “fly by the seat of your pants” type of person? 

PC: I think being a partner in a venture backed production company has forced me to become a ten-year plan type of girl. We are really focused on our growth plan and development process and committed to a very specific path for success. My recent divorce has taught me that I can successfully pivot if needed, to invest in my own path (a new life), but I definitely prefer a GPS and an itinerary with a new turn.

RS: What’s a favorite song that you could hear on a loop all day, every day? 

PC: Hmmm, that is a tough question. This month it is difficult to choose between Joni Mitchell’s, “Both Sides Now” (because I loved the adaptation from the Kennedy Awards)  and “Uptown Funk.” One causes needed introspection and the other spontaneous dancing in my underused kitchen.

RS: What’s a question you wish I would have asked (that you think would benefit someone out there)?

PC: Cultivating a group of mentors and a professional support system have been everything. I am beyond blessed with family. My siblings are not in the entertainment industry, but always have an ear, and they are practical, soul-centered people who believe in service and storytelling. 

I am also so happy to help anyone along the way. I proudly mentor a few people.

Lastly, we are so bloody blessed to work in this industry – it is so much fun to create interesting content and to tell extraordinary stories about the human experience. Every film that gets into production is a miracle.

And there you have it! Perfectly Peg. She’s absolutely right about cultivating a group of mentors and a professional support system. It’s crucial. So… who makes up your board of directors?

One of my favorite quotes comes from Mother Teresa. “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.”

By no means am I claiming to be Mother Teresa here and I’m going to go out on a limb and say nor does Peg claim to be, but… and it’s a big but; I think it’s inspiring to know that there are people out there like Peg doing their part.

I alone cannot change the world, but I can certainly cast a stone across the water and hope to create many ripples… and I will continue to try to be one of those ripples. I hope this q&a was one.

For more Q&A’s, check them out here: www.rebecca-stay.com/blog

Bio: 

Peggy is the co-founder and Managing Partner of PLAY HOUSE STUDIOS. She is an actress, writer and producer who has produced both scripted and unscripted content. She has directed or produced film projects all around the world from Papua New Guinea to India where she highlighted how trafficked women can learn skills to stay above the poverty line for an NGO. Peggy believes that storytelling is the way to educate, entertain, enlighten and heal our differences. She is an ambassador for Cinema For Peace and sits on the Diversity and Green committee at the Producers Guild of America.

 

ADVICE, Interview, People

Writers, Michael Gans & Richard Register: All Things Creative

Brooks and Reiner

Abbott and Costello

Martin and Lewis

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

Troy and Abed

And then there’s…

|Gans&Register|

Rolls perfectly off the tongue, doesn’t it?

I know what you might be thinking, “Wow. High bar for two people I’ve never heard of before.”

I know. I’m comparing them to some pretty epic legends because with all of these examples, there is a yin to their yang. For me, they share a space and energy that lies within these greats. They’re passionate about what they do and when you’re in a room with G&R, that passion is contagious. Many a writer rooms and development execs would agree with me that there is something magical about them.

I first met this dynamic duo when I did a friend a favor and took them out to dinner when they came to L.A. (from NY) for a tour of general meetings. The dinner turned out to be the meal of all meals. My Dinner with Andre comes to mind. Several hours later it was solidified: We were headed toward a long lasting friendship.

CUT TO:  two + decades later.

During dinner, they expressed an interest in segueing into live action. I told them about a film I had seen and how I wanted to develop a version of it as a TV show. Not long after, they came back to me with a take I absolutely fell in love with… We pitched it to UPN (now known as the CW) and ended up selling it. That’s how special they are… their FIRST TIME out of the gate, a sale was made. And that was just the beginning of our working relationship.

Between their experience in various mediums… stage, animation, tv… I thought G&R would feed us a colorful, engaging picture into all things creative and I was not disappointed.

RS: What made you both think you’d make good writing partners? 

MG: Who knows what makes us good writing partners? We have similar esthetics, but we bring different things to the table.

On Partnership:

We will beat each other to death in the quest for the most truthful version of the story. And the truth is apparent to both of us once it rears its head.

We are willing to really argue until we find the truth and over the course of our years together, neither one of us has actually ended up taking offense to anything that happened during that fight – and that’s what makes us good partners. We will beat each other to death in the quest for the most truthful version of the story.

RR: Right. And the truth is apparent to both of us once it rears its head.

RS: Who approached who?

MG: I approached Richard three times. He doesn’t remember but it was three different times. I even left Broadway and took a job at an all-night, East Village greasy spoon that he worked at to make sure we worked together.

RS: Do you remember where you were when you had that first conversation? To be partners? 

MG: We were in Orlando…

RR: On the Fruitopia Tour…

MG: A cross-country tour paid for by a big soft drink company. The soft drink was disgusting – the money was excellent.

RR: We were at a place called THE PARLIAMENT HOUSE, a gay hotel in Orlando, on a comedy tour, but performing on and off together, not performing as a team all the time.

MG: They were blowing up buildings for LETHAL WEAPON 3 or something, nearby, in downtown Orlando, old buildings were being blown up and we could hear explosions in the distance and we were making up a comedy bit on the terraces of this weird gay motel, just for fun, and we said, “Oh, we’re having more fun and making more money on this tour than we’ve ever made before, we’ll probably make more money doing this together than apart. Let’s do that.”

RR: Right.

MG: We were wrong. They split a writing team’s salary in television and ever since then we’ve had to split a salary.

RS: How does your process work? Did you have to set up any rules with each other — to stave off any unnecessary conflicts?

MG: We probably should’ve, but no we did not set up any rules.

RR: No, we don’t have any rules, we just argue about everything.

Helpful, Pragmatic Rule:

The only rule we have, to dispel confusion with our other partners, is that one of us is the primary communicator for all calls and notes. That way we never send conflicting messages.

MG: The only rule we have, to dispel confusion with our other partners, is that one of us is the primary communicator for all calls and communications and notes. One person sends the emails and that is Richard. So, we talk it out, we decide what the communication will be, we compose it together but all responses and communication go through Richard’s email unless a unique situation arises. That way we never send conflicting messages.

RS: What was the hardest part to master — writing as a team?

MG: You have to respect the other person’s thoughts and you have to know that your brain is only as big as your partnership with other brains. Let’s say you’re Einstein smart, you’re only as smart as you are as Einstein. You have to take in other people’s theories to have a really big brain. Our ideas and our thoughts will be better by having other thoughts engage with ours. Not eschewing the other person’s point of view.

RR: So, the hardest part to master is realizing that.

RS: Who has the final say when it looks like you’re both adamant about a turn in story or have a strong POV when it comes to character or a world your building?

MG: The world has the final say. The truth of the material and the quality of the story or the joke has the final say.

RR: And we both know when we hit that.

MG: And there’s never a question. The question of how you become a good partner is you’re lucky.

RR: You’re very lucky.

MG: Because you don’t disagree on the truth. 

RR: Because the best thing always wins.

MG: We both agree on the thing by the end of the conversation and it’s surprisingly impossible to escape that.

RR: No one has final say.

RS: What’s the biggest conflict you’ve endured as a team and how did you work through it?

RR: That is on a need-to-know basis.

MG: Sorry… That’s in OUR book.

On keeping each other motivated:

Food is the thing. And the fear of becoming obsolete and no one knowing your name.

RS: How do you keep each other motivated?

MG: Food. Mostly food. Buying lunches, fancy dinners, expensive food… and well-cooked food.

RR: If we get together for food, then we’ll do it.

MG: Food is the thing. And the quality of work. And the fear of becoming obsolete and no one knowing your name.   

RS: Has there ever been a time when you’ve wanted to do solo projects — not break up as a team, but rather go solo on a thing or two you’re individually passionate about?

MG: All the time, but we work too much on Gans & Register stuff to ever have the opportunity to do anything else.

RS: Do you have a favorite genre? If so, what about it makes it your favorite?

MG: Shakespeare is probably both of our favorite.

RR: Oh yes. We adore Shakespeare.

MG: We both have a natural affinity for Shakespeare’s work and every incarnation of it is interesting to us. The diversity of the material is just fascinating, the variation in plot and storytelling, the humanity of the characters, the quality of work as regards to motivation and emotional reality is unparalleled… we both talk about it a lot.

RR: It always feeds us.

MG: Otherwise, Coen Brother’s, maybe? John Waters?

RR: Hitchcock? We don’t have a favorite anything…

MG: Tina Fey, Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

RR: We love everything. If it’s good it’s good. Whatever genre it is.

RS: If you had to choose a medium for eternity, what would you choose? Theatre? TV? Film?

MG: We would choose not to choose. I hate that question because I think the misery of my life is that I did choose and I hate it. Honest. That’s the honest answer. I don’t hate television but I hate that I’m only doing television.

RR: Yes. We hate that we’re only doing television.

MG: I don’t believe in choosing a medium.

RR: Personally, if I had nothing else, I would rather do theatre for the rest of my life.

MG: I would like to do theatre, I just hate that I don’t do all of it.

RR: Yes. We love all of it.

RS: What’s a show you wish you’d created?

RR: VEEP. 30 ROCK.

MG: I definitely wish that I’d created FLEABAG. Um… SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, honestly…

RR: Drama… as far as hour long… I don’t know…

MG: Well, GAME OF THRONES. And SOPRANOS is remarkable television. And I would have loved to have created that because I’m from Jersey so that has a lot of meaning to me. I wish that I had created all the brilliant television shows that we have created but were never made. I wish that someone would just wake up to the fact that the best television is in our computers.

RR: We have several pilots that are the best television ever made.

RS: What did you learn when on a writing staff that in turn then helped you when it was your time to run a room?

MG: Uh, so much it’s nearly impossible to talk about, but mostly consciousness of the final story. How to marry storylines together into one episode. How to think of them individually and then marry them together. There’s a very particular pattern where you find the A, B and C story, the runner, then take the A story as your lead.

Most important lesson(s) in a writer’s room:

How to marry storylines together into one episode, how to be generous to other writers and how to perpetually feed creativity.

How many days does it take for the A story to happen in the course of your episode? If it’s a two-day story then everything else has to be submissive to that. The rest of the stories have to fit into that period of time. If it’s one night A-story, all of it has to fit into one night and if it doesn’t you have to sacrifice it. Everything is submissive to the most powerful storyline and that is the A storyline. And that’s what I learned in rooms.

RR: Yes. That’s very true.

MG: And how to be generous to the other writers. How to open people up and get them talking. Most importantly how to make people not be afraid but to feel excited.

RR: How to perpetually feed creativity.

RS: If you didn’t write, what would you do? And would you do it as a team or go your own way?

MG: That question is impossible to answer. If I thought about it I would just be sad and crying about it for hours and hours. 

RR: We would be actors.

MG: We would be poor.

RS: Have you had mentors and if so, what was your favorite piece of advice? 

MG: Greer Shephard was a great mentor of ours and the great piece of advice she had for us was the element of zeitgeist – to be conscious of how to take your story from the world and then be conscious of its meaning in the context of the zeitgeist. Listen to the world and be conscious of the world while you’re telling your story.

On Favorite Pieces of Advice:

Trust your instincts. Be conscious of the zeitgiest. Be efficient and practical in the writing, but also emotionally connected. Listen.

If I said that to her she’d say, “What are you talking about? I never said that.” But while working with her, we found that. While working with her and with you, Rebecca Stay.

RR: Yes. It was Greer and Rebecca.

MG: And also, Alana Sanko, while we were working on SPY GROOVE, the first show we created, Alana said a lot of wise things to us, among them was this, “Trust yourselves. Trust your instincts. You’re good.” And “Don’t show your hand in the early drafts.”

Also, Emily Whitesell, on SIREN. She was very efficient and practical about the story building process, but you also felt she was emotionally connected to the show, the characters and their stories. So, there was this perfect, passionate connection to the show and an ability to be critical and pick on stories without it being personal. And that’s very important.

Actually, we have had nothing but mentors. There are DPs that have been mentors to us, showrunners, directors, other writers, actors who educated us on things. The entire business has been a mentor to us.

RR: That’s one thing I really love about television in particular is that there is a tradition of mentoring.

MG: Also, you really just need to listen. Listen to the people you work with from the grip to the makeup trailer, to actor to movie star to DP to director – you will learn a lot from all of them. You need to constantly listen forever and ever.

RS: What piece of advice would you tell those just starting out? (Especially those that work with a partner). 

MG: Recognize that you are very lucky to have found a partner to work with.

RR: Yes. If you’ve found a partner, that’s lightning in a bottle.

MG: And if it doesn’t work? Do not waste any time.

RR: Yeah. Don’t do it.

MG: If you’re having to make it work or you’re dishonest to that other person… if the meeting of the minds is not entirely honest when it comes to the writing then there’s no reason to do it. You should maintain perfect honesty if you’re working with a partner – not just someone you’re doing a script with – but someone you’re going to partner up with, you have to be honest about the art. You don’t have to agree, but you have to be honest.

RS: We’re working in a very over-saturated market, which makes it much harder to break through and sell. Do you feel optimistic as far as where we’re headed in the industry or frustratingly challenged or inspired by the challenge? 

MG: Uh… all the above.

RR: There’s so much more content in the industry currently so there seems like there’s so much more opportunity, which there is to a degree, and that’s very inspiring in some ways, but it seems like it’s trickier to sell a show these days.

MG: I think it’s scarier for executives to make a choice because of the great behemoth amount of content which is so varied. There are tiny successes, huge successes, niche successes, all genres happening on all platforms in all seasons. I think it’s harder for them to really stick with what they want personally because they are told to buy a different trend of thing every five weeks. So, that’s a bit daunting.

RR: The type of content that is out there today, the diversity, that’s amazing. Better than it’s ever been in television.

RS: If you could have an honest conversation with a TV executive, what questions are you dying to ask? 

RR: Why are you doing this? How do you find purpose?

MG: Can’t you just find some money and say yes? The question is: Are you compelled to lie or are you telling the truth with regard to projects you pass on?

RR: Just kidding, we would ask, “What do you need?”

MG: Every executive is different so there is no burning question that we would ask them all. We don’t look at executives as mysterious figures that we struggle to understand.

RR: We look at them as partners.

RS: One of my favorite things you’ve created, was taking Kevin Williamson’s cult fave film (or is it “iconic”?), SCREAM, and making it into an unauthorized musical, which then led to the two of you becoming showrunners on the actual tv show. What inspired the two of you to do this? 

MG: The two projects are not connected. One was not responsible for the other. But we have a passion and a great knowledge of the original movie which benefitted us in both projects. MTV and The Weinstein Company didn’t even know that we had done the musical version of SCREAM when they called us in to do the TV series. They called us in off of our television credits. We told them we had created a musical version and they thought we were crazy people.

But our engagement with the property of SCREAM began when we were working as a comedy duo in NYC. Someone said we should see this movie because it seemed like something we would write. We loved scary movies, so we went to see it and realized that the characters and the structure were laid out just like in the classic musical, OKLAHOMA. The characters fit into a musical paradigm and the movie itself was well scored and it lent itself to platforms for musical numbers.

There was an ability to place a number where it belonged in the classic structure of a musical and you could look at it and say Sidney is Laurie, Billy is Curley, Tatum is Ado Annie and she fits the character of Ado Annie. They all fit their counterparts in OKLAHOMA. Stu is Will and Randy is Alley Hackim, Gale Weathers is Aunt Eller and Dewey is Ike Skidmore. And then there’s a chorus because it takes place at a high school town.

RR: The emotional stakes are big – big enough to sing about.

MG: The structure of the plot supports song placement. Song placement is what makes a good musical. Looking at that movie we saw that it had the perfect emotional structure for becoming a musical. We had approached the Weinstein Company to do a musical version of it on Broadway many years ago but then the company flew into pieces and changed names… but that was years before we did SCREAM: The Unauthorized Musical Parody. So, by the time (we were) approached to do something we already had SCREAM all worked out.

RR: There was actually a time when we were working on SCREAM the TV show during the day and performing SCREAM the musical at night.

RS: Do you ever think of creating a podcast? If so, would it be fiction or non-fiction? What would it be about? 

MG: We constantly think of creating a podcast and in the fiction category. We’d probably do a murder show. Or an artificial history show where you tell the history of something but it’s a complete lie. It would sound like the real history of President Truman but it’s not at all true.

RR: There’s a couple pilots that we think we should just turn into radio play/podcasts.

RS: Where would the ideal place be for a writer’s retreat?

RR: La Quinta resort in La Quinta, CA.

MG: It’s where Frank Capra used to go to write. It’s been a great retreat for Hollywood people to go and write. It’s a very weird and old school, Palm Springs kind of place with private pools and the rooms are like you are at your grandmother’s house but it has FANTASTIC restaurants.  

RS: If you could choose to live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

MG: New Jersey, because it has many beautiful houses and a beach. 

RR: I have a fantasy of retiring to Puerto Vallarta, but I’ve never even been there. I mean I’d love to live in Paris. I’d love to live in a lot of places.

RS: Share your favorite quote. 

RR: Well, there are so many quotes…

Michael’s Favorite Quote:

Illegitimi non carborundum: “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.”

MG: “Illegitimi non carborundum.” It means, “Don’t let the bastards grind you down.” My husband was in a play called DIRTY BLONDE, written by Claudia Shear and I loved this line. It’s mock Latin, but it hits the mark and I always quote it to myself.

RR: I mean I’ve always loved, “Sometimes there’s god… so quickly” from A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE.”

MG: You are such an interesting person because that is the ramblings of an insane person.

RR: It’s an amazing quote.

MG: It’s an amazing quote but she’s out of her mind …

Richard’s Favorite Quote:

Shakespeare’s Ophelia: “Oh, woe is me to have seen what I have seen… see what I see.”

RR: Yeah, she’s out of her mind. There’s 8,000 Shakespeare quotes but one that always comes to mind as one of my favorites – because it’s so fucking simple – is when Ophelia says, “Oh, woe is me to have seen what I have seen… see what I see.”

MG: And, this two-character exchange, but from MACBETH; Macbeth asks, “And if we fail?” and Lady Macbeth responds, “We fail…” The simpler shit is what we love the most.

RS: Favorite foreign film and why?

MG: MY MOTHER’S CASTLE, a Marcel Pagnol story… because it’s nostalgic and it’s a long beautiful story about love and respect. Also, because it’s a movie I went to see with my husband when we first got together. It’s very important to me.

RR: Again. So many. I mean we love the 80s, French film MENAGE. I also love an old Almodovar film, MATADOR because when I saw it, it was so insane that it blew my brain apart. I adored it to no end.

RS: If someone asked you to do a TikTok video, what would you be tempted to do?

MG: An old simultaneous talking bit we used to do as comedians. Our act falls apart before your eyes and we begin a huge argument and before you know it we are yelling at each other and saying exactly the same thing at the top of our lungs in perfect unison.

RR: Yeah, we can’t get out of talking simultaneously.  

RS: The motto you live by is…?

MG: Yeah… we need mottos. (to RR) I mean you kind of have a “I don’t give a shit what you think” thing that you live by.

RR: I kind of do… to degrees. Your motto is… you always look for the real part of somebody.

MG: Yes. I want the truth. That’s my motto. My motto is “I want the truth of any given circumstance.” I don’t want a lie and I don’t want a fancy story. I don’t care how pretty you make a story, I want to know the truth. In life. I want the honest circumstance from an honest person. So, I would say… “Give me the truth or shut up.”

RS: If/When it’s time to retire, do you think you’d continue to talk every day? What would you miss about the other?

MG: We’d definitely talk every day.

RR: If we’re not writing, we’ll still be hanging out and…

MG: Yeah… it’s not going to end.  

RS: What’s next for Gans & Register? 

MG: We’re in the middle of developing several projects. We’d like to do a stage show again.

RR: We’d love to do a stage show again. But we have three TV things in development.

MG: There’s a really cool murder-mystery-musical thing we developed with Mila Kunis and Adam Shankman, a crime story told out of sequence that we really love and we’d really love to do that particular show. That’s really cool.

And there you have it. The grand and rambunctious duo, Gans and Register. I’m hoping to work with them again one day in the not too distant future. Maybe a remake of the film, Withnail and I or their version of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

I’ve planted two seeds, G&R — now off you go to mull away.

For more Q&A’s, go to: https://rebecca-stay.com/blog

Bio: 

MICHAEL GANS and RICHARD REGISTER are Creator/EP Showrunners in TV and Writer, Director, Performers in theater. They started their career as a comedy duo act during the NYC alternative comedy wave in the late 90s. They are best known for their EP/Showrunning stint on SCREAM: THE TV SERIES, Season 2 (MTV), as EPs on SIREN (HULU/FREEFORM) and Writers on MAKE IT OR BREAK IT and RECOVERY ROAD (ABC Family). Their television careers started at MTV Animation as creators and many voices of SPY GROOVE and as writers for CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH. Their first live-action, hour long drama was as Creators on SEX, LOVE AND SECRETS (UPN). They have sold over 17 television pilots all to major studios.

 

ADVICE, Interview, People

Writer: Jimmy Mosqueda

|Jimmy.Mosqueda|

You may not know Jimmy yet, but you will. He’s an exceptional writer and human. (IMHO).

Jimmy is currently a writer staffed on HBO Max’s animated series, HARLEY QUINN. He’s also someone that has gone through the “system,” AKA, the Disney Writer’s Program, which gives him an insight I believe is quite helpful, especially to those looking to apply or are just starting out.

When we first met, he told me some amazing stories about his life and his family. It’s not my place to share… but I’m really hoping I’m watching them come to life some day. I love the story he did share (in his bio below) about the time in middle school when he bought a pair of jeans, but forgot to cut off the tag that showed the size of the jeans. This earned him the nickname, “36 wide.” Makes me giggle every time.

If ever there is a reboot of Freaks and Geeks I hope the creators seek Jimmy out!

RS: What was your first staffing job and how did you wrangle it? 

JM: My first job was as a Staff Writer on SCHOOLED, a spinoff of the popular and family comedy, THE GOLDBERGS. I was and still am a big fan of the mothership show, and so when I got accepted into the Disney Program in 2017 I made it known to the powers that be that’d I love to work on either show, and they made it happen. I guess the takeaway here is ask for what you want!

RS: What are the benefits of going through a studio writer’s program? 

JM: I was getting paid a salary, had access to great creative minds inside the corporate Disney-ABC umbrella, and even got four free tickets to Disneyland! And NO blackout dates! The program has done a great job of addressing some of my concerns. In the past two years they’ve upped the salary of writing fellows significantly and are now guaranteed parity with Staff Writers if they get hired on a show.

RS: What was your first development experience and what are some key take-aways from that experience you feel would benefit emerging writers?

JM: That saying “too many cooks in the kitchen” is so applicable when it comes to the development process. A lot of people are going to give you a lot of their ideas, and if you try and please everyone you will end up pleasing no one and disappointing yourself. How can you avoid this? Have a strong creative vision, be able to clearly communicate that vision to your collaborators, and don’t be afraid of rejecting an idea that doesn’t fit. You have to protect the work.

On Development Process:

Have a strong creative vision, communicate that vision, and don’t be afraid of rejecting an idea that doesn’t fit. Protect the work.

RS: Define the perfect showrunner.

JM: A showrunner that has kids and a busy social life outside the room? Really though, I think the best showrunners are those who have no ego, are not afraid to admit when someone has a better idea, but also, just like above, has a strong creative vision that they are able to communicate clearly so that the rest of the room can get on their level.

RS: What has surprised you the most being on staff of a series?

JM: How it seems like most of the battles have nothing to do with the creative and more to do with everything else: budget, studio and network notes, talent availability, personality disputes among the cast, crew etc. Trying to make a TV show means going to battle on multiple fronts.

Trying to make a TV show means going to battle on multiple fronts. Most battles have nothing to do with the creative.

RS: What are some tools you’ve taken away with you from each of your staffing experiences?

JM: I’ve learned a lot of things from my staffing experiences – too many to list! So I will go with one that I applied today: focus on the good pitches and forget about the bad ones. If you don’t like a pitch from another writer, skip it and let it die a natural death. 99% of all pitches never survive to make it to air. You could be the person to shoot it down in the room right then and there, but that’s not going to make you any friends!

RS: I sometimes talk about bringing and using ones “skeletons in the closet” to the page. Are there things from your past or family closet that you haven’t yet shared? 

JM: Yes, probably anything buried in my subconscious that hasn’t been dug out in therapy!

RS: How do you start a day of writing? What does it look like?

JM: I’m definitely a morning writer, so my day usually starts around 7 or 8am, a hot cup of half-caffeinated coffee (acid reflux is no joke). If I’m not in a room I can work until the wheels come off, usually around 1 or 2pm. If I am in a room I may find time to pick it up at the end of the day, but usually all of my creative heavy-lifting is done in the morning.

RS: Front somersault or stand on your head? 

JM: Whatever move is least likely to break my neck… stand on my head?

RS: If you could shadow one series, which one would it be? 

JM: I’d love to be in the writers room for MAD MEN to see how they approach and break each episode, especially in seasons 2 through 5. It’s truly incredible storytelling written at a level that I one day hope to match.

RS: What has been your best experience (thus far) in your career and why? 

JM: For me, it was getting staffed on the current show I am on now. Not only am I a big fan of the show but I feel like it’s the perfect fit for my voice, and the room and the showrunner have been amazing so far. It’s the kind of experience that feeds your energy as opposed to zapping it.

RS: What themes are you drawn to? 

JM: Some prevailing topics in my work: identity, family, class, the American Dream. Related to theme, I find myself drawn to characters that are complex or even paradoxical (the ambitious misfit, the self-destructive high achiever etc.)

I find myself drawn to characters that are complex or even paradoxical. The ambitious misfit, the self-destructive high achiever.

RS: Most recent favorite binge viewing.

JM: BIG MOUTH is appointment viewing for me every time a new season drops.

RS: With so many outlets and more diverse shows at our disposal, is there something you feel we as an industry can do better? What are we getting right? 

JM: In terms of representation, what the industry seems to focus on the most is finding and nurturing voices, which is great and a part of the puzzle. But sometimes it can feel a bit myopic, especially when on the buyer side of things the industry still largely looks the same. I don’t think any real change will happen until both sides of the table – the selling and buying side – reflect one another.

RS: Preference: Gum or mints? 

JM: Mints!

RS: In your humble opinion, what’s the most over-hyped show — past or present? Why? 

JM: Not falling into this trap!

There you have it. Wise words from the one and only and no longer “36 wide”… Jimmy.

You can find Jimmy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimmymosqueda

For more q&a’s, go to: www.rebecca-com/blog

Bio: 

Jimmy Mosqueda is a writer, California native, and lover of maple donuts. The youngest son of an eccentric Mexican-American family, he grew up finding humor in the awkward and embarrassing experiences of the everyday, such as the time he bought a new pair of jeans for middle school but forgot to remove the size sticker, thus earning him the nickname “36 Wide.” He currently writes for the adult animated TV series HARLEY QUINN for HBO Max.