Tag: Half Hour Series

ADVICE, Interview, People

Showrunner & Writer: Lizzy Weiss

|Lizzy.Weiss|

June 6, 2011.

It is 12 years ago today when the long running, Peabody award-winning Freeform series, Switched at Birth premiered. I wish I could say I had planned to post this q&a exactly on this prestigious day. Alas, I am not that clever. But boy, who doesn’t love some good old-fashioned serendipity at play?

Lizzy Weiss is the extraordinary creator and showrunner behind Switched. She’s one of my favorite writers around, but I have to confess… I’m slightly biased.

We met years ago working on a passion project called Life and Deaf. It was based on a true story brought to us (FourBoys Ent. — the pod I was working with at the time) by Marlee Matlin and Jack Jason, Marlee’s interpreter and producing partner. It was actually based on Jack’s wonderful life story — one of which you could visualize immediately as a series. It had everything I love in a show. Humor, emotion, texture — along with unique & surprising characters that populated the world. Unfortunately, it didn’t get past the finish line, but it was a joy to work on. And if that wasn’t enough…

And what a powerful female team at the forefront: Patricia Heaton. Marlee Matlin. And Lizzy… A writer with integrity, strength, and vision.

RS: Describe yourself in a logline. 

LW: Hmm. I’ll just spew a bunch of the first words that come to mind. Feminist, writer, mom, small, strong, fast talker, fast walker, Jewish, married, well-parented, A.D.D., lucky. 

RS: As a writer, what has become like second nature and what do you still struggle with? 

LW: I love a good writers’ room; there is truly nothing better. On the flip side, there’s nothing worse than being stuck with someone toxic or entitled or rude. I’ve run three rooms that I adore, which I define by saying I never once came home from those rooms without having laughed hard – usually at some insane pitch that we are pretty sure we can make work.

The strike is dealing with very real issues of compensation and respect – and I am 100% for creators being given our fair share as everything starts on the page – EVERYTHING. That all being said, what is also true is that I think I have the best job in the world. To sit around with a bunch of creative folks shaping stories? THE BEST.

RS: How did Switched at Birth come to you? 

LW: I heard a podcast about two women who discovered that they were switched at birth and how that turned their lives upside down even though they were in their 50s. At the time, I was five months pregnant with my second kid – so babies in hospitals were very much on my mind – and it just grabbed me. “What if someone told me right now that my 18-month-old son in the next room wasn’t actually mine and someone could take him away? Wait, but that would mean that my biological son was out there somewhere being raised by someone else?”

Then I thought, “How would I feel if I were fifteen and already questioning everything?” I was doing yoga listening to the podcast – and it was so pressing, so “lightning bolt” that I stopped my practice, got out my laptop, and started to type.

RS: The deaf angle added such depth and texture to the story. Was that always baked into the character? Did someone pitch that to you?

LW: The deaf addition to Daphne’s character came after I sold the pilot. Brooke Bowman (the executive at ABC Family) suggested it might be interesting if the girl who was raised by the working-class single parent had some kind of difference that made the wealthier parents feel like if they had raised their own daughter, she might have turned out differently. I had taken a class in college called “Theater of the Deaf” in which we had to perform monologues and poems in sign language, so instantly I responded, “What if she is deaf?” And we were off and running.

RS: Describe your most memorable meeting – either with a studio exec, network exec, or talent. What made it memorable? 

LW: Well, the truth is that I’ve had some rough ones – oof – but I think I’ll skip those because they involve famous folks and I’m not an idiot. 🙂 On the positive side, I guess I’d say my pitch to Brooke at ABC Family for Switched in 2009.

I was eight months pregnant, I remember the exact black wrap dress I was wearing, it was just me and her — no studio, no producing pod, no stars, no other execs on her end — and a poster board that cost me eight dollars.

I cut out a couple photos – Daphne Zuniga for Regina, Julie Bowen for Kathryn, Selena Gomez for Bay, and I can’t remember who for Daphne – but the whole thing cost me eight dollars at the printing shop. It was the first time I had ever used visuals and it was only because pitching that show is a little confusing with two moms, two daughters, all inter-related in different ways so I needed to point.

I did my whole pitch – about 20-25 minutes – and then I asked if she had any questions and she just smiled and said, “Nope. Thanks so much!” And I was like – uggghhh. Bad sign.

My agent had already told me no other network would hear it (as the leads were young women and it was not based on IP), so I tossed the poster board in the trash on the way out. When she called to ask how it went, I said, “Terrible – she hated it. No questions.” My agent said, “Well, she just bought it.” I was flabbergasted.

So you just never know.

RS: How did that show change you? 

LW: The show changed my life in so many incredible ways, but I’ll talk specifically about one aspect which is that I was opened up to an entire world of disability issues – accessibility, rights, concepts like “deaf gain” (which refers to all of the things you gain from being deaf – like a community, a culture, a language, an identity, plus four heightened senses) – instead of focusing on loss. I found all of that totally fascinating and in turn, see the world totally differently myself. I am friends with lots of deaf people and I feel privileged to be part of that community.

RS: Name your biggest pet peeve both in life and as a writer. 

Lizzy: 

I hate cliches.

LW: I used to tell my Switched writers no jokes about girls being “on the rag” or about women eating ice cream in bed while depressed after a break-up. Another one that people might be surprised at is I had a strict “no hugs” policy on Switched unless someone from set called me to approve it. That meant I did not want people hugging unless it was earned. Don’t throw those moments around! You gotta earn your emotion and then it’s gold.

RS: How do you decompress? 

LW: I do a lot of walking in my neighborhood listening to podcasts and books on tape and music. Biking, but I don’t do it in LA, because y’know, I value my life, but I do so love biking. Finally, playing with our Boxer Dolly, and watching great TV.

RS: What’s the first thing you think of when your eyes open in the morning? 

LW: Coffee. Dog. Kids. Wordle.

RS: In what ways do you continue to redefine yourself as a writer?

LW: I will always primarily be a character-driven family drama writer – and “family” can mean anything, not necessarily parents and kids but all of the kinds of families we create at different phases of our lives. But I have expanded into half-hour dramedies. I love that genre as both a viewer and a creator.

I’ll mention Reservation Dogs, One Mississippi, Catastrophe, Feel Good, This Way Up, Heartstopper, Better Things. Such a great combination of genres and the ones that are done well pretty much always make me cry.

RS: What’s an adjective you would not use to describe yourself? 

LW: Toxic, political, ego-driven. I say those three words because I hear them the most when writers complain about showrunners and one of the things I am most proud of is creating a happy work environment for six years for over a hundred people – leadership that let people know, “We aren’t going to yell here, we aren’t going to belittle people, we aren’t going to panic and stress out and give people hives. “It’s just a TV show, let’s have some fun.”

RS: How do you go about writing? Do you have a set routine? 

LW: I can be hyper-focused in the early morning if there’s total quiet but for the rest of the day, I like a little bit of chaos around me – i.e., busy cafes or a puppy running around me chasing a squeezy ball. As a showrunner, I thrive on a bunch of things happening at once – I can spin plates, in fact, I’d say spinning plates is somewhat energizing for me.

RS: What was your most enjoyable experience in a writer’s room and why? 

LW: I absolutely adored Switched – our room shifted a bit over time but it was always a delight – happiest years of my life. I also ran a mini room a couple years ago for MTV for a sex dramedy called, “Undressed” and I am so proud to say that we put together the most diverse room I have ever seen. We had a trans woman writer, three Black writers (one African), two queer writers, a Muslim writer, and one straight white man – and together, we came up with the greatest stories about sex and sexuality and had so much fun.

And most recently, I ran a room for a family drama about rodeo and I loved that room too – we were all totally respectful of each other (three Canadians, so y’know, that’s built in) – I think we just genuinely liked each other.

RS: On Twitter, you describe yourself as a, “Lover of lockets, toast, and jumpsuits.” Why did you choose those specific adjectives to describe yourself?

LW: Those are things that make me happy. Crisp, buttery, salty toast is the perfect comfort food. Lockets are old-fashioned but timeless and I love carrying photos of my kids as little guys around my neck. Jumpsuits make me happy to be a woman.

RS: You describe yourself as a sign language student. What do you feel you’ve yet to learn? 

LW: I have this strange situation where I know hundreds of words, so I can pretty much express anything I want to say but I have a super hard time understanding other people’s signs quickly enough – I cannot figure out why my brain works in one direction when it comes to ASL but it does.

I love it so much – I just want to give a shout out to sign language – everyone in the world should learn it – not just for accessibility for deaf and HOH folks, but also for (hearing) people to communicate across crowded rooms, at a loud concert, underwater, when you or your parents grow old and lose hearing – it would be incredible! 

RS: When taking on new projects, what are you drawn to? 

Lizzy: 

I tend to be drawn to issues of class and gender and adolescence and parenthood and nature vs. nurture. 

LW: I have to be passionate about it or I can’t sell it. I truly can’t fake it. So I have to find something in it that makes me super excited to dive in and I have to believe I am the only one who can do it right.

RS: Are there certain projects you’ll always say no to? 

LW: People often think of me for YA and there is a whole genre of “rich kid” (Gossip Girl) but I don’t excel in that universe.

RS: What’s something you are good at that might surprise people? 

LW: Oh man, I wish I had a super cool answer for this! But I do not do origami or miniatures or skateboarding. Let’s see, I am extremely flexible? I’ve been stretching since I was 11 and doing yoga since I was 28 and I can still do handstands and cartwheels and such.

RS: Describe your perfect getaway. 

LW: I know this one! A bike trip through any country that I’ve never been to with gorgeous, safe roads, and evenings spent meeting interesting folks from all over the world. When the kids go to college, I have my eye on Croatia, Japan, and South Africa.  

RS: When on set, is there a job that intimidates you?

LW: I wouldn’t say it intimidates me but I’m always so incredibly impressed with both the ADs and the line producers – so many balls to juggle, so many personalities and rules and things to keep in mind – whew, it’s a lot. In addition, I’m impressed by anyone on the crew who takes their job very seriously.

On Switched, we had a prop master named Scott Buckwald who just absolutely loved props and enjoyed every part of the process, and I find that delightful. I also have a ton of respect for TV directors who change worlds week after week and have to lead but also be a collaborator – and the ones who do it effortlessly are a joy.  

RS: If you could give an emerging writer one piece of advice, what would it be? 

Lizzy:

Take Notes Well. 

LW: Recently, a young writer took a set of somewhat big notes extremely well – she was professional, she dived back in without attitude or pushback, she was eager to learn – and I really respect that. On the other hand, I was in a room once where someone got big notes on their outline and they quit.

Same deal with everyone on the crew, actually – one of my favorite things about my costume designer on Switched – Courtney Stern – is that she could take notes with a great attitude, a collaborative spirit, and just joy in the job – and that makes me want to work with those people again and again.

RS: What’s your opinion in regard to LookBooks? Do you think visuals help writers with development? 

LW: I think they can be helpful but aren’t always necessary and I wouldn’t get too bogged down in them. They can be a time suck and execs are smart enough to ignore the fancy deck and focus on the story, characters, and package, so I find all those hours pulling the perfect photo can be a waste.  

RS: What inspires you?

LW: Shows like Heartstopper or Reservation Dogs where they try something different, they commit, and it’s authentic and perfect. Who cares if it is a hit? Not everything can be. What a disaster if that’s all we cared about (that’s pretty much what happened to studio movies). The most moving experiences I have had watching a show or a film have usually been stories that are not massively popular but felt completely honest.

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

Lizzy: 

About Motherhood! I love telling young women that yes, you absolutely can be a showrunner and a mom. 

LW: My show was green lit when my kids were three years old and one year old, and we made it work. Sure, it involves having great partners at home and at work but it is absolutely possible and I am so lucky and grateful that I was able to birth and nurture kids and a show that I hope lives on after me. 

I’m glad you didn’t ask whose career I wish I had or anything like that. I try not to compete with anyone and the longer I do this, the more I believe that working with people you respect on material you enjoy is the #1 priority. Sure, we’d all love to go to the Emmys and be on “fancy” shows but honestly, that often comes at a price I am not sure I am willing to pay. My family wants to have me around – not miserable or tense but proud and content – so running a show that allows that is key. 

And there you have it! The illuminating and light-filled, Lizzy Weiss.

Happy 12th Anniversary, Switched at Birth! The number 12 might not be as sexy as the other well known anniversary years such as the spritely 10th or solid 20th or stealthy 50th or the elusive 100th! That said, there are many lovely things the number 12 represents. 12 signs in the zodiac, a beautiful dozen of your favorite flowers. And hello? Two favorites in my household: The 12-days of Christmas as well as the occasional Saturday morning treat; a dozen delicious donuts that I may or may not partake in.

I’ll leave that to your imagination to figure it out.

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

Bio: 

Lizzy Weiss created and executive produced Switched at Birth, which ran on Freeform for over 100 episodes and won the Peabody. She also wrote the surf girl flick Blue Crush, and ran Sorry For Your Loss on Facebook. Currently, she is running a show on Hallmark, which is awaiting a season two pick-up, so she isn’t technically supposed to mention it but she has faith in it so she is! She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, two kids, and her Boxer, Dolly. 

 

ADVICE, Interview, People

The Casting Call: A One On One With Casting Director, Lisa Miller Katz

|lisa.miller.katz|

Pilot season is not for the faint of heart and if you’re a casting director, you’re right smack in the middle of the chaos. The pressure to deliver the best of the best in the midst of everyone battling for the same high caliber talent? Don’t get me started. You may have an idea as to what actors you have in mind for the role(s) in your show, but you have to be able to roll (pun intended) with the punches. Rarely do you get your first choice, sometimes not even your fourth, but take comfort in knowing that more times than not, you get who was meant for the part.

For as long as Lisa has been doing this job, you’d think she’d be cynical. Some CD’s have a reputation for turning a tad bitter, but not Lisa. She’s the opposite. She’s not only warm, calm, patient and professional, but she also has a genuine enthusiasm and passion for what she does.

Writers who are lucky enough to see their shows move forward have a grace period before the first table read — to see what’s working and what isn’t — just by going through the casting process. When actors come in to audition you’re hearing the scenes come to life. It’s helpful to hear what jokes are landing (or more importantly, what’s not landing). Are the emotional stakes present? Is there subtext in the scene? Are the character’s motivations clear? Lots of food for thought…

RS: How have you changed as a casting director from when you first began? What’s easier and what’s more difficult?  

LMK: The business has changed & evolved so many times since I started! Casting during Covid is easier because you can see more people than I ever could if we were able to have in-person auditions. A normal pre-read session day for me would cap out at probably 40, 50, 60 actors, but now we can ask more actors to self-tape, which allows us to consider a wider talent pool to put forth. Taping all pre-reads and producer sessions has helped streamline the casting process from top to bottom. Also, we can easily access prior auditions when we’re considering actors for other roles beyond what they initially read for, which is so rewarding to be able to remind a producer about someone who maybe wasn’t right for something they initially read for, but now considers them for this new role. Those are the aspects where the technology informs and impacts our job on a daily basis.

During Covid we’ve only been able to watch table reads/run thru’s via Zoom – the collective experience, with the entire cast & crew on the set, that’s what we’re missing terribly. I do miss being in the room and working with actors in person, to help with direction; give an actor multiple takes to find collectively our favorite take on the scene. I hope we’re back to that norm soon, it’s what I miss the most.

RS: When deciding on taking a casting job, what are you looking for in a script, in a project? 

LMK: As someone who primarily casts TV comedy, I really hope that the premise feels fresh, and that I find myself laughing out loud several times within the first ten pages or so. If there aren’t funny moments where I know talented actors can make us laugh during auditions, then I know that the casting process will become more challenging. If comedy for the character exists on the page initially, it’s then super fun to watch dozens of actors land the jokes; then the process becomes about finding the most interesting, fresh, unlikely, surprising talent.

If there’s not jokes for actors to land, that audition process becomes much more difficult

If there’s not jokes for actors to land, that audition process becomes much more difficult, and therefore much less fun for everyone involved. It’s also critical to know where this pilot is heading, especially if it’s for broadcast TV. Is it on brand with other similar shows or is there a time slot that seems to be a good match for the project? You want to know you’re working on a project that threads the needle in the right way.

RS: Before you begin every job, do you start with a strategy?

LMK: Yes: work with wonderful people who will be fun to sit with on a shitty couch for ten weeks looking for the funniest people we can find. Strategy isn’t always something that you can control during pilot season. Often it’s more triage than anything else. I do love the moment where the 100th actor comes through the door, (who comes in to read sides we all now know by heart), and reads a line in the freshest, funniest of ways – that’s gold. When that actor, within that moment, teaches me how the joke should have been read all along? That’s just my favorite moment ever.

RS: When casting, what is your definition of thinking outside of the box? 

LMK: I think it’s about surprise. A writer often writes a description of the character, but often it’s about what more can be learned when we’re chatting about the role. I like to ask who the writer had in mind when writing the script – their prototype – because it’s often a good starting point and can help open up the process for both of us. When I cast the pilot of EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, Phil Rosenthal had written the Robert character to be modeled on Ray Romano’s real life brother, who was shy and on the shorter side, possibly rounder… and so we started the process heading in this direction, until I thought about Brad Garrett. I knew he wasn’t what Phil had in mind, but I knew Brad would be super funny, and happily he was.

Think outside of the box

That’s got to be the best example of outside the box really succeeding and also informing who that character was for nine seasons.

RS: What do the best crafted sides include? What do they need to entail? 

(Side Note: If you don’t know what “sides” are, they are scenes pulled from the script in order to use during auditions — the various roles — for the pilot and in series)

LMK: Together the writer and I can whittle down which scenes will make the strongest audition scenes. You want to be able to understand the character, learn about who they are within the story, and laugh while doing it. Hopefully, those pages exist within the script, so they’re easily pulled for actors to use. Scenes that are written only for audition purposes, which don’t come from the existing script, can sometimes feel less organic and natural in auditions. Everyone who is working on this pilot knows the script top to bottom, so a new scene (contextually) can be an added challenge.

RS: Dialogue notes are the hardest to give to a writer. Have you ever had to tell EP’s or Showrunners that the dialogue isn’t working? If so, how do you let them know?  

LMK: On my end it’s about comedy not hitting where it needs to. I’m happy to mention this if needed, but usually it’s evident to everyone in the room who is sitting through the same auditions together. If we’ve had several days sitting through casting sessions that were laugh free, it’s likely the other producers on the show will be the person to share this with the writer. And honestly, the writer probably knows this as well. It’s a group process, so there are lots of hands together stirring the same pot, and with the same goal.

RS: What does specificity look like for you?

LMK: Actors who bring their own unique qualities to the role. Someone who looks like a real person. Someone who is interesting and makes us all lean in and want to learn more about them. I love to open my door and see a waiting room filled with wonderfully varied actors. They’re going to all read the same scene – but I come away with loving a handful of auditions that surprised us. They found comedy where we didn’t think it existed before or showed us an “aha!” moment that was a lovely, unexpected button to the scene. Those are the moments of specificity that still give me chills.

Worth Repeating: Specificity IS key

RS: We tell writers to listen to their gut. Has yours ever betrayed you?

LMK: Sure. I’ve read a few pilot scripts that didn’t feel like the right choice or project for me at the time, that went on to be big hits. It’s all subjective, and you need to connect with the project as well as the writer and producers… on every level. What can you do, other than hope you’re in it for the long game. But you also have to listen to your gut for many other reasons as well, whether for good or for bad.

RS: Ok. Last question. What is your proudest moment as a Casting Director?

LMK: The pilot of Everybody Loves Raymond was 25 years ago at this point, and that show still makes me laugh like it did then. Same with King of Queens, which was now 23 years ago. The fact that these shows still air and so many people know and love them to this day is very rewarding. And I’ll always stop flipping when I run into Easy A. It’s wonderful that these projects remain so beloved by audiences and that makes me the happiest.

and there you have it. Sage words from the lovely Lisa Miller Katz.

If you enjoyed this post, you might like: https://rebecca-stay.com/the-importance-of-voice-from-writer-aadip-desais-perspective

LISA MILLER KATZ CREDITS:

TV: THE NEIGHBORHOOD, CAROL’S SECOND ACT, DUNCANVILLE, 24: LEGACY,
EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND, KING OF QUEENS, DON’T TRUST THE B**** IN APT. 23, THE LOOP

FILMS: EASY A, FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS, FIRED UP