June 21, 2021May 16, 2023ADVICE, Interview, People

Eric Kim: TV Current Executive Extraordinaire

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Eric Kim. We go way, way back. I met him when I joined UPN (currently known as The CW network) as VP of Drama Development. He was in current programming and one of the nicest, loveliest humans ever. He was incredibly welcoming and my type of executive: empathetic, passionate, and gregarious.

Today he is Head of Current Programming at CBS. For me, a great current executive’s main job is to be support for the showrunner(s). I think open lines of communication are absolutely key. That and to be able to have those honest, respectful conversations that aren’t always easy to have. It’s definitely a skill set that is honed over time. (One I’m still working on.) You also help put out fires — hopefully before they turn into full on wildfires.

Historically, current execs were (at times) looked upon as the enemy. Years ago, a friend of mine told me that she was assigned to a show where the showrunner was known to be difficult. Sure enough, he fought her at every turn and eventually broke her down. He actually made her cry on a notes call. CRY. Luckily, he was rightfully reprimanded by the head of the department and he never did it again. In fact, they became friends and she ultimately won him over.

I don’t think it’s that way anymore. But I do get it. Emotions run high, there’s a lot at stake (for ALL) and for creators, they put their blood, sweat and tears into their creations. Heart and soul. And… trust is something to be earned with any relationship and in all industries. Showrunners want to know the execs have their best interests at heart. And they do. They really, really do. It takes a whole community of people to make a show. Millions of dollars that are not yours, are being pumped into a series. Everyone is invested and everyone wants to see it succeed.

Eric Kim is one of those unsung heroes.

RS: Where did you grow up?

EK: I was born in Michigan, but when I was 5 years old my parents (both college professors) were offered an opportunity to return to Korea to teach. My older sisters and my mom were VERY reluctant to move, so my father struck a deal with them (I was 5, no one gave a crap what I was feeling); if it wasn’t working out after one year, we would return to the US. My sisters and I ended up staying all the way until we graduated high school. We only had one English speaking channel when we were growing up (the American Forces Network) so I had no idea which shows we got to watch were on what broadcast networks.

RS: How did you break into the industry?

EK: My first real break in entertainment was as an intern/PA on the movie “Philadelphia”. I was a senior at Penn, and one of my sister’s best friends was the assistant to Jonathan Demme’s producing partner, so she called me up and asked if I wanted to be a PA for her. I had no idea what a PA was, but I had a very light credit load my last year in college, so I shrugged and said “sure”.

Now, I loved movies, but I never contemplated working in entertainment until that job. Everyone I came across was so nice, dynamic, and smart, and I thought it was just so cool that we were all here to make a movie (if you look very closely in one of the library scenes, you will see me playing a very annoyed student in the background). The movie wrapped and I quickly found myself unemployed after graduation, so I hit up my sister’s friend and got lucky when they hired me as an assistant in Jonathan’s production company in New York.

My first break in TV came after I moved from New York to LA. I was working as a temp at UPN for one day and heard that the head of comedy development, Kelly Edwards, was looking for an assistant, so the HR manager hooked me up with an interview. The assistant at the time was about to get married and had mentally checked out, so I think Kelly was just happy to find someone who was eager to answer some phones and not mess up her calendar.

RS: Once in, did you ever have aspirations to get into a development job or another aspect of the business or did you always gravitate toward being a current executive?

EK: Early on, not so much because I was still learning the ropes and the basics of just how television gets made as a Current Executive. I think over the years there have definitely been times when I have looked over the fence and contemplated pursuing something more purely development focused, or something that combined both, i.e. developing projects and then seeing them through Current if they got picked up to series.

I think many of us who have been doing Current for a while feel like we do possess the skill set to be able to identify new ideas and projects, know what it takes for a show to maintain and find success, and really understand how to work with writers.

RS: How would you define being a Current Executive for those out there not truly understanding the job?

EK: The analogy I often use is that while development builds the train, our job is to keep that train running smoothly on the tracks, on time, on budget, and creatively and financially successful for as long as we can. Specifically, it means we are reading and watching all the material that comes in, giving notes, and generally overseeing all the various needs of a show.

Our job is to keep that train running smoothly on the tracks, on time, on budget, and creatively and financially successful for as long as we can.

Not to mix analogies here, but the other way to look at it is if a show is a wheel, the Current department is the center hub where all the spokes of the different departments run through – casting, business affairs, scheduling, publicity, finance, marketing, research, etc… We’re the first point of contact for anyone who needs something from the show or producers, and vice versa, we are the point person for the Producers with regards to anything they require from the Studio or Network.

RS: What do you enjoy most about your job?

EK: Just working with really nice, smart, creative people. Reading a great script or watching a great cut. Finding new talented writers and directors, and also seeing some of them go on to great success. Being able to have a small hand in helping a show get made, produced, and aired.

RS: What’s the most important aspect of your job? The hardest part?

EK: I think one of the most important aspects of this job is the relationship you have with your showrunners, and building a sense of trust and responsibility with them. These are the folks you will be in communication with the most over the life of a series so it’s critical. The hardest part is probably giving notes! It definitely gets a little easier over time and with experience, but a difficult notes call can still unnerve the best of us!

RS: How has your note giving skills evolved through the years? Do you pick and choose your battles?

EK: Maybe because I’m older I’ve learned to relax a little more. I try to make my notes with Producers as much of a conversation and dialogue as possible. Not saying I’m always successful in this regard, but I strive for that.

I look at covering a show and working with Producers as a long term relationship that will hopefully carry on for not only many, many episodes over a season, but for many more years to come (knock on wood).

And you absolutely must pick and choose your battles — see my previous answer about building a good relationship with your showrunners! Not every note is worth dying on the hill for. I look at covering a show and working with Producers as a long term relationship that will hopefully carry on for not only many, many episodes over a season, but for many more years to come (knock on wood). So you can’t always come out guns blazing on every single piece of material. At the end of the day, even if we disagree on something, that’s totally fine, its part of the creative process, and you ultimately have to trust and let the writers do what they know best.

RS: What do you wish someone would have taught you early on about how to navigate this job?

EK: Seek out mentors and guidance from those who might have more experience. Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion. Not every note is worth giving.

RS: In general meetings with writers, what do you look for?

EK: I like to learn who they are as people, where they’re from, how or why they became writers. What makes them tick, what do they like to watch or read. What do they not like. Have some fun or great stories to share in telling me these things, bring some energy. In a nutshell, have a point of view. Remember we are often taking several general meetings, so you want to leave a lasting impression.

RS: So… you’re staffing for one of your shows. You read someone you love and set a meeting to get to know them. What are some do’s and don’ts a writer should consider before walking into the room to sit down with you?

EK:

— DO know what show you are meeting on (yes, I have had writers tell me they have no idea why they are meeting me).

— DO try to have seen as many episodes of the show you’re being considered for. No one expects you to have watched the last 11 seasons of Blue Bloods, but it would be nice if you’ve taken the time to watch some of the more recent ones. Almost everything can be found online.

— DO have an opinion of the show. It’s okay to be constructively critical. We know what the problems are on a show, or what’s not working and we’re probably the harshest critics of our own shows. Often you might be meeting because we’re trying to find writers to remedy those issues so its good to have opinions.

— DO ask questions. Again, if it’s a long running show and you haven’t seen everything, its okay to ask some specific questions.

— DON’T gossip too much about other writers or shows that you’ve worked on. Little fun anecdotes can be fun, but you never know who we might know or work with.

— DON’T pitch a lot of story or episode ideas you have. That’s something to save for if/when you get an opportunity to meet with the showrunner(s). This is different than having an opinion on the show.

RS: What level of writer are the Showrunners free to bring onto their show without a network signing off? Any?

EK: Well, technically, the network has to sign off on all levels, but in my experience, usually the lower level writers (staff writer or even story editor) who the showrunner(s) have identified don’t get the same level of scrutiny, and we usually trust their choices. I can’t recall an instance in which a staff writer who a showrunner wanted was not approved. That being said, I still like to read their sample and meet them since they’re part of the writing staff.

RS: When reading scripts, do you have any pet peeves re: formatting?

EK: I do prefer the standard formatting, but as long as you aren’t wildly diverting from it, I’m okay. But like who is doing that??? What I do find to be a pet peeve are typos and grammatical errors. It happens, I know, but it really shouldn’t…c’mon people! Take the extra time to proofread.

RS: What are your thoughts on describing a character by ethnicity? Do you think it should be completely left out? What’s an instance when you feel it should be written in?

EK: Great question! Honestly, generally speaking I feel like that is the writer’s prerogative depending on what their vision is. If they had an ethnicity in mind while writing it, I’m all for the specificity of the vision they have for the character, the story they are trying to tell, and in the best case, it actually feels additive and organic and adds an interesting layer to the character.

Where I do find things to be problematic is when the ethnicity of the character is specified but then is written in a stereotypical fashion. Sometimes egregiously, but sometimes in small unconsciously biased ways.

On the flip side, if they didn’t specify an ethnicity, I don’t necessarily find that to be problematic because ideally it is leaving wide open the possibility of what kind of casting choices can be made. Who ends up being cast, of course, is another debate and story. Where I do find things to be problematic is when the ethnicity of the character is specified but then is written in a stereotypical fashion. Sometimes egregiously, but sometimes in small unconsciously biased ways.

RS: I’m stealing a question from the conversation game, “VERTELL?S”: What was the best compliment you’ve ever received?

EK: I think the best compliment I got was when I heard producers request that I cover their shows.

RS: What’s been a TV show you wished you had worked on (outside of the obvious CBS show)?

EK: Haha! Aw, I miss our show RS!

Man, that’s a tough question because there have been so many great shows here at CBS and elsewhere. My mind keeps going to more of a time period in the industry and less about specific shows; a time when there were huge water cooler shows that you couldn’t miss that had massive juggernaut ratings, and how cool and fun it must have been to work on shows during that time — stuff like CSI when it launched, Lost, The West Wing, The Sopranos, etc.., or any of the huge comedy hits like Cheers, Friends, Raymond, etc… You had the whole country, if not the whole world, talking about shows the next day!

Don’t get me wrong, I love the massive amount of choices now in broadcast, streaming, and cable, and really interesting, smart, creative shows would never have been made in the old system. But it’s always really fun when a massive hit comes along that EVERYONE is watching and talking about.

RS: And finally, your favorite thing to do that helps jumpstart your creative juices?

EK: I think playing with my kids or seeing what they’re into. It can be refreshing and eye-opening, but it often just reminds me of how old I am!

And there you have it. A lovely walk down the Current Executive lane. Thx E!

If you liked this post, you may like: https://rebecca-stay.com/steve-tao-riding-the-current

Bio:

Eric Kim is currently Senior Vice President of Current Programs at CBS Television. In that capacity, he has overseen all phases of production on both comedy and drama series such as Clarice, B Positive, Blue Bloods, FBI Most Wanted, FBI International, and upcoming new comedy Smallwood. Prior to CBS, Eric worked in live action series for Nickelodeon and Teen Nick. Eric was Vice President of Programming at the CW and part of the creative team that launched the new network. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature, Eric got his start in the entertainment industry working for director Jonathan Demme in New York. Kim currently sits on the board of Colour Entertainment, a non-profit organization of diverse executives in the media landscape; he is also a Board Member of non-profit Korean American Leaders in Hollywood (KALH).

May 20, 2021May 16, 2023ADVICE, Interview, People

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

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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

Tag: NETWORK TV