Join Felicity and Max with a glass of wine and let's consider just how important and essential a character is in each and every story. The audience will connect with your character a lot more than they will the plot or concept - so, it's all about character.
Remember, Felicity Wren and Max Timm always have open Q&A during every Facebook Live broadcast, so you should tune in when they broadcast their next live chat. Even though most broadcasts focus on a particular subject, every writer is welcome to ask anything they like at any time. Felicity and Max will do their best to give you a straight and honest answer.
This is a podcast recording of the ISA's Facebook Live broadcast of Wine Wednesdays. Please note that some promotions offered during the live broadcast are no longer available. We can, however, assist you if you wish to find out more information regarding ISA events, contests, or consulting offers. Just reach out to info@networkisa.org and we will be happy to help.
You can reach out to Max regarding any type of query: max@networkisa.org If you have particular interest in working with him on a one-on-one coaching and development basis, email him at max@thestoryfarm.org. His Story Farm development and coaching service is quickly becoming the best in the business! Felicity can also be reached at Felicity@networkisa.org. She, too, can work with you one-on-one, so don't hesitate to inquire. We can't wait to support you.
Subjects and themes for the broadcasts change from week to week, so stay tuned on most Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm Los Angeles time. For a specific schedule and set of announcements, "Like" the ISA Facebook page and keep up to date.
Episode 242
Writer / Director Mike Mayhall talks about his new limited series TV show, Bronx SIU, now premiering on UMC.
“BlacKkKlansman” is filmmaker Spike Lee at his most provocative and timely.
Period pieces always comment on our modern world, and “BlacKkKlansman” says as much about racism in the 20th century as it does about the issue today. The story of Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), the black policeman working undercover in 1972 to expose a Ku Klux Klan chapter in Colorado Springs, would seem almost unbelievable if it weren’t true. That’s why filmmaker Spike Lee never pushes the absurdity too far. Instead, he directs his superb cast, including Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, and Topher Grace, to underplay the comedic elements. Lee doesn’t underline the drama needlessly either. The story is fraught with natural tension from the get-go, making for a film that’s funny, scary, moving, and one of 2018’s absolute best.
In this episode, Felicity and Max welcome one of their past Fast Track Fellowship recipients, Andy Byrne. Andy is a Scotsman living in Australia who has seen his writing career catapult ever since winning Fast Track. He has received multiple writing assignment, and one of his scripts has a major A-List star attached. In this episode we talk about the importance of perseverance and dedication to your craft, so listen in, hopefully become inspired by Andy and his story...and share some laughs with a glass of vino.
Remember, Felicity Wren and Max Timm always have open Q&A during every Facebook Live broadcast, so you should tune in when they broadcast their next live chat. Even though most broadcasts focus on a particular subject, every writer is welcome to ask anything they like at any time. Felicity and Max will do their best to give you a straight and honest answer.
This is a podcast recording of the ISA's Facebook Live broadcast of Wine Wednesdays. Please note that some promotions offered during the live broadcast are no longer available. We can, however, assist you if you wish to find out more information regarding ISA events, contests, or consulting offers. Just reach out to info@networkisa.org and we will be happy to help.
You can reach out to Max regarding any type of query: max@networkisa.org If you have particular interest in working with him on a one-on-one coaching and development basis, email him at max@thestoryfarm.org. His Story Farm development and coaching service is quickly becoming the best in the business! Felicity can also be reached at Felicity@networkisa.org. She, too, can work with you one-on-one, so don't hesitate to inquire. We can't wait to support you.
Subjects and themes for the broadcasts change from week to week, so stay tuned on most Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm Los Angeles time. For a specific schedule and set of announcements, "Like" the ISA Facebook page and keep up to date.
While Felicity and Max don't suggest you write toward a trend, they do suggest that you consider what works and doesn't work where marketability is concerned. What makes a script marketable? Does a particular genre play better than others? Not always - story is always at the heart of marketability. It's a writer's responsibility to focus on what he or she has control over - writing an entertaining script. Let the executives focus on the market.
Remember, Felicity Wren and Max Timm always have open Q&A during every Facebook Live broadcast, so you should tune in when they broadcast their next live chat. Even though most broadcasts focus on a particular subject, every writer is welcome to ask anything they like at any time. Felicity and Max will do their best to give you a straight and honest answer.
This is a podcast recording of the ISA's Facebook Live broadcast of Wine Wednesdays. Please note that some promotions offered during the live broadcast are no longer available. We can, however, assist you if you wish to find out more information regarding ISA events, contests, or consulting offers. Just reach out to info@networkisa.org and we will be happy to help.
You can reach out to Max regarding any type of query: max@networkisa.org If you have particular interest in working with him on a one-on-one coaching and development basis, email him at max@thestoryfarm.org. His Story Farm development and coaching service is quickly becoming the best in the business! Felicity can also be reached at Felicity@networkisa.org. She, too, can work with you one-on-one, so don't hesitate to inquire. We can't wait to support you.
Subjects and themes for the broadcasts change from week to week, so stay tuned on most Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm Los Angeles time. For a specific schedule and set of announcements, "Like" the ISA Facebook page and keep up to date.
SYS Episode 240
Legendary filmmaker Larry Cohen talks about his career as a studio screenwriter and his career as an independent writer/director.
SYS Episode 239
Entertainment attorney Michael DeBlis talks on a variety of legal issues facing screenwriters.
Controversy and classic status mark the 40th of “National Lampoon’s Animal House”.
In 1978, “National Lampoon’s Animal House” established itself as a landmark comedy, not to mention a lightning rod for controversy. 40 years later, it’s still both. Host Jeff York and guest Gary Goldstein discuss all the ways this frat house farce influenced pop culture (toga parties, food fights), spawned other raunchy comedies (“American Pie” and “The Hangover”), and made stars of its unknown cast (Tom Hulce and Kevin Bacon). Our two ISA writers also examine how it indicted Viet Nam, Watergate, and society’s sacred cows. Some of the film may offend our #MeToo times, but this romp has undoubtedly stood the test of time to become a genuine classic.
Among one of the elite writers and television producers in town, Bill Prady brings to this interview not only his extensive experience, but a highly educational approach to giving his best advice to screenwriters with the ISA's Max Timm. Bill has been working in the industry since 1984, and this interview shows in a very short time just how much he has learned and how much up and coming writers can learn from him. It's one of our best interviews to date.
Prady began his career in entertainment in 1982 at 'Jim Henson' Productions, working on a variety of projects there, including writing for the "Jim Henson Hour" and "MuppetVision 3-D", the 3-D Muppet Movie attraction at Walt Disney World. In addition to his work with the Muppets, Prady has written a number of television specials including the "Presidential Inaugural Celebration for Children", for which he won a CableAce Award, and "Miss Piggy's Hollywood", for which he received a WGA award nomination, as well as an Emmy nomination and WGA award for co-writing "The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson".He has also been a co-producer and writer for the HBO series "Dream On", and among his other sitcom credits are The Cosby Show and Married with Children, served as producer and consulting producer on the NBC series Caroline in the City, as co-executive producer on Dharma & Greg, and at present is writing and co-executive producing The Big Bang Theory which he also co-created.
A huge round of applause and very big thank you to Bill for joining us on the Curious About Screenwriting podcast, and we hope you enjoy the back and forth as much as we did.
“Mission: Impossible – Fallout” may be the franchise’s best one yet.
Six movies in, the “Mission: Impossible” film franchise just keeps getting better and better. “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” is not only the best actioner and sequel of the summer, but it may be the very best of all the “M: I” movies too. How do they do it? In a word, authenticity.
Christopher McQuarrie’s script is a genuine spy thriller with smart plotting, not just breathless set pieces. It honors the franchise equities yet stretches them too, having fun with the age of main character Ethan Hunt (56-year-old Tom Cruise). Most importantly, in Cruise they have a star who gives 100%, doing all his stunts with genuine derring-do. There’s precious little CGI anywhere, making it play all the more real. Impossible? More like incredible!
In this episode, Felicity Wren and Max Timm open up the Facebook lines and answer any and all questions the live viewers have, plus fun commentary on notes and comments.
Remember, Felicity and Max always have open Q&A during every Facebook Live broadcast, so you should tune in when they broadcast their next live chat. Even though most broadcasts focus on a particular subject, every writer is welcome to ask anything they like at any time. Felicity and Max will do their best to give you a straight and honest answer.
This is a podcast recording of the ISA's Facebook Live broadcast of Wine Wednesdays. Please note that some promotions offered during the live broadcast are no longer available. We can, however, assist you if you wish to find out more information regarding ISA events, contests, or consulting offers. Just reach out to info@networkisa.org and we will be happy to help.
You can reach out to Max regarding any type of query: max@networkisa.org If you have particular interest in working with him on a one-on-one coaching and development basis, email him at max@thestoryfarm.org. His Story Farm development and coaching service is quickly becoming the best in the business! Felicity can also be reached at Felicity@networkisa.org. She, too, can work with you one-on-one, so don't hesitate to inquire. We can't wait to support you.
Subjects and themes for the broadcasts change from week to week, so stay tuned on most Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm Los Angeles time. For a specific schedule and set of announcements, "Like" the ISA Facebook page and keep up to date.
A Valentine's Day special where Max Timm and Felicity Wren talk about their favorite romantic comedies and then some, along with a discussion about what makes for the best romantic films.
Remember, Felicity and Max always have open Q&A during every Facebook Live broadcast, so you should tune in when they broadcast their next live chat. Even though most broadcasts focus on a particular subject, every writer is welcome to ask anything they like at any time. Felicity and Max will do their best to give you a straight and honest answer.
This is a podcast recording of the ISA's Facebook Live broadcast of Wine Wednesdays. Please note that some promotions offered during the live broadcast are no longer available. We can, however, assist you if you wish to find out more information regarding ISA events, contests, or consulting offers. Just reach out to info@networkisa.org and we will be happy to help.
You can reach out to Max regarding any type of query: max@networkisa.org If you have particular interest in working with him on a one-on-one coaching and development basis, email him at max@thestoryfarm.org. His Story Farm development and coaching service is quickly becoming the best in the business! Felicity can also be reached at Felicity@networkisa.org. She, too, can work with you one-on-one, so don't hesitate to inquire. We can't wait to support you.
Subjects and themes for the broadcasts change from week to week, so stay tuned on most Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm Los Angeles time. For a specific schedule and set of announcements, "Like" the ISA Facebook page and keep up to date.
The sophomore season of “GLOW” on Netflix betters its freshman year.
Netflix’s dramedy GLOW, about women’s wrestling in the 80’s, had an auspicious first season in 2017. It helped rack up Netflix subscriptions, became a critical darling, and just received 10 Emmy awards. The show’s second season, which dropped on June 29th, does the first year one better. Show creators Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch have deepened the series across the board. It’s less about actress employment and more about female empowerment. The plotting constantly zigs when other shows zag. And, most significantly, this character-driven period piece comments strongly on modern female issues like #MeToo and the quest for equal pay. All that makes GLOW a shining example of the best of television, no matter what network it’s on.
Episode 195
Spanish filmmaker, Mateo Gil, talks about his latest film, a sci-fi drama called Realive. He talks about the early days of his career in Spain as a screenwriter working with director Alejandro Amenabar, and how he’s been able to branch out to writing and directing international films.
Episode 233
Screenwriter, director, and producer Asif Akbar talks about the early days of his career and how it lead him to his latest feature film, Astro.
Plot struggles mar the tense action in “Sicario: Day of the Soldado”
“Sicario: Day of the Soldado” is a sequel shot, acted and directed with the same care as its 2015 predecessor “Sicario.” Still, none of that expertise can gloss over a script that chokes on its own inconsistencies and lack of smarts. For starters, the screenplay never sets up its protagonist and antagonist properly. (The sequel didn’t bring back Emily Blunt’s moral FBI agent and that hurts things from the get-go.) The characters that do return are all over the map, literally and figuratively, making it difficult to get a bead on their motivations and movements. And too many coincidences and conveniences pile up and are laughable. Hardly, the reaction a thriller is aiming for.
“Ant-Man and the Wasp” succeeds by staying small and in its lane.
There are many reasons the Ant-Man franchise is so successful. The premise of a miniscule superhero is hilarious. The actors cast are all deft comedic players. Most importantly, this Marvel Studios remains down-to-earth, really down to earth, about 4 inches off the ground. Even with such ginormous success, its sequel “Ant-Man and the Wasp” stays in the lane of its brand: modest adventures, funny banter and action, a family-friendly tone. While other entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have gotten darker battling for the fate of the universe, these heroes don’t get too big for their britches…unless of course, it’s funny for them to grow 60 feet tall.
We're all salesman at the end of the day, and it's the salesman who make it in this town. We all need to treat our writing career like any other business - if no one knows you and your work exists, then you'll never gain any traction. For this episode of the ISA's Wine Wednesday Facebook Live Broadcast, Max Timm sits down with the ISA's marketing and business management afficionado, Scott Markus. Scott is also an author and an expert in all things paranormal, so he knows a thing or two about how to get your work noticed. So sit back, join us in a glass of wine and let's get you noticed.
Remember, Felicity and Max always have open Q&A during every Facebook Live broadcast, so you should tune in when they broadcast their next live chat. Even though most broadcasts focus on a particular subject, every writer is welcome to ask anything they like at any time. Felicity and Max will do their best to give you a straight and honest answer.
This is a podcast recording of the ISA's Facebook Live broadcast of Wine Wednesdays. Please note that some promotions offered during the live broadcast are no longer available. We can, however, assist you if you wish to find out more information regarding ISA events, contests, or consulting offers. Just reach out to info@networkisa.org and we will be happy to help.
You can reach out to Max regarding any type of query: max@networkisa.org If you have particular interest in working with him on a one-on-one coaching and development basis, email him at max@thestoryfarm.org. His Story Farm development and coaching service is quickly becoming the best in the business! Felicity can also be reached at Felicity@networkisa.org. She, too, can work with you one-on-one, so don't hesitate to inquire. We can't wait to support you.
Subjects and themes for the broadcasts change from week to week, so stay tuned on most Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm Los Angeles time. For a specific schedule and set of announcements, "Like" the ISA Facebook page and keep up to date.