Erich Cannon (left) and Nathan Lee (second from right) with “Fall City” stars Meranda Long and Dashiell Wolf.
North Kitsap grads go Hollywood
by Michael C. More
When Erich Cannon and Nathan Lee embarked on their first feature-film project together, they might well have been excused for setting it in the North Kitsap environs where they both grew up.
Instead, they found their locations — and the title of the resulting film — on Google.
“We fell in love with the look of the town,” said Lee, the film’s director and co-writer, of little Fall City, the Snoqualmie Valley village that jumped out at both of them from the Internet. “We had been Googling images, looking at small towns in Washington. Neither of us had ever actually been there.”
Once Lee saw the town in the flesh — as part of a honeymoon tour of Northwest locations with his wife, Tara (a co-producer of the film who Lee credited with also being a “big part” of the casting process) — the deal was done.
“We agreed it was just perfect,” said Cannon, who co-wrote and produced. “It matched our script, it matched our story. And the name made for a pretty good title.”
Cannon and Lee have known each other since their junior high days, when they lived down the street from each other and began collaborating on a cable access show for Bremerton Kitsap Access Television while at Poulsbo Junior High.
“It strangely became somewhat popular with the students, and then worked its way outward to the public,” Cannon said of their show. They continued to work together upon their move to North Kitsap High School.
“We were both in high school drama, too,” Cannon said. “I was more into acting, and Nathan was more into the tech side of it.”
Lee stayed in theater after high school before jumping into various film and TV projects around 2006.
“I started with small positions on big movies, then transitioned into working in bigger roles on smaller movies,” Lee said. He also has five Emmy awards to show for his TV work….
We live in interesting times. Here’s an example of a small thing – a creator’s new deal – being a pivotal example of humongous change. (Yeah, we know a hundred million bucks isn’t exactly chump change, but deal-making is the most basic step in the biz. Know what we mean?)
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP/REX/Shutterstock (9665735kq)
Ava DuVernay $100 Million Deal: How the Studio ‘Megadeal’ Defies Netflix
by Michael Schneider
The TV arms race continued…with Warner Bros. TV Group announcing a multi-year deal, reportedly worth at least $100 million, with Ava DuVernay and her Forward Movement shingle. They will produce TV projects for every platform — including broadcast, cable, and streaming services — and it’s the latest in the ongoing battle for media supremacy in the OTT age.
Netflix is viewed as the master of this realm, snapping up superstar producers Shonda Rhimes and Ryan Murphy, but traditional studios aren’t taking it lying down; there’s too much at stake. Locking up talent, especially writer/producers known for their volume, becomes increasingly critical as the marketplace braces for a flood of new outlets. Streaming outfits Apple, Disney+, and WarnerMedia’s as-yet-unnamed service are all set to go online next year. Meanwhile, networks like HBO and FX have also announced plans to ramp up series orders.
“I think what it means for prolific creators like Shonda and Ryan, that those voices, with the amount of outlets that exist, are going to be able to get a huge premium,” Fox Entertainment president Michael Thorn told IndieWire earlier this year. “For the studios that want to make overall deals as part of their business it’s going to be really competitive. I think obviously the biggest creators are going to be able to command huge, huge deals whether they are at [a studio] or a streaming company.”
Now under AT&T ownership, Warner Bros. TV has shown a willingness to open its pocketbook. In June, it signed a new contract with Greg Berlanti — who currently produces more than a dozen scripted series for the studio — worth around $400 million. It also lured “Jessica Jones” executive producer Melissa Rosenberg away from the Netflix Marvel drama for an eight-figure pact to create and develop new projects….
NBC on Tuesday announced the inaugural class for its Alternative Directors Program. The program is the industry’s first directing pipeline project for unscripted shows.
The all-female class includes Hollywood Game Night director Madeline Fuste; The Voice‘s Sarah De La O; The Wall and World of Dance‘s Sharon Everitt; The Voice‘s Carrie Havel; Making It‘s Annetta Marion; American Ninja Warrior‘s Cari Townsend; and America’s Got Talent‘s Liz Zanin.
The initiative finds NBC taking a step toward equal representation behind the scenes of alternative series, which currently lack diversity. The goal of the program is to give female and ethnically diverse directors access to expand their skill sets in regards to alternative formats and complex directing styles, which will ultimately open more doors for them in their field.
The program was spearheaded by Meredith Ahr, the new president, alternative & reality group at NBC Entertainment, and Karen Horne, senior vp, programming talent development and inclusion for NBC Entertainment and Universal Television Studios, who oversees the network’s talent pipeline programs.
“Given the sheer number of viewing hours unscripted shows make up each week, we have a huge opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the overall television landscape by forging a future for new directors in this space,” said Ahr in a statement….
The Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) have announced nominations for outstanding achievement in television, new media, news, radio/audio, and promotional writing during 2018. Winners will be honored at the 2019 Writers Guild Awards on Sunday, February 17, 2019, at concurrent ceremonies in Los Angeles and New York City.
TVWriter™ congratulates everyone listed below.
TELEVISION, NEW MEDIA, AND NEWS NOMINEES
DRAMA SERIES
The Americans, Written by Peter Ackerman, Hilary Bettis, Joshua Brand, Joel Fields, Sarah Nolen, Stephen Schiff, Justin Weinberger, Joe Weisberg, Tracey Scott Wilson; FX Networks
Better Call Saul, Written by Ann Cherkis, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Gennifer Hutchison, Heather Marion, Bob Odenkirk, Thomas Schnauz, Gordon Smith, Alison Tatlock; AMC
The Crown, Written by Tom Edge, Amy Jenkins, Peter Morgan; Netflix
The Handmaid’s Tale, Written by Yahlin Chang, Nina Fiore, Dorothy Fortenberry, John Herrera, Lynn Renee Maxcy, Bruce Miller, Kira Snyder, Eric Tuchman; Hulu
Succession, Written by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Jon Brown, Jonathan Glatzer, Anna Jordan, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Tony Roche, Susan Soon He Stanton, Daniel Zelman; HBO
COMEDY SERIES
Atlanta, Written by Ibra Ake, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Taofik Kolade, Jamal Olori, Stefani Robinson, Paul Simms; FX Networks
Barry, Written by Alec Berg, Duffy Boudreau, Bill Hader, Emily Heller, Liz Sarnoff, Ben Smith, Sarah Solemani; HBO
GLOW, Written by Liz Flahive, Tara Herrmann, Nick Jones, Jenji Kohan, Carly Mensch, Marquita Robinson, Kim Rosenstock, Sascha Rothchild, Rachel Shukert; Netflix
The Good Place, Written by Megan Amram, Christopher Encell, Kate Gersten, Cord Jefferson, Andrew Law, Joe Mande, Kassia Miller, Dylan Morgan, Matt Murray, Rae Sanni, Daniel Schofield, Michael Schur, Josh Siegal, Jen Statsky, Tyler Staessle; NBC
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Written by Kate Fodor, Noah Gardenswartz, Jen Kirkman, Sheila Lawrence, Daniel Palladino, Amy Sherman Palladino; Prime Video
NEW SERIES
Barry, Written by Alec Berg, Duffy Boudreau, Bill Hader, Emily Heller, Liz Sarnoff, Ben Smith, Sarah Solemani; HBO
The Haunting of Hill House, Written by Meredith Averill, Charise Castro Smith, Mike Flanagan, Jeff Howard, Rebecca Leigh Klingel, Scott Kosar, Liz Phang; Netflix
Homecoming, Written by Micah Bloomberg, Cami Delavigne, Eli Horowitz, Shannon Houston, Eric Simonson, David Wiener; Prime Video
Pose, Written by Steven Canals, Brad Falchuk, Todd Kubrak, Janet Mock, Ryan Murphy, Our Lady J; FX Networks
Succession, Written by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Jon Brown, Jonathan Glatzer, Anna Jordan, Lucy Prebble, Georgia Pritchett, Tony Roche, Susan Soon He Stanton, Daniel Zelman; HBO
LONG FORM ORIGINAL
Castle Rock, Writers: Marc Bernardin, Scott Brown, Lila Byock, Mark Lafferty, Sam Shaw, Dustin Thomason, Gina Welch, Vinnie Wilhelm; Hulu
My Dinner with Hervé, Teleplay by Sacha Gervasi, Story by Sacha Gervasi & Sean Macaulay; HBO
Paterno, Written by Debora Cahn and John C. Richards; HBO
LONG FORM ADAPTED
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, Writers: Maggie Cohn, Tom Rob Smith, Based on the book Vulgar Favors by Maureen Orth; FX Networks
The Looming Tower, Writers: Bash Doran, Dan Futterman, Alex Gibney, Shannon Houston, Adam Rapp, Ali Selim, Lawrence Wright, Based on the book The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright; Hulu
Maniac, Writers: Nick Cuse, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Amelia Gray, Danielle Henderson, Mauricio Katz, Patrick Somerville, Caroline Williams, Based on the Norwegian television series Maniac by Espen PA Lervaag, Håakon Bast Mossige, Kjetil Indregard and Ole Marius Araldsen; Netflix
Sharp Objects, Writers: Ariella Blejer, Scott Brown, Vince Calandra, Gillian Flynn, Dawn Kamoche, Alex Metcalf, Marti Noxon, Based upon the book written by Gillian Flynn; HBO
SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA ORIGINAL
After Forever, Written by Michael Slade & Kevin Spirtas; Vimeo.com
Class of Lies, Written by Tessa Leigh Williams; Snapchat
Love Daily, Written by: Lauren Ciaravalli, Andrew Eisen, Aaron Eisenberg, Will Eisenberg, Alexis Jacknow, Nathaniel Katzman, Yulin Kuang, Nathan Larkin-Connolly, Alexis Roblan, Bennet D. Silverman, Ryan Wood; Go90.com
West 40s, Written by Mark Sam Rosenthal & Brian Sloan; West40s.com
SHORT FORM NEW MEDIA ADAPTED
The Walking Dead: Red Machete, Written by Nick Bernardone; AMC.com
ANIMATION
“Bart’s Not Dead” (The Simpsons), Written by Stephanie Gillis; Fox
“Boywatch” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Rich Rinaldi; Fox
“Just One of the Boyz 4 Now for Now” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Lizzie Molyneux & Wendy Molyneux; Fox
“Krusty the Clown” (The Simpsons), Written by Ryan Koh; Fox
“Mo Mommy Mo Problems” (Bob’s Burgers), Written by Steven Davis; Fox
“Send in Stewie, Please” (Family Guy), Written by Gary Janetti; Fox
EPISODIC DRAMA
“Camelot” (Narcos: Mexico), Written by Eric Newman & Clayton Trussell; Netflix
“The Car” (This Is Us), Written by Isaac Aptaker & Elizabeth Berger; NBC
“Episode 407” (The Affair), Teleplay by Lydia Diamond and Sarah Sutherland, Story by Jaquen Tee Castellanos and Sarah Sutherland; Showtime
“First Blood” (The Handmaid’s Tale), Written by Eric Tuchman; Hulu
“Paean To The People” (Homeland), Written by Alex Gansa; Showtime
“The Precious Blood of Jesus” (Ozark), Written by David Manson; Netflix
EPISODIC COMEDY
“Another Place” (Forever), Teleplay by Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard, Story by Aniz Adam Ansari; Prime Video
“Chapter One: Make Your Mark” (Barry), Written by Alec Berg & Bill Hader; HBO
“Halibut!” (Santa Clarita Diet), Written by Victor Fresco; Netflix
“Kimmy and the Beest!” (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Written by Robert Carlock; Netflix
“Pilot” (The Kids Are Alright), Written by Tim Doyle; ABC
“Who Knows Better Than I” (Orange Is the New Black), Written by Jenji Kohan; Netflix
COMEDY/VARIETY TALK SERIES
Full Frontal With Samantha Bee, Writers: Kristen Bartlett, Samantha Bee, Ashley Nicole Black, Pat Cassels, Mike Drucker, Eric Drysdale, Mathan Erhardt, Joe Grossman, Miles Kahn, Nicole Silverberg, Melinda Taub; TBS
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver; Writers: Tim Carvell, Raquel D’Apice, Josh Gondelman, Dan Gurewitch, Jeff Maurer, Daniel O’Brien, John Oliver, Brian Parise, Owen Parsons, Ben Silva, Will Tracy, Jill Twiss, Seena Vali, Juli Weiner; HBO
Late Night with Seth Meyers; Supervising Writers: Sal Gentile, Seth Reiss; Writers: Jermaine Affonso, Alex Baze, Bryan Donaldson, Matt Goldich, Dina Gusovsky, Jenny Hagel, Allison Hord, Mike Karnell, John Lutz, Seth Meyers, Ian Morgan, Amber Ruffin, Mike Shoemaker; NBC Universal
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Head Writers: Jay Katsir, Opus Moreschi; Writers: Emmy Blotnick, Michael Brumm, Aaron Cohen, Stephen T. Colbert, Cullen Crawford, Paul Dinello, Ariel Dumas, Glenn Eichler, Django Gold, Gabe Gronli, Greg Iwinski, Barry Julien, Daniel Kibblesmith, Matt Lappin, Michael Pielocik, Kate Sidley, Jen Spyra, Brian Stack, John Thibodeaux; CBS
COMEDY/VARIETY SKETCH SERIES
At Home with Amy Sedaris, Writers: Cindy Caponera, Paul Dinello, Jodi Lennon, Meredith Scardino, Amy Sedaris; truTV
I Love You, America, Head Writer: Dave Ferguson; Writers: Glenn Boozan, Leann Bowen, Raj Desai, Kyle Dunnigan, John Haskell, Tim Kalpakis, Opeyemi Olagbaju, Gavin Purcell, Diona Reasonover, Jocelyn Richard, Christopher J. Romano, Sarah Silverman, Beth Stelling, Dan Sterling, Nick Wiger; Hulu
Nathan For You, Writers: Leo Allen, Nathan Fielder, Carrie Kemper, Michael Koman, Adam Locke-Norton, Eric Notarnicola; Comedy Central
Portlandia, Writers: Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, Karey Dornetto, Megan Neuringer, Phoebe Robinson, Graham Wagner; IFC
Saturday Night Live, Head Writers: Michael Che, Colin Jost, Kent Sublette, Bryan Tucker; Supervising Writers: Fran Gillespie, Sudi Green, Streeter Seidell; Writers: James Anderson, Kristen Bartlett, Megan Callahan, Steven Castillo, Andrew Dismukes, Anna Drezen, Claire Friedman, Alison Gates, Steve Higgins, Sam Jay, Erik Kenward, Rob Klein, Nick Kocher, Michael Koman, Alan Linic, Eli Coyote Mandel, Erik Marino, Dave McCary, Brian McElhaney, Dennis McNicholas, Lorne Michaels, Nimesh Patel, Josh Patten, Katie Rich, Simon Rich, Gary Richardson, Marika Sawyer, Pete Schultz, Mitch Silpa, Will Stephen, Julio Torres, Bowen Yang; NBC Universal
COMEDY/VARIETY SPECIALS
2018 Rose Parade Hosted by Cord & Tish, Written by Will Ferrell, Jake Fogelnest, Andrew Steele; Prime Video
Drew Michael Stand-Up Special, Written by Drew Michael; HBO
The Fake News with Ted Nelms, Written by John Aboud, Andrew Blitz, Michael Colton, Ed Helms, Elliott Kalan, Joseph Randazzo, Sara Schaefer; Comedy Central
The Oscars 2018, Written by Dave Boone, Carol Leifer, Jon Macks; Special Material Written by Megan Amram, Tony Barbieri, Jonathan Bines, Joelle Boucai, Gonzalo Cordova, Adam Carolla, Devin Field, Gary Greenberg, Josh Halloway, Sal Iacono, Eric Immerman, Jesse Joyce, Bess Kalb, Jimmy Kimmel, Molly McNearney, Danny Ricker, Joe Strazzullo; ABC
QUIZ AND AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Hollywood Game Night, Head Writers: Ann Slichter, Grant Taylor; Writers: Michael Agbabian, Alexandra Kokesh, Dwight D. Smith; NBC
Jeopardy!, Written by Matthew Caruso, John Duarte, Harry Friedman, Mark Gaberman, Deborah Griffin, Michele Loud, Robert McClenaghan, Jim Rhine, Steve D. Tamerius, Billy Wisse; ABC
Paid Off with Michael Torpey, Head Writer: Ethan Berlin; Writers: John Chaneski, Rosemarie DiSalvo, Leigh Hampton, Katie Hartman, Amanda Melson, Larry Owens, Jennie Sutton, Michael Torpey, Jeremy Weiner; truTV
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Head Writer: Stephen A. Melcher, Jr.; Writers: Kyle Beakley, Tom Cohen, Patricia A. Cotter, Ryan Hopak, Gary Lucy, James Rowley, Ann Slichter, Dylan Snowden; Disney/ABC Syndication
DAYTIME DRAMA
Days of Our Lives, Head Writer: Ron Carlivati; Writers: Sheri Anderson, Lorraine Broderick, David Cherrill, Joanna Cohen, Lisa Connor, Carolyn Culliton, Richard Culliton, Rick Draughon, Cydney Kelley, David Kreizman, David A. Levinson, Rebecca McCarty, Ryan Quan, Dave Ryan, Katherine Schock, Elizabeth Snyder, Tyler Topits; NBC
General Hospital, Head Writers: Shelly Altman, Christopher Van Etten; Writers: Barbara Bloom, Anna Theresa Cascio, Suzanne Flynn, Charlotte Gibson, Lucky Gold, Kate Hall, Elizabeth Korte, Daniel James O’Connor, Donny Sheldon, Scott Sickles; ABC
CHILDREN’S EPISODIC AND SPECIALS
“Carnivorous Carnival: Part One” (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Teleplay by Joe Tracz; Netflix
“The Ersatz Elevator: Part One” (A Series of Unfortunate Events), Teleplay by Daniel Handler; Netflix
“For The Last Time” (Andi Mack), Written by Jonathan S. Hurwitz; Disney Channel
“Picture Day” (Alexa & Katie), Written by Ray Lancon; Netflix
“Warehouse Towel Fight” fka “Emil Strikes Back” (Prince of Peoria), Written by Marty Donovan; Netflix
CHILDREN’S LONG FORM
No nominees.
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – CURRENT EVENTS
“Black Hole Apocalypse” (Nova), Written by Rushmore DeNooyer; PBS
“Blackout in Puerto Rico” (Frontline), Written by Rick Young; PBS
“The Gang Crackdown” (Frontline), Written by Marcela Gaviria; PBS
“Trump’s Takeover” (Frontline), Written by Michael Kirk & Mike Wiser; PBS
DOCUMENTARY SCRIPT – OTHER THAN CURRENT EVENTS
“Bitter Rivals: Iran and Saudi Arabia – Part 1” (Frontline), Written by David Fanning & Linda Hirsch & Martin Smith; PBS
“The Circus, Part One” (American Experience), Written by Sharon Grimberg; PBS
“The Eugenics Crusade” (American Experience), Written by Michelle Ferrari; PBS
“Into The Amazon” (American Experience), Written by John Maggio; PBS
NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“Catastrophe” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Katie Kerbstat, Nicole Young; CBS News
“Las Vegas Massacre” (CBS Evening News with Anthony Mason), Written by Jerry Cipriano and Joe Clines; CBS News
“The Spotted Pig” (60 Minutes), Written by Anderson Cooper and Oriana Zill de Granados; CBS News
NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“100,000 Women” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley and Oriana Zill de Granados; CBS News
“On Broadway: Rodgers and Hammerstein” (CBS Sunday Morning), Written by Mo Rocca and Kay M. Lim; CBS News
“War Crime” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Katie Kerbstat, Nicole Young; CBS News
“Wounds of War” (60 Minutes), Written by Scott Pelley, Katie Kerbstat, Nicole Young; CBS News
DIGITAL NEWS
“D.C.’s Biggest Homeless Shelter Is About to Close. Will Amazon Take Its Place?,” Written by Emma Roller; Splinter
“How To Not Die In America,” Written by Molly Osberg; Splinter
“Inside The Culture Of Sexism At Riot Games,” Written by Cecilia D’Anastasio; Kotaku.com
RADIO/AUDIO NOMINEES
RADIO/AUDIO DOCUMENTARY
“2017 Year in Review,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
“RFK: 50 Years After Shots Rang Out at The Ambassador Hotel,” Written by Andrew Evans; ABC News Radio
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – REGULARLY SCHEDULED, BULLETIN, OR BREAKING REPORT
“5pm CBS News Radio Glor Newscast,” Written by James Hutton; CBS News Radio
“ABC News 6p Hourly 9-27-2018,” Written by Stephanie Pawlowski; ABC News Radio
“Remembering The Good, The Bad and the Brilliant,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
“World News This Week 9-21-2018,” Written by Joan B. Harris; ABC News Radio
RADIO/AUDIO NEWS SCRIPT – ANALYSIS, FEATURE, OR COMMENTARY
“John McCain: A Life of Service,” Written by Gail Lee; CBS News Radio
“A Tribute to Le Grand Orange,” Written by Thomas A. Sabella; CBS Radio News
PROMOTIONAL WRITING NOMINEES
ON-AIR PROMOTION (RADIO OR TELEVISION)
“FBI 2018 Promo Reel,” Written by Ralph Buado; CBS
“Tribute to Star Trek for the 2019 Creative Arts Emmys,” Written by Sean Brogan; CBS
“Westworld: Season 2 Promo (Super Bowl spot),” Written by Jonathan Nolan; HBO
TELEVISION GRAPHIC ART AND ANIMATION
No nominees.
The Writers Guild Awards honor outstanding writing in film, television, new media, videogames, news, radio, promotional, and graphic animation categories. The 2019 Writers Guild Awards (71st Annual) will be presented at concurrent ceremonies on Sunday, February 17, 2019, in Los Angeles at The Beverly Hilton and in New York City at the Edison Ballroom. For more information about the 2019 Writers Guild Awards, please visit www.wga.org or www.wgaeast.org.
by TVWriter™ Press Service
(in other words, we believe this is a press release worth reading)
SeriesFest and Shondaland are proud to partner to launch the Women Directing Mentorship — a competition designed to discover aspiring female directors with a unique voice and provide a launchpad for their career. The Women Directing Mentorship initiative is anchored with the prestigious opportunity to shadow a director for an episode of a Shondaland original series and a $5,000 stipend to use during the duration of their mentorship. Submissions are open now through March 4, 2019. Winner will be announced in June 2019 at SeriesFest: Season 5
Interested participants should submit a 3-5 minute introduction video introducing yourself, your unique voice and style, and why you think you’re the right fit for the Women Directing Mentorship (be creative!), a reel under 15-minutes or short film showcasing your directing work, and a CV/Resume. Visit the Women Directing Mentorship submission page for more information on guidelines, entry materials, entry fees and key dates.
The winner will shadow a director on one episode of a Shondaland original series between June 2019 and June 2020. The mentorship will include shadowing the director during pre-production, shooting and post-production for a duration of up to three weeks depending on the episode schedule. The winner will be responsible for their own travel and accommodations, but will receive a $5,000 stipend to assist with these costs. While we will do our best to work within the winner’s schedule, the episode chosen is at the sole discretion of Shondaland.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Good luck! Oh, and f you enter, please let TVWriter™ know how it goes.
