Tag: Issa Rae

Kelly Jo Brick: The Write Path With SCANDAL’s Raamla Mohamed – Part Two

A series of interviews with hard-working writers
– by another hard-working writer!

by Kelly Jo Brick

Aspiring writers often wonder how the pros got where they are. The truth is, everyone’s story is different, but there are some common elements: dedication, persistence, hard work and not giving up.

Writer Raamla Mohamed’s career is a prime example of what can happen when a person puts in the hard work to make the most of every opportunity. After attending grad school at USC, Raamla landed a job as a writers’ PA on GREY’S ANATOMY. She went on to become a researcher on OFF THE MAP and SCANDAL. Selection to the Disney-ABC Writing Program got her a writing position on SCANDAL where she has risen from staff writer to producer. She was also a writer on the upcoming ShondaLand show STILL STAR-CROSSED. read article

Kelly Jo Brick: Takeaways from the Austin Film Festival and Screenwriting Conference

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Terry Rossio and Shane Black in Austin, TX.  Photo courtesy of Austin Film Festival (Photo by Jack Plunkett)

by Kelly Jo Brick

The Austin Film Festival and Screenwriting Conference, an event dedicated to focusing on writers’ contributions to television and film, celebrated its 22nd year by bringing together aspiring and established writers, producers, filmmakers, development executives, agents, managers and directors.

Attendees to the screenwriting conference had the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of panels on writing for television and film. TVWriter.com was there to bring you some of the top takeaways from the event.

ABOUT BREAKING IN – read article

TV Writing Deals

Looks like we’re going to have to rename these posts “Daily TV Writing Deals” cuz there’s a lot going on:

  • Paul Redford (WEST WING, DIRTY SEXY MONEY) is writing the pilot for AMERICA’S SON, an update of none other than Hamlet for Fox. (Word around town is that Shakespeare’s freaking out because he thought Seth MacFarlane should’ve done it.)
  • Christopher Guest (FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, SPINAL TAP: THE FINAL TOUR) is bringing Fred Willard, Michael McKean and Ed Begley Jr. on board for FAMILY TREE, a comedy series for HBO. (And we hear that Shakespeare thinks it’ll be a hoot.)
  • Patrick Harbinson (24, PERSON OF INTEREST) is writing the pilot for THE 11th COMMANDMENT, a spy series based on the Jeffrey Archer novel of the same name, for NBC. (Rumor has it that Shakespeare is going to sue because he’s absolutely certain that it’s based on one of his sonnets.)
  • Issa Rae (YouTube’s THE MISADVENTURES OF AWKWARD BLACK GIRL) is writing the pilot for I HATE LA DUDES, a sitcom for ABC. (We talked to Shakespeare about this and he says he’s waiting to see a script before expressing any opinion.)
  • NBC has bought THEN CAME ELVIS, a sitcom about a family adapting to divorce. (No writer has been mentioned, but Shakespeare’s agent is on the phone about this one right now.)