Tag: Larry Brody

Leesa Dean: Adventures of a Web Series Newbie

Adventures of a Web Series Newbie - Chapter 23: Missives From The Trenches

Chapter 23: Missives From The Trenches
by Leesa Dean

I’m officially on hiatus with both Chilltown and the Lele Show but it seems like I’m busier than ever.

Been working on the TOP SECRET PROJECT and the relaunch. Had a great shoot Monday. Really killer and a lot of fun. Then Tuesday had a long edit session that was also fun and wildly productive. Also, exciting to see some of Monday’s footage up on the screen and how it even exceeded my expectations.

Before the session, I met with Kai Alexandre. I’ve mentioned him here before. He’s definitely one of the players in the web series game. A former MTV producer (and actor), he had a fairly popular series on youtube a few years ago called Potty Mouth TV. He’s resurrecting it as part of 3Senso, a brand new network he’s starting and seems to know everybody. He’s been a huge fan of ChilltownTV from the start. read article

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 7/30/13

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are

  • THE DIVIDE, a very serious legal drama created by Richard LaGravenese (BEHIND THE CANDELABRA) & Tony Goldman (SCANDAL) , has been picked up for 10 episodes by AMC Networks. (The show actually will appear on WE TV, presumably because, you know, it can.)
  • Speaking of WE TV, Chris & Paul Weitz are developing another drama series, ALL AMERICAN WOMAN, for the new network. (Like THE DIVIDE, this is a turnaround series originally aimed elsewhere. Looks like WE is a good place to have in your hip pocket.)
  • Oh, and look at this. WE TV is also doing DIRTY, written by Nancy Fichman & Jennifer Hoppe  (DAMAGES). (Yeppers, another drama, this one about a zillionaire woman who falls on hard times and ends up living and working with her housekeeper. Oh, the ignominy of it all!).
  • Wait, one more WE TV drama project: Susanna Styron (BORGIA) is writing HEADHUNTERS. (Which is described with bullshit double-talk that we have no idea what it really will be except that it’s about the kind of women who scare the hell out of, well, us. You know, modern ones.)
  • Jason Katims & Sarah Watson (PARENTHOOD) are developing an unnamed 1-hour comedy about a woman lawyer who sounds a lot like the women in HEADHUNTERS, for ABC. (Presumably, if ABC passes WE TV will be waiting to snatch this one up too.)

LB: Do You Really Have to be ‘Hard as Nails’ to Make It As a TV Writer?

Glad You Asked Department 7/29/13

question_ditkoBeen awhile since I’ve done the question-answer thing. But the other day Kate sent in what I think is a good one:

“People say you have to be tough as nails to make it out in LA in the television industry. I believe them. But many writers are, as I’m sure you’re aware, sensitive by nature. I know I am. It’s a part of me that I like – it lets me see things from different angles, empathize with others, and I think it helps inform my writing by allowing me to feel deeply. It must be possible to have a tough outer shell and a soft interior. Is that what most television writers are like? If so, how do they do it? If not, what can I do?”

This question made me think long and hard. Even do a little soul searching. Here’s how it came out: read article

Herbie J Pilato: The Real Cast-Aways

by Herbie J Pilato

christopher_reevesI remain both astounded and annoyed by the continued lack of diversity in casting on film and television shows.

Look at any cast on any TV series today – and everyone looks the same, and if they don’t look the same, they resemble or talk like one another – with very little distinguishing characteristics in appearance and sound.

All the guys are hot, young and white with brown hair – and all the women are hot, young and brunet with blue eyes – and all of them are super-intelligent, fast-taking, acerbic drones. read article

Becoming Ricardo: Get the Right Team

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by Jenni Ruiza

Actors are notorious for singing the sad song that there are no parts out there for them and, yet they seldom ever do anything about. So instead of complaining about it – we decided to do something about it! Creating the concept of “Becoming Ricardo” (Jesenia) and then teaming up to write and produce a full season of 10 episodes (both Jenni Ruiza and Jesenia). read article