Tag: Mark Goffman

Who Inspires You: TV Writers Share Their Creative Inspirations

by Kelly Jo Brick

Whether a beginning writer or an experienced veteran, admiration helps fuel our creative endeavors. Writers from film and television share who has inspired them through the years.

JASON RICHMAN (LUCKY 7, DETROIT 1-8-7) – I always admired Lawrence Kasdan. First of all, as a viewer, as a fan of movies, but he was an inspiration because he did all kinds of different things. He wrote THE BIG CHILL, he wrote THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. I admire that, someone who has an idea that interests them, a world that interests them and then just goes where their creativity takes them. I think that he’s sort of the model to me of that person who just won’t be pigeonholed. To be so good in so many different genres is a real feat and to direct and do all those things is pretty cool. 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

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 6/14/13

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are

  • Jeff Astrof (GROUNDED FOR LIFE) is the new showrunner of TBS’ upcoming sitcom GROUND FLOOR, described as “a workplace comedy with a romantic twist.” (And Jeff also has signed a development deal with Warner TV, so if you know him you’ll be doing yourself a favor by making nice.)
  • Mark Goffman (WHITE COLLAR) has been hired to rewrite his NBC drama pilot I AM VICTOR, changing the focus from the title character’s HOUSE-like personal life to his cases. (Which, considering that the star is John Stamos doesn’t seem to us to move the needle on the “Can this possibly be interesting?” meter one whit to the plus side. But that’s probably just us, right?)
  • Bridget Carpenter (FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS) has made a deal to be the showrunner of Sundance Channel’s drama series THE DESCENDANTS, a “hard-hitting drama” about a sheriff and the forces that, well, we’d say they stress him out, y’know? (We don’t know anybody who can tell us much about Bridget, which means that she must be quite a powerhouse. Why do we say that? Cuz if she had any weaknesses everybody, and we mean everybody, would be falling all over themselves trying to expose them. Our hats are off to you, Bridget. All our best.)
  • Sam Katlin (BREAKING BAD) has re-upped on his Sony TV development deal and will continue as an EP on Fox’s upcoming drama RAKE.  (Another guy to keep making nice to, baby writers cuz that’s the name of the game.)
  • Diallo Riddle & Bashir Salahuddin (LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON) just got a production green light from HBO for their sitcom pilot about “a couple of rep;orters trying to make it big in the burgeoning black mecca of contemporary Atlanta.” (Yes, the press release said “black mecca,” not “Black mecca” or “African-American mecca.” Is that a genuine and current retro cool usage, or is HBO just hopelessly fucked up? Can someone let us know?)

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 1/21/13

Latest News About Writers Who Are Doing Better Than We Are

  • Jim Gaffigan (WELCOME TO NEW YORK) & Peter Tolan (RESCUE ME) are co-writing an untitled CBS sitcom about “a happily married and harried NYC father of five.” (In other words, it’s about Gaffigan, who also will star. How come nobody ever wants to do a series about us and let us star?)
  • Mark Goffman (THE WEST WING) will write I AM VICTOR, based on the book by Jo Nesbo about an attorney who is remarkably similar to Dr. House of, um, HOUSE fame. (In other words, HOUSE executive producer Katie Jacobs will be in charge of the show. How come nobody ever wants to hire me to do a series where I rip myself off and produce?)
  • John Logan (SKYFALL) is writing Showtime’s PENNY DREADFUL, a period “psychosexual horror” show featuring the characters of Dr. Frankenstein, Dorian Gray, Dr. Van Helsing and others in Victorian London. The show already has a series commitment. (How come nobody ever wants to give me a series commitment? Not even for that idea I had featuring The Wizard of Oz, Tom Sayer, and Jane Eyre in pre WWI Berlin?)
  • Joe Port & Joe Wiseman’s (Joe Wiseman was an early student of Our Fearsome Leader, LB, Joe Port, um, wasn’t) script, JOE, JOE AND JANE, a sitcom about a writer constantly having to attend to the needs of his wife and his co-author and based on the writers’ lives, has been given the go-ahead into produced pilot by NBC. (How come nobody wants to give the go-ahead into produced pilot to me for my life story of constantly having to attend to the needs of my left hand and right foot? Damn!)

Love & Money Dept – TV Writing Deals for 11/16/12

Showbiz Secret Numero Uno: It takes a whole lotta writing love to generate even a little writing money.

  • Chris Morgan (FAST & FURIOUS) & Jason Fuchs (CONTINENTAL DRIFT) are teaming up to turn Disney’s Big Thunder Mountain amusement park ride into a dramatic WesternTV series for ABC.  (Because if anything in this world can be considered tried-and-true it’s Disneyland.)
  • Mark Goffman (THE WEST WING, STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP) is writing the pilot for NBC’s I AM VICTOR, about an abrasive but brilliant divorce attorney. (Because NBC always wanted to have its own version of HOUSE.)
  • Phil Klemmer (POLITICAL ANIMALS) is writing the pilot for the CW’s adaptation of THE TOMORROW PEOPLE, which once upon a time was a big hit in the UK. (Because Nickelodeon had such success with the very same show a generation ago.)
  • Chad Kultgen (THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE) is writing the pilot for BAD JUDGE, a comedy about a, you know, bad judge, for NBC. (Because he has such a cool last name. In fact, to us it sounds like the perfect name for the next generation of esoteric TV/online video viewers. Whatcha think?)
  • Gretchen Berg & Aaron Harberts (REVENGE, PUSHING UP DAISIES) are writing the pilot for an untitled ABC drama about the soap opera world, created by Josh Duhamel, who evidently is some kind of actor. (Because Duhamel was on a soap years ago and actors creating shows based on, you know, themselves, are all over the place these days.)