You Can't Make This Script Up

Build, Baby. Build!

This week we’re talking about world building - from the minutiae to the BIG ideas. We discuss the ones who did it best and our strategies for recreating that magic. * Pod Racing, George Lucas and the Star Wars prequels * Kathleen Kennedy - President of Lucasfilm and patron Saint of our career endeavors * The 2021 Cannes Film Festival and Brit’s fave - the red carpet fashion * Pink suits are in! Spike Lee in Vuitton, Olivia Rodrigo in vintage Chanel, Kamala Harris in Sergio Hudson! (Even Kate Middleton at Wimbleton!) * Which reminds us - Wimbledon just happened and it was high fashion and star studded. We love to see it. * The J.Crew sweater jacket [https://www.jcrew.com/p/womens/categories/clothing/blazers/sweater-blazers/juliette-collarless-sweater-blazer/J6339?display=standard&fit=Classic&color_name=hthr-khaki&colorProductCode=J6339] that Meghan Markle wore to Wimbleton. (FYI she has it in heather dove aka light gray) * HBO announced ANOTHER GOT spinoff [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/game-of-thrones-animated-yiti-1234982593/]. But we finally get to leave Westeros! * Tze (pronounced Z) Chun - a cool dude, an AWESOME twitter follow [https://twitter.com/thetzechun] and his timeline which is THE place to find Asian American creators! (Also he’s hella cool and lowkey hilarious.) * What is World Building? [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldbuilding] * Great examples in literature (and therefore tv/film): Tolkien and Lord of the Rings, Rowling and Harry Potter, GRRM and GOT, CS Lewis and Narnia, etc. * We have ~ thoughts ~ about The Witcher (on Netflix). Season 2 drops this winter. * HBO’s new show The Last of US - based on a video game and adapted for screen by Craig Mazin. * Story archetypes! * The Kevin Fiege interview Caitlin loves and recommends too much. * Correction: Post credit scenes are called STINGERS (not spider lol). * John Francis Daley - Actor (Freaks and Geeks/Bones) but now a successful screenwriter (Horrible Bosses, Vacation, Dungeons and Dragons) * Anna Waterhouse - screenwriter (The Gray Man, Rebecca) * The Edge of Tomorrow (2014) aka Live Die Repeat - Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt sci-fi action movie that is awesome. * World building techniques - top to bottom or bottom to top? * Trying to film something set in NYC while not in NYC. * Studios and production companies want you to build a world that they can mind for IP for the next 50 years. (Also favorite words from execs “aspirational” and “elevated”) * Brittany wants to live in The Sopranos universe… HBO open a damn theme park! * Caitlin makes pretty obvious conclusions about post WWI and WW2 audiences and the rise of film and tv but someone had to say it. * Emmy Noms - HBO holds its dominance alongside the rise of Disney+. (Which reminds us - Warner Brothers, where are those Harry Potter spin off series at? What are you waiting for?) * Perfect IP situation - writing within a world people know and love but telling a story audiences know little to nothing about so there are limited expectations or comparisons. * John Mayer’s new album “Sob Rock” [https://johnmayer.com/] - out now. Also, we love a well executed theme. The merch! The branding! What a triumph! * CAN YOU GET US HARRY STYLE TICKETS?! HELP US PLZ. * Brit is heading to DisneyWorld and the world is her oyster!

Sequels: Second Time's the Charm!

Hi! We are very burnt out and discussing sequels. This episode may be best consumed with cold medicine. (Kidding. Exhaustion is a drug in and of itself! Let's party!) * Pixar’s newest film - LUCA (2021) * The most recent DC/Twitter discourse re: Harley Quinn’s animated series on HBOmax - does Batman give head? [https://variety.com/2021/tv/features/subverting-superhero-tv-wandavision-harley-quinn-umbrella-academy-1234992069/] * Funniest tweets from that day. [https://junkee.com/batman-oral-sex/298214] * The Room (2003), The Disaster Artist (2017) and Tommy Wiseau * Audrey Hepburn’s best quotes - “The mind reels!” * 2022 sequels coming down the pipeline - Jurassic World: Dominion, Scream, Thor: Love and Thunder, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. * Erza Miller - actor (Justice League, Fantastic Beasts) * We spiral into a bit of a Harry Potter rabbit hole… there’s uh, a lot of Dumbledore discourse. * Top Gun: Maverick (2021) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSqVVswa420] * Tom Cruise and the coconut cake * Avatar and it’s many sequels in development * IMAX and 3D movies - we have ~ thoughts ~ * 2009 Best Director at the Oscars * Kathryn Bigelow - director (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Forty) * Chloe Zhao - director (Nomadland) * Jurassic Park: The Lost World (1997) * The Mummy Returns (2001) * Grease 2 (1982) * Aladdin - The Return of Jafar (1994) and The King of Thieves (1996) * The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride (1998) * Addams Family Values (1993) NOTE: Caitlin mixed up movie camp counselors here - mistakenly referencing the Parent Trap cast and erasing Christine Baranski from the conversation. She will be watching The Good Fight as penance for her sins. * The Godfather: Part Two (1974) * The Pirates of the Caribbean sequels * HBO’s new series from Craig Mazin - The Last of Us. Starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsay. * Reboots and Revivals - Gossip Girl, Spring Awakening * Tap Dancing! Yes, we really talk about everything.

We're back, babyyy!

Our unplanned hiatus is OVER and we are ready to RAMBLE! Err... rumble? * Screenwriting competitions, festivals, fellowships * Spreadsheets are our savior. (Even if Caitlin is a psycho about it!) * Reflecting on our pre-2021 episodes and our predictions and excitement (Inauguration fashion, Disney+ Marvel shows!) * Amazon buys MGM for $8 Billion [https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/amazon-buys-mgm-studio-behind-james-bond-for-8-45-billion-1234980526/] * Wizard of Oz sequels - Return to OZ (1985) * John Chu - Director (Crazy Rich Asians, In The Heights, Wicked) * Our college days in NYC circa 2007-2012 and theater school antics at AMDA * Anthony Ramos - actor and AMDA alum (Hamilton, In The Heights) * Acting school tries to make every student a “blank slate” but ends up making everyone homogenous when what usually gets you the job is the thing that makes you stick out from the crowd! * Originating a role versus replacing a role in theater * Tick, Tick… BOOM! Movie musical trailer. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAJXFRshQfw] Directed by Lin Manuel Miranda. * Andrew Garfield - actor (The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Under the Silverlake, Spider-Man, The Social Network) * *Disney+ SPOILERS* and our collective freak out on Disney’s Shareholder Day announcements * Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni doing the most (and the best) at LucasFilms. * Daniel Brühl - actor (Falcon and the Winter Soldier, The Alienist) * Loki, Disney+ series starring Tom Hiddleston * Brit’s vision for an indie superhero movie a la Logan (2017) * Brie Larson - actor (Captain Marvel, Room) who is prepping for Captain Marvel 2 with celebrity trainer, Jason Walsh (Rise Movement and Rise Nation - our favorite cardio class in LA!) * Jurassic World sequel - Bryce Dallas Howard (actor) & Colin Trevorrow (writer/director) * NOTE: Caitlin calls people by their first names simply because she is lazy. These people are ~ not ~ her friends. * Dax Shepard’s podcast - Arm Chair Expert, Kerri Russel, and our love of JJ Abrams * Pacific Palisades - JJ and Caitlin are from the same small town that has recently been dramatically renovated by developer, Rick Caruso * Pitching! Our two recent pitches - one project to a studio and the other for an OWA at a major production company * Our career coach, Lee Jessup [https://leejessup.com/] * Questions everyone in Hollywood asks about your project: 1. Why are you the person to tell this story? And 2. Why now? * Adapting a real life event - what about this makes it a movie and not a documentary? * No matter how specific a story, audiences need an emotional journey to connect to that makes the project feel universal * Open Writing Assignment [https://www.networkisa.org/articles/view/open-writing-assignments-owas-demystifying-the-secret-club#:~:text=What%20exactly%20is%20an%20open,screenwriting%20work%20made%20for%20hire.] - screenwriting work for hire * A brief interlude on music licensing in podcasting * General meetings - we’ll cover that soon * Tent Pole Intellectual Property - example: Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Star Wars * ISA - International Screenwriting Association * “Kill Your Darlings [https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-does-it-mean-to-kill-your-darlings#:~:text=%E2%80%9CKill%20your%20darlings%E2%80%9D%20is%20a,sake%20of%20your%20overall%20story.]” * Brit’s SKIMS obsession is real. We sidebar to discuss our favorite Kardashians. * Caitlin’s recent TV binges: Shrill on Hulu and Peaky Blinders on Netflix * Lindy West’s book - Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema [https://www.hachettebooks.com/titles/lindy-west/shit-actually/9780316449847/] * Our DMs are open! (Not THAT way. Or maybe…)

~ INSPO ~

We're pulling inspiration from Pinterest boards, Spotify playlists, Google street view - anything we can get our grubby little hands on 'cause this shit is hard, okay?!  (Recorded November 2020) Things we talked about in the episode include: * Our creative process - research and development * Pinterest boards * Spotify playlists * Google Street View * Tudor England and British Invasion classic rock * Bad habits we had as young writers * Jane the Queen, our Lady Jane Grey adaptation * Princess Leia, Alderaan and learning how to crystalize the inspiration down to brief but descriptive action lines * Christian Davies, our friend and amazing writer * Bo Welch, production designer * Rugs in movies! Inception (2010) and The Big Lebowski (1998) * People in Hollywood are obsessed with “white space” in scripts. * Being open to “cuts” and taking your ego out of the equation. * Writing in Hollywood: where art meets business! * Directing “on the page” - should you do it? * Scriptnotes podcast episode on “Writing Action” [https://johnaugust.com/2020/writing-action] * Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Mulholland Drive (2001) * The many historical “princess” limited series on STARZ * Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” and The Rolling Stones’ “Lady Jane” * Spark of inspiration/creation - where do you find it? More on this later. * Finding inspiration via the details: titles, loglines, outlines * Astrological signs (Yes, we went there.) * Supplementary materials: lookbooks/decks, sizzle reels, pitch videos. * Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics holiday collab with “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” [https://www.instagram.com/p/CHjS9DKH5p8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link] * How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) * IFC’s Documentary Now! * 1970’s Original Cast Album: “Company” documentary and the parody it inspired. [https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/6/12/21288505/original-cast-album-company-1970-documentary-now-co-op-streaming] * Grey Gardens (1975) documentary by Albert and David Maysles * The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002) documentary by Bob Evans * New York Magazine’s Approval Matrix [https://nymag.com/tags/the-approval-matrix/] Find us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ycmtsupod/] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/YCMTSUpod]!

Don't Judge a Book by It's On Screen Adaptation

Note: This episode was recorded November 2020, AKA before the Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and Oprah interview. Let it be known - we stan Josh O'Connor, we pan Prince Charles. MARKLE HIVE, RISE UP! Things we talked about in the episode include: * “Modern Austen” Deadline press release [https://deadline.com/2020/11/modern-austen-anthology-series-reimagining-jane-austen-novels-the-cw-eleanor-burgess-stephanie-allains-1234614146/] (Y'all are not ready for Caitlin's RANT here, whew apologies!) * Pride & Prejudice [https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1342/1342-h/1342-h.htm] by Jane Austen [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Austen] and her body of work * Clueless (1995) * “Modern Austen” writer, Eleanor Burgess (Perry Mason) * Optioning books for development in film and tv * “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” by Judy Blume * Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) * “Royal Holiday” by Jasmine Guillory * Carve outs in options and contracts * The immense talent of Octavia Spencer (and Idris Elba) * “One to Watch” by Kate Stayman-London * Plus size actresses and casting * Our Mamas and Papas biopic - People Like Us * “You Should See Me in a Crown” by Leah Johnson * Reese Witherspoon book club and spinoff YA book club * Queer/gay high school love stories on screen * “All American Girl” by Meg Cabot * Teri Weinberg, tv producer (The Office, The Tudors, Ugly Betty) * Charlaine Harris, author (Southern Vampire Mysteries) * Meg Cabot’s “The Princess Diaries” novels and movie adaptations * Party of Five reboot with ICE deportation circumstances * Shonda Rhimes and “The Princess Diaries 2: A Royal Engagement” (Note: Shonda wrote PD2 featuring Chris Pine - he did not work on the script. Caitlin realizes her word choice was... confusing.) * Attaching IP to pitches/scripts * Optioning books, articles, etc. * Women in Film [https://womeninfilm.org/] mentoring circles * What is IP [https://www.wipo.int/about-ip/en/] aka Intellectual Property? * “The Serpent King” by Jeff Zentner and Brittany’s personal option and adaptation journey * Entertainment lawyers and option agreements * Brian Grazer’s epic quote on people in Hollywood [https://www.instagram.com/p/B7pDDYeFzvL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link] * Learning from adapting books - try it yourself! * Public domain [https://publicdomainreview.org/guide-to-finding-interesting-public-domain-works-online/] aka FREE IP! * Sonya Sklaroff, artist [https://www.sonyasklaroff.com/nyc] * The Crown Season 4 - Prince Charles, yay or nay? * Prince William and Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, and Princess Diana - life, death and legacy. * Christopher Jackson, Getty Images photographer * Peter Morgan, creator and writer of The Crown * Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and the epic black outfit [https://www.nowtolove.com.au/royals/british-royal-family/camilla-parker-bowles-outfit-65686] Find us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/ycmtsupod/] and Twitter [https://twitter.com/YCMTSUpod]!