Film School

Woody Allen, by his own admission–and the definition of statutory rape–has sexually assaulted children. This very film contains a reference to such assault. His daughter has reported assault. In at least one other film, Allen plays a character having sex with a child. There's not really much more to talk about with Woody Allen, frankly, and it's what we discussed after watching this film for the very last time, ever. How do you separate the artist from their art? Should we even try? The podcast takes a left turn this week, but it's an important discussion to have, and we hope you have it with us.

Sometimes, slogging through the mud is the wrong choice. Barreling ahead with complete tunnel vision and shutting out any and all other possibilities can be foolhardy and actually hinder progress. So, how do you know when to change course? And when a change is the right thing, how do you do it? Josh and Ira chat about when this has come up in their own lives, and what they've learned from it!

Write a character you fall in love with. We've all heard that advice, but HOW DO YOU DO THAT? How can we create a character who feels real, that people will connect with, be thrilled by, want to cosplay . . . you know, the BEST CHARACTERS. This week, we talk about our own tips and tricks as well as our observations of the best characters out there. Enjoy!

How do you know if you're writing the right story? I mean, we all know how long it takes to write something, we all know how much effort it takes. It seems like a valid question . . . why this story right now? How important (or unimportant) is it to answer that question? We answer this question for ourselves in this week's Cutting Room Floor!

A rock and a hard place. The decisions that define the arc of a character, and indeed our own lives. This is the realm of the Crisis, one of the must-have components of a scene, act, story, or even series of stories. Have a great one, and your story will sizzle. Important stuff. So . . . how do we write a good one? Not all decisions are created equal, so how do we make sure we're really turning the screws on a character? We discuss our own observation and tips!

Writing is hard. Often. Not all the time, certainly . . . writing is hard, it seems, until it's not. For a while. And then it's hard again. Writing is perhaps at it's hardest when it doesn't happen, when we don't write. So, what drives you away from the writing? What stalls you out, makes you go in circles? What makes you feel like giving up? Josh and Ira share what it is for them . . . and what they do about it.

Go out with a BANG! Of the three most basic parts of a story–beginning, middle, and end–the ending probably gets the most attention. A good one will get you the most forgiveness, and a bad one will certainly doom you. That's a lot of pressure. So . . . what makes a great one? What are some pitfalls to avoid? And what are some heights to reach for? We share our tips, tricks, and observations!

A left turn. Off the rails. Sometimes, our story seems to have a mind of it's own, and it changes as we're writing it, perhaps even dramatically. Is . . . that okay? Or, is that some kind of red flag, a warning that we're about to get lost in the weeds? That second question is probably just anxiety, and the answer to the first is probably yes. We talk about why this week!

The dreaded "muddy middle." That's a common term amongst script writers and storytellers in general. We all know that if a story is going to bog down anywhere, it will happen in that giant middle 50% chunk of the story. There's a reason why most manuscripts get about halfway through before they're tossed in a drawer and abandoned. So, how can we avoid that? How can we make the middle the BEST part of the story? We share tips and tricks on how to do just that!

In the age of content . . . what makes something "art?" Anyone and everyone can make anything these days. That's objectively wonderful. Inherently, that means there area a multitude of reasons why things are created, what the goals are for those creations, and the function they serve to the audience they reach. Within all that, IS there a distinction to be made between "content" and "art?" If there is a difference, how important is it? And what does it mean for us as creatives/creators?