Ep 546: Michael Kennedy

PUBLIC VERSION. Screenwriter and Producer Michael Kennedy (FREAKY, IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE) joins Adam, Joe, and Arwen in the ArieScope Studio to discuss his career journey. From working as an animation assistant and IT support on FAMILY GUY for 10 years and what it was like when his writing career took off and he was able to head out on his own… to the making of FREAKY and its release during the pandemic.. to defining his voice as a writer and finding his lane… to the comical tribulations of being a writer where others get credit for a writer’s wins while the writer takes the blame for aspects that were beyond their control… to the making of his latest film IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE and his love for holiday movies… to the look of the villains he has created and the design of their masks… to how heartbreaking it is that so few will ever hear a film’s actual sound mix in the modern era of streaming films on tablets, phones, and poorly set up home theater systems… to why “old” can always be “new” again if a story is told with a fresh and original voice… Michael’s amazing success story is candidly laid out in this truly honest conversation about the filmmaking process. The group also discusses how unfortunate it is that the original BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974) doesn’t get more of the respect it deserves, when it may be better to write a script on spec instead of pitching the idea first, and how even the most well intended decisions by executives to make a film more inclusive can backfire when the audience can tell that they’re being pandered to.