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How does a Chicago-based Indie film team break into Sundance, sell their movie at the fest, debut with a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and make a Box Office Splash? They make a really, really great movie. Writer/director Kelly O'Sullivan knows a thing or two about Indie Filmmaking; her debut "Saint Frances" won SXSW in 2019. Today she discusses how she writes, casts, and directs outside of the traditional indie ecosystem, and how you can, too.

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Whether it was writing for SNL in the '80s, writing RAT RACE in the 90s, or creating MONK in the 2000s, it's no secret that Andy Breckman has had an incredible career. What does he chalk it up to? Luck (and a whole lot of hard work).

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When Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky, and Lucia Aniello were first pitching Hacks, they didn't have a precise tonal comp when the network asked. But the trio ultimately knew that they wanted a show that was allowed to be "hard funny," but still make lots of space for rich emotional moments. Today, Paul and Jen discuss HOW they walk that tightrope while writing, and how centering Ava and Deborah's professional and personal relationship serves as their creative North Star helps the process.

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Animation is a MEDIUM, not a genre. This, among many other important lessons on today's episode, is one of the first things Lorien tells people who are interested in writing animated TV for children. Today we discuss how to break into children's animated TV, how production considerations weigh into the writing process, and what it means to signal a "red alert" in your work (hint: this is a good thing).

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Let's be frank: sexism and ageism are no joke in Hollywood. That being said, women over forty posses superpowers that the peers may lack - experience and wisdom. For Nitza Wilon & Elizabeth Kaiden, this is part of the juice behind the Writers Lab, the only screenwriting lab solely focused on nurturing women and non-binary folk over 40.

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Today, we’re joined by Jaiver Barrios, Lauren, O’Connor, and Hilary Swett to discuss the INVALUABLE resources that the WGF library provides for writers…FOR FREE.

RESOURCES DISCUSSED:

WGF Blog (Spec Primer Example!): https://www.wgfoundation.org/blog/2023/1/18/formatting-your-spec-script-a-primer-part-22?rq=abbot

WGF Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/WritersGuildFoundation

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Today is your last day for a lifetime TSL Workshops Discount! Sign up here: https://tslworkshops.circle.so

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Get Chris' Book!: https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Journey-Mythic-Structure-3rd/dp/193290736X

Though Chris Vogler is generally credited with introducing the FRAMEWORK of The Hero's Journey into modern Hollywood discourse, it almost didn't happen. When someone else plagiarized his memo and trafficked it to Jeffrey Katzenberg trying to take credit for it, Chris faced a crossroads. Find out HOW he managed that, and became an essential creative pillar behind the development of THE LION KING.

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Over the lifespan of our show, you've heard Meg and Lorien interview a ton of incredibly talented writers, but today, we turn the tables, and get to hear from them! (And a bit from producer Jeff too...)

Andrew Zinnes, a screenwriter and teacher himself, helped compile a book of interviews by top-tier screenwriting pros (including Meg), so today, he wanted to enrich the conversation presented by the book by hearing from all of TSL!

TO ORDER ANDREW'S BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Screenwriters-Advice-Popular-Winning-Streaming/dp/1501363271

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