TV Writer Podcast - Audio

Acting, directing, writing, producing, teaching, stand-up comedy… LaMont Ferrell wears a lot of hats!

Originally from Philadelphia, LaMont Ferrell has been entertaining audiences for many years. He has performed for a variety of ages and ethnicities across the US, and around the world. A local magazine describes his act as, “Energetic, creative and original, but most of all just plain funny.”

After winning the 1996 Comic Relief Comedy Festival’s “Funniest New Comic” Award, he took his comedic writing talents to TV, and started writing for various sitcoms such as BET’s ‘Nothin’ But a Woman,’ the WB’s The Parent ’Hood and UPN’s Moesha. He won The Media Projects 2000 Shine Award for a Moesha episode he co-wrote.

LaMont is a busy pilot writer, having had sales to the Fox Network, TBS, and the UPN Network. He also works in motion picture writing, having been hired to punch up the movie, The Cookout, and is in pre-production for Family Business, a film based on the true story of his family’s restaurant business in Philadelphia.

In 2003, LaMont formed his own production company, Just Jokes Entertainment, and produced and directed three volumes of his own stand-up comedy DVD series. ‘LaMont Ferrell’s Just Jokes Comedy Tour’ features himself, several national known comedians and hilarious skits. The DVD is available online at www.justjokesentertainment.com, Netflix.com and various media outlets around the country.

He is currently a writer for BET’s series Reed Between the Linesand Let’s Stay Together. Also, you might have seen him in his recurring role on the hit NBC show, The Office.

In his interview, LaMont discusses how to train your observational skills, being a “clean” comic, and being an entrepreneur in today’s market.

Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.

Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.

First published November 25, 2012.

This week Gray talks all about management, with special guest Jenny Frankfurt.

Jenny Frankfurt is a film and television literary manager/producer who owns the company Highstreet Management in Los Angeles. She currently represents such writing talent as Sterling Anderson, David Madsen, Norma Vela, Joel Thomas, Malcolm Kohll, Jill Campbell, Crystal Hubbard, Phil O’Shea and others – most based in Los Angeles and the UK, but others throughout the US. She has sold television shows (both reality and fiction), features, and staffed television shows for almost 20 years.

After graduating from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Jenny began her career in representation by working at the William Morris Agency in New York, where she worked for a legendary film, tv and playwrights agent, who represented such writers as Eric Bogosian, William Mastrosimone, Warren Leight, Eric Overmyer and Jon Robin Baitz.

From NYC Jenny moved to Los Angeles where she worked at ICM with clients such as Susan Sarandon, Louis Malle, Johnny Depp, Lasse Hallstrom and Will Smith. After deciding management would give her more freedom to produce and influence her client’s careers, she started working with manager Rick Yorn and clients such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Cameron Diaz, Claire Danes and Benicio Del Toro.

Jenny tried her own hand at producing the independent feature Johnny Hit and Run Pauline, to which Emma Thompson was attached as Executive Producer. Jenny then started working with the infamous manager Benny Medina at Handprint Entertainment, and incorporating all the time she had recently spent in London, started specializing in working with British and European clients including Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and writers, directors and production companies such as James MacInnes, Saul Metzstein, Daniel Bronzite and the production company F&ME. She soon became Head of Handprint’s Literary Department.

Follow her on Twitter: @TryingTrue

Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.

Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.

First published November 18, 2012.

All about the pitch! This week our special guest is Stephanie Palmer, who wrote the definitive book on pitching, Good in a Room.

Stephanie Palmer helps creative people learn to pitch ideas and sell their projects.

Stephanie founded Good in a Room in 2005 and is the author of the book Good in a Room (Random House, 2008). She has been featured on The Today Show on NBC, The Early Show on CBS, KTLA, Los Angeles Times, National Public Radio and in Inc, Atlantic, Variety, Script, and Speaker magazines.

She has led workshops for organizations including Google, William Morris Endeavor, Merrill Lynch, Warner Brothers, UCLA, USC, National Speaker’s Association Graduate School, Asia Media Festival, International Creativity Conference, The Screenwriting Expo, and The Great American PitchFest. She is the moderator for the American Film Market’s annual Pitch Conference.

Previously, Stephanie was the Director of Creative Affairs for MGM where she supervised the acquisition, development and production of feature films, and heard over 3000 pitches. Some of her projects included 21, Legally Blonde, Be Cool, The Brothers Grimm, Agent Cody Banks, Agent Cody Banks 2, A Guy Thing and Good Boy.

The Hollywood Reporter named her one of the “Top 35 Executives Under 35.” She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and lives with her husband and son in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

She shares examples of successful film and TV pitches on her blog: www.goodinaroom.com/blog.

Follow her on Twitter: @GoodInARoom

Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.

Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.

First published November 11, 2012.

Proof that directing a showcase film works, this week features an in-person video interview at the studio of director Bradley Walsh.

After graduating from York University, director Bradley Walsh was a very successful music video director. He then moved to commercials, but yearned to tell more dramatic stories. It wasn’t until he wrote and directed a showcase short film that he was able to break in to directing for television.

Since then, he has directed for many TV series and TV movies, including Instant Star, One Tree Hill, Salem Falls, and A Killer Among Us.

Bradley is a great example of how to make a career transition within the industry, and gives great tips on breaking in as a director.

Watch his episode of Beauty and the Beast on Thursday, November 1st, 9/8c on The CW!

Follow Bradley on Twitter: @Bonspielmusic

Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.

Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.

First published November 1, 2012.

We’re debunking more Hollywood myths today! Bob DeResoa, writer of the hit feature ‘Killers‘ and the hit USA show ‘White Collar,’ has lots to say about the things we believe and shouldn’t.

Photo Credit: Blake Gardner

Where Bob DeRosa comes from, nice guys finish first. The Florida-born screenwriter recently finished his first season as a writer on the hit USA show ‘White Collar.’ He previously wrote Lionsgate’s action-comedy ‘Killers,’ starring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl, and co-wrote director Jieho Lee’s crime-drama ‘The Air I Breathe.’

After graduating from the University of Florida, Bob returned home to Orlando and became a leading figure in the city’s thriving theatre and film community. In addition to co-founding the award-winning comedy troupe THEM, Bob spent three years programming for the Florida Film Festival. After relocating to Los Angeles, Bob wrote two evenings of one-act plays and is a regular contributor to the ongoing late-night series ‘Serial Killers’ at Sacred Fools Theater in Hollywood.

When he’s not writing, Bob studies Kenpo karate and spends time with his lady Jen and their three kids, who look suspiciously like cats.

In today’s interview: the myth of breaking in, personal branding, writers room etiquette, and lots more!

Follow Bob on Twitter: @thembob

Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.

Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.

First published October 26, 2012.

Today is all about mentors, pitching, pilots, and breaking in! In a new topical format, today’s podcast with TV writer-producer Kam Miller is sure to help your career… buckle up!

Kam Miller is a TV writer-producer who has created pilots for FOX, CBS, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Television, and Universal Cable Productions. She wrote for the long-running show Law & Order: SVUas well as the short-lived show Killer Instinct. Her first feature, The Iris Effect, was produced while she was at USC film school. She also wrote and directed Descendents of Eden, a sci-fi short film that premiered at the San Diego Comic-Con Film Festival.

As a grad student, she created the highly successful USC First Pitch, the official pitch festival for the USC School of Cinematic Arts. As an alumnae, she co- created USC First Team, a program that shepherds teams of writers, directors, and producers through development and takes feature projects out to the industry.

Currently, Kam is attached to the TV project Grave Sight, which is based on True Blood author Charlaine Harris’ Harper Connelly book series. Kam is attached to another pilot with the producers of Saving Grace and The Glades. She also is finishing her first novel, Myth of Crime.

On her blog, Glass half-full in Hollywood, Kam shares insights from other film and TV industry professionals about how they keep their glasses half-full in a town that can be draining. You can find it at kammiller.com. Follow Kam on twitter: @kammotion.

Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.

Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.

First published October 22, 2012.

As a production manager, David Barlow got his break into writing by a very unusual method… pitching jokes on set! Since then, he has created two series, including the long running Seeing Things, and has over 30 years experience writing in LA, Vancouver, and Toronto.

Most recently, David Barlow was a co-executive producer and writer on the Showcase series King. Previously, he was a producer-writer on the CBC series The Border – twice nominated for the Best Dramatic Series Gemini. He has co-created two television series – Nothing Good Too for a Cowboy (with Charles Lazer), and Seeing Things (with Louis del Grande). His series credits as a story editor and/or writer include Durham County, Blue Murder, Cold Squad, and North of 60.

Barlow may be the only producer to receive Gemini nominations for both Best Dramatic Series (E.N.G.) and Best Sports Program in the same year. The documentary was ‘Chasing the Dream,’ produced with Peter Raymont and William Thomas.

Barlow has received two Gemini Awards for Best Comedy Series (‘Seeing Things’), a Gemini for Best Writing in a Dramatic Series (Max Glick), the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television’s Margaret Collier Award for his body of work as a screenwriter, and the WGC’s Writer’s Block Award for service to Canadian screenwriters.

He is also a faculty member of the Advanced Television and Film and Media Arts programs at Sheridan College, Oakville and has conducted professional screenwriting workshops across Canada, in Singapore, and in Dublin.

David has lots of great tips on how to break in… you don’t want to miss this one!

Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.

Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.

First published October 15, 2012.

From Fresh Prince of Bel Air to Weeds, Devon K. Shepard has been a busy TV writer/producer for the last 23 years. He’s full of wisdom on what made that possible!

Devon K. Shepard was born in South Central California. From a very early age, he always had a love of television and film. His parents recognized this love, so on Saturday afternoons, they would drop Devon, his younger brother and older sister at the local movie theater where they would watch movies all day long.

That love of movie translated into a Radio, Television and Film degree from Cal State Northridge. Upon graduation, Devon was hired as a music intern for the television magazine show, Entertainment Tonight. His big break, however, came when he met Rob Edwards(The Princess and the Frog) at a barber shop in South Central California. Because he was always cracking jokes on whomever sat in the barber chair, Rob thought that he was funny and asked him to interview for a writer’s trainee job for a show called Out All Nightstarring Patti LaBelle, Vivica A. Fox and Morris Chestnut. Devon was hired for the job and has been working in television ever since.

Devon’s credits include The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, MADtv, Everybody Hates Chris, Weeds and this year’s hot new show, House Of Lies. Devon made his directorial and acting debut in a short film, My Brother’s Keeper, which he also wrote. Devon is married to Ranada Shepard, a writer in her own right, and they reside in Chatsworth, California, with their three sons.

In his interview, Devon talks about how crucial it is to have a great work ethic, to elevate your craft no matter what stage you’re at, to keep evolving your writing for current issues, and to keep abreast of technological changes like social media and new production techniques. He also talks about researching other cultures to make your characters more believable, and writing material in different genres so you’re not pigeon-holed.

Inspired by Norman Lear and John Hughes, Devon values well crafted & developed characters, and has moved away from comedy to dramatic television.

Follow Devon Shepard on Twitter: @DevonShepard

Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.

Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.

First published September 3, 2012.

What do you get when you cross a life coach with a screenwriter? That’s what we’re going to find out today, as we meet Jenna Avery!

Jenna Avery is a screenwriter who devoted the last year to redesigning her life to support her passion for writing. Her most recently completed project is a sci-fi action script called “Progeny.” She is also a life coach and the founder of the Writer’s Circle — an online “Just Do The Writing” accountability system — designed to help writers get the support, accountability, and inspiration they need to finish all their writing projects and get their work into the world. Jenna blogs about writing, creativity, and life purpose at JennaAvery.com.

Jenna and Gray talk at length about the many blocks that writers face, and what it takes to get our butts in the seat!

Follow Jenna on Twitter: @JennaAvery

Read Jenna’s regular column on ScriptMag: Get a New Story

Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.

Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.

First published August 7, 2012.

“The best writers in town have everything in their arsenal.” Janine Sherman Barrois is our guest this week, and she knows what she’s talking about!

After growing up in Massachusetts, Janine Sherman Barrois moved to Virginia in high school, and began writing for the school paper. She quickly learned that her love was not of reporting facts, but of telling stories. She attended Howard University, where on the advice of her roommate’s dad, director Gilbert Moses, she did a major in English, and a minor in film, so she could read more books.

She moved to Los Angeles… Janine is quick to remind the viewer that it took a few years of odd jobs before she was able to land her first staff gig. An important step along the way was the Warner Bros. Writers Workshop… she had previously been denied, but succeeded in landing a place in the workshop when she paired up with a writing partner.

She and her writing partner got several TV comedy staff gigs, including Lush Life, Eddie Murphy’s The PJ’s, and The Jamie Foxx Show. Then, after getting some attention from a feature script they wrote, they got a job on Third Watch. After the first season, Janine stayed in drama, while her partner went back to comedy.

After several seasons of Third Watch, Janine worked for several seasons on ER, ending up at the EP level. Then she auditioned for Criminal Minds — and is careful to point out that they actually read her writing samples, though she was an EP already — and joined the staff as EP at the beginning of season 6.

Janine was nominated for five NAACP Image Awards and a Humanitas Award for her writing. She also serves on the board of the William H. Johnson Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to giving scholarships to African-American Contemporary artists.

Buy Gray’s book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews.

Didn’t get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray’s YouTube channel.

First published June 30, 2012.