film interview

Happy New Year! 

In today's episode, we will rewind the story of Doug Kenney, the screenwriter and co-founder of National Lampoon, who was behind popular movies like Animal House and Caddyshack. Despite being remembered as a 'genius' by his friends and colleagues, Kenney tragically passed away at the age of 33 after falling off a cliff in Hawaii.

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The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.
Executive Producer Kristin Overn
Producer Sandy Adomaitis
Producer Terry Sampson
Music by Ethan Stoller

PAGE International Screenwriting Awards 
Hollywood’s favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.

We discuss Terry’s love of The Marx Brothers and his appreciation of improvisation.  The Marx Brothers were a famous comedy act that succeeded in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures between 1905 and 1949. The American Film Institute selected five of the Marx Brothers' fourteen feature films as among the top 100 comedy films. Critics, scholars, and fans widely regard the Marx Brothers as some of the greatest and most influential comedians of the 20th century. They perfected the art of improvisation during their time, making their comedy timeless and unforgettable to Terry and the world.

 Research for this episode includes:
20 Famous Movie Scenes That Were Actually Completely Improvised by Thomas Delatte for thethings.com/famous-movie-scenes-actually-completely-improvised/#jar-of-dirt-pirates-of-the-caribbean 
Wikipedia
IMDB
editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/marx-brothers/

The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.
Executive Producer Kristin Overn
Creator/Producer Sandy Adomaitis
Producer Terry Sampson
Music by Ethan Stoller

 👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 
📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please get in touch with us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 
You can follow us on Twitter @pageawards.com and Facebook @pageawards

Hang out with Sandy and Terry in their discussion about the 20th anniversary of School of Rock and the process of generating creative ideas when a screenwriter begins to write a movie. We find the process intriguing - from when an idea strikes the writer, often while in the shower, to how they shape it based on their life experiences.

Research for this episode included:
One Great Rock Movie Can Change the World: An Oral History of ‘School of Rock’ written by Angie Martoccio rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-features/school-of-rock-anniversary-oral-history-jack-black-1234822127/
How a Script for a Friend Turned into a Cross-platform Classic written by Nicole Bitette paramount.com/news/content-and-experiences/school-of-rock-oral-history
Wikipedia, and IMBD.

The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.
Executive Producer Kristin Overn
Creator/Producer Sandy Adomaitis
Producer Terry Sampson
Music by Ethan Stoller

 👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 
📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please get in touch with us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 
You can follow us on Twitter @pageawards.com and Facebook @pageawards

Hang out with Sandy and Terry as they discuss what is going on with the writer's strike, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and writing in winter in Vilnius. 

Research for this episode relied heavily on the NIH National Institute of Mental Health.

nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder

 Other resources: 

thealaskafrontier.com/do-you-get-paid-to-live-in-alaska/#:~:text=Since%201982%20every%20qualified%20Alaskan,it%20sustainably%20for%20the%20future.

vox.com/culture/2023/9/24/23888673/wga-strike-end-sag-aftra-contract

If you are distressed or thinking about hurting yourself, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline toll-free at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You also can text the Crisis Text Line (HELLO to 741741) or use the Lifeline Chat on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website.

The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.
Executive Producer Kristin Overn
Creator/Producer Sandy Adomaitis
Producer Terry Sampson
Music by Ethan Stoller

 👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 
📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please get in touch with us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 
You can follow us on Twitter @pageawards.com and Facebook @pageawards

 Hang out with Sandy and Terry as they discuss the "big idea" - a high-concept premise that can persuade studio executives to read your script and turn it into a movie. Terry shares his opinion on the best pizza in the San Fernando Valley, while Sandy gets serious about New York bagels.

 The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.
Executive Producer Kristin Overn
Creator/Producer Sandy Adomaitis
Producer Terry Sampson
Music by Ethan Stoller

 👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 
📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please get in touch with us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 
You can follow us on Twitter @pageawards.com and Facebook @pageawards

Sandy and Terry hang out and discuss Sandy being sexually harassed and bullied but still pitching a Humanitas Prize-nominated idea to Disney/ABC/ RECESS with her former writing partner.

👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 
📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please get in touch with us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 
You can follow us on Twitter @pageawards.com and Facebook @pageawards

Hang out with our guests, John Wirth and Gail Matthius, a Hollywood couple who met in high school, fell in love and moved to Hollywood to pursue their dreams. 

Gail was a cast member on Saturday Night Live in 1981 and is known for her voice acting work in animated shows, including Bobby's World, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, and The Tick.

 John Wirth is a television showrunner, producer, and writer.  His credits included HELL ON WHEELS, WU ASSASSINS, TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, and NASH BRIDGES. 

In part one, Gail and John discuss the early days and their willingness to work hard to succeed. In this episode, we focus on the difference between the time when Gail and John were struggling versus today in 2023, when, unfortunately, actors and writers have to strike for decent wages and protection from artificial intelligence. 

Hang out with our guests, John Wirth and Gail Matthius, a Hollywood couple who met in high school. Gail was a cast member on Saturday Night Live in 1981 and is known for her voice acting work in animated shows, including Bobby's World, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, and The Tick.

 John Wirth is a television showrunner, producer, and writer.  His credits included HELL ON WHEELS, WU ASSASSINS, TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, and NASH BRIDGES. 

 In part one of this two-part episode, Gail and John discuss the early days and their willingness to work hard to succeed in show business. In part two, we'll focus on the difference between when Gail and John struggled and in 2023, when actors and writers must strike for decent wages and protection from artificial intelligence. 

👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 
📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please get in touch with us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 
You can follow us on Twitter @pageawards.com and Facebook @pageawards

Hang out with Sandy and Terry as they talk procrastination with a capital P! Everyone deals with it, but how do you stop procrastination? Then, once you do, what do you write your screenplay about? You have three great ideas, but which one do you write? We address this in the latest episode and have a few laughs.  

Research for this episode includes articles from the following publications.
“Leonardo da Vinci” by Walter Isaacson

proactivitylab.com/the-7-most-famous-procrastinators/

johnaugust.com/2009/which-project-should-i-write

https://screenwritingfromiowa.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/pages-per-day/https://www.pcma.org/the-upside-of-procrastination/

https://solvingprocrastination.com/famous-procrastinators/#:~:text=Below%2C%20you%20will%20find%20a,Victor%20Hugo%2C%20and%20Steve%20Jobs

👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 
📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please get in touch with us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 
You can follow us on Twitter @pageawards.com and Facebook @pageawards

PAGE International Screenwriting Awards 

Hollywood's favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.

Hang out with Sandy and Terry as they discuss THE BLIND SIDE controversy over Michael Oher, the NFL veteran whose life inspired the movie and who is suing his conservators, Sean and Leigh Ann Tuohy, for  $15 million.

The former Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers Tackle says in his filing that he gave the rights to his life story away to 20th Century Fox in 2007 without any payment whatsoever and that he was missing profits from John Lee Hancock’s 2009 film, which grossed $309 million at the worldwide box office. 

The resources for this episode include A look at Michael Oher's Ole Miss Recruitment, the Tuohys impact, and 'Blind Side' fallout. USAToday

After 19 years, the Tuohys say they plan to terminate Michael Oher's conservatorship – NPR. 

The Blind Side author responds to Michael Oher's lawsuit, saying Hollywood is to blame for the lack of profits by Jessica Wang.
https://ew.com/movies/the-blind-side-author-responds-michael-oher-lawsuit/#:~:text=from%20the%20movie.-,%22Everybody%20should%20be%20mad%20at%20the%20Hollywood%20studio%20system%2C%22,in%20the%20Tuohys%27%20pockets.%22

Wikipedia and IMDB

The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.
Executive Producer Kristin Overn
Producer/Host Sandy Adomaitis
Co-host Terry Sampson
Music by Ethan Stoller

👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 
📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast

💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 

PAGE International Screenwriting Awards 

Hollywood's favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.

How do they do it? How do successful writers become successful? They must all lead charmed lives. One imagines a successful writer who works hard, gets up at 4 a.m., goes to the gym, then slides behind the laptop for four hours. Afternoons they take their doodle around the block of their tony neighborhood, then put in another two solid hours of editing. Healthy dinner with friends, then bed for a brilliant night's sleep. Well, dear writers, as we know on The Writer's Hangout, it doesn't always go well when we tell you a story about a screenwriter.  

 Hang out with Sandy and Terry, who tell you the fascinating story of screenwriter and director Stephen Gaghan, known for writing the screenplay for Soderbergh's film TRAFFIC, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and Syriana, which he wrote and directed.

 Research for this episode included:

The Newsweek article Sheik, Rattle and Roll by Newsweek Staff

https://www.newsweek.com/sheik-rattle-and-roll-115527

 The New York Times article Gritty Portrayal Of the Abyss From a Survivor; The Screenwriter for 'Traffic' Says He Drew on His Past By Rick Lyman

https://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/05/movies/gritty-portrayal-abyss-survivor-screenwriter-for-traffic-says-he-drew-his-past.html

 The Los Angeles Times article Stephen Gaghan, one-time Hollywood wunderkind, returns after a long absence with ‘Gold’ by Steven Zeitchik

 https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-stephen-gaghan-gold-20161114-story.html

 IMDB and Wikipedia

The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.
Executive Producer Kristin Overn
Producer/Host Sandy Adomaitis
Co-host Terry Sampson
Music by Ethan Stoller

👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 
📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast

💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 

PAGE International Screenwriting Awards 

Hollywood's favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.

Time to play – The Writers’ Game Show!!!!  Sandy will give a brief synopsis of a movie that involves music, one sentence at a time, and we’ll see how many sentences Terry and you take to come up with the movie's name.  We are going for a low score here.  If you get it on the first sentence, you give yourself a one, the second sentence a two, etc.

 All synopsizes are courtesy of Google. 

The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.
Executive Producer Kristin Overn
Producer/Host Sandy Adomaitis
Co-host Terry Sampson
Music by Ethan Stoller

👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 
📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast

💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 

PAGE International Screenwriting Awards 

Hollywood's favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.

Today, we have a great guest on the show, best-sell author and screenwriter Claire McGown.  Claire was born in Northern Ireland and grew up in a village where she said, “The most exciting thing that ever happened was a herd of cows getting loose in the road.” Clair now lives in London, and her latest mystery thriller book, LET ME IN, was just released. The Irish Times said, “A knotty, twisty tale…unfolds at a cracking pace.” I had so much fun getting to know Claire that I didn’t want to stop recording!  

The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.
Executive Producer Kristin Overn
Producer/Host Sandy Adomaitis
Co-host Terry Sampson
Music by Ethan Stoller

👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 
📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast

💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 

PAGE International Screenwriting Awards 

Hollywood's favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.

Friend of the pod and production coordinator extraordinaire Kathy joins us to look at the WGA and SAG strike through the lens of the people behind the scene.  What happened to everyone else working as a production assistant, gaffer, or script coordinator just a few months ago?  When will the strike end?  What are the writers and actors looking for?  Tune in, and all will be explained. 

The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards sponsors the WRITERS' HANGOUT.
Executive Producer Kristin Overn
Producer Sandy Adomaitis
Producer/Engineer Terry Sampson
Music by Ethan Stoller

👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 
📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast

💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 

PAGE International Screenwriting Awards 

Hollywood's favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.

On this episode, we invite you to hang out with Sandy as she takes a look at Hollywood's most iconic landmark, the Hollywood Sign.  Originally built as “Hollywoodland” as an advertisement to lure in real estate investors, it has seen tragedy, facelifts, and even a couple of good pranks over the decades. The Hollywood Sign is celebrating its 100 Anniversary throughout 2023.  

We dive deep into the 1980s class miniseries V.
V: The Original Miniseries is a two-part science-fiction television miniseries written and directed by Kenneth Johnson. V aired in 1983 and initiated the science-fiction franchise concerning aliens known as the "Visitors" trying to gain control of Earth and of the ways the populace reacts.

Alone, the behind-the-scenes exploration of V: The Original Miniseries is an interesting story, but for writers, learning about classic television, films, shorts, and media content is important. You don't want to be that writer who whines, "I wasn't born then," when your studio executive or showrunner brings up a film or television show from the past, right? 

Research:
The V  Files: The Shocking Legacy of an ’80s Sci-Fi Cult Classic

Hollywood backstabbing, conspiracy theories, and the devastating murder of a star behind the TV alien-invasion sensation. By  Anthony Breznican 
vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/05/the-v-files-legacy

and 

40 Years After V Debuted, The Miniserises Still Has Lots to Say
Creator Kenneth Johnson looks back at the highs and lows of the sci-fi mega-hit.
b y Yzaki Hasan https://www.ign.com/articles/40-years-after-v-debuted-the-miniseries-still-has-lots-to-say

👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 

📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast

💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 

PAGE International Screenwriting Awards 

Hollywood's favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.

We are back!  The Writer’s Hangout is back with a brand-new episode.  We break down the current WGA Writers’ Strike and whether A.I. can write a screenplay better than a human.  We introduce A.I. Theater, where Terry reads from three scripts written by bots.  Writers, we challenge you not to laugh at these delightful screenplays.  The scripts are all written by bots and can be found on the Instagram Account: @bot_scripts

👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 

📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast

💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 

PAGE International Screenwriting Awards 

Hollywood's favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.

Rewind -- British screenwriter Ian Mackintosh's plane went missing on July 7, 1979, nineteen days before his thirty-ninth birthday, over the Gulf of Alaska. What happened remains a mystery. Join us as we tell the story of Lieutenant Commander Hamish Ian Mackintosh, a British Royal Navy officer, a writer of thriller novels, and a screenwriter for British television. 

Ian's series, THE SANDBAGGERS, was groundbreaking. The New York Times said "the best spy series in television history." Ian MacKintosh was among the first writers to present espionage realistically and as a sordid series of political struggles, double-crosses, and personality clashes.

If you want to read more about Ian Mackintosh, I highly recommend The Life and Mysterious Death of Ian Mackintosh by Robert G. Folsom.

We wanted to “jump on the mic,” as the kids say, and give you a Writers’ Hangout update.  Terry and I have been working on some projects that took our time away from recording, but we’ve been working behind the scenes on future episodes and are excited about hanging out with you soon. I miss you guys a lot.  In the meantime, here’s a favorite episode of mine and Terry's entitled; WRITING REAR WINDOW WITH HITCHCOCK AND HAYES.  Learn how a short story from a dime store magazine turned into one of the most discussed films produced in Hollywood and the fifth-grossing film of 1954.  The film REAR WINDOW, starring Jimmy Stewart, Grace Kelly, Raymond Burr, and Thelma Ritter, was written by John Michael Hayes and directed by Alfred Hitchcock.  

👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 

📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast

💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 

PAGE International Screenwriting Awards 

Hollywood's favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.

REWIND of two more PAGE Awards Judges, Dwayne Smith and Mike Kuciak continue the conversation on how they evaluate your screenplay.

Mike Kuciak has two movies coming out in 2022; he's the writer-director and writer-producer of the other. He's a producer on a third film scheduled to begin production in late 2022. He has served as a producer and executive producer on several independent films. He was the senior vice president of development for a literary management-production company and, after that, the founder/CEO of his own company before hanging that up to focus on writing/directing/producing.

Dwayne Smith has been a professional screenwriter since 1999 and has written scripts for Warner Bros., Lionsgate, Intermedia, and Gold Circle. His urban thriller PAY THE LADY is in post-production, and his sci-fi feature IMPLANT is in pre-production. Representing the management firm Circle of Confusion at numerous screenwriting conferences and festivals, Dwayne has listened to hundreds of pitches and read countless screenplays in search of new writing talent. As a judge for the PAGE Awards, he reads Comedies, Thriller/Horror, Science Fiction, and Action/Adventure scripts.

👍 If you enjoy the show, please remember to follow us and leave a review where you listen to podcasts. 

📸 Check out our IG for photos @thewritershangoutpodcast

💙 If you have an idea for the podcast or would like to comment, please contact us @thewritershangoutpodcast@gmail.com 

PAGE International Screenwriting Awards 

Hollywood's favorite screenwriting contest -- one of the industry's top sources for new talent.