Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast OnWriting: A Podcast of the WGA East
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| Episode 131: WGAE AI Task Force Roundtable with Larry J. Cohen, Sarah Montana and A.M. Homes | 20 Nov 2025 | 01:03:44 | |
This week, WGAE AI Taskforce co-chairs Larry J. Cohen and Sarah Montana, and taskforce member A.M. Homes sit down for an OnWriting roundtable conversation about all things artificial intelligence: how we got to where we are today, the risks AI poses to workers, what the WGAE is doing to protect members from this technology, and more. A.M. Homes is a writer whose credits include television series like Mr. Mercedes and The L Word. She is a former member of the WGAE Council and currently a member of the WGAE AI Taskforce. Larry J. Cohen is a writer on the television series Berlin Station and Borgia. He currently serves on the WGAE Council and is the co-chair of the WGAE AI Taskforce. Sarah Montana is the writer of Hallmark holiday movies like Rescuing Christmas. She's a WGAE Council member for the Film/TV/Streaming sector and is the second co-chair of the WGAE AI Taskforce. --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: wgaeast.org/onwriting Follow the Guild on social media: @WGAEast OnWriting is a production of the Writers Guild of America East. The show is produced by WGA East staff members Jason Gordon, Tiana Timmerberg, and Molly Beer. Production, editing, and mix by Giulia Hjort. Original music is by Taylor Bradshaw. Artwork is designed by Molly Beer.
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| Episode 130: Screenwriter Roundtable with Nia DaCosta, Benny Safdie and Will Tracy | 13 Nov 2025 | 00:44:09 | |
We're kicking off the Fall/Winter 2025 season of OnWriting with a roundtable conversation between screenwriters Nia DaCosta, Benny Safdie and Will Tracy, who sat down to discuss their latest projects, the writing process, and more. Nia DaCosta is the writer and director of Hedda, a provocative, modern reimagining of Henrik Ibsen's classic play in which the titular Hedda Gabler finds herself torn between the lingering ache of a past love and the quiet suffocation of her present life. Benny Safdie is the writer and director of The Smashing Machine, the true story of mixed martial arts and UFC fighter Mark Kerr, whose obsession with greatness made him a legend — and nearly cost him everything. Will Tracy is the writer of Bugonia, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, in which two conspiracy-obsessed men kidnap the CEO of a major company when they become convinced that she's an alien who wants to destroy Earth. --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: wgaeast.org/onwriting Follow the Guild on social media: @WGAEast OnWriting is a production of the Writers Guild of America East. The show is produced by WGA East staff members Jason Gordon, Tiana Timmerberg, and Molly Beer. Production, editing, and mix by Giulia Hjort. Original music is by Taylor Bradshaw. Artwork is designed by Molly Beer. | |||
| Episode 121: Peter Straughan ("Conclave") & Zach Baylin ("The Order") | 18 Dec 2024 | 00:49:29 | |
Screenwriters Peter Straughan (Conclave) and Zack Baylin (The Order) discuss their latest projects and previous work, their process, and much more. Peter Straughan is a writer and playwright. His most recent screenplay is the 2024 film Conclave. Before Conclave, Peter's screenwriting credits have include The Goldfinch, Our Brand is Crisis, Frank and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the latter of which received several accolades including a 2011 Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. In addition, he wrote the 2015 television adaptation of Wolf Hall, which earned him a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special. Zach Baylin is a writer whose 2024 credits include The Order and Bob Marley: One Love. His other credits include Gran Turismo, Creed III and King Richard, the last of which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media:
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| Episode 31: Ramy Youssef, "Ramy" | 10 Jul 2020 | 00:40:59 | |
Kaitlin chats with Ramy Youssef—the writer, creator, Golden Globe-winning star, and frequent director of the Hulu comedy series RAMY—about the importance of representation in crafting his show, what was in his head when he won his Golden Globe, and why if you're going to be weird you have to earn it. Ramy Youssef kicked off his industry career as a co-star in the Nick at Nite comedy SEE DAD RUN, where he shadowed the writers' room. Since then, he's had a recurring role on USA Network's MR ROBOT and an HBO stand-up special. His latest project, RAMY, drops us into the day-to-day life of Ramy Hassan, a millennial Muslim living in New Jersey who's trying to navigate faith, family and being a first generation immigrant while also waiting in the murky waters of sex, love and trying to be good. Seasons 1 and 2 of the series are now streaming on Hulu, and the show was recently renewed for a 3rd season. -- | |||
| Episode 30: Tony McNamara, "The Great" | 02 Jul 2020 | 00:35:45 | |
Kaitlin is joined remotely by Tony McNamara—the Oscar-nominated and BAFTA-winning screenwriter and writer-creator of the satirical Hulu series THE GREAT—to discuss The Great's journey from theater to television, how smart women take on the status quo, and why the show's depiction of sex is so refreshing. Tony McNamara wrote a number of critically acclaimed films and TV series in his native Australia before receiving international attention - as well as an Oscar nomination and a BAFTA win - as the screenwriter for the 2018 period piece/black comedy THE FAVOURITE. His latest project, THE GREAT, is loosely based on the life and times of Russian monarch Catherine the Great. The series, which stars Elle Fanning is the titular Catherine, and Nicholas Hoult as her caddish husband Emperor Peter, is available to stream on Hulu, and was just renewed for a second season. -- | |||
| Episode 29: Liz Tigelaar, "Little Fires Everywhere" | 26 Jun 2020 | 00:52:53 | |
Kaitlin chats with Liz Tigelaar – showrunner and head writer for the Hulu miniseries LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE – about the start of Liz's creative journey as a Dawson's Creek writer's assistant, how story arcs around mothers and daughters have evolved, why an intersectional writers' room is essential for all storytelling, and much more. Liz Tigelaar's long career in TV drama includes shows like BROTHERS AND SISTERS, ONCE UPON A TIME, and NASHVILLE, among others. She also created the CW series LIFE UNEXPECTED and ran the Golden Globe-nominated Hulu series CASUAL. Her latest project, LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, stars Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon and is based on the novel by Celeste Ng. The series is a meditation on motherhood, race, and the tensions between them in a suburban Ohio town in the '90s. -- | |||
| Episode 28: Taika Waititi, "Jojo Rabbit" | 23 Jan 2020 | 00:29:00 | |
Kaitlin is joined via phone by Taika Waititi -- the writer, director, and star of the film JOJO RABBIT, and the producer of the show WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS - both of which have earned him nominations at this year's Writers Guild Awards. Taika chats about writing a Nazi satire, using fear as a creative motivator, writing comedy when you aren't attracted to comedy writing, how he engages with the Indigenous filmmaking community worldwide, and more. Taika Waititi's filmmaking career started in the early 2000s and gained international attention when he received an Oscar for his 2004 short film TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT. Since then, he has written and directed films like EAGLE VS. SHARK, BOY, WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE, and THOR: RAGNAROK, which have all been met with widespread critical acclaim. His latest project, JOJO RABBIT, is a dark comedy based on Christine Leunens's book Caging Skies. Set in Nazi Germany, the film follows Johannes "Jojo" Betzler, a Hitler Youth member who finds out that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic. Jojo must then question his beliefs, while dealing with the intervention of his imaginary friend -- a fanciful version of Adolf Hitler (played by Taika himself). It has received nominations at this year's Writers Guild Awards, as well as six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. -- | |||
| Episode 27: Greta Gerwig, "Little Women" | 23 Dec 2019 | 00:33:43 | |
Kaitlin sits down with writer, director, and actor Greta Gerwig – the writer and director of the 2019 film LITTLE WOMEN – to talk about why the world needs a new version of the classic story; how Greta cuts down her 400-page first drafts; the intersection between women, money, and writing; and much more. Greta Gerwig started her film career with a small acting role in the 2006 film LOL. She went on to act in, co-write, and co-direct several mumblecore films over the subsequent years, and has been a frequent collaborator of writer and director Noah Baumbach since 2010. She made her solo screenwriting and directorial début with the 2017 film LADY BIRD, for which she was nominated for both a Writers Guild and an Oscar. LITTLE WOMEN is an adaptation of the semi-autobiographical 1868/1869 novel by Louisa May Alcott. The film follows the four March sisters – Amy, Jo, Beth and Meg – as they come of age during the aftermath of the Civil War. The film will be released in theaters on December 25, 2019. -- | |||
| Episode 26: Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" | 20 Dec 2019 | 00:36:02 | |
Kaitlin is joined by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, co-writers of A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, to talk about the eternal battle between cynicism and kindness, the gravitational pull of Tom Hanks, and how keeping bankers' hours keeps them sane. Before their most recent project, Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster were writers and producers on the recently concluded Amazon series TRANSPARENT, for which they won a Peabody Award and were nominated for Emmy, Writers Guild, Golden Globe, and GLAAD Awards. The duo are also co-writers of MALEFICENT: MISTRESS OF EVIL, the 2019 sequel to the 2014 film MALEFICENT. Inspired by the Esquire Magazine article "Can You Say… 'Hero'?," A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD is based on the true story of a friendship between renowned children's television host and educator Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. -- | |||
| Episode 25: Noah Baumbach, "Marriage Story" | 16 Dec 2019 | 00:27:40 | |
In the season 5 premiere, Kaitlin sits down with Writers Guild Award- and Oscar-nominated writer and director Noah Baumbach to talk about his latest film, MARRIAGE STORY. They discuss how a film about divorce is really a film about love, what New York and LA mean on screen, when you know you're ready to open that final draft file and really write, and much more. Noah Baumbach made his feature film debut with his critically acclaimed 1995 film KICKING AND SCREAMING, and has gone on to write and direct such films as FRANCES HA, THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES, and THE SQUID AND THE WHALE – the script for which was nominated for both a Writers Guild Award and an Oscar. MARRIAGE STORY follows actor Nicole Barber and her stage director husband Charlie as they struggle through a grueling, coast-to-coast divorce that pushes them both to their personal and creative extremes. The film now streaming on Netflix. -- | |||
| The OnWriting Guide to Crafting Scripted Podcasts: Part One | 03 Dec 2019 | 00:37:53 | |
Over the past five years, podcasts have exploded in popularity. You listen to them, and with over 700,000 active podcasts out there, chances are you or someone you know has a show of their own. A 2019 report by Edison Research found that 70% of the U.S. population has heard of podcasts and over 50% have listened to one. Fictional or scripted podcasts represent a small but steadily growing subset of the podcast industry. The Guild – and our members – have a lot of questions about this new frontier of scripted podcasting. Is it a lower-cost way to get a story known to the public… and to TV producers? Is it a viable, fulfilling way to create stories in its own right? What are some ways writers can protect ourselves as we explore this new form of work? To answer these questions, we spoke to writers and producers who have made a name for themselves in the scripted podcast industry – some who are just starting out, and some whose podcasts have gone on to become TV shows. In Part One, LIMETOWN co-creator Zack Akers, HOMECOMING producer Alicia Van Couvering, and WGA East executive director Lowell Peterson talk to us about the industry's business side: what the market looks like, how to break in, and how to protect yourself once you're there. In Part Two, we'll take a deep dive into the creative side of the industry, from recruiting talent to necessary skillsets to creative satisfactions and beyond. Learn more about the Guild's work in the scripted podcast industry: wgaeast.org/podcasting. -- The OnWriting Guide to Scripted Podcasting, Part One was written & produced by Molly Beer; hosted by Kaitlin Fontana; sound design, mixing, and tech production by Stock Boy Creative; with special thanks to River Donaghey, Danielle Trussoni, Zack Akers, Skip Bronkie, Alicia Van Couvering, Lowell Peterson, Jason Gordon, and Marsha Seeman. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ -- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast | |||
| The OnWriting Guide to Crafting Scripted Podcasts: Part Two | 03 Dec 2019 | 00:31:24 | |
When you're a screenwriter moving to TV or a novelist moving to screenwriting or even a comedy writer moving to drama, you'll have questions about how this new territory differs from what you're used to. Questions like... how does breaking a script work? Or... how do I write character development over the course of a two hour film rather than over a full TV season? Questions are normal. But typically, there are at least some factors that are givens – things that have been established over the course of decades. Problem is, since podcasts are new territory for pretty much everyone, those sorts of rules and standards about the most basic issues don't exist yet. There's no consensus about how to format a podcast script, let alone any popular beliefs about things like whether you need a writer's room. To find answers for some of these questions, we spoke to writers and producers who have made a name for themselves in the scripted podcast industry – some who are just starting out, and some whose podcasts have gone on to become TV shows. In Part One, we heard from LIMETOWN co-creator Zack Akers, HOMECOMING producer Alicia Van Couvering, and WGA East executive director Lowell Peterson about the industry's business side: what the market looks like, how to break in, and how to protect yourself once you're there. Now, in Part Two, we'll take a deep dive – with the help of Zack and Alicia, as well as Danielle Trussoni (CRYPTO-Z), and River Donaghey (AMERICAN AFTERLIFE) – into the creative side of the industry – from recruiting talent, to necessary skillsets, to creative satisfactions and beyond. Learn more about the Guild's work in the scripted podcast industry: wgaeast.org/podcasting. -- The OnWriting Guide to Scripted Podcasting, Part Two was written & produced by Molly Beer; hosted by Kaitlin Fontana; sound design, mixing, and tech production by Stock Boy Creative; with special thanks to River Donaghey, Danielle Trussoni, Zack Akers, Skip Bronkie, Alicia Van Couvering, Lowell Peterson, Jason Gordon, and Marsha Seeman. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ -- Follow Kaitlin on Twitter: @KaitlinFontana Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast | |||
| Episode 24: Edward Norton, "Motherless Brooklyn" | 15 Nov 2019 | 00:54:00 | |
Kaitlin chats with writer, director, producer, and actor Edward Norton about his many screenwriting jobs, how he gets past writer's block, his 20-year journey taking his latest film - MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN - to the big screen, and much more. Edward Norton had his film debut in the 1996 film PRIMAL FEAR, and within three years had risen to prominence for his starring roles in AMERICAN HISTORY X and FIGHT CLUB. Since then, he has received critical and cult acclaim – as well as numerous awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award and three Academy Award nominations – for his roles in films like RED DRAGON, THE ILLUSIONIST, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, MOONRISE KINGDOM, THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL, BIRDMAN (just to name a few). He has also directed or produced films like KEEPING THE FAITH and THE PAINTED VEIL. MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN is an adaptation of Jonathan Letham's 1999 novel of the same name. The film follows Lionel Essrog, a lonely private detective living with Tourette Syndrome, as he ventures to solve the murder of his mentor and only friend, Frank Minna. The film was released in theaters on November 1. -- | |||
| Episode 120: Julio Torres & Jeff Schaffer in conversation | 04 Dec 2024 | 00:46:03 | |
Writers and showrunners Julio Torres and Jeff Schaffer discuss their work on some of TV's most acclaimed comedy series. Julio Torres is a writer and comedian who wrote for Saturday Night Live and the HBO comedy series Los Espookys, the latter which he co-created alongside Ana Fabrega and Fred Armisen. He then went on to write and direct the 2023 surrealist dramedy film Problemista. After Problemista, he created, wrote, and starred in the critically acclaimed surrealist comedy series Fantasmas, which premiered in June 2024 on HBO. Jeff Schaffer is a film and television writer and director known for cowriting cult-classic features like Eurotrip and Bruno and for his work on acclaimed television series like Seinfeld, The League and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He served as showrunner for Curb Your Enthusiasm from 2009 until the end of its twelfth and final season, which concluded in April 2024. --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| Episode 23: Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam, "Patriot Act" | 24 Oct 2019 | 00:48:50 | |
Kaitlin is joined by Hasan Minhaj and Prashanth Venkataramanujam, co-creators of the Netflix series Patriot Act, to talk about how they joined forces to create their headline-making series, the importance of a unique take on the news, and why you can never have enough late night shows. Hasan Minhaj is a comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. Before starting his time as host of PATRIOT ACT WITH HASAN MINHAJ, you may have recognized him from - among other things - his four-year stint as a correspondent on THE DAILY SHOW, or as the host of the 2017 White House Correspondents' Dinner. Since the premiere of PATRIOT ACT, Hasan has won a Peabody Award and two Webby Awards, and was listed of one of TIME's 100 Most Influential People of 2019. Prashanth Venkataramanujam is a writer, actor, comedian, and producer who is currently the head writer and executive producer for PATRIOT ACT. In 2016, Prashanth wrote Minhaj's host speech for the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association Dinner which was televised on C-SPAN – the recording of which subsequently went viral and now has over 1.3 million views on YouTube. In 2017, he became a writer for Netflix's BILL NYE SAVES THE WORLD, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, and wrote Hasan's speech for that year's WHCA Dinner. PATRIOT ACT WITH HASAN MINHAJ explores the modern cultural and political landscape with depth and sincerity. In each weekly episode, he uses his unique comedic voice and storytelling skill to investigate the larger trends shaping the fragmented world. Episodes are released weekly on Netflix, and the fifth season will premiere on November 10, 2019. -- | |||
| Episode 22: Tom Perrotta, "Mrs. Fletcher" | 17 Oct 2019 | 00:41:06 | |
Kaitlin sits down with novelist, screenwriter, and showrunner Tom Perrotta to discuss his creative process, writing about sexual awakening, porn, adapting his latest novel into his latest TV show, and much more. Tom Perrotta is the bestselling author of nine works of fiction, including Election and Little Children, both of which were made into Oscar-nominated films, and The Leftovers, which he and Damon Lindelof adapted into a Peabody Award-winning HBO series. MRS. FLETCHER, Perrotta's new HBO series, is based on his latest novel, and tells the story of a single mom who attempts to start a new life after her son heads off to college. It premieres on October 27th. -- | |||
| Episode 21: Lorene Scafaria, "Hustlers" | 03 Oct 2019 | 00:48:10 | |
Kaitlin sits down with Lorene Scafaria to discuss her latest film, HUSTLERS, as well as her writing processes for both adapted and original projects, the importance of portraying women and their relationships in a dynamic way, the work in sex work, and much more. Lorene earned her first Writers Guild credit with the acclaimed teen comedy NICK AND NORA'S INFINITE PLAYLIST. Since then, she's written and directed three films: SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD, THE MEDDLER, and - most recently - one of this year's most buzzed-about films, HUSTLERS. Inspired by the New York magazine article "The Hustlers at Scores," HUSTLERS follows a group of strippers, when the 2008 economic collapse, devise a scheme to scheme to take their lives back by turning the tables on their Wall Street clients. The film was released in theaters on September 13, 2019. -- | |||
| Episode 20: Warren Leight, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" | 12 Sep 2019 | 00:46:34 | |
Kaitlin sits down with writer, showrunner, director, and playwright Warren Leight to discuss his career from stand-up comic to playwright to showrunner of IN TREATMENT and LAW & ORDER: SVU, running writers' rooms, how to shift the focus of a show with such a powerful legacy, the importance of having your work - and your writing team - reflect the real world, and much more. Warren Leight got his start in the entertainment industry with credits on features like MOTHER'S DAY and THE NIGHT WE NEVER MET (the latter of which he also directed). He also wrote for the female stand-up comic quartet the "High Heeled Women." From there, he eventually moved to the stage, penning plays like MAYOR and the Tony Award-winning, Pulitzer Prize finalist SIDE MAN. Warren joined the writing staff of LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT for its second through seventh seasons, when he left to be the showrunner for the HBO series IN TREATMENT. He returned to the LAW & ORDER roster in 2011, when he became showrunner for LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT. He worked as showrunner for SVU for its 13th-17th seasons, and is returning to the helm for its 21st. LAW & ORDER: SPECIAL VICTIMS UNIT is chronicles the lives of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, a squad of detectives who investigate crimes of sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence. The NBC series - which is now the longest-running live-action television series in the United States - will premiere its 21st season on September 26, 2019. -- | |||
| Episode 19: Lauren Ashley Smith, "A Black Lady Sketch Show" | 05 Sep 2019 | 00:43:18 | |
Season 4 host Kaitlin Fontana talks with Lauren Ashley Smith about being the Head Writer for the HBO series A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW, her writing process, the importance of having diverse voices in entertainment, how she runs her writers' room, and much more. Lauren is a writer, actor, comedian, and producer, and the first black woman to be the Head Writer of a sketch television show. Before her work on "A Black Lady Sketch Show," Lauren was Head Writer of the critically acclaimed late night show, "The Rundown with Robin Thede." As a comedian, Lauren hosted the Zagat webseries, "Chefs Eating Tacos," and has appeared on VH1.com, The Scene, Refinery29, and the Netflix original series, "The Characters." A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW is, as its name implies, is a sketch-comedy series with a cast, writers' room, and directing roster comprised entirely of black women. The series, created by Robin Thede and co-executive produced by Issa Rae, premiered on HBO in August and was recently renewed for its second season. -- | |||
| Episode 18: Solvan "Slick" Naim, "It's Bruno!" | 25 Jul 2019 | 00:29:32 | |
Caroline spoke with Solvan "Slick" Naim—writer, director, rapper, actor, and creator of the Emmy-nominated Netflix series IT'S BRUNO!—about the ways that music informs and shapes his work, the importance of diversity-focused mentorship programs in the entertainment industry, his advice to those who are just starting to try launch their careers in film & TV, translating his love of his dogs into his show, and much more. Solvan "Slick" Naim is an Award winning Algerian-American writer, director and rapper who was born and raised in New York City. Slick's filmmaking career started by way of his music career: as a rapper, he wrote treatments to his songs and began directing his own music videos. His debut feature, FULL CIRCLE, won 5 festival awards including the Audience Award at the 2013 HBO Urbanworld Festival and was acquired by EOne. IT'S BRUNO! - which premiered on Netflix in May - follows a Brooklyn native and his Puggle dog, Bruno, through the small adventures they encounter every day as they navigate their native Bushwick. -- | |||
| Episode 17: Gary Lennon, "Power," "Euphoria," "Hightown" | 18 Jul 2019 | 00:36:54 | |
Caroline spoke with playwright, screenwriter, and showrunner Gary Lennon about embracing rejection; the elements of a successful writers' room; his philosophy on putting real life in your fiction; the new seasons of POWER, HIGHTOWN, and EUPHORIA, and much more. Gary Lennon's somewhat tumultuous childhood paved the way for the start of his writing career: his first screenplay, for the 1995 film DRUNKS, was an adaptation of his stage play, BLACKOUT – a series of semi-autobiographical monologues about alcoholism. Since then, he has been a consistent fixture in the film and television worlds, with writing credits on shows like THE SHIELD, JUSTIFIED, and ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. He's currently the co-showrunner of the Starz crime drama POWER, and is an executive producer on the forthcoming Starz drama HIGHTOWN and the HBO teen drama EUPHORIA. POWER tells the story of James St. Patrick, a ruthless drug-dealer under the nickname "Ghost", who wishes to leave the criminal world in order to support his legitimate business interests as a nightclub owner. The sixth and final season will premiere in August. EUPHORIA, which premiered last month, follows a group of high school students as they navigate drugs, sex, identity, trauma, social media, love and friendship. HIGHTOWN follows federal Fishery Service Agent Jackie Quinones, whose life of partying and less-than-enthusiastic relationship to her job are upended after she discovers a body in Cape Cod Bay, and finds herself at the center of the Cape's gruesome heroin epidemic. It's tentatively set to premiere in early 2020. -- | |||
| Episode 16: Tom Fontana, "City on a Hill" | 02 Jul 2019 | 00:40:29 | |
Caroline sat down with the one and only Tom Fontana (for his very first podcast!) to discuss his writing process, running less-than-traditional writers' rooms, mentoring writers, his latest series - CITY ON A HILL, and much more. Tom Fontana's extensive résumé includes writer, producer, showrunner, and (co-)creator credits on several groundbreaking television series, including OZ, HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET, THE PHILANTHROPIST, COPPER, and Netflix's BORGIA. He has received international recognition for his writing, including five Writers Guild Awards (three for Episodic Drama and three of the East's honorary awards), three Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, and four Television Critics Association Awards. He is currently the showrunner for CITY ON A HILL, the crime drama series created by Chuck MacLean which recently premiered on Showtime. CITY ON A HILL—a fictional account of the 1996 "Boston Miracle" that changed the city's reputation for violent criminals, racism, and corrupt law enforcement—follows Brooklyn-raised Assistant District Attorney Decourcy Ward as he and forms an unlikely alliance with corrupt yet venerated FBI veteran, Jackie Rohr. Together, they take on a family of armored car robbers in a case that grows to involve, and ultimately subvert, the entire criminal justice system of Boston. -- | |||
| Episode 15: Robert & Michelle King, "The Good Fight," "Evil" | 17 Jun 2019 | 00:41:16 | |
Caroline was joined by writing team Robert and Michelle King—creators of THE GOOD FIGHT, their new series, EVIL, and the Writers Guild Award-winning show, THE GOOD WIFE—to discuss the upcoming seasons of THE GOOD FIGHT and EVIL, the difference between writers' rooms in LA and NYC, life as a married writing team, and more. Before their work on THE GOOD FIGHT and EVIL, the Kings co-created the political satire/science fiction BRAINDEAD and the police procedural IN JUSTICE. THE GOOD FIGHT- a spin-off of the Kings' award-winning series THE GOOD WIFE - follows attorney Diane Lockhart (Christine Baranski) as she loses her employment after an enormous financial scam destroys both the reputation of her goddaughter Maia (Rose Leslie) and Diane's savings, leading them to join Lucca Quinn (Cush Jumbo) at one of Chicago's preeminent law firms. The show's third season premiered on CBS All Access earlier this spring, and was recently renewed for a fourth season. EVIL is the Kings' upcoming series which follows a skeptical female clinical psychologist who joins a priest-in-training and a blue-collar contractor as they investigate supposed miracles, demonic possessions, and other extraordinary occurrences to see if there's a scientific explanation or if something truly supernatural is at work. -- | |||
| Episode 14: Alex Ross Perry, "Her Smell" | 11 Apr 2019 | 00:56:00 | |
Caroline was joined by writer and director Alex Ross Perry to discuss his upcoming film HER SMELL (which is in theaters on Friday, April 12), their shared Philly roots, his Kim's Video alum-heavy list of frequent collaborators and much more. HER SMELL follows '90s punk rock superstar Becky Something as she grapples with motherhood, exhausted bandmates, nervous record company executives, and a new generation of rising talent eager to usurp her stardom - and eventually must retreat from the spotlight to try to recapture the creative inspiration that led her band to success. Alex's career kicked off with the 2009 feature film IMPOLEX - an absurdist comedy inspired by Thomas Pynchon's novel Gravity's Rainbow. Since then, he has written seven other features - five of which he also directed - including indies like THE COLOR WHEEL and QUEEN OF EARTH, as well as the 2018 Disney film CHRISTOPHER ROBIN. -- | |||
| Episode 119: Laura Eason on "Three Women" | 20 Nov 2024 | 01:03:56 | |
Host Anya Epstein is joined by Laura Eason to discuss gaining confidence as a first-time showrunner, the art of adaptation and collaboration, hiring diverse writers to give life to diverse characters, navigating delicate topics with the nuance that they require and much more. Laura Eason is a screenwriter, showrunner, executive producer and playwright. She began her television writing career as a staff writer for four seasons of House of Cards, for which she received both an Emmy nomination for Drama Series and a Writers Guild Award nomination for Writing in a Drama Series. After House of Cards, she went on to serve as co-Executive Producer and writer for the 2019 miniseries The Loudest Voice in the Room. Laura is currently the showrunner, executive producer and writer of Three Women. The Starz limited series, which is based on Lisa Taddeo's 2019 book of the same name, is intimate and haunting portrayal of female desire that finds three – or really, four – women on a crash course to radically overturn their lives. Three Women premiered in the US in September 2024, and is available to watch on Starz. This episode is hosted by Anya Epstein. Anya is a TV writer and producer, and the co-showrunner of series like The Affair and In Treatment. --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| Episode 13: David Mandel, "Veep" | 08 Apr 2019 | 00:55:51 | |
Caroline spoke with David Mandel - the showrunner of the HBO hit series VEEP - about his amazing career trajectory, his strong opinions on writers' rooms, and their mutual obsession with Robert Caro. VEEP follows Selina Meyer, the Vice President (and, later, President) of the United States, and her team as they attempt to make their mark and leave a legacy without getting tripped up in the day-to-day political games that define the American government. The Emmy- and WGA Award-winning series – which is an adaptation of the BBC satire THE THICK OF IT – is currently in its seventh and final season. Before David Mandel's tenure as VEEP showrunner, he was a writer, director, and executive producer for CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM. Prior to that, he wrote for the seventh, eighth, and ninth seasons of SEINFELD; for the 18th, 19th, and 20th seasons of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE. He also co-wrote the screenplay for the 2003 film adaptation of THE CAT IN THE HAT, and was a writer and co-creator for CLERKS: THE ANIMATED SERIES. -- | |||
| Episode 12: Bo Burnham, "Eighth Grade" | 29 Jan 2019 | 00:24:10 | |
Caroline and WGAE Indie Film Caucus Director Jenna Bond sat down to speak with writer, director, and comedian Bo Burnham about his feature film debut, EIGHTH GRADE, which received a Best Original Screenplay nomination in this year's Writers Guild Awards. EIGHTH GRADE follows Kayla - an anxious thirteen-year-old - as she tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth grade year before graduating to high school while simultaneously hosting a video blog on YouTube in which she gives life advice. Bo's own career also started on YouTube, where he published a number of viral comedic music and skits starting in 2006. His online popularity quickly translated into an IRL career when he signed with Comedy Central Records in 2008. Since then, he released a series of comedy albums and stand-up specials, appeared in a number of feature films, and co-created, wrote, and starred in the MTV comedy series ZACH STONE IS GONNA BE FAMOUS. -- | |||
| Episode 11: Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, "The Other Two" | 24 Jan 2019 | 00:46:07 | |
Caroline spoke with Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, co-creators of the Comedy Central series THE OTHER TWO. THE OTHER TWO follows two older siblings who navigate and struggle to find success in their 20s, as their much younger brother becomes a mega star thanks to a viral video he made for a song called, 'I Wanna Marry You at Recess'. Chris and Sarah were staff writers on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE starting in the show's 37th season, and were co-head writers for its 42nd season. Before their careers at SNL, Chris was a staff writer and director at Funny or Die and Onion News Network. His first feature film, OTHER PEOPLE, premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Sarah was a writer and actor for CollegeHumor, where she starred as a fictionalized version of herself in the sitcom THE COLLEGEHUMOR SHOW. She has also written for the Netflix comedy MASTER OF NONE. -- | |||
| Episode 10: Barry Jenkins, "If Beale Street Could Talk" | 15 Jan 2019 | 00:39:50 | |
In this episode, Caroline was joined by Jenna Bond, who leads the WGAE Indie Film Caucus, and screenwriter and director Barry Jenkins to discuss Jenkins's film IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK. Barry Jenkins had his feature film debut with the 2008 independent film MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY, starring Wyatt Cenac and Tracey Heggins. Eight years later, in 2016, he released his second feature film, MOONLIGHT, which won the Writers Guild Award for Best Original Screenplay and two Oscars - including Best Picture. His latest film, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK, is an adaptation of the 1974 novel by James Baldwin. The film follows Tish, a newly engaged Harlem woman who races against the clock to prove her lover's innocence before the birth of their first child. -- | |||
| Episode 9: David Magee, "Mary Poppins Returns" | 18 Dec 2018 | 00:42:13 | |
Caroline spoke with David Magee about his screenplay for MARY POPPINS RETURNS—the highly anticipated and ambitious sequel to the 1964 Walt Disney classic. Prior to MARY POPPINS RETURNS, David wrote the screenplays for FINDING NEVERLAND, MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY, and LIFE OF PI. He received Academy Award nominations for his work on both NEVERLAND and PI, and is currently at work on a project about the life of famed author Hans Christian Andersen. MARY POPPINS RETURNS follows the magical nanny as, decades after her original visit, she returns to help the Banks siblings and Michael's children through a difficult time in their lives. It opens in theaters everywhere tomorrow, December 19. -- | |||
| Episode 8: John Krasinski, "A Quiet Place" | 07 Dec 2018 | 00:46:47 | |
In this episode, Caroline sat down to chat with John Krasinski—the screenwriter, director, producer, and star of one of this year's most frightening features (and one of AFI's Top 10 Films of 2018), A QUIET PLACE. The film follows the Abbott family as they attempt to silently navigate a post-apocalyptic world plagued by ruthless monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing. It was released in April 2018 to widespread critical acclaim and quickly became a box office success. You probably know John Krasinski from his eight-year stint playing Jim Halpert in the NBC comedy THE OFFICE, or else from his more recent turn starring as the eponymous hero of Amazon Prime's JACK RYAN, but Krasinski has also made a name for himself behind the camera. He made his feature film screenwriting and directorial debut in 2009 with BRIEF INTERVIEWS WITH HIDEOUS MEN, based on the short story collection by David Foster Wallace, and he wrote the screenplay for the 2012 film PROMISED LAND, directed by Gus Van Sant. -- | |||
| Episode 7: Matt Bai, Jay Carson & Jason Reitman, "The Front Runner" | 30 Nov 2018 | 00:42:50 | |
It's season two of the podcast, and we're hitting the ground (front-)running. In this episode, our season 2 host Caroline Waxler sat down with THE FRONT RUNNER co-writers Matt Bai, Jay Carson, and Jason Reitman. The film, based on a book by Matt Bai, explores how, in 1988, Senator Gary Hart's presidential aspirations were derailed after an affair became national news, and chronicles the moment when politics crossed over into entertainment. Matt Bai is a journalist, author, and screenwriter. He's currently the national political columnist at Yahoo News. Before that, he was chief political correspondent for the New York Times Magazine. You may also recognize him from his recurring role as himself in season two of HOUSE OF CARDS. Jay Carson is an international and American policy advisor and strategist. Throughout his career, he's been the press secretary for Hillary Clinton, a senior staffer for several other elected officials - including President Bill Clinton, and Chief Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles. He was also the supervising producer and political consultant for HOUSE OF CARDS. Jason Reitman is an Oscar- and Writers Guild Award-nominated screenwriter, director, and producer. In addition to THE FRONT RUNNER - which, in addition to co-writing, he also directed - his screenwriting credits include UP IN THE AIR and THANK YOU FOR SMOKING. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow us on social media: | |||
| Special Episode: The Made in NY Writers Room | 21 Nov 2018 | 00:39:44 | |
We're bringing you a special episode of OnWriting all about the Made in NY Writers Room—a fellowship program from the WGA East, the NYC Department of Small Business Services, and the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment. The fellowship elevates emerging writers with diverse backgrounds and view points by providing career development training from established showrunners and television industry leaders. For this episode, showrunner and Made in NY Writers Room mentor, Michael Rauch will be our guest moderator. He'll be in conversation with New York City Commissioner, Julie Menin, and the Writers Guild of America East Executive Director, Lowell Peterson. You can learn all about the program and how to apply by visiting wgaeast.org/writersroom -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow us on social media: | |||
| Episode 6: David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik, "Episodes" | 23 Oct 2018 | 00:34:18 | |
For the 6th and final episode of Season 1, Jordan spoke with David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik, the brilliant minds behind the award-winning Showtime/BBC series EPISODES, which recently concluded its fifth and final season. David and Jeffrey both got their start writing on the legendary late-night HBO sitcom DREAM ON. From there, Jeffrey went on to write and co-produce the hit series MAD ABOUT YOU, while David co-created the sitcom FRIENDS. EPISODES follows a British husband-and-wife comedy writing team who travel to Hollywood to remake their successful British TV series with FRIENDS' alum Matt LeBlanc. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow us on social media: | |||
| Episode 5: Emmy Blotnick, "The Late Show" & "The President Show" | 11 Oct 2018 | 00:41:43 | |
For episode 5 of the show, Jordan was joined by Emmy Blotnick to talk about her career writing late-night comedy. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow us on social media: | |||
| Episode 118: Gabe Sherman on writing "The Apprentice" | 16 Oct 2024 | 00:51:21 | |
Host Greg Iwinski sits down with Gabe Sherman to talk about Gabe's path from New York real estate journalist, to writing a book about Roger Ailes, to writing a movie about one of the most famous people on earth: Donald Trump. Gabe Sherman is a journalist, author and screenwriter known for writing The Loudest Voice in the Room, the 2014 bestselling biography of Fox News president Roger Ailes. As a journalist his work has appeared in publications like The New York Times, The New Republic, The New York Observer and GQ. He previously served as national affairs editor at New York magazine and is currently a special correspondent for Vanity Fair and a regular contributor to NBC News and MSNBC. Most recently, Gabe wrote the screenplay for The Apprentice, the 2024 feature that follows Donald Trump's career as a real estate businessman in New York in the 1970s and 1980s, as well as his relationship with lawyer Roy Cohn. The Apprentice was released in the US on October 11, 2024 and is now playing in theaters. This episode of OnWriting is hosted by Greg Iwinski. Greg is an Emmy-winning comedy writer and no-award-winning performer whose writing includes LAST WEEK TONIGHT and THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT. He recently finished writing the first season of GAME THEORY WITH BOMANI JONES on HBO, and can be found on Twitter @garyjackson. --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| Episode 4: Ethan Hawke & Sybil Rosen, "Blaze" | 04 Oct 2018 | 00:43:50 | |
For episode 4, Jordan spoke with Sybil Rosen and Ethan Hawke about their film BLAZE. BLAZE is inspired by the life of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. The film explores Blaze's love affair with Sybil Rosen; his last, dark night on earth; and the impact of his songs and his death had on his fans, friends, and foes. Sybil Rosen is a writer and actress whose memoir about her eight-month period living with Blaze Foley in a wall-less tree house in West Georgia—Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze—provided the source material for the film. Ethan Hawke is an Academy Award-nominated writer, actor, and director. He has starred in a number of films over the course of his career, including DEAD POETS SOCIETY, TRAINING DAY, the BEFORE trilogy, BOYHOOD, and FIRST REFORMED. Prior to BLAZE, he co-wrote the screenplays for BEFORE SUNSET and BEFORE MIDNIGHT. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow us on social media: | |||
| Episode 3: Sofia Alvarez, "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" | 18 Sep 2018 | 00:42:10 | |
For episode 3 of the show, Jordan spoke with Sofia Alvarez about her latest project, the romantic comedy TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE, which was released on Netflix on August 17. The film was adapted from Jenny Han's 2014 novel of the same name. It follows 16-year-old Lara Jean Song Covey, whose life is thrown through a loop when someone exposes the secret love letters she wrote to—you guessed it—all the boys she's loved before. Sofia Alvarez is a playwright and screenwriter. Before TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE, she was a staff writer on FXX's MAN SEEKING WOMAN and USA Network's SIRENS. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow us on social media: | |||
| Episode 2: Alec Berg & Bill Hader, "Barry" | 11 Sep 2018 | 00:29:10 | |
For episode two of OnWriting, Jordan spoke with Alec Berg and Bill Hader about their Emmy-nominated HBO series, BARRY — a dark comedy starring Hader as a low-level hitman with aspirations of becoming an actor. Bill Hader's eight-year stint on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE turned him into something of a household name. He's also written on SOUTH PARK for the last decade, and he co-created the mockumentary series DOCUMENTARY NOW with his fellow SNL alums, Seth Meyers and Fred Armisen. Alec Berg wrote for SEINFIELD and CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM before working as a showrunner for SILICON VALLEY. He has also written on LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O'BRIEN, and co-wrote the screenplays for films like EUROTRIP and THE DICTATOR. -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow us on social media: | |||
| Episode 1: Michael Arndt, "Endings" | 04 Sep 2018 | 00:48:54 | |
For the first episode of OnWriting, we spoke with Academy Award-winning screenwriter Michael Arndt about his video lecture, ENDINGS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE INSANELY GREAT. Michael's first feature-length screenplay – LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE – earned him the Oscar and the Writers Guild Award for Best Original Screenplay. His other credits include TOY STORY 3, THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE, and STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS. His video lecture, ENDINGS, explores how great film endings work through a close analysis of the climaxes of STAR WARS, THE GRADUATE, and LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE. You can watch ENDINGS, for free, here: www.pandemoniuminc.com/endings-video -- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: -- Follow us on social media: | |||
| Episode 117: Making the News with MSNBC Union's Amy Hooker & Andrew Joyce | 02 Oct 2024 | 01:07:20 | |
Host Zhubin Parang talks to MSNBC Union members Amy Hooker and Andrew Joyce about staying flexible in the challenging newsroom environment, how to handle an election season where unprecedented events happen weekly, and winning a strong union contract that helps them do both of those things as effectively as possible. Amy Hooker has worked as an associate producer on MSNBC's All In with Chris Hayes since 2018. Andrew Joyce is a segment producer with at MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show and Alex Wagner Tonight, with over a decade of experience in journalism. Amy and Andrew both served on the bargaining committee that negotiated MSNBC Union's recent groundbreaking contract wins. Zhubin Parang is a co-executive producer and writer on The Daily Show, as well as a former member of the WGAE Council. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| Episode 116: Writing Children's TV with Geri Cole and Bob Mittenthal | 07 Aug 2024 | 00:58:08 | |
Host Susan Kim sits down with children's television writers Geri Cole and Bob Mittenthal to discuss balancing entertainment and education in children's storytelling, embracing restrictions – from budget limitations to writing for puppets — in creative ways, the ongoing fight for union coverage in animation, and more. Geri Cole is a full-time staff writer and lead interactive narrative designer for Sesame Street, co-chair of the WGAE Black Writers Salon, she's won five Daytime Emmys, a Writers Guild Award, a Producers Guild Award, and an NAACP Image Award. Geri also hosted seasons 7-11 of OnWriting. Bob Mittenthal has had a long career as writer and producer. Credits include Double Dare, KaBlam, and Bossy Bear. He created such shows as Welcome Freshmen, Think Fast, and Make the Grade. Other shows include It's Pony, Welcome to the Wayne, the Loud House, the Adventures of Pete and Pete, and the Naked Brothers Band. Susan Kim is an Emmy-nominated and award-winning documentary and children's television writer known for her work on shows like Dragon Tales, Thomas & Friends, Bea's Block, Bubble Guppies, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and more. She is co-chair of the WGAE Animation Caucus, and a former member of the WGAE Council. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| Episode 115: Writing Slate's Acclaimed Podcasts | 24 Jul 2024 | 00:59:12 | |
Host Katie Rich sits down with Sophie Summergrad, Christina Cauterucci and Madeline Ducharme — three of the journalists and producers behind Slate's "Slow Burn" and other acclaimed podcasts — to discuss their paths into journalism, the process of turning an idea into a critically acclaimed podcast, how a strong union contract gives you the freedom – and time – to do the things you care about, and much more. Sophie Summergrad is a producer at Slate currently working on season 10 of "Slow Burn". Before that, she worked on "Slow Burn" seasons 3 through 9, as well as the narrative podcast "One Year". Christina Cauterucci is a senior writer at Slate who covers politics and culture. She's also the host of season 9 of "Slow Burn": Gays Against Briggs, the host and co-founder of "Outward", Slate's weekly podcast about LGBTQ life, and previously wrote for and hosted episodes of "One Year". Madeline Ducharme is a producer for Slate's daily news podcast, "What Next". Before that, she produced season 4 of "Slow Burn", and has worked on other narrative shows at Slate including "One Year". Host Katie Rich is a comedy writer known for her six-year tenure writing for "Weekend Update" on Saturday Night Live. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media:
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| Episode 114: Late Night Writers Roundtable | 10 Jul 2024 | 00:53:27 | |
Host Liz Hynes, a WGAE Council member and writer for LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER, moderates a conversation with writers from some of your favorite late night comedy series about their experiences and insights from the world of late-night comedy writing. The panelists include late night writers Molly McNearney (JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!), Dan Amira (THE DAILY SHOW), Felipe Torres Medina (LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT) and Jenny Hagel (LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS). --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media:
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| Episode 113: Amy Schumer (Life & Beth) and John Hoffman (Only Murders in the Building) | 20 Jun 2024 | 00:50:30 | |
John Hoffman and Amy Schumer sit down to talk about the joys and challenges of leaning into the personal in your writing, the importance of finding the right collaborators, confronting the hardest parts of life with both vulnerability and confidence, and much more. John Hoffman is the co-creator and showrunner of the critically acclaimed and award-winning comedy-drama mystery series Only Murders in the Building. Amy Schumer is a writer, actor, director and producer known for creating and starring in the sketch comedy series Inside Amy Schumer, writing and starring in the 2015 comedy film Trainwreck and creating and starring in the comedy-drama series Life & Beth. Only Murders in the Building and Life & Beth are both currently available to stream on Hulu. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| Episode 112: Meredith Scardino (Girls5Eva) & Paula Pell (Saturday Night Live) | 12 Jun 2024 | 01:07:30 | |
Acclaimed comedy writers Meredith Scardino and Paula Pell sit down together for a conversation about their journeys to WGAE membership, their journeys to the WGAE office, how producing differs from other positions in the writers room, the importance of both deadlines and procrastination in the creative process and much more. Meredith Scardino is a screenwriter, showrunner and producer who has written for multiple TV comedies, including The Colbert Report, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Mr. Mayor. Most recently, she created and is the showrunner of the Peacock/Netflix musical comedy series Girls5eva. Paula Pell is a writer, actor and producer known for her work as a writer and supervising producer on the late-night sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, a writer and producer on the comedy series 30 Rock, and as the writer of the 2015 comedy film Sisters. Paula received the WGAE's Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence at the 2020 Writers Guild Awards. She also currently stars as Gloria in Girls5eva. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| Episode 129: How to Organize a Union with Rez Nemorin, Jessica Schulberg and Leah Gotcsik | 13 Aug 2025 | 00:41:58 | |
WGAE member organizers Rez Nemorin, Jessica Schulberg and Leah Gotcsik sit down to discuss what the organizing, bargaining and enforcement process looks like at each of their workplaces, how being in a union builds a stronger and more supportive community, the importance and responsibility of being an active union member – especially right now – and much more. Rez Nemorin is a producer in the world of nonfiction television, where she is currently involved in bargaining the first contract at Lucky8. Jessica Schulberg is a senior reporter at HuffPost who helped bargain their second and third contracts, and is gearing up to start bargaining their fourth. She has been on HuffPost's Enforcement Committee since 2017, and is a WGAE Council member representing the Guild's Online Media sector. Leah Gotcsik is a children's television writer primarily working in animation. She was just involved in the WGA's successful contract negotiation with PBS, WGBH, WNET and PBS SoCal, which won first-ever union protections for animation writers in public television. --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: wgaeast.org/onwriting Follow the Guild on social media: @WGAEast OnWriting is a production of the Writers Guild of America East. The show is produced by WGA East staff members Jason Gordon, Tiana Timmerberg, and Molly Beer. Production, editing, and mix by Giulia Hjort. Original music is by Taylor Bradshaw. Artwork is designed by Molly Beer. | |||
| Episode 111: Nonfiction TV Roundtable with Chinisha Scott, Gautam Singhani and Sarah Katz | 29 May 2024 | 00:44:54 | |
Host and WGAE Nonfiction Women of Color Caucus Chair Chinisha Scott talks with WGAE members Gautam Singhani and Sarah Katz, who both recently worked at the nonfiction television production company Story Syndicate. Story Syndicate is one of the latest nonfiction television shops to join the Writers Guild of America East and they are currently negotiating their first collective bargaining agreement. This week, we focus on nonfiction television, lovingly described as the Wild West. Chinisha, Gautam and Sarah discuss advocating for the truth, both in nonfiction production and the labor movement, why the time to unionize is now and what it means to be fairly compensated in nonfiction television. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| Episode 110: Ron Nyswaner, "Fellow Travelers" | 24 Apr 2024 | 00:59:13 | |
Host T Cooper is joined by Ron Nyswaner to discuss having the confidence to push Hollywood's boundaries, staying flexible during the unpredictable reality of being on a TV set, telling authentic LGBTQ+ stories without always centering suffering, and more. Ron Nyswaner is the 2024 recipient of the WGA East's Walter Bernstein Award, and creator of the Showtime series Fellow Travelers. He is known for his feature screenplays, including Smithereens, Philadelphia, and My Policeman. He is also known as a writer and producer of the Showtime series Ray Donovan and Homeland. Over the course of his career, Ron has been nominated for numerous awards including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. His most recent project is the Showtime series Fellow Travelers. Based on the 2007 fictional novel of the same name by Thomas Mallon, the historical drama follows the paths of political staffers Hawkins Fuller and Tim Laughlin, whose paths converge at the height of the Lavender Scare of the 1950s. Despite the constant threat of getting caught, their searing love for each other only intensifies in the tumultuous decades that follow. Their volatile romance spans the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s, the drug-fueled disco hedonism of the 1970s and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, as they face obstacles in the world and in themselves. This episode is hosted by T Cooper, a Writers Guild of America East member with credits including The Get Down and The Blacklist. T. also serves as co-chair of the Guild's LGBTQ+ Writers Salon. --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||
| Episode 109: Kathy McGee and Beth Godvik (CBS News) | 11 Apr 2024 | 00:59:29 | |
Host Greg Iwinski is joined by CBS New York writer-producer Kathy McGee and CBS Chicago writer-producer Beth Godvik for a conversation about their work in the Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News sector. They discuss the winding paths that make a career, trusting your instincts in a fast-paced news environment, and keeping up with a constantly evolving media landscape. Kathy McGee is a news writer-producer at WCBS-TV with more than 30 years of experience in broadcast journalism — and over 20 years of experience as an active leader in the WGAE. She writes stories about theater and cultural arts, has served as shop leader at CBS News New York since 2007, and was on the negotiating committee for four CBS contracts. Beth Godvik is a news writer-producer at CBS Chicago, WBBM-TV, where she has worked since 2004. Beth currently works on the 4:30 to 7 A.M. show cut-ins and 9 A.M. and 11 A.M. newscasts, and she designed the format for WBBM-TV's weekend morning shows. She's a union co-steward in her newsroom and has served on three negotiating committees for CBS News contracts. Kathy and Beth also both serve on the WGAE Council – Beth as a Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News sector councilmember, and Kathy as the Broadcast/Cable/Streaming News Vice President. This episode of OnWriting is hosted by Greg Iwinski. Greg is an Emmy-winning comedy writer and no-award-winning performer whose writing includes LAST WEEK TONIGHT and THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT. He recently finished writing the first season of GAME THEORY WITH BOMANI JONES on HBO, and can be found on Twitter @garyjackson --- Before it was a podcast, OnWriting was a print publication. Check out OnWriting: The Print Archives. Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: | |||