What Is “Desk Experience”? And What Is “The Industry”?
Jeffrey asks: Let me start by saying that I believe there are such things as stupid questions. And this might be one… As someone totally new to the industry, can you tell me what is meant by “desk experience?” Is it simply carefully fielding phone calls and walk-ins so as to protect the precious time […]
You Can’t Beat Stupid
Some days, I’ll read a script that’s inspiringly good. “This is how I want to write,” I think to myself. “This well-crafted story, these original characters, these hilarious jokes.” Other days, the writers will turn in a real stinker, and it’ll inspire me in another way: “Shit, I can write better than this.” And then […]
TAPA on the Radio
I recently visited the studios of KCRW to be interviewed for The Business. I didn’t mention it, because I had no idea when it would air. (The interview is what they call “evergreen,” meaning I didn’t talk about anything time-sensitive, so they’d be able to play it whenever they had some time to fill on […]
Should You Intern?
In the past week, many people have been talking about the Black Swan intern lawsuit, including The Business, Scriptnotes, and the Hollywood Reporter. Since I was an intern not terribly long ago, I figured I should weigh in.{{1}} Internships are either a great way to meet people and learn about the business, or the exploitation […]