This Savage Art » 2009 » August

Bertram Cooper’s Eye

William Speruzzi — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:03:39 +0000

Office art.

Not A Good Week

William Speruzzi — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:13:13 +0000

John Hughes was 59.

Budd Schulberg, 95

William Speruzzi — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:06:13 +0000

Palookaville.

We have lost one of the great titans of literature and screenwriting. Writer of Elia Kazan’s corruption exposé On The Waterfront and the powerhouse insider’s guide to Hollywood backstabbing What Makes Sammy Run?, Budd Schulberg was literally born into the business by being son of B. P. Schulberg, head of Paramount Pictures and Adeline Jaffe-Schulberg, sister to agent/film producer Sam Jaffe.

What a life. Take a look at excerpts from this online documentary.

“The only novelist to come from Hollywood, not go to Hollywood.”

Updated. [Hat tip to Scott Myers.]

Hollywood 2.0

William Speruzzi — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:49:09 +0000

John Ott, writer, filmmaker and futurist, gives us some very interesting thoughts on why failure is part of the big picture and why indie filmmakers have it all wrong (I agree with him.)

Writing For Television

William Speruzzi — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:39:35 +0000

As part of my investigation into writing for the tube I picked up a book that was recommended on Writing The TV Spec Script. I figured a small monetary investment would save me a lot of time in the long run. I just picked up Writing the TV Drama Series. Except for maybe The Office the shows I watch are the only shows that I would considered writing for, cable one hour dramas. From what I can see my instincts are right because there’s a whole chapter on staffing that includes “Mistake 7: Don’t work on a series that’s wrong for you.” There’s a lot more latitude to what you can do on cable and the advertisers aren’t the focus of how you earn your paycheck but hey, everyone has a boss right? Unfortunately most of the shows I have followed with rabid intensity have ended. The Sopranos, Six Feet Under. Mad Men, as I have mentioned in the previous post, is still going full force into its third season and is a shining example of what is possible. Subtle, thematic drama that respects the viewers intelligence and knows they’ll get it. Matthew Weiner and his staff are counting on it. Specing out a show that is currently airing is one way of getting into the TV game. Knowing someone on the inside is the other.

Television has come a long way and it’s not the dirty, little lesser career move that it may have been considered at one time. Right now is a golden age. Now if we can just get rid of the Real Housewives of New Jersey. Ahhh, who am I kidding, I watch, I watch.

Let me add that I say this all with some humility. Absolutely no one is asking me to write for their show the last time I checked.