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What a great time we had.   I think our enthusiasm for a 2nd show is even higher than the first.  It was a long but satisfying experience.

Having said that, after listening to a rough mix from Toby, I feel like a few segments (mine) have to be cut:

• The Serling segment was lame because I didn’t give it enough work.  I’ll revamp and try again next time.  We’re cutting it.
• A lot of the chatter is just boring so that will be trimmed even further.
• We’d love to use all our guest’s material but it’s too long.  We’re shooting for under and hour and even this rough cut is almost thirty minutes too long for that.
• I feel like we should cut the “Ratatouille” segment – I just didn’t do a good enough job seeking the insight I wanted from Miss SuperFan.  But I’m outvoted.  However it will be trimmed.

Sunday breaks cool and cloudy.  For me, a good sign since I hate the heat and relish a cooler clime.  I’m soooo ready for this to start.  It’s taken a few weeks of intense work to get to this point and I want to dive into that pool and swim around.

I live literally ten minutes away from where we’re doing the podcast.  As Toby says, all you really need is a room and some mikes.  We’ve got so much more than that in this location but that’s basically it.  A room and mikes.  Or so I think.

Ten minutes took me forty.   Don’cha just love SoCal?  I neglected to account for the OC Marathon that would be blocking off streets for miles.  A simple right turn becomes a nightmare of being trapped behind a barrier of orange cones and OCTA barriers.  No matter where I turn, it’s basically “you can’t get there from here.” … Read the rest

It’s Friday before the show.  My mind is racing with ideas beyond what’s already been agreed to and I know we can’t do them all so I’m going to settle on a few that make the most sense.  One that came to mind was about Pixar films because my co-host, MC (Mary Claire Anderson) stated in her bio on this site that she thought “Ratatouille” is the best Pixar film.  Knowing that MC is an animation freak and having never seen the “Rat in a Hat” movie, I’ve determined to watch it and then quiz MC on it for the show.  I love Brad Bird (“Iron Giant” right?) so I’m sure it’s a solid film but I’m curious as to why, in all the amazing films that Pixar has made, she chooses that movie as “the best.”

The other idea that I need to develop for  Sunday is on featuring great writers of TV and film. … Read the rest

If you’re wondering why there’s a link to music themes on this website it’s because I used to be a professional musician (still a plunker, keys, guitar and drums) and I really wanted to compose the musical theme for the podcast.  I have a small midi keyboard and Acid Pro which allows you to put loops and midi on tracks and make music!

So I started composing.  Under 1 minute I was told.  Great.  Not a problem.

I intend on doing one a day so we have a choice.

Doing that is therapeutic for me.  I really enjoy it and almost feel guilty for taking time from my “real” work to plunk around in a midi world.

But, then again, it’s my contention that everything, I mean everything, is important and music is a huge part of my life even years after I’ve stopped performing live.  The best I can do and be – It’s been the way I’ve approached everything in my life including scriptwriting, my classes and the Orange County Screenwriters Association. … Read the rest

In thinking through this as I’m working on everything, it occurs to me that this is a natural fit for me at this stage of my life.  It amazes me at how intuitive Mary Claire is.  She saw this when I didn’t – thank god she walked into my class.  And praise Jesus for Toby.

What do I mean about a natural fit?

Let me give you a list:

• I have soooo many friends and contacts in this business.  We will NEVER have a problem booking an interesting person to interview for the show.  I mean producers, writers, directors, actors…you name it and I can list two dozen off the top of my head.
• I have been a professional scriptwriter for 20+ years and have been teaching almost that long.  I know this stuff.  Now I know I don’t know everything but I never stop learning.  I’m as much a student as I am a teacher. 

The team is me, Mary Claire Anderson and Toby Wallwork.  We meet at a location in Newport Beach (which may sound more exotic than it actually is) and framed out the way forward, aiming for Sunday, May 7th as our first podcast.

Toby created a script of sorts (which I recommend for those thinking about this) so we know what to prepare for the show.  We also added our first guest, a good friend who has a lot to say about film.  The meeting was fun and filled with great energy.  There’s no substitute for enthusiasm when it comes to working with a team.  The idea that everyone is just as engaged as you are is powerful and wholly invigorating.

I should mention that one of things that instantly makes way forward much, much easier is that Toby already has the hardware and skill-set to do the show engineering.  He’s got mikes, mixer, digital recorder, etc.… Read the rest

To give you some background on this, I (Mark Sevi) don’t like podcasts much (Leo Laporte’s show being an exception.)  Perhaps I am just not of the right generation – I know I just don’t have the time to sit and listen most days and my car is older with no Bluetooth or MP3 connection so I wouldn’t listen there either.  But a student of mine suggested that I do a podcast and as I explored the concept I started to see the validity.

Initially, I thought it would be great to do it both live and on video with the ability to insert actual film clips.  If I was going to be teaching scriptwriting techniques (like I do at my classes at Irvine Valley College and when I lecture at events, etc.) I knew I worked best by interacting with people live.  The dynamics of a live group are both a bit scary and wholly exhilarating.… Read the rest