On The Page
663 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★★ - 365 ratingsON THE PAGE: Join professional script consultant Pilar Alessandra as she demystifies screenwriting and answers your questions about script craft and story.
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Episodes
637. Basement Club Reunion (Part 1)
November 22, 2019 16:32 - 54 minutes - 31.4 MBWriter/Directors Etta Devine, Barbara Stepansky and April Wright return to talk about a year writing on Outlander, getting a blacklist script produced, creating an award winning documentary and much more.
636. TV Trends Updated
November 15, 2019 13:00 - 53 minutes - 31 MBWriter and television journalist Michael Grebb returns to discuss “Five Big Trends Writers Should Know About” including a new take on "peak TV," the death of the television season and the fact that almost everything in the industry is motivated by CYA.
635. Frederator!
November 08, 2019 13:00 - 40 minutes - 23.6 MBKelsey Calaitges, development executive at Frederator Studios (Adventure Time, The Fairly Odd Parents) and writer on GO! Cartoons Bravest Warriors shares wisdom about pitching and writing for character-driven animation.
634. The Genre Mash
November 01, 2019 17:31 - 47 minutes - 27.4 MBPilar and writer Jake Morgan discuss ways to combine genre, tone and intention to create the perfect “genre mash” television show.
633. The 17-year Overnight Success
October 25, 2019 17:42 - 59 minutes - 34 MBHear how, after seventeen years of stops and starts, Matt Harris’s script “The Starling” was produced with actors Melissa McCarthy, Kevin Kline, Chris O’Dowd, Timothy Olyphant and director Ted Melfi.
632. Rewrite Techniques
October 18, 2019 12:00 - 24 minutes - 14.4 MBPilar offers “Five Easy Rewrites” and writers on social media add over 40 more! Take notes on this one.
631. The Tenacious Writer
October 11, 2019 14:17 - 49 minutes - 28.5 MBWriter Anne Kruse shares five concepts that build writer perseverance.
630. Getting Schooled in Star Trek
October 04, 2019 14:00 - 47 minutes - 27.7 MBDavid Wright, writer/producer on Star Trek: Lower Decks, discusses the storytelling legacy of Star Trek.
629. Notes From The Writer To The Actor
September 27, 2019 13:04 - 51 minutes - 29.6 MBActing coach Crystal Carson reveals the ways she helps actors analyze story, discover characters and interpret meaning from feature and TV scripts.
628. Bless the Harts ... and Christy Stratton
September 20, 2019 12:00 - 50 minutes - 29.1 MBWriter/Producer Christy Stratton shares her love of act structure and enthusiasm for the new FOX animated show “Bless the Harts.”
627. Scott Beck and Bryan Woods
September 13, 2019 12:00 - 45 minutes - 26.4 MBThe writers of A Quiet Place discuss their upcoming film Haunt, their long-standing writing partnership and their process of discovering story and characters on the page.
626. Lazy TV Writing
September 06, 2019 17:32 - 24 minutes - 14.2 MBPilar guides you through a few lazy ways to brainstorm, outline and write your TV pilot. E-mail for the handout!
625. Making it Real
August 30, 2019 12:00 - 42 minutes - 24.5 MBLeon Gittens, a character animator for movies and video games, talks about the different kinds of animators needed to create one product, the role of the script in that product and the ways in which he personally brings emotion to a character.
624. Aadip Desai: Working Writer!
August 23, 2019 12:00 - 1 hour - 36.5 MBAadip Desai has gone from On the Page Podcast producer to ABC/Disney fellow to staff writer on The Goldbergs. Hear about his journey to get there and what he’s learned - and is still learning - along the way.
623. Taylor’s Hollywood Month
August 16, 2019 17:35 - 44 minutes - 25.6 MBWriter Taylor Vaughn Lasley talks about her exciting summer pitching two series; one with Damon Wayans Jr. and one withFunny or Die.
622. Writing for Young Audiences
August 09, 2019 17:49 - 51 minutes - 29.9 MBDavid Skelly (The Muppets, Splash and Bubbles, Word Party) and Jennifer Skelly (My Little Pony, The Lion Guards, Motown Magic) return to the podcast to talk about writing and creating TV for pre-school and elementary age audiences.
621. I Will
August 02, 2019 14:15 - 48 minutes - 28.1 MBMaura Chanz, Michelle Flowers and Clarissa Kern have turned their jobs assisting show-runners and producers into major stepping stones to a writing and producing career.
620. Kaplan Talks Horseman
July 26, 2019 08:57 - 37 minutes - 21.5 MBWriter Rachel Kaplan talks about what she’s learned in the writer’s room of the popular, animated comedy BoJack Horseman.
619. The Wrong End of the Table
July 19, 2019 14:21 - 47 minutes - 27.4 MBWriter and editor Ayser Salman returns to talk about how she turned real life experiences into a comic memoir and pitch for a tv series.
618. Independent Thinkers
July 12, 2019 12:00 - 59 minutes - 34.1 MBFilmmakers Sterling Macer Jr, Chris Molinaro and Jeremy Walton share their “dos” and “don'ts” about making movies cheaply, independently and with integrity.
617. Rising Star
July 05, 2019 16:38 - 40 minutes - 23.5 MBYears of creating high quality content is paying off for writer Jude Roth. Hear what she’s learned from taking meetings and obtaining high quality representation.
616. The Hustle
June 28, 2019 13:56 - 49 minutes - 28.4 MBFilmmaker Alex Ferrari talks about the “hustle” of independent filmmaking and the personal experiences that led him to write his new book, Shooting for the Mob.
615. Like Magic and Music
June 21, 2019 12:00 - 49 minutes - 28.8 MBShaun Cassidy (New Amsterdam, Emerald City, American Gothic) went from pop star to rockstar writer. Here he digs into the process of the writers’ room and reveals his personal inspiration for finding story. A must-listen.
614. "Television Is My Ministry"
June 14, 2019 10:59 - 45 minutes - 26.2 MBTV executive Rev. Karen Frost talks about her path in Hollywood and her current role as creative executive at Viola Davis’s JuVee Productions.
613. College Reunion
June 07, 2019 13:11 - 45 minutes - 26 MBCarnegie Mellon graduates Tommar Wilson and Beth Crosby reunited in an On the Page screenwriting class. Although Tommar performs on Broadway and Beth performs sketch and improv, they also united in their observations about writing and acting.
612. 1999
May 31, 2019 13:00 - 1 hour - 46.2 MBThe Sixth Sense, Election, Being John Malkovich, Magnolia … Tonight we’re gonna write like it’s1999! Special assistance from Pat Francis and Azul Nino (also produced in 1999).
611. Wedded to the Writing
May 24, 2019 14:04 - 41 minutes - 23.9 MBWriters Jason Director and Ayla Harrison are happily married and constantly moving forward in their writing career. They’ve also developed a list for finalists and fellows to help them make contacts and get work .
610. Character Development
May 17, 2019 13:00 - 44 minutes - 25.4 MBPilar is joined by writer Melissa Cassera to discuss ways to create and show the emotional progression of on-screen characters.
609. Daring Canadians
May 10, 2019 13:49 - 48 minutes - 28.2 MBCanadian writers Michelle Muldoon and Geordie Sabbagh talk about the daring steps they’ve taken to seek out contacts and make their own movies.
608. The World Builder
May 03, 2019 13:49 - 40 minutes - 23.5 MBAshleigh Powell (The Nutcracker and the Four Realms; one of Variety’s 10 Screenwriters to Watch) talks about her love of writing, genre, and world building.
607. Bare Knuckle Writing
April 26, 2019 15:42 - 40 minutes - 23.6 MBDavid Matillo wrote seven unproduced scripts before his feature spec “Bare Knuckle” made the 2015 Blacklist. He discusses the projects he’s written since then and what he’s learned along the way.
606. What’s the Star on the Horizon?
April 19, 2019 15:02 - 51 minutes - 29.9 MBManager/Producer Markus Goerg (Heroes and Villains Entertainment) describes a writer’s career as, “never boring, never easy and never a straight line."
605. "Assume Your Audience is Smart”
April 12, 2019 12:00 - 44 minutes - 25.7 MBPlaywright / screenwriter Christy Hall (I Am Not OK With This on Netflix), discusses her approach to writing for the stage and screen.
604. The Organized Writer
April 05, 2019 13:48 - 42 minutes - 24.8 MBOrganizer Tracy McCubbin, author of Making Space, Clutter Free, discusses ways to declutter your writing space and organize your writing time.
603. Writing the TV Drama Series
March 29, 2019 13:00 - 52 minutes - 30.3 MBAuthor/ USC Professor Pamela Douglas discusses the changes to genre, structure and the international market addressed in the fourth edition of her classic book Writing the TV Drama Series.
602. "All of the Above"
March 22, 2019 12:00 - 49 minutes - 28.4 MBHilliard Guess, writer on Deadly Class, talks about asking for what you want, changing perception and his personal steps toward becoming the next J.J. Abrams.
601. Special
March 15, 2019 12:45 - 46 minutes - 26.9 MBRyan O’ Connell talks about writing on Will and Grace and Awkward and discusses his upcoming Netflix series Special, inspired by his experiences as a gay man navigating the world with cerebral palsy.
600. UpLyft
March 08, 2019 13:32 - 34 minutes - 20.2 MBEight days. Thirteen states. Thirty drivers. Pilar’s husband Pat Francis talks about his new documentary in which he traveled across country using only the ride-share service Lyft.
599. Boomerang
March 01, 2019 14:00 - 47 minutes - 27.5 MBKendra Jordan and Racquel Baker discuss the new B.E.T. show Boomerang and the way they find episodes and break story in the writers’ room.
598. Doctors in the House
February 22, 2019 14:00 - 45 minutes - 26.1 MBPsychiatrist Laura Erickson-Schroth and general practitioner Justin Young are also writers who crave a more realistic depiction of the medical profession on screen. Listen to their advice about myth vs. truth in the medical world.
597. Oscar Podcast 2019
February 15, 2019 14:00 - 1 hour - 37.8 MBPilar and her friends Brian Pope, Mike Musa and Nancy Noever get together for their annual discussion/argument about the best screenplay and best adapted screenplay Oscar nominees.
596. The Gate Keepers
February 08, 2019 14:00 - 53 minutes - 30.6 MBStory analysts Mark Chandley (HBO), Holly Sklar (Warner Bros.) and Daniel Livnat (UTA) discuss their approach to reading and covering scripts and books for production companies, studios and agencies.
595. Meredith Danluck
February 01, 2019 14:00 - 49 minutes - 28.3 MBWriter / director Meredith Danluck discusses the thought and effort that went into her independent thriller State Like Sleep and her four-screen narrative film North of South, West of East.
594. Lazy Screenwriting
January 25, 2019 13:00 - 23 minutes - 13.5 MBStop working so hard! In a quick tutorial, Pilar guides you through some lazy ways to brainstorm, outline and write your screenplay.
593. Finding a Career by Living a Life
January 19, 2019 00:36 - 41 minutes - 24.3 MBJade Branion and Darren O’Hare made some fascinating life choices that influenced and energized their writing.
592. What Do Competitions Want?
January 11, 2019 15:15 - 40 minutes - 23.5 MBKristin Overn, Executive Director of the PAGE International Screenwriting Awards, talks about the world of writing competitions and provides insight into the ways judges read and evaluate scripts.
591. Writing BlacKkKlansman
January 04, 2019 15:22 - 46 minutes - 26.8 MBDavid Rabinowitz’s first feature-length script got the attention of Jordan Peele and was directed by Spike Lee. He discusses the writing and pitching process and what he’s learned along the way.
590. Log Line Contest 2018
December 28, 2018 16:58 - 1 hour - 54.2 MBPilar and Aadip evaluate log lines sent in by listeners. Who will win ... and who will end up on the “But List?”
589. Return of the Go-Getters
December 21, 2018 17:37 - 51 minutes - 29.4 MBOne sold a movie. One was nominated for a Webby. And one decided to just focus on being happy. Denise Cruz-Castino, Aydrea Walden and Mike Martin update.
588. When Your Audience is Your Protagonist
December 14, 2018 16:57 - 27 minutes - 16.1 MBThe creative team at the video game company BioWare shares their insight into writing characters, story lines and action moments.