Categories: Paper Team TV Business TV Writing

Assisting TV Comedy Writers ft. Gary Sundt (Superstore/The Goldbergs) (PT43)

Alex and Nick invite Gary Sundt, writers’ assistant on NBC’s Superstore and ABC’s The Goldbergs, to discuss the ins-and-outs of assisting TV writers in comedy.

How do comedy writers’ rooms operate? How do those experiences in the room help your own writing? When and how should you navigate asking your boss to read your content? What are the priorities when helping a writer develop a pilot? What is the meaning of storytelling?

The Paper Team pulls up a chair…

SHOWNOTES

Content

Being a writer’s assistant, assisting a showrunner in developing pilots, working in a writer’s room, and the role of comedy in politics (00:01:20)
Resources and Next Time On (1:14:32)

Links

Gary Sundt on IMDb
Superstore (TV Series)
The Goldbergs (2013 TV series)
Playboy’s the Antiviral Show
Archie Comics
Kill Bill
Angel (TV Series)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Marley & Me
Clerks II
Summertime Killers
Rick Wiener
Kenny Schwartz
American Housewife
Charlie Grandy
Guys With Kids
Super Fun Night
Justin Spitzer
Dan Harmon
Mulaney
America Ferrara
Ruben Fleischer
Colossal
Adam F. Goldberg
Joseph Campbell
Michael Arndt
Blake Snyder
“Save the Cat” – Blake Snyder
Neil Gaiman
Twister (Film)
Independence Day (Film)
Adam Wingard
Death Note (2017 Film)
“The Hidden Life of Trees” – Peter Wohlleben
“Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life” – Winifred Gallagher
“Essays in Love” – Alain de Botton
“Modern Romance” – Aziz Ansari

Resources

Michael Arndt’s “Setting a Story in Motion” (Video)
“What Are You Laughing At?” – Dan O’Shannon

This episode brought to you by Tracking Board’s Launch Pad Writing Competitions

Use code PAPERTEAM to get $15 OFF when you enter a Launch Pad Competition

Special thanks to Alex Switzky for helping us edit this episode.

If you enjoyed this episode (and others), please consider leaving us an iTunes review at paperteam.co/itunes! :)

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex@TVCalling
Nick@_njwatson
If you have any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: ask@paperteam.co

Paper Team
Alex Freedman & Nick Watson

Paper Team is a podcast about television writing and becoming a TV writer.

Share
Published by
Alex
Tags: ABC Angel Assistants Development Half-Hour Interview NBC Pilots Politics Staffing Structure Work

Recent Posts

  • Announcements

Thirteen Years of TV Calling

I've been MIA for a while after the past year, but today is a special…

4 years ago
  • Paper Team
  • TV Writing

Paper Pause (PT212)

Alex and Nick announce that they're taking a break from Paper Team. From new content…

5 years ago
  • Paper Team
  • TV Business
  • TV Writer & Branding
  • TV Writing

TV Access, Financial Support, and Finale History – Paper Scraps Monthly (PT211)

Alex and Nick answer your TV writing questions about the usefulness of being an assistant,…

5 years ago
  • Paper Team
  • TV Writer & Branding
  • TV Writing

Paper Tease Revisited (PT210)

Alex and Nick follow up on past Paper Tease entrants to see what has happened…

5 years ago
  • Paper Team
  • TV Writer & Branding
  • TV Writing

Survivor: Hollywood – Emotional and Practical Realities of TV Writing (PT209)

Alex and Nick discuss the realities of sustaining a career as a TV writer, from…

5 years ago
  • Paper Team
  • TV Business
  • TV Writing

TV Writing Conditions and WGA Win – Paper Scraps Monthly (PT208)

Alex and Nick answer your TV writing questions about ideal writing conditions, writing essentials, and…

5 years ago