Fandom - TV Calling

Exploring Lovecraftian Horror and TV Companion Podcasts ft. Shannon Houston (Lovecraft Country) (PT192)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:52 — 41.3MB)

Alex and Nick invite Shannon Houston, writer on the HBO series Lovecraft Country and co-host of the Lovecraft Country Radio podcast, to discuss writing Lovecraftian horror, representation in genre, and producing a companion podcast for a popular series.

How does Lovecraft Country strike a balance with its tone and format each week? What kind of rules are there around the mythology of the world? How is genre and horror used as an allegory to explore social issues? What goes into running a companion podcast to a popular TV show? How is feedback from viewers and listeners received and considered when it comes to the content of the show?

Content

Writing Lovecraftian horror and making a TV companion podcast with Shannon Houston (00:42)
Final advice, resources, and next week on (40:05)

Links

Shannon Houston on Twitter
Lovecraft Country on HBO
Lovecraft Country Radio Podcast

Resource

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am

If you enjoy Paper Team, please consider supporting us on Patreon at paperteam.co/patreon! :)

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

You can find Paper Team on Twitter:
Alex – @TVCalling
Nick – @_njwatson
For any questions, comments or feedback, you can e-mail us: [email protected]

Comics and TV Writing: How to Bring the Page to Screen – Paper Team Live at WonderCon 2019 (PT129)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:45 — 48.5MB)

Alex and Nick host an insightful panel at WonderCon 2019 about comics and television writing. From Batgirl and Doom Patrol to Watchmen and Y: The Last Man, an ever-expanding number of comic-based TV shows have graced our screen, but how do you translate one visual format to another?

To discuss the topic, we are joined by an all-star cast of writers, including Marc Bernardin (Castle Rock, Treadstone), Julie & Shawna Benson (Batgirl and the Birds of Prey, The 100), Christopher Monfette (Hellraiser, 12 Monkeys), J. Holtham (Cloak & Dagger, Pitch), and Samantha Levenshus (Nightflyers, Neon Future).

Why do comics make for great television? What is the process of writing a comic-book series as opposed to a TV show? How do you adapt a comic to TV, while staying true to the original material? What lessons can be learned from writing TV and comics to bring into the other medium? How can you go about interacting with the key holders of the comics? What is a “shared love space”?

The Paper Team goes live in room 207…

This episode brought to you by Script Pipeline

Submit by May 1st to the 2019 Script Pipeline contest for a reduced entry fee

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: [email protected]

An Evening in the Writers’ Room – Paper Team Live (PT100)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:26:20 — 134.2MB)

Alex and Nick present two back-to-back TV writing panels, one for comedy and one for drama, digging into the intricacies of the writers’ room.

From staff writer to showrunner, we’ve assembled a dozen TV writers across every level to get a sense of what it’s like to navigate a writers’ room and sustain a career.

Comedy/half-hour and animation panelists include Nina Bargiel (Barbie), Vicky Luu (Superstore), Adam Stein (Harley Quinn), Alison Tafel (BoJack Horseman), Brittani Nichols (Take My Wife), and Lauren Bradley (Spirit: Riding Free).

Drama/one-hour panelists include Alison Schapker (Altered Carbon), Monica Macer (Queen Sugar), Chris Levinson (Tyrant), Grainne Godfree (DC’s Legends of Tomorrow), Britta Lundin (Riverdale), and Hilliard Guess (Deadly Class).

How do you navigate a TV writers’ room? How does the dynamic and etiquette of the room influence pitching? How can you gauge if a script is effective? How have writers’ rooms evolved over the years? What do showrunners look for when hiring their staff? How can you approach breaking macro and character arcs? What is the best way for lower-level writers to make themselves valuable in the room? How do you address notes without compromising creative integrity? What are ways of dealing with the instability of the profession?

The Paper Team drops the mic…