Austin Film Festival's On Story

This week on On Story, we explore finding the source material for a period piece, making decisions about historical accuracy versus creative liberties, and successfully marrying a modern audience with a bygone era.

AFF moderator Fabienne Harford speaks with Alison Eakle, Chief Content Officer at Shondaland and executive producer on Bridgerton, and Evan Romanksy, co-creator of Ratched about what it takes to research and create period pieces that maintain integrity and entertainment.

Alison Eakle oversees all Netflix streaming content for Shondaland. She joined Shondaland in 2013, helping develop the ABC dramas “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Station 19,” “For the People,” and “The Catch.” Prior to her time at Shondaland, Eakle was at Ellen DeGeneres’ production company, A Very Good Production. She began her career in features, working in development and production at Paramount Vantage and Columbia Pictures, as well as in marketing at Paramount Pictures. In 2016, Eakle was named one of Marie Claire’s New Guard: America’s 50 Most Influential Women, and in 2019 she was named an Ojai Fellow as part of CAA’s Convene. She is a graduate of Georgetown University and The University of Texas at Austin.

She’s joined by Evan Romanksy the co-creator and executive producer of Netflix's Emmy and Golden-Globe nominated series RATCHED. A graduate of Ohio University and Loyola Marymount University, Evan has sold both film and TV projects to Amazon and MakeReady Studios and is currently developing with Jason Bateman's Aggregate Films as well as Margot Robbie's LuckyChap Entertainment.

Both Evan and Allison have learned to successfully marry a modern audience with a bygone era.  

Ratched, Queen Charlotte, and Bridgerton clips courtesy of Netflix.

Direct download: OSR_Period_Piece_So_Young_Shelly_Yo__Podcast_1.mp3
Category:Film and Television -- posted at: 2:53pm CDT

This week on On Story, we’re joined by the film industry experts who connect Texas filmmakers with funding and resources including President of the Texas Association of Film Commissions, Drew Mayer-Oakes, Director of the Texas Film Commission, Stephanie Whallon, Director of the San Antonio Film Commission, Kimberly LeBlanc, and Director of the Houston Film Commission, Alfred Cervantes. The discussion of their professional histories and organizational goals shines a light on the many different ways these structured bodies provide support for Texas creators while simultaneously invigorating local economies. 

Direct download: TXAFC_Podcast_Mix_1.mp3
Category:Film and Television -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week on On Story, a conversation with Lee Eisenberg about the launch of his comedy writing career. Eisenberg and his writing partner Gene Stupnitsky broke into the industry with their adventure-comedy screenplay, Year One, an irreverent retelling of the Book of Genesis in which they collaborated with the iconic comedian and filmmaker, Harold Ramis, who went onto direct the film for the Apatow Company.

In tandem writing with Year One, Lee and Gene were staffed on season two of the notorious comedy television hit, The Office, where they wrote for five hilarious seasons. Masters of craft and discomfort comedy, stories that bring audiences right to the edge of unbearable cringe before easing them with a laugh, Lee and Gene wrote many celebrated teleplays for The Office, including Dinner Party, The Lover, and audience favorite Scott's Tots, in which Michael Scott realizes he cannot fulfill his long-time promise to pay the college tuition of local students. 

Eisenberg discusses his process of co-writing these scripts and the importance of leaving pathos and humanity into the most cringey comedic protagonists. Eisenberg also expands on his and Gene's process creating the out-of-the-box reality hoax sitcom, Jury Duty, in which Ronald Gladden, appearing as himself, was unaware that the entire case and jury proceeding had been staged. The one-of-a-kind comedy series was nominated for both Emmy and Golden Globe Awards. 

Lastly, Eisenberg elaborates on his latest project: developing the historical drama miniseries Lessons in Chemistry, based on the bestselling book of the same name. Eisenberg reveals how the artistry of the novel not only sparked his genre switch, but inspired him to subtly impart aspects of his lived experience into the Apple TV series.

The Office clips courtesy of NBC.

Jury Duty clips courtesy of Amazon Freevee.

Good Boys clips courtesy of Universal Pictures.

Lessons in Chemistry clips courtesy of Apple TV.

Direct download: OSP_Lee_Eisenberg_RC2_Mix1.mp3
Category:Film and Television -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week on On Story, Austin Film Festival moderator Harrison Glaser speaks with Karyn Kusama about her filmography, the evolution of her storytelling, and her focus on strong female protagonists.

In her debut feature, Girlfight, Kusama drew from her own experiences training in a boxing gym and living in New York City, building Michelle Rodriguez’s character from young women she encountered on the subway. Kusama discusses connecting to their guarded nature and writing a protagonist that her audiences could root for. 

After the release of Girlfight, Kusama received critical praise and went onto direct her first studio film, Aeon Flux, co-written by Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay. Hay would become her husband and life partner, and her creative partnership with both Hay and Manfredi would lead to The Invitation and Destroyer. 

Kusama also discusses her experiences in episodic storytelling. Her television credits include Halt and Catch Fire, Billions, and the genre-bending hit, Yellowjackets. She delves into the ways that directing television keeps her craft sharp, and discusses how she and Yellowjackets co-creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson infuse cinematic sequences into shorter film storytelling.

Throughout her illustrious career, Kusama has perhaps been best-known for the cult classic Jennifer’s Body, the black comedy horror film written by Diablo Cody and starring a young Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried. In conversation at the Austin Film Festival, Kusama recounts her connection with Cody’s voice and their creative exploration of female friendship as the emotional core of that story.

Girlfight clips courtesy of United Artists.

Jennifer’s Body clips courtesy of 20th Century Studios.

The Invitation clips courtesy of The Invitation, LLC.

Yellowjackets clips courtesy of Showtime.

Direct download: OSP_Karyn_Kusama_CORRECTED.mp3
Category:Film and Television -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week on On Story, a conversation with Jeff Nichols, the acclaimed filmmaker behind Mud and Loving, to discuss his most recent film The Bikeriders, a moving character drama based on journalist Danny Lyons’ photobook by the same name. The Bikeriders chronicles the rise and fall of a Chicago motorcycle gang in the 1960s through the lens of bikerider wife Kathy, an open book played by Jodie Comer. Led by the strong and silent Johnny, embodied by Tom Hardy, the club devolves from a surrogate home for outsiders with no place to go to a violent crime organization. Its members, especially Austin Butler’s strong-willed, reckless Benny, are forced to grapple with their club’s decaying principles, their role in the organization, and by extension, their place in a changing world. The film captures distinct nostalgia from a bygone era, and summons enormous affection for its deeply flawed characters.

In conversation with the Austin Film Festival, Nichols recounts how he connected with the photobook’s images and anecdotes, and listened to voice recordings of the real-life vandals, to build a rich world and craft compelling characters.

The Bikeriders clips courtesy of Focus Features.

Direct download: OSP_The_Bikeriders_CORRECTED.mp3
Category:Film and Television -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week on On Story, a conversation with the team behind The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, a western that follows a ranch foreman's extraordinary trek to Mexico to bury his best friend's body in his hometown.

Actor and director Tommy Lee Jones worked with writer Guillermo Arriaga to develop a moving, character-driven story inspired by true events about the shared border between Texas and Mexico. Jones, alongside 1st Assistant Director Phil Hardage, Unit Production Manager Eric Austin Williams, Post-Production Supervisor Larry Madaras, and actor Julio Cedillo discuss their decision to tell the story in a non-linear fashion, their experience filming on location, and how they incorporated sound effects and scoring to build the film's world and define its characters.

The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada clips courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

Direct download: OSR_Katrin_Benedikt_Three_Burials_Podcast_B.mp3
Category:Film and Television -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week on On Story, we're having a conversation with Katrin Benedikt.

Co-writer of the non-stop political action thrillers Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen, and Expendables 3, Benedikt lends a behind-the-scenes look into the realities of breaking into Hollywood as a writer, from pitching the same story for years on end, navigating relationships with co-writers, agents, and producers, to completing last-minute rewrites on set. A true lover of action movies, Benedikt discusses crafting characters for star-studded casts and working with genre experts Antoine Fuqua and Sylvester Stallone.

Olympus Has Fallen clips courtesy of Film District.

London Has Fallen clips courtesy of Millennium Media.

Expendables 3 clips courtesy of Lionsgate Media.

Direct download: OSR_Katrin_Benedikt_Three_Burials_Podcast_A.mp3
Category:Film and Television -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week on On Story, a conversation with Brian Helgeland, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter who penned acclaimed movies including L.A. Confidential and Mystic River, and the director who brought to life beloved films such as A Knight’s Tale and 42. He lends a behind the scenes look at the making of Finestkind, a film mined from his relationship with his father and their experiences as deep sea fishermen.

The film, set in Helgeland’s own hometown of New Bedford, Massachusetts, tells the story of two estranged brothers’ navigating a splintered relationship in the high-stakes world of commercial fishing and drug dealing. Helgeland discusses grounding the story in setting, crafting character backgrounds with Tommy Lee Jones (who plays the boys’ father) and imbuing the film with his personal touch. Finestkind is now streaming on Paramount Plus. 

Finestkind clips courtesy of Paramount Plus.

Direct download: OSP_Finestkind_RC1_Mix1.mp3
Category:Film and Television -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week on On Story, AFF moderator Harrison Glaser speaks with Celine Song about her feature debut, Past Lives. Inspired by Song’s own experiences, Past Lives tells the story of two childhood friends who reunite as adults and reckon with the nature of the enduring bond between them. This multi-language film is a deeply personal exploration of the modern immigrant experience, unflinchingly confronting the “what-ifs” that plague lost love and paths not taken. 

Celine Song began her writing career as a playwright in New York City, and joined fantasy series The Wheel of Time as a staff writer before her feature debut. The bittersweet romance premiered to critical acclaim and soared to Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture. 

In conversation at the 30th annual Austin Film Festival, Song discusses creating complex identities for her characters, writing dialogue that feels true to life, and transitioning from playwright to filmmaker.

Past Lives clips courtesy of A24.

Direct download: OSP_Past_Lives_RC1_Mix1.mp3
Category:Film and Television -- posted at: 1:35pm CDT

This week on On Story, a conversation with Cord Jefferson on adapting the novel Erasure into his strikingly sharp debut feature American Fiction.

Cord Jefferson is an Emmy-winning writer who earned his chops on some of television’s most formative shows in recent years: Master of None, The Good Place, Succession, and Watchmen. His debut feature, American Fiction, won the Audience Award at the 30th annual Austin Film Festival.  

American Fiction is an adaptation of Percival Everett’s novel Erasure. The film introduces us to Thelonius Monk, played by Jeffrey Wright, a weary writer frustrated by the publishing industry’s obsession with reducing artists of color into stereotypes. In an effort to show the industry its own foolishness, Monk offers up a pandering manuscript that, much to his chagrin, becomes wildly successful.

Cord discusses bringing his own perspective and sense of humor to the source material, and marrying comedy and drama in one film.

Clips of American Fiction courtesy of Amazon/MGM Studios.

Direct download: OSP_-_AMERICAN_FICTION.mp3
Category:Film and Television -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week on On Story, a conversation with Joanna Calo, showrunner of the character-driven dramedy The Bear.

Joanna delves into her experience sharing showrunning duties with creator Christopher Storer, and discusses their approach to incorporating real life events into the show’s deeply grounded characters and high stakes world. 

As a television veteran, Joanna’s writing credits include Bojack Horseman, Hacks, Beef, and today’s subject, The Bear. The Bear tells the story of Carmy Berzatto, played by Jeremy Allen White, an award-winning chef who returns home to Chicago in the wake of his estranged brother’s suicide to find that he has inherited the family sandwich shop. Audiences fell in love with The Bear’s fast-paced dialogue, anxiety-inducing stakes, and deeply human characters in the show’s first season. In season 2, the show’s stakes raised even higher as Carmy attempted to open his own fine dining restaurant in Chicago. In today’s On Story conversation, Joanna share her insights surrounding the infamous mid-season episode Fishes featuring guest star Jamie Lee Curtis, as well as the well-crafted characters of Richie, played by Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Marcus, played by Lionel Boyce.

Clips of The Bear courtesy of FX.
Direct download: OSR_The_Bear_American_Fiction_FIXED.mp3
Category:Film and Television -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week on the On Story Podcast a conversation with James V. Hart, writer of the science fiction drama Contact directed by Robert Zemeckis.

In his decades-long career, Hart has written beloved films including HookBram Stoker’s Dracula, Tuck Everlasting, and August Rush. Hart discusses the process of adapting Contact from Carl Sagan’s novel about a scientist who discovers definitive proof of extraterrestrial life. From working with the author to discern his original intent and establishing a thematic purpose, to embedding a story with high stakes and finding the story’s emotional core, Hart lends us a close look at the intricacies of structuring a screenplay.

Clips of Contact courtesy of Warner Bros.

Direct download: Watchmen_Contact__PODCAST_-_TK_MIX.mp3
Category:Film and Television -- posted at: 1:26pm CDT

This week on On Story, a conversation with writer-director Shane Black about the making of Iron Man 3.

Shane Black, the original creator of the Lethal Weapon franchise, is well-known for his irreverent comedic style and witty dialogue, as well as turning established genre tropes on their head. Black does just that in Iron Man 3, a superhero film that sets aside hero's bravado to dissect the man inside the suit.

Barbara Morgan sat down with Black to discuss finding larger-than-life characters' interiority, navigating fan expectations, and working within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Clips of Iron Man 3 courtesy of Marvel Studios.

Direct download: Iron_Man_Podcast.mp3
Category:Film and Television -- posted at: 11:00am CDT

This week on On Story, a conversation with celebrated writing team Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, alongside filmmaker Craig Brewer, to discuss their collaboration on the hilarious, outrageous film Dolemite Is My Name.
 
Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski are an accomplished duo best known for the “anti-biopic” - postmodern movies that defy genre expectations by focusing on lesser known people, like in their films Ed Wood, The People Vs. Larry Flynt, and Big Eyes. The pair have also earned critical and commercial success by fictionalizing well-known true stories in their hit TV show American Crime Story: The People Versus O.J. Simpson, and as we discuss today, their acclaimed account of the life of Rudy Ray Moore in Dolemite Is My Name.
 
Craig Brewer’s career as a writer and director has spanned two decades, launched by his well-received debut The Poor and the Hungry and his Oscar winning sophomore feature Hustle & Flow. Brewer directed Dolemite Is My Name, a biographical comedy that chronicles Rudy Ray Moore’s making of beloved blaxploitation film Dolemite.
 
Dolemite is My Name Clips Courtesy of Netflix.
Direct download: OSP_-_Dolemite_-_TK_MIX_.mp3
Category:Film and Television -- posted at: 12:21pm CDT

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