Writers, Writers, Writers
Here's just a couple articles I've had open on my computer for a while that I wanted to share. Mostly about writers in Hollywood. (Kripke and Amy Berg specifically)
1. Post-apocalyptic TV is everywhere --Article on Falling Skies, Walking Dead, and Kripke's new show Revolution
~The premise of the article is somewhat ridiculous - They try to imply all these "apocalyptic" tv shows are copy cats of Walking Dead. I could claim they are copycats of Supernatural and be no more correct. Kripke's comments are amusing though, because he is so predictable and is obviously just copying himself. lol.
"Revolution's" creator, Eric Kripke ("Supernatural"), hopes to explore that joy or at least have more fun with it.
"The apocalypse kind of bums me out," he admitted in a meeting with J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions when the series was being developed.
Kripke wanted to do a show based around the elements of Joseph Campbell's "hero's journey," which were perhaps best exemplified in "Star Wars." The Abrams team was looking at a series that began with the cataclysmic scenario of that loss of electricity and technology.
Instead of dealing with the immediate consequences of that event, "Revolution" flashes forward 15 years later.
"That is an interesting world," Kripke said. "It transforms into a kingdom with good warriors and bad warriors. That's a world that's gone back to swords. It's about people living in a world that nature has reclaimed."
Kripke can see the current mood being reflected in series in a post-apocalyptic vein.
"There's something in the collective zeitgeist that people feel we're headed towards a cliff," he said.
"The population is massive, we're separated from our food supply, we're eventually going to run out of oil, and there's international tensions. People feel like we're really out of balance and due to be knocked down a peg by war or disease or something."
Kripke wanted to explore the story on the "other end" of that.
"We're not interested in nihilism or hopelessness. We'll all survive and be OK if we remember the things that bring us together: family, brotherhood and mercy."
I think he's right about people feeling like we're heading toward a cliff. I think that is more behind the trend toward end-of-the-world stories and maybe the success of superhero and fantasy movies as well.
2. How Eureka Writer Amy Berg Made It Big in Genre TV--podcast interview with writer/showrunner Amy Berg (Leverage, Person of Interest, etc) about how she got her start in TV
Amy's story of how she got her first job as a writer is outrageous (and slightly hilarious). It involves her fangirling Joss Whedon while trying to get a job on Buffy! The interview is almost an hour, but it does not seem that long. It's certainly worth a listen. The podcast is also available on Itunes. (I see there is an interview from Feb with 2 of the (former) SPN writers as well.)
3. Why Is Television Losing Women Writers? Veteran Producers Weigh In -- Mo Ryan article from a few months ago about the sad state of equality after the writer's strike a few years ago.
"I think networks are panicking a little," said Amy Berg ('Eureka,' 'Leverage'). "With the emergence of digital media, no one is quite sure where the television industry is headed. How long will it be before content is created and distributed exclusively online? I think this, along with the country's current economic instability, is making networks reach for their security blankets. They're buying content from familiar faces with proven track records instead of taking risks with fresh voices. And if you're a veteran of this industry, chances are you're also a dude."
....
"When you reach a critical mass of guys, you realize, even if you add women, it's still a very male culture, and that may not be the working style that the woman is used to or most comfortable with," noted that showrunner (let's call him Writer B). In that male culture, a woman may be less willing and able to offer ideas and pitches that come from their personal experience. (It also produces a different kind of show: The SDSU study found the number of female characters has dropped from from a high of 43 percent in the 2007-2008 season to 41 percent in the 2010-2011 season.)
~I have seen/ experienced this "In that male culture, a woman may be less willing and able to offer ideas " myself both in teaching and in classes I've taken since my field is very male dominated. I made a concerted effort when I assigned lab groups that there would be at least 2 women together when possible to counteract it.
And this is probably the most depressing section of the article:
"Just look at the primary measuring statistic for a viewing audience, the only statistic that matters financially -- males 18-49," said Kurt Sutter ('Sons of Anarchy,' 'The Shield'). "Networks demand that shows be aimed at that target audience. They have to. That's what advertisers demand of them. No ads, no TV. So by default, for the most part, we are creating television for white guys.
"Play out that reality -- who better than to write those shows? White guys. I'm guilty of it. I have women on staff, but the truth is, I've learned that men write shows about the struggles of men better than women," Sutter added. "I'm not saying that women can't write male characters. Some do, very well. But men can write male characters more accurately."
I think this is absolutely outrageous and shows such a distorted view of reality that I can't stand it. There is this mentality that pervades our culture that men are the consumers and women are the passive bystanders. That is an absolutely crazy marketing scheme--to think that things that appeal to women are for women only, while things that appeal to men are for everyone. Take advertising during a "female-oriented" show --it's all personal hygiene and makeup-- while during a "male-oriented" show it's trucks and tools. The advertisers, and the tv-shows, are discounting half the audience at best and driving away half the audience at worst through these practices. (I've known men who wouldn't even consider trying to watch a show that was deemed to have a "female audience" because he was embarassed by the tampon ads I hate them too- and frankly advertising is less likely to affect the brand of that stuff I buy than it would on say my next grocery trip or the next car I buy.)
And though it may be partially true that men write men better, wouldn't that also imply that women write women better so you need to have women on you writing staff to introduce and maintain realistic female roles? It is archaic to write stories with men in isolation, with no female involvement (side-eyes Supernatural). Reality is that most people live and work in environments with a mix of people. Most of the time, I don't notice this happening since I'm so engulfed in my own culture, but stepping back it's glaringly obvious how much this happens. (Look at the Avengers: basically 2 or 3 women with "significant" speaking roles in the whole movie versus around 10+ men?)
/angry rant
1. Post-apocalyptic TV is everywhere --Article on Falling Skies, Walking Dead, and Kripke's new show Revolution
~The premise of the article is somewhat ridiculous - They try to imply all these "apocalyptic" tv shows are copy cats of Walking Dead. I could claim they are copycats of Supernatural and be no more correct. Kripke's comments are amusing though, because he is so predictable and is obviously just copying himself. lol.
"Revolution's" creator, Eric Kripke ("Supernatural"), hopes to explore that joy or at least have more fun with it.
"The apocalypse kind of bums me out," he admitted in a meeting with J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions when the series was being developed.
Kripke wanted to do a show based around the elements of Joseph Campbell's "hero's journey," which were perhaps best exemplified in "Star Wars." The Abrams team was looking at a series that began with the cataclysmic scenario of that loss of electricity and technology.
Instead of dealing with the immediate consequences of that event, "Revolution" flashes forward 15 years later.
"That is an interesting world," Kripke said. "It transforms into a kingdom with good warriors and bad warriors. That's a world that's gone back to swords. It's about people living in a world that nature has reclaimed."
Kripke can see the current mood being reflected in series in a post-apocalyptic vein.
"There's something in the collective zeitgeist that people feel we're headed towards a cliff," he said.
"The population is massive, we're separated from our food supply, we're eventually going to run out of oil, and there's international tensions. People feel like we're really out of balance and due to be knocked down a peg by war or disease or something."
Kripke wanted to explore the story on the "other end" of that.
"We're not interested in nihilism or hopelessness. We'll all survive and be OK if we remember the things that bring us together: family, brotherhood and mercy."
I think he's right about people feeling like we're heading toward a cliff. I think that is more behind the trend toward end-of-the-world stories and maybe the success of superhero and fantasy movies as well.
2. How Eureka Writer Amy Berg Made It Big in Genre TV--podcast interview with writer/showrunner Amy Berg (Leverage, Person of Interest, etc) about how she got her start in TV
Amy's story of how she got her first job as a writer is outrageous (and slightly hilarious). It involves her fangirling Joss Whedon while trying to get a job on Buffy! The interview is almost an hour, but it does not seem that long. It's certainly worth a listen. The podcast is also available on Itunes. (I see there is an interview from Feb with 2 of the (former) SPN writers as well.)
3. Why Is Television Losing Women Writers? Veteran Producers Weigh In -- Mo Ryan article from a few months ago about the sad state of equality after the writer's strike a few years ago.
"I think networks are panicking a little," said Amy Berg ('Eureka,' 'Leverage'). "With the emergence of digital media, no one is quite sure where the television industry is headed. How long will it be before content is created and distributed exclusively online? I think this, along with the country's current economic instability, is making networks reach for their security blankets. They're buying content from familiar faces with proven track records instead of taking risks with fresh voices. And if you're a veteran of this industry, chances are you're also a dude."
....
"When you reach a critical mass of guys, you realize, even if you add women, it's still a very male culture, and that may not be the working style that the woman is used to or most comfortable with," noted that showrunner (let's call him Writer B). In that male culture, a woman may be less willing and able to offer ideas and pitches that come from their personal experience. (It also produces a different kind of show: The SDSU study found the number of female characters has dropped from from a high of 43 percent in the 2007-2008 season to 41 percent in the 2010-2011 season.)
~I have seen/ experienced this "In that male culture, a woman may be less willing and able to offer ideas " myself both in teaching and in classes I've taken since my field is very male dominated. I made a concerted effort when I assigned lab groups that there would be at least 2 women together when possible to counteract it.
And this is probably the most depressing section of the article:
"Just look at the primary measuring statistic for a viewing audience, the only statistic that matters financially -- males 18-49," said Kurt Sutter ('Sons of Anarchy,' 'The Shield'). "Networks demand that shows be aimed at that target audience. They have to. That's what advertisers demand of them. No ads, no TV. So by default, for the most part, we are creating television for white guys.
"Play out that reality -- who better than to write those shows? White guys. I'm guilty of it. I have women on staff, but the truth is, I've learned that men write shows about the struggles of men better than women," Sutter added. "I'm not saying that women can't write male characters. Some do, very well. But men can write male characters more accurately."
I think this is absolutely outrageous and shows such a distorted view of reality that I can't stand it. There is this mentality that pervades our culture that men are the consumers and women are the passive bystanders. That is an absolutely crazy marketing scheme--to think that things that appeal to women are for women only, while things that appeal to men are for everyone. Take advertising during a "female-oriented" show --it's all personal hygiene and makeup-- while during a "male-oriented" show it's trucks and tools. The advertisers, and the tv-shows, are discounting half the audience at best and driving away half the audience at worst through these practices. (I've known men who wouldn't even consider trying to watch a show that was deemed to have a "female audience" because he was embarassed by the tampon ads I hate them too- and frankly advertising is less likely to affect the brand of that stuff I buy than it would on say my next grocery trip or the next car I buy.)
And though it may be partially true that men write men better, wouldn't that also imply that women write women better so you need to have women on you writing staff to introduce and maintain realistic female roles? It is archaic to write stories with men in isolation, with no female involvement (side-eyes Supernatural). Reality is that most people live and work in environments with a mix of people. Most of the time, I don't notice this happening since I'm so engulfed in my own culture, but stepping back it's glaringly obvious how much this happens. (Look at the Avengers: basically 2 or 3 women with "significant" speaking roles in the whole movie versus around 10+ men?)
/angry rant