Austin Film Festival's On Story Podcast

This week on On Story we’ll hear from television writer & producer Howard Gordon on his process of creating a hit television series. Howard Gordon is a television writer and producer best known for his work on the Fox action series 24 and the award-winning Showtime thriller Homeland which he co-developed with Alex Gansa. Gordon first gained national attention for his award-winning work on Fox’s groundbreaking series The X-Files, for which he won multiple Golden Globes. His other credits include Tyrant, Legends, Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Beauty and the Beast, Sisters, and Spenser: For Hire. Producer Barry Josephson spoke with Gordon at the Austin Film Festival at a panel about his process of writing for hit television. Clips of Homeland, The X-Files, and 24 courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

This week on On Story, award-winning writer and director Brenda Chapman discusses how female perspective, a love of art, and an understanding of flawed characters influenced her writing in the animated classics The Lion King, The Prince of Egypt, and Brave. Brenda Chapman is an American writer, storyboard artist, and director. In 1998, she became the first woman to direct an animated feature from a major studio, DreamWorks Animation's The Prince of Egypt. In 2012, she co-directed the Disney/Pixar film Brave with Mark Andrews, becoming the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Writer and Professor Greg Garrett spoke with Chapman about her process of taking ideas from the drawing board to the screen at the Austin Film Festival. Clips of Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King & The Rescuers Down Under courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures Clips of The Prince of Egypt courtesy of DreamWorks, LLC Clips of Brave courtesy of Pixar & Disney Enterprises, Inc.

This week on On Story we’ll hear from veteran screenwriters John Lee Hancock, Brian Helgeland and Robin Swicord on the process of creating compelling characters. And later, award-winning writer and director Brenda Chapman discusses how female perspective, a love of art, and an understanding of flawed characters influenced her writing in the animated classics The Lion King, The Prince of Egypt, and Brave.   Characters are the emotional anchor for all great stories. No matter how intricate the plot, well-developed characters are crucial ingredients for engaging an audience and encouraging them to invest in a story's journey. I spoke with a group of veteran screenwriters about their process of crafting compelling characters at the Austin Film Festival. John Lee Hancock is a director, writer and producer most known for his work on The Blind Side, A Perfect World and his latest film The Little Things. Brian Helgeland is a screenwriter, producer and director. His writing credits include L.A. Confidential, Man on Fi

Hello podcast listeners, you’re listening to Austin Film Festival’s On Story. This week on On Story we’ll hear from the filmmakers behind The Outpost. The film, which stars Scott Eastwood and Orlando Bloom, was adapted from Jake Tapper’s book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor which follows the story of a team of American soldiers as they valiantly work together to survive behind enemy lines. The panel included writers Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy, director Rod Lurie, and producer Paul Merryman. We spoke with the team behind The Outpost at the Austin Film Festival. Clips of The Outpost courtesy of Millennium Media & Screen Media Films

Hello podcast listeners. This week on On Story we’ll hear from Bill Hader and Alec Berg, the creators of HBO’s hit crime show, Barry. Alec Berg is a writer, producer and director whose credits include Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Silicon Valley and Barry which he co-created with Bill Hader. He’s been nominated for eighteen Emmys, ten Writers Guild awards and a Razzie. Bill Hader is an actor, writer and producer best known for his work on Saturday Night Live, for which he received four Primetime Emmy Award nominations and Peabody Award. We spoke with Alec Berg and Bill Hader at the Austin Film Festival, at a panel about their process of creating the hit HBO series Barry, which stars Bill Hader as a hitman who travels to Los Angeles to kill someone and finds himself drawn towards human connection in the form of a group of aspiring actors. Clips of Barry courtesy of Home Box Office Television

Hello podcast listeners, I’m Barbara Morgan and you’re listening to Austin Film Festival’s On Story. This week on On Story we’ll hear from Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. Alexander & Karaszewski are a screenwriting duo, best known for their unusual biopics with larger-than-life characters. Their film credits include: The People vs. Larry Flynt, American Crime Story: THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON, and Ed Wood. Their first commercial success was 1990’s Problem Child, which later spawned two sequels. In 1994 they released the biographical dramedy Ed Wood which was directed by Tim Burton and won two Academy Awards. Their first foray into television was American Crime Story: THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON, a true crime anthology drama based on the O. J. Simpson  murder trial. The show went on to win nine Primetime Emmys after it aired on FX in 2016, with Alexander and Karaszewski nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special. Producer Barry Josephson spoke with Alexander &a

Hello podcast listeners, I’m Barbara Morgan and you’re listening to Austin Film Festival’s On Story. This week on On Story we’ll hear from Seinfeld writer David Mandel. David Mandel was the executive producer and showrunner of the Emmy Award-winning TV show Veep, and was also an executive producer and director of Curb Your Enthusiasm. He was a writer for several seasons of Seinfeld and also co-wrote the screenplay for the 2003 film adaptation of The Cat In The Hat. Comedian John Merriman spoke with Mandel at a retrospective screening of episodes of Seinfeld at the Austin Film Festival. Clips of Seinfeld courtesy of NBC

This week on On Story we’ll hear from Gone Girl author and screenwriter Gillian Flynn. Gillian Flynn is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Gone Girl, for which she wrote the Golden Globe-nominated screenplay. She is also the author of the New York Times bestsellers Dark Places and Sharp Objects. Flynn later adapted and executive produced the Emmy-nominated SHARP OBJECTS for HBO in 2018, which starred Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson. Also in 2018, Flynn co-wrote, with director Steve McQueen, the screenplay for the heist thriller WIDOWS, starring Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, and Cynthia Erivo. Most recently, Flynn wrote and executive produced UTOPIA for Amazon. I spoke with Gillian Flynn at the 2020 Austin Film Festival about her creative process of writing across mediums and adapting her own work.  Clips of Gone Girl & Widows courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation & Regency Entertainment Clips of Sharp Objects courtesy of Warner Brothers Television & HBO Clips of Dark Pl

This week on On Story we’ll hear from Ed Solomon, the screenwriter behind Men in Black and the co-writer of the Bill & Ted series. Solomon has had a major film released in each of the last 5 decades starting in 1989 with his first feature Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, which he co-wrote with Chris Matheson. That film has spawned 2 sequels, both written by Solomon and Matheson, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, and 2020’s Bill & Ted Face the Music. Solomon wrote Men in Black, Now You See Me, and HBO’s interactive series Mosaic. I spoke with Solomon about his writing and the process behind deciding which ideas to pursue at the 2020 Austin Film Festival.

This week on On Story, a conversation with The Queen’s Gambit co-creator, Scott Frank and Chernobyl researcher Mimi Munson. Frank is an Academy Award nominated screenwriter whose recent project, The Queen’s Gambit, won Best Miniseries at the Golden Globes. I spoke with Frank and Munson at the 2020 virtual Austin Film Festival about their frequent collaboration and how research plays a crucial part in developing projects.

This week on On Story, Emmy-award winning television creator and screenwriter Damon Lindelof joins us for a conversation about the HBO series Watchmen. The series was nominated for 26 Emmy awards - ultimately winning 11, including Best Limited Series. Clips of Watchmen courtesy of DC Comics, Home Box Office, and Warner Brothers Television Clips of The Leftovers courtesy of Warner Brothers Television and Home Box Office

This week on On Story, critically acclaimed writer, Kevin Willmott, joins us for an in-depth conversation on balancing messages of social justice with entertainment. His filmography includes collaborations with filmmaker Spike Lee on Da 5 Bloods, Chi-Raq, and  BlacKkKlansman – which one the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay 2019. Greg Garrett spoke with Willmott at the virtual Austin Film Festival. Clips of The Searchers courtesy of C.V. Whitney Pictures, Warner Brothers, and HBOMax Clips of Destination Planet Negro courtesy of Candy Factory Films Clips of BlackKklansman courtesy of Focus Features, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, and 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks Clips of the 24th courtesy of New Slate Ventures and Vertical Entertainment Clips of She’s Gotta Have It courtesy of 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks and MGM Home Entertainment Clips of Chi-Raq courtesy of 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks and Amazon Studios Clips of Da 5 Bloods courtesy of Netflix

This week on On Story, filmmakers Stanley Kalu and Ali Leroi discuss the journey of bringing The Obituary of Tunde Johnson from a screenplay competition to the screen. The film follows an African-American teenager that is trapped in a terrifying time loop after being shot to death by police. Ali LeRoi is an Emmy Award-winning writer who is best known for co-creating the hit series Everybody Hates Chris. Stanley Kalu, is a screenwriter and former USC student - Tunde Johnson is his first produced screenplay. The pair spoke with Senior Film Programmer, Casey Baron, at the 2019 Austin Film Festival. Clips of The Obituary of Tunde Johnson courtesy of Wolfe Releasing.

This week on On Story, a conversation with industry veteran, Akiva Goldsman. Goldsman has written across multiple genres -- from superhero movies to biographies tackling mental health issues. Some of his most recognizable film credits include Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, The Client, The Da Vinci Code, and the four-time Academy Award Winner A Beautiful Mind, which earned Goldsman a win for Best Adapted Screenplay. Recently, Goldsman has worked as a writer, director, and producer for the newest addition to the Star Trek television franchise, Star Trek: Picard.

This week on On Story, John Lee Hancock discusses writing and directing The Little Things. The film stars Denzel Washington, Jared Leto, and Rami Malek, and follows two police officers in pursuit of a serial killer terrorizing Los Angeles in the 1990s.

This week on On Story, a conversation with award-winning screenwriter, director, and author Amy Talkington. In 2020, she wrote the series finale episode of Hulu’s Emmy-nominated hit series Little Fires Everywhere, which she also co-executive produced. 2020 also saw the release of Valley Girl, a musical remake of the 80s cult film, which Talkington wrote. Sarah Lawrence professor Fred Strype, spoke with Talkington about Little Fires Everywhere and her career starting out as an independent filmmaker at the Austin Film Festival. Clips of Little Fires Everywhere courtesy of ABC Signature Studios, Be Sunshine LLC, and Disney Enterprises Inc

This week on On Story a conversation with Gina Prince-Bythewood. Prince-Bythewood is an award-winning writer, director, and producer who has been working in film and television for over 20 years. As a writer/director Prince-Bythewood has released three feature films; Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees, and Beyond the Lights.   Clips of Love & Basketball courtesy of New Line Cinema, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks Clips of Beyond the Lights courtesy of BET Films and Relativity Media Clips of The Old Guard courtesy of Netflix

From Austin Film Festival this is On Story, a look inside the creative process from today’s leading creators, writers and filmmakers. I’m your host, Barbara Morgan.   Academy Award-winning screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie’s films include Jack Reacher, The Way of the Gun, and the two most recent Mission: Impossible films – Fallout and Rouge Nation.  His writing credits include Edge of Tomorrow, Top Gun: Maverick, and The Usual Suspects. The Usual Suspects garnered McQuarrie an Academy Award and the BAFTA for Best Original Screenplay, as well as the Edgar Allan Poe and Independent Spirit Awards. It has since been named one of the 100 greatest screenplays of all time by The Writers Guild of America. I spoke with McQuarrie at an Austin Film Festival virtual event that was co-presented by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

From Austin Film Festival this is On Story, a look inside the creative process from today’s leading creators, writers and filmmakers. I’m your host, Barbara Morgan.   From Christmas classics to modern holiday hits, the magic of storytelling seems to be stronger during the holiday season. We spoke with the writers behind some of the most celebrated modern Christmas films to discuss writing stories set during the most wonderful time of the year. Karen Schaler wrote 2017’s A Christmas Prince which was Netflix’s first original Christmas film and spawned two sequels. Matt Lieberman wrote 2018’s The Christmas Chronicles, also released by Netflix, which starred Kurt Russell. Lieberman also wrote the sequel, The Christmas Chronicles 2. David Berenbaum wrote the 2003 holiday hit Elf which stars Will Ferrell. The three writers spoke with moderator Fabienne Harford at the Austin Film Festival.