Now Playing at Reason.tv: Screenwriting for Hollywood

At Reason Goes Hollywood, our 40th anniversary bash held November 14-15, 2008 in Los Angeles, Reason.tv's Paul Feine interviewed screenwriters Paul Guay (best known for Liar, Liar) and David H. Steinberg (Slackers, American Pie 2) about what it takes to make it in the entertainment biz, especially when your politics diverge from a very narrow set of acceptable positions.

Approximately 50 minutes.

For an audio podcast version of this conversation, go here. For embed code and downloadable versions of this video click here.

For more video from Reason Goes Hollywood, go here.

Comments

[Ray Butler]

Boo Hoo. I can't wait to hear what the poor, poor persecuted libertarians think. Clearly what we need is more government in the movies so that chubby white guys can catch a break!

[mantooth]

American Pie 2! That's what my doctoral thesis is about!

[Slacker #1]

Dey made a movie about me! What was your thesis about mantooth? Also, I notice you don't call yourself Dr. Mantooth, what happened? Reason does not like when nonmedical doctors call themselves doctors, ie Condi Rice. Hark the Herlady!

[Episiarch]

Boo hoo is right. I'm still mystified as to why another Hollywood hasn't sprung up to compete with the original. Oh wait, yes it has, in Vancouver. The market is the way to win.

[IRONKEY]

For that matter, I should just make something that will appeal to an audience of Libertarians, libertarians, etc, and get rich off them. THere's enough of them to make one person rich at least. Kind of like nazi dudes, I always wondered if some of those leaders are just playing to make tons of money off of people. Maybe even the faux libertarians of reason.com, as well as the magazine that the website makes?

[Warty]

Maybe even the faux libertarians of reason.com

That's my cue to get shitfaced. Goodnight, y'all.

[max hats]

Obviously it's not talent holding these guys back, but instead a targeted program of ideological persecution.

[JW Gacy]

I'm actually listening to the podcast. Am I not allowed to comment here? Because it seems like this is the thread for people who haven't bothered to watch the video or hear the podcast.

These guys aren't being held back. I haven't heard them claim any such thing so far (17 minutes in). They're actually fairly successful. Wrote a couple of big hits.

[Ray Butthead]

Hmmm...a little clueless. They seem to think that Fight Club type movies (of which there is one) are anti-male....I thought it was an affirmation of masculinity.

[Colin]

Great stuff -- thanks for posting!

[Robert]

That movie was far too long at 5 mins. The joke was obvious from a little way into it, so there was no need to stretch it to that length. It could easily have been a 1 minute Budweiser ad, and made more money.

[shecky]

what it takes to make it in the entertainment biz, especially when your politics diverge from a very narrow set of acceptable positions

For those unable to watch the whole video, short answer is: Don't be an asshole and try to shove your crazy politics down everyone's throat. Pretty common sense stuff for most folks.

[Ray Butthead]

Does that "don't shove your crazy politics" thing apply to libertarians as well or is it just liberals? There's a reason why there's no "Atlas Shrugged" movie and it ain't a liberal conspiracy!

[FrBunny]

Maybe even the faux libertarians of reason.com, as well as the magazine that the website makes?

If I didn't read this until Saturday morning, can I still drink? While I wait for a ruling, I'm going to have just a small one...

[FrBunny]

I've never sympathized with the "don't shove your [politics, religion, diet, sexual preference, etc.] down my throat" BS on any issue.

My house has a door, and if you're on the wrong side of it pissing me off, there's a problem. On the other side? Carry on.

[Episiarch]

Hey, Bunny, can I join you? I could use some of the hair of the dog that bit me.

[FrBunny]

Mobile post!

Depends Epi, ever had Firefly Vodka? Awesomeness in a bottle.

[shecky]

My house has a door, and if you're on the wrong side of it pissing me off, there's a problem. On the other side? Carry on.

That's just it. Those guys do not want to be stuck on the wrong side. They know better than to shove their politics down anyone's throat. At least anyone that matters. This is Schmoozing 101, not rocket science.

[FrBunny]

They know better than to shove their politics down anyone's throat.

But I don't think making a movie -- even a Sicko, Passion of the Christ, or Thank you for Smoking -- qualifies as shoving. Ziggy says there's a 92.4% chance I'm missing your point though; I'm into day two of a bender Nick Cage would envy.

[Episiarch]

Depends Epi, ever had Firefly Vodka? Awesomeness in a bottle.

No. Is it better than Popov?

I'm into day two of a bender Nick Cage would envy.

Impressive. Solid drinking, or some drugs too?

[raivo pommer-www.google.ee]

raivo pommer-www.google.ee
[e-mail]

EIN PAAR EURO F?RS PAPIER

Au?erdem gibt es mittlerweile Neuigkeiten ?ber die Lehman-Konkursmasse. Laut der ersten Gl?ubigerversammlung der Lehman Brothers Holding vom 29. Januar verf?gt Lehman ?ber Verm?genspositionen von knapp 120 Milliarden Dollar. Die Bank ist damit nicht arm, und es ist nicht auszuschlie?en, dass es zu R?ckfl?ssen an deutsche Anleger kommt, die ?ber den angebotenen zwei Prozent liegen. In US-Kreisen hei?t es, aktuell w?rden gar Entsch?digungsquoten von 15 bis 20 Prozent diskutiert. "Andria Capital h?tte diese aktuellen Informationen ihrem Kaufangebot auch beif?gen m?ssen", kritisiert Peter Mattil, Rechtsanwalt aus M?nchen. Das geh?re sich so. "Stattdessen bezieht sich die Gesellschaft auf die alte Information vom 8.Oktober", kritisiert Mattil.

Andria Capital schreibt in dem Angebot, man wolle bis zu nominal 50 Millionen Euro an Lehman-Papieren erwerben. Bezogen auf die zwei Prozent, die Andria bezahlen will, investiert die Firma insgesamt eine Million Euro. Vorstandschef von Andria ist laut Handelsregister der 30-j?hrige Marcus Deetz. Er ist seit 2006 auch Stipendiat am Lehrstuhl f?r Finanzwirtschaft an der Universit?t Bremen. Deetz m?chte seine T?tigkeit bei Andria auf Nachfrage nicht kommentieren; auch nicht, ob er f?r sich selbst oder im Auftrag anderer handelt.

[John Linde]

I would like to address two salient points, one creative and the other political:

1) Paul Guay has been stealing his own jokes for years. His material (right down to the pauses) is almost verbatim what he said at the Sci-Fi Nebula Awards, heck, he even stole jokes from his imdb page! This leads into my point about creativity. While these two smugly sit back and disparage indie film and its lack of success relative to working "within the studio system" truly intelligent and gifted artists (oh my god, that word!) are putting their finances, marriages, souls on the line to advance the film making art these two so willingly prostitute like a pimp daddy on craigslist. Young artists need to understand that the liberty given to them by video, the internet, and the indie film movement has freed them from being these two dinosaurs. These two "writers" are a part of what is wrong with the American Film Industry. And they are proud of it.

2) The irony of libertarians devoid of original thought and independent spirit in their professional lives makes me doubt these two will wind up as flag carriers on the Libertarian posters. I guess its possible some compensation effect would be possible, that once you leave work and take off those knee pads and unpucker those lips, you would be one hell of a revolutionary!!