Latest / Mommywood / Making the Thing Anyway (Even When Life Is on Fire) with Annie Girard and Diana Wright

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Making the Thing Anyway (Even When Life Is on Fire) with Annie Girard and Diana Wright · Mommywood

0:00
Mom. Welcome to Mommy Wood, the
0:04
podcast where motherhood meets Hollywood.
0:07
Real moms, real talk, no scripts.
0:10
I'm your host Emily Bolt, and we are talking about the messy,
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funny and unfiltered side of being a mom in the entertainment
0:18
industry. On this episode of Mommy Wood, I
0:21
have the pleasure of talking with Annie Gerard and Diana
0:24
Wright. They are an LA based,
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award-winning writer directors who genuinely love making stuff
0:32
together, which already feels like a minor miracle in this
0:36
industry. They've written across TV, film,
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audio, games and digital. For.
0:43
Places like Disney, Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, Comedy Central
0:47
and have sold. Projects to major networks while
0:51
also independently creating award-winning audio series and a
0:55
live action short that's hitting the festival circuit now.
0:59
But what I really wanted to talk to them about is collaboration.
1:04
Like how do you build a creative partnership that actually lasts
1:08
and how do you keep making it work when the industry moves so
1:14
slowly. And what it looks like to
1:16
protect your creative voice while still playing the game.
1:22
This conversation is funny, it's honest, and really grounding,
1:27
especially if you've ever felt like you're waiting for
1:30
permission to make the thing you already want to make.
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So I'm so excited for you to hear it.
1:38
You're going to love this episode, so please enjoy Annie
1:42
Gerrard and Diana Wright. I'm so excited to have both of
1:47
you here on Mommy Wood. Can you guys start by just
1:52
saying your name so that listeners who might not be
1:55
watching can somewhat distinguish our voices?
1:58
This is me, a host, Emily. I'm Annie, Annie Gerrard and I'm
2:06
Diana Wright, and we make up the writing directing team of
2:10
Juritey. Yes, amazing.
2:14
So you guys have been together for a bit.
2:17
What how did you guys start? How did your partnership start?
2:23
We started just as fans of each other.
2:25
Yeah. We Annie runs a writers group
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called Wright Club. And it's just this, like 1.
2:40
And so I would just like go to the bright Club when I could.
2:44
And I like, I knew I liked Annie's writing because of what
2:47
she had shared and back and forth.
2:51
And then I think it was, it was kind of during the pandemic and
2:56
I got pregnant and I was really scared that I was not going to
3:00
have a career anymore. And so I was sort of like, well,
3:04
to force me to like do this. What if I partnered up and I
3:07
called you up and I was sort of like, would you want to write
3:09
something? And yeah.
3:13
And it's, you know, five years later, we're still there.
3:16
Yeah. We ate more pandemics, chaos.
3:21
We wrote a script and then channel One O 1 because it was
3:24
the pandemic. They started doing an audio
3:26
version called One O 1. And so that really tested our
3:31
mettle because we, you know, they were like, could you do a
3:33
show for us? And so we did 2 series.
3:37
Yeah. And it was like, you know, it's
3:40
like you, you get in, it's, it's a monthly show.
3:43
And so you, you have a voting process.
3:45
So you basically have three weeks to like write a show.
3:49
So you write it and then you, you have to cast it and, and,
3:52
and record it and edit it. It has to be within 5 minutes.
3:55
And so it was a real, like, it was a serious boot camp because
3:58
we'd like finish one and we'd get voted back and we'd be like,
4:03
yay, so exciting. And then we're like, we're
4:05
already behind. Oh, man, that is stressful.
4:09
Well, how did you guys, what was the moment, or maybe not a
4:13
moment, but had you guys worked with other writers before or
4:18
like what was something that made you guys be like, Oh yeah,
4:21
this is working, we should keep doing that.
4:24
Together, I mean, you know, a, we already knew how much we
4:29
loved each other's tone and, and I feel like we, we complement
4:33
each other really well too. I feel like, but I, I think it
4:39
was that working together, we realized we could work really
4:42
fast and also like get alerts. But you know, like, I think if
4:49
we hadn't had that, we wouldn't work so fast together and trust
4:54
our instincts. I, I also, yeah, I think it's
4:59
just like it was, I mean, it was a, it honestly, it was such a
5:03
moment of self reservation in this partnership because it was
5:09
like me being like, I'm worried that I can't motivate myself
5:12
anymore. But if I have like one other
5:14
person that I'm like, I'm doing this for them.
5:17
Like then it suddenly becomes it's not about me, it's about
5:21
them. And so I was like able to like
5:23
promote my own work better by, by like putting like, like
5:30
having this team. So it was like I almost like got
5:32
better at promoting myself by promoting another person.
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And so I think like that really helped and it, and it also it
5:40
just helped to have someone to, to help carry the load because
5:44
as you know, with parenting, like things can come up and it
5:46
was just nice to just be like, I can't right now.
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Can you just can you like take this on and and be like, yes,
5:53
absolutely. And there's been times where I
5:56
went on Annie so much and then like I'm just like thankful when
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she's like, I can't do it this week and I'm like, I get to
6:01
carry the load this week. Yay like I pay back and so I'm.
6:07
Sorry. Continue.
6:07
Oh no, no, I. Think it was just like we went
6:09
into this partnership very with like no ego, like if anything,
6:13
too little ego, like we should have some ego, but it's like led
6:18
to a very, you know, working relationship that I feel like we
6:21
can talk about itself. We're coming at it like slumber
6:24
party first. So did Annie, did you already
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have kids by the time? Because I know, like you said,
6:32
Danny, you were like worried about finding out you were
6:35
pregnant. Like, what are you going to do?
6:37
Like, yeah, you know, that's what mom and what it's all about
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being like, what? How am I going to keep being
6:43
creative and have this career and all that?
6:46
And had you ever already had a child when a kid get yes.
6:52
During the So I had my first kid in September 2016.
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So when the pandemic hit, she like I had just gotten her out
7:01
of the like, I was like, preschool, I'm going to get back
7:04
in the room. I'm going to stop doing
7:06
freelance. The world is my oyster.
7:09
And then the pandemic hit and it was a little scary.
7:18
But like, on the other hand, I had already established
7:21
freelance work, so I was able to do freelance.
7:25
You know, it was hard because there was no quiet in the house
7:30
ever. So it's hard to, you know, have
7:32
brain space. But I had done that.
7:35
So yeah, I, I was AI was a few years ahead of Diana.
7:38
And I think I, I mean, I think not only did I like Annie's
7:41
writing, knew that we were comedically like well aligned
7:46
and also I think equally driven, you know, like we maintain
7:49
relationships and I'd recommended it for jobs and like
7:52
stuff. And, you know, she'd already
7:54
been on my short list, but the fact that she had also gone
7:57
through motherhood and like kept going was like a little it was,
8:01
you know, I was like, OK, here's someone who's who's done it.
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And I can kind of like, she'll, she knows what I'm dealing with.
8:08
And like, you know, it felt much more comfortable that way where
8:12
I'm like, I don't because at the time too, I had just gotten
8:17
hired to adapt a mobile game to for an animated feature film.
8:24
And I got I got hired with my husband.
8:27
We then like the pandemic hit. It was 2020 was going to be my
8:31
year. Like you cannot believe I like,
8:34
I like did a trip to Vietnam. I got flown to Helsinki to like
8:38
do this, to like write this movie for this company.
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And then I came back and I was like working on Netflix as a
8:45
joke, the Comedy Festival where I was going to like direct all
8:48
the backs behind the scenes stuff.
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I was like, boom, my career. Yay.
8:54
Then the pandemic hit and I was like, oh, get pregnant.
8:55
Sure, why not? But I was still contracted to do
8:59
this job. And I was working with a
9:01
producer. I was kind of older school.
9:03
She had had her career kind of really impacted by having a kid.
9:09
And so she was sort of like keeping under wraps, like, and I
9:13
was also going through this chaos because I was like, I
9:15
haven't told anybody it's a pandemic.
9:16
No one's seen me. And so Annie also felt like this
9:19
real lifeline where I could be like, I'm pregnant and she
9:22
wouldn't be like. OK, bye.
9:23
Like. Like, so.
9:25
And it was, I was waiting now. Yeah.
9:28
Like, I was working with an agent who, like, had made some
9:31
comments being like, oh, you're not going to get pregnant, are
9:34
you? Like, you know, it's like that
9:35
thing where it's like in Hollywood.
9:37
And then this producer was also like, everyone's going to say
9:41
congratulations, so exciting for you, and then they're just going
9:43
to stop calling. And that was like, I was like,
9:46
oh, my God. Like, my career's over.
9:49
Like, we're in this pandemic. Like, this is crazy.
9:51
Yeah. Well, I mean, that's what
9:54
everyone's scared of. I like on all sides of the
9:59
business is what I'm discovering, what it's like.
10:02
You know, like you said, though they might not say it to your
10:06
face, but there is the fear of just like, oh, I'll be forgotten
10:11
or invisible once I have kids. But so now obviously I'm not a
10:16
mathematician here, but so your first Annie is going to be YS 10
10:23
this. Year.
10:24
Yes, she's 9 now. Yes, I will not make her 10 yet.
10:29
And 9:00 What? And what is her name?
10:32
And then how old is your second? Her name is Leona.
10:36
And then I have a four year old in TK named Calliathi.
10:40
Yeah. Calliathi so and that's a Is
10:45
that a boy? 2 girls. 2 Girls.
10:51
So you're back in the like, they're both out of the house.
10:58
Yeah, she. Gets to like, show me the
11:01
freedom. And how old is yours, Dana?
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Yeah, my daughter Penelope is about to turn 5.
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She'll she'll turn 5 this month. And then my son Conrad just
11:13
turned 2. And so, yeah.
11:17
And so that that was the other thing too is like, 'cause we
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like, no, I had this like secret pregnancy that I like long
11:26
conned into like people. I had to like announce it when
11:28
she was like 18 months old. It's like such an insane thing
11:31
to like I was, I've always wanted to long con someone.
11:34
And I did get to long con with this because I got to like long
11:37
con all my Internet friends and to the point where sometimes
11:43
people are like still like what? You have kids?
11:45
And I'm like, sit down. And then what was so wonderful
11:50
is I like got to like, I'm so scared to like tell you that I
11:55
was, I was pregnant with my second and I told you you're so
11:58
wonderful about. I was like, so you're like, it's
12:00
nothing. This is what the fuck?
12:02
Because I was so like, because part of me was also like, I got
12:04
through, you know, the hurdle of postpartum for for me, it lasts
12:09
2 years. I don't like for everyone.
12:11
Like I was like, this is a 2 year process.
12:15
I'm just getting out of it with the second one.
12:17
But then we got to like the, you know, the shirt we did, which
12:20
was not only about motherhood and work, work, workplace
12:25
discrimination. You know, I did it while I was
12:27
six months pregnant. And like what a, what a
12:30
phenomenal change to like go from like hiding a pregnancy via
12:34
zoom screen where I'm like, Oh my God, like I can't, oh, I have
12:37
to pee or turn off the camera. Like, you know, like I, I was
12:39
way smarter than Jeffrey Toobin. I'll tell you that.
12:42
No one got me. And and then to go to like I'm
12:48
visibly pregnant while directing a short and having all these
12:52
amazing people say yes to us. And like all it was just this
12:56
thing where I was like, why haven't like, yes, let's like,
12:59
like just ask for things. And then also just like to fully
13:04
acknowledge that this is something I'm dealing with and
13:07
and that it's not a problem was so wonderful.
13:10
And it felt it felt very healing, honestly.
13:12
Oh. That's so nice.
13:14
Yeah, it's. I always say I'm like, I wish
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you could just have this the second like kid or pregnancy
13:22
first. Like get 100%.
13:26
Out of the way I. Was like, oh God, if you could
13:29
just carry second kid energy into first kid, wow, that would
13:32
be a dream. Yeah.
13:35
Well, well. Then I'll go on my own little
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tangent question since you do both have two.
13:42
I have the one and it is very like obviously you you both
13:47
decided it was OK enough and has the second one.
13:51
What made you were both of you? I'm just personally nosy and
13:57
curious with people with more than one because I'm like did
14:01
does everyone just know that they want to have another one or
14:07
no? How do you How did you decide?
14:10
Posted on Reddit, should I have another which is a Reddit thread
14:13
you can post and they actively told me I shouldn't have one.
14:16
It's very easy to there's all the reasons not to.
14:21
There's so many reasons not to. But like deciding to is like
14:27
there's like 2 main, like two or three main reasons to like do
14:33
it. You want 1A sibling.
14:35
It's the most amazing thing, obviously, but like yeah, so
14:39
obviously. So you didn't know that you
14:42
wanted to? Yeah, that's.
14:45
Such AI didn't know I'm not a baby person and like I pretty
14:54
and I had the two year solid postpartum as well, but it was
14:57
postpartum anxiety. So I didn't know it was
15:00
postpartum because I didn't know that was an option.
15:03
I thought postpartum was just like you can't get out of bed,
15:06
you're really sad and unmotivated and that was not me.
15:09
I was the anxious. I am Sam.
15:14
Check that out if you feel like awesome.
15:17
Anyway, it was. It was awful.
15:20
And I was like, what is the slug?
15:22
This. How will life ever be enjoyable
15:24
again? Yeah.
15:27
And but then when my kid hit four, I was like, oh, this is
15:32
awesome. They're a human being.
15:35
You know, it can poop by itself. Well, mostly we'd prefer not to
15:44
really like company, but but yeah, I was like, oh, this is
15:48
great. And so that's why my kids are
15:49
about 5 years apart, because at 4:00 I was like, oh, so yeah,
15:55
yeah. Yeah, mine is 3 1/2 now.
15:58
And you know, for So I think my like social media is getting
16:05
into my brain because now I'm getting posts that are like,
16:07
actually the five year age gap is the best.
16:11
And I'm like, come off it. Like they're telling me I was
16:15
like, can you please, Because I feel like, I feel like when she
16:19
was 2, they were like 2 under 2 is the best thing to do.
16:23
And then now it's like 5 is actually and I'm like OK.
16:27
Yeah, well, I do think the algorithm just like unveils like
16:33
a new chapter of parenting that you, like, didn't realize.
16:36
Like you're like, oh, OK. Like getting introduced to like
16:39
new influencers every day where you're like, OK, I guess you're
16:42
the sibling influencer. Like I like, I didn't know that
16:44
that was possible. And yeah, I think, and I think
16:49
that's like, I was so scared to like both my husband and I
16:53
thought we wanted to have to, but we had one and we're like,
16:58
how do people ever have more than one?
17:00
Like this is insane. I also had like really bad PPA
17:05
and it was just yeah. And it like my husband was also
17:10
like, if we're going to have two, I really would like them to
17:12
have a close age gap. So it felt like time was a
17:15
ticking. And then I was sort of like,
17:17
look, if I would like not to be pregnant past a certain
17:21
birthday. So that like, you know, there's
17:24
also just women have a clock ticking.
17:29
And yeah, I think, I think it like took it, it was like at 18
17:34
months, I was like, OK, I think I want another.
17:36
And then it took a while to get an ID out and, and stuff like
17:40
that. But then I felt like right as
17:44
like right before it was like too late to do anything.
17:47
Like we were, we were in it. My like my daughter hit like
17:50
terrible twos 3 danger. And I was just like, This is why
17:54
so many people have an 18 month age gap because you get lulled
17:58
into this like you're like, oh, they're so great, They're so
18:00
cute. This is so wonderful.
18:02
And then you're just like, but like you don't for for a second.
18:07
If if you or your listeners are like thinking about having a
18:10
second it, you don't have to go through the metamorphosis of
18:13
becoming a parent. So it like does.
18:16
So it's like that, like shedding your old self is really hard and
18:22
like you got to like mourn for it.
18:24
And I think especially too, when you've already been fostering a
18:28
creative career. Like Emily Best said it best
18:32
where she was like, why? Like, no one ever is questioning
18:36
if you have two children, like, oh, are you keeping your first
18:40
one alive now that you've had your second?
18:41
And she was like, my creative career is my first child.
18:45
Like, these two children are my second and third child.
18:50
Like, no one's questioning whether I can keep two children
18:52
alive. Why can't I keep three children
18:53
alive and like, have my creative career?
18:56
Oh, I like that. Yeah, I never.
18:58
Had that and like that to me, like I was like, Oh my God, like
19:02
it's going to be OK. And she's a wonderful, you know,
19:08
creative person. She runs seed and spark like to
19:10
give her a shout out. Oh.
19:12
Yeah, yeah, yeah. She's awesome, great Hollywood
19:16
working mom. But yeah, so I thought I I did
19:20
feel like it was like much easier to like be have the
19:23
second kid because it becomes a logistical issue.
19:26
Like you're just like all you're doing now is like juggling.
19:30
But it does like any sort of you do like revert back.
19:33
So any, any like free time, it does become harder to like have
19:36
the free time to find, find the space for it, which I think then
19:40
the partnership was so key because like it has allowed us
19:44
to like keep things going and, you know, double our network
19:47
and. All that I think it's so
19:50
important for, for a couple of things.
19:52
I mean, creatively, I love it because it's like a safety net.
19:56
And also like I can feel more free to just like throw
20:00
spaghetti on the wall and just like, like those barf drafts get
20:03
pretty wild sometimes. But I'm like, let the spirit
20:07
take me and Diana will get the crap out, you know, like, so
20:10
it's it's great in that. But also, yeah, life gets lifey.
20:13
I mean, I think even if you don't have kids.
20:15
But that's the thing, like I think like people are so
20:18
obsessed with like having kids because it's like that's such a
20:20
guarantee. Like it's such a visual
20:21
representation. But then I'm also like, people
20:23
get sick. You might get sick, you're like
20:25
your family members might like your house could catch on fire
20:28
or flood. Like we've, you know, we and
20:30
like 2025 started with fire or something ended with floods.
20:33
Like we're dealing with like shit like the fact that your
20:36
life couldn't get complicated. It's insane.
20:38
Like you should just assume it's going to get complicated.
20:42
Yes. So you guys working together and
20:45
kind of having an understanding of especially like both having
20:50
two younger children, what are some, are there any like kind of
20:54
unspoken rules that you guys have in your partnership?
21:01
I guess you're going to speak them now.
21:04
I feel like we we try to speak all of our roles.
21:07
Yeah. Yeah, I think we've gotten
21:09
better at communication. Yeah, partnership.
21:11
I mean just like marriage or like parenting or whatever, you
21:15
have to get better at communication and learning and
21:17
like asking for what you need like.
21:20
Yeah. I mean, I think there was a
21:21
period of time and this was like post me having my second kid.
21:25
My second kid has a rare genetic disorder.
21:28
And so it's like there's a lot of like fact finding that
21:30
happened that led me to go to the hospital a lot with them.
21:33
So I had a really rough year and there was like 1 project where I
21:36
just sort of was like, and, and it was very much like, I felt,
21:39
it was like I needed a pool because I felt like I was just
21:42
floating upside down in a pool. I just don't have a pool.
21:44
So I was like, this is what I you know, it's like the moment
21:47
in an indie movie where you they go under the water and scream
21:51
and you're like, that shot cost a lot of money again.
21:56
And, you know, and Annie did bring up she was like, look, I
21:58
feel like I'm working on this project by myself right now.
22:01
And I was like. I was like, is she trying to go?
22:05
Is she trying to stop, stop, quit me?
22:08
Because also I was like, I don't, you know, like if like
22:11
we've gotten better communication because I was
22:13
like, am I just am I not reading the signs?
22:16
And I was just like, I am just trying to keep my head above
22:19
water. It was right when we like it was
22:23
this questionable thing and it was like they, it was between us
22:28
some they were like, Oh, it's 98% going to be this thing that
22:32
they will eventually grow out of or a 2% chance it'll be
22:35
something else. We got the 2% chance.
22:37
And so it like I had been talking to myself like being
22:40
like, they're going to grow out of it.
22:41
It'll be fine. And so when we got the
22:43
diagnosis, I hit like a rough depression where I was just
22:46
like, what is this going to mean?
22:48
Like what you know, And I think that's the tough thing.
22:51
It's like you just never know what kind of kid you're going to
22:54
have. Like with pregnancy, it just
22:56
gives you this like hard deadline where you like, I don't
22:58
know, like I like I might have a terrible pregnancy that I have
23:01
to sit in a wheelchair for. Or I might have a pregnancy that
23:04
I can run a marathon in, like, you know, or I might have a kid
23:07
who like, yeah, who, who weird has a rare genetic fold that
23:14
came out of nowhere. Neither of us are carriers, you
23:17
know, like. So that was that kind of put
23:20
life in perspective where I was also sort of like, you know,
23:23
because it also, I mean, 2020 to 2025 has been such this massive
23:29
time when you realize Hollywood's not really in your
23:32
control. And like, what a great time to
23:36
become a parent because learning that lesson over and over is
23:40
great because I got like, I got to be like, OK, like, like.
23:48
Turns out literally nothing is in our control.
23:51
Cool, yeah. Like I'm like, OK, great.
23:53
Like, all right, well, like, it's not like I could have had
23:56
an amazing career in those past. I mean, I've done incredible
23:59
things and like all through like digging and scraping and
24:03
crawling, but that's been my career my entire life.
24:07
And like in the that's just the chaos way that is Hollywood.
24:10
And so it's like, I don't necessarily know, you know, I'm
24:13
like, I don't think my career like hurt having kids.
24:16
Like Hollywood's just in chaos anyway.
24:19
Might as well like just have some baby socks thrown in.
24:22
You know, I think having kids has made me such a better
24:25
storyteller, so much more compassionate and interested in
24:30
other people and, and willing to understand the complexity with
24:34
of other people's lives. Yeah, like, able to empathize.
24:38
And I don't know, I mean, like, I'll walk down the street and be
24:40
like, what if that was my kid? I I'd love that person anyway.
24:43
Like, you know, which I think before that I was maybe more
24:46
judgmental, I think. Also, too, it's just like, yeah,
24:50
whenever I see someone and they're a parent, I just go
24:53
like, oh, OK, like let's. That gives like such a wonderful
24:56
thing to talk about, you know, with our short, you know, we had
25:02
like, so we got some strike magic and we got like Mary
25:06
Elizabeth Ellis and like, you know, it's kind of intimidated.
25:10
She's phenomenal. She's on it's always funny, but
25:12
like we were able to talk about having kids, you know, and like
25:15
it, it, it does. It makes like everything.
25:19
I don't know, I'm just sort of like suddenly life flattens when
25:23
you're like talking about you're like, oh, I'm not scared of you.
25:26
We're all just like, we're all parents, Like we all know that
25:29
like you just love this human being that like exists outside
25:33
your body so much and like we can all, you know, hit, hit to
25:37
that touch point. Yeah, it's definitely an easy
25:40
way to to relate to somebody else and like find a common,
25:48
common ground with somebody. Like you said that you're like,
25:51
oh, I get to work with this person that they're not going to
25:55
be relatable for, you know, but then you find out that they're
25:59
appearing like, and I can talk to you about some.
26:03
Stuff, yeah, we're going to have.
26:05
Beyoncé though, because I'm not sure she's changed a a diving.
26:11
Maybe not. Let's get around, Mommy.
26:13
We'll find out. You know what?
26:15
We. We'll get into those brass
26:16
tacks. Now you guys have written for a
26:22
lot of different mediums just and and it's does comedy.
26:27
Do you find that the comedy like changes across any of those like
26:32
platforms or is it or is the like comedy like a common a
26:40
common thread? I guess I'll just, does it
26:42
change across the platforms for you guys?
26:45
Well, it's interesting because I've done so.
26:48
I did The Simpsons Tapped Out, which is their iPad game that is
26:51
now no longer. God, what a wonderful gig.
26:55
The census writers don't know how good they have and and then
27:01
like going from like that to like audio shows because we did
27:03
frequency 101 and then I wrote for a show that's going to come
27:07
out, maybe, I don't know, on Glisten.
27:09
Plus I have a track record of a lot of projects going into
27:12
drawers. Not through anything I did, but
27:18
you know, and so that is like 1 was like all on the page, all
27:21
written words most likely be not read and then one's like all
27:27
audio, like no visual. You have to assume like that
27:31
people are going to be doing other things and like
27:33
distracting their eye. And so I do think that led to
27:36
two different jokes, you know, because if one's written it, you
27:40
know, you can get a little bit wordy.
27:42
Maybe not. It wouldn't fit so well into
27:44
someone's mouth. Like if you're just piping it on
27:46
a page and you're like, but it's funny.
27:48
So it stays. Whereas like with the audio
27:50
stuff, we had to be really fast, really loud, very.
27:56
I mean, talking about different voices, like identify.
28:03
And so it's just like, how fast can you make it?
28:06
Like I would have enjoyed giving it some air in there.
28:11
Yeah, I don't. Know, I mean, you can't rely on
28:14
physicality of the actors, Yeah, there's no audio.
28:17
Yeah, it's, it's a tougher performance and then you, you've
28:20
done a lot of animation too and that you get to like define the
28:24
reality basically. Yes, to to some extent,
28:29
although, you know, people think that animation you can do
28:32
anything, but there are actually parameters because like, you
28:35
know, if you write outer space, that's going to cost money
28:38
because they've got to draw outer space.
28:40
So. So there are more parameters
28:44
than you'd think. Why did we write a sci-fi
28:47
animated show? Really, I think the hardest
28:51
comedy I ever wrote, I wrote for a show called Blue Collar TV,
28:55
which was Jeff Boxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy and that
28:59
show, I mean a because I was not the target audience, really.
29:05
Like no one in the in the writers room like was the target
29:09
audience. You know, it was a bunch of like
29:11
SCTV writers and like Liz Feldman, who, you know, did dead
29:15
to me. She was in it like there.
29:16
It was an awesome staff. And I remember Mike Short, who's
29:21
Martin Short's brother, came in and he's like, here's what you
29:23
do. You bring in three pitches, No 4
29:27
pitches. Three of them.
29:29
You think are hilarious, one of them is right for the show.
29:37
I shouldn't be saying that out loud.
29:38
Maybe it's been a while, but. I think it's OK.
29:42
I think they I think the chapter of Blue Collar TV is is done or
29:47
maybe coming back, I don't know. But like with that, you know,
29:50
there are crutches. There's like, you know, drugs,
29:55
blue kind of humor, there's like, you know, naughty stuff.
30:01
And we couldn't do any of that. We can do religion.
30:03
We couldn't do like really anything.
30:05
Now you could do some things you shouldn't do, but it.
30:10
Was a long, not that long ago some fat shaving.
30:14
It's pretty 20. 16 But but yeah, that was harder because we were
30:22
writing for like, not ourselves. Yeah.
30:24
Yeah. I mean, I, I love writing comedy
30:28
plus genre. And I think that that comes a
30:31
little bit. So I went to improv camp when I
30:35
was in high school, like a cool person.
30:39
And they used to teach us like, tropes of like, you know, oh, if
30:43
you're doing an improvised film noir as a high schooler, I
30:47
didn't know what film noir was, but I knew it had blinds.
30:51
And like, maybe, you know, like, and like, you'd have a hat and
30:54
you'd have like, and you'd be in an office and, you know, you'd
30:57
have a Dame. This was literally it.
30:59
It was like I learned like tropes of like Molly airplanes
31:04
before I'd like read a Molly Airplay, but it actually helped
31:08
and it gave you these like touchstones.
31:09
And so I do think like format wise, there's different jokes
31:14
because you can kind of play with the form.
31:16
Like if it's audio, like why not just play with like how people
31:18
are listening to it? Or if it's like, oh, it's going
31:23
to be a sci-fi comedy, whether you can play with like, you
31:26
know, jokes about space, I guess don't do that though, because
31:30
it's expensive. No you can't.
31:33
Like if you're in space, just you don't have space and the
31:36
Eiffel Tower and. Yeah, so, so, yeah.
31:39
So I feel like comedy, you know, like it does.
31:42
You do change it up a little bit, but I do think I don't know
31:46
my voice. I feel like shine.
31:48
I think that's the ultimate I I just want to get jokes out
31:50
there. So however they let me I'm.
31:54
Playing with different genres because yeah, in animation, a
31:56
lot of times you'll be writing one joke for the adults and
31:59
another joke for the kids. So I mean, there are, yes, I'd
32:03
say there are lots of different. When I did Nickelodeon
32:09
Fellowship, not the writers program, I did.
32:12
I like got called in as like an extra person in the writers
32:14
program and we did a mock writers room for the show.
32:19
Big Time Rush, stop screaming you're I know the fandom is
32:24
real. They are so and I.
32:26
Call it I know the show. Like, but it's like a living
32:30
cartoon, like it would be, you know, live actors, but they like
32:33
do have like sound effects of them, like running away, you
32:35
know, like with with it and then but like watching.
32:38
So I watched a lot of episodes of it and I could call I could
32:40
be like that one was for the writers, like that joke was for
32:43
the writers that you know, it's like, and it was it was like
32:46
every fifth joke or something. I was like that one feels like
32:50
they're like you one from feeling.
32:53
Yeah, we got to. You got to entertain yourself
32:56
too. Yeah.
32:58
And like I've written her preschool stuff in the same way,
33:01
like just being like, you know, they'll often be like what a
33:03
funny joke. And I'm like when they went to
33:05
see ducks is a joke, but but it is like finding that level and
33:11
it does. And I will say like, like
33:13
getting to see these shows through my kids eyes, like
33:15
getting to see what they're lacking onto and what they're
33:17
laughing at and stuff. It does give me a new
33:20
appreciation for it. And I will say I love Oh my God,
33:24
anything that's like scripted and like run through like
33:28
someone with an education degree is so much better than the like
33:31
chaos that's on YouTube. Like I'm like, give me a well.
33:36
Crafted PBS shows, please. Oh God.
33:38
It is the Lord's work to be entertaining children in an
33:43
intelligent way. Oh my God, yeah.
33:45
Yeah, yeah, we haven't gotten to a YouTube phase yet.
33:50
And I'm like, I, I don't want her to go down that rabbit hole,
33:55
but yeah, it is interesting watching movies or cartoons or
34:00
really anything with a kid and you're like, oh, that's what you
34:03
think is, oh, interesting. That's funny.
34:05
OK. You're like, yeah, you never
34:09
know what they're going to think is funny, I guess.
34:15
OK, so you guys have also. I feel like I cut out for a
34:20
second. We're here.
34:22
OK, There you are. OK.
34:26
You guys have also worked with a lot of a lot of big company is a
34:31
lot of different companies like Disney and Amazon and a bunch of
34:35
people. Is there anything that like
34:38
people assume from like being in those rooms that like isn't true
34:45
or is true because like you think of like work like these
34:50
big companies and like, I don't know.
34:54
I feel like the, I, I, I feel like the, the biggest thing is
34:58
that like once you get into the room, it's like held together
35:00
with more twigs and, and like chewing gum than you want them
35:04
to be. And so like, yeah, it's just, I,
35:10
I feel like it's like much more chaotic and like ramp shed cold.
35:15
It's like, yeah. And it's like smaller, you know,
35:19
so it's like, I think that's the thing.
35:20
Like you get onto a film set where it's like so epic, and
35:23
then you're like, oh, it's tidy and you know, and it's like we
35:27
make that grandeur around it. And so, yeah, it, it's like it,
35:35
it then I think what it becomes is like, it lifts the veil and
35:39
it becomes a job. And like, obviously people are
35:43
doing a job forever. You're not going to be excited
35:46
about it. And you're kind of going to be
35:47
like, now it's just like I'm dealing with my Co workers and
35:51
like my parking space and like all.
35:52
And so it's like, it does like that's, I mean, if you say like
35:56
I worked with Sims's writers and I was like thrilled and so
36:00
excited. And they've been doing it for 30
36:02
years and they, you know, for them, they're like paycheck.
36:06
Like, granted, I'm sure if it stopped, they'd be like, we
36:09
what? Like, no, no, no, no, no.
36:12
But yeah, I think that's, you know, we work so hard to get
36:15
these jobs and there's, and there's like that, you know, the
36:19
jealousy and envy. You see someone else posting
36:22
about it and then you kind of peel back the facade and you're
36:28
like, oh, it's not so cool. And so I think that I think for
36:32
me, the biggest thing is like embrace the the like parse of
36:39
this all and like be we're trying to be like more self
36:41
promoting. And I think like, if that I
36:47
think makes it like, I'm like, I'm watching my friends who are
36:50
so good at it and like taking notes and stuff and being like,
36:54
yeah, this is how we should play the game and kind of and, and
36:58
just celebrate those things. Because that's the thing like
37:00
you, you reach a point with like doing a project or something
37:07
that you've been with it for so long and watched, you know, all
37:11
these cool things get stripped away or like, oh, we didn't
37:14
quite get the shot. And so we have to edit it in a
37:16
different way. And like, Oh my God, I'm so
37:18
tired of dealing with this person who's been really
37:21
annoying. And suddenly I'm like having to
37:23
like have calls about stuff that like, isn't about this project
37:27
at all. And it's just about
37:28
personalities. And so by the time you're done,
37:31
you're like, I want I never want to see this project again.
37:34
And like, that's when like people are like, Oh, this is so
37:36
cool. And so it's just like, I think
37:38
that's like just the truth about Hollywood is just like you're
37:40
like, Oh, I could tell you all the stories or like, Oh, Lee is.
37:45
Yeah, but I guess that's the same thing as anytime you get on
37:48
set and you're like, I'm so excited to be on set and you're
37:50
like, oh, I'm actually just waiting in my trailer for a
37:52
really long time. Why?
37:54
They're like, you know, you have to really like.
37:58
What you. Do yeah to do it.
38:01
And I think it's also been that thing where and you're mostly an
38:04
actor, correct? Yeah.
38:06
Yeah. And so, like you, you know, you
38:07
come on, you've worked really hard to get this job.
38:10
And then and then it's like if at the end of it, they're also
38:13
kind of like screwing you over, you also have to like fight for
38:16
your rights as a human and as an actor and as a performer.
38:21
So to me, it feels very complicated and complex because
38:24
you're like, yes, this has been my dream, but also I would like
38:27
it to maintain a livable way to operate.
38:31
And I don't want to get screwed over.
38:34
Yeah, it's Speaking of like, because that's, you know, it's
38:38
easy to lose like the creativity and the joy of it when when it
38:45
becomes kind of like that. But how do you, how do you guys
38:49
like stay creatively motivated, especially, I mean, especially
38:57
having kids like you're it's exhausting, just regular life.
39:03
How do you stay creatively motivated when.
39:08
I think it helps having a partner because, you know, we
39:12
can buoy each other and maybe take turns being depressed.
39:22
But also I think we also try to stack projects where we've got
39:27
one that's kind of like sun setting a little bit and then
39:30
we've got another one that's more like just being finished.
39:34
And then we'll have another one that's like fomenting and on the
39:37
horizon. So, you know, but the problem we
39:41
have is we like to hurry up and jump to the next thing without
39:46
seeing the real thing to completion, the current thing to
39:49
completion. And that's, that's what we're
39:50
working with currently. We're like, no, we can't just
39:53
jump on a new thing just because we finished writing this.
39:57
Now let's do the next step where we try to sell it.
39:59
Yeah. And I think that's also, I mean
40:01
that's. Kind of the crux of like the
40:03
creative argument where it's like now it's become the
40:05
business side. And like we, you know, I'm
40:07
guessing you also, you know, you didn't become an actor.
40:10
Just be like, look, business, like, you know, so I'm like, I'm
40:13
like, this is in theory where where an agent or a manager
40:16
would step in and like, you know, we're currently not
40:20
wrapped by choice. And like, I've never had a
40:23
project that has been fostered by someone else.
40:25
I've always had to like carry it through.
40:27
And so it is very much like us just being like, no, because I'm
40:30
like, what about this project? Like literally like as we're
40:33
logging on, I'm like, Oh, I had a thought in the bathroom about
40:36
this movie idea I have. But we're like, we are tromping
40:43
our way to the finish line And, and I will, and I do think
40:47
there's a level of creativity. Like I, I don't, I don't know if
40:51
people think of parenting as creative, but it's like
40:54
incredibly creative. And most actually, yeah, like if
41:00
you, you know, like when you're like, oh, OK, dressing up like a
41:03
robot, like about like being a robot.
41:05
Got them. You know, so you're constantly
41:07
switching and stuff. And so by the time you've like
41:09
finished a day, you've lived a life.
41:14
And by 9:00 AM you've lived a life.
41:18
Oh my God, yes. So I think that like to me, yes,
41:24
I could like get into that creative life through parenting,
41:27
but I don't know, there's something about it that's just
41:29
not satisfying to me. I, I, I went to reunion and of
41:36
the, the program. Actually, we both went to and
41:38
we, we both went to the National Theatre Institute at different
41:42
times. I went to my classes reunion and
41:44
there's one woman who she's like, I am a stay at home mom,
41:47
like I'm loving it. And I was like, God, I wish I
41:50
could have like the way you talk about it is like I'm like, and I
41:54
love my kids and I loved hanging out.
41:56
Like I love hanging out with them, but I'm like, I just don't
41:58
have that contentment. And I got I would be so much
42:02
easier if I did like, Oh my God. But there's still that like
42:08
itchiness inside where I'm like, I just need to stay creative.
42:11
And I think that's what it like he, I don't know.
42:16
When people talk about quitting, I'm like, OK, what does quitting
42:18
look like? You work a job, you go home like
42:23
that. To me, like I've I've I've done
42:25
that. I'm like an indoor cat or an
42:28
outdoor cat kept inside. Like I'm just like, like this is
42:31
it for the rest of my life. Like, so to me, it's like worth
42:34
the late nights and the like frustrations to just have a
42:37
creative project that's that gives me the like potential.
42:42
Maybe I'm just constantly just setting myself up for a failure,
42:44
but I'm like, I just want to have that project that's like
42:46
maybe this one, maybe maybe this.
42:48
And it's like, I love working on it so much.
42:51
Like, Oh my God, writing a joke that like, I'm like reading
42:55
their stuff. I'm just like, we're so good.
43:01
Yeah, Yeah, you are good. Like that's the thing also being
43:07
able to like like how you guys said you're wrapped, not wrapped
43:14
by choice and having to promote yourself.
43:19
Have you found that that being a parent has that like helped you
43:29
be able to? Because I don't know if it's
43:31
like a women thing or whatever where we're like, well, we don't
43:36
want to like toot our own horn or talk about, but we have to in
43:41
this industry has like just aging and motherhood, like
43:46
giving you that boost of like it's go time.
43:51
I need to talk like This is why, yeah.
43:55
I think also like, you know, you look back and go, what could I
44:00
have done better? You know, I think having reps
44:03
earlier in my career, I was like, I do the work, they do the
44:07
business. And but then looking back, every
44:11
single time I got a job it, you know, except for maybe one, it
44:15
was from me, not from the reps And I and I felt like having
44:19
reps made me lazier about it and then realizing, but they like
44:23
when you're a parent, you're like, oh, I can do hard things.
44:26
I can do this, I can like, I can do the thing that doesn't seem
44:30
like it's creative in a creative way.
44:33
And you know, I'm finding, yeah, like I think you were saying it
44:41
like a way to be creative about the business and, and, and also
44:46
just realizing, no, the cavalry isn't coming.
44:52
Yeah, Yeah. I mean, I think that's.
44:55
A quota, Duplass. That's not my quote.
44:57
I mean, that's but like parenting really makes like the
45:00
cavalry isn't coming. You're like, I have to do this.
45:03
And I like I think like parents are really good at having a
45:09
really shitty day and waking up and doing the exact same thing
45:13
over again. And and what a metaphor for
45:16
Hollywood. Like, you know, we and but you
45:20
get these really awesome moments out of it too, which are great.
45:24
And the other ones fade and you remember the good ones And you
45:30
know, I think that helps. But I, you know, I also, there
45:35
was definitely a level where I'm like, I have a kid now.
45:37
I have to kick this in gear. Like this isn't about getting
45:40
drunk at birds anymore. This is about like, I like, what
45:44
do I, what career do I want to look at?
45:46
And then also like what legacy do I want my kids to go?
45:50
Like, Oh, this is what mommy did.
45:54
And I think, you know, that's, that's really cool to see.
45:58
And I, and I've seen like my friends, I've a few friends that
46:01
like their parents, like, you know, fed themselves into
46:04
motherhood. And now that they're older, the
46:08
like parents are just sort of like lost.
46:10
And it's just like, it's very important to me to keep myself
46:14
alive through this process so that when they hopefully, you
46:19
know, fly off and leave the nest, I have some semblance of
46:24
myself, like still in place and, and myself is unfortunately a
46:28
creative person. And so, you know, it's, it's
46:34
that I think it's keeping me also to have these elements too,
46:39
because I'm like, in the end, it's like, you know, motherhood
46:43
is like painted as like all about sacrifice.
46:45
You know, you have to sacrifice yourself.
46:47
And, and you know, we are actively trying to fight against
46:51
that and be like, no, like, maybe, you know, your partner
46:56
can sacrifice a little bit more. Maybe like lean on a village.
46:59
It's OK. You know it's OK to have this
47:01
part be alive inside of you and and in fact, you should have
47:05
that in it will it will. If you sacrifice your whole
47:09
self, then you don't have anything to give anyway.
47:14
What kind of what advice would you guys give to somebody who,
47:18
who is in that position of like the before of like they're still
47:22
with reps that maybe are not doing but or like feeling like
47:27
they're having to wait for permission to like?
47:31
You know, I think I just had a huge psychological revelation
47:35
just now. Thank you both.
47:37
No, like I was thinking about it was like, cuz, you know, I had
47:40
reps like early on before I was a parent and I was like, what?
47:45
Like my relationship with them. I think I thought of them like a
47:48
parent, like they were the adult.
47:51
They knew what to do. They will tell me what to do.
47:54
I did what they told me. I was waiting for them to like
47:57
get me jobs, get me work. Tell me, you know, and, and now
48:02
you know, since being like, you know what, I'm getting my own
48:06
jobs, what you know, like, and also being a parent, I'm like,
48:10
wait, no one knows what they're doing.
48:13
Like, like they're like, everyone's just pretending the
48:16
parent, like I'm a parent and I'm just trying to figure it out
48:19
and like not make the mistakes my parents made, but just make
48:22
my own new mistakes. But like, you know, every,
48:26
everyone's pretending to be an adult.
48:28
And so we might as well just do the work ourselves and figure it
48:32
out. And and you know, we can figure
48:34
it out as well as anyone and just don't like wait to be told
48:36
what to do. Yeah, I think that's the big
48:38
thing is like we did have to just like figure stuff out, you
48:43
know, and and that was the same with like making the short.
48:49
We just sort of were like, we don't know how to do this, let's
48:51
ask someone who does. And like, then we had another
48:53
conversation. I feel like this like
48:56
leapfrogging of conversations where it's literally just like
48:59
being very open, make the scary ask that's really important.
49:05
That really opened up a lot of doors for us where we're like,
49:09
suddenly we're like, well, we know this person and they're
49:11
kind of, you know, influential and like me.
49:13
And then we like even talked to him.
49:15
For 15 years they're going to think I'm weird for reaching.
49:17
Out and then they're like we would love to like please like
49:20
come on it you know like they're very you know so I I think
49:25
everyone in Hollywood is like struggling to maintain
49:27
relationships like restarting a relationship after seven years
49:30
is like nothing it's meaningless like it's.
49:32
Especially the pandemic. What is?
49:34
The pandemic, who cares? And also like the worst thing
49:36
that happens is like you like don't you get a no or you get no
49:41
response? And like like 14 worst things
49:44
have happened to me this morning.
49:48
Great. Is it being pissed on because
49:50
it's not bad? I'm like, great, I'm enjoying.
49:53
Not if that's your thing, great. You know no one.
49:57
I don't want to get your Yum. Enjoy.
50:06
Because has your definition of success changed at all since
50:13
becoming a parent? And how does that, how does it
50:16
look different if so now versus like early in your career or
50:22
before having kids? I mean, honestly, yeah, it puts
50:27
out everything in perspective. Like I know that, you know?
50:30
Yeah, it's changed a lot. It's.
50:32
Eternal validation isn't what it's about, you know, for me
50:35
like it's about. And I think we have been
50:38
becoming better writers and like telling more truthful stories
50:42
and, you know, digging deeper and just.
50:46
I think I'm very much, you know, I, I went through the UCB
50:52
system. There's been so many ebbs and
50:55
flows in the comedy world that I've been outside of you know,
50:57
I've gotten to like witness. I mean, like, oh, you're back
51:00
here. Like, you know, I like I did UCB
51:03
when we were all in an early twenty 10s improv cult, you
51:09
know. And like, you know, I've I've
51:10
done all these programs that are where I've been like waiting to
51:13
like be let in. And you know, I think Hollywood
51:16
can feel that way too, because it's like you're constantly
51:20
knocking on the door going, can I get, can I come in?
51:22
Can I, can I do this role? Can I, what can I write this
51:24
part? And so it's become like, what
51:28
can I take charge of that? And like, what can I do myself?
51:32
And, and, and also just like being like, no, I'm going to
51:35
stand here and take my full space and I'm still working on
51:39
this. This is like I'm not.
51:41
That it does all the time. We're actualized.
51:43
Human beings, but just being like, like, I don't need this
51:47
like certain point of validation to like prove myself.
51:52
I like, I think I sort of also thought about this like with the
51:56
short we did and this vessel run, we got rewarded, you know,
52:00
10 times over and I was like, wow, if like I'm so incredibly
52:05
proud of that. We shepherded through 80%.
52:10
I mean, we had fantastic producers helping us and we had
52:13
so many people lending their talents and skills, but it was
52:16
also us going, we can do this. Like, let's do it, you know, And
52:23
I had many Zoom calls with anywhere.
52:24
I was like, well, if we don't do it, maybe we just don't do it.
52:26
And she was like, we should do it.
52:31
And so, you know, that's kind of parenting too.
52:34
Like, right, you have to go like, we should do it.
52:36
Let's get drunk and have sex. And they're like, who knows?
52:41
It's a gamble. And so I don't know, creative
52:46
projects just feels that same gamble.
52:48
And I think, I think the hard thing is, is like we've now been
52:51
around the block. We've had a lot of projects that
52:55
have run its full course and haven't necessarily like packed
52:58
where we wanted to. And so that it becomes hard to
53:03
then like reset up to like do that again.
53:06
And it becomes harder and harder to do that.
53:08
Like external validation does help.
53:11
It helps when someone goes, OK, we think you're good and you're
53:14
like, oh, suddenly I feel more positive about myself.
53:16
Like, so that is like something to fight up fight against.
53:23
But it just, I think it, it became so much more like, oh,
53:26
now or never, like when having kids because I was like, no more
53:29
digging around like this is real.
53:32
I want to get health. Insurance like I got to.
53:35
Put food on the table for also, not just myself.
53:39
And people, yeah, yeah. And they weirdly love to eat
53:43
anything that you made a. Couple times a day too.
53:47
It's why. How dare they?
53:52
But OK, I'm going to do a little lightning round, which hopefully
53:59
is fun. We'll see.
54:02
They're the same or differently. Most of them are this or that.
54:09
OK, so comedy first or story first?
54:14
Story. It should be story, but can I
54:16
say compensate? It's the wrong answer, but I
54:20
want to say comedy first. Yeah.
54:24
Writing alone, Like separately or together?
54:29
Together. You're going to go.
54:32
But I mean, I feel like we we pass it back and forth.
54:34
Oh, yeah, we do. We do very little, like actual
54:37
just writing together. But I will say like writing a
54:40
room is one of my favorite things to do in the world.
54:43
So I will say like writing collaboratively, that's that
54:46
that led me into all of this. The Echo.
54:47
Chamber of my brain is loud. Yeah, yeah.
54:53
If idiot validation from someone laughing at me and a free lunch,
54:57
Oh my God, That's the real truth about like the jobs that we've
55:01
had in exciting buildings. I'm way more excited about like
55:05
lunches than I realized. And I was like, oh, I get to
55:07
order from the PA. Yeah, yes.
55:12
Animation or live action? That's really tough.
55:21
Both. I don't know.
55:22
I don't know. Live action written as
55:26
animation. So, so just real, real people
55:33
acting real crazy. There you go.
55:39
OK, audio. Or visual.
55:42
Oh visual. I was going to say audio.
55:47
I like a pratfall. Well, I do love a pratfall.
55:51
No, I will say I, like, I tend to always have something in my
55:54
ear like a podcast or like, I just like this break.
55:59
I was just listening to shows that I know too well, just like,
56:02
having that in the background. So I will say audio for my own
56:05
brain's sake. But yeah, like a visual gag.
56:08
Oh my God. Yeah.
56:10
Like 1 you can do practically. Oh God, yeah.
56:18
Big studio notes. Or.
56:20
No notes. No.
56:22
No notes. No, I don't.
56:26
Oh, wait. But big studio means big
56:28
paycheck, right? Yeah, does.
56:29
Big studio mean that we we're like.
56:32
So. I do feel like getting that
56:37
blank check project hurts people and I think working within
56:41
restrictions does help. So I am going to say studio
56:44
notes, but I am. Going to regret it in this.
56:48
Scenario because then I'm going to get like a 25 year old who is
56:52
like a good assistant who suddenly thinks that they know
56:53
story telling me that a character should wear a hat in a
56:56
scene, you know, and I will regret it.
56:57
But I but I do think that like sometimes getting notes and
57:01
having to like work around that helps.
57:04
No, there's smart exacts that give.
57:05
You a good note and there are smart exacts.
57:08
Yes. Yes.
57:10
Smart exacts? No, at least 5 smart exacts.
57:18
Pitching or rewriting? I like both of those.
57:23
Are scary rewriting. I like having written and then
57:28
editing. Yeah, yeah, I know.
57:33
Yeah, maybe a rewrite over a pitch.
57:35
I don't really like pitching. I just want to, I want to finish
57:39
the project and give them the this project and then they go,
57:41
great, we'll make it. It's never happened.
57:47
Here's to open LA, or anywhere but LA.
57:53
My, I am an, an Angelino. I'm a native Angelino.
57:57
LA is my home, so anywhere. But you know, I love Lai, love
58:03
LA for its own sake, not just the industry.
58:07
But I will say it's like, you know, I've got I've got
58:10
wanderlust. It's.
58:12
The only place I've been an adult and I love it.
58:15
It's also yeah, but. It's hard to live here.
58:20
That's what I think living in LA is, living life on hard, hard
58:24
bone, and it's so. Great.
58:26
I mean, there's so many creative people.
58:29
And you get, you get rewarded. It's also like it, it's a place
58:32
that takes effort. And so it's very easy to get
58:35
into your own routine and feel like you're not experiencing
58:39
anything because you're not, you're just like going from your
58:41
apartment to your home and like all the stuff.
58:43
It is a city that takes work and you can, you can find wonderful
58:49
things and you can find community and you can find this.
58:51
You're just not going to like be dropped into it.
58:54
Many people have made this comparison, but I'm always LA
58:56
gets compared to New York a lot. I'm like New York is the male
58:59
orgasm and LA is the female orgasm.
59:02
I have never heard that really. You're like ejaculating.
59:06
You're like great trains and like LA.
59:10
You're like, OK, I guess I'll just lick these to find layers.
59:21
But then you get rewarded and you get to be like multiple
59:24
orgasms go like and New York then like beats you because
59:30
you're like, then you're done. And New York's like, thank you
59:32
for your $20,000. Get the fuck out.
59:34
And LA is like no, no, no, no, come here.
59:37
There's hiking trails, there's. Hiking, you're going to have a
59:39
good time, you know, because it's like it takes time to like
59:41
find LA Yeah, I'm. Funny, it is everything, but you
59:45
have to look for it, yes? Absolutely spot G spot which
59:50
find it free a town. Oh my God, that's amazing.
59:56
I've never. I'm going to repeat that
59:59
multiple times. Oh my God.
1:00:00
I. Feel like I've heard it before.
1:00:02
Maybe I invented it. You know what, when a channel
1:00:05
might be over white man, I'm going to say I invented it.
1:00:10
Hash TM are in a circle. Let's just make it or wait till
1:00:21
it's perfect. Let's just make.
1:00:23
It make it make it it's. Never going to be perfect.
1:00:25
There's no such thing. The the amount of project and I
1:00:29
will say like high level projects where they just go, we
1:00:31
have to film here, let's go. If you wait until God, I still
1:00:35
make people working on one script that they've worked on
1:00:37
for 10 years. It's you're going to get notes.
1:00:40
It's it's in that same way of like when you're in that AI
1:00:43
simulator where they're like, don't change the picture at all
1:00:45
and it can't stop changing the picture like, and then you're
1:00:48
like, oh, like what was a human is now a goose.
1:00:52
Like that's what waiting until it's perfect it like.
1:00:58
Also, as we found out, you know, you get 10 brilliant people in a
1:01:01
room, they're all going to give you the notes of what they would
1:01:04
do. They're.
1:01:06
All going to be different. They're all going to be
1:01:07
different, they're all going to be viable, but.
1:01:09
Also, and I will say like, actually, I, I feel like people
1:01:12
don't really watch the projects that maybe their friends are
1:01:16
doing and stuff and maybe like getting jealous of and then you
1:01:19
watch it and you go, I could do that.
1:01:21
Like, and I'm not saying that they like did a bad job or
1:01:23
anything. It's just like, if you mystifies
1:01:25
it, you're like, wait, I can do that and.
1:01:30
Yeah, just make it. So just make it.
1:01:33
Early. You have a deadline to force
1:01:36
yourself to make it that. Helps that's we made the short
1:01:40
because we were like, it has to be this one weekend.
1:01:42
Oh yeah. That's.
1:01:44
Important. Yeah.
1:01:45
And that our post was rougher because of that, because we
1:01:48
didn't have a deadline. Early mornings or late nights,
1:01:53
well, you're. Like I think you're a late night
1:01:57
person and I'm an early morning person.
1:01:59
Yeah, although bedtime gets in the way of that, so.
1:02:03
I know, yeah, if I, if I'm up too late at night, I start
1:02:09
having like existential crises or, I don't know, like I I
1:02:13
sometimes I just have to go to bed to like stop the brain, you
1:02:16
know, but in the morning, the brains fresh, no crises.
1:02:21
Yeah, I feel like. My mornings and my evenings have
1:02:23
been, you know, overtaken by kids.
1:02:26
I'm an afternoon or now. Mid morning when they've left
1:02:32
and you've re cleaned the house and you're having your 15th cup
1:02:35
of coffee and and the but the anxiety hasn't kicked it.
1:02:41
Yes. Exactly.
1:02:44
OK, now let's talk about what you're excited about right now
1:02:51
and what you guys are working on right now and where we can find
1:02:57
what you guys have been working on and all of the things to now.
1:03:01
I'm going to make you guys. We're going to.
1:03:03
Do the thing like you. I'm serious and I will send or
1:03:07
not send. I will link all of the things in
1:03:10
the show notes too so everyone find you guys and all your
1:03:14
things. That's great.
1:03:17
Well, our short that we've mentioned it throughout, it just
1:03:21
got released on the Amaletto. Oh, I will say so our short it's
1:03:25
called One in the Chamber. It's about two pregnant
1:03:27
assassins fighting to the death in a baby baby proof nursery and
1:03:32
it's too baby proof for them to hurt each other.
1:03:34
It's been a while since I've said that log line.
1:03:37
I hate fishing and it's very funny.
1:03:41
It's 7 minutes. It's awesome.
1:03:43
It stars Yada Martinez and Mary Elizabeth Ellis and Wills and
1:03:48
Bethel. He's great.
1:03:49
He just, you know, it's, it's, it's a project for women.
1:03:53
There's one man in it. We love you, Wilson.
1:03:56
He was phenomenal and it's really great.
1:04:01
We premiered a number of 20 festivals.
1:04:03
We won 9 awards, including like best festival.
1:04:06
Please check it out on our Miletto.
1:04:08
And it's, and it is a allegory of workplace discrimination that
1:04:13
we experienced as pregnant people in Hollywood and we made
1:04:16
them assassins because that's more fun.
1:04:19
But it is, it's very, I mean, it's very this podcast.
1:04:23
It's very the conversation and the struggle we're dealing with.
1:04:27
We made it out of that. You know, it was, it was very
1:04:31
triumphant. To create this and feel rewarded
1:04:35
for it so so yeah if you're listening to the sky I like this
1:04:39
short yes and and the short came about because we wrote the
1:04:44
feature script first but we finished it the day before the
1:04:47
strike the writers strike and we're like wow what do we do so
1:04:50
we made. Two comedians.
1:04:51
We have real life timing. Timing, But yeah, so we wrote
1:04:59
that feature. Yeah.
1:05:00
So that's on Amaletto and then our audio shows everything you
1:05:05
could find on our link tree, which is link tree slash gir
1:05:09
righty. It's GIR righty, not girl righty
1:05:15
read it as which we did not realize brand we'll.
1:05:20
See. And yeah, you can see our audio
1:05:24
shows Caveman Cove, which is a soap opera set in Caveman Times.
1:05:30
In women time. In Women Time, So Farrah Tung
1:05:35
reviews videotapes in her closet, which is about creating
1:05:39
content in your life, and things go awry.
1:05:42
Maybe RIP the fabric of reality. Yeah, maybe RIP the fabric of
1:05:46
reality. And then right now we are
1:05:50
attempting to raise funds or no, we are raising funds taking out
1:05:55
the attempt. We are raising funds to produce
1:05:58
our low budget best friends cancer comedy like Forever,
1:06:04
which was just a semi finalist at Austin Film Festival.
1:06:09
It's gotten good press and energy.
1:06:13
It's currently at a film bun bun.
1:06:15
So I'm gonna cross my fingers here.
1:06:18
Yeah, we. Have an awesome producer
1:06:21
attached. And yes, we have an awesome
1:06:23
producer attached. Things are happening again
1:06:26
through asking the scary. Amazing.
1:06:29
Well, I will make sure that all of those links are in the show
1:06:33
notes and we'll share them. All the places we can share them
1:06:37
to. Yeah, we'll get those, get those
1:06:41
funds. Raised exactly If you If you
1:06:45
feel like you need a movie that is Bridesmaids meets Beaches,
1:06:51
this is the movie. Who doesn't need that?
1:06:53
We all need that. Exactly.
1:06:54
Everyone needs that. If you have a couple milk
1:06:57
burning a hole in your pocky, let us.
1:07:00
Know, let us know and we would like to film.
1:07:03
Oh, you know what? For the LA New York film debate,
1:07:06
I will say I I've been having this argument where I really
1:07:09
want to bring back sets and sound stages and like get off of
1:07:13
location shooting because I find it very charming.
1:07:17
And so I will say film in LA. Yeah, yeah.
1:07:21
So so maybe live anywhere else but film in LA?
1:07:29
Oh my gosh. Amazing.
1:07:30
Well, it's been so wonderful chatting with you guys.
1:07:35
Thank you so much for being a part of Mommy Wood and spending
1:07:39
your day with me. Thank you for having us and for
1:07:42
creating this opportunity and for furthering this
1:07:44
conversation. And you know, I think it all for
1:07:48
moms creating creative. Loser at the end.
1:07:55
Breeze right at the end. Oh, there we go.
1:07:59
We were saying wonderful things about you.
1:08:02
Damn it. Oh no, that's fine, I'll just
1:08:08
add them in by myself. You are a wonderful man.
1:08:12
Is that AI? No, I just, I, I'm, I'm, I, I
1:08:16
think becoming a mother has made me realize that every
1:08:19
opportunity is something that someone has chosen to create
1:08:22
and, and put a huge amount of work into, whether it is
1:08:26
creating Christmas magic or if it is, you know, creating a
1:08:30
movie or creating a podcast or like, you know, and then people
1:08:34
ask you to be on it and, and all this stuff.
1:08:36
So I think I think it's really important to acknowledge the
1:08:39
people that createspace and create these opportunities for
1:08:43
people because once you create the opportunity, people really
1:08:46
want to take advantage of it, but they don't really want to
1:08:49
create the opportunity themselves.
1:08:51
So thank you for making the space and for making the time
1:08:54
and for, you know, having us on it.
1:08:57
Hey say, I'm so grateful that you guys are on this and this
1:09:01
was such, so lovely. Thank you so much for listening
1:09:05
to this episode of Mommy Wood. Now, before you go, if Mommy
1:09:09
Wood feels like a place you belong, I want to invite you to
1:09:12
join the Village, which is our Mommy Wood Patreon community.
1:09:16
For just $5 a month you have bonus episodes, expert guests,
1:09:21
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1:09:25
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1:09:27
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1:09:30
Mommy would only exist because of this community.
1:09:33
So if this show has ever made you feel seen, supported, or
1:09:36
less alone, I'd love for you to join The Village on Patreon.
1:09:41
The link to the Patreon is in the show notes.
1:09:44
I want to give a huge thank you to my producer and good friend
1:09:47
Cecilia for making Mommy Wood what it is and to Edith Mudge
1:09:51
for the Mommy Wood theme music. As always, thank you for being a
1:09:56
part of Mommy Wood. Please come be a part of the
1:09:59
village as well. I hope to see you there.