Sam and Jim go to Hollywood

NEW PODCAST: "The Writer's Room with Sam and Jim"2021/02/27
Info (Show/Hide)

Okay, it took 6 years since that last post, but we finally got around to podcasting again. But we chose a new format: inviting aspiring writers to bring their ideas into a virtual writers' room with us to work on their ideas. It's funny, surprising, and a way for us to help others go to Hollywood, now that we've made it in ourselves! Check it out, and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Our 5 Year Mission2014/03/01
Info (Show/Hide)

Someday we really will do another round of these podcasts. The technology has become so much simpler and easier than it was back when we started.

For now, a quick update on our status. We are, oddly, in the midst of a round of development on another Stephen King project for ABC Studios. Never saw that coming back in the dqay. Haven, our Syfy show, just got a double-sized order for Season 5, which will air over two years and seems likely to end the series (though you never know...). And we've just come off a year working on the show Crisis for NBC, our first network gig.

So it seems that we really have made a career out here after all. Who would have guessed, back when when we were recording these?

Wonder what happens next...
Where has the time gone?2011/06/14
Info (Show/Hide)

Let's call this time lapse "the lost years" and leave it at that.

What happened? We're the proverbial dogs who caught the car -- we sold our TV series. So...sorry, we've been kinda busy. Instead of doing podcasts for the world at large, we try to squeeze in time to do creator commentaries on the episodes of our show.

"Haven " airs on Syfy in the US, on Showcase in Canada, and all around the world on various Universal Television Global owned networks.

We're in the midst of writing and producing our second season, which airs begining July 15th 2011 here in the US. We invite you to take a look.

...and, someday, maybe, we'll feel safe to give you the inside scoop of what it's like actually producing a series. We could tell stories...but it's wiser not to. ;-)

Someday, we'll record a new one of these. Until then, good luck.
Show #44: The New TV World Order2008/10/03

Where the #@$% have we been?!

...Scouting out the new landscapes of business
in Hollywood, among other things.
Show #43: Discrimination2008/06/11

Ageism? Sexism? Racism?

That's the big listener mail topic this time. There's more mail, of course, and the inevitable career update (hint: we're being flown to Seattle! Woo-hoo!)
Show #42: Between Scenes2008/05/15
That's a good time for things to happen in a screenplay.

In real life, though, it's a good time to do a podcast. While we're waiting for, well, anything to happen, we do a quick career check-in and answer MORE listener mail.
Show #41: In The Mix2008/04/17
That's what they call it when you're up for a staff job...

...but they haven't called your name yet. A little career update and lots of listener Q&A, including our thoughts on videogame writing.
Show #40: Three Years Old2008/04/02
Three years of podcasting, forty shows in the can...

and finally, we listen to our audience. This episode: listener mail, and some overview on what we've learned so far.
Show #39: Ding, Dong, the Strike is Dead2008/02/12
At long last, the WGA strike is over.

What does it mean for the future of Hollywood? More importantly, what does it mean for us?
Show #38: Showrunners in Training?2008/01/11

TV is in BIG trouble.

We applied for a WGA program to train future showrunners -- and damned if they didn't accept us...
Show #37: Writing, the Future, and You2007/12/16
The WGA strike is all about the Internet...

Why? Because it's the future -- for all of us. An inside take on what's going on and our thoughts about where Hollywood is heading. Get ready: everything you know is about to change.
Show #36: Striking Out2007/12/05
Still walking and waiting...

An update from the picket lines, some thoughts on the latest contract offer, Sam's mom is finally impressed, and a shout out for help on our new projects.
Show #35: WGA On Strike!2007/11/06
The second installment of our strike series.

The deadline passed. Now we're on the picket lines. The latest updates, and why you shouldn't even think about scab work.
Show #34: Strike!2007/10/24
The Stephen King pilot is turned in...

...just in time for a strike. What it all looks like through the smoke as California burns...
Show #33: Careful What You Wish For2007/09/18
...You might get another podcast

Or, in our case, find yourself pondering more career options than you ever expected. Each with complications you never anticipated, too.

PS: in big bold letters, let us say here and now, WE'RE SORRY it took so freakin' long to get this episode made. As we'll explain, we've been, well, kinda busy.
Show #32: The Room2007/03/22
A nice place to visit...

...which is good, cause we sorta live there. Further reflections on this whole "being on staff" experience as we write our first episode of The Dead Zone and prepare to send it into production.
Show #31: We're On Staff2007/01/21
Finally!

Reflections on finally getting to the place we set out to reach so long ago: the writers' room.
Show #30: the Tipping Point2006/12/15
Our journey enters a new phase...

...or so we hope. This is a big (and much-delayed) update on developments in our career -- and our personal battles with our own hearts and minds.
Show #29: Agents2006/10/27
Do you need one?

Of course. But when? And why? Just what DO they do?
Show #28: Pitching Stephen King2006/10/04
His book sold a million copies...

but can we sell one TV show based on it? Months of hard work are put to the test as we start making the rounds to the networks.
Show #27: Good to Great2006/08/24
Moving your story to the next level...

it ain't easy, but it has to be done. We've got a few thougths for you that might help, and, as always, a career update.
Show #26: Breaking in and Cracking Up2006/08/10
Perseverance is the key...

...to getting through the door in Hollywood, despite the rejections. But getting in isn't the end: you still have to find inner strength to push ahead. We talk about some books and experiences with this struggle, and share our own tips.
Show #25: The Pitch2006/06/07
Talk is cheap...

but getting people to listen means investing in your idea. You need to take your time, groom your message and learn to spend your words wisely. For TV, film or even a podcast, the pitch is crucial.
Show 24: A Cry for Help2006/05/27
Yes, it's "A Very Special Episode."

No, Sam hasn't gone suicidal on us. But instead of talking Hollywood, we're asking for your help. We're plotting a new podcast with skits and song -- hell, it might even be funny.
Show 23: Sam is Half Empty2006/05/20
...and Jim is Half Full

We wish we were talking about a glass, not our uncertain job prospects. It's staffing season in Hollywood, and there's lots of jobs out there -- or not many at all. It all depends on how you look at it (and just what's in that glass you're drinking).
Show #22: One Fine Day2006/04/13
Friday April 7th

From a big studio meeting to our first gig on a panel of experts, it was one helluva ride...
Show #21: Hollywood Friends2006/03/30
Is the whole idea a contradiction?

Can you trust anyone out here, or is jaded cynicism all there is?
Show #20: The Moment of Truth2006/03/15
It's showtime

After all these years, we've finally got the whole package for the first time. We've written our scripts. We have our team in place. Staffing season is coming...
Show #19: Are you good enough?2006/02/17
Or are you just deluded?

How can you tell? We risked it all to come to Hollywood -- but was that really a smart move? Is facing an American Idol style train wreck the only way to find out?
Show #18: When Reality Attacks!2006/02/07
Reality TV messed up our career

...but became a full-time gig for our friend Dan. So what's it like writing shows that "don't have writers?" And just how fascinating are those celebrities, anyway? Listen up, he'll tell you.
Show #17: ABC speaks!2006/02/01
The verdict is in...

...But what is it? And what have we been sentenced to?
Show #16: Living in Limbo2006/01/23
Is our pilot dead?

Or will the ABC grant clemency? What do we write next? Where does our next paycheck come from? How will we clothe our children? What's for lunch? So many questions hang unresolved...
Show #15: Too Rich and Too Thin2006/01/20
...TV people and TV plots, that is...

A little news on the pilot front, then we address the class struggle on your TV set -- the one that isn't happening. Rich people are BORING! How about more TV characters people can actually relate to? Besides the Cylons?
Show #14: Collaborating2006/01/07
You'll never write alone

At least, not once your script is sold. No script is too good to need notes. Lots and lots of notes...
Show #13: The Emotional Roller Coaster2005/11/05
Hollywood is quite a ride...

...and there's no shortcut to the front of the line. Well, not for us mortals...

Our apologies for the long delay with this one.
Show #12: SOLD!2005/09/02
Our TV pitch finds a buyer...

What more is there to say? A lot, actually...
Show #11: Voices in our Heads2005/08/02
...and on the page

We've got some career updates first, and then we tackle a tricky question: what the hell is "voice" in a script?
Show #10: The Good Fight2005/07/22
Bring on the body bags..

...'cause there's a war of ideas going on, and the casualties are piling up.
Show #9: Smiles and Bullshit and Fears, oh my!2005/07/20
You can count on 'em when you pitch

A good meeting is about more than picking the right mineral water.
Show #8: Scribble, scribble, scribble...2005/06/24
What makes a writer?

Writing, of course. And you'd better love the painful, frustrating act of creating for its own sake, 'cause that's what it's all about.
Show #7: It's the Character, Stupid2005/06/16
It's crunch time

The networks start buying TV ideas in a couple weeks and we're feverishly pumping out more pitches. Which begs the question: what makes a show really work?
Show #6: Pain and Hope2005/05/19
There's always a ray of hope...

...but it's usually shining down through a sewer grate.
Show #5: The life and death of a great idea2005/05/07
So you think you've got a great idea for a movie?

So did we...
Show #4: Wanna buy a TV series?2005/04/14
Okay, we're all caught up on how we got here.

Now we're pitching our TV show idea to Showtime, FX, and HBO.
Backstory volume 1: From Minnesota to L.A.2005/04/14
The first of 3 podcasts about giving up our old lives to become writers in Hollywood.

In this episode, we decide to try writing, even though we have it pretty good in Minnesota. Then we got a call...
Backstory volume 2: The wonderful world of Disney2005/04/14
The second of 3 podcasts about giving up our old lives to become writers in Hollywood.

We land in LA. And while having a job on the Disney studio lot is pretty cool, it ain't easy to starting all over again.
Backstory volume 3: What, we can get paid for this?2005/04/14
The last episode in our "how we got here" series.

We finally sell a script. Then another. And another...

samandjimgotohollywood's Podcast
http://samandjimgotohollywood.libsyn.comPart comedy, part tragedy, itâ€™s the life of a writing team trying to make it in Hollywood. Weâ€™ve sold movies, weâ€™re in the Writerâ€™s Guild, weâ€™ve pitched TV shows to networks â€“ but weâ€™re still working on our big break. Our show is about writing, Hollywood and our experiences on the way toâ€¦we wish we knew what.

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Sam and Jim go to Hollywood NEW PODCAST: "The Writer's Room with Sam and Jim"2021/02/27 Info (Show/Hide) Okay, it took 6 years since that last post, but we finally got around to podcasting again. But we chose a new format: inviting aspiring writers to bring their ideas into a virtual writers' room with us to work on their ideas. It's funny, surprising, and a way for us to help others go to Hollywood, now that we've made it in ourselves! Check it out, and subscribe at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Our 5 Year Mission2014/03/01 Info (Show/Hide) Someday we really will do another round of these podcasts. The technology has become so much simpler and easier than it was back when we started. For now, a quick update on our status. We are, oddly, in the midst of a round of development on another Stephen King project for ABC Studios. Never saw that coming back in the dqay. Haven, our Syfy show, just got a double-sized order for Season 5, which will air over two years and seems likely to end the series (though you never know...). And we've just come off a year working on the show Crisis for NBC, our first network gig. So it seems that we really have made a career out here after all. Who would have guessed, back when when we were recording these? Wonder what happens next... Where has the time gone?2011/06/14 Info (Show/Hide) Let's call this time lapse "the lost years" and leave it at that. What happened? We're the proverbial dogs who caught the car -- we sold our TV series. So...sorry, we've been kinda busy. Instead of doing podcasts for the world at large, we try to squeeze in time to do creator commentaries on the episodes of our show. "Haven " airs on Syfy in the US, on Showcase in Canada, and all around the world on various Universal Television Global owned networks. We're in the midst of writing and producing our second season, which airs begining July 15th 2011 here in the US. We invite you to take a look. ...and, someday, maybe, we'll feel safe to give you the inside scoop of what it's like actually producing a series. We could tell stories...but it's wiser not to. ;-) Someday, we'll record a new one of these. Until then, good luck. Show #44: The New TV World Order2008/10/03 Where the #@$% have we been?! ...Scouting out the new landscapes of business in Hollywood, among other things. Show #43: Discrimination2008/06/11 Ageism? Sexism? Racism? That's the big listener mail topic this time. There's more mail, of course, and the inevitable career update (hint: we're being flown to Seattle! Woo-hoo!) Show #42: Between Scenes2008/05/15 That's a good time for things to happen in a screenplay. In real life, though, it's a good time to do a podcast. While we're waiting for, well, anything to happen, we do a quick career check-in and answer MORE listener mail. Show #41: In The Mix2008/04/17 That's what they call it when you're up for a staff job... ...but they haven't called your name yet. A little career update and lots of listener Q&A, including our thoughts on videogame writing. Show #40: Three Years Old2008/04/02 Three years of podcasting, forty shows in the can... and finally, we listen to our audience. This episode: listener mail, and some overview on what we've learned so far. Show #39: Ding, Dong, the Strike is Dead2008/02/12 At long last, the WGA strike is over. What does it mean for the future of Hollywood? More importantly, what does it mean for us? Show #38: Showrunners in Training?2008/01/11 TV is in BIG trouble. We applied for a WGA program to train future showrunners -- and damned if they didn't accept us... Show #37: Writing, the Future, and You2007/12/16 The WGA strike is all about the Internet... Why? Because it's the future -- for all of us. An inside take on what's going on and our thoughts about where Hollywood is heading. Get ready: everything you know is about to change. Show #36: Striking Out2007/12/05 Still walking and waiting... An update from the picket lines, some thoughts on the latest contract offer, Sam's mom is finally impressed, and a shout out for help on our new projects. Show #35: WGA On Strike!2007/11/06 The second installment of our strike series. The deadline passed. Now we're on the picket lines. The latest updates, and why you shouldn't even think about scab work. Show #34: Strike!2007/10/24 The Stephen King pilot is turned in... ...just in time for a strike. What it all looks like through the smoke as California burns... Show #33: Careful What You Wish For2007/09/18 ...You might get another podcast Or, in our case, find yourself pondering more career options than you ever expected. Each with complications you never anticipated, too. PS: in big bold letters, let us say here and now, WE'RE SORRY it took so freakin' long to get this episode made. As we'll explain, we've been, well, kinda busy. Show #32: The Room2007/03/22 A nice place to visit... ...which is good, cause we sorta live there. Further reflections on this whole "being on staff" experience as we write our first episode of The Dead Zone and prepare to send it into production. Show #31: We're On Staff2007/01/21 Finally! Reflections on finally getting to the place we set out to reach so long ago: the writers' room. Show #30: the Tipping Point2006/12/15 Our journey enters a new phase... ...or so we hope. This is a big (and much-delayed) update on developments in our career -- and our personal battles with our own hearts and minds. Show #29: Agents2006/10/27 Do you need one? Of course. But when? And why? Just what DO they do? Show #28: Pitching Stephen King2006/10/04 His book sold a million copies... but can we sell one TV show based on it? Months of hard work are put to the test as we start making the rounds to the networks. Show #27: Good to Great2006/08/24 Moving your story to the next level... it ain't easy, but it has to be done. We've got a few thougths for you that might help, and, as always, a career update. Show #26: Breaking in and Cracking Up2006/08/10 Perseverance is the key... ...to getting through the door in Hollywood, despite the rejections. But getting in isn't the end: you still have to find inner strength to push ahead. We talk about some books and experiences with this struggle, and share our own tips. Show #25: The Pitch2006/06/07 Talk is cheap... but getting people to listen means investing in your idea. You need to take your time, groom your message and learn to spend your words wisely. For TV, film or even a podcast, the pitch is crucial. Show 24: A Cry for Help2006/05/27 Yes, it's "A Very Special Episode." No, Sam hasn't gone suicidal on us. But instead of talking Hollywood, we're asking for your help. We're plotting a new podcast with skits and song -- hell, it might even be funny. Show 23: Sam is Half Empty2006/05/20 ...and Jim is Half Full We wish we were talking about a glass, not our uncertain job prospects. It's staffing season in Hollywood, and there's lots of jobs out there -- or not many at all. It all depends on how you look at it (and just what's in that glass you're drinking). Show #22: One Fine Day2006/04/13 Friday April 7th From a big studio meeting to our first gig on a panel of experts, it was one helluva ride... Show #21: Hollywood Friends2006/03/30 Is the whole idea a contradiction? Can you trust anyone out here, or is jaded cynicism all there is? Show #20: The Moment of Truth2006/03/15 It's showtime After all these years, we've finally got the whole package for the first time. We've written our scripts. We have our team in place. Staffing season is coming... Show #19: Are you good enough?2006/02/17 Or are you just deluded? How can you tell? We risked it all to come to Hollywood -- but was that really a smart move? Is facing an American Idol style train wreck the only way to find out? Show #18: When Reality Attacks!2006/02/07 Reality TV messed up our career ...but became a full-time gig for our friend Dan. So what's it like writing shows that "don't have writers?" And just how fascinating are those celebrities, anyway? Listen up, he'll tell you. Show #17: ABC speaks!2006/02/01 The verdict is in... ...But what is it? And what have we been sentenced to? Show #16: Living in Limbo2006/01/23 Is our pilot dead? Or will the ABC grant clemency? What do we write next? Where does our next paycheck come from? How will we clothe our children? What's for lunch? So many questions hang unresolved... Show #15: Too Rich and Too Thin2006/01/20 ...TV people and TV plots, that is... A little news on the pilot front, then we address the class struggle on your TV set -- the one that isn't happening. Rich people are BORING! How about more TV characters people can actually relate to? Besides the Cylons? Show #14: Collaborating2006/01/07 You'll never write alone At least, not once your script is sold. No script is too good to need notes. Lots and lots of notes... Show #13: The Emotional Roller Coaster2005/11/05 Hollywood is quite a ride... ...and there's no shortcut to the front of the line. Well, not for us mortals... Our apologies for the long delay with this one. Show #12: SOLD!2005/09/02 Our TV pitch finds a buyer... What more is there to say? A lot, actually... Show #11: Voices in our Heads2005/08/02 ...and on the page We've got some career updates first, and then we tackle a tricky question: what the hell is "voice" in a script? Show #10: The Good Fight2005/07/22 Bring on the body bags.. ...'cause there's a war of ideas going on, and the casualties are piling up. Show #9: Smiles and Bullshit and Fears, oh my!2005/07/20 You can count on 'em when you pitch A good meeting is about more than picking the right mineral water. Show #8: Scribble, scribble, scribble...2005/06/24 What makes a writer? Writing, of course. And you'd better love the painful, frustrating act of creating for its own sake, 'cause that's what it's all about. Show #7: It's the Character, Stupid2005/06/16 It's crunch time The networks start buying TV ideas in a couple weeks and we're feverishly pumping out more pitches. Which begs the question: what makes a show really work? Show #6: Pain and Hope2005/05/19 There's always a ray of hope... ...but it's usually shining down through a sewer grate. Show #5: The life and death of a great idea2005/05/07 So you think you've got a great idea for a movie? So did we... Show #4: Wanna buy a TV series?2005/04/14 Okay, we're all caught up on how we got here. Now we're pitching our TV show idea to Showtime, FX, and HBO. Backstory volume 1: From Minnesota to L.A.2005/04/14 The first of 3 podcasts about giving up our old lives to become writers in Hollywood. In this episode, we decide to try writing, even though we have it pretty good in Minnesota. Then we got a call... Backstory volume 2: The wonderful world of Disney2005/04/14 The second of 3 podcasts about giving up our old lives to become writers in Hollywood. We land in LA. And while having a job on the Disney studio lot is pretty cool, it ain't easy to starting all over again. Backstory volume 3: What, we can get paid for this?2005/04/14 The last episode in our "how we got here" series. We finally sell a script. Then another. And another... samandjimgotohollywood's Podcast http://samandjimgotohollywood.libsyn.comPart comedy, part tragedy, itâ€™s the life of a writing team trying to make it in Hollywood. Weâ€™ve sold movies, weâ€™re in the Writerâ€™s Guild, weâ€™ve pitched TV shows to networks â€“ but weâ€™re still working on our big break. Our show is about writing, Hollywood and our experiences on the way toâ€¦we wish we knew what.

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