The Moment with Brian Koppelman

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  • The Moment with Brian Koppelman

    https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas...=1000513209301

    Always loved these two. Both former members. I think they may have met on this board they imply in the podcast and I just heard that as I was posting this. And obviously crazy successful, but also years of struggle.

    Malcolm Spellman -- I could listen to him talk for days. He's the best. And he was funny as all hell here too. Watch Falcon and The Winter Soldier his new show.

    Brian Koppelman -- Always great advice. This podcast is very inspiring. Check out his old vines -- 6 second screenwriting advice if you haven't. Watch Billions.

    But it's a great podcast about how hard this business is and how much harder it is when you don't look like me. I'm a white Jewish guy and I still can't break in!

    Last edited by Done Deal Pro; 03-18-2021, 06:14 AM. Reason: Added tags

  • #2
    I'm so bad at adding tags. I don't use social media. Can you tell?

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    • #3
      Originally posted by Bono View Post
      I'm so bad at adding tags. I don't use social media. Can you tell?
      Don't worry about it. I'm about the only person on the forum using them. Still just testing them out here and seeing if they help at all.
      Will
      Done Deal Pro
      www.donedealpro.com

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      • #4
        It could work well. I'm thinking a favorite button where you can favorite posts, and then you can click on that list and see them all together. So when I find the few nuggets of real wisdom on here -- maybe from a post 7 years ago -- I can easily find it again. Now I just take screenshots and throw it on my desktop. Or just convince myself I'll remember this later...

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        • #5
          Thanks, Bono. This was extremely enlightening and heartbreaking at the same time. And every writer seeking to break in should listen to it.
          Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Bono View Post
            It could work well. I'm thinking a favorite button where you can favorite posts, and then you can click on that list and see them all together. So when I find the few nuggets of real wisdom on here -- maybe from a post 7 years ago -- I can easily find it again. Now I just take screenshots and throw it on my desktop. Or just convince myself I'll remember this later...
            An interesting idea. Absolutely. But this is "out-of-the-box" software so that won't really happen. You can, of course, at least LIKE a post using the icon in the bottom right corner of each post. But that's really it. Bookmarking is really it.

            Now you can Subscribe to a thread, but I think that's really it. I do think it's nice this current version of vBulletin does give you alerts when someone responds to/quotes a post you made. That's kind of cool.
            Will
            Done Deal Pro
            www.donedealpro.com

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            • #7
              Originally posted by sc111 View Post
              Thanks, Bono. This was extremely enlightening and heartbreaking at the same time. And every writer seeking to break in should listen to it.
              Agreed. Great podcast in general too. Malcolm was on scriptnotes once and he amazing there too. He needs his own podcast in my opinion.

              But yes I learned stuff too. When they said that director -- has 5 version of himself -- and that's how he gets through Hollywood, that floored me. Most of us have "work voice on the phone", but I never walked into a room and had people change their opinion of me instantly because I don't look like them.

              And no doubt in my mind it's worse for women in those rooms.

              And as a Jewish person, it's always weird because I'm usually at the top of the most hated list in real life -- but I'm still a white male so I can get through life pretty easily. But I can hide that fact if I'm in a place where I don't want them to know. It doesn't have to come up. It's almost like a superpower to me. If Jews happened to have blue skin like a Smurf, how different my life would be...








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              • #8
                Agree. And kudos to you for recognizing it.

                White women do go through that "different versions of yourself" thing to a degree. Not six versions but a couple. And Black women have the racial component added: misogynoir. So they have more versions of themselves.

                What Malcolm shared about that after party was shocking and very revealing about the industry.

                I also understood his strategy of not taking "Black assignments." And why he eventually did with Empire.

                And his point about being the smartest person in the room. In my own experience, any Black person who has achieved a level of success in a highly competitive arena, is likely to be the smartest person in the room. Contrary to those who think an equal opportunity program got them there -- they're still above average smart.

                Not just IQ wise, but also the ability to instantly get an accurate take on people and decide which version of themselves will work in the situation.

                I'd say that also applies to anyone regardless of gender or race who has zero family advantages yet makes it in a competitive arena. Brian talked about being mentored by his father. And then there's all those guys with Ivy League degrees that get them in the door first.

                There are a lot of successful people who have none of that. No parent who could mentor them. No family connections at the country club to open doors. Yet they achieve success in highly competitive arenas. They're likely the smartest person in the room too.

                You have to be. Otherwise you don't survive let alone thrive against the competition.

                I come from a blue collar family. I had to figure out navigating the corporate world on my own. My only asset was a creative talent they needed. But I still had to figure out which personality to use. How to read the room.

                Now I mentor our 18 year old girl. I talk to her about carefully choosing her battles in situations where she needs to achieve a goal. Listening more than talking to learn how to get a take on someone in power.

                Funny story: she's in her freshman year and she's also working in a restaurant. As I did in college. She's discovered she really likes making money and she gets a lot of tips. But dealing with the public can drive you crazy. And some nights she comes home aggravated. Mean customers saying crappy things to her.

                So I told her to use a method I used in that job: Showtime! The second I stepped onto the floor I said to myself: Showtime! I'm playing a role, a character. And I may switch out that character depending on who I'm serving because my goal is to get a big tip. If a customer insults me, they're insulting the character. Not me. And I'll likely never see them again so who cares what they think?

                She's using the method and even having fun with it now.



                Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

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                • #9
                  This reminds me of this great Chris Rock joke about how he had to be one of the most successful black comedians of all time to live in his house and his neighbor is just some white dentist.

                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UznNg94lJA

                  early in clip... I'm sure it gets NSFW very fast...

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                  • #10
                    I remember it. That's it, exactly. Another thing about that podcast. Malcolm talked about all the suits who acted like his friends when he had his initial flurry of success but then refused to take his calls when his career went cold. But then those same people called him years later when he did well with Empire, "Hey buddy!"

                    I've witnessed this at play and I think it's why, in your "Why loglines" thread, I express skepticism about handing too much power over my writing to managers.

                    I don't think it's wise to lose sight of the fact that they'll drop you the second they believe you're not going to make money for them. And if you've revised scripts ad infinitum to please them, and now you're back to square one, do your scripts really reflect your talent? Your sensibilities? Your POV? Or, theirs?

                    So, yeah, to break in, you need a manager. But I think a writer must also know how to manage their reps to a degree.



                    Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

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                    • #11
                      Managing your reps is a real thing. Taking control of your career is a real thing. Realizing that pretty much only other writers (not all) are the only people writers can trust fully in this business is a real thing. And yes the ones that help you when you need it not just when you are successful.

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                      • #12
                        Here's a link to a 'free' podcast not apple. Malcolm Spellman interviewed by Brian Koppelman. I didn't know Malcolm was still suffering from debilitating migraines. That sucks. He must really love writing. I hope he makes a shit load of money.



                        Edited to add: I guess one can listen for free via apple. My dumb. Plus what I thought were symptoms of migraines probably isn't.
                        I'll let myself out.
                        Last edited by Mark Somers; 03-23-2021, 01:52 AM.

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                        • #13
                          Mark -- are you okay?

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                          • #14
                            Bono - thanks for posting this. Such an amazingly interesting and real discussion about friendship, resilience, and the unseemly side of the business.

                            I was floored by Malcolm's recollection of having to make quick decisions about how he should act -- be the silently shocked black man or the vocal, angry black man -- when he's kicked out of a gathering despite having a pass to gain admission to the gathering with David Benioff. Malcolm feared that acting in the latter fashion would only feed a stereotype that others might have of him, even though he'd be perfectly justified raising holy hell.

                            Malcolm's story reminded me of Lennon's song, "Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out)."
                            Save the date: 2022, 2024, 2026, until the end of time.

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                            • #15
                              I loved it when he said he comes from a place where people tell you the truth and Hollywood doesn't like that -- and how he didn't get that. Like he didn't know the things Brian a white dude just understood perfectly.

                              The best part was when Brian said he got a hug from Malcolm. Real men aren't afraid to show feelings to other men.

                              You can find brilliant posts from both of them on this board. And search for BALLS OUT.

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