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Austin Film Festival 2008
A Conversation with Greg Daniels - Saturday, Oct. 18, 2008
Belinda Acosta
Thu Oct 23, 8:14pm
, 2008
Perhaps it’s human nature to want to sit at the foot of the successful and try and ascertain how they did it and see if there is something in their story you might be able to mimic. When it comes down to it, everyone makes it in their own way, as TV writer Greg Daniels revealed. Daniels with this year’s recipient of the Outstanding Television Writer Award given by the Austin Film Festival. He, along with fellow honoree Danny Boyle (recognized for extraordinary contributions to filmmaking) were the guests of honor at the AFF's annual awards luncheon. Afterwards, Daniels took center stage for one of several, "A Conversation With…" presentations to share his story and reflect on his career.
The creator of the U.S. version of The Office developed his writing chops writing for Not Necessarily the News, Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and various other jobs along the way, paying his dues and learning as much as he could — even from the not so hot jobs (anybody remember Let’s Party starring Cheech Marin?) But even the wrong turns and dead ends were opportunities Daniels appreciated.
The creator of the U.S. version of The Office developed his writing chops writing for Not Necessarily the News, Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and various other jobs along the way, paying his dues and learning as much as he could — even from the not so hot jobs (anybody remember Let’s Party starring Cheech Marin?) But even the wrong turns and dead ends were opportunities Daniels appreciated.
AFF: Titans of TV vs. The Online World
Belinda Acosta
Wed Oct 22, 6:04pm
, 2008
If anyone had doubts that there’s change afoot in TV land, sitting through these two, contrasting AFF panels made it perfectly clear. Examined side by side, the panels offered a vivid snapshot on the state of televisual viewing (this term borrowed from TV Studies maven Sharon Ross).
It’s clear that people want content, but where, how and when they watch it is the big thing that’s changing, and not everyone is happy about it. The Titans of TV panel, featuring writer/creators Tim Kring (Heroes), Phil Rosenthal (Everybody Loves Raymond), and Greg Daniels (The Office), bemoaned the rise of the Internet, mostly because it was seen as a threat to their income, along with lingering fears of piracy and the exploitation of their labor to create content in addition to their regular and extraordinary work load (as in “webisodes” shown on network websites. (The annoyance seems misplaced, but that’s a whole other subject.)
It’s clear that people want content, but where, how and when they watch it is the big thing that’s changing, and not everyone is happy about it. The Titans of TV panel, featuring writer/creators Tim Kring (Heroes), Phil Rosenthal (Everybody Loves Raymond), and Greg Daniels (The Office), bemoaned the rise of the Internet, mostly because it was seen as a threat to their income, along with lingering fears of piracy and the exploitation of their labor to create content in addition to their regular and extraordinary work load (as in “webisodes” shown on network websites. (The annoyance seems misplaced, but that’s a whole other subject.)
Miss Banks
Josh Rosenblatt
Mon Oct 20, 3:44pm
, 2008
Yesterday I went to the Paramount to check out the AFF screening of Role Models, the new big-budget comedy from director David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer). From the flash-mob parade of zombies on Congress Ave. regaling those of us waiting in line with cries for “equal rights!” and, of course, “brains!,” to the less flashy, less living-undead mob scene inside the packed theatre - where the laughs came easy, often, and loud - the mood could best be described as raucous and partisan.
My AFF Friday
Marjorie Baumgarten
Sun Oct 19, 3:41pm
, 2008
The Austin Film Festival’s annual barbecue on the grounds of the French Legation Friday evening was again one of the highlights of the weeklong event. It’s a lovely gathering of the out-of-towners, festival filmmakers, and members of the local film community. The beer and wine flowed freely (though I would have loved it even more if festival sponsor Absolut had participated in the event), and the cloudy residue from our once-quarterly rainfall (it’s been a little parched here in case you’re not up on Austin’s annual rainfall totals) earlier in the week cleared out and made for perfect, sunshiny BBQ weather. The schmooze was lively, but catching up with old friends and connecting with new ones got in the way of getting my feed on. The food was all gone by the time I made my way to the chow line, sending me out to my first film of the fest with a hunger in my belly.
Obscenity vs. Inanity
Josh Rosenblatt
Sat Oct 18, 4:47pm
, 2008
For those who wanted an insider's perspective on the bizarre world of Hollywood ratings negotiations, writer/director Jake Kasdan (Zero Effect, Walk Hard) was happy to oblige with a bit of MPAA-related absurdity at this afternoon's Writing Comedies: PG-13 vs. R panel at the Driskill Hotel:
