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Professional Advice

David O. Russell Has Some Good Advice for Young Writers

by | December 18th, 2012

"There's nothing like being in debt to make you work. My best work came since I've been in debt. The thing about being humbled or stumbling or being in debt is that it makes you cut out the nonsense and just get to it, Jack. Just tell your story. Don't be precious about it. Make it count. Make it emotional. And mean it. Really mean it. Don't get too cerebral about it. Don't think about it too much. Those are all the traps for me."

- Writer/director David O. Russell, an expert on telling people what to do, giving advice to aspiring writers in The LA Times.

Professional Advice

Ashton Kutcher Credits Robin Williams For Two And A Half Men Move

by | August 25th, 2011

Guys, I gotta tell you, I love all the jokes about David Letterman's jihadists death threats. That bullet-proof vest that says "Not Dave" is really hitting the spot for some reason. If you happened to watch Dave last night, in addition to a little fatwa humor you got to see how Ashton Kutcher's Two And A Half Men role was indirectly predestined by an off-hand remark from Robin Williams. To That '70s Show dad Kurtwood Smith. In 1998. "He said, I only wish I could back and do a sitcom again," Kutcher explains. "And I never forgot that when I was on That ‘70s Show because I [...]

Professional Advice

The Comedy Consultant: 7 Strat Tips For Tweeting Your Comedy Career To the Next Level

by | September 14th, 2010

Leveraging the web to launch your comedy brand hasn't been a secret since Dane Cook rode the MySpace meteorite all the way to next-lev stand-up rockstardom. And if you're keeping an eye on the Social Media Stratosphere, you know that all the real deals are happening on Twitter these days. Showbiz Execs are now spending upwards of 97% of their working hours scouring the micro-blogging platform to find nuggets of cleverness that can be turned into big Hollywood comedy deal memos. So if you're looking to expand your stand-up brand 140 characters at a time, here are 7 tips to help you become the Dane Cook of Twitter.

Professional Advice

Dick Cavett Drops Some Hot Interview Tips

by | December 5th, 2012

"I didn't always remember everything we'd been talking about. I was forever thinking 'Oh shit–what was it I thought of a minute ago while this other person was talking?' Eventually, I developed a memory technique… of creating an outrageous image. Like if they were caught stealing an apple as a kid, but then they start talking about something else, you picture picking up an apple and throwing it in the face of, I don't know, Mitt Romney or some prominent person. And that sort of startling image will trigger 'apple' for you later on. But I wouldn't throw an apple at Romney. Or a vote."

- King of the Interview [...]

Professional Advice

Stephen Colbert's Advice To Ed Helms: "Don’t forget to hang your soul up in the closet and come back for it later."

by | July 28th, 2011

As Ed Helms tells the GQ Comedy Issue, Stephen Colbert has always been a bubbling font of comedic wisdom. Steven Tip #1: Give yourself over to the dark side. Explains Helms, "When I started on The Daily Show, I was so nervous that I asked him if he had any pointers. He said, 'You’re gonna be great. Oh, and don’t forget to hang your soul up in the closet and come back for it later.'"

Not that Colbert was only concerned with surrendering to the ravenous maw of show business. He also played some mean invisible brass. "Whenever we were backstage before a taping, Steve would do this [...]

Professional Advice

Steve Martin Has Some Oscar Hosting Advice For Eddie Murphy

by | September 21st, 2011

In honor of Eddie Murphy's Oscar hosting gig this coming spring, Steve Martin has penned "An Open Letter to Eddie Murphy," a letter filled to the brim with helpful hints based on his turn as host in 2001, 2003 and 2010. Regrets? Steve Martin has a few. Then again, they all seem to be Alec Baldwin related.

Professional Advice

Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant on Screenwriting: "Don’t write your 200 page pirate romance"

by | July 5th, 2011

Just for the record, Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant understand that you loathed Herbie: Fully Loaded. They embrace that reality, they take it into themselves, and they release it back out into the universe before diving into a giant pool of gold doubloons ala Scrooge McDuck. Scott Wampler over at Collider interviewed the former members of The State about their new book Writing Movies For Fun and Profit: How We Made a Billion Dollars at The Box Office and You Can, Too!, and they have excellent advice for those among us who'd rather sell The Pacifier than starve to death in a Starbucks bathroom trying to sell our [...]

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