Pitch!

L.A. Cunningham joins Leah and Angel to discuss her numerous creative endeavors, including the creation and publication of a dark comic book series. They cover the importance of perseverance, creativity, networking, and having a supportive community to help overcome self-doubt. They chat about the challenges of self-publishing versus traditional publishing, character motivation and execution in st...

Screenwriter Kay Tuxford chats with Angel and Leah about her work and experiences in the film industry. They discuss her career transition from science to screenwriting, the reading and judging process at the Austin Film Festival, how to avoid common tropes, how to visualize and write compelling scenes, effective contest strategies for exposure, and more. Visit us at PitchPodcast.fm for more. Lear...

Dana Ledoux Miller chats with Angel and Leah about writing and working in Hollywood. Dana worked her way up from internships, production assistant, film school student, assistant directorships, to becoming a writing assistant for Aaron Sorkin on The Newsroom. She's since been a story editor, writer, and showrunner. They discuss the power of showrunners in the industry and the complexity of being o...

Joelle Garfinkel chats with Angel and Leah about Green Envelope Grocery Aid, the fund she created to support individuals in the entertainment industry in need of assistance. They discuss Joelle's background in television, her writing routine, her recommendations for writers looking to break into the industry, and how her jobs in television informed her thoughts on pitching. For behind the scenes i...

The talented Paul Bae, writer/director/producer/actor and former stand-up comedian, joins Leah and Angel to discuss his latest projects, representation in media, how our identifies and our pasts can inform our pitches, and how everything that happens to us is an opportunity to learn and craft our own narratives. Paul is an entertaining, joyful, humble, hard working professional, and there's plenty...

Leah and Angel discuss their offseason antics: contests, Austin, covid, and more. They talk upcoming projects, aborted opportunities, the importance of writers getting paid, and lessons learned during season one. For behind the scenes takes, episodes without ads, and their latest industry newsletters, visit PitchPodcast.fm https://www.pitchpodcast.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...

Leah and Angel talk with screenwriter, playwright, professor, Ed Horowitz, in this last part of our trilogy. We discuss writing as we age, the things we let get in our way, the importance of words connecting with an audience, and the way rituals help establish your writing time (a la Stephen King creative mode). We hope you enjoy this last part of the trilogy and that it helps you with your writin...

Leah and Angel talk with screenwriter, playwright, professor, Ed Horowitz. In this very special (we talked for two hours) part two of three Pitch! Episode, Angel puts himself on the chopping block with an idea (aka, a discussion about how to have faith), the importance of outlining for writing (outlining IS writing!), and the importance of an audience. Also, find out what Angel thinks is the best...

Leah and Angel talk with screenwriter, playwright, professor, Ed Horowitz. In this very special (we talked for two hours) part one of three episode, we discuss what goes into a good pitch, the nature of the industry in 2007 versus now (both strike years), why branding can work, and how to make it serve you through character work. Stay tuned for parts two and three where we dive more into the natur...

Leah and Angel finish their conversation with Eagle Smith. Eagle elaborates on her thought process for the feature film she’s about to direct. She mentions having a following and IP as the crux of filmmaking. She discusses the Native American TV Writer’s Lab, how she got into it, and what she learned. She finishes her talk about being married to nothing else but the story and how that concept has...

Leah and Angel interview Indigenous filmmaker, Eagle Smith. She talks about the importance of putting in the work on short films. We dive into Hollywood’s portrayal of Natives, and how to work with what you have to make your film.  You can contact Leah on twitter @leahwelch19 and Angel on twitter @oneracingthesun Or our podcast @PitchWrite. You can contact Eagle Smith @eagle_eye_pizza on Twitter....

Leah and Angel finish their talk with producer, entrepreneur, founder and CEO of the Black List Franklin Leonard. You can contact Leah on twitter @leahwelch19 and Angel on twitter @oneracingthesun Or our podcast @PitchWrite. You can contact Franklin Leonard @franklinleonard and can check out his script website blcklst.com.  For all of those preWGA and WGA writers going through rough times right no...

Leah and Angel sit down for a chat with producer, entrepreneur, founder and CEO of the Black List Franklin Leonard. Franklin offers insight into how he came up with the Black List, what goes into a good pitch, and how the industry can change to more actively find screenwriters instead of the passive way it’s been handled in the past.  You can contact Leah on twitter @leahwelch19 and Angel on twitt...

Second part of podcast switcheroo! Geoffrey answers Leah’s question: what three things should screenwriters be doing proactively? Leah gets on her "what it takes to be a writer" soapbox, and discusses the hard knocks writers have to take. Angel talks about the benefits of a visual timeline during the writing process.  You can contact Leah on twitter @leahwelch19 and Angel on Twitter @oneracingthes...

Podcast switcheroo! Leah and Angel interview Geoffrey Calhoun, host of The Successful Screenwriter Podcast. Plus you can check out Geoffrey's interview of us coming up on his podcast. In our interview with Geoffrey, he talks about how he’s an accidental screenwriter, dyslexia, and the process of writing (building a story from concept, theme, character, and supporting character). We leave this one...

Leah and Angel finish their conversation with actor/filmmaker Adam Sinclair. Halfway through a bottle of wine, the trio discuss Adam’s Arc Flight Academy pitch (both the nonprofit and the docu-series), three bullet points for pitching, the importance of sizzle reels, and Brian DePalma’s advice to George Lucas on Star Wars.  You can contact Leah on twitter @leahwelch19 and Angel on twitter @oneraci...

Leah and Angel talk with actor/filmmaker Adam Sinclair. We learn how Leah and Adam met on set and why Leah had to give him an expensive bottle of liquor. We also dive into Adam’s flight school, how he’s helping underprivileged youth become pilots, and how all of that ties into his next docu-series. Listen to ad-free versions of this podcast on your favorite podcasting platform by visiting https://...

Leah and Angel finish their talk with the head of New Filmmakers Los Angeles, Larry Laboe. Laboe gives advice to new filmmakers for discovering what intention they can have going to a film festival, which contests are worthy of submissions, and the worst advice he ever received in regards to the film industry. They also delve into film financing, Amélie, and Leah’s director crush on Derek Cianfran...

Leah and Angel talk with Larry Laboe about his non-profit, New Filmmakers Los Angeles, a festival (and more) for highlighting new filmmakers. Larry gives advice on the importance of a game plan when you bring your short film to a festival. He talks about supporting new filmmakers, pitching techniques, securing distribution, and finding avenues of success through connection points in the industry....

Leah and Angel talk with Bill Thompson who heads up Young Storytellers (a non profit that Pitch Premium subscribers help support). We talk about how pitching for business intersects with creative pitching, how to inject your personal story into your pitch (and why that’s important), as well as how and why people connect to certain stories. Quote of the episode by Bill, “People pitch to people…I’m...

Leah and Angel and Carrie finish up their interview with Liz Hannah. Liz gives advice on what makes a good pitch (e.g. how characters make the movie), the importance of music playlists when starting a new project, and her daily writing practice (fyi... vomit drafts have Liz Hannah’s approval).   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leah and Angel invite their friend Carrie Weisberg on the show to interview her good friend, Liz Hannah. We talk about Liz’s experience with her film, The Post, and having Steven Spielberg direct her first feature. So sit back, relax, eat some Milk Jar cookies and hopefully learn some cool pitching tips, stories, and advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stephen tells us more about audience testing: how it works, why it works, and how audience input shapes films. He compares films to poetry and Leah goes ga-ga. We also do a cerebral dive into artists’ egos, and why sending your script for notes to the right audience (horror scripts to horror peers) matters. Oh, and writer’s block. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leah & Angel talk with their friend Stephen Hornyak. Stephen is a producer and actor who also tests films in front of audiences. Stephen discusses the process of audience testing, why it’s important for writers to think about their audience when they’re writing, and how audience testing changed the film “Get Out”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this insightful episode Leah & Angel talk about what success can mean. From achieving awards to just putting words on the damn page, we apply our different perspectives to cover the ups and perceived downs of being a writer in Hollywood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices