The One Weird Job... A Screenwriting Podcast

Development manager BECKY BELLAVIA (Titmouse, Dreamworks, 3 Arts Entertainment) joins Alyssa to reminisce about her time as a “Disney carny” aka an attractions cast member at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Becky talks about her time in the Disney College Program (and all the partying that came along with it), working the insane front gates of Magic Kingdom on Christmas Day, checking the train t...

Writer and stand up comedian LYNN MALEH (Universal Basic Guys, Act Your Age) joins Alyssa to talk about working as a copywriter at a company run by an absolutely crazy boss. Lynn talks about applying for the job based on the company’s dog mascot, her boss’s obsession with blender drinks, and what happens when a sociopathic boss is also dating the company’s HR manager. Lynn also talks about being a...

Showrunner and animation writer CHARLIE PRICE (Me & Winnie the Pooh, Me & Mickey, Minnie’s Bow Toons) joins Alyssa to talk about his time as a third party proposition player at Los Angeles area casinos. Charlie talks about how he got paid to play games like blackjack and pai gow, the easiest but sketchiest job interview ever, the regulars he would meet playing the casino tables, and what i...

Writer MARTIN CASTILLO (Spirit & Friends, Donkey Hodie) joins Alyssa to talk about his time as a entomology research technician, aka a bug scientist. Martin tells us about going from a psychology major to an entomologist to a Fred Rogers Productions Writers' Neighborhood fellow, his field research which involved saving California’s avocado and citrus crops from invasive insect species, and the...

Two-time Emmy winning writer STAN BERKOWITZ (Superman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, The Justice League) joins Alyssa to talk about his time working for a lab that restored old films. Stan talks about working with explosive nitrate film stock, being laid off three weeks into his first writing job, and what he learned from being forced to watch bad movies. His book,...

In this special “flipped interview,” previous guest Dave Cain interviews host Alyssa Feller about her own weird job - working as an Education Camp Intern aka a summer camp counselor at SeaWorld Orlando. In part 2, Alyssa talks about learning an entire summer’s worth of marine biology facts in a week, her favorite SeaWorld animal fun facts, and how her writing career started by writing a comedy pil...

In this special “flipped interview,” previous guest Dave Cain interviews host Alyssa Feller about her own weird job - working as an Education Camp Intern aka a summer camp counselor at SeaWorld Orlando. Alyssa talks about SeaWorld Camp’s intense minute-to-minute schedule, how she dealt with kids literally melting down in the Florida heat, and how a little documentary called Blackfish and the contr...

Writer JORDAN MORRIS (@Midnight, Good Mythical Morning, Jellystone!) joins Alyssa to talk about his time as a cheesemonger and a barista at a cheese shop. Jordan tells us about working with very fancy cheeses, almost getting fired for forgetting he had to work, and the paths he took to write everything from late night comedy to children’s animation to graphic novels. He also talks about an importa...

Animation executive DAVID LEVY (Pinkfong, Disney, Viacom) joins Alyssa to talk about his time working at McDonalds. Dave talks about his first days sweeping up every cigarette butt in the McDonald’s parking lot, making McDonald’s themed parody songs with his friends, working his way up to shift manager while still in high school, and how he and his friends almost unleashed live crickets in the sto...

Animation writer ALYSSA STRATTON (Firebuds, Batwheels) joins Alyssa for the second part of her interview! Alyssa Stratton tells us about her time as a character performer and host at Disneyland while Alyssa Feller also talks about her time as a PhotoPass Photographer across the country at Walt Disney World. Alyssa tells us about trying not to vomit on the teacups ride while dressed as a penguin, t...

Animation writer ALYSSA STRATTON (Firebuds, Batwheels) joins Alyssa for a double Alyssa filled episode! Alyssa Stratton tells us about her time as a character performer and host at Disneyland while Alyssa Feller also talks about her time as a PhotoPass Photographer across the country at Walt Disney World. Alyssa tells us about auditioning to be both a host and a character, the occasional harassmen...

Film and television writer RICK SUVALLE (Dew Drop Diaries, Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go!) joins Alyssa to talk about the time he was a telemarketer for a dating service. Rick tells us about cold calling people and asking if they needed a date, trying out different accents on calls for fun, and how he found his way from writing Syfy and Hallmark Channel Original Movies to writing for children’s...

Writer, producer, and performer JONATHAN GILES (A Little Late With Lilly Singh, Generation Gap) joins Alyssa to talk about working for a catering company and being a mentor to boys who had been kicked out of school. Jonathan tells us about bartending out of a condo’s bathroom, dealing with frisky catering clients being a mentor to troubled kids, and what it was like to participate in the NBCUniver...

Writer and Filmmaker ZACK MORRISON (Canusa Street, Everything's Fine: A Panic Attack in D Major) joins Alyssa to talk about his time with his hometown’s public works department. Zack tells us what it is like turning an Eagle Scout project into a summer job painting fire hydrants, spending downtime writing song parodies for radio contests, and how he used film to cope with panic attacks. Note: Alys...

Comedy and animation writer NICK HARRON joins Alyssa to talk about his time as a cyber warfare officer in the US Air Force. Nick tells us about the weird process of applying for the Air Force Academy, making parody videos for football games against the Army, living in South Korea and Italy, and the power of LinkedIn messaging. NOTE: Alyssa’s microphone somehow malfunctioned during the recording of...

Stand up comedian KATE SISK (Comedy Central Presents) joins Alyssa to share what it was like to play professional soccer with the Puerto Rico Women’s National Team. Kate tells us what it felt like to represent Puerto Rico, how soccer players spend their time when not training (spoiler alert: it sometimes involves working a whole other job) and what improv teams and soccer teams have in common. Mus...

Comedy and late night writer ROMEN BORSELLINO (Kal Penn Approves This Message, The Daily Show with Kal Penn, A Little Late With Lilly Singh) chats with Alyssa about his time as a Youth Coordinator on Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign and his time working for the Department of the Interior under the Obama administration. Romen tells us about the politics around the Iowa State Fair, how he tri...

Animation writer MARK FUJITA (Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart, Young Justice, Justice League Action Shorts, Hello Kitty And Friends Supercute Adventures) joins Alyssa to talk about his time as a pro wrestler and writing for the WWE. Mark tells us about getting multiple concussions, learning how to fall like a professional, and how reading manga inspired his wrestling and writing career. Music: https...

Emmy nominated writer JONTERRI GADSON joins Alyssa to chat about her time as a college creative writing and poetry professor. Jonterri tells us why she left a tenured track (!!!) position to pursue being an animation, sketch, and variety writer for shows like A Black Lady Sketch Show, Everybody Still Hates Chris, Making It with Amy Poehler and Nick Offerman, The Upshaws, and The Kelly Clarkson Sho...

Animation preschool and children’s writer PATRICK RIEGER (Frog and Toad, Batwheels, Thunderbirds Are Go) chats with Alyssa about his time as Plasma Pat, a “mad scientist” who performed fun and educational science experiments at schools and parties. Patrick tells us what happens when you reply to a Craigslist ad telling you to report to a warehouse in Van Nuys, what it’s like to clean dozens of bro...

Welcome to That One Weird Job... A Screenwriting Podcast. In this teaser episode, Alyssa explains why she started this podcast and what you can look forward to if you keep listening. Follow Alyssa Feller @alyssa_feller on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter/X, and on her website. Music Credits: "Vibing Over Venus" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License...

Preschool animation writer DAVE CAIN joins Alyssa to talk about his brief time as a camera guy for a traveling Little Person wrestling league. Dave tells us what it's like to be on the road, how he accidently got confused for a member of a British rock band, and what happens when 80s wrestling superstars and alcohol mix. Music: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/music.html Vibing over venu...