Humanitas Industry 101 Podcast

This episode comes from a writing workshop with Chris Keyser and Amy Lippman recorded October 21, 1995.  They give an in-depth look at the show Party of Five and its characters.  Chris and Amy first met as college students when Amy was studying playwriting and Chris was studying law. They would go on to work for television series including Sisters, L.A. Law, and Lone Star, before co-creating Party...

Since 1974, Humanitas has honored professional film and television writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced and meaningful way.  As a part of this effort, Humanitas created the Kieser Award, named in honor of Humanitas’s founder– it honors those who have dedicated their substantial talent, work, and resources to creating transformative stories that celebrate our common humanity...

This episode comes from a writing workshop with Winnie Holzman and Richard Kramer recorded on February 2, 2002.  They talk about process, collaboration, and finding a way to make your writing truthful. Winnie and Richard worked together on thirtysomething, My So-Called Life, and Once and Again, which they were working on at the time of recording. Richard is an Emmy and Peabody award winning writer...

Today’s Industry 101 Podcast episode comes from a writing workshop with Fay Kanin recorded on January 19, 1995.  Fay Kanin was a screenwriter and playwright who began working in Hollywood in the early 1940s, often in collaboration with her husband, Michael Kanin. Across her six decades as a writer, actor, producer, and activist, Fay built a reputation as an excellent writer and a steadfast advocat...

Today’s episode comes from a writing workshop with Eric Roth recorded on March 21, 2000—the same year he won a Humanitas Prize for his work on The Insider. Eric discusses how he chooses what to write, his process, and a little bit about his Oscar-win for Forrest Gump.  Eric Roth is a six-time Oscar nominee and won in 1995 for his work on Forrest Gump. In 2012, he received the WGA Laurel Award for...

Today’s Industry 101 Podcast episode comes from a writing workshop with John Wells recorded on April 17, 1993.  John discusses why he became a writer, humanistic writing, and gives his advice on writing characters, and the role of the writer’s thematic point of view when working on a script. He is a producer, writer, and director who has produced over twelve thousand hours of television across his...

Our first episode comes from a discussion between legendary writers, directors, and producers, Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick, recorded December 11, 1993.  While the business of screenwriting has changed dramatically over the last 32 years, their advice about structure and character remains evergreen.  With five Emmys, an Oscar, and multiple Humanitas Prizes between them, Marshall and Ed have a...