185 - Malcolm Spellman, a Study in Heat

Feb 24, 2015

Screenwriter Malcolm Spellman joins Craig and John to talk about his big break, blown opportunities, and getting momentum back. Now part of the smash hit Empire, he talks about the changes and challenges African-American writers face both on the small screen and the big screen.

 

Also this episode, we look at a review that credits the director with the screenwriter’s work and the role trailers play in shaping audience expectation. Plus the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, the Three Investigators, SNL and literally losing your voice.

 

Trivia: “A Study in Heat” was the name of the sandwich Malcolm ate after recording this episode.

 

Links:

 

• Malcolm Spellman on IMDb and Twitter
• Fantastic Negrito on Billboard and Twitter
• The Robotard 8000 on Twitter
• ‘Empire’ Revels in Diverse Dynamic in the Writers’ Room from Variety
• Overstock.com Plans Streaming-Video Service from The Wall Street Journal
• Phillip Noyce To Direct ‘Warrior’ NBC Pilot from Deadline
• Writers Guild of America 2015 Showrunner Training Program
• JK Rowling’s story is a far better drama than it is a book from The Independent
• The trailer is not the movie from The Dissolve
• The Mysterious Case of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys by Marvin Heiferman and Carole Kismaric
• Three Investigators on Wikipedia
• The SNL 40 app
• Voice therapy vs speech therapy
• Get tickets now for Big Fish in Boston, where John will be doing a Q+A after the March 13 show
• Outro by Scriptnotes listener Rajesh Naroth (send us yours!)

 

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.