NEWS: S.W.I.P.E. Wrapped

After a long, exciting week, Wade and I wrapped production on the first three episodes of our Fox Atomic web series, S.W.I.P.E.

We survived the worst winter storm to hit LA in years (sleet, people, sleet in Los Angeles... An omen?), overcame our general lack of experience, and were fortunate to work alongside some really talented folks.

The footage looks amazing, and we can't wait to start editing...

Joel Spence (as Special Agent Herschel Norton) and Max Hartman (as Special Agent Billdog Hicks) prepare for a good, old-fashioned interrogation.

NEWS: FOOD FIGHT, ANOTHER AWARD

At the recent HDFest in Los Angeles, the doc we worked on, FOOD FIGHT, picked up another award: The HDFEST Deffie Award for Best HD Documentary Feature.

Congrats to director Chris Taylor and editor Miranda Yousef!

We had a blast working on the film with you.

NEWS: FOOD FIGHT WINS AWARD!

This past weekend, the IDA (Independent Documentary Association) held its annual award ceremony at the DGA, and the doc we wrote the narration for, FOOD FIGHT!, won the 2008 Audience Award. Pretty cool honor!

Here's a link to the Variety coverage.


In addition, the film has been invited to a bunch of other festivals. HD FEST LA, Whistler Film Fest, Asheville Film Fest, and the Mammoth Film Fest.

Congrats to everyone who worked on this awesome doc! We're honored to have been a part of the creative process.

NEWS: S.W.I.P.E.

Fox Atomic Digital will be producing a new webseries Wade and I created called S.W.I.P.E. this December. We're in pre-production right now, as a matter of fact. Oh, did I mention we'll also be directing the episodes?

S.W.I.P.E. is an action/comedy that follows two members of a special division of the FBI dedicated to mercilessly upholding the copyright restrictions on music, movies and video games.

For Special Agents Billdog Hicks and Herschell Norton, no infraction is too small, no use of force is too excessive. Combining a fanatical devotion to justice, an intricate knowledge of DRM encryption techniques, and a penchant for unnecessary violence, these two devoted lawmen put the cop back into copyright protection.

We pitched it as a series that blends the testosterone-fueled grit of THE SHIELD with the Byzantine legal provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998.

They loved it and asked for three episodes.

The madness begins.

Stay tuned for further details...

ON NEWSTANDS: Script Magazine (Nov/Dec 08)

The latest issue of SCRIPT Magazine is on newsstands now.

In it, you will find my essay, The Unlawyer. This is the first of several tales which will recount the time when I accepted a job pretending to be an entertainment lawyer at one of Hollywood's most prestigious firms.

No, this is not fiction. Yep, it really happened.

No, I won't negotiate a better back-end deal for you on your latest film gig. The Unlawyer has retired, but his story is finally being told...

Buy your copy today!

ARTICLES: FOOD FIGHT!

AFI Los Angeles has announced the date and time for the screening of the documentary we worked on, FOOD FIGHT.

If you have freakishly superhuman eyesight, you can read the miniaturized version of an article about it that I'm posting right here...

If you have normal old human eyes, like me, then just follow this link.

If you have an unnatural fear of following hyperlinks through the spooky internet, here's the most important information:

FOOD FIGHT - Screening (Free!)

Saturday, November 8th 3:15pm
Mann Chinese 6
Hollywood, California

Hope to see you there!

NEWS: Ninja Warrior

It's that time of year again...

As the cherry blossoms begin to bloom around the base of Mt Midoriyama, Japan, 100 warriors will gather, eager to put themselves through the ultimate test: competing in the world's toughest obstacle course.

And, once again, Wade and I will write their insane stories of (mostly) defeat and (unlikely) victory.

This marks the 21st Tournament we have written for G4 (not counting the 7 or so Kunoichi Tournaments -- aka The Women of Ninja Warrior), and if you are anything like me... you'll be holding your breath to see how many people can survive the evil Salmon Ladder (pictured below).

Can ya feel the burn?

NEWS: FOOD FIGHT!

Earlier this year, Wade and I were hired to write the narration for Chris Taylor's documentary, Food Fight.

The film is a fascinating exploration of food in America and the birth of the organic food revolution - a movement that can trace its origins back to California in the late sixties. Here's one of the first reviews.

We just learned that Food Fight has been invited to screen as part of the 2008 AFI Fest Los Angeles. Details still to come, but it looks like it will be on November 8th.

NEWS: The Collective

In an exciting bit of news, we have been brought on by Judson Pearce Morgan & Kelly Overton to adapt their indie thriller, The Collective, into a television series.

Stay tuned for more details...

And trust no one.

ON NEWSTANDS: Script Magazine (Sept/Oct 08)

The latest issue of Script Magazine is on newstands now.

In it, you will find my interview with Inside Man's Russell Gewirtz where I do everything in my power to get him to reveal the big surprise twist ending of his next film, Righteous Kill.

You'll also find my one-on-one sit down chat with The Shield's Shawn Ryan where we talk about the final season of The Shield, the effects of writers strike, and who he likes better: me or Wade.

Also, you'll find my latest column, Making an Impression, where I talk about the time I nearly peed my pants in Spielberg's offices. No joke.

Buy your copy today!

NEWS: Drunken Businessmen

Neither Wade nor I have ever been to Japan.

Thankfully, that hasn't stopped G4 from hiring us to write all of their Japanese import shows. From NINJA WARRIOR to UNBEATABLE BANZUKE, we are the go-to guys for this strange genre. This week G4 asked us to help create the pilot for a new competition series: the aptly named, DRUNKEN BUSINESSMEN.

We can't reveal the concept, but needless to say it involves Japanese businessmen, a shitload of alcohol, and maybe even some trivia questions.

Set your TiVos!

NEWS: Real Heroes: Firefighter

We've been hired to write a new third-person action game exclusively for the Wii tentatively titled Real Heroes: Firefighter.

We're thinking Rescue Me but without all of Tommy Gavin's religious guilt. And since the game has an E-10 rating, we'll probably need to steer clear of that show's endless fascination with alcoholism and sex addiction.

The game's produced by Epicenter Studios, a relatively new start up. Pretty exciting.

Time to pop by Universal Studios and take the Backdraft ride again.

Welcome to Every Other Letter: The Blog

Meet the newest addition to everyotherletter.

At last, we have an official blog. Here, you'll find latest news, updates, musings, and whatever else grabs our attention.

Enjoy!

Ginsburg & McIntyre