Making it Work in the New Year
January 1, 2016: January has rolled around again. Time to extend wishes for an excellent twelve months ahead, and to reflect on that time-honored if rather misguided tradition, the New Year's Resolution. Now, I understand that the start of a new calendar year should...
Directing Radio Spots: Always Find the Playables
Congrats. You are all set to take your spot into the studio. Your script is a fine-tuned to a tee; everyone from creative to account execs to client is totally on board; you've got your dream cast. Now, all you have to do is talk to them. Seems simple enough. You...
Writing Comedy Radio: The Biggest Mixing Mistake
“Don't worry – we'll fix it in the mix!” There was a time when, as a rookie producer, I delivered those words dripping with sarcasm. Although I kinda sorta half meant them at the time, as I began to rack up the years in the studio and the number of spots produced, I...
Writing Comedy Radio: A Little Word On Actors
First, the disclaimer. I am an actor. Probably first and foremost, but certainly through and through. My nickname growing up wasn't Sarah Bernhardt for nothin'. So my prejudice is a given. But lord help me, I do love actors. They have been my colleagues, my...
Comedy Radio Writing: Is the Customer Always Right?
Oh, no, they didn't. Oh, yes, they did. They did for the first time I can ever remember in 30+ years of doing this. A client now says they might not run their spots because, and I quote, “They are too funny.” First of all, you would think, in the whole process whereby...
Writing Comedy Radio: Checklist
Maybe it's because we've been working with a lot of new clients lately—always an exciting challenge. Maybe it's because I've been missing the heck out of David Letterman. I just felt the hankerin' to refine things into an easy access, handy-dandy Checklist For Radio...
Update on the Wary Client, good things DO come to those who wait
Here in the lazy dog days of summer, I'm gonna be brief as a breeze. Remember, I promised an update on that client who was wary of running the spots we created for them because might be too funny? Turns out, they ran the spots. And guess what? People are coming in...
Comedy Radio Writing: Keep it Simple.
You know that old saw – the three most important things in real estate are location, location, location. I got a new one for you – the three most important things in comedy writing are simplicity, simplicity, simplicity. First and foremost, when you're writing a :30...
THE BEST DAMN HOW-TO-WRITE-RADIO WEBINAR EVER
Seriously. Ever. I have mentioned how I landed at the Radio Ranch, quite a bit by accident. I was newly arrived in Los Angeles, just starting at the Groundlings, and in need of employment that didn't involved serving food to anyone. Not that I am a snob about waiting...
How do I Write a Radio Spot?
Well, sometimes it starts with a rock-climbing nun... Always Write What You Know. If you are a writer, or trying to be one, guaranteed you will get that advice at one time in your life. Multiple times. Until you can almost predict when someone is about to say...
