Show Notes
Podcast Episode Description: Winning the Kinolime Competition and Navigating Rewrites with Eric Landau
In this exciting episode of the Kinolime Podcast, host John Schram sits down with Eric Landau, the brilliant comedic mind and winner of the Kinolime 2.0 Screenwriting Competition for his absurd comedy script, Mob Mentality. With his option signed, a check in hand, and the script officially going out to A-list directors, Eric gives listeners an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at what happens after you win a major competition and take the next crucial steps toward getting your movie made.
Whether you are an aspiring screenwriter curious about the development process or a filmmaker preparing to submit to a competition, this episode offers a grounded, practical look at the realities of writing a feature film.
🎬 Episode Highlights & Screenwriting Takeaways
Life as an Optioned Writer: Eric discusses the surreal transition from writing solo to getting paid and collaborating with a production company, noting that the magnitude of the achievement probably won't fully sink in until the movie is actually released.
Mastering Studio Notes: Receiving a mountain of notes from producers can be daunting for any writer who has already poured their soul into a script. Eric shares his pragmatic approach to rewrites: formulating a game plan, tackling notes line by line, and knowing when to agree, compromise, or push back to serve the story.
The Quirky Writing Routine: Get a hyper-specific breakdown of Eric’s creative process. From strictly writing in local coffee shops (never at home) and wearing wired headphones with zero audio playing, to deliberately disconnecting from Wi-Fi to avoid checking New York Yankees scores, Eric shares the disciplined habits that keep him locked in.
The Power of Delivering on Time: John offers a crucial piece of industry advice to aspiring writers: if you want to be beloved by production companies and executives, under-promise and over-deliver on your deadlines, just like Eric consistently did during the rewrite phase.
Key Takeaways:
- Career-Changing Near Miss: In an inspiring confession, Eric reveals he almost didn't enter the Kinolime competition because he didn't have the required 5-page treatment ready just days before the deadline. His decision to sit down, grind it out, and hit "submit" ultimately changed the trajectory of his career.
Full Transcript
[00:00]
think at first it was maybe slightly daunting realizing how much work I needed to put into this
[00:04]
after already putting so much work into it initially. But then once I gave it some thought and
[00:10]
kind of came up with formulated a game plan for how to go forward. It's been good.
