Austin Film Festival's On Story

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Q&A, with Rian Johnson

This week on On Story, we're talking to Rian Johnson about his process writing and directing Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.  This third installment of the Knives Out series follows an ambitious young Catholic priest, and former boxer, named Jud Duplencity. Jud teams up with detective Benoit Blanc after the divisive Monsignor of his small, rural parish is murdered mid-sermon.  Outside of the Knives Out series, Johnson has two decades of experience writing and directing in the mystery and sci-fi genres. He made his directorial debut in 2005 with Brick, a neo-noir mystery set in a suburban high school. He dove into the sci-fi genre in 2012, with his time-travel action epic, Looper. Next, he served as the writer-director for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the second installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy. In addition to his work on film, Johnson has also directed episodes of Breaking Bad, and created the "case of the week" crime-comedy series Poker Face. Rian Johnson sat down with AFF moderator Casey Baron for a post-screening Q&A for his newest feature, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. 

The Prestige Miniseries, with Craig Mazin and Marissa Jo Cerar

This week on On Story, a conversation on the prestige miniseries with Craig Mazin and Marissa Jo Cerar.   Craig Mazin is the creator, writer, and executive producer of HBO's Emmy-winning limited series Chernobyl. Chernobyl is a five-episode historical drama following the events leading up to the Chernobyl disaster and the cleanup efforts that followed. Mazin is also known for co-creating and co-writing HBO's The Last of Us, and for his work on comedy films such as Scary Movie 3, and Identity Thief.    Marissa Jo Cerar is the creator of the NAACP Image Award-winning miniseries Women of the Movement. Women of the Movement centers on the true story of Mamie Till-Mobley, who dedicated her life to seeking justice for her son Emmett Till, who was lynched in 1955. Cerar is also the creator of the Hulu series Black Cake, and has worked as a writer on The Handmaid's Tale, and 13 Reasons Why.    Cerar and Mazin joined AFF moderator Fabienne Harford for a conversation on the advantages of writing for a limited series, and how they decided that the limited series was the right format for their respective stories.    Clips of Chernobyl courtsey of Home Box Office, Inc.   Clips of The Last of Us courtesy of Home Box Office, Inc.   Clips of Women of the Movement courtesy of Kapital Entertainment, LLC.   Clips of Black Cake courtsey of Kapital Entertainment, LLC.   Clips of the Handmaid's Tale courtesy of MGM Television Entertainment, Inc.    Clips of 13 Reasons Why courtesy of Paramount Television Studios.

Succession, with Susan Soon He Stanton

This week on On Story, we're joined by Susan Soon He Stanton for a look inside the writers room of the hit HBO drama, Succession. Succession centers on the Roy family, the ultra-rich owners of a global media conglomerate called Waystar RoyCo. The family business is spearheaded by aging patriarch, Logan Roy. As Logan's ability to lead the company becomes more and more uncertain, his adult children fight to out-maneuver their Father, and each other, to seize control. Each of the Roy children enters this fight for power carrying baggage from their bizarre upbringings within this cold, dysfunctional family. Succession was nominated for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series for each of its four seasons, and won the award three times.  Susan Soon He Stanton joined the writers room in Succession's first season, and continued to write for the show throughout its entire run. She has written for theater, television, and film. Succession was her first experience working in a television writers room. She has also worked as a writer on the TV series Dead Ringers, Modern Love, Conversations with Friends, and The Baby.     Stanton sat down with AFF moderator R.B. Brenner to talk about what it was like bringing her playwriting experience into the writers room, and the challenge of writing in each character's specific voice.    Succession clips courtesy of Home Box Office, Inc.

Bojack Horseman, with Allison Flierl and Joe Lawson

This week on On Story, a conversation on the animated tragicomedy series Bojack Horseman with two of its writers, Alison Flierl and Joe Lawson.   The series follows Bojack, a washed-up former sitcom star who's trying to stage a comeback in Hollywood, while fighting against his own addiction and self-destructive tendencies. Bojack is also an anthropomorphic horse inhabiting a world where humans and animals live side-by side. The series, which ran for six seasons on Netflix, features the voice acting talents of Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Aaron Paul, and a rotating cast of celebrity cameos.    Before writing for Bojack Horseman, Joe Lawson worked as a writer on Shameless, Modern Family, and This is Us. More recently, Lawson worked as a writer on Rian Johnson's case-of-the-week murder mystery series, Poker Face. Lawson is joined by his fellow Bojack writer, Alison Flierl, whose other writing credits include Conan, and the School of Rock TV series.    Flierl and Lawson sat down with AFF moderator Harrison Glaser to discuss their love-hate relationship with the character of Bojack, and how working in an animated medium allowed them to tackle surprisingly serious topics.    Clips of Bojack Horseman courtesy of BoJack Productions LLC. 

A Conversation with Kemp Powers

First up, a conversation with Kemp Powers on his experience co-directing Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the sequel to the 2018 Oscar-winner, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The second installment continues the story of friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, Miles Morales, as he is catapulted from his home in Brooklyn, through the multi-verse. In a neighboring universe, Miles encounters a multi-dimensional network of Spider-People, known as the Spider-Society. When Miles clashes with the other superheroes, he has to set out on his own to save the ones he loves.  Co-director Kemp Powers began his career in journalism, before pursuing playwriting. He wrote the screenplay for Regina King's directorial debut, One Night in Miami, which he adapted from his own play of the same name. That script earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2018, Powers began his work in animated film, serving as the co-writer and co-director of the fantasy film, Soul. Soul follows a middle school teacher, and aspiring pianist, who falls into a coma, and must reunite his soul with his body in time to play in a famous Jazz quartet, and earn his big break as a musician.  Powers sat down with Evan Narcisse, a comic book writer, journalist, and videogame narrative designer. He has written comic books published by Marvel Comics, including his limited series The Rise of the Black Panther, which he co-wrote with Ta-Nehisi Coates. Narcisse worked as the narrative design consultant for the videogame Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales.  Powers joined Narcisse for an insightful conversation on learning to write for multiple different mediums, the social responsibility of being a Black creative, and the unique process of collaborating with animators. Clips of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse courtesy of  Sony Pictures Animation Inc. Clips of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation Inc. Clips of One Night in Miami courtesy of Hampton King Louisiana Productions, LLC Clips of Soul courtsey of Pixax and Disney Enterprises, Inc