Showrunners was released last week on VOD and it has been going down a storm thus far, I decided to grab a few tweets from the ether to illustrate some of the reaction. I’ve probably missed loads of the better ones but anyways here we go…
If you haven’t seen the film you can watch the film here
From Volta in Ireland Itunes in the US/Canada Itunes in the UK
Also gives me an oppurtunity to repost this awesome pic of Des from the Television Academy Screening
Showrunners is on release at the moment and has gone down an absolute storm, everyone involved with the film is absolutely delighted with the response. Often when you cut something you’ve no idea if people will like it or indeed if they’ll even watch the finished product. So it was great to see so much positive feed back for the film online over the weekend. The film is the number on watched film on itunes over the weekend in the states and that is incredible. I’ll collate some of the responces to the film in a later post.
In the meantime, heres the Q&A that accompanied the film’s premiere at the prestigious Academy of Television in Los Angeles. Several of the Showrunners featured in the film contributed for a lively and very funny conversation about the film and their job. It is well worth a watch, plus you get to see some exclusive clips from the film.
Its also really interesting to see how Americans really struggle to pronounce the name Des…
It won’t embed correctly but you can follow the link to here
The day is finally here, Showrunners, the feature documentary I spent a good chunk of 2013 cutting is being released into the wild. Slightly nervous about it but also very proud of the work as well. I just hope people like it and indeed support it.
Irish Audiences can catch the film in the Lighthouse Cinema in Dublin and the Eye Cinema in Galway for this coming week. The film will be available in Ireland on Volta and on itunes in 2 weeks time but if you have the chance to see it on the big screen, its definitely worth it.
Here’s our new trailer
This was among the hardest things I’ve ever had to cut, there is no doubt that feature documentaries are TOUGH but I would be happy enough spending the rest of my career doing them. In this case, I would not have been able to do it without the help from obviously both Des Doyle the director and John Wallace the producer but also Michael Higgins. Anyone you works with Michael know he can do just about anything, he was a great assistant to have on this film and helped us out of a hole on many, many occasions. Also big shout out to Mick Mahon, Shane Callan and everyone at EMC Post and Avatar for their contributions in the post process and indeed all those other people who helped the film out along the way. I think we’ve managed to make something that we can all be proud of.
“Showrunners” is the first ever feature length documentary film to explore the fascinating world of US television showrunners and the creative forces aligned around them. These are the people responsible for creating, writing and overseeing every element of production on one of the United State’s biggest exports – television drama and comedy series.
Often described as the most complex job in the entertainment business, a showrunner is the chief writer / producer on a TV series and, in most instances, the show’s creator. Battling daily between art and commerce, showrunners manage every aspect of a TV show’s development and production: creative, financial and logistical.
The film will be getting a limited cinema release in the USA from Oct 31, playing in selected cinemas in New York and Los Angeles and will be available to but from itunes as well. In fact it is already available on pre order in the US and Canada. That can be done here.
If that wasn’t enough showrunners, you can also order the companion book from amazon here. Its a really great book that compliments the film very well and is well worth a purchase. The book is also available to buy in Ireland from most good bookstores.
Described by The Hollywood Reporter as “an intriguing behind the scenes expose of the men and women responsible for TV’s recent revolution” Showrunners will have an exclusive presentation at this year’s Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival. Showrunners is the first ever feature length documentary film to explore the fascinating world of U.S. television showrunners and the creative forces aligned around them. These people are responsible for creating, writing and overseeing every element of production on one of the United State’s biggest exports – television drama and comedy series.
The film shows audiences the huge amount of work that goes into making sure their favourite TV series airs on time as well as the many challenges that showrunners have to overcome to make sure a new series makes it onto the schedules at all!
Featuring contributions from J.J. Abrams, Joss Whedon, Ronald D.Moore, Damon Lindelof, Bill Prady, Hart Hanson, Jane Espenson, Jonathan Nolan and many more!
Scriptwriter, Journalist and Broadcaster Andrew Collins will be chairing this screening and it will be followed by a Q&A with the film’s director Des Doyle and special guest showrunner Ronald D.Moore (Outlander, Battlestar Galactica,Carnivale, Star Trek: The Next Generation)
The Film is on at the Filmhouse at 2 this friday Aug 22
There was some big news yesterday for Showrunners, the film I’ve been cutting for the best part of this year. On Friday the film hosted a panel discussion at the San Diego Comic-Con featuring contributors Bill Prady (The Big Bang Theory), Hart Hanson (Bones) and Jane Espenson (Husbands) from the film as well as Director Des Doyle, Producer John Wallace and co-producer Ryan McGuffey.
The panel was on the topic “Showrunning – the hardest job in the entertainment industry” but it also served as a platform to make some announcement s about the film. The biggest of which was reported in an exclusive article with Deadline Hollywood, which i have reprinted below…
With buzz heating up at Comic-Con over network shows and new series, indie documentary Showrunners is primed to capture the zeitgeist. Director Des Doyle nabbed interviews with some of TV’s biggest and brightest creators, including JJ Abrams (Lost), Joss Whedon (Buffy The Vampire Slayer), Bill Prady (The Big Bang Theory), Hart Hanson (Bones), and Jane Espenson (Once Upon A Time). Submarine Entertainment snatched up US distribution and worldwide sales rights on the Black Sheep Productions pic, which held its own panel today at the pop culture confab. “We are very excited to be working with Des Doyle and the team on their amazing behind the scenes documentary Showrunners, which reveals the seductive, yet terrifying, world of being in charge of running a television show,” said Submarine’s Co-
President Dan Braun announcing the deal. “The unprecedented access and attention to detail they achieved in this film is impressive and unique.” Showrunners takes a behind the scenes look at the writing, development, and production side of television from the captain’s chair. Project got its start with backing from the Irish Film Board and a Kickstarter campaign that grew fan interest online. Among the TV heads featured in the film: Matthew Carnahan (House Of Lies), Steven S. DeKnight (Spartacus: War Of The Damned), Chris Downey (Leverage), Mike Kelley (Revenge), Robert and Michelle King (The Good Wife), Ali LeRoi (Everybody Hates Chris), Damon Lindelof (Lost), Ronald D. Moore (Battlestar Galactica), Jeff Melvoin (Army Wives), Jeff Pinkner (Fringe), John Rogers (Leverage), Mike Royce (Men Of A Certain Age), Shawn Ryan (The Shield), David Shore (House M.D.), Janet Tamaro (Rizzoli & Isles), Terence Winter (Boardwalk Empire), and J.H. Wyman (Fringe). The Black Sheep Productions, Romark Entertainment, and Junto Entertainment production is produced by John Wallace and Rock Shaink. Ryan Patrick McGuffey co-produced the film and Jimmy Nguyen, Jason Rose, and Christof Bove are executive producers.
Its been a crazy couple of months and especially so the last few weeks. Editing a feature documentary is an all-consuming proposition and your work-life balance can get thrown somewhat askew, so I’ve become something of a stranger to my friends and family but it will all be worth it in the end. The film has generated a lot of press in the last week or so on the back of a kickstarter campaign we are running so I thought I’d give a little insight into where we are at with the film. Have a read and don’t forget to donate
The edit suite in Dublin
If you are unfamiliar with the film, first of all let me just say what it’s about Showrunners: A Documentary Film is the first feature documentary that delves into the creative and chaotic world of the showrunner. Often described as the most complex job in the entertainment business, a showrunner is the chief writer/producer on a TV series and, in most instances, the show’s creator. Battling daily between art and commerce, showrunners manage every aspect of a TV show’s development and production: creative, financial and logistical.
In the film you’ll be taken inside the lives and minds of todays top TV Showrunners, who have opened up the world of your favorite TV shows to us and given access to their writers rooms, their production sets while filming, production meetings, editing suites (cutting a sequence about editing was a strange experience) as well as on to the red carpet. As well, we’ll take you behind the scenes at special events like ComicCon and WonderCon with featured showrunners and actors from such beloved series as Lost, Bones, Boardwalk Empire, Revenge, Fringe, Big Bang Theory, House, Person of Interest, Sons of Anarchy, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer, Castle, Spartacus, House of Lies & Once Upon a Time and many others
The cutting of the film is underway and at this stage we are all very confident of the material that we have used and we think people will find it entertaining and informative in equal measure. I have been lucky to have cut quite a lot of documentaries in my time but I’ve never known a film quite like this one. It’s rare that you get a situation where you have just so much useable material. Often times an interviewee will be relevent to very specific elements of the story but with this, everyone in it speaks with authority on every subject relevent to the job and it can be challenging figuring out which people to use on any particular topic and maintaining a balance and keeping the flow of the film going. What has also been interesting is that while on a personal level I expected the like of Joss Whedon and JJ Abrams to be riveting interviewees (which they are), I was taken aback by how fascinating so many of the other people interviewed were. Everyone in the film adds to the conversation and we are leaving some great stuff on the cutting room floor (The Kickstarter only dvd will be awesome btw) but its also very exciting to see the sequences come together as we whittle down the material.
I also edit at home some nights
Last week the production launched a Kickstater campaign to get the film finished. We are looking for eighty thousand dollars to fund the grade, the sound mix, the graphic elements and most importantly from my point of view to buy us some more time in the edit suite.
For me its been incredible to see the overwhelmingly positive response from people towards the kickstarter campaign and to the trailer that I cut for it last week. It’s astonishing to see just how many times the video has been played and all the articles about the project in everything from the Hollywood reporter to blogs and magazines all over the world. It’s truly very humbling but all that positive feeling towards which has been great to get ultimately doesn’t mean I will get to keep on cutting the film. The only way we can get the film over the line is if people donate to the film.
Go to our kickstarter page and donate here
John
John Murphy 