Shows
Film SchoolWhat Is Genre? (Cutting Room Floor #233)When we talk about "genre" as it relates to movies, books, comics, etc. what do we mean? What IS "genre?" Josh and Ira break down how we use that term on Film School. Also, Josh recommends MasterChef (Hulu), and Ira recommends Sunderland Till I Die (Netflix). The Genre Five Leaf Clover is available over at StoryGrid.com: https://storygrid.com/books/story-grid-genre-five-leaf-clover/
2025-09-041h 00
Film SchoolWriting Evil (Cutting Room Floor #226)The Darkness is out there. Everyone can feel evil working in the shadows of the real world, however figurative or literal you want to attribute it. So, naturally, evil plays a big part in our stories; it behooves us storytellers to know how to effectively represent it. How do we do that? Josh and Ira talk through their own personal tips and tricks. Also, Josh recommends Hotel Hell, and Ira recommends The Batman, which is on Max.
2025-01-2340 min
Film SchoolThe Power Of Finished (Cutting Room Floor #222)Finishing something can make a lot of things suddenly become clear. There are revelations about our work that can literally only be gained by seeing something through and marking it as "done" in our own heads. So...what have we learned, Josh and Ira, in finishing our own projects? We discuss. Also, Josh recommends Annihilation which is playing on Pluto TV, and Ira recommends Succession with is on HBO and Max.
2024-12-0255 min
Film SchoolGetting Older (Cutting Room Floor #219)What's it liked to get older? As Josh and Ira dip their toes into 'middle age,' things start to change. You're not old yet, but you're not young anymore. Some things improve. Some things get worse. Ya boys talk about it. Enjoy! Also, Josh recommends Seinfeld which is currently on Netflix, and Ira recommends Alien 3, which is currently on Disney+.
2024-10-0346 min
Film SchoolHow Many Drafts? (Cutting Room Floor #218)How many drafts is the right number of drafts??? Is it okay to write the thing once and then call it done? Or do we need to write and rewrite and edit and write some more and more and more? Or...is it something in between? Josh and Ira discuss what works for them! Also, Josh again recommends Chernobyl on Max, and Ira recommends Mountain Queen which is on Netflix.
2024-09-2644 min
Film SchoolHow Much Of Greatness Is Up To The Muse? (Cutting Room Floor #217)Back in Ira's DJing days, he put together literally hundreds of sets. An interesting pattern developed during that time: no matter how much his skill increased as he went (and it did), some sets just worked better than others. Some were great, others weren't, and no amount of skill could make a set great that wasn't from the outset. So...just how much of greatness comes from the Muse? And how much is due to skill and within our control? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Chernobyl on Max, and Ira recommends X-Men: The Animated Series which is o...
2024-09-1955 min
Film SchoolGood Habits (Cutting Room Floor #208)On this podcast, we've talked before about BAD habits and how to break them. But what about GOOD habits? What about that stuff that we know we SHOULD be doing, but it's hard to get going? Josh and Ira talk about how it works for them. Also, Josh recommends The Terror Season 1 (again), and Ira recommends Welcome to Wrexham, which is on Hulu.
2024-06-0353 min
Film SchoolAdvice For An Aspiring Writer (Cutting Room Floor #206)So you want to be a writer. You're interested in a life of storytelling. Long term. What do you need to know? Or, as someone who's already dedicated themselves to a lifetime of spinning tales, what would you say to someone who was interested in doing the same? As a pair that fall into the latter, Josh and Ira discuss! Also, Josh recommends The Angry Video Game Nerd (originally The Angry Nintendo Nerd) on YouTube, and Ira recommends Baby Reindeer on Netflix.
2024-05-1744 min
Film SchoolThe Wrong Direction (Cutting Room Floor #202)How do you know when you've gone in the wrong direction? What are the signs? And when you realize that you have, what do you do? Josh and Ira share their own personal insights on this question, covering the spectrum of a chronic over-planner to leaping-before-looking impulsiveness. Also, Josh recommends South Park currently available on Prime, and Ira recommends Constellation on Apple TV+.
2024-04-1840 min
Film SchoolThe Elements of a Great Film (Cutting Room Floor #201)What makes a good movie? What are the things that stand out? We all have our own personal versions of the answer to this question. Josh and Ira each answer for themselves without getting into the weeds as much as possible. Also, Josh recommends Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix, and Ira recommends Tarkovsky's Stalker on Max.
2024-04-1135 min
Film SchoolWhat is the Best Time to Create? (Cutting Room Floor #191)Do you have a time of day (or night) where you find that you're the most creative? What about times that are consistently free? Or have the least number of distractions? Finding a reliable pocket of your day in which you can do your creative work can be a superpower. On this episode, Josh and Ira discuss what's worked and not worked for them. Also, Josh recommends Star Trek: Voyager on PlutoTV, and Ira recommends Buried on Netflix.
2024-02-0146 min
Film SchoolEditing, Rewrites, and Killing Your Darlings (Cutting Room Floor #183)The book is written. The film is shot. Now, it's time to edit, it's time to rewrite, it's time to turn it into the finished product that you send out to your audience. So, how do you do that? And what about that advice we've all heard: "kill your darlings." What does that mean? We tackle the question "what's next?" this week on the Cutting Room Floor. Also, Josh recommends the documentary Dave Not Coming Back which is currently on-demand on Pluto TV, and Ira recommends Band of Brothers which is on HBO. Ira mentions a...
2023-10-0547 min
Film SchoolComfort Food (Cutting Room Floor #181)What do you want to eat when you're feeling blue? Or anxious? Or even feeling like you're on top of the world? Our collective relationship with food is complicated, certainly, but sometimes there are foods that put us exactly where we need to be. Josh and Ira discuss what those are for them. Also, Josh recommends Justice League: The Animated Series which is currently on Netflix, and Ira recommends The Banshees of Inisherin which is currently on Max.
2023-09-0441 min
Film SchoolThe Hardest Criticism to Handle (Cutting Room Floor #173)What is the hardest feedback to hear? How does it make you feel? Why? And how do you handle it, both at your worst and at your best? Criticism is part of the gig, and it's tough even with it's constructive. Josh and Ira discuss their own painful moments. Hopefully it helps you in your own creative journey. Also, Josh recommends Star Trek: The Next Generation on Paramount+, and Ira recommends a book this week: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay.
2023-05-0847 min
Film SchoolHow Long Should It Take To Write A Story? (Cutting Room Floor #170)Is this taking me too long? This taking me too, long, isn't it? How long SHOULD it take me write this damn thing? How long did it take you? THEY did it in half the time I've spent already, and I'm not even finished. ...who among us has asked ourselves these questions, or ones like them, when working on a project? We have. Constantly. So...how do you handle the constant pressure of time? Josh and Ira talk about what's worked and not-worked for them. Also, Josh recommends Star Trek: The Next Generation on Paramount+ and Ira r...
2023-03-2741 min
Film SchoolThe Sophomore Slump (Cutting Room Floor #162)The second album. The follow-up book. The sequel film. After all the lessons we've learned from the first project, after all that growth, effort and excitement . . . WHY IS THE SECOND PROJECT SO HARD??? And followup question: what can we do about it? Josh and Ira have both been through the famed "sophomore slump." They discuss what they've learned. Also, Josh recommends The Mist which is currently on Netflix, and Ira recommends The Omen which is playing on Prime.
2022-11-0333 min
Film SchoolHow To Finish (Revisited) (Cutting Room Floor #160)We call it "finishing energy." It's the effort it takes to push something all the way to the end. Usually, it's far more than we ever imagined. So, how do we muster "finishing energy?" When resistance is at its peak because we're *so* *close* to finishing, how do we suck it up and move forward? Josh and Ira discuss what's worked for them! Also, Josh recommends The Professional and Collateral, and Ira recommends 1984 and Valkyrie.
2022-10-2742 min
Film SchoolHow Important Are Ideas? (Cutting Room Floor #159)How important are ideas? Super important, right? Of course! BUT . . . are they the most important thing when it comes to telling a great story? What about execution? If an idea is just an idea until it's fully realized, how can we properly foster it and build it into something wonderful? Josh and Ira discuss their own experiences. Also, Josh (does not) recommend Alone on Hulu, and Ira (kind of) recommends Treasure Planet on Disney+
2022-10-2651 min
Film SchoolPhysical Self Care (Cutting Room Floor #158)How do you take care of your BODY? We talk so much on this podcast about taking care of the mind, but our brains live inside a body. It's also so, SO important to take care of our physical selves, something we often forget. Josh and Ira talk about their own successes and failures with physical self-care. Also, Josh recommends Top Chef (again) which is on Hulu, and Ira recommends Alone which is also on Hulu.
2022-10-2039 min
Film SchoolWhen A Character Turns Out Amazingly (Cutting Room Floor #157)How do you create a great character? We're revisiting the topic this week from a previous episode with a new twist on how to answer the question: when was a time that you went above and beyond to create a character, and it paid off big time? Both Josh and Ira share instances from their experience. Also, Ira recommends Seinfeld which is not quite the show you remember in its earliest episodes, and Josh recommends the film Nocturnal Animals with Jake Gyllenhaal, both of which are currently on Netflix.
2022-10-0538 min
Film SchoolThe Difference Between Amateur And Professional (Cutting Room Floor #155)What is the difference between a professional and an amateur? We can all agree that the two aren't the same thing, so what differentiates them? And if we are an amateur and want to be a professional, *HOW* do we do that? Josh and Ira discuss what the difference is for them, and how they've worked on 'going pro' in their own lives. Also...Josh recommends the 2012 Teeange Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series which currently has Season 1 available on Netflix, and Ira recommends The Anarchists on HBO.
2022-08-2642 min
Film SchoolHow To Fail Better (Cutting Room Floor #151)What is your relationship with failure? Do you embrace it, or avoid it at all cost? Because failure is a necessary and important part of success, a healthy relationship with it probably lies somewhere in between those two extremes. Josh and Ira discuss what works for them, and what doesn't. Also, Josh recommends John Carpenter's Vampires, and Ira recommends the Apple TV+ documentary series Home, which just released its second season.
2022-07-2231 min
Film SchoolWhat to Cut and What to Keep (Cutting Room Floor #148)When writing/creating, how do you know what to throw into the trash bin, and how do you know what to keep and tweak until it's working right? It's the central question of editing and revising, and there is no easy, simple answer. But, there *IS* an answer. Josh and Ira share their thoughts on the matter. Also, Josh recommends Hulu's docu-series The Deep End, and Ira recommends the 1973 horror classic The Wicker Man. Finally...Josh's debut feature film is available to rent or purchase RIGHT NOW ON AMAZON PRIME! Run, don't walk, and leave a...
2022-06-3048 min
Film SchoolHow Important Is Community? (Cutting Room Floor #147)How important is it to have community as a creative person? How do you choose the people to surround yourself with? Josh and Ira talk about how they've chosen their own communities, and what to look for. Also, Josh recommends Shrek, and Ira discusses his recent watches of Kingdom of Heaven and The VVitch.
2022-06-2440 min
Film SchoolWhat Is Writer's Block? (Cutting Room Floor #143)Does writer's block even exist? Some writers--a lot of writers--will tell you that it doesn't. And yet, we have a TERM for it, so sure it must be something. What is it then? Josh and Ira break down their experience with the phenomenon of staring at the empty page and struggling with something to write. PLUS...Josh recommends one of his comfort shows King of the Hill, and Ira recommends The Dropout on Hulu along with Master Chef for the second week in a row (...because Josh asked about it :)
2022-05-2634 min
Film SchoolHow to Create and Keep a Schedule (Cutting Room Floor #139)What makes a good schedule? Obviously, it's one where we're as productive as we want to be . . . but what about sustainability? What about when life throws its inevitable curveballs? How do we build ourselves a schedule that fits US? Josh and Ira share what works for them? Plus some quick check-ins on the very busy personal lives, AND some great recommendations on what we've been watching: Josh recs the action sci-fi classics Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and Ira recommends Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal.
2022-04-2834 min
Film SchoolTips To Hook Your Audience (Cutting Room Floor #125)How do you grab your audience? And then once you've got their attention, how do you KEEP it? Josh and Ira discuss how they keep in mind their audience's attention-span, and the tools, tips, and tricks they use to make sure they're along for the entire ride. Also, Josh recommends The Toys That Made Us on Netflix, and Ira recommends Ted Lasso on AppleTV+, and Star Trek: Lower Decks on Paramount+.
2021-09-3032 min
Film SchoolHow to Beat Resistance at its Worst (Cutting Room Floor #121)When resistance is CHOKING you . . . how do you deal with that? When you're absolutely paralyzed, stuck, adrift without hope, what worked? How did you pull yourself out of it? And if you're in that place right now with no answers to those questions, have no fear. Josh and Ira have been in the same place, and managed to turn it around. They share takeaways from their own experience. Also, Josh recommends Nicholas Winding Refn's Pusher trilogy, and Ira recommends Edge of Tomorrow.
2021-09-0241 min
Film SchoolWhat Movie Scenes Live Rent-Free in Your Head? (Cutting Room Floor #120)What's a scene that got under your skin? You can't stop thinking about it, you'll always remember it, it will stick with you for the rest of your life? Josh and Ira share some top movie moments this week. Also, Josh recommends The Movies That Made Us on Netflix, and Ira recommends The Olympics, which are now done, but happen every two years!
2021-08-2633 min
Film SchoolHow Do You Learn Best? (Cutting Room Floor #118)We all learn differently. Visually. Auditory. Verbal. Social. How do you learn best? Do you know? Turns out, Ira didn't even realize how he learned best until this episode, so it's a super valuable question to ask! Also, Josh recommends True Detective and Ira recommends (specifically for Josh, but you're welcome to go along for the ride:) Forgetting Sarah Marshall and (a very early) Danny Boyle's A Life Less Ordinary.
2021-08-1238 min
Film SchoolThe Trap of 'Just Write The Bad Version' (Cutting Room Floor #110)“Just write the bad version! Get it out of your head, then it’s real and you can actually start to fix it. A ‘vomit draft.’ It doesn’t matter if it’s good or bad, just WRITE IT.” It’s good advice. …Usually. But not always. Sometimes, the advice to just write and turn off the “is this good or bad” filter can actually be a TRAP. Josh and Ira talk about their own personal experience with it! Also, Josh recommends Midsommar, and Ira recommends Tales From The Loop, which is on Prime.
2021-06-1752 min
Film SchoolWhere Does Your Confidence Come From? (Cutting Room Floor #105)When do you feel most confident? Where does that confidence come from? Are there things you can think of that make you FEEL confident? What about when your confidence leaves you--what sent it away? So much of being an artist is finding confidence within ourselves, both to complete the act of creating, and to share that work with others. So...how do we find that kind of confidence? Josh and Ira discuss what works and doesn't work for them! Also, Josh recommends Lost in Translation, and Ira recommends Soldier.
2021-05-1328 min
Film SchoolHow to Outline (Cutting Room Floor #104)So, you have an idea for a story. How do you take that idea and actually write a book from it, or make a movie? One tried and true way is to write an outline! But, how do you make one? Where do we start? Luckily, both Josh and Ira have a decent amount of experience doing just this. In this episode, we talk about how to create an outline. Also, Josh recommends Bronson and My Life Directed by Nicholas Winding Refn, and Ira recommends Into the Storm on HBO Max.
2021-05-0658 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"The Pirates of Orion"That episode when you learn that "Orion" is pronounced like "Oreo" with an "n" on the end! Who knew?! Ira tries to convince Josh to watch The Room, we decide that the new word for "cool" is "coke," and we take a quick tour of the dope stories from childhood including Masters of the Universe and Lion King.
2020-09-0729 min
Film SchoolKeys to Consistency (Cutting Room Floor #070)Consistency is key. Spock would accept that as an axiom. So, if that’s a truth we all agree upon, the question naturally becomes: HOW? How do we do something with consistency? Josh and Ira discuss what consistency means to them, and how they’ve found it in their own lives.
2020-08-2748 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"The Slaver Weapon"Larry Niven meets Trek! The Enterprise crew must deal with the fearsome Kzinti and the powerful Slavers, Josh and Ira decide what our favorite Trek characters want for Christmas, and they share the own greatest holiday gifts they've ever received.
2020-08-1739 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"The Time Trap"Forget ion trails; just follow the trail of sandwiches. Ira hits a personal milestone this episode, we cast a new ensign on the ship that doesn't know how to handle Kirk's crazy commands, and the boys decide their version of the Enterprise would have eject buttons all over the ship for easy garbage disposal.
2020-08-0327 min
Film SchoolThe Most Important Lesson (Cutting Room Floor #063)What is the biggest lesson you can think of that you had to learn, and once you did, had a positive affect on you? Life is replete with lessons if we're paying attention. Ira and Josh share a couple of theirs: sometimes the problem with the writing isn't the writing, and we don't have to suffer in order to be happy. We dig deep!
2020-07-0922 min
Film SchoolWhere Are You Most-Improved? (Cutting Room Floor #061)We spend A LOT of time on this podcast talking about what, where and how we can improve ourselves as artists and people. But, where have we ALREADY improved? Identifying and celebrating breakthroughs must certainly be as important as seeking new ones, yes? This week, Josh and Ira share some things they feel like they've figured out and are doing well.
2020-06-2534 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"The Survivor"A shifting squid-man is loose on the Enterprise, we lament how often we're stuck on the ship in the show thus far, Josh realizes he's digging Arex, and Josh and Ira cast the Animated Series crew as superheroes with superpowers and a group catch-phrase.
2020-06-2227 min
Film SchoolDo Less More Often (Cutting Room Floor #060)This is a tidbit Ira picked up from a business coach by the name of Dallas Travers, and it's all about beating burnout and staying productive long and consistently enough to actually getting those big, scary, impossible-feeling projects done. Do less! Just do it more often. It's certainly easier said than done, but it's a game-changer. Plus, Josh shares his own very important keys to consistent productivity: be a person first, and always check in with the joy/inspiration.
2020-06-1837 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"Yesteryear"We're going back in time! The Guardian of forever makes another appearance, this time with insight and adventure in Spock's past. Josh and Ira engage in an epic rap battle, we talk about the close bond between pets and children, and marvel at just how freaking GREAT this episode is.
2020-05-2536 min
Film SchoolThe Power of Starting Small (Cutting Room Floor #056)Start small. Laughably small. Then build incrementally. So incrementally that you don’t even notice the day-to-day increase. It’s a tried and true formula for success. It shortcuts the mind and the body’s resistance. These are recent practices that Ira has found to be very effective in several areas of his life. But, what else out there works? Josh talks about finding the Joy, another hack for beating resistance. What works for you? How have you started something that really succeeded and went well?
2020-05-2141 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"Beyond The Farthest Star"Star Trek goes ANIMATED!!! Ya boyz are back ready to take on 1974's animated Trek series. Everyone is yoked except for Bones, Ira shares just how deep deepdeep his nerd-dom went during his teenage years, and it's the birth of the 5-Scotty Rating System!
2020-05-1831 min
Film SchoolHow Do You Want To Be Remembered (Cutting Room Floor #048)We’re all gonna kick the bucket some day . . . what do we want to leave behind? What do we want to be our legacy? What we will be known for? Josh and Ira tackle this deep cut today in a very personal episode. How do YOU want to be remembered?
2020-03-2620 min
Film SchoolHandling A Crisis (Cutting Room Floor #049)The entire world is grappling with the novel corona virus COVID-19 right now; a truly global crisis that none of us have any control over, particularly at the individual level. So . . . when presented with situations like these where major life-shifting events are taking place that we have no power to stop or control . . . how do we handle the stress, fear and anxiety that come along with that? How do we remain productive, or function? Josh and Ira talk about their own personal coping strategies this week on the cutting room floor!
2020-03-1934 min
Film SchoolThe AFI's Top 100-51: Behind the Numbers (Cutting Room Floor #047)We're HALFWAY THROUGH the list!!! Crazy. It's flown by. This week, we do a deep dive into how we've rated the movies on this list thus far: how have the top 50 films fared? How do Josh and Ira differ from each other? What are our biases based on decades of movie-making? And what are the LIST'S biases? It's all a fascinating peak behind this list and our reactions to it thus far. Enjoy!
2020-03-1225 min
Film SchoolBoundaries in Writing and Life (Cutting Room Floor #044)Boundaries; the line between me and them, and I get to draw it wherever I want. But...where do I draw it? Who and what do I need to keep separation from? And how do I keep that separation when the line is inevitably tested or crossed? These are all questions that are crucial to a healthy balance in life and in writing. Boundaries are an indispensable part of creativity, and they take many, many forms. Josh and Ira explore what those are this week! The "Sometimes it just takes awhile to click" Cutting Room Floor Ira...
2020-02-2030 min
Film SchoolHow To Have A Great Writing Day (Cutting Room Floor #043)You’re exhausted, but exhilarated. The words are done, they’re on the page, and they were perfect. Inspired. A breakthrough! We’ve all had that writing day. They’re magic. We’ve also all had the opposite: you’re exhausted, frustrated, nothing good came out, and you’re worrying ‘I’m never going to crack this open.’ So…how do we get more of the great days, and less of the terrible? Josh and Ira talk about what’s working for them!
2020-02-1337 min
Film SchoolHow close do you get to your characters? (Cutting Room Floor #042)How close is too close? How far is too far? Just how close / invested / inside our characters should we go when we're writing their story? As with most things, it's all about a balance? Josh and Ira share how they find that balance in their own writing, what has worked for them, and what hasn't.
2020-02-0624 min
Film SchoolMovie Theatre Snacks: What's Your Go-To? (Cutting Room Floor #041)Twizzlers or Red Vines? Reese's Pieces or Milk Duds? Coke or Slushie? Butter on that Popcorn? We all have our favorite movie theater snacks, so what are yours? Josh and Ira shared theirs, plus some of the wonderful memories that talking about all that junk food prompts, days gone by when there was more time to just pop into the movie theater and leave the real world for a while. We get nostalgic and delicious this week on the Cutting Room Floor.
2020-01-3015 min
Film SchoolThe 5 Commandments of Storytelling (Cutting Room Floor #039)Every story that works has 5 fundamental building blocks: Inciting Incident, Progressive Complications, Crisis, Climax, and Resolution. This week, Josh and Ira dive into the definition of each of those terms, and how they apply to the stories we love and create. For more reading on this very topic, straight from the source, check out Shawn Coyne's brilliant work over at storygrid.com
2020-01-1632 min
Film School2020 Resolutions, Goals, and Intentions (Cutting Room Floor #038)Happy New Year! So...are you a resolutions kind of person? If not, do you set any kind of intentions or goals around this time of year? And if you are, welcome to the club! Josh and Ira share what they're looking forward to and planning in 2020. We're living in the future!
2020-01-0935 min
Film School2019 Year In Review (Cutting Room Floor #037)We blinked and 2019 is coming to a close. Josh and Ira reflect on a year of movies. For all its flaws, the AFI’s Top 100 list has DELIVERED, and ya boys discuss the highs, the lows, the takeaways, and the laughter. It’s been a transformative experience already. If you haven’t listened to the back-catalogue yet, this is your perfect guide! Also, check out our BONUS extended conversation on our personal reflections on the year over at our Patreon for FREE; anyone can listen. Check it out here.
2019-12-1232 min
Film SchoolWhere Do Stories Come From? (Cutting Room Floor #035)One the most common questions storytellers get asked is 'where do your ideas come from?' And while that's a deeply personal and probably unanswerable question in any objective or concrete sense...Josh and Ira dive into how and where it happens for them. In the process, they discover it's a question worth asking and answering.
2019-11-2821 min
Film SchoolThe Joy is the Thing (Cutting Room Floor #033)We draw from Rachael Aaron's "2,000 to 10,000" this week, a book that's ostensibly on increasing productivity. For Ira, however, it cut much deeper recently, and it turns out that one of the central tenants in Aaron's book is kind of THE thing: Joy. Excitement. Inspiration. Whatever you want to call it; it's the key to everything. Buckle up: epiphanies are ahead!
2019-11-1423 min
Film SchoolHow To Quit (Cutting Room Floor #032)You'll only fail if you quit. We've all heard that advice. And oftentimes, that's good advice. But...what if quitting was not only okay, but absolutely crucial to success. Knowing when and what to quit is one of the most important things to learn in life. This is a big topic, certainly not one that can be covered in a single episode, but Ira recently went through an experience that taught him a lot about the UPSIDE to quitting, and Josh asks him to talk about it.
2019-11-0723 min
Film SchoolWhat Does 'Show Don't Tell' Really Mean?You've probably heard of the storytelling advice 'show, don't tell.' It's one of the most important things to keep in mind when telling a story. But, what does that REALLY mean? And WHY do we need to do it? Josh and Ira dive into that this week, including a very unique perspective on this common axiom that comes from their background as actors. We got you covered. Enjoy!
2019-10-3124 min
Film SchoolIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal SkullCan you ever go home again? Spielberg, Ford and Lucas were game to try 20 years after making the last Indiana Jones film, which also wraps up our brief vacation from the AFI Top 100. The band was back together, but could the music ever be the same? That became the question at the heart of this film for Josh and Ira, and the analysis over how they fared, what worked at what didn't, was fascinating indeed. We get critical and existential, this week on Film School.
2019-10-281h 01
Film SchoolHow Do You Handle Feedback? (Cutting Room Floor #028)Just don't panic cry, Josh. That's what our dear McClenney tells himself over and over whenever he receives feedback...and it's no different for Ira. Feedback is hard. It's haaaarrrrddddd. Our creative work is so personal to us, we work on it so hard, and for someone to tell us that it's not perfectly perfect feels...well, PERSONAL. But listening to and applying feedback is THE THING that separates the masters from the amateurs. So, how do we reconcile that? Ya boys tackle it this week. It's a big one!
2019-10-1022 min
Film SchoolThe Gap Between Taste And Skill According To Ira Glass (Cutting Room Floor #025)Ira Glass has a very famous sound snippet about a fundamental aspect of becoming really good at something that no one ever tells you when you're starting out: that your taste, for a long time, is going to far exceed your ability. That gap can be crushing, because we know that our work isn't good. This week, we talk about that gap, what it feels like, and how we can CLOSE it. Watch the original video sound byte here: https://youtu.be/91FQKciKfHI
2019-09-1923 min
Film SchoolDon't Sleep On Outside Validation (Cutting Room Floor #024)Self esteem comes from within. We're always hardest on ourselves. We all know this...but outside validation is absolutely crucial to even the hardiest of souls. We all need loving, supportive, positive people in our lives. All of us. This week, Josh and Ira talk about how validation helps them, and who provides that support. Who validates you? Who doesn't? And what effect do those people have on you and your creativity?
2019-09-1221 min
Film SchoolHow Can Meditation Help My Writing? (Cutting Room Floor #023)Ira's recently had a breakthrough with his writing process, and meditation is smack dab in the middle of it. Josh wants to know how. This week, we talk about when to meditate, how it's different than just zoning out or taking a nap, and how it can impact creativity in powerful, positive ways.
2019-09-0533 min
Film SchoolNumbers, Updates, and Changes? (Cutting Room Floor #022)Ira digs into the numbers behind the ratings we've given the first quarter of AFI's Top 100 films and what they might mean about us, both the boys give updates on what they've been working on for the past month or so, and they consider the question of whether or not they're putting too much content behind the pay wall of Patreon for these early days of building the podcast. It's a packed full episode this week! Enjoy!
2019-08-2931 min
Film SchoolHas the AFI's Top 100 Improved Your Storytelling? (Cutting Room Floor #021)Josh asks Ira if watching the AFI's Top 100 movies has improved his storytelling yet, and Ira asks him the same question right back. In a nutshell: yes. For both of them. But how?
2019-08-2218 min
Film SchoolHow Do I Start A Writing Routine? (Cutting Room Floor #020)Ira recently realized he didn't have a writing routine, a habit of working on his WIPs every day. So, how can he start one? And how can he KEEP one? Both of the boys talk habit forming and share their daily routines in general and discuss how both of those things can be leveraged to create a writing routine. This week on the cutting room floor!
2019-08-1538 min
Film SchoolHow Do We Balance Creativity and the Day Job? (Cutting Room Floor #019)We all have bills to pay. But how do we work full time week in and week out and still get our creative work done as well? What KIND of job allows us to do both and not get burned out? Josh and Ira have been in this situation for most of their adult lives, and we dive into some of what we've learned over these past 15 years or so. This week, on the Cutting Room Floor.
2019-08-0826 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan PodcastSTLV 2019 Day 4: "I'm Gonna Need A Vacation From This Vacation"Josh and Ira get more autographs, find new (even more!) respect for LeVar Burton and James Darren, and hit Klingon Karaoke, the FanSets Party and STILL manage to finally get to bed at a decent time! What a day!
2019-08-0237 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan PodcastSTLV 2019 Day 3: "I Want To Be On Star Trek"Today was the day that the nightlife got really, really real. From the windows to the walls! Dominic/Malcolm from Enterprise makes a surprising impression on Josh, we consider how many buttons its okay to un-button on a shirt, and inspired by the Picard Exhibit, Josh asks Ira if he might be THE captain of our current time, if he's the leader we need. And...the nightlife. Holy Jesus, the nightlife.
2019-08-0136 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan PodcastSTLV 2019 Day 2: "Can You Say 'Worf' In The Martok Voice?"Josh and Martok become best friends, realizes Malcolm Reed might be his nemesis, and then the nightlife gets REAL. Josh and Ira hit the floor for Day 2 of the Star Trek Las Vegas convention!
2019-07-3152 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan PodcastSTLV 2019 Day 1: "The Windy Apple"Josh and Ira have arrived in Las Vegas for the 2019 annual Star Trek Convention. They hit the floor to register, Josh buys a t-shirt, and they hang out at the Masquerade Bar to see old friends and make some new ones. Good lord, what a first day.
2019-07-3026 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan PodcastSTLV 2019 Day 0: "Do I Bring A Swimsuit?"Josh and Ira are heading to Star Trek Las Vegas tomorrow morning. Josh has never been. He wants to know what to bring.
2019-07-2928 min
Film SchoolHow To Finish! (Cutting Room Floor #015)How many times have you started something and not finished? How many times do we ALL just jump out the gate on something creative and we have all that wonderful energy and enthusiasm, and then in what feels like the blink of an eye...it's been weeks, months or years and we haven't touched it? You're not alone. We've all been there. But, we don't have to be. Josh and Ira ponder whether there's a better way; the difference between not finishing...and crossing that blessed finish line. This week on the Cutting...
2019-07-1121 min
Film SchoolTitanic (AFI Top 100 Films #83)I'm the King of the World! This week, we dive into James Cameron's epic-in-the-classic-movie-sense love story. It made both Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet a star, and it features one of the most spectacular disaster sequences ever put to film. But does the spectacle hold up? Is the love story an eye-rolling tear-jerker for teenage girls? DID JOSH AND IRA CRY??? Find out, this week on Film School...
2019-06-031h 23
Film SchoolWhat is an Action Story? (Cutting Room Floor #009)Josh and Ira take a deep dive into the Action Story Genre. What makes an Action Story? And how similar is it to the Hero's Journey...or perhaps even the SAME THING? We go deep, this week on the Cutting Room Floor!
2019-05-3058 min
Film SchoolWhat Is Genre? (Cutting Room Floor #008)Genre. It's the absolute #1 MOST IMPORTANT THING you can ever decide for your story. It informs eevveerrryyyything else. So...what IS genre, then? And WHY is it the most important thing for storytelling? Josh and Ira go over the 5-leaf clover of Genre today on the Cutting Room Floor.Here's a link to the Story Grid website article talking about Genre's Five Leaf Clover: https://storygrid.com/genrefiveleafclover/
2019-05-2332 min
Film SchoolInspiration: Where does it come from, and how to keep it? (Cutting Room Floor #007)This week, Josh and Ira discuss the tools and techniques they use to find new ideas, and how they keep their inspiration going during the day-to-day grind. Where do you get your best ideas?!
2019-05-1628 min
Film SchoolComparisonitis and Balancing Ambition vs Contentment (Cutting Room Floor #006)How can that person have done that thing we can't do? And, at such an early age?! We've all been there. Comparing ourselves to others can be so toxic...but then again, how can we improve ourselves without learning from others' success and failures? It's the same with pushing ourselves to be better...but also being content with the life we have. How do we find the balance between those two truths? Josh and Ira discuss this week on the Cutting Room Floor!
2019-05-0929 min
Film SchoolWill Time Travel Ever Exist? (Cutting Room Floor #004)If time travel is to ever be invented, at least the time travel we imagine in our stories...would we know about it? Ira shares an epiphany he had on the subject, and Josh talks about how he's always had Deja Vu, ever since he was a kid. We're glitching in the Matrix over here on the Cutting Room Floor. Come join us.
2019-04-2222 min
Film SchoolHow Blogging Every Day Changed My Life (Cutting Room Floor #003)Journaling, blogging, a diary; however you want to classify it, both Josh and Ira have found sitting down at the end of every day and taking a few minutes to write down their thoughts and feelings for the day. Is it for you? It might be! The boys break it down so you can give it a noodle.
2019-04-0144 min
Film SchoolWhat "Write Every Day" Really Means (Cutting Room Floor #002)“Write every day!” We’ve all heard the advice. How many of us have tried it and failed? How many of us are feeling shame RIGHT NOW because we have (or are currently) neglected the project we're working on? Ira and Josh have. But, dear colleagues, ya boys have learned something about that advice and shame that nobody actually tells you, and it just might be the key to true, sustainable consistency…
2019-03-0421 min
Film SchoolBlade Runner (AFI Top 100 Films #97)He's seen things us people wouldn't believe! Josh and Ira dive into one of the most influential SciFi films of all time and, amazingly enough, the first movie both of the boys have seen before. We've got opinions, oohhhh we've got opinions. Join us!
2019-01-281h 15
Film SchoolYankee Doodle Dandy (AFI Top 100 Films #98)Music is in the air! Vaudeville! Romance! Franklin Delano Roosevelt! It's the 1942 classic Yankee Doodle Dandy this time around, a movie neither Josh nor Ira had ever even HEARD of...so what put this movie on the map? Why is it on the list. Listen and find out :)
2019-01-211h 14
Film SchoolToy Story (AFI Top 100 Films #99)To Infinity, and beyond! Join Josh on his own personal journey to figure out if he's ever actually SEEN this movie, and Ira's dive into the Dark Night of the Soul. It's Toy Story time!
2019-01-141h 32
Film SchoolBen-Hur (AFI Top 100 Films #100)Chariots, Revenge and Jesus, oh my! Josh and Ira kick off Film School with the first movie on AFI's Top 100 Films of all time with the sword and sandal epic Ben-Hur. Let's get this journey through cinema history started!
2019-01-071h 33
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"All Our Yesterdays"We’re going back in time! Kirk, Spock, and Bones visit the coolest library ever, Josh and Ira talk “penultimate” and Game of Thrones, and we figure out that Pixar loved this episode as much as we did.
2018-04-2236 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"The Cloud Minders"We spend time up in the clouds for this episode, Ira has Josh cast the OG crew as other fictional characters, and the boys lament the lack of season 3 dungeons.
2018-04-2027 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"That Which Survives"Kirk just can’t fall in love with a line, Ira fondly remembers watching the SNL “Best of” videos back in the day, and Bones can’t stop talking about cells getting “blasted.”
2018-04-1625 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"This episode is *definitely* about race, that much certain. It’s also about Ira directing Josh to the bathroom on the Enterprise-D, Josh fantasized about decking Chakotay on the bridge, and we watch some really oily, sweaty face make-up.
2018-04-1432 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"The Empath"Kirk finds himself a mint-condition Ozaba in his retro strawberry mento uniform, Spock can’t be contained by emotional force-fields, and Josh & Ira consider the inevitable point in human history where candybars are removed from society.
2018-04-1130 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"Wink of an Eye"Kirk gets sped up really, really fast, Josh reminds everyone “you have no idea who you are,” and Ira tries to find the sweet spot in the car-boat of life.
2018-04-1026 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"Day of the Dove"Engineering is the most dangerous room on the Enterprise; you heard it hear first! Ira shares his childhood dream home with a life-sized replica of the bridge, Josh casts the crew as band members, and we all learn how to be friends with the Klingons.
2018-04-0634 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"Spectre of the Gun"We make a visit to the O.K. Corale (it’s ok, it’s not AMAZING, it’s just “okay”), Ira makes Josh sing yet another on-the-spot song, and the guys lament missed opportunities while being rather swept away by some fun visuals.
2018-04-0534 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"Is There In Truth No Beauty?"The Enterprise takes aboard a passenger who will drive you crazy if you look at them, Ira deep-dives the phrase “irons in the fire,” and the guys talk directly to Bro Bronson about workplace harassment.
2018-04-0430 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"And the Children Shall Lead"Ah, yes, the episode where we meet annoying 60s Ira and a creepy Marlon Brando ghost, Al Pacino sings “I’ve got the whole world in my hands,” and Ira gets emotional talking about how important Star Trek’s optimism is.
2018-04-0337 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"The Enterprise Incident"Spock works some sexy with Cheyenne, the sultry Romulan commander, Josh and Ira debate if first really is the worst, second is the best, and whether third is the hairiest chest or the tweety bird.
2018-04-0134 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"Return to Tomorrow"Hey! We meet an actress whose a big character in a later show, we have some shenanigans with some weird glowy orbs and a dude named Sargon, and Ira sells Josh on reading the book “Old Man’s War.”
2017-05-2938 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"A Private Little War"Ira and Josh realize they’ve made friends with the crew of the Enterprise, Kirk beams down some muskets to a bunch of locals, and we learn that you shouldn’t wear Mugatu in the summer.
2017-05-2944 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"The Immunity Syndrome"Josh imagines a Star Trek greeting card with a dangerous Vulcan bear on the bridge of the Enterprise, Ira likes when Spock goes into the “Dark Zone,” and we wonder when Bones and Spock are finally going to throw down.
2017-05-2934 min
Two Guys One Trek - A Star Trek Fan Podcast"Miri"Ira and Josh debate the worthiness of the JJ-verse, Kirk demands “No blah blah blah!,” and Ensign McClenney and Heinichen realize there’s NO ONE LEFT UP ON THE SHIP.
2016-06-2443 min