Screenwriting with Ross Hartmann, Writer and Creative Director of Kiingo

10/12/20 • 55 min

The Mechanics of Storytelling

ORIGIN STORY: How Ross got into storytelling, screenwriting, etc. (3:50)
Combining TECH AND STORYTELLING: How writers can use tech to enable better writing or overcoming writer’s block (5:35)
How to make a story interesting (drama) and meaningful (theme)? (12:30)
What makes a great story? (13:50)
Using “dramatic questions” — or questions that make the audience want to know what the answer is— to retain audience interest and to push forward a story (18:30)
Importance of theme (24:00)
Is exploration of moral questions necessary for a great story? (31:20)
What is your process of getting your ideas to paper — how you actually start writing the script itself?(43:10)
Snowflake method of writing (46:00)
Ross, what is the meaning of life?! (51:30)

Preorder Ross's upcoming book "The Structure of Story" here: https://kiingo.co/preorder

More about Kiingo here: https://kiingo.com/

Connect with Kiingo on Instagram here: instagram.com/kiingocreative/

Connect with Ross on Instagram: instagram.com/ross_hartmann

ORIGIN STORY: How Ross got into storytelling, screenwriting, etc. (3:50)
Combining TECH AND STORYTELLING: How writers can use tech to enable better writing or overcoming writer’s block (5:35)
How to make a story interesting (drama) and meaningful (theme)? (12:30)
What makes a great story? (13:50)
Using “dramatic questions” — or questions that make the audience want to know what the answer is— to retain audience interest and to push forward a story (18:30)
Importance of theme (24:00)
Is exploration of moral questions necessary for a great story? (31:20)
What is your process of getting your ideas to paper — how you actually start writing the script itself?(43:10)
Snowflake method of writing (46:00)
Ross, what is the meaning of life?! (51:30)

Preorder Ross's upcoming book "The Structure of Story" here: https://kiingo.co/preorder

More about Kiingo here: https://kiingo.com/

Connect with Kiingo on Instagram here: instagram.com/kiingocreative/

Connect with Ross on Instagram: instagram.com/ross_hartmann

Previous Episode

Improv Comedy with Donald Chang, Producer of UCB's "Asian AF" Show in NYC

How Donald got into improvisational (“improv”) comedy and acting (1:15)
Improv as a way to break out of his shell (4:00)
How you become the producer for the Asian AF show at Upright Citizens Brigade New York? (7:25)
Do you improv differently when your audience is mostly Asian? (11:45)
Basic technique to improv comedy (14:20)
As an improv actor/partner, what are you trying to achieve in each improv skit? (20:15)
How you know when the skit is over/ending! (20:50)
What goes through Donald’s mind as he performs improv (23:35)
Even in improv, audiences want to see interesting relationships between people (25:00)
Being afraid of being yourself and improv as a way for repressed adults to return to a place of childhood playfulness (26:30)
What NOT to do when doing improv(29:00)
How improv will help you in your life (33:40)
Doing improv in a way where you’re not worrying about saying the wrong (even if morally wrong) thing (34:11)
Why do you think there’s suffering in the world? (36:45)

Connect with Donald Chang's Instagram at http://instagram.com/donaldkchang

Learn more about UCB's Asian AF show (and about upcoming performances) at https://www.asianafshow.com/

Next Episode

Creating Rotten Tomatoes with Patrick Lee, Founding CEO

ORIGIN STORY: How Patrick and his college friends started Rotten Tomatoes (0:30)
When creating a start-up company, how do you deal with discouragement at the onset--or even before you get started? (5:19)
Patrick’s experience as Executive Producer of a film (16:30)
As an Asian American in a very white space (i.e. Hollywood) did you encounter any racism in Hollywood and in your professional experience with Rotten Tomatoes? (20:50)
Experience transitioning from computer science/engineering to the world of business and movies (26:40)
What do you think is the meaning of life? (28:55)
Life legacy (32:20)

To connect with our podcast, check out our Instagram: http://instagram.com/mostpodcast

This is the final episode of Season 2. Thank you for supporting our podcast! We aren't sure when Season 3 will be coming out, but if/when it does, we hope to see you then. Please take care during these tentative times. And if you're able to, please VOTE!