1 00:00:02,750 --> 00:00:04,430 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios. 2 00:00:04,890 --> 00:00:05,590 Speaker 2: Podcasts. 3 00:00:05,910 --> 00:00:06,430 Speaker 1: Radio. 4 00:00:06,850 --> 00:00:07,230 Speaker 3: News. 5 00:00:18,710 --> 00:00:21,530 Speaker 4: Hello, and welcome to another episode of the OddLots Podcast. 6 00:00:21,730 --> 00:00:22,590 Speaker 4: I'm Traci Alloway. 7 00:00:22,810 --> 00:00:26,670 Speaker 5: And I'm Joe Wiesenthal, and we're here live at the 8 00:00:26,910 --> 00:00:28,410 Speaker 5: Vermont Theater in Hollywood. 9 00:00:28,690 --> 00:00:32,070 Speaker 4: It's our first ever live show in Los Angeles, and 10 00:00:32,110 --> 00:00:35,210 Speaker 4: we have an incredible lineup. So first up, we're going 11 00:00:35,229 --> 00:00:38,410 Speaker 4: to be speaking with Hayes Davenport. He was a writer 12 00:00:38,490 --> 00:00:42,170 Speaker 4: for shows like Eastbound and Down and Family Guy. He 13 00:00:42,260 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 4: is now the creative director of LA Material and co-host 14 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 4: of the podcast Hollywood Handbook. And we're going to talk 15 00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:52,180 Speaker 4: about the business of writing for Hollywood. 16 00:00:52,260 --> 00:00:54,580 Speaker 5: And we're going to talk about the state of Hollywood 17 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 5: and whether Hollywood exists in some form that we know 18 00:00:57,680 --> 00:00:59,340 Speaker 5: it and whether it will continue to exist. 19 00:00:59,380 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: So take a watch, take a listen and enjoy. 20 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 2: Hayes, thank you so much for being here. 21 00:01:04,140 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 4: Hi, guys. 22 00:01:04,319 --> 00:01:06,260 Speaker 3: Thank you so much for having me. Welcome to L.A. 23 00:01:06,260 --> 00:01:06,860 Speaker 3: Thank you. 24 00:01:07,100 --> 00:01:07,940 Speaker 2: Thank you. 25 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:11,400 Speaker 4: I feel kind of intimidated to be talking to a 26 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:13,700 Speaker 4: fellow podcast professional. 27 00:01:13,940 --> 00:01:15,119 Speaker 2: I feel like there's more pressure. 28 00:01:15,940 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 3: You're in a city of podcast professionals. You're in the 29 00:01:18,770 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 3: right place. 30 00:01:19,220 --> 00:01:21,550 Speaker 1: There's a podcast lawyer in the audience. Oh, yeah. 31 00:01:21,690 --> 00:01:22,809 Speaker 3: I know who you're talking to. 32 00:01:22,850 --> 00:01:24,509 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's right. 33 00:01:24,569 --> 00:01:25,669 Speaker 3: We all know each other. 34 00:01:25,730 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 5: Tracy was telling me before the show. Her favorite ever 35 00:01:29,380 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 5: season of TV was Family Guy season 13. 36 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:33,679 Speaker 3: Family Guy season 13. It is the best one. It's 37 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:35,420 Speaker 3: the one that I worked on. I don't know if 38 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:35,940 Speaker 3: that's related. 39 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:36,979 Speaker 1: That's just a total coincidence. 40 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:37,260 Speaker 4: Yes. 41 00:01:37,500 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 2: Total coincidence. 42 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 3: Wait, okay. 43 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:43,780 Speaker 2: So first question, is Hollywood just screwed at the moment? 44 00:01:43,810 --> 00:01:46,470 Speaker 4: No, like honestly, you hear about, you know, the stats 45 00:01:46,530 --> 00:01:51,270 Speaker 4: about writers not earning as much income, fewer shoots and 46 00:01:51,310 --> 00:01:54,030 Speaker 4: production actually taking place in LA, the threat of AI. 47 00:01:54,390 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 2: Is everyone cooked? I. 48 00:01:57,390 --> 00:01:59,170 Speaker 3: if you want to do the numbers, I can talk 49 00:01:59,190 --> 00:02:01,570 Speaker 3: about like shoot days in LA. The numbers that we 50 00:02:01,630 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 3: look at are, are, are shoot days. Like that's the metric. 51 00:02:04,860 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 3: And that's for reality, for commercials, that's for everything, right? 52 00:02:08,139 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 3: Shoot days in LA, uh, hit a high in 2016, 53 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 3: about 40,000 shoot days. And from there it sort of 54 00:02:16,300 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 3: leveled out to around 37,000 by 2019. Okay. Pandemic hits 55 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,430 Speaker 3: the shoot days collapse, obviously. There's a backlog. And then 56 00:02:26,450 --> 00:02:30,429 Speaker 3: in 2021, they sort of skyrocket again. 2022, we're back 57 00:02:30,470 --> 00:02:35,370 Speaker 3: to 2019 numbers, around 37,000. The next year, 2023, the 58 00:02:35,510 --> 00:02:41,049 Speaker 3: strikes hit. Shoot days fall again to 25,000. The next year, 59 00:02:41,090 --> 00:02:44,130 Speaker 3: people are sort of hoping for a recovery. They end 60 00:02:44,660 --> 00:02:47,540 Speaker 3: up at 23,000. Shoot days fall again. The mantra I 61 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:49,000 Speaker 3: think a lot of people heard in the city was 62 00:02:49,020 --> 00:02:52,260 Speaker 3: survive till 25. That was like a phrase in the 63 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 3: entertainment industry here. And instead, shoot days fell again to 64 00:02:57,139 --> 00:03:01,490 Speaker 3: under 20,000. So that is half of what it was 65 00:03:01,570 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 3: in 2016. Maybe. Maybe. 66 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:06,820 Speaker 4: Yeah. 67 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,620 Speaker 5: Actually, we'll talk about the impact of COVID and the strike, 68 00:03:10,660 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 5: and I guess we're unfortunately going to have to talk 69 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 5: about AI. Is there a theory for the 2016 to 70 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:22,760 Speaker 5: 2019 decline? If we started there, is there a conventional 71 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:24,820 Speaker 5: wisdom about what happened in those three years? 72 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:29,139 Speaker 3: I think you saw it. An increase, obviously, in the 73 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,399 Speaker 3: streaming economy. There were more shows on Netflix and Amazon. 74 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 3: Entire new networks being built. I remember when House of 75 00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:38,380 Speaker 3: Cards started when I was first a writer and we 76 00:03:38,500 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 3: called it a web series. We didn't really know what 77 00:03:40,660 --> 00:03:45,740 Speaker 3: it was. And at the same time, a decline in 78 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,060 Speaker 3: the number of network productions and cable. Cable was shrinking 79 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 3: around the same time. So that's how you get to like. 80 00:03:52,060 --> 00:03:55,690 Speaker 3: like a leveling out between 40,000 and 37,000. My first 81 00:03:56,050 --> 00:04:00,670 Speaker 3: couple jobs were comedy central shows. Uh, comedy central does 82 00:04:00,690 --> 00:04:04,369 Speaker 3: not really do new shows anymore. Uh, and so that 83 00:04:04,470 --> 00:04:07,740 Speaker 3: like you, you, you can see just from the options 84 00:04:07,780 --> 00:04:11,300 Speaker 3: that are sent you as a writer, uh, what is 85 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 3: growing in terms of streaming and what is sort of 86 00:04:13,660 --> 00:04:14,900 Speaker 3: falling away, which was cable. 87 00:04:15,440 --> 00:04:18,500 Speaker 4: So what happens to all the unemployed writers? Do they, 88 00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:19,900 Speaker 4: I guess they all start podcasts. 89 00:04:20,770 --> 00:04:23,490 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's that has been sort of a safe harbor 90 00:04:23,529 --> 00:04:28,190 Speaker 3: for a lot of us. Some people move like an 91 00:04:28,290 --> 00:04:31,430 Speaker 3: interesting thing happened is the the membership in the Writers 92 00:04:31,470 --> 00:04:35,789 Speaker 3: Guild grew a lot in the late 2010s. OK, because 93 00:04:35,850 --> 00:04:38,910 Speaker 3: of people moving out, because everyone who had worked on 94 00:04:38,950 --> 00:04:41,010 Speaker 3: a cable show was still a member of the Writers 95 00:04:41,050 --> 00:04:44,390 Speaker 3: Guild and many more new shows were starting that were 96 00:04:45,060 --> 00:04:48,600 Speaker 3: bringing new people into the business. and I think it 97 00:04:48,660 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 3: is a lot of the newcomers that then, as production 98 00:04:51,460 --> 00:04:54,040 Speaker 3: has been cut in half since then, that are not 99 00:04:54,100 --> 00:04:57,310 Speaker 3: seeing the same opportunities. So, I mean, I know people 100 00:04:57,330 --> 00:05:01,969 Speaker 3: who have moved home, for sure, and have taken on, 101 00:05:02,490 --> 00:05:04,430 Speaker 3: you know, I work with a news outlet now, we 102 00:05:04,470 --> 00:05:06,950 Speaker 3: did a piece about people that have taken on different 103 00:05:06,970 --> 00:05:11,950 Speaker 3: survival jobs around the city, so it varies, but yeah, 104 00:05:11,970 --> 00:05:13,990 Speaker 3: people are struggling, for sure. 105 00:05:14,270 --> 00:05:17,710 Speaker 5: I joked about it, you know, And we're going to 106 00:05:17,730 --> 00:05:20,030 Speaker 5: talk more about it later, but, you know, there's this 107 00:05:20,070 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 5: sort of the influencer creator world. 108 00:05:24,160 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 3: Yeah. 109 00:05:24,920 --> 00:05:28,800 Speaker 5: And I'm curious, like, maybe from an economic footprint. 110 00:05:28,860 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 3: Mm-hmm. 111 00:05:29,710 --> 00:05:31,750 Speaker 1: Does that ameliorate things? 112 00:05:31,950 --> 00:05:37,660 Speaker 5: Is the influencer, creator, person doing stand-up comedy and vertical video, 113 00:05:37,779 --> 00:05:42,820 Speaker 5: et cetera, does that have positive spillover effects on some level? 114 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:45,620 Speaker 3: I mean, so there's the industry here. 115 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 4: Yeah. 116 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:50,230 Speaker 3: And there's the economy. Okay. And the industry is the studios, 117 00:05:50,260 --> 00:05:55,070 Speaker 3: the networks, like the traditional Hollywood. But the influencer network 118 00:05:55,130 --> 00:05:57,850 Speaker 3: is absolutely part of the economy. 119 00:05:58,029 --> 00:05:58,589 Speaker 1: Okay. 120 00:05:58,630 --> 00:06:03,050 Speaker 3: It is... Taking money from subscribers around the world and 121 00:06:03,089 --> 00:06:06,450 Speaker 3: like putting it into the local economy. And so it's really, 122 00:06:06,670 --> 00:06:10,170 Speaker 3: really important. And I look at things like I get 123 00:06:10,230 --> 00:06:12,560 Speaker 3: jealous of places like New York because what New York 124 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,200 Speaker 3: feels to me now as a social media user is 125 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:16,660 Speaker 3: a place where you just walk down the street and 126 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 3: people ask you what you're listening to or where you 127 00:06:20,339 --> 00:06:24,950 Speaker 3: get your confidence from. Or what song is this? We 128 00:06:24,990 --> 00:06:28,430 Speaker 3: don't have that here. I've never been asked that here. 129 00:06:28,450 --> 00:06:32,490 Speaker 5: I'm actually really paranoid about being accosted by one of 130 00:06:32,550 --> 00:06:36,990 Speaker 5: those people who was like, what do you pay in rent? 131 00:06:37,070 --> 00:06:39,130 Speaker 3: Can I come home with you? Can I come see 132 00:06:39,170 --> 00:06:39,730 Speaker 3: where you live? 133 00:06:39,750 --> 00:06:41,190 Speaker 1: It seems like you have. 134 00:06:41,110 --> 00:06:41,570 Speaker 3: To say yes. 135 00:06:41,589 --> 00:06:44,010 Speaker 1: There's a lot of that. You don't have to say yes. 136 00:06:44,070 --> 00:06:46,270 Speaker 1: A lot of people do. I live in fear of 137 00:06:46,350 --> 00:06:48,430 Speaker 1: just one of those random... What if. 138 00:06:48,410 --> 00:06:51,530 Speaker 3: They showed my clip of me saying no? Yeah. 139 00:06:51,610 --> 00:06:53,750 Speaker 1: No, I know. What do you do? 140 00:06:53,750 --> 00:06:55,060 Speaker 3: I look so bad. Everyone else said yes. 141 00:06:55,070 --> 00:06:57,710 Speaker 1: We need some protocol for, like, it's like, I'm opting out. 142 00:06:57,770 --> 00:06:58,049 Speaker 3: Yeah. 143 00:06:58,230 --> 00:06:59,730 Speaker 1: The no comment. 144 00:06:59,910 --> 00:07:02,469 Speaker 3: Like, we don't have that. Like, I kind of wish 145 00:07:02,490 --> 00:07:05,900 Speaker 3: we did. But, like, honestly, it seems so... I really do. 146 00:07:05,940 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 3: It seems so stupid. But, like, it tells a story 147 00:07:08,940 --> 00:07:10,940 Speaker 3: about New York that is exporting it to the rest 148 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:13,420 Speaker 3: of the country. Interesting. Which is, like, what we have 149 00:07:13,460 --> 00:07:17,020 Speaker 3: had in L.A., we sort of had a... We had 150 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:18,100 Speaker 3: that corner for decades. 151 00:07:18,140 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: Yeah. 152 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:22,180 Speaker 3: Like, every... movie and show you'd see the venice boardwalk 153 00:07:22,260 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 3: some like a girl on rollerblades like like we were 154 00:07:25,780 --> 00:07:28,930 Speaker 3: we were exporting right yeah and we're not doing that 155 00:07:28,970 --> 00:07:31,250 Speaker 3: in the same way when it comes to social media 156 00:07:31,270 --> 00:07:33,830 Speaker 3: we are on some things people know about erwan smoothies 157 00:07:34,450 --> 00:07:39,630 Speaker 3: in central europe because of our influencer economy yeah uh 158 00:07:39,870 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 3: but it's uh we don't own it yeah the same 159 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:46,170 Speaker 3: way as we did We. 160 00:07:46,050 --> 00:07:48,790 Speaker 4: Tried to get the Erewhon CEO for this show, by 161 00:07:48,830 --> 00:07:53,260 Speaker 4: the way, and apparently they do zero media, and yet 162 00:07:53,380 --> 00:07:54,040 Speaker 4: have this incredible. 163 00:07:54,060 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: Oh, there's so many people doing media for them. 164 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 2: Oh, yeah, there we go. 165 00:07:56,740 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 3: It's part of it, yeah. 166 00:07:57,420 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 4: All right, since we're talking about, I guess, geographical comparisons, 167 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:03,140 Speaker 4: when it comes to production, can you explain, like, why 168 00:08:03,900 --> 00:08:04,500 Speaker 4: is L.A. 169 00:08:04,580 --> 00:08:05,940 Speaker 2: Actually losing out? Because I see. 170 00:08:05,850 --> 00:08:09,270 Speaker 4: Headlines like Netflix is building a $ 1 billion studio in 171 00:08:09,330 --> 00:08:13,610 Speaker 4: New Jersey, and no offense to New Jerseyans, but, you know, 172 00:08:13,630 --> 00:08:15,929 Speaker 4: we come to L.A., Seems pretty nice. 173 00:08:15,970 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 2: The weather's nice. There's palm trees. 174 00:08:17,740 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 4: I'm not sure what New Jersey has other than the 175 00:08:20,460 --> 00:08:21,100 Speaker 4: tax breaks. 176 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's a big one for sure. It's been a 177 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:28,900 Speaker 3: bit of a race to the bottom across the country. 178 00:08:29,020 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 3: And I have worked on shows. So you mentioned Eastbound 179 00:08:32,090 --> 00:08:36,130 Speaker 3: and Down. We were in North Carolina until they got 180 00:08:36,170 --> 00:08:38,829 Speaker 3: rid of their tax break there. The governor sort of 181 00:08:38,870 --> 00:08:41,090 Speaker 3: single-handedly ended it. And then we just ran across the 182 00:08:41,110 --> 00:08:46,410 Speaker 3: border to South Carolina for the last... For their next 183 00:08:46,470 --> 00:08:48,429 Speaker 3: show that they did, it was a show called Vice Principals, 184 00:08:48,510 --> 00:08:51,109 Speaker 3: the eastbound team. We shot that in South Carolina. And 185 00:08:51,150 --> 00:08:55,050 Speaker 3: they've kept doing Righteous Gemstones there. It followed the tax break. 186 00:08:55,120 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 3: Great show. I ran a show. We did a pilot 187 00:09:00,740 --> 00:09:03,180 Speaker 3: for TBS. It was in Vancouver. A lot of my 188 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:07,699 Speaker 3: friends are shooting in Vancouver now. And what is kind 189 00:09:07,720 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 3: of most surprising to me, game shows. Like, if you 190 00:09:10,860 --> 00:09:15,679 Speaker 3: see a Fox game show... Or a Fox studio comedy, 191 00:09:15,700 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 3: like a single cam or a multi-cam comedy. You're in Dublin. 192 00:09:20,900 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 3: You are watching a show that is filmed in Dublin. 193 00:09:23,620 --> 00:09:24,380 Speaker 1: Did you say Dublin? 194 00:09:24,540 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 3: Dublin, Ireland. 195 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 1: Dublin, Ireland. Interesting. 196 00:09:26,540 --> 00:09:31,970 Speaker 3: So they're flying out Rob Lowe and an American game 197 00:09:32,070 --> 00:09:35,230 Speaker 3: show contestant cast. I didn't know that. to that you 198 00:09:35,270 --> 00:09:38,010 Speaker 3: know you used to like get you'd go to universal 199 00:09:38,030 --> 00:09:39,320 Speaker 3: studios and get to just like be. 200 00:09:39,270 --> 00:09:42,580 Speaker 5: Is that a tax thing or is it just much cheaper. 201 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 3: It's a tax and labor thing yeah wow um and 202 00:09:45,540 --> 00:09:48,660 Speaker 3: and meanwhile we have tons of studio space here so 203 00:09:48,700 --> 00:09:52,250 Speaker 3: you talk about that 2016 peak yeah in shoot days 204 00:09:52,730 --> 00:09:56,890 Speaker 3: that's when a lot of studio space started to get 205 00:09:56,990 --> 00:09:59,850 Speaker 3: financed and so right down the street from here there 206 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:04,059 Speaker 3: a giant complex right on the on the santa monica 207 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 3: and the 101 that you saw starting to get built 208 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 3: around like 2019 or so that's when it got financed 209 00:10:11,540 --> 00:10:13,490 Speaker 3: there was a gigantic hole in the ground for for 210 00:10:13,590 --> 00:10:16,030 Speaker 3: a really long time and now it is done and 211 00:10:16,910 --> 00:10:21,170 Speaker 3: And the demand is not exactly what it was. And 212 00:10:21,220 --> 00:10:26,480 Speaker 3: so we're seeing issues in the studio real estate economy. 213 00:10:26,500 --> 00:10:28,320 Speaker 5: Can I ask a question that has nothing to do 214 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:30,610 Speaker 5: with the contemporary economy or nothing to do with the 215 00:10:30,650 --> 00:10:32,709 Speaker 5: downturn or anything, but just a question I've always wanted 216 00:10:32,730 --> 00:10:33,370 Speaker 5: to ask? 217 00:10:34,210 --> 00:10:36,560 Speaker 1: What is it about TV that is. 218 00:10:37,650 --> 00:10:39,410 Speaker 5: best written by a room of writers? 219 00:10:39,510 --> 00:10:41,010 Speaker 1: I've always wanted to ask this question. 220 00:10:41,190 --> 00:10:44,370 Speaker 5: Why isn't it not just someone who's like a play 221 00:10:44,410 --> 00:10:46,590 Speaker 5: or a screenplay or whatever where you have a single writer? 222 00:10:46,610 --> 00:10:47,770 Speaker 1: Why doesn't that work in TV? 223 00:10:48,390 --> 00:10:51,530 Speaker 3: I mean, that economy is, sorry, you accidentally did ask 224 00:10:51,590 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 3: a question about the current TV economy because it is 225 00:10:55,740 --> 00:10:58,800 Speaker 3: shifting to, you know, what people talk about is like 226 00:10:58,820 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 3: the Mike White model. Mike White goes and does the 227 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:06,410 Speaker 3: White Lotus by himself. He writes that show. Um, I'm 228 00:11:06,510 --> 00:11:09,550 Speaker 3: pretty sure I like DTF St. Louis, I think is 229 00:11:09,590 --> 00:11:12,610 Speaker 3: like done the same way. A lot of prestige shows 230 00:11:12,710 --> 00:11:14,850 Speaker 3: are kind of written by one, uh, one, one person, 231 00:11:15,830 --> 00:11:18,960 Speaker 3: the studios like that. God, it is cheaper. Yeah. 232 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:21,860 Speaker 1: Uh, but historically it wasn't like that. 233 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:24,080 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, totally. And when it comes to like, I 234 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:26,320 Speaker 3: worked on a show called great news, which was kind 235 00:11:26,340 --> 00:11:29,720 Speaker 3: of in the 30 rock family where the joke density 236 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:32,500 Speaker 3: family guys, the same way family guy had 30 writers 237 00:11:32,860 --> 00:11:36,819 Speaker 3: when I was there. That does not exist anymore and never, 238 00:11:36,980 --> 00:11:37,620 Speaker 3: ever will again. 239 00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 4: Wait, so this is the mini room phenomenon, right? People 240 00:11:41,100 --> 00:11:44,439 Speaker 4: call these mini rooms where you have smaller teams of writers. 241 00:11:44,620 --> 00:11:46,689 Speaker 4: And everyone seems to hate them, even though, you know, 242 00:11:46,750 --> 00:11:49,310 Speaker 4: we live in New York. Mini rooms don't sound terrible. 243 00:11:49,330 --> 00:11:50,090 Speaker 4: We're used to them. 244 00:11:50,250 --> 00:11:51,869 Speaker 2: But I guess in Hollywood. 245 00:11:52,170 --> 00:11:54,460 Speaker 3: What a mini room used to mean to me on 246 00:11:54,500 --> 00:11:57,440 Speaker 3: Family Guy. was a room of seven writers that would 247 00:11:57,460 --> 00:12:00,790 Speaker 3: break off to go write one joke. Huh. Wow. And 248 00:12:01,230 --> 00:12:03,550 Speaker 3: now that is a big room. Seven writers is like 249 00:12:03,590 --> 00:12:06,829 Speaker 3: a big room for a show. The last show I 250 00:12:06,870 --> 00:12:09,689 Speaker 3: helped out with was the two creators of the show 251 00:12:10,170 --> 00:12:12,390 Speaker 3: had a budget to have one person come in and 252 00:12:12,429 --> 00:12:15,170 Speaker 3: just outline the season for a couple weeks. And then 253 00:12:15,220 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 3: they went and wrote it themselves. So the rooms are 254 00:12:17,940 --> 00:12:21,260 Speaker 3: getting smaller and smaller. Part of it is a result 255 00:12:21,340 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 3: of the strikes where If you have a room now, 256 00:12:24,940 --> 00:12:26,340 Speaker 3: it has to be of a certain size and for 257 00:12:26,380 --> 00:12:27,220 Speaker 3: a certain number of weeks. 258 00:12:28,020 --> 00:12:28,160 Speaker 5: Oh. 259 00:12:28,179 --> 00:12:32,800 Speaker 3: So if they trigger a writer's room, then it is 260 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,150 Speaker 3: required to be a certain size, and that has changed 261 00:12:35,250 --> 00:12:38,050 Speaker 3: the calculus a little bit. But I'll say, with a 262 00:12:38,050 --> 00:12:39,610 Speaker 3: show like Great News, with a show like Family Guy, 263 00:12:40,730 --> 00:12:43,390 Speaker 3: it is almost impossible to come up with a show like, 264 00:12:43,429 --> 00:12:45,510 Speaker 3: to write a show like that as one person. Yeah. 265 00:12:45,670 --> 00:12:48,930 Speaker 3: And you have a spot in the script for a joke, 266 00:12:49,050 --> 00:12:53,870 Speaker 3: and people are just, like, pitching that. in a room setting, 267 00:12:53,929 --> 00:12:55,350 Speaker 3: and you see what gets a laugh. 268 00:12:55,410 --> 00:12:55,709 Speaker 4: Wow. 269 00:12:56,090 --> 00:12:58,270 Speaker 3: On Family Guy, you would have to be able to 270 00:12:58,410 --> 00:13:00,910 Speaker 3: do the accents of the different, you would have to 271 00:13:00,950 --> 00:13:01,710 Speaker 3: be able to do the voices. 272 00:13:01,750 --> 00:13:04,270 Speaker 5: So that the people in the room could understand how 273 00:13:04,309 --> 00:13:05,110 Speaker 5: the joke would land. 274 00:13:05,309 --> 00:13:09,780 Speaker 3: If you can't do Lois, your joke will not get in. 275 00:13:09,780 --> 00:13:10,280 Speaker 5: Can you do Lois? 276 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:10,660 Speaker 4: No. 277 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:14,720 Speaker 3: It's a bizarre, it makes no sense. 278 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 4: Wait, which character did you write the most jokes for, 279 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:18,040 Speaker 4: looking back? 280 00:13:19,540 --> 00:13:22,490 Speaker 3: The hardest voice to do was Chris. Seth Green is like, 281 00:13:22,630 --> 00:13:27,290 Speaker 3: it's amazing what he can do. I would say probably Peter. 282 00:13:28,410 --> 00:13:32,120 Speaker 3: Brian is hard. Brian is subtle. But Peter, you know, 283 00:13:32,460 --> 00:13:33,950 Speaker 3: Peter's very easy and fun to write for. 284 00:13:50,230 --> 00:13:51,209 Speaker 1: It was interesting. 285 00:13:51,270 --> 00:13:55,709 Speaker 5: Like family guy memes are like the lingua franca of 286 00:13:55,730 --> 00:13:58,770 Speaker 5: the internet. Like there's like more than any, like way 287 00:13:58,809 --> 00:14:00,330 Speaker 5: more than many other shows. 288 00:14:00,770 --> 00:14:03,430 Speaker 1: There are so many, something. 289 00:14:03,150 --> 00:14:07,110 Speaker 5: About that show is just like designed for like memetics 290 00:14:07,170 --> 00:14:09,500 Speaker 5: and templates and you like re, you know, put out 291 00:14:09,510 --> 00:14:10,410 Speaker 5: some other caption. 292 00:14:10,620 --> 00:14:15,260 Speaker 3: But that's a threat to the new TV shows as well. 293 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:18,550 Speaker 3: The fact that, we are still competing against Family Guy 294 00:14:18,590 --> 00:14:20,350 Speaker 3: every time we do a new show. That did not 295 00:14:20,430 --> 00:14:26,130 Speaker 3: used to be the case. The entire library is competition, 296 00:14:26,170 --> 00:14:29,410 Speaker 3: not just what's on the other network at the same time. 297 00:14:29,650 --> 00:14:31,860 Speaker 4: This is something that I wanted to ask you, but 298 00:14:31,930 --> 00:14:34,979 Speaker 4: in the age of AI and now that there's so 299 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 4: much existing content out there, do you get the sense 300 00:14:37,780 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 4: that libraries are becoming more. 301 00:14:41,100 --> 00:14:43,239 Speaker 2: Or less valuable? Because you could kind of see it 302 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:44,760 Speaker 2: going either way, right? 303 00:14:46,260 --> 00:14:50,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, individual shows are definitely still really valuable. 304 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:54,180 Speaker 3: Family Guy, The Office, like those will still command like 305 00:14:54,230 --> 00:15:00,790 Speaker 3: a big price. But yeah, I think in the same 306 00:15:00,870 --> 00:15:02,830 Speaker 3: way that new shows are competing against the old ones, 307 00:15:02,850 --> 00:15:06,229 Speaker 3: the old ones are competing against each other. And some 308 00:15:06,690 --> 00:15:09,470 Speaker 3: big chunks of the library, I think, are also becoming 309 00:15:09,730 --> 00:15:11,310 Speaker 3: less and less valuable as well. 310 00:15:11,330 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 5: Hmm. As of 2026, what are the norms about essentially 311 00:15:17,300 --> 00:15:17,860 Speaker 5: the use. 312 00:15:17,740 --> 00:15:19,620 Speaker 1: Of AI within creation? 313 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:24,730 Speaker 3: You know, I don't speak for the whole city. I 314 00:15:24,750 --> 00:15:30,110 Speaker 3: think this is one of the least AI-friendly cities in 315 00:15:30,390 --> 00:15:34,490 Speaker 3: the world. The country, I would guess. When it comes 316 00:15:34,570 --> 00:15:41,290 Speaker 3: to generative AI, I think it's pretty widely used, like 317 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:44,660 Speaker 3: everyone else, as a search engine. Yeah, sure, yeah. The 318 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:47,700 Speaker 3: way everyone uses it. There is still a lot of 319 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:49,260 Speaker 3: stigma on my. 320 00:15:50,810 --> 00:15:55,410 Speaker 3: Podcasts we had a guest on recently who had been 321 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:57,940 Speaker 3: involved in a project that had one piece of it 322 00:15:58,020 --> 00:16:01,660 Speaker 3: that had apparently been done with some AI. And there 323 00:16:01,700 --> 00:16:06,630 Speaker 3: was like a pushback about that just because right now 324 00:16:06,650 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 3: it is such a threat. Yeah. uh to jobs to 325 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:13,740 Speaker 3: like the the below the line economy in the city 326 00:16:13,780 --> 00:16:16,980 Speaker 3: we call it like uh is uh but what is 327 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,500 Speaker 3: what does that mean below the line they're like anyone 328 00:16:19,540 --> 00:16:21,470 Speaker 3: who works on the production side oh i see yeah 329 00:16:21,870 --> 00:16:26,210 Speaker 3: um and so hair and makeup uh people like set 330 00:16:26,270 --> 00:16:30,740 Speaker 3: design grips things like that like That is sort of 331 00:16:30,780 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 3: on an immediate precipice when it comes to AI. And 332 00:16:34,540 --> 00:16:38,420 Speaker 3: when it comes to the local economy of LA, that 333 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:41,260 Speaker 3: is a really huge issue. That level of job loss 334 00:16:41,300 --> 00:16:44,410 Speaker 3: is a huge issue. I worked in City Hall for 335 00:16:44,430 --> 00:16:46,470 Speaker 3: a while. It has huge ripple effects on the rest 336 00:16:46,510 --> 00:16:51,370 Speaker 3: of the economy. I think people here have a sense 337 00:16:51,450 --> 00:16:55,310 Speaker 3: of that, and it has... it has made it a 338 00:16:55,890 --> 00:16:57,220 Speaker 3: line that a lot of people say you just do 339 00:16:57,280 --> 00:17:00,120 Speaker 3: not cross when it comes to productions. Yeah. 340 00:17:00,140 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 4: So I read that the new WGA contract, the writers 341 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:08,280 Speaker 4: union contract has some AI protection guardrails in it. 342 00:17:08,500 --> 00:17:11,020 Speaker 2: How effective would you expect those to be? 343 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:13,120 Speaker 4: And I guess how long until the studios just find 344 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:14,080 Speaker 4: workarounds for those? 345 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:17,240 Speaker 3: I have not heard of a show that has been 346 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:21,939 Speaker 3: written by AI yet. So at LA material, we did 347 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:25,639 Speaker 3: a story about how, um, Short stories are very popular 348 00:17:25,740 --> 00:17:29,980 Speaker 3: IP now and not like Harper's type short stories, like 349 00:17:30,010 --> 00:17:32,550 Speaker 3: things that are posted on Reddit or in some cases 350 00:17:32,590 --> 00:17:37,690 Speaker 3: like totally unpublished short stories by anonymous writers. Were those 351 00:17:37,710 --> 00:17:41,630 Speaker 3: written by AI? It's really hard to tell. But when 352 00:17:41,650 --> 00:17:44,790 Speaker 3: it comes to the work that writers are doing, obviously 353 00:17:44,810 --> 00:17:47,040 Speaker 3: you can't police what people do in their own homes. 354 00:17:47,410 --> 00:17:47,600 Speaker 4: Yeah. 355 00:17:48,260 --> 00:17:51,639 Speaker 3: But it has not come for writers' rooms in the 356 00:17:51,660 --> 00:17:53,979 Speaker 3: same way. Studios aren't saying, like, we got this. We're 357 00:17:54,020 --> 00:17:57,510 Speaker 3: just going to have AI take care of this so far. 358 00:17:58,010 --> 00:17:59,929 Speaker 1: Do they want to? Like, do you feel it? 359 00:18:00,010 --> 00:18:04,570 Speaker 5: Like, either the studio's hoping that maybe there's some model. 360 00:18:05,330 --> 00:18:06,450 Speaker 1: None of them are funny. 361 00:18:06,270 --> 00:18:08,620 Speaker 5: Yet, but are they, like, you know, hoping that there 362 00:18:08,650 --> 00:18:11,699 Speaker 5: could be a model that can produce jokes? Or do 363 00:18:11,720 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 5: you see the presence of, like, startups coming to pitch 364 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:16,879 Speaker 5: studios and say, like, this thing they can play, like, 365 00:18:17,430 --> 00:18:20,330 Speaker 5: are there people banging at the gate trying to like 366 00:18:20,850 --> 00:18:23,709 Speaker 5: break through? And I guess like, you know, break that 367 00:18:24,170 --> 00:18:27,040 Speaker 5: eventually hoping that the dam will break on this. 368 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:32,420 Speaker 3: You know, the, the genre that is the most alive 369 00:18:32,740 --> 00:18:34,320 Speaker 3: in Hollywood right now is horror. 370 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:36,540 Speaker 1: Yeah. 371 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:37,619 Speaker 2: And great horror movies. 372 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:41,290 Speaker 3: They're great. And so many people, you know, like Zach 373 00:18:41,330 --> 00:18:45,410 Speaker 3: Kreger used to be on team comedy and We lost 374 00:18:45,450 --> 00:18:48,830 Speaker 3: him to Tim Hortons. Jordan Peele also was a comedy guy. 375 00:18:48,950 --> 00:18:53,389 Speaker 3: This is where a lot of great filmmakers are moving into. 376 00:18:53,410 --> 00:18:53,670 Speaker 5: Why? 377 00:18:53,710 --> 00:18:56,060 Speaker 1: What is it about horror that is having this moment? 378 00:18:56,220 --> 00:19:01,100 Speaker 3: You can make a mid-budget movie that is commercially viable, 379 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:02,680 Speaker 3: that a studio will put out because they know it 380 00:19:02,700 --> 00:19:05,460 Speaker 3: will make more money. It started with studios like Blumhouse 381 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:10,239 Speaker 3: that made Paranormal Activity for whatever, $ 20, and it makes millions. uh, 382 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:13,940 Speaker 3: comedy does not have the same upside potential. It doesn't 383 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:18,699 Speaker 3: have the same, uh, perceived theater going potential right now. 384 00:19:18,740 --> 00:19:21,679 Speaker 3: So that's like to answer your question, like comedy is 385 00:19:21,740 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 3: hardest for AI to do. Yeah. Uh, but it can 386 00:19:27,300 --> 00:19:31,400 Speaker 3: do other genres more easily. It can do outlines right now. 387 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:32,180 Speaker 4: Yeah. 388 00:19:32,330 --> 00:19:35,419 Speaker 3: And so I, I, I think whether or not studios 389 00:19:35,510 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 3: want to do it, they, they haven't, um, felt like 390 00:19:39,500 --> 00:19:44,760 Speaker 3: they can now. Uh, but it, it is, it's right there. Like, 391 00:19:44,820 --> 00:19:47,369 Speaker 3: it's not in, like, the distant future that it'll be 392 00:19:47,410 --> 00:19:49,850 Speaker 3: able to do that stuff. And comedy, like, comedy's hard 393 00:19:49,869 --> 00:19:53,639 Speaker 3: as it to do but comedy is in decline in 394 00:19:53,660 --> 00:19:55,400 Speaker 3: terms of the productions that are getting done for. 395 00:19:55,340 --> 00:19:59,770 Speaker 4: Sure have you experimented at all with ai comedy writing 396 00:19:59,810 --> 00:20:01,909 Speaker 4: you know just for fun like would you ask it 397 00:20:01,950 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 4: to produce a A Peter-voiced family guy kind of joke? 398 00:20:06,440 --> 00:20:08,380 Speaker 3: That's how I'll make my way back to family guy, 399 00:20:08,420 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 3: I think. I'll pitch as like the AI guy. No, 400 00:20:12,220 --> 00:20:15,310 Speaker 3: I haven't really done that. My dad does send me 401 00:20:15,530 --> 00:20:18,550 Speaker 3: a lot of AI-generated content. 402 00:20:20,230 --> 00:20:22,490 Speaker 2: Does he, like, send it to you? Oh, yeah. He's like, 403 00:20:22,530 --> 00:20:24,409 Speaker 2: check out what I just did on ChatGPT. 404 00:20:24,570 --> 00:20:27,439 Speaker 3: Yeah. I mean, like, he's been interested in AI for 405 00:20:27,460 --> 00:20:30,919 Speaker 3: a long time and, like, and has been saying, he's 406 00:20:30,940 --> 00:20:32,600 Speaker 3: a business professor and has been saying for years that 407 00:20:32,619 --> 00:20:35,040 Speaker 3: this is something that they're going to, that AI is 408 00:20:35,060 --> 00:20:37,619 Speaker 3: going to be able to do. I've always dismissed it, 409 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:45,850 Speaker 3: and he was right. But it's, I do kind of, 410 00:20:45,869 --> 00:20:50,530 Speaker 3: this may be naive, I think, writing... And acting will 411 00:20:50,570 --> 00:20:54,810 Speaker 3: be among the last categories that AI... But this is 412 00:20:54,830 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 3: the thing. In fiction, in TV and film, we have 413 00:21:00,060 --> 00:21:05,600 Speaker 3: already been competing for years against the sum of all 414 00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:13,149 Speaker 3: human creativity produced and distributed for free, algorithmically sorted exactly 415 00:21:13,210 --> 00:21:16,959 Speaker 3: to your specifications. You can't really scare us with AI 416 00:21:16,980 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 3: compared to this. 417 00:21:17,619 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 5: This is what I always say about journalism, too, because 418 00:21:20,060 --> 00:21:22,490 Speaker 5: people are like, oh, do you think AI is going to, like, 419 00:21:22,869 --> 00:21:25,550 Speaker 5: be bad for newspapers or whatever? And I was like, 420 00:21:25,950 --> 00:21:29,230 Speaker 5: you're talking about an industry that's been buffeted in every 421 00:21:29,270 --> 00:21:30,950 Speaker 5: direction over the last 20 years. 422 00:21:30,990 --> 00:21:31,230 Speaker 3: Yes. 423 00:21:31,390 --> 00:21:34,300 Speaker 5: So, like, possible, but, like, man, if there's one industry 424 00:21:34,359 --> 00:21:36,340 Speaker 5: that has just taken it on the chin over and 425 00:21:36,380 --> 00:21:39,680 Speaker 5: over and over again by Google News, by everything else, 426 00:21:39,700 --> 00:21:41,199 Speaker 5: it's like, at this point, it's like. 427 00:21:41,500 --> 00:21:43,860 Speaker 1: There isn't... A whole lot. 428 00:21:43,700 --> 00:21:46,459 Speaker 3: Left to like. And you talk about AI being cheaper. 429 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:48,619 Speaker 3: It is not as cheap as free. 430 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:49,100 Speaker 2: Yeah. 431 00:21:49,220 --> 00:21:52,690 Speaker 3: And like the free content that we all produce for 432 00:21:53,670 --> 00:21:57,969 Speaker 3: everyone else's consumption all day long. And, you know, we 433 00:21:58,010 --> 00:22:03,030 Speaker 3: still only have so many consumption hours in our lives. 434 00:22:03,150 --> 00:22:05,310 Speaker 5: You know, by the way, every time a new model 435 00:22:05,369 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 5: comes out, one of my tests is I'll have it 436 00:22:07,560 --> 00:22:09,490 Speaker 5: say like, write 10 tweets in. 437 00:22:09,450 --> 00:22:12,210 Speaker 1: The style of Joe Wiesenthal. And it's never very good. 438 00:22:12,270 --> 00:22:12,490 Speaker 4: Yeah. 439 00:22:12,630 --> 00:22:12,870 Speaker 1: But. 440 00:22:13,570 --> 00:22:15,490 Speaker 3: You are one of the harder ones, I think, to 441 00:22:15,530 --> 00:22:16,190 Speaker 3: pin down. 442 00:22:16,390 --> 00:22:20,340 Speaker 5: But there was one tweet and it said, the 10-year 443 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:23,660 Speaker 5: yield doesn't care about your feelings. And frankly, it doesn't 444 00:22:23,720 --> 00:22:24,879 Speaker 5: care about mine either. 445 00:22:24,900 --> 00:22:28,280 Speaker 1: Oh, no. And I was like, I wouldn't tweet that, 446 00:22:28,340 --> 00:22:29,360 Speaker 1: but it's. 447 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:30,880 Speaker 3: Kind of a good tweet. That's pretty good. 448 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:32,780 Speaker 1: I was like, I kind of like that tweet. 449 00:22:32,940 --> 00:22:33,420 Speaker 4: Wow. 450 00:22:33,460 --> 00:22:35,640 Speaker 2: Yeah. Does it ever say that it doesn't troll? 451 00:22:36,070 --> 00:22:38,410 Speaker 1: It hasn't said that, so it doesn't know me yet. 452 00:22:38,430 --> 00:22:41,310 Speaker 3: Was that scary? They got, they got, they're in the, 453 00:22:41,850 --> 00:22:43,110 Speaker 3: in the area. 454 00:22:43,130 --> 00:22:46,230 Speaker 1: I was like, but it wasn't my voice. 455 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:49,600 Speaker 5: So I was like, it wasn't there yet. So you've 456 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:52,119 Speaker 5: done a lot with like housing and real estate. 457 00:22:52,380 --> 00:22:52,760 Speaker 3: Yeah. 458 00:22:53,340 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 5: Have there been a ripple effect from this decline of 459 00:22:56,580 --> 00:22:59,100 Speaker 5: shoot days in terms of like how you see it 460 00:22:59,160 --> 00:23:01,800 Speaker 5: manifested quote, the rest of the real economy here? 461 00:23:03,100 --> 00:23:07,300 Speaker 3: Yes. I was in City Hall from 2021 to 2024. 462 00:23:07,300 --> 00:23:10,520 Speaker 3: So during a lot of that decline, during the strike, 463 00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 3: so I was in City Hall. And I got to see, 464 00:23:13,270 --> 00:23:15,969 Speaker 3: you know, like working with a lot of small businesses. 465 00:23:18,230 --> 00:23:22,190 Speaker 3: We say here a lot that Hollywood is not LA 466 00:23:22,770 --> 00:23:25,010 Speaker 3: and it's not the LA economy. It's like 20% of 467 00:23:25,190 --> 00:23:30,629 Speaker 3: the economy or something. But it's not a silo. It 468 00:23:30,690 --> 00:23:34,370 Speaker 3: is very, very... closely connected there's a ton of money 469 00:23:34,470 --> 00:23:37,590 Speaker 3: flowing into the hollywood business that was keeping a lot 470 00:23:37,609 --> 00:23:41,850 Speaker 3: of restaurants afloat i watched restaurants that had been taken 471 00:23:41,910 --> 00:23:47,169 Speaker 3: right to the edge by the shutdown yeah get shoved 472 00:23:47,290 --> 00:23:51,909 Speaker 3: over by the decline in production things that seem as 473 00:23:52,430 --> 00:23:56,909 Speaker 3: like small as writers room you know we get lunch 474 00:23:57,510 --> 00:24:00,129 Speaker 3: in writers they order lunch yeah for us. 475 00:24:00,230 --> 00:24:02,080 Speaker 1: Yeah so much lunch. 476 00:24:02,340 --> 00:24:06,520 Speaker 3: Sometimes dinner. And that is like when you have a 477 00:24:07,260 --> 00:24:11,420 Speaker 3: bustling studio, a bustling lot with like, you know, the 478 00:24:11,619 --> 00:24:16,380 Speaker 3: stereotype people dressed like legionnaires, like walking through the studio 479 00:24:16,420 --> 00:24:18,409 Speaker 3: and stuff like that. You know, what you used to 480 00:24:18,430 --> 00:24:21,450 Speaker 3: see in old movies, like cowboys walking by, whatever. 481 00:24:21,470 --> 00:24:22,109 Speaker 1: They are all. 482 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:29,240 Speaker 3: Eating food from local restaurants and or even from the 483 00:24:29,619 --> 00:24:33,300 Speaker 3: uh like from on the lot like that it it 484 00:24:33,340 --> 00:24:36,460 Speaker 3: has enormous ripple effects and on tourism as well just 485 00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:38,980 Speaker 3: like the what we're presenting to the rest of the 486 00:24:39,020 --> 00:24:43,550 Speaker 3: country changes with the slowdown in in in production shows 487 00:24:43,570 --> 00:24:48,889 Speaker 3: like insecure like had huge impacts on parts of the 488 00:24:48,910 --> 00:24:51,250 Speaker 3: city that that show really brought to life and people 489 00:24:51,550 --> 00:24:58,230 Speaker 3: move to live that experience. There's a movie I love. 490 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:01,399 Speaker 3: called ingrid goes west did you ever see that movie 491 00:25:01,440 --> 00:25:05,439 Speaker 3: yeah it's a great movie yeah it's here yeah uh 492 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:09,570 Speaker 3: but it's about a woman with some mental health issues 493 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:11,750 Speaker 3: who falls in love with a version of it with 494 00:25:11,770 --> 00:25:13,890 Speaker 3: an influencer in a version of la. 495 00:25:13,530 --> 00:25:15,530 Speaker 2: It's aubrey plaza aubrey plaza yes. 496 00:25:15,410 --> 00:25:17,990 Speaker 3: And mary mary elizabeth olsen is the is the influencer 497 00:25:18,390 --> 00:25:22,510 Speaker 3: that she discovers on instagram and goes out to venice 498 00:25:22,550 --> 00:25:25,430 Speaker 3: and abing kitty and buys a big hat and like 499 00:25:25,470 --> 00:25:28,189 Speaker 3: goes to all the different boutiques and like immerses herself 500 00:25:28,270 --> 00:25:30,890 Speaker 3: in this, going to Joshua Tree and like that whole lifestyle. 501 00:25:31,380 --> 00:25:35,020 Speaker 3: That movie is like a time capsule now. It is 502 00:25:35,060 --> 00:25:38,699 Speaker 3: an artifact of like a certain time in LA that 503 00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:45,040 Speaker 3: does not exist the same way as it did. We 504 00:25:45,060 --> 00:25:46,280 Speaker 3: all know Emily Sundberg. 505 00:25:46,850 --> 00:25:46,980 Speaker 4: Yeah. 506 00:25:47,450 --> 00:25:51,150 Speaker 1: From a guest at our guest at a previous show. 507 00:25:51,190 --> 00:25:54,220 Speaker 3: Yeah. I, I, I got to meet her earlier this year. 508 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:58,119 Speaker 3: And I hope she won't mind me sharing this story, 509 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:00,600 Speaker 3: but you know, she goes out, she writes this newsletter 510 00:26:00,619 --> 00:26:03,660 Speaker 3: called feed me. That's about life in New York. And yeah, 511 00:26:03,700 --> 00:26:08,480 Speaker 3: feed me. It's great. And like, she goes out like, 512 00:26:08,730 --> 00:26:11,050 Speaker 3: like she goes to events and like talks about who's 513 00:26:11,070 --> 00:26:13,630 Speaker 3: there and what she sees. And she was in LA 514 00:26:14,390 --> 00:26:16,169 Speaker 3: and I was like, well, what are you doing tonight? 515 00:26:16,820 --> 00:26:18,720 Speaker 3: And she said that she was just going to stay 516 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:22,160 Speaker 3: in her hotel because she didn't know of anything that 517 00:26:22,180 --> 00:26:27,139 Speaker 3: was going on. And that is unfortunately a thing that 518 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:30,439 Speaker 3: has happened to an extent in L.A. The recovery is 519 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:34,200 Speaker 3: still happening when it comes to nightlife and events. 520 00:26:34,619 --> 00:26:35,979 Speaker 4: Yeah. 521 00:26:36,020 --> 00:26:39,320 Speaker 3: Hollywood parties in the hills are not the same culture 522 00:26:39,359 --> 00:26:43,260 Speaker 3: as it used to be. There's a real DoorDash nightlife 523 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:51,560 Speaker 3: culture in the city. And, you know, I'm hoping that 524 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:54,929 Speaker 3: we can provide things for Emily Sundberg to do when 525 00:26:54,950 --> 00:26:56,550 Speaker 3: she comes here. 526 00:26:57,310 --> 00:27:00,730 Speaker 4: Is writing comedy good prep for working in City Hall? 527 00:27:01,210 --> 00:27:03,209 Speaker 4: And I'm being kind of facetious with that question, but 528 00:27:03,270 --> 00:27:06,659 Speaker 4: also when you think about local government, often the image 529 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:10,420 Speaker 4: that comes to mind is one of perhaps not comedic dysfunction, 530 00:27:10,460 --> 00:27:13,000 Speaker 4: but certainly dysfunction of some sort. 531 00:27:13,560 --> 00:27:16,830 Speaker 3: It's... I would say like, what's weird about, you talk 532 00:27:16,850 --> 00:27:20,850 Speaker 3: about writing comment, like the writer's room environment, like just 533 00:27:20,890 --> 00:27:25,149 Speaker 3: the experience of writing comedy. The meeting is the entire day. Yeah. 534 00:27:26,090 --> 00:27:28,090 Speaker 3: You sit in one chair, you sit in the same 535 00:27:28,150 --> 00:27:30,439 Speaker 3: chair every day. It'd be weird if you went and 536 00:27:30,460 --> 00:27:34,820 Speaker 3: sat at a different interest chair. Uh, you, everyone gets 537 00:27:34,900 --> 00:27:39,640 Speaker 3: used to each other's smell and like a good way, 538 00:27:39,660 --> 00:27:45,889 Speaker 3: I guess. Um, uh, And like working in the city 539 00:27:45,950 --> 00:27:49,950 Speaker 3: was much more driving around, like different things in different 540 00:27:50,010 --> 00:27:51,530 Speaker 3: places in a way. That's part of why I went 541 00:27:51,570 --> 00:27:55,420 Speaker 3: to go do it. It's like a total lifestyle change. 542 00:27:55,820 --> 00:27:58,680 Speaker 3: It can be very absurd in the same way. 543 00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:01,300 Speaker 5: When you said tourism, this reminded me of something. So 544 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:03,720 Speaker 5: a classic tourist thing to do in L.A. is to 545 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:07,510 Speaker 5: see the stars, right? That are literally on the sidewalk. 546 00:28:07,810 --> 00:28:09,480 Speaker 5: Last time we were here, I didn't go on it, 547 00:28:09,510 --> 00:28:12,330 Speaker 5: but Tracy took one of those bus trips where you see. 548 00:28:13,619 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 4: We took our producer on a TMZ tour. 549 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:18,379 Speaker 2: Don't judge. 550 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:23,330 Speaker 5: But what I'm curious about, it's like the production of 551 00:28:23,470 --> 00:28:26,609 Speaker 5: movie stars that we all know sort of came to 552 00:28:26,650 --> 00:28:28,990 Speaker 5: an end, right? So it's like there are still stars 553 00:28:29,369 --> 00:28:33,070 Speaker 5: and there are people with millions of followers, but it 554 00:28:33,090 --> 00:28:36,430 Speaker 5: doesn't seem like a new George Clooney has emerged, etc. 555 00:28:37,130 --> 00:28:38,370 Speaker 3: Is that weird. 556 00:28:38,030 --> 00:28:44,370 Speaker 5: That genuinely mainstream stars cultural production came to some weird 557 00:28:44,510 --> 00:28:45,550 Speaker 5: end in the nineties. 558 00:28:45,610 --> 00:28:46,270 Speaker 1: And now like. 559 00:28:46,170 --> 00:28:48,650 Speaker 5: There are very few people, you know, Taylor Swift, there 560 00:28:48,670 --> 00:28:52,210 Speaker 5: are a handful of people that everybody still knows, but 561 00:28:52,270 --> 00:28:54,350 Speaker 5: it's just, there aren't that many anymore of like those 562 00:28:54,390 --> 00:28:55,530 Speaker 5: truly like stars. 563 00:28:55,570 --> 00:28:56,070 Speaker 1: We all know. 564 00:28:56,610 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 3: The, the monoculture has definitely gone away. Uh, we, we 565 00:29:03,140 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 3: still have a, there's a phenomenon here where you can 566 00:29:05,760 --> 00:29:08,100 Speaker 3: be sitting in a restaurant and everyone in the restaurant 567 00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:10,780 Speaker 3: is It'll feel like everyone else is like paying attention 568 00:29:10,820 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 3: to someone and you don't know. You're like, what is 569 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:14,960 Speaker 3: the deal with that person? Like, who is that? People 570 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:16,950 Speaker 3: are going up and like getting pictures with them. You're like, 571 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:20,750 Speaker 3: should I do that too? Like just in case. But yeah, 572 00:29:20,810 --> 00:29:27,730 Speaker 3: I mean, we, it's, there's an LA Times feature called 573 00:29:27,790 --> 00:29:30,570 Speaker 3: Sunday Fun Day. Has anyone read Sunday Fun Day? 574 00:29:31,310 --> 00:29:31,690 Speaker 1: Woo. 575 00:29:31,710 --> 00:29:38,100 Speaker 3: Yeah. I read it so obsessively because it's celebrities talking 576 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:40,870 Speaker 3: about what they do on their ideal Sunday. and i 577 00:29:40,910 --> 00:29:42,970 Speaker 3: just want to know where they are i'm just curious 578 00:29:43,020 --> 00:29:47,660 Speaker 3: what they're what they're doing and they are all doing 579 00:29:47,980 --> 00:29:49,720 Speaker 3: i'm generalizing but they all do kind of the same 580 00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:52,980 Speaker 3: things they hike they go to one of three farmers 581 00:29:53,020 --> 00:29:57,040 Speaker 3: markets uh and they watch something at home with their 582 00:29:57,300 --> 00:30:00,650 Speaker 3: spouse at night yeah And so, like, when it comes to, like, 583 00:30:00,690 --> 00:30:03,970 Speaker 3: the L.A. of, like, celebrities out at the Trocadero or 584 00:30:04,090 --> 00:30:06,530 Speaker 3: Sardi's or whatever it was, like, that is not the 585 00:30:06,590 --> 00:30:09,290 Speaker 3: same as it used to be. I mean, George Clooney lives. 586 00:30:09,370 --> 00:30:10,290 Speaker 3: We have a George Clooney. 587 00:30:10,310 --> 00:30:11,990 Speaker 1: Yeah, he's still here. Yeah, and he's still making movies. 588 00:30:12,090 --> 00:30:15,479 Speaker 3: And everyone who was a movie star in the 90s 589 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:18,220 Speaker 3: is still allowed. Everyone is still here. We've just kind 590 00:30:18,280 --> 00:30:24,780 Speaker 3: of added new people. Everyone got to stay. But we 591 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:28,410 Speaker 3: don't see them the same way as we... used to, 592 00:30:28,470 --> 00:30:30,760 Speaker 3: except at the farmer's market. Hollywood farmer's market is like, 593 00:30:30,910 --> 00:30:34,100 Speaker 3: you see Usher there. It's amazing. 594 00:30:35,440 --> 00:30:35,700 Speaker 1: All right. 595 00:30:35,900 --> 00:30:37,880 Speaker 2: Hayes Davenport, thank you so much. 596 00:30:37,700 --> 00:30:39,580 Speaker 3: For coming on. Thank you so much. 597 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:41,400 Speaker 1: We could have. 598 00:30:42,770 --> 00:30:50,750 Speaker 3: Talked for two more hours, but that was great. 599 00:30:55,310 --> 00:30:58,130 Speaker 4: So that was our interview with Hayes Davenport, recorded live 600 00:30:58,230 --> 00:30:59,510 Speaker 4: at the Vermont in Hollywood. 601 00:30:59,730 --> 00:31:02,550 Speaker 2: I'm Tracy Alloway. You can follow me at Tracy Alloway. 602 00:31:02,690 --> 00:31:05,350 Speaker 5: And I'm Jill Wiesenthal. You can follow me at The Stalwart. 603 00:31:05,410 --> 00:31:08,990 Speaker 5: Follow our guest Hayes Davenport at Hayes Davenport. And follow 604 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:12,800 Speaker 5: our producers, Carmen Rodriguez at Carmen Armand, Dashiell Bennett at Dashbot, 605 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:15,900 Speaker 5: Kale Brooks at Kale Brooks, and Kevin Lozano at Kevin 606 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:16,600 Speaker 5: Lloyd Lozano. 607 00:31:16,900 --> 00:31:19,060 Speaker 4: And for more Odd Lots content, you should check out 608 00:31:19,120 --> 00:31:21,840 Speaker 4: our daily newsletter. You can find that at Bloomberg.com forward 609 00:31:21,860 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 4: slash Odd Lots. 610 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 5: And you can chat about all of these topics 24-7 611 00:31:25,340 --> 00:31:28,330 Speaker 5: in our Discord, discord.gg. 612 00:31:28,790 --> 00:31:31,410 Speaker 4: And if you enjoyed this conversation, then please like the 613 00:31:31,430 --> 00:31:34,130 Speaker 4: video or leave a comment, or better yet, subscribe. 614 00:31:34,450 --> 00:31:52,730 Speaker 1: Thanks for watching and listening. Thank you.