Children of Tendu

Latest Episodes:

How Is This Strike Different From The Last? Jun 07, 2023

Show notes

As veterans of the WGA strike of 2007 picketing in the strike of 2023, Jose and Javi break down the differences between the two labor actions. From the role of social media in the Guild's messaging, to the differences in the message itself, the rise of the #prewga cohort, and the decline of the auteur showrunner, Jose and Javi don't just break it down, but also use the differences in the two labor actions to explain how vital the current struggle is to the art and business of writing for media.

BAD HOMBRES: Writing while Latino/a/e/x May 22, 2023

Show notes

Being Latino/a/e/x in Trump's America is an increasingly precarious business. As white Puerto Ricans whith careers spanning over a quarter century, Javi and Jose have seen, heard, and experienced the pervasive racism of the industry in many of its forms, while also benefitting from their own white privilege. In this unusually revealing episode, Jose and Javi dig deep into their lives and upbringing as colonial subjects of the United States to explore not just what it is like to be latino/a/e/x in Hollywood, but more specifically, what it means to be Puerto Rican and the many issues of race, class, and colonialism that entails.

TENDU.0 - Things We Lost In The Stream May 11, 2023

Show notes

Jose and Javi are back and older than ever! As the Writers Guild strikes for higher pay, job security, and reform in how writers are employed and compensated, Jose and Javi aren't just walking the picket line but also breaking down the many changes in the industry that have lead to the current labor action. In the fifteen years since the dawn of the streaming age, the way television is made and consumed has changed enormously, and Jose and Javi have experienced those changes in real time... this is not the same business Jose and Javi came into at the start of their careers, and it isn't the same as when they began recording the Children of Tendu podcast... it's a new era, and Jose and Javi are here to tell you all about it!

Children of Tendu: On Writing Sep 06, 2021

Show notes

Remember when we said our previous episode would be our series finale? WE LIED. And we are back to prove it with a super sized episode where we answer YOUR questions about OUR process. How do we write? Why do we write? Where do we write? (and it's not in the bathtub like Dalton Trumbo) All these questions and more! Answered right here! With our usual career-endangering candor!

IS THIS OUR SERIES FINALE? May 06, 2021

Show notes

Seven years ago, veteran television writer/producers Jose Molina and Javier Grillo-Marxuach set out to consign all their experience to a podcast and to give it away for free. One Golden Age of television, a pandemic, and several complete disruptions in the industry later, Jose and Javi look to the future and ponder the fate of the Children of Tendu Podcast... and more importantly, their own transition from wizened veterans to fellow travelers with newcomers in a rapidly changing world!

The Editorial Of Tendu Mar 02, 2020

Show notes

Most writers have very little idea of what goes on in an edit bay, and how to best manage the collaborative relationship between a TV writer/producer and the show's editor. To remedy this situation, Javi and Jose have brought in one of the most prolific and acclaimed editors working today - Shawn Paper, whose credits include Parks and Rec, Veep, What We Do In The Shadows, Flight of the Conchords, and countless others - to discuss how writers and editors can, and should, be best friends!

The Directorate of Tendu Dec 09, 2019

Show notes

In this super-sized deep-dive, Jose and Javi interview Jeremiah Chechik - director not just of the pilot episode of Javi's show "The Middleman" but also TV shows including "Chuck", "Gossip Girl", "Shadowhunters", "Helix", "The Bronx is Burning", "Burn Notice" - and, oh yeah, a couple of classic feature films including "Benny and Joon" and "Christmas Vacation".

Though the discussion is wide-ranging, the focus is on the relationship between the writer and director both in TV and features: how we collaborate, how we interact on and off the set, and how do we stay true to each our vision without trampling on the other's! This one's a must for all TV writers - because our work doesn't end at the keyboard, and directors can, and should, be our best friends!

THE CHILDREN OF TENDU MEET THE PRESIDENT OF THE WRITERS GUILD Jul 02, 2019

Show notes

The Writers Guild is currently engaged in a landmark labor action which has already changed the face of the entertainment industry. In this special episode, Jose and Javi have a lengthy and candid conversation with WGA President David A. Goodman about the how's and why's of the guild's goals and strategy as it seeks to redefine the role of agents and agencies in the business of representing writers.

Children of Tendu Live at the Writers Guild - The Fellowship of the Writers Room! Apr 22, 2018

Show notes

As part of their "Living in the Middle" sessions at the WGA, Javi and Jose host a talk about the writers room - what sort of personalities thrive in the collaborative creative environment that fuels the creation of TV narratives, and how does a writer find his or her voice among the talented many who make up a staff!

The Big Pitch - Part Two Apr 22, 2018

Show notes

In this the second part and conclusion of "The Big Pitch" Jose and javi discuss what happened after The Big Pitch... what networks heard The Big Pitch, who didn't and why? What was it like in the rooms where they pitched? What sort of feedback did they get? Did anyone buy The Big Pitch? What was it like to develop a role playing game into a potential TV show... and, most importantly: did the rigors of working together after 24 years of friendship destroy Jose and Javi... or did it make them stronger?

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