The Tim Ferriss Show #108: Comedy's Dynamic Duo, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
Teenage Friendship Sparks Writing
- Seth and Evan met in Hebrew school and became friends through bar mitzvah class.
- They started writing together around age 13, inspired to make movies better than what they saw.
Movies Enable Richer Conflict
- Writing movies allows multiple perspectives and complex conflict unlike stand-up.
- Seth found conflict and multiple interacting characters more satisfying than solo stand-up comedy.
Years to Craft Film Ideas
- Their film ideas often evolve from years of conversations and lists of ideas.
- "This Is the End" merged two concepts after years of joking and refining.
This episode features a dynamic duo. Seth Rogen (@SethRogen) is an actor, writer, producer, and director. Evan Goldberg (@EvanDGoldberg) is a Canadian director, screenwriter, and producer. Together, they get into a lot of mischief and create amazing comedy. They’ve collaborated on films such as Superbad (which they first conceived as teenagers), Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, The Green Hornet, and Funny People. They have also written for “Da Ali G Show” and “The Simpsons.” In 2013, Evan and Seth released their directorial debut, This Is the End. In 2014, Seth starred in and produced (alongside Evan) Neighbors, which was a worldwide comedy hit and has taken in more than $268 million worldwide. In December 2014, Rogen and Goldberg’s film, The Interview, became the most-talked-about news story around the world. Under extremely difficult circumstances, the film persevered to become Sony Pictures' #1 digital title of all time. Neighbors 2 is shooting now and will be released next May. Seth and Evan are also in production on Sausage Party, a raunchy animated movie for adults about one sausage's quest to discover the truth about his existence. Seth and Evan are producing the film with Megan Ellison and Conrad Vernon. In our conversation, we discuss all manner of tactics and silliness, including: Kyokushin karate Writer’s block and related debates Writing process Who are the most underrated comedians and comedy writers? How Superbad got made... after they first drafted it around age 13 The odd book Judd Apatow recommended to them (also Woody Allen's favorite) How The Kids in the Hall influenced them The movie they both wish they'd written Common pot mistakes Recommended newb pot for working versus relaxing Will there be a McLovin spinoff? And much more... Show notes and links for this episode can be found at www.fourhourworkweek.com/podcast. This podcast is brought to you by Vimeo Pro, which is the ideal video hosting platform for entrepreneurs. In fact, a bunch of my start-ups are already using Vimeo Pro. WealthFront uses it to explain how WealthFront works. TaskRabbit uses it to tell the company’s story. There are many other names who you would recognize among their customers (AirBnB, Etsy, etc.) Why do they use it? Vimeo Pro provides enterprise level video hosting for a fraction of the usual cost. Features include: Gorgeous high-quality playback with no ads Up to 20 GB of video storage every week Unlimited plays and views A fully customizable video player, which can include your company logo, custom outro, and more You get all this for just $199 per year (that’s only $17 per/mo.). There are no complicated bandwidth calculations or hidden fees. Try it risk-free for 30 days. Just go to Vimeo.com/business to check it out. If you like it, you can use the promo code “Tim” to get 25% off. This is a special discount just for you guys. This podcast is also brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could only use one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is, inevitably, Athletic Greens. It is my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body and did not get paid to do so. Get 50% off your order at Athletic Greens.com/Tim Enjoy!
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