The Business

KCRW
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Aug 6, 2016 • 30min

Mike Birbiglia on how improv made him a better director

Comedian Mike Birbiglia's new film Don't Think Twice follows a close-knit improv group that starts to feel the strain when one of its members gets a big break on a hit TV show. Birbiglia tells us what improv and directing have in common, and how he's set out to "hand-deliver" his film to theaters.
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Jul 30, 2016 • 30min

James Schamus makes directorial debut with 'Indignation'

James Schamus was a successful producer of independent films with his company, Good Machine, and then as the CEO of art-house label Focus Features for 13 years. In 2013, he was fired and decided to try something new. Schamus tells us about calling the shots on his directorial debut, Indignation.
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Jul 23, 2016 • 30min

Joe Berlinger Reflects on Long Career & New Tony Robbins Doc

Joe Berlinger says his mind is boggled by the criticism of his new film, Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru. Some critics think Berlinger should have approached his subject with a more skeptical eye, but the award-winning veteran documentarian says that was never the point of the movie.
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Jul 16, 2016 • 30min

Emmy-nominated Noah Hawley on Crafting the 'Fargo' Universe

Writer-producer Noah Hawley, recently Emmy-nominated for both writing and directing in season two of Fargo, tells us how he gets so much writing done, why he doesn’t ever want to work in broadcast TV again, and what he knows so far about Fargo season three.
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Jul 9, 2016 • 30min

Jerrod Carmichael on Bringing Heart and Truth Back to the Sitcom

Jerrod Carmichael’s NBC series The Carmichael Show takes an old-fashioned approach to the sitcom--complete with a live studio audience. Still, the show tackles topical issues from guns to religion. He tells us why he loves the multi-cam set-up and what other modern day sitcoms are missing.
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Jul 2, 2016 • 30min

Revisiting Sarah Gertrude Shapiro, Creator of Lifetime’s 'UnREAL'

The dramedy UnREAL, now in its second season, is a major departure from the typical Lifetime fare. The series co-creator Sarah Gertrude Shapiro tells us how her past experience working on The Bachelor led to the creation of a show all about the behind-the-scenes machinations of a reality TV producer.
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Jun 25, 2016 • 30min

Maria Bamford and Pam Brady on ‘Lady Dynamite’

In the new Netflix series Lady Dynamite, comedian Maria Bamford plays a version of herself, trying to regain her footing following a battle with mental illness. Bamford and show co-creator Pam Brady talk about how they developed the show and keep the real Bamford sane on set while she plays the semi-fictional Bamford on TV.
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Jun 18, 2016 • 30min

Tim Miller, Simon Kinberg on 'Deadpool' & that Mysterious Leak

Director Tim Miller and producer Simon Kinberg tell us how Deadpool went from being almost dead at Fox to an R-rated box office sensation. And as for the leaked test footage that made fans go wild and got the movie made? Miller swears it wasn't him.
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Jun 11, 2016 • 30min

Seth Meyers on 'Late Night' and Taking a Point of View

As the host of NBC's Late Night, Seth Meyers has been tearing into this unhinged election year -- and he feels no obligation to strive for fake balance. He defends himself against that and the semi-serious charge that his insults drove Donald Trump to run for president.
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Jun 4, 2016 • 30min

Julie Klausner on Romantic Friendships and 'Difficult People'

Comedian Julie Klausner is the creator and star of the Hulu comedy Difficult People. She tells us how her experience writing recaps of reality shows for Vulture informs her character on the show and why she and Billy Eichner, her friend and co-star, will never have a fight on air. 

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