- Social:
filmmaker, founder of 21 Laps Entertainment
PROFILE
Shawn Levy
Guest
FROM Shawn Levy
The Business
Shawn Levy on changing course in his career and 'Stranger Things' Last July, ‘Stranger Things’ on Netflix came seemingly out of nowhere to become the buzziest show of the summer. The executive producer of ‘Stranger Things’ is Shawn Levy--who before last year was best known as a director of family-friendly comedies, notably the ‘Night at the Museum’ franchise. The broad comedies had broad appeal: the 3 ‘Night at the Museum’ movies, all directed by Levy, made more than a billion dollars worldwide. But eventually Levy wanted to break out of his box. He began to expand the mission of his production company--21 Laps. Last year his efforts paid off in a big way. In addition to ‘Stranger Things,’ he produced ‘Arrival’--nominated for 8 Oscars including best picture and best director. Levy has come a long way from where he began his career--not behind the camera but in front of it. He tells us how acting in a cheesy horror movie helped him become a better director, how he convinced Hollywood to reconsider him, and what might be next. Watch 'Stranger Things' on Netflix ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 trailer
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The Business
In 'Speechless,' Scott Silveri combines comedy, family & disability Scott Silveri has written and produced sitcoms for more than 20 years. In all that time, he never encountered a TV family that looked anything like the one he grew up in -- with a mom, a dad...and a brother with cerebral palsy. He changed that with his show Speechless on ABC. Silveri tells us about looking to his own past for stories, and why he was determined to make a family comedy and not just a "disability show."
The Business
Revisiting showrunner Steven Bochco on his memoir Steven Bochco, the writer-producer behind record-breaking Emmy winners Hill Street Blues, LA Law and NYPD Blue, fought battles with everyone from out-of-control actors to network censors in his long career. He isn’t afraid to tell those tales in his memoir, Truth Is a Total Defense. This week we revisit the conversation where he shared some of his favorite stories with us.
Design and Architecture
Securing Public Spaces, Super Wealthy Asians Vehicles are increasingly being used as weapons, as seen in the London Bridge attack over the weekend and in New York’s Times Square last month. The Compton-based company Calpipe is designing security bollards to help make public spaces safer. And novelist Kevin Kwan satirizes the “crazy rich” Asian jet set and their luxurious tastes in his latest book, “Rich People Problems.”