Introduce Yourself to The Group

[Allie Theiss]

1. Name? Allie Theiss

2. How many scripts you’ve written? 12

3. What do you hope to get out of the class? To learn how to put a reality show together.

4. Something unique, special, strange, or unusual about you? I developed a system for energy intimacy between two or more people no matter where the people are located.

[Esther Shihabi]

1. Name? Esther Shihabi

2. How many scripts you’ve written? 5

3. What you hope to get out of the class? How to take a reality show concept and create a long running series from it.

4. Something unique, special, strange or unusual about you? I recently completed a Reiki certification and love meditation.

[Ira Drower]

1. Name? Ira Drower

2. How many scripts you’ve written? 4

3. What you hope to get out of the class? Learn about reality shows, how to create one, write one, pitch one.

4. Something unique, special, strange or unusual about you? Just moved to Vegas. Love comedy of all types, satirical, action, buddy, Rom-Com, Black, etc. I think it would be fun to put together reality show with comedic overtones.

[Michael Kemp]

My name is Michael Kemp, I’ve worked in the motion picture and television industry for over 38-years as a medical supervisor for various studios and locations including Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Warner Hollywood Studios before retiring. I once wrote a spec “Adam-12” TV episode at age 17 and it brought about a meeting with Stephen J. Cannell when he was story editor of the series. More on that later if you wish, including later having Jack Webb himself as one of my mentors.

While at Warner Hollywood I continued writing spec scripts for “Love Boat,” “Matt Houston” and “Quantum Leap.” None of which panned out as an assignment.

Before retirement and studio employment, I was a private emergency ambulance driver/attendant contracted to the City of Burbank where I ran over 5,200 9-1-1 calls from 1973 to 1976, a period I call before paramedics, which enabled me to qualify for the studio jobs. Finally, gaining PHTLS certification through Daniel Freeman Paramedic School Hospital in Inglewood, California as a Pre-Hospital Trauma Life Support EMT.

After that, I was President of the Business & Industry Council of Emergency Planning and Preparedness (www.bicepp.org) based in Los Angeles where we coordinated with the city and private industry to plan and prepare for any form of disaster, including scheduling competition between various factors, city and private companies (More below).

After retirement, I’ve devoted full-time to writing, having written several motion pictures, “Lotso”, about a lost, $1 billion, winning lottery ticket in a package of shipped breakfast cereal.

“Barbary Raid: The True 1803 Story of the frigate USS Philadelphia, a miniseries for television Part I: Capture, imprisonment, and destruction,” based on all six volumes of the Naval Documents Related to the United States Wars with the Barbary Powers. Naval Operations Including Diplomatic Background From 1785 Through 1805. This was President Thomas Jefferson’s War.

Two “My Uncle Columbo,” 2-hour episodes written and created by me, including the TV pilot for the rebirth of the Columbo character, played by Columbo’s nephew, Andy, a LAPD sergeant in Vice promoted to Lieutenant and transferred to homicide after his Uncle’s untimely death in his sleep. I have all the essentials, including a production budget, Cast Day Out of Days, and potential casting of characters, a full-bible with a rendition of future episodes, etc.

I Had contacted NBC-Universal because they control the rights to the character, and their law department informed me, if I have a literary agent that they are familiar with in conducting business, we can proceed forward. I’m awaiting that in finding a literary agent match. I acknowledge I once had 5, yes 5 different literary agents, and each one left me after I got the door opened for them at various productions to submit my material. It was then, that I went out on my own.

I’m currently involved with writing two fiction novels, since long ago, Burt Reynolds told me to “write a book, and they’ll pay attention.” Now, hopefully launching another series based on reality entitled, “ERT=CERT: The National Championships,” to which I attended and took part in with the entire BICEPP Executive Board as Judges, when it was known as the “BICEPP Challenge,” over a weekend at the Los Angeles Sports Arena. I believe it will be an interesting competition program, this time with celebrity hosts, that will attract an audience considering there are over thousands of CERT volunteers throughout this nation and more around the world, including a CERT Junior Division being trained today to compete against all comers.

Thank you for allowing me to present myself to you.

Michael Kemp

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[Butch Malarchik]

1. Name? Butch Malarchik

2. How many scripts you’ve written? Several scripts that are all in different stages.

3. What you hope to get out of the class? I would like to learn what it takes to get a reality show to the tv studios. I also hope that this will help me to reignite the fire I once had for writing scripts.

4. Something unique, special, strange or unusual about you? I feel like we are all unique in our own special way. I will just say that I am a person that finds it much easier to help people than it is to ask people for help.

[Frank Ishizaki]

Hi All, Frank Ishizaki

I’ve written 11 narrative scripts

My short term goal is to create and hone at least one marketable pitch for a reality/docu series or special

I directed a ton of high stakes poker then moved on to esports. Essentially, making a living creating content in which the players barely move while competing.

grateful to be in this class with you all.

[Ash Willeby]

Hi!
I’m Ash
I’ve written about 10 learning scripts, and 3 Marketable ones
Looking to get a better understanding of the intricacies of reality TV (perhaps in comparison to traditionally scripted shows)
I got my Master’s in Forensic Psychology, but found myself far too impatient to utilize it in a clinical setting… so, I try to at least use it in writing unique characters.

[Brendan Williams]

Hello, My name is Brendan Williams and I’m super excited to take this Alternative Reality TV Writing Class. Only recently I’ve started watching reality shows (Shark Tank, Catfish, and a few others) because I was on lock down so why not??? I’ve written 5 scripts (that are actually polished and all came out of a ScreenwritingU class). I hope to really learn a lot about creating GOOD reality TV and also how to market my ideas and get my foot in the door, but also what makes viewers rush to the TV sets to watch alternative TV shows. Something special about me would be I do stand up comedy outside of writing. I usually perform around the state of Maine and has been at this for five years already!!!!

[Donals Perry]

1. Name: Don Perry

2. How many scripts you’ve written: a lot, in addition to writting and producing 4 feature-length docs for PBS and a 3×60 docu-series that first aired in 2019.

3. What you hope to get out of the class: to fine tune one of my pet projects for commercial non-PBS TV.

4. Something unique, special, strange or unusual about you: I am a former wilderness guide and still hike 5-7 miles every day with my redbone coonhound, Rollie.

[Laura Souders]

1. Name? Laura Souders

2. How many scripts you’ve written? 0

3. What you hope to get out of the class? How to create a buzzier reality tv show and pitch it to producers

4. Something unique, special, strange or unusual about you? I have been a support organizer on the HOARDERS show 4 times!! Eight years ago, my husband and I actually bought a hoarded house, completely cleared it out and made it our own. It kicked off my business as a professional organizer and launched me into a live, monthly tv segment showing viewers how to “Get It Together”, which I’ve been doing for over two years.

[Thomas Duffy]

1. Thomas F. Duffy

2. How many scripts you’ve written? 7

3. What you hope to get out of the class? To create a reality tv show and pitch it to producers

4. 41 year in business. Here’s my bio – Many actors talk about transforming themselves for a role, but Thomas F. Duffy has made a career of it. He’s gone from dinosaur hunting paleontologist to saving the world from aliens, Olympic hockey hero to a murderous gang leader, militiaman bank robber to Ground Zero fire captain. A veteran of over 100 films, plays and television shows, his ability to transform himself has seen him with almost as many faces as Lon Chaney, changing looks and attitudes with every new role he takes on.

Thomas received critical praise for his starring roles as hippie Paleontologist Dr. Robert Burke in THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK for Steven Spielberg and as James Van der Beek’s fiery football loving dad, Sam Moxon, in the hit film VARSITY BLUES. Other noted directors he has worked for include JJ Abrams, James Cameron, Oliver Stone, Mike Nichols, Curtis Hanson, Richard Donner, Roland Emmerich, William Friedkin, Harold Becker, Tony Scott and Wes Craven. He’s worked with Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Charles Bronson, Meryl Streep, John Candy, Sean Penn, Jack Nicholson, Gary Oldman, Christopher Plummer, Ed Harris, Jennifer Lopez, Jim Carrey, Bruce Willis, Laurence Fishburne, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nicolas Cage & Antonio Banderas.

Thomas made a commanding feature film debut as Charles Bronson’s main nemesis, Nirvana, in DEATH WISH II. His over 40 film roles include SUPER 8, WORLD TRADE CENTER, INDEPENDENCE DAY, THE RIVER WILD, WOLF, RUBBER, THE MAMBO KINGS, MERCURY RISING, THE ABYSS, STATE OF GRACE, MIRACLE ON ICE, SUPREMACY, POODLE SPRINGS, TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A., OUT FOR JUSTICE, THE WATERDANCE, WAGONS EAST, STRANGE MEN and THE CANDIDATE.

His over fifty television appearances include: THE DAILY SHOW, SHAMELESS, THE X-FILES, GREY’S ANATOMY, WISDOM OF THE CROWD, LOUIE, GETTING ON, E.R., LAW& ORDER: LOS ANGELES, HAWTHORNE, WITHOUT A TRACE, FRANKLIN & BASH, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, NYPD BLUE, THE AGENCY, G vs. E, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, WALKER, TEXAS RANGER, MATLOCK, TWO FISTED TALES, CHICAGO HOPE and NIGHT COURT. Recurring television roles include: SHAMELESS, THE MIDDLE, IN LIVING COLOR, FAMILY LAW, COVER ME, PICKET FENCES, A YEAR IN THE LIFE and DAYS OF OUR LIVES.

Thomas has been ranked as high as 1,386, among all actors in the world by IMDB. He won two Drama-Logue awards for his work on the stage and has been in many award-winning films. He served an adjudicator for the American College Theatre Festival, and has lectured at colleges across the country, including Brown, Smith, Miami and Ohio.