Ep226 - Veena Sud Returns, Screenwriter Quibi’s ‘The Stranger’ & AMC’s ‘The Killing’

Veena Sud, screenwriter behind Seven Seconds, The Killing, and Cold Case returns to discuss her latest venture, Quibi’s short-form series, The Stranger. Quibi is a short-form mobile platform from founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, the producer of movies like Shrek, The Prince of Egypt, and The Road to El Dorado. In a previous interview, we spoke with Sud about “slow burn storytelling,” which applied to the rhythm and tone of our work. The Stranger, of course, is somewhat the opposite of her previous formula. With all of these parameters in mind, Sud created The Stranger, a story about an unassuming rideshare driver who picks up a nightmare passenger. In this interview, Sud discusses writing for phone viewers meaning horizontal and vertical viewing, how Quibi programming is a hybrid of movie and TV writing, how to weaponize an audience, how she uses the zeitgeist of headlines for inspiration, and three ways to trick yourself out of writer’s block. If you haven’t seen the series, watch for some light spoilers around the 16-minute mark, and make sure to also go back and listen to my original conversation with Sud in Episode 94 of the podcast. Both versions are also on the Creative Screenwriting website. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5