Owen Burke Is Punching Up With Sean Conroy: Stay Joyful

In this episode of Punching Up, I’m talking to my old friend the hilarious Owen Burke. Starting with his early days as a production assistant , to his time as a development executive at Will Ferrell and Adam McKay’s Gary Sanchez Productions, to working on his own screenplays every day, Owen shares his unique trajectory through the entertainment industry.We talk about the importance of paying attention to epiphanies, long-form improv at UCB, why you have to write through stuff the way Picasso painted through his Blue Period (wasn’t just out of all the other colors),  and being a service-oriented producer. Owen offers invaluable advice for writers (and artists, and anybody who makes or does stuff) on finding their joy, managing development hell, and recognizing that everyone on a set is talent (not just the prima donna actors) (although some of them really are so talented).Episode Highlights:The Pivot Points: Why Owen transitioned from struggling stand-up to collaborative improv.The Gary Sanchez Years: Insights into what makes a script commercially viable versus artistically fulfilling.The Creative Process: Why Owen writes in a zero-gravity chair and his "mostly dead" theory of scripts.Professional Longevity: Dealing with the "entrepreneurial fear" of the industry and staying useful.