Shane Black, Fred Dekker, Jim Herzfeld, & David Silverman of “The Pad O’ Guys”, explains why I’m not “Pad O Guys” Material

Shane Black, Jim Herzfeld, Fred Dekker, and David Silverman look back on their formative years at UCLA and the shared house that became a creative hub and lifelong support system. What began as a loose collective of film-obsessed college friends evolved into a 24-hour open-door hangout where movie watching, gaming, writing, joking, and low-budget filmmaking fueled both friendships and ambition. In the early 1980s, these young creatives found their voices, their confidence, and their drive by building a scene together. The group reflects on how that community shaped their careers and helped launch work that would later define modern film, television, comedy, animation, and genre storytelling. From blockbuster screenwriting and cult-classic filmmaking to animation history and television production, their shared origins reveal how collaboration, camaraderie, and persistence can have a lasting impact on both art and life. The episode celebrates the power of creative tribes and how a single house full of passionate film nerds helped produce some of the most influential movies and shows of the last three decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices