Tales From the Crypt Writer on Hollywood Collapses & Podcasting - Alan Katz

Whathappens when you write and oversee more than 70 episodes of HBO's iconic Tales from the Crypt, only to have your career derailduring a disastrous movie production—and ultimately find your true voice inpodcasting?AlanKatz is a veteran Hollywoodscreenwriter, producer, and audio storyteller. After shaping the voice of theCryptkeeper and guiding Talesfrom the Crypt into a global pop-culture phenomenon, Alanexperienced the harsh realities of studio filmmaking with the release of Bordello of Blood. Confronting years of creative block,depression, and personal trauma, Alan transformed those industry failures into The How NOT To Make A Movie Podcast—named the Best FilmPodcast of 2022 by EntertainmentWeekly. Today, through Costard & Touchstone, he producesnarrative audio projects with complete creative ownership.In this episode of FailCraft, Alan joins Ezekiel for a raw,behind-the-scenes look at the entertainment industry. He breaks down whyfailure is a far better teacher than success, how studio politics can dismantlea creative team, and why independent audio storytelling offers writers truecreative freedom.Inthis episode of FailCraft, you’ll discover:·        Why Success Blinds & Failure Teaches: Understanding why missteps offer far better lessons thaneasy wins.·        The Behind-the-Scenes of Tales from the Crypt:Translating EC Comics into a legendary television series.·        Giving Voice to the Cryptkeeper: Modeling the famous puppet after Groucho Marx toestablish a distinct character.·        The Disaster of Bordello of Blood: Howstudio interference, casting conflicts, and cynicism derail creative projects.·        Overcoming a 20-Year Depression & Writer'sBlock: Facing personal history andfinding healing through honest storytelling [19:45 / 21:27].·        Hollywood Studio Traps vs. Podcasting Freedom: Why writers are shifting toward audio narrative formatsto retain 100% IP ownership [27:09 / 29:39].ConnectWith Alan Katz:·        Production Company & Network: costardandtouchstone.com·        Featured Podcasts: Explore The How NOT To Make A Movie Podcast, Dead Drop, and The Donor at costardandtouchstone.comor thedonorpodcast.com.Supportthe Show:·        Fuel the FailCraftMission: https://iferia.nestuge.com/supportme·        Subscribe, leave areview, and share this episode with a writer, filmmaker, or creative!Wantto Be a Guest on FailCraft?·        Connect with Ezekielon PodMatch: https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/failcraft00:00 Introduction:Alan Katz & Why Success Teaches You Nothing02:15 The OriginStory of HBO's "Tales from the Crypt"10:52 InjectingPersonality: How Alan Shaped the Cryptkeeper15:40 Anatomy of aTrainwreck: What Went Wrong on "Bordello of Blood"19:45 Cast Off"Showbiz Mountain": Depression, Block, & Getting Help22:04 The Birth of"The How NOT To Make A Movie Podcast"27:09 The MeatGrinder: Why the Traditional Screenwriting Model Is Broken29:39 Podcasting& IP Freedom: Taking Full Control of Your StoriesChapters:30:58 Connect with AlanKatz & Costard & Touchstone