“Dance until your feet hurt. Sing until your lungs hurt. Act until your William Hurt.” This was the answer I received when I asked Dan O’Shannon, Executive Producer of Modern Family, what his favorite, “Phil’s-osophy” was. The Ithaca College Park School of Communications presents the Park Distinguished Speaker Series every year. Fortunately we had the opportunity to hear Dan speak about his work in the television business. Dan has an Emmy Award for outstanding comedy for his work on the hit T.V. show Modern Family. He has also worked on, Cheers, Fraiser and Newhart, collectively working on network comedies for 28 years. O’Shannon spoke about his experiences in the comedy industry and how he got there. Here a few highlights from the night:
The Actors
“I have been very proud of watching the actors grow professionally and as people. All the actors are enthusiastic, skilled and terrific. There is a visible change from them being their charater to them just being their self.”
The Writing Process
“While working in a group, we will discuss what works and what doesn’t. It can take us up to 2-3 weeks to write one episode for Modern Family. We will feed off of each other’s ideas, which will usually be based off our own lives. The show writer will set the tone of group to keep everyone in line.” As Dan described it this person is like the, “idea traffic cop”. He also said I always take the time to edit your work before you hand it to screen writer. Presentation is key.
Political Aspect
“We wanted to present Cam and Mitch as a loving couple first and gay couple second. We had many people right in and complain why they had no kissed yet in the show when we first started. By having them shown as loving, America was more willing to accept them for who they are.”
What is Comedy?
“Comedy has to be a shapeshifter. You need to explore different variables that influence people’s decisions.” Dan continuously explained that the writing process takes time and a lot of work. You have to see what is funny and what is not funny. The actors will adlib a lot of the time and will usually work very well.
Appreciate Writing
Dan talked about his appreciation for writing and why it is so important for people to write. “Writing is magic. You can freeze your feelings, send them and have someone feel the same emotions.”
Advice for Aspiring Writers
“Think about the television in 2013 and where it is going to go. You have to be aware of why you want to go into this industry. Do you like the art? Are you going to communicate a message to others?” Dan summed it up by saying that you need to be satisfied with what you are doing. He also gave a shout out to seniors and said, “What do you have to lose? There is nothing holding you back. When going for your dreams you need to remember that there will be a lot of, soul searching, ambition, political savvy and luck.”
At the end of the Q/A session, student were given the opportunity to ask Dan questions. My question to Dan was, “What has been your most rewarding experience so far in the television business?” He responded by saying that there has not been a particular moment when he has felt rewarded. He feels humble when people will quote what he has written.
Dan O’Shannon made us laugh and think about why we want to do what we are going to do. We have to be satisfied what we are doing and we have to work hard to get there. “You can use people’s belief in you as fuel and you can use people’s disbelief in you as fuel.”