Success Story: Sam Ernst & Jim Dunn
In Hollywood, the road to success is different for everyone. For the writing team of Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn, the journey began in college. These roommates talked about writing, but took a detour into the restaurant business for several years. In fact, Sam and Jim were named Minnesota’s Restaurateurs of the Year by Mpls St. Paul Magazine in 2002.
But, a New Year’s resolution sent them back to writing. And a writer’s assistant job brought them out to Los Angeles. As you’d imagine, they had their share of speed bumps and successes along the way. The writing team chronicles these travelers’ tales in their Sam and Jim go to Hollywood podcasts. On top of telling their story, the podcasts deliver the “unvarnished truth” about writing, from the writing process to the writing life. And a funny thing happened: e-mails started pouring in from all over the world.
Downloaded over 150,000 times, their podcasts reach a loyal audience of thousands of listeners from across the globe and even across town. It turns out that a lot of working screenwriters listen in, too. What’s more, the podcasts spun off into the Sam and Jim Go to Hollywood column featured in Scr(i)pt Magazine.
Of course, the team has done a lot of writing enroute. Although basically TV writers, they started out with a few feature scripts sales. And their feature comedy, MYRON’S MOVIE, was released in 2004. But, TV is their passion and one-hour drama, their niche. Currently on staff at THE DEAD ZONE, a USA Network show based on a Stephen King novel, they recently sold a pilot based on another Stephen King novel.
They also sold a second pilot to Touchstone TV. Added to this, they wrote the Activision video game that will accompany the upcoming DreamWorks animated feature film, SHREK 3.
And The Scriptwriters Network was with Sam and Jim from early on. The team garnered accolades in the 2001 Carl Sautter Memorial Competition for their script, I’M JUST A BILL, an episode for THE WEST WING.
According to Sam Ernst, “The Scriptwriters Network is a great intro into the writing part of Hollywood. And you get to meet the coolest people in Hollywood—writers.” So, it’s no surprise that The Scriptwriters Network’s top-notch guests bring them to some Speakers Series events.
For more on Sam Ernst and Jim Dunn’s travels on the road to adventure of scriptwriting, check out their podcasts at: www.samandjimgotohollywood.libsyn.com