Internet Geek Girl

Many of you know that I am obsessed with television – in particular HBO (and now, ok, Showtime too).  Some months back I came across a very interesting Twitter Account, @Tim_Gibbons.  I couldn’t believe a big Hollywood producer was hanging out in a geeky place like Twitter.  Well, yes he was and he still does. Tim Gibbons, Executive Producer of Curb Your Enthusiasm generously took an hour out of his busy schedule to talk to me, InternetGeekGirl! Read his cool story below, and oh yeah – be sure to FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER!

Tim’s Blog, The Gibbons Update, focuses on ‘The Business’ of entertainment. For people interested in breaking into Hollywood and learning about it from an insider’s perspective, it’s a great resource. Part story-teller, part CEO, and part GEEK, Tim spoke with me about his Twitter account, his TV habits, being an Executive Producer, the changing landscape of Internet TV and of course, LARRY DAVID!

Q: Why Twitter? Tell my readers how you stumbled upon this geeky world?

“Twitter has been a weird thing,” says Gibbons. ” The Producer’s Guild holds regular seminars and about a year ago, I went to one on New Media and the Web.  Zadi from Epic Fu was on a panel talking about Twitter.  It sounded like a dirty word. I had started seeing Facebook updates with Twitter in them. With a bit of encouragement, I took to it quickly. My followers have grown and I’ve met people from all around the world.”

Q: I call myself an HBO “ho” but lately Showtime has me all worked up.  What are your favorite shows of the moment? How do you watch them all?

“When Curb launched HBO had the Sopranos, which was all the buzz at that point.  Showtime has come to the forefront with some great programming post Soprano’s and Six Feet Under. I’m personally a fan of Calfornication and WEEDS. I watch a little Dexter too; I also enjoy MadMen, True Blood, Lost and Heros…. I stock pile a bunch of episodes on Tivo, and then have a big viewing session. There’s a lot to keep up on.”

Q: When we last left Larry and Cheryl, they were separated and the marriage was on rocks. I doubt you will tell me what is going to happen this next season, but can you share a little bit about the Curb creative process? AND BTW – will Twitter be featured on Curb anytime soon?

“Well yes, I won’t tell you. The last season ended in November 2007. Curb does 10 episodes at a time because each one is a ‘handcrafted event.’ Larry David writes and stars in each episode and is hands-on through the entire process – from crafting the story, getting it to paper, filming it and editing it. It is a time consuming process. HBO has been awesome, and when Larry is ready, he does more!

Larry doesn’t use a computer. He writes long form on a yellow pad. For the longest time he didn’t have a cell phone. Getting one was a big move.  Then one day he got a Blackberry and started emailing, and we were like OMG! – Larry David on a Blackberry. That was a huge step. I don’t think he’ll be Twittering anytime soon.”

** Note to reader – if you want to keep up on Curb news (they are currently in production). you should follow Tim’s feed. He shares good stuff.

Q: So this is Hollywood newbie question, but I’ve always wondered why sometimes there are multiple people listed on one screen as executive producers when credits roll, and sometimes names stand alone (like you!).  Can you explain this and also tell me more about what producers do?

“It all depends on who you are and if you are on a team.  This is called ‘sharing a card,’ and it really comes down to how things get negotiated. Sometimes there are union requirements – when credits can be shared and when they can’t be. For example, director’s credits cannot be shared.

In terms of the producer role, it is a combination of organizational skills and creative skills – left brain and right brain. Many people who start as day runners or PAs go into producing. The highest title you can achieve in television is ‘Executive Producer,’ and in film it’s ‘Producer.’  There are several kinds of executive producers though.”

Comment from IGG: Tim described a bunch of types of producing and this is how I summed it up:

• The Writer / Producer: These are the guys that oversee the writing, manage the people, every aspect of a show. They are like the ultimate CEO of a show. A good example is Matthew Weiner, producer of Mad Men.
• Non-writing producer. That’s what Tim is on Curb Your Enthusiasm (sometimes he’s the writing producer on things too). You must gain a reputation for being someone who can deliver projects on time  and on budget and make sure the creative vision of the writer and networks are met.
• Features producer: This is someone that finds a book or a story and then makes the project happen. This sounded very entrepreneurial and similar to starting a tech company.
• Creative producer: Again, this type of producer gets an idea, develops a project and gets the deal made. For example, they might pitch a pilot to HBO and if HBO buys it, then they would find the writer, develop the script, etc.

NB: It seems to me that producers are part salesperson, part creative storyteller. From what I understand the business models vary (whether you invest your own cash or not), just like in tech. I see a lot of similarities to the tech start-up life, but a lot more glamorous.

Q: Typical questions – how did you get started in this business?  Where are you from?

“My dad was an actor.  I have officially been in the business myself since 1976 (32 years), but I was exposed to it as a very young child. I was born in NYC. When I was 3 years old, my Dad was in LA on Christmas day. He called my Mom and told her it was 85 degrees and sunny. He also said that he thought there would be more opportunity for a working actor in LA. It was snowing in NYC that day. Mom agreed with his assessment. My mom got rid of the apartment, packed me up and we drove across country and moved to LA.

I used to go to the set with Dad as a kid. I met movie stars, went to auditions with him. I saw my dad competing with 5 other actors who looked similar to him and thought – ‘I want to be the guy who gets to pick the actor, not one of the six guys vying for the job.’

Q: Internet TV is a booming field. As someone who understands both worlds, what do you see on the horizon?

“I do try to watch as much Internet TV as I can.  I enjoyed Abigail’s X-Rated Teen Diary and Good Night Burbank (by Hayden Black). I was also very impressed with Lisa Kudrow’s news about the new show Web Therapy.  Budgets for web series have gone up significantly, which allows for more production value and customization for the screen size (mobile, etc).  The thing with Internet TV is that it is all the same kind of humor and contains very similar content, geared toward a specific audience. I’d like to push the narrative and demographic and move beyond shows that feature the same joke every week. What we’re trying to do is be different than what’s out there today. That’s my nefarious plan!”

We wish Tim well with his plan and will stay tuned for developments. Thanks Tim!