From writer to creator: Featuring “Dead to Me” creator Liz Feldman
Writer, showrunner, and COM alum Liz Feldman takes part in an in-depth discussion about her journey from breaking into entertainment as an improviser and staff writer, to creating her smash-success, and Emmy-nominated, Netflix series “Dead to Me”. Liz will discuss her creative process, her career path, how “Dead to Me” was developed, and how things shifted this past year to writing the third season all on Zoom.
This panel will be moderated by author, musician, and CFA alum Fay Wolf.
About the speaker:
Liz Feldman (COM) – Over the course of her career, award-winning writer Liz Feldman has carved a space for diverse voices within the entertainment industry.
Feldman is the creator and executive producer of the acclaimed and Emmy®-nominated Netflix series, DEAD TO ME. Season one was fourth on Netflix’s “Top 10 Most Popular Series of 2019 in the United States.” Season two, which premiered on May 8, 2020, to much critical and audience acclaim, received four Emmy® nominations, including for Outstanding Comedy Series. The series was renewed for a third and final season by Netflix in July of 2020. The dark comedy, starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini, is produced by Gloria Sanchez Productions, the female-focused counterpart to Gary Sanchez Productions. NPR TV critic David Bianculli noted, “It’s [Liz Feldman’s] career-best work, and it’s the career-best work for Applegate and Cardellini, too.” Feldman won the 2020 Writers Guild Award for Episodic Comedy, and was nominated for a Writers Guild Award for New Series, on behalf of the show. She was also included on VARIETY’S 2020 “TV Producer Impact Report” and THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER’S 2020 list of the “50 Most Powerful LGBTQ Players in Hollywood.”
Most recently, it was announced that Feldman has signed an overall deal with Netflix. Under the multi-year pact, Feldman will develop new original series and other projects for the streamer.
Feldman began her career as a stand-up comic at the age of sixteen. She is an alumnus of The Second City and The Groundlings. Past television credits include: BLUE COLLAR TV, HOT IN CLEVELAND, The 79th, 86th and 87th ACADEMY AWARDS, 2 BROKE GIRLS and THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW, for which she won four Emmy® awards. She also created the NBC sitcom ONE BIG HAPPY starring Elisha Cuthbert, executive produced by Ellen DeGeneres.
Since 2008, Feldman has been the host of THIS JUST OUT, a YouTube talk show that celebrates lesbian culture. The “gay positive” show is filmed at her kitchen table and features LGBTQ and LGBTQ-friendly actors, comedians, writers and musicians. Feldman has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ rights.
She currently resides in Los Angeles with her wife, musician Rachael Cantu.
About the moderator:
Fay Wolf (CFA) – Fay Wolf is an artist, author and decluttering pro based in Los Angeles. She holds a BFA in Acting from Boston University, and has performed on stages across the U.S. and on shows like 2 Broke Girls and Bones. As a singer-songwriter, Fay has penned and performed sad songs heard around the globe on TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy, The Fosters, and the Pretty Little Liars Official Soundtrack. She founded New Order®, her decluttering business, in 2006, and has since guided thousands of humans toward a happier life with less. Her book New Order: A Decluttering Handbook For Creative Folks (And Everyone Else) was released by Ballantine/Random House in 2016 and is now an online course as well. Fay has given keynotes at such places as the official Etsy conference and the Soho House, and her work has been praised in the NY Times, LA Times, Apartment Therapy, among many others. faywolf.com