Modern Family was a clear selection for Film Works, as it provides viewers with an intimate glimpse into the life of a screenwriter employed in a Los Angeles-based TV production. We believed that it was about time to assemble a talented group of writers who can create compelling narratives that resonate with audiences. Without a script, however, none of these positive developments can occur.
According to the input, the sentence structure is inverted as follows: “The economic significance of television production on the local economy is acknowledged by the team at 20th Century Fox Television, the home of Modern Family. They also share Film Works’ dedication to educating Californians about the significance of maintaining TV production in the state. Earlier this year, the studio’s production team incorporated the Film Works logo into their “Made in L.A.” Messaging (shown here) that decorates the Modern Family production trucks.”
Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, the creators and executive producers of Modern Family liked our idea for a story and graciously arranged for Film Works to visit the writers’ offices on the 20th Century Fox Studios. There, we met with Bill Wrubel, one of the “Modern Writers” and a co-executive producer on the show.
Gray Spalding and Mamet David are writers who excel at their craft. Gray, who was born and raised in New Jersey, earned an English degree from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. After college, he worked as a playwright and backstage at the Atlantic Theater Company in New York City, where he proudly notes that he learned the art of writing for television. Little did he know that his time at the theater would prepare him for a career spanning over 15 years as a critically acclaimed screenwriter in Hollywood, producing and writing for a variety of successful shows.
Film Works informed Wrubel that the writing standard on television was comparable, if not superior, to that of Broadway plays, which started to alter his perspective. The emergence of his beloved shows like Frasier, Seinfeld, Friends, and NYPD Blue in the early 1990s further contributed to this shift. While Wrubel had never seriously considered writing for television, he acknowledged that earning a livelihood as a playwright in New York was exceedingly challenging.
Wrubel said, “Being an assistant writer happened to be one of the best things. Starting off as an assistant writer allowed Wrubel to see how a TV show gets made and observe the process of writing for television. After making the big decision to come to Los Angeles for one of his first writing jobs in 1995.”
The writing process for television is completely different than what I was used to, and I was intimidated because I didn’t know if it was something that I could be good at doing. The whole idea of thinking out loud in a room full of talented and funny people, when you know so much of what you say will be bad, is an intimidating reality you have to get comfortable with.
Wrubel learned a valuable lesson by observing well-known comedy writers present material that failed to elicit laughter. “Almost invariably, the content they present lacks humor, and exceptional writers frequently propose narrative concepts.”
Before working on Modern Family, Wrubel had spent four years on the show Grace & Will, which he described as a wonderful experience. He mentioned that many writers want to begin their careers working on shows like Frasier or Seinfeld, hoping to become one of the greats. Wrubel said, “I had been on the show from the start, but working on Grace was the best experience of my life.”
Wrubel remembered visiting the studio for an interview with Steven Levitan and Chris Lloyd.
Right off the bat, I was a little nervous. Back when I was living in New York, I spent a lot of time sitting in my apartment watching television because I was, as a struggling playwright, oftentimes out of work. I would see their names [Levitan & Lloyd] all the time because I loved shows they worked on like Wings and Frasier. And now all of the sudden, I am sitting in an office waiting to meet them.
The pilot was watching with excitement, but his nervous energy was also added. As he waited for his interview with Wrubel, he watched the pilot episode of Modern Family for his family.
I remember sitting there watching the pilot and thinking to myself, ‘oh my God, this thing is fantastic!’ It was just so good, so funny and I started to think this could be one of those great shows everyone wants the chance to be a part of and I could be there from day one.
Wrubel expressed that writing for Modern Family has been an exceptional journey from the start. Wrubel’s aspiration of being part of one of the “outstanding shows since its inception” has become a reality as Modern Family commences its fourth season, considering the show’s widespread acclaim and numerous honors.
Steve [Levitan] and Chris [Lloyd] are amazing showrunners who know how to operate a show like clockwork. They really do give everyone who is part of the show a feeling of ownership, especially for the episodes we are assigned to write the script for. At the same time, Steve and Chris always have a vision for what they want the show to be and were terrific at running interference for us [the writing team] in the first season when the studio was giving notes that [Levitan and Lloyd] wanted us [the writers] to ignore.
“We toil,” declared Wrubel. “Whilst we inhabit that chamber, we refrain from squandering countless hours engaging in jest or indulging in amusing videos on YouTube throughout the entirety of the day. They possess such expertise as showrunners due to their capability to successfully endure such extensive periods of time,” proclaimed Wrubel. Generally, Wrubel dedicates his time from approximately 10 in the morning until 6:30 in the evening. The writer’s schedule, which often tends to be excessively lengthy in numerous productions, is quite reasonable for Modern Family.
Wrubel said writing each episode is a group endeavor. For the writer assigned to write a specific episode, the task is to interpret what Levitan and Lloyd want and find a way to finesse it all into a polished script. While this may sound difficult, Wrubel said they get the job done because the team sticks to the fundamentals of storytelling. “The focus is always on telling a story, not to tell a joke. We let the jokes come out of the story rather than concoct a story just to keep telling jokes.”
“A good moment found on the stage can also make comedy soar, the cast of Modern Family said when it comes to getting them to play with the words of the writer, they are very respectful. During the last editing session and the shoot in the room, it means adding the whole host of collaborators who are not in the script but are involved in shooting. Without any explanation and inverting the English, it has been inverted and without the English, it has been inverted and without the English, it has been inverted and without the English, it has been inverted and without the English, it has been inverted and without the English, it has been inverted and without the English, it has been inverted and without the English, it has been inverted and without the English, it has been inverted and without the English, it has been inverted and without the English, it has been inverted and without the English, it has been inverted and without the English, it has been inverted and without the English, it has been inverted and without the English, it has been inverted and without the English, it has been inverted and without the English, it has been inverted and without the English.”
During every phase of the shoot, the cast will be involved and the showrunners, Lloyd and Levitan, will oversee the writers. When the script is ready to shoot, Wrubel, the co-executive producer and writer, said that he wears the hat of a writer.
Wrubel expressed, “Throughout the course of a day, I might find myself engaged in the process of story development for a particular episode, reviewing a fellow writer’s script for another episode, examining outlines and providing feedback for as many as five distinct episodes.” The writer’s attention switches from being solely dedicated to one episode to managing various tasks and cooperating on numerous episodes within a single day, if not actively writing a specifically assigned episode.
Many people have the obvious question of how writers are able to draw from their own lives and experiences, and where they get the material they need to keep it short and answer it. In order to show characters from three equally distinct families, they have more than ten distinct characters.
Wrubel, with a laugh, expressed, “Whenever I coach my daughter’s softball team, I covertly anticipate the occurrence of something funny or out of the ordinary that I can incorporate into a tale.” Wrubel consistently desires that his everyday life as a father will provide him with an event that he can include in the show. Following lunch, a number of the writers frequently take a lengthy stroll around the studio and discuss anecdotes from their personal lives, contemplating whether there is any material that can be utilized for a story.
The show, said Wrubel, is set in a suburban location with no specific name, making it relatable. Even though Modern Family is not filmed in L.A., It is clear that it is set around Los Angeles.
The story takes place in a nameless Southern California suburban environment. We don’t hide the fact they seem to live close to Los Angeles — [characters] went to a Lakers game or Dodger Stadium in past episodes — but we don’t specifically mention any towns or L.A. because we want the show to be relatable. It’s not about them going to a Dodgers game, it’s about them going to baseball game.
The production of the show “Modern Family” was filmed in 5 different stages, with the writers’ offices right next to it. However, there were several reasons why the runaway production bothered Wrubel creatively. The writers would only go to New York when their episodes were being shot. After the production moved to New York, the rest of the writing team stayed in Los Angeles, and Wrubel, who was a writer on “Ugly Betty,” stayed there as well. When it comes to the television and film industry, there are more segments in Los Angeles than just the screenwriters.
It’s much more rewarding for me to be near the stage, because I think it allows for a more collaborative environment. I can walk down and spend time on the sets and talk to the cast and maybe get a new insight I can use to write into their character. The more time you spend with the cast, the more things you notice. That’s not something you get when they shoot 3,000 miles away.
Wrubel stated, “The episode of LOST that was filmed in Hawaii and Burbank was truly extraordinary,” he added, “while other writers may not care, Wrubel admits that he prefers the set to be nearby.”
Actor Micheal J. Fox once joked that if you ask anyone walking down the street in Los Angeles about their screenplay, they’ll have an answer for you about it. For the many aspiring writers living in Los Angeles, Film Works asked Wrubel what advice he would give them. Wrubel said it’s important to “be patient about what you are doing” and pointed out that he did not get his first staff writing position on a show until he was 34. Writers should know their movies, television shows, books and plays and participate in writing workshops.
Wrubel stated, “The skills of interacting with other writers and giving notes, like learning from workshops, are just as crucial as the act of writing itself.” Wrubel revealed that he constantly attended writing workshops and classes, particularly after he relocated to Los Angeles, as they provided aspiring television writers with the closest approximation to being on a writing team.
Perhaps the most crucial aspect, Wrubal recommends that aspiring writers consistently produce high-quality work for every assignment they undertake.
Whether you are working as a PA [production assistant] or as a writer’s assistant or anything… whatever you are doing, do it well. At some point, someone important is going to notice and ask what it is you really want to do… and then you should have a writing sample, like a spec script, ready to go.
According to Wrubel, the writers of Girls, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Community, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad have a massive fan base. He mentioned that he has never seen anything like it. Wrubel also stated that these shows are probably at the top of everyone’s list, including his own, as he has never seen anything like them before.
“Essentially” stated Wrubel, “we are enthusiasts of the medium.”