Ever wondered how a film professor from Portland convinced Hollywood legend Kathleen Turner to let him write a book about her acting secrets? Or why the most important skill for a cinematographer might actually be writing? In this episode, Emmy-winning filmmaker Dustin Morrow drops serious knowledge on the art of the pitch, the reality of creative collaboration, and why film is the ultimate "empathy machine." If you’re a writer, filmmaker, or just someone who loves a good behind-the-scenes story, you need to hear this.
Episode Summary
We sit down with Dustin Morrow, a tenured professor at Portland State University and an Emmy-winning filmmaker. We look at how Dustin navigated the publishing world to co-author Kathleen Turner on Acting. He breaks down the "pitch package" he used to sell the idea—balancing the need to prove a unique market gap while also showing comparable successes.
We then pivot to the classroom, where Dustin teaches his students that "pitching" isn't just for producers; it’s a vital skill for anyone who wants to collaborate. He shares practical advice on building a career in media, the importance of flexibility, and why he forces his film students to learn how to write. We wrap up with Dustin’s dream project (an adaptation of the 70s thriller The Shipkiller) and a deep dive into the responsibility filmmakers have to their audience.
Interesting Quotes about Writing and Pitching
On the paradox of pitching a book:
"When you're writing a pitch for a book... it's a little paradoxical because you have to demonstrate that you're gonna plug some hole that exists in the market, but you also have to show that there are books out there kind of like this one that have sold."
On the universal importance of writing skills:
"No matter what you want to do, whether it's editing or even being a gaffer... learn to write. That's the most valuable thing you could learn... That's the thing that I would say separates the people who find real success in our industries from the people who find... a mega amount of success. The ones that rise to the very top are ones that know how to write." [20:25]
On the "magic" of hitting send:
"There's a similar phenomenon with writing... you think your script is polished and ready, and then as soon as you send that PDF to one friend, you're like, 'Oh my God, wait a second, I just had nine ideas and eight things I should have fixed.'... Another person's eyes on it instantly give you a different perspective regardless of if they give feedback or not."
On unlikable protagonists:
"The character needs to learn something. The other thing is they don't have to be likable, but you have to be able to understand them. If you're watching a movie and you're like, 'I don't get where this person is even coming from, what's motivating them?' then that's a failure."
On the core purpose of storytelling:
"Film is an empathy machine... The capacity to walk in another person's shoes is the thing that makes the world a better place."
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About the Guest
Dustin Morrow is an Emmy-winning filmmaker, best-selling author, and a tenured professor in the School of Film at Portland State University. He has directed feature films, written about cinema, and collaborated with industry icons like Kathleen Turner. He is passionate about the relationship between music and emotion in film and emphasizes the importance of media literacy and collaboration in his teaching.
