Ep 19: Ryan Bury – Burning Shade Productions, producing movies and reading a book a week.
Ryan Bury is originally from Perrysburg, Ohio. Since graduating Bowling Green State University, he has lived and worked in Los Angeles. He’s been the post-production manager on TV shows like America’s Got Talent, The X Factor, The Secret Lives of Americans and more. He’s a co-founder of Burning Shade Productions, and together with Sean Cruser he has written and produced many short films and features.
“Save up a little money and just do it.”
In this episode we learn about how Ryan got into filmmaking, his passion for Classic films, his move to Los Angeles, and how he connected with Sean Cruser to form Burning Shade Productions. We dig into Ryan’s writing process, his work in TV, what he does as a producer and his year of reading a book a week. He even reveals his cocktail of choice. Hint: It tastes like a campfire. Some great stuff in this one and it’s always fun to catch up with Ryan.
“What would Billy Wilder do?”
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5 Key Takeaways
- As a writer living in Los Angeles, it’s crucial to get work that pays the bills and allows you the time to write.
- Everything seems to move extra slow in LA. Don’t loose sight of your goals and keep making progress.
- Keep a small notebook and jot down any idea you have, good or bad.
- When writing dialogue ask yourself, “Would the words alone be enough to captivate the audience?”
- Don’t be someone that sits around and waits for something to happen. Go make it happen.
Follow Ryan Bury
Burning Shade Productions
Co-founded by Ryan Bury and Sean Cruser.
Follow Burning Shade Productions
Show Notes (Ep 19)
Intro and where Ryan grew up [01:30]
- Los Angeles
- Perrysburg, Ohio
- Toledo, Ohio
- Bowling Green State University
- Silver Pictures
- Home Improvement
The movies Ryan was obsessed with as a kid [04:30]
Majoring in Film Production at BGSU [06:40]
Meeting Sean Cruser and writing process [09:40]
- Sean Cruser
- Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Michael Wiese Productions
Moving to Los Angeles [16:11]
Getting steady work in Los Angeles [18:39]
How Burning Shade Productions came about [20:29]
- Burning Shade Productions
- RED Epic Dragon
- Botch
- A Friendly Night Cap
- Waiting for a Call
- In Your Dreams
Finding Actors and Crew [24:26]
The making of Adrift [26:08]
What’s next for Burning Shade Productions [31:18]
Biggest Obstacles or Fears [32:54]
How to get self in writing zone [34:36]
How do you improve your skills [36:28]
The book a week project [38:47]
- Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
- Baccarat
- The Kid Stays in the Picture by Robert Evans
- A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life by Brian Grazer
- Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity by David Lynch
- The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
- The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
- God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut
- Pigme by Chuck Palahniuk
- The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
- Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
What are you most passionate about right now [49:59]
Drink of Choice [54:27]
Favorite writers and filmmakers [55:38]
- Ingmar Bergman
- Akira Kurosawa
- Woody Allen
- Danny Boyle
- Richard Linklater
- 10 Cloverfield Lane
- Mad Max: Fury Road
- Spotlight
Final advice for novice filmmakers [59:58]