We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jason Antoniewicz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jason below.

Jason, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry.

In the world of writing for television, we’re seeing risk aversion right now. People buying shows are looking for as many indicators of future success as they can before they commit to something. So they want intellectual property…a title people recognize…talent that the audience already loves…things like that. This was happening before, of course, but now, it feels like there’s a laser focus on the issue. With the scripted work at the company my wife and I run, that means more shows about the same topics. I understand why it’s happening, but I think the audience gets hip to it, particularly if all the shows look the same on a streaming-service menu. I think it’s better if companies learn from what’s working and try to be the first to take advantage in a new way. If all the trending shows are about love triangles, there has to be a way to give the audience the same thrill, without giving them the same story.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My focus in the industry is on producing TV game shows. The other key half of our company is my wife, Cypress Bai, who does many forms of scripted content. We both got into it the old-fashioned way; start at the bottom, and work your way up. Both of us manage to go beyond one narrow sliver of the industry. For instance, I was able to turn my experience on traditional game shows into working on a longform video for a financial services company. From the feedback we both get after a job, I can say our company is about fitting whatever brief we’re given like a glove. I know I’ve worked on all variety of game shows, from tough Q&A to word games with celebrities and everything in between. I work hard to make sure each one can reach a broad audience, while also trying to find what makes that show unique, and how we can push a little beyond the same ol’ thing we’ve seen before. And if you’d have told my wife years ago she’d have written so many successful romantic shows by this point, she might have pushed you down a flight of stairs. But now, thanks to her, our company thrives at not only that, but countless other dramatic forms as well.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Word of mouth, absolutely. A long time ago, a director told me to work with as many people as possible, and that has proven to be a good strategy. It’s nice to be remembered after a gig is over, because they’ll be calling you again when there’s another one.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Seeing the work out there, and seeing people enjoy it. I’ve been fortunate enough to have that a few ways: there’s linear TV, video on-demand. Plus, I’ve put together the home games and apps for some of those same shows, so I literally get to see it on people’s phones at the bar, or as a box on department store shelves. I think if you asked anybody, no matter what they do, if they’d like to have a legacy that other people can interact with, they’d say yes.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byjayanton/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-antoniewicz-a6298046/