Writing for Mad Men Alum, husband talk shop at BU !"#$ #%&'(), *+,( AMC’s critically acclaimed series Mad Men returned to television, the show’s creators worried that its 17-month hiatus would cost them many viewers. They could hardly have been more wrong. Critics hailed the season premiere, and millions tuned in to the lives of Don Draper, Roger Sterling, and Joan Harris. The executive producers and writing team behind many of these story lines, husband and wife André Jacquemetton and Maria Jacquemetton (COM’85), came to Mad Men through their friendship with creator and showrunner Matthew Weiner. The three met in a Los Angeles writing group when they were all working as assistants, recalls Maria Jacquemetton. “We would pitch to each other, and if one of us was working on a particular script, we would exchange pages, give notes, and just act like a support group,” she says. “Over the years, various members of the group found success. At the time, !"#$" %"&'()*)++,- André and I were writing ./0!’851 "-2 3)# 3(45"-2, for Star Trek: Enterprise, 6-2#7 %"&'()*)++,-, are executive producers of Mad and Matt gave us the spec Men and the writing team for Mad Men. We said, ‘If Bostonia: Describe your col- behind many of the television you ever get this going— laboration, and what it’s like show’s story lines. we don’t know where to work with your spouse. we’re going to be or what #$%&' ()*+,-.-//0$ he’s talking about when we’re going to be doing— Where do we start? Essen- we actually sit down at we would love to work on tially, we can’t be in the the computer. We liter- this show.’” same room together. We’re ally, aside from when MICHAEL YARISH/AMC Five years later, AMC writing for Mad Men so we’re typing at the desk, 3JESSICA PARÉ and Jon Hamm, picked up the show, and it’s really a question of spend every other waking who play Megan and Don Draper Weiner called. Their speed, and for us it’s about moment together, so on AMC’s Mad Men. work on the show has dividing the work. Maria it’s misleading to start earned them four Writers will take the A story, for that way. Guild of America Awards as well as three Emmys for example, I’ll take the B and #$%&' ()*+,-.-//0$ Outstanding Drama Series. C story. It’s trying to get a It is and it isn’t. We’re not In March, the Jacquemettons screened an episode draft together as quickly as the type of couple that can from season four of Mad Men and discussed their possible and chiseling down face one another and have careers on campus as guests of the Cinematheque the statue and trying to get desks that face one another. series, a College of Communication program that brings the voices correct, the story We both go off into our sep- filmmakers to campus. They talked with Bostonia about right, and handing it in arate corners and write. their careers, what it’s like working with each other, in a timely manner. 1)&2) ()*+,-.-//0$ and their advice for anyone looking to write for film 1)&2) ()*+,-.-//0$ The point he’s talking or television. When he says we can’t be about is when we’re ready in the same room together, to write the script. When !" BOSTONIA Summer 2012 004-15_BostoniaSummer12_03_r1.indd4-15_BostoniaSummer12_03_r1.indd 1010 66/6/12/6/12 77:51:51 AAMM President Names Task Force on Ice Hockey Their work has earned them Report on team culture due this summer four Writers Guild of America Awards and three Emmys. In the wake of sexual The task force will assault allegations look at all aspects of the men’s ice hockey we’re actually breaking the the competition is super- against two BU team, from academic story, particularly on a TV fierce. The more material hockey players last performance to series, we are physically in you have and the more you winter, President leadership. the same room with each write, the better you’re Robert A. Brown has other and a bunch of other going to get and the more convened a special writers, and we come up chances you have of actu- Task Force on Men’s with story outlines together ally landing your foot in Ice Hockey to assess and then we get sent off the door. the culture and cli- to write. And at that point, I think that is one thing mate of the hockey we sort of go into our that we see all too often: team and to recom- separate corners. writers get their first job mend ways to ensure on the show and they’re so that they are wholly As head writers and execu- happy to have that job that consistent with the tive producers on Mad Men, they just work there, and values and mission do you still have your work on their hiatus go travel- of the University. rewritten or cut altogether? ing, backpacking around The 16-member task "#$%& '()*+,-,../# Mexico. Then they come force, cochaired by BROOKS CANADAY BROOKS Absolutely. You know, back to the show the next Jonathan Cole, chair when you become the season and they’ve written of the Academic academic perfor- necessary to restore showrunner of a series, nothing. Affairs Committee mance of hockey the community’s it’s your voice and it’s your Well, there’s someone of the BU Board of players to that of confidence in our show. Mad Men is very who’s sitting at home writ- Trustees, and Jean other students and men’s ice hockey much Matt’s show, so it’s ing three specs in that Morrison, University student-athletes, program,” says his prerogative to change time period, someone provost and chief examine the hockey Brown. “We will stories, change dialogue, whose work is going to academic officer, players’ engagement ensure that the stan- change whatever he wants have personally come will draw on the in student life as it dards we set for our of your script. You have to along farther and will knowledge of rec- compares to others, student-athletes are remember that you’re there have three original sam- ognized experts in and scrutinize the consistent with our to support him and that’s ples they can send out and a broad spectrum disciplinary history mission, core pur- part of the job. Essentially, possibly sell, someone able of fields. of the team com- poses, and aspira- you’re there to pitch stor- to cast a wider net. With “We have assem- pared to disciplin- tions, and that those ies, to write scripts, but the economy the way it is, bled a task force ary practices in the standards are con- ultimately, every decision you’ve got to be able to cast with deep expertise larger student com- sistently applied.” lies with the showrunner, a wide net if you want to in issues that the munity. He asked Morrison says so he can change whatever land work. group will address that the task force that the task force he wants. "#$%& '()*+,-,../# in its deliberations,” report be submitted assessment is I would add to that, build says Brown. this summer so that unrelated to the What advice do you have for a thick skin. This is a In a memoran- necessary changes University’s judicial aspiring writers trying to get business that’s ruled by a dum sent in March, can be made early in efforts or the state into the business? lot of naysayers, so you’ve Brown urged the the fall semester. criminal process to 0(%1( '()*+,-,../# got to be able to deal with task force mem- “We will take determine the guilt Write. We are asked for rejection. Get back on your bers to reach out to whatever steps are or innocence of the advice all the time by feet right away and keep faculty, staff, and hockey players who students and people who writing and keep pushing, students, includ- have been charged. say they want to be writers. keep calling people and ing hockey players WEB EXTRA “This is an institu- A complete and other student- tional effort to look They come to us with one keep thinking of ideas. list of the spec or one screenplay. And even though the athletes, and to members of broadly at potential Don’t come to us with one odds are against you and consult alumni and the Task Force issues with regard script—come to us when people keep rejecting you, outside experts. on Men’s Ice to the culture and you’ve got five scripts and you’ve just got to keep The president said Hockey is climate of the ice at bu.edu/ they’re the best you can going and persevere. the assessment bostonia. hockey team,” she do on every one, because AMY LASKOWSKI should compare the says. ART JAHNKE Summer 2012 BOSTONIA !! 004-15_BostoniaSummer12_01.indd4-15_BostoniaSummer12_01.indd 1111 55/30/12/30/12 33:17:17 PMPM.