How to Produce Stories that Land
Do you have favorite TV jingles heard during your childhood still stuck in your head decades later? For me the unshakable melody originated as my BFF Jeff and I proudly performed the Sparkletts Water “song” in front of a riveted crowd… aka our parents. If you’ve ever wondered about the type of person who could come up with those quick, catchy tunes, I’ve got you covered. Wendy Miller knows a thing or two about TV and jingles and even parodies because she’s written hundreds of them. An Emmy-winning producer of over 200 television episodes, she hosts Sex Ed The Musical, was the former programming head for Playboy TV, and is my very special guest on the Storytelling School Podcast today.
In our action packed conversation, we explore why companies use jingles in their marketing and we dig into Wendy’s personal process for creating jingles and episodes. During our interview, Wendy shares her writing process, we discuss using comedy in storytelling, and she brings us behind the curtain in her working with Wayne Brady (one of my all time favorite performers). Wendy also talks about her producing career (including a very short-lived stint on Oprah’s show) just before we segue into a little risqué territory about her time at Playboy TV and an encounter of the (almost) close kind with adult film star Nina Hartley.
What you will learn in this episode:
- How to deal with the inner jerk in your headspace
- How to incorporate comedy into your stories
- What ingredient you need to make an outstanding story
Who is Wendy?
Wendy Miller is an author, speaker, podcast host, television producer, relationship expert, and ACS Certified Sexologist. She’s been a panelist, moderator, and speaker at Sexual Health Expo and as the ex-Head of Programming at Playboy TV, she created and produced seven seasons of sex-positive, premium programming for adults. Her work has been featured in major publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, Variety, Ebony, and more.
Wendy has comedic chops as well. She’s won the Lite Beer National Comedy Search and has written, produced, and directed The Wayne Brady Show in addition to content for Paramount, Fox, NBC, The Tonight Show, Oxygen, Lifetime, The Oprah Show, and others. Currently, she lives in Los Angeles with her husband and teenage daughter.
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