BJ Markel, Editor and Marketer-Episode #159

May 4, 2021 | 0 comments

The extraordinary editor and marketer, Brett Jay Markel, better known as BJ, began his film acquisitions career in the earliest days of pay TV, working for Dore Schary’s TheatreVision, Optical System’s Channel 100, and Cinemerica. He headed up acquisitions at the launch of the Disney Channel, and was responsible for over a third of its programming. His exclusive Disney Channel acquisitions ranged from Gumby and Rin Tin Tin to the entire Charles Chaplin Feature Film Library. He later moved into home video acquisitions at such companies as USA Home Entertainment, Fries Entertainment, and Avon.

BJ switched from acquiring product to marketing it, eventually landing again at Disney, where he headed the copywriting team at Disney Parks & Resorts Digital—responsible for all text on such sites and apps as disneyland.com, disneyworld.com, and disneycruiseline.com. BJ retired from Disney Parks in 2020 after 18 years.

In 1986, BJ began working with screenwriter and legendary screenwriting guru, Blake Snyder. In 2004, BJ edited Blake’s first book, Save the Cat!®, which was published in 2005 and has been the #1 screenwriting book on Amazon ever since. That year, BJ and Blake cofounded Blake Snyder Enterprises.

BJ edited Blake’s other 2 books, Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies and Save the Cat! Strikes Back, the latter published posthumously after Blake’s death in 2009. Since then, Save the Cat! Goes to the Indies, Blake’s Blogs, and Save the Cat! Writes a Novel have been published. Save the Cat! Writes for TV was published in March of 2021.

Blake Snyder Enterprises also provides Save the Cat! story structure software, story coaching, online and live classes, story cards and a yearly screenwriting competition for screen and TV writers.

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Executive Producer: Steve Cuden, Producer: Casey Georgi, Announcer: Javier Grajeda
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