Kevin Ott

1722 Winona Blvd Los Angeles, CA USA
http://
20 Years Experience

Professional Experience

I'm a broadly experienced writer and social media manager. For the past seven years I've been employed by the Writers Guild Foundation, where I worked wonders for their institutional voice and community outreach (see my work history). In my role as an interviewer and freelance writer, I've interviewed such entertainment luminaries as X-FILES creator Chris Carter, BOB'S BURGERS creator Loren Bouchard, STAR TREK writers Damon Lindelof, DC Fontana and Brannon Braga, THE LAST OF US designer and creator Neil Druckmann, and many, many more. Currently I'm looking to offer my superb writing and interviewing skills to websites, magazines and other outlets specializing in entertainment, lifestyle and travel stories... or whoever can strike my fancy!

Expertise

Copywriter 7 YearsContent Editor (online) 11 YearsWriter 18 Years

Specialty

Humor 18 YearsBooks & Literature 7 YearsEntertainment 7 Years

Industries

Academia Teaching 2 YearsMagazine - Trade magazines/publications (B2B) 5 YearsNonprofit 7 Years

Media Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

  • Written By (6-10)

Corporate Client List (# assignments last 2 yrs)

  • Stephens College (1-2)
  • Orbitz (3-5)

Other Work History

I was communications director & social media manager at the Writers Guild Foundation, where I more than tripled the organization’s email distribution list; built its social media following from near-nonexistence to 9000+ Twitter followers & 5000+ Facebook fans; brought its oral history program online to a huge new audience; introduced new communications tools like regular podcasts, a regularly-updated blog, a press section & a community calendar; spearheaded the transition of its library tech to cloud-based distribution; crafted popular events & recorded them for online distribution; created a press list largely from scratch; netted coverage from the New York Times, Variety, Rolling Stone & Reddit; represented the organization on panels at the Austin & Newport Beach Film Festivals; created, produced & hosted GENRE SMASH!, an ongoing interview series; and crafted a unique, specifically tailored voice for the organization as a whole, attracting a more professional, passionate audience.

Technical Skills

Video editing (Avid, Final Cut), audio editing (GarageBand, Audio Hijack Pro), Wordpress.

Computer Skills

OSX, Windows, Wordpress, HTML, website management, search engine optimization, Google AdWords.

Equipment

Digital SLR camera, ZOOM recorder & pro-level mics.

References

Many, many references, largely from the world of entertainment writing (specifically movies and television). Contact me for more information.

Writing Samples

The Best Of Us
(Written By 1/15/2015)
A profile of Neil Druckmann, writer and director of THE LAST OF US, the 2014 WGA winner for best videogame writing. The game also appears on several "best games of the year" list. Druckmann discusses the game's impact and its groundbreaking portrayal of female characters.
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
(Written By 9/1/2014)
A color story about the Driskill Hotel, Austin's oldest hotel and the epicenter of social and professional interaction during the Austin Film Festival - known to filmmakers and fest enthusiasts as "the writers' festival."
Beamed Up: How Star Trek Became Writers University
(Written By 6/1/2013)
A survey of Star Trek writers throughout the ages, from DC Fontana and David Gerrold (original series) to Damon Lindelof, Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman (2013 film).
Well Done: BOB'S BURGERS Takes A Rare Approach To Family Comedy
(Written By 6/1/2015)
A portrait of the writers behind BOB'S BURGERS, the wildly popular Fox animated series. Interviewees include creator Loren Bouchard and producer Jim Dauterive, and several members of the show's writing staff.

Live Interviews

GENRE SMASH! with X-FILES Creator Chris Carter
(Writers Guild Foundation 10/3/2013)
I interview Chris Carter, creator of THE X-FILES, before a live audience at the NerdMelt Showroom in Los Angeles.
GENRE SMASH! with SUPERNATURAL Creator Eric Kripke
(Writers Guild Foundation 9/1/2014)
I interview Eric Kripke, creator of TV sensation SUPERNATURAL, before a live audience at the NerdMelt Showroom in Los Angeles.