This concludes my interview with uber-talented script/screenwriter, photographer, and gentleman Corey Miller. My gratitude for his time, his thoughtful candid answers, and the pleasure and privilege of having viewed his work - well, I really can't thank him enough. Tomorrow I'll conclude this series with a few of my thoughts on his answers. Thank you, Corey!
Outside of work, what do you love to do? I believe I caught something about vintage signs?
My biggest hobby outside of work is photography. I have become a vintage sign photographer when I am not toiling away on shows. Primarily fading neon signage. I do it for fun, but have been lucky to have had work featured in books, magazines, and galleries. People can check out my work on Flickr (www.flickr.com/toomuchfire) or Instagram (toomuchfire).
Is Los Angeles/Hollywood your home?
I was born and raised in a suburb not far from Los Angeles, but it seemed worlds away from the “Hollywood scene.” I didn’t know a soul in the business, but luckily when my interest in entertainment sprouted, I could go to television show tapings and experience some things first hand. I was also an extra in college, so I could watch what actually happened on film sets. So the proximity helped fuel my desire.
Would you encourage others to do what you do? What would you say to them?
It is very difficult to encourage people to do what I do, because even though it can be extremely fulfilling and lucrative, it is a business filled with rejection and heartache no matter how far you work your way up the ladder, and there is no road map showing anyone how to succeed. There are a million different paths, a million different stories. What I do tell young people is this: go to college. Get a degree. In film, or english, or history, or anything you also enjoy. Get an education because it does matter. It could also be the hammock you have to fall back on. Also, you may have to struggle for years, so it’s not for the unmotivated or for anyone who expects things to be handed to them. I believe Woody Allen said it best: “it’s worse than dog eat dog — it’s dog doesn’t return other dog’s phone calls."
Have there been or are there now particular people in your field or in the overall industry who you truly admire and/or respect?
In general, I just admire creative artists who use their medium to tell stories or to evoke feelings. And if they can collaborate with other artists and treat them with kindness and thoughtfulness, then they have my respect as well.
Do you plan to work year round?
I’ve given up on trying to plan anything, being in the business I am in. I have been lucky to have been on a few shows that have lasted multiple seasons, but nowadays episode orders are also shorter, giving writers more time off. Since the hours are brutal during the production season, I really enjoy the time off when I can get it. It’s more time I can spend with my family, for one. Just as well, one thing that I have discovered is that if I have some time off between jobs or between seasons, I have a better chance of recharging my creative juices, which means I have more ideas when I’m back on a new season or a new job.
What would your dream vacation be?
Anywhere I can go to spend quality time with my family, where we can alternate doing unique activities with doing absolutely nothing. Both are equally important, I believe.
If you could write a script for a specific actor, who might that be?
I’d like go back in time and write a film noir for Robert Mitchum.
Do you have time to read novels? Do you have favorite authors?
I make time to read novels. And my taste tends to go towards pulp detective novels and crime stories – Raymond Chandler, Lawrence Block, James Ellroy, Ross MacDonald and the like. And I usually have two books going at once, so I can alternate with biographies on people who fascinate me. I’m currently reading one on Charles Schulz.
Favorite films, TV shows?
My favorite films of all time may be Sunset Boulevard, All About Eve, and Chinatown. And shows? Breaking Bad, Friday Night Lights and The Shield are a few of my recent favorites.
In closing, Corey, sum up what you do, why you elected to do it, and what it means to you.
When I was a kid, I was a television junkie. I loved watching shows and was fascinated by how they could make me feel, and how I could be so immersed in the stories people created that I felt like I had been transported to another planet. I am so happy to now be in the position to create works that may also have an effect on people. It’s provided me with an interesting career working with so many talented people whom I admire, and I consider myself lucky every time I step onto a set.
Lord, you know his heart and soul. Bless him, Lord. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Into the Fire 
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