Screenwriters' Rant Room

Hilliard and Lisa go IN, giving you Rant Room Heads tips on writing story!   HIGHLIGHTS : Short Story vs the Novella, Flash Fiction, outlining for a book, outlines, cause and effect, problems with Jurassic World and more!   Our motto, "Keep it street, keep it opinionated and keep it what? 2,015”   DIRECT LINK:   http://bit.ly/STORY-60   Subscribe, Comment, Rate & 5 STAR Review on iTunes or Stitche...

Hilliard and Lisa go IN this week with the seasoned TV/Film writing team, Cynthia Riddle & Peter Hunziker!   HIGHLIGHTS: UCLA Film School, the first sale, writing partner dynamics, the football freak,  The Brittany Murphy Story, being a Studio Exec at MGM, running for the WGA Board, the “True Story” writers, inside the TV Movie “Crossroads,” getting “Shopping Rights” to a story, Finalists at Sunda...

Today Hilliard goes IN with his big bro, multi-award winning writer/dir/prod, Todd Holland!   HIGHLIGHTS: Todd’s first UCLA film “CHICKEN THING, Steven Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment, writing/dir AMAZING STORIES, being a genre geek, directing David Carradine, you’re paid to feel shit, WIZARDS, partnering with your writer, rewriting David E. Kelly, the Concept and Tone Meeting, transitioning in...

This week Hilliard and Lisa go IN on their favorite movies of Summer 2015 and why!   HIGHLIGHTS: Why trailers move us, Southpaw’s gonna be the shit, San Andreas vs SharkNado, Terminator Genisys, Dope, NWA, Jurassic World, The Minions, South Paw, Amy Documentary, The Man from UNCLE, Mission Impossible and Lisa’s Clapback to Cameron Crowe!    Our motto, "Keep it street, keep it opinionated and keep...

Hilliard and Lisa go IN on HBO’s Bessie and the hit film Mad Max!  You know we always have unique shit to go IN on… so buckle up y’all!   HIGHLIGHTS: Overlooking comedians in dramatic roles, should Queen Latifah come out the closet, the ultimate - unapologetic queer character, writing impactful character “moments,” story issues with Bessie, let people be who they’re gonna be, inside Mad Max, damse...

T oday we go IN with new friend, Leigh Dana Jackson,  writer/producer of the TV hits Sleepy Hollow and Helix!   HIGHLIGHTS: Genre All Day, becoming a Story Editor with Spike Lee, studying at NYU, landing the agent, breaking in, writing assignments, the TV staff learning curve, “Sleepy Hollow,” problems with “The Walking Dead,” shooting “Helix” and so much more writers room hustle!   Our motto, "Ke...

EP #54 DENNIS HENSLEY - WRITER/PRODUCER/AUTHOR This episode was recorded live from The Hatchery Press in Hollywood.  Today we go IN with my old friend, writer-dir-prod-author Dennis Hensley!   HIGHLIGHTS: Dennis’ new e-book “Mariners Club Mixtape,” growing up Morman, dancing on a cruise ship, his obsession with Madonna, writing for Movieline Magazine and Detour, standing up for yourself, “The Big...

Hilliard, Lisa and Kevin go IN on this one y’all.  Talkin’ sh** and asking writers to think about film/tv and diversity outside the box!   HIGHLIGHTS: Lisa’s Clapback to Adam Sandler about “Native People,” The Bechdel Test, Blacks don’t sell overseas, the world as it really is, The Showrunners movie on Netflix, solutions for Hollywood and so much more!   Our motto, "Keep it street, keep it opinion...

Today we recorded in Hollywood at the hot, new writers spot, THE HATCHERY PRESS in Larchmont Village!  Lynelle White, writer/dir and season 2 staff writer on SyFy’s hit show “Z NATION,” comes by to chop game in an episode packed with good sh**!   HIGHLIGHTS: A Diamond in the Rough, growing up a Sci-fi geek, joining the Airforce Academy, becoming a pilot and flying Lear Jets, the St. Louis indie fi...

On this episode we have a blast with big sis, writer/co-ep on the new season of Sleepy Hollow... Shernold Edwards!  This one's filled with game for all of your TV/Film writers, so buckle up...cuz it's nothing but game y'all! HIGHLIGHTS : Developing "A Day Late and a Dollar Short," being an executive at CTV Network in Canada, Hot Docs, TIFF, Canadian Film Center screenwriting program, working on  ...

In this hilarious episode, Hilliard and Lisa go IN with the infamous, Geoff Thorne.  We cover it all y’all.  So tune in for some serious game on Genre and Sci-fi!   HIGHLIGHTS : Lisa’s gush to Geoff, strong opinions on twitter, pop-up gurus, what kind of writer are you, a ride-or-die chick, from comics to Star Trek, most writers suck, the writers “hook-up,” booking the first gig, writing for anima...

Hilliard and Lisa go deep on this one y’all.  This episode celebrates over a year on the air givin’ you Rant Room Heads hella game and tons of grab your belly laughter!   HIGHLIGHTS: Embracing your blackness, being an extrovert, the one year anniversary, get paid or pay somebody, fuck the Vampires, using your imagination, recap of The Walking Dead and the “Don’t Sleep on ‘Em” segment (scenes by a...

This episode’s full of industry wisdom from Hilliard's old friend, veteran Voice Over actor/activist/author Ben Patrick Johnson!   HIGHLIGHTS: Co-host at Extra, inside Voice Overs, human rights advocacy, branding shows with a voice, narrating movie trailers, the less copy the harder the job and so much more!   SUBMIT to 100 Screenplays Competition! Listeners of #ScreenwritersRantRoom get a $10 dis...

  Today Hilliard goes IN with old friend, David Dean Botrell, covering his amazing acting/writing career and behind producing the popular Sci-fest!   HIGHLIGHTS : Playing Lincoln Myers on Boston Legal, writing his first “epic” script, the “flavor of the month,” taking your talent with you, selling “Kingdom Come,” becoming the “white” African American writer in Hollywood, adaptations, development h...

In this episode, we IN with Baby Writers/Filmmakers, Jameson Cherilus and Ashley Willis about the making of their new web series “The B Team!”   HIGHLIGHTS: 100 Screenplays Competition with Rick Reynold’s, escaping to LA, embracing sexuality, the Assistant Track at CAA, being genuine, working the Writers Guild West meetings, creating opportunities, urgency, faith and spirituality, inside “The B Te...

Paul Guyot, Co-Executive Producer on THE LIBRARIANS, goes IN with Hilliard & Lisa on this bad ass episode!   HIGHLIGHTS : From Stand-in to Staff Writer, staffing on JJ Abrams FELICITY, writers room politics, 13 and Outs, being rewritten, in the writers room with LEVERAGE & THE LIBRARIANS, Paul’s writing pet-peeves, Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid in Full,” writing with knuckles for Stephen J. Cannell, nob...

Hilliard and Lisa tell it like it is in this episode, this time covering terrible film marketing and ways to write compelling Bio Pics! HIGHLIGHTS : Bad marketing on THE KINGSMAN, bad contracts, kinky, bondage sex in 50 SHADES OF GREY, bad casting so EXODUS tanks, AMERICAN SNIPER criticisms, Writing Bio Pics - habits, research, storytelling and taking license: ANGELA DAVIS, GRISELDA BLANCO, SYLVES...

Hilliard recorded this hilarious episode, live from the Sony Plaza industry screening of a film he co-produced... Featuring interviews with members the of the Cast & Crew of the new comedy, “MOUTHPIECE!”   HIGHLIGHTS : A one-on-one with some of stars of the film: Sean Poolman, Tatiana DeKhtyar, J Michael Briggs, Josh Pertler, Jackson McQueen and writer/dir David Merritt II.  This one’s full of gam...

In this episode, Hilliard and Lisa talk hella sh*t about Post Oscars from their outspoken and hilarious POVs!   Highlights: Boycotting the Oscars, SELMA the good n’ bad, why NIGHTCRAWLER got the shaft, BIRDMAN and we're so happy Mexican’s ruled this year, NAACP Image Awards problems, Intersections, the “Basic” filmmaker, critiquing moments, John Legend & Common’s “GLORY” song and much more!   In t...

Hilliard and Lisa go IN on this bonus episode (previously rec), about the new era of diverse casting and a whole lotta funny sh**!   HIGHLIGHTS: Code-switching, SLEEPY HOLLOW, black female characters on the rise, a salute to Showrunner Jeff Melvoin, Zombies and THE WALKING DEAD, Viola Davis and HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, SELMA, Lisa’s Clapback to the producers of 40 THIEVES and so much more!   O...

    On this new episode, Hilliard does a one-on-one interview from The Hollywood LOT Studios!   This time with close friend, Todd Grodnick DGA/PGA executive producer with Merrill Entertainment!   HIGHLIGHTS:  USC Film School, you "cannot" write a perfect script, developing/managing writers, the role of the Assistant Director, putting yourself in the audience, page one rewrites, writing outside the...

This week Hilliard goes IN with good friend, multi-award winning writer/producer, Margaret Nagle.  Tune in and soak up some game y'all!   HIGHLIGHTS: The Queen of the WGA Awards, the white chick in an all black school, casting the best actors, fueling the work, learning the set, interpreting notes, developing HBO’s “WARM SPRINGS,” inside “THE GOOD LIE,” Code Switching, color blind characters, gays...

It’s another hilarious episode y’all!   Hilliard goes IN with old friend, Wilson Cruz (@WCruz73) on his amazing acting career, working with writers and journey into activism!   HIGHLIGHTS: A Queen always comes out, surviving Hollywood in your 40s, family life, becoming a child actor, the road to “MY SO CALLED LIFE,” the actors job, scene stealing, working for GLADD, inside “RED BAND SOCIETY,” acti...

This episode’s full of game y’all.  With good friends, Spiro Skentzos, former Story Editor on GRIMM and Angela Allen, former Staff Writer on the hit SLEEPY HOLLOW!   HIGHLIGHTS: Staffing Season is always here, strong writing samples, general meetings, drawing on your truth, The Cosby Fellowship, The Fox Writers Intensive, Writers on the Verge, NHMC, persistence, Agents & Managers, a “Hot” room, wr...

In this hilarious episode, we go IN with my big bro, writer/director/producer DEL WESTON of the very popular, Action On Film Film International Festival! HIGHLIGHTS: Inside the new book “TOP 50 INDIE WRITERS IN THE WORLD,” Action On Film Festival, don’t discount people of color, “I hate Sundance,” never back down, from Martial Arts to Action Films, fuck the word “NO,” creating opportunities, recog...