Screenwriters' Rant Room

Support the show for $1/month Subscribe to Chris's newsletter - THIN ICE In this episode, Hilliard chops it up with writer/producer Kevin A. Garnett (The Republic of Sarah, Dynasty, House of Payne) to talk about his journey from assistant to script coordinator, to writer-producer in network TV. There are lots of fun stories and antidotes for writers. Some diamonds dropped y'all! Check out...

Subscribe to Chris's newsletter - THIN ICE Support the show for $1/month In this episode, Hilliard, Chris and Richard sit down with founder and producer Leslee Scallon and talked about the amazing journey of the long-running and popular Dances With Films Film Festival which is premiers at the Chinese TCL 6 Theater on June 22, 2023, runs for eleven days and screens some amazing indie-films from...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month Subscribe to THIN ICE - Chris's Substack In this episode, Hilliard & Chris are joined on the Rant Room for an amazing Writers Cypher with Showrunner Mark Blutman and Writer/Producer Saeed Crumpler. We talk a whole bunch of sh** y'all. Some of the topics are: the WGA Writers Strike, show bibles, the first episode of a series, newer writers and the need...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month Subscribe to THIN ICE - Chris's Substack In this episode, Hilliard & Chris talk SCREEENWRITING CRAFT with the amazing DMA - a producer, executive, author and strategic consultant in entertainment and technology. We talk about elements of the first ten pages, pitching, theme, characters and so much more! Follow her at @planetdma on Twitter, and subscribe a...

Suppo rt the show for $1/month Chris's Substack - THIN ICE In this episode, Hilliard & Chris chop it up with writers Saeed Crumpler and Richard Scott in this super fun episode. We go IN about the current state of the 2023 WGA Writers Strike and so much more. Tune in for two hours' worth of nothing but industry game! Books Mentioned in the show : Walter Isaacson's STEVE JOBS The Scr...

In this super fun episode, Hilliard, Chris and Lynelle sat down with amazingly talented Showrunner Dan Hernandez (Koala Man, The Tick, One Day at a Time, Adams Family 2, Ninja Turtles, Pokeman: Detective Pikachu) in a fun and hilarious discussion as we looked back on his journey to Hollywood, ups and downs of the writers' room and studio films, writing and producing animation, running a series...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month In this episode, Hilliard and actor David Ashley sat down with first-time showrunner Kaye Singleton, creator of the new suspenseful drama/thriller anthology series - COVENANT - stories that transform Bible stories and characters we all know - currently streaming on AMC's ALLBLK network (on Amazon). We had a blast y'all... We looked back into Kaye's ba...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month In this powerful episode, Hilliard, Chris, Lynelle and special guest Danny Tolli (writer/prod The Catch, Roswell, Stalker, The Following) joins us for an in-depth conversation about the current WGA Strike and our personal takes on some of the proposals from the studios/networks. This episode is filled with industry game and insight for writers, people in entertai...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month In this episode, Hilliard goes deep with super indie producer Ramfis Myrthil to talk about pivoting from on camera talent to producing award-winning films that have travel the world and red carpets across the globe! Check out the ScreenWriterRR website at  www.screenwritersrr.com  for information, merch, or our  Patreon ! Support the show via the  Patreon link ....

Support the Rant Room for $1/month In this episode, Hilliard chopped it up with incredible staff/writers Meagan Daine and J.R. Zamora-Thal (Cross on Amazon) to talk about the ins-and-outs of working as support staff in writers' rooms and their super dope podcast that everyone in the industry can relate to "Hollywood Confessional." Check out the ScreenWriterRR website at  www.screenwr...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month In this episode, Hilliard does a one-on-one with lil' bro writer/actor/performer Jamil Akim O'Quinn and they talk about his amazing journey to the writers' room and some of the profound lessons learned producing his episode on the final season of NCIS LA ! Check out the ScreenWriterRR website at  www.screenwritersrr.com  for information, merch, or our...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month In this episode, Hilliard and Chris sit down with Jenny Frankfurt, founder of the Finish Line Script Competition , and its 2022 Social Impact award-winner, Alexandra Qin to discuss her potent script, THIRSTYGIRL, and the proof-of-concept short film she directed based on her feature script. Alexandra Qin is an award-winning screenwriter and independent filmmaker b...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month In this episode Hilliard does a one-on-one with lil' sis, Aasha Davis - TV/Film actor most known for breakout roles in Friday Night Lights, South of Nowhere, Pariah and Drunk History. We talk a lot about her pivoting to indie producer with the hit digital series The Unwritten Rules and shared some of our tricks of the trade for filmmakers making the plunge in...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month In this episode, Hilliard chopped it up with (editor of the Rant Room), Director of Development, editor, producer Eric Harbin to talk about his journey from editor to development and the world of Reality Shows, how they work and how to sell and pitch them! Check out the ScreenWriterRR website at  www.screenwritersrr.com  for information, merch, or our  Patreon !...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month In this episdoe, Hilliard and Chris sat down with writer/director Joe Carroll to talk about his long journey from Tennessee, doing background and PA work, writing and directing short films and music videos, moving to LA and writing a "who done-it" novel 'Sinful Confessions'', becoming a Script Coordinator on some top shows (one of a few, rar...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month In this episode, Hilliard and big bro, Executive Producer Geoffrey Thorne (Magnum P.I., POWER Book II GHOST, Black Panther: Quest, The Librarians and more) talk about some amazing topics: going from actor to writer, talking yourself into lanes, making projects out of nothing, I like it, you don't like it, who's your nemesis, the phrase "you'll ne...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month In this episode, Hilliard, Chris and TV writer Amadou Diallo (Billions) talk about all kinds of screenwriting and writers' room goodies for y'all to sink your teeth into. Lots of industry game dropped! Check out the ScreenWriterRR website at  www.screenwritersrr.com  for information, merch, or our  Patreon ! Support the show via the  Patreon link . Rememb...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month In this episode, Hilliard, Chris and writer Richard Scott talk about a lot of fun topics including: the WGA Strike, Structure & Procrastination, the all informing '80 - 20 Rule', British Actors and so much more! Check out the ScreenWriterRR website at  www.screenwritersrr.com  for information, merch, or our  Patreon ! Support the show via the  Patreon...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month In this episode, Hilliard, Chris and Lynelle talk about some of our favorite screenwriting techniques and spend some time talking about the first three episodes of the new HBO series THE LAST OF US! Check out the ScreenWriterRR website at  www.screenwritersrr.com  for information, merch, or our  Patreon ! Support the show via the  Patreon link . Remember support...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month Hilliard & Chris sit down with writer/producer Ron McCants, who writes dramas that explore the human experience. His stories are often fueled by dark secrets and deep shames at the intersection of crime and family because his family’s full of addicts, pimps, prostitutes, murderers, CIA operatives, business owners, professional athletes, detectives and educato...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month Subscribe to THIN ICE -- Chris' Substack Newsletter In this episode, writer/producers Hilliard, Chris, Saeed Crumpler and Rah Johnson pick up where they left off in last weeks teaser episode, continuing their conversation on "Elements of Pitching", performance/voice, creative ways to get the biggest bang and hopefully - a sale, and so much more! Che...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month In this episode, Hilliard, Chris and writers Saeed Crumpler and Rah Johnson talk about what it's like out there in the current climate to pitch tv and film, pitch decks, elements of a pitch that pop and lots of great gems dropped in this one y'all. You don't want to miss this one. Check out the ScreenWriterRR website at  www.screenwritersrr.com  for i...

Support the Rant Room for $1/month In this episode, Hilliard, Chris, and Tracy Grant - Exec Producer of LACE on AllBlk - talk about producing network TV, keeping it on a budget, having an amazing team around you, production good and bad, a PA with the right attitude and so much more. We also talk about Will Smith's new film Emancipation and how (his Oscar mistake) will affect his award season...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you Rant Room Heads across the globe... In this episode, Hilliard, Chris, Lynelle and Juan Pablo Arias Munoz (Breakthrough Artist at BMP) talk about our favorite end of the year films and TV shows, directing shorts and episodic TV and some of our plans and goals for 2023! Check out the ScreenWriterRR website at  www.screenwritersrr.com  for in...

In this episode, Hilliard sat down with alumni - women from the 2023 Fox Writers Incubator Initiative Program: Drama writers Michelle Lesley Johnson, Nicole Jones-Dion and comedy writers Allison Jackson (shout out to HaJ who wasn't able to make it)... We talk about the groups different journeys to the program, how the initiative works: the submissions, the personal letter, staffing on shows, scrip...