Working Title: From Paper to Screen with Mark Elias

What makes someone back a film before there's a trailer, a cast, or anything to point to but an idea? Mark Elias sits down with Susheel Daswani—Silicon Valley tech investor and one of the earliest believers in We Could Be Heroes—to unpack what it really takes to be the first yes. They cover vision pitches vs. metrics pitches, why gaming culture and storytelling share the same DNA, the difference b...

You’ve got the script. Now how do you actually get it made? In this episode, Mark Elias sits down with Wefunder President Jonny Price to break down equity crowdfunding—and how filmmakers are raising real money by turning their audience into investors. They dive into what separates successful campaigns from the ones that stall, why momentum matters more than you think, and how to position your film...

You’ve finished the script. Now comes the hard part—getting it made. In Episode 4 of Working Title, Mark Elias sits down with director and producer E.J. Foerster (Forrest Gump, Gringa) to break down what it really means to “shop” a project. From packaging and attaching talent to building momentum and choosing a financing path, E.J. shares practical insights on how films actually move from script t...

You’ve finished your first draft. Now what? In this episode of Working Title, Mark sits down with screenwriter Frank Hannah (The Cooler, Alpha’s) to break down what happens after draft one—when feedback starts coming in and the real work begins. They cover who to trust with notes, how to tell what feedback actually matters, and how to shape your script without losing the core of your story. If you...

An idea is exciting. Writing it is where things get real. In Episode 2 of Working Title, Mark Elias sits down with writer, producer, and showrunner Eric Wallace (The Flash) to explore the moment every project faces: when the idea is locked, and it’s just you and the page. Together, they break down what it actually takes to start writing—from building a bulletproof logline and outlining your story,...

Before a script, before a plan, before anything gets made—there’s just an idea. In Episode 1 of Working Title, Mark Elias sits down with writer Bert V. Royal (Easy A, Cruel Summer) to break down the messy, unpredictable process of ideation—how ideas form, how to pressure test them, and how to know when it’s time to stop thinking and start writing. They dig into: The difference between a real story...

This new series from Merrick Studios follows filmmaker Mark Elias as he documents the real, unfiltered journey of making an independent film—from first draft through fundraising, production, and release. Season One tracks We Could Be Heroes, offering a behind-the-scenes look at what it actually takes to get a movie made today—no gloss, just the process. If you’ve ever wondered how films really com...