What Are General Meetings In Film and TV? A Guide for Writers
In the film and television industries, general meetings—often simply called “generals”—are a vital component of getting yourself known among people who can start or advance your screenwriting career. You’ve may been recommended and they have probably read and enjoyed your work. Generals aren’t specifically pitch meetings. You’re not expected to come in with a fully […]
The Art of the Pitch: Shared Strategies Of TV’s Top Showrunners (Part 2)
Beyond the individual show origins, the panelists also offer insights into the pitching process itself, sharing both personal rituals and strategic approaches. Mara Brock Akil employs music as a ritual, curating playlists that help her “get the tone, get the vibe, get the texture” before a pitch, also serving to relax her. Eric Newman, drawing […]
The Art of the Sell: Inside the Pitch Room with TV’s Top Showrunners (Part 1)
How showrunners pitched their Netlfix shows. Mara Brock Akil, FOREVER
Mindy Kaling, Running Point
Mike Schur, A Man on the Inside
Molly Smith Metzler, Sirens
Eric Newman, Zero Day and American Primeval
Writer Mike Flanagan Answers: “What I’d Tell My Younger Self About Breaking Into Screenwriting”
Mike Flanagan is known for The Haunting of Hill House, a critically acclaimed Netflix series that redefined modern horror. Blending supernatural elements with a deeply emotional exploration of grief and family trauma, the show showcased Flanagan’s signature style—intimate, character-driven storytelling wrapped in a genre. Make It About Something Before You Make It A Genre […]
How Mara Brock Akil Made Her Break in Hollywood—And What Writers Can Learn
Writer Mara Brock Akil offers aspiring screenwriters advice on breaking in.
