Learn directly from Gotham Award-winning Producer Shaun O’Banion who's worked with Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Joe Wright and Judd Apatow. 

PLEASE NOTE: Although this exclusive Stage 32 class is no longer live and the teacher is not available on email, we highly encourage you to do any assignments to get the most out of the educational experience.

Everyone will tell you filmmaking is a collaborative process and comes down to relationships. Possibly the most important relationship? The one between the writer and the producer or exec. This partnership is critical and is often the first spark that can get a project going. But this relationship doesn’t just materialize without any work put in. The truth of the matter is the collaboration and trust that’s built between the writer and producer, starting with the optioning or hiring process and going through all of development and production can be just as important as the script and production itself in how successful the film turns out to be.

If you’re a writer, it can be challenging to find a producer who is the right fit and actually get on their radar or get them to read your work in the first place. As a producer, getting your hands on the script that you actually connect with and that you can feel confident in producing can be quite an undertaking. And whether you are the writer or the producer, navigating this creative relationship through the murky development process is complicated but absolutely crucial. So how does a successfully writer-producer relationship actually work? How do producers find scripts and how can you set up your own screenplay for success? And once you’re on your way, what steps can you take to ensure the relationship, and therefore the entire project, doesn’t fall apart during development? Let’s explore.

Shaun O'Banion is an award-winning producer and the founder of production company Ravenwood and has worked with writers and filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Joe Wright and Judd Apatow. O’Banion produced DAKOTA SKYE which became a cult hit and remained in the Top 100 Most Viewed on Netflix. He also produced GIRLFRIEND, the first film in North America to star an actor with Down Syndrome in the lead role. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, sold to Strand Releasing and won O’Banion an IFP Gotham Award. He joined the Producers Guild of America and co-produced THE AUTOMATIC HATE which made its World Premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. The film was released theatrically by Film Movement. Shaun has also worked as a post production project coordinator on some of the industry's leading films in recent years including JOJO RABBIT, TERMINATOR: DARK FATE, THE AFTERMATH and OPHELIA. Shaun is well versed on building relationships to get films made and is ready to break down what he knows

In this exclusive two-part on-demand Stage 32 class, Shaun will walk you through process of getting material produced from the producer's perspective. He’ll go through what producers look for, how doing your research matters, and how collaboration with your new partner is the key to it all. Plus, expect to learn the differences between setting up a short and setting up a feature. Shaun will also delve into the development process and give you a new set of tools to get your material in top form.

The development process is murky and hard to navigate, but Shaun will go in-depth on how exactly to see it through to the end by building a strong relationship with your producer.

Praise for Shaun:

"Loved the up-front examples of how long it took to develop different films and whys behind it. Super informative."

- Gina G.

"For people trying to break into the business, these kind of webinar chats where the info and experience rolls off the cuff is important and very effective for me. If you can't be around the industry and executives, having the opportunity to 'be in the room' and hear about process and how things are done is really important."

- Diana L.

Session 1: Pursuing and Starting the Writer-Producer Relationship

• Initial Contact:
  • Where do producers look for material?
  • If you’re a producer, selecting the right writer for your story.
  • What makes a producer decide to read your material?
• How to get past the measures designed to keep you on the outside.
• Repped writers vs. unrepped writers and how you can make both work
• How many projects is a producer developing at any one time?
• How to write to get read. What hooks a producer, development exec or reader and are those things different at different budget levels?
  • Should you go ahead and write your $100 million dollar summer blockbuster?
  • Writing to get it made NOW
  • Pre-existing material. Where you find it, how to get it
  • Coverage: Who’s reading? What are they looking for? How do they judge?
• Recorded Q&A with Shaun

Session 2: The Development Process

• What is “development” really and how long can it take?
• Different factors to consider
• Is there a way to “beat the system” and ensure your film gets going?
• Building your relationship with a producer or exec
  • Fighting/Making up/Moving on and moving past the inevitable speed bumps along the way
  • Is being replaced inevitable?
• You’ve been optioned or hired! Now what?
  • Understanding the dynamics of your new relationship.
  • If you’re a writer, how to work with your new producer/partner to create the best result.
  • If you’re a producer, how to navigate the process with your screenwriter.
  • Differences between indie/big budget in terms of development
  • Thinking in terms of production- an important skill for any writer
• Recorded Q&A with Shaun

PLEASE NOTE: Although this exclusive Stage 32 class is no longer live and the teacher is not available on email, we highly encourage you to do any assignments to get the most out of the educational experience.

All levels of producers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to grasp an understanding of the relationship between the writer and producer during a production.

All levels of filmmakers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to grasp an understanding of the relationship between the writer and producer during a production.

All levels of screenwriters (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to grasp an understanding of the relationship between the writer and producer during a production.

Actors looking to grasp an understanding of the relationship between the writer and producer during a production.

Praise for Shaun:

"Loved the up-front examples of how long it took to develop different films and whys behind it. Super informative."

- Gina G.

"For people trying to break into the business, these kind of webinar chats where the info and experience rolls off the cuff is important and very effective for me. If you can't be around the industry and executives, having the opportunity to 'be in the room' and hear about process and how things are done is really important."

- Diana L.