The Pitch Tank with James Leighton

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The Pitch Tank

Webinar hosted by: The Pitch Tank

James began his career in entertainment on CRAZY EX GIRLFRIEND, LET’S MAKE A DEAL, and BRIGHT for Netflix. He was then hired by Unfound Content as a production coordinator and later a UPM, working on various indie features and commercials with producer Bernie Stern. Previously, James worked in development at Universal Television as a development coordinator, working on an overall deal with UTV for scripted and unscripted TV series. Currently, James is a Director of Development at an A-List production company with an ABC Studios/Disney Television Deal focused on television projects. The principal of the company is an A-List actress with several feature films in the Marvel Universe for The Walt Disney Company, working on AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, AVENGERS: END GAME, BLACK PANTHER, BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, ALL EYEZ ON ME, MOTHER GEORGE, Wes Craven's MY SOUL TO TAKE, and THE WALKING DEAD franchise. James develops television projects across all genres, evaluating concepts and crafting pitches for the market. He guides sold projects through development with buyers, championing underrepresented voices through provocative storytelling. His mission is delivering barrier-breaking narratives that introduce diverse faces and cultural perspectives to global audiences, using specific stories to explore universal themes that unite us all. Full Bio »

Webinar Summary

Our guest this week is James Leighton, Director of Development at an A-List production company with an ABC Studios/Disney Television Deal focused on television projects! James' credits include working on AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, AVENGERS: END GAME, BLACK PANTHER, BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, ALL EYEZ ON ME, MOTHER GEORGE, Wes Craven's MY SOUL TO TAKE, and THE WALKING DEAD franchise! He began his career in entertainment on CRAZY EX GIRLFRIEND, LET’S MAKE A DEAL, and BRIGHT for Netflix. James develops television projects across all genres, evaluating concepts and crafting pitches for the market, and is eager to find stories that serve the mandates for ABC Studios/Disney by reading scripts from the Stage 32 community! James is interested in TV pilots across all genres, especially for comedies in both TV and feature films, and for Features, James looks for genre-blended comedy projects (horror, action, sci-fi, etc.) or high-concept ideas that could serve as star vehicles for comedic talent. Join in the educational fun right here on Stage 32!

What You'll Learn

Attend this webcast and learn to own any executive's room with your pitch! Volunteer Writers' Room Members pitch their projects in 5-minute intervals directly to industry experts who will break their pitches down and offer feedback!

About Your Instructor

James began his career in entertainment on CRAZY EX GIRLFRIEND, LET’S MAKE A DEAL, and BRIGHT for Netflix. He was then hired by Unfound Content as a production coordinator and later a UPM, working on various indie features and commercials with producer Bernie Stern.

Previously, James worked in development at Universal Television as a development coordinator, working on an overall deal with UTV for scripted and unscripted TV series.

Currently, James is a Director of Development at an A-List production company with an ABC Studios/Disney Television Deal focused on television projects. The principal of the company is an A-List actress with several feature films in the Marvel Universe for The Walt Disney Company, working on AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, AVENGERS: END GAME, BLACK PANTHER, BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER, ALL EYEZ ON ME, MOTHER GEORGE, Wes Craven's MY SOUL TO TAKE, and THE WALKING DEAD franchise.

James develops television projects across all genres, evaluating concepts and crafting pitches for the market. He guides sold projects through development with buyers, championing underrepresented voices through provocative storytelling. His mission is delivering barrier-breaking narratives that introduce diverse faces and cultural perspectives to global audiences, using specific stories to explore universal themes that unite us all.

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