Alec Engerson spent four years as a development executive for Emmy-winning director and executive producer, Anthony Hemingway, where he helped develop and produce shows like GENIUS: ARETHA and LA LAW before talking his way into the writers' room — first as Showrunner's Assistant to Matt Nix on TRUE LIES (CBS), then as writer's assistant on the new BAYWATCH reboot. Along the way, he has adapted two novels for Voyage Entertainment, has a horror procedural in development with Korean Studio BOUND Entertainment, and I’m willing to bet that if you challenge him to a duel on film knowledge, he might just whoop your ass.

When her most recent hit show ACT YOUR AGE garnered a nomination for the Humanitas Prize, TV Showrunner and Creator Alyson Fouse had already been cranking out badass comedy for decades - with work on projects including A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS, SCARY MOVIE 2 and the one that launched her career: THE KEENAN IVORY WAYANS SHOW. And the only reason this happened is because she heard something she thought she could do and she had no examples in her own inner circle, and she did it anyways.

TV Director, Editor and Producer, Doug Hannah, got his start on unscripted shows like AMERICAN IDOL and then worked his way up through scripted shows, including BURN NOTICE, WHITE COLLAR, CODE BLACK and MAGNUM PI to where he is now on the new reboot of BAYWATCH. He successfully made the transition from editor to director and also included producing duties into his skills set. He has the wonderful combination of both humility and extreme drive and his journey is an example of how far above and beyond people go to establish careers in television and film.

Some directors come up through film school. Geoff Browne came up with a camera in places most people never reach. He’s lived in a cave village in China, filmed monks in Tibet, worked in the Arctic, crossed the Atlantic on a small Russian freighter — and made documentaries on a serial killer in Vancouver, drug dealers in LA, cartel members in Mexico. He’s been solo on shoots or worked with large crews, always real people in real places. And he’s poured all of it into his own scripted films. He went alone to a village in Nigeria and wrote, directed, and shot a dramatic short called Godpower — which has its world premiere in competition at Dances with Films, at the TCL Chinese Theatre, June 20th at 2pm. 

Jordan Mitchell-Love is an Actor, Casting Producer, Host, 1st AD and Stunt person here in LA. As a Casting Producer, Jordan mainly works in unscripted television on some of the biggest shows in the world including Beast Games on Amazon; Wipeout on TBS; The Wall on NBC; and Extreme Makeover Home Edition on ABC.

He also served as the host and master of ceremonies for the LA WebFest, the world‘s largest and oldest festival for web based content, founded by Emmy award winner, Michael Ajakwe Jr.

And if that wasn’t enough, listen to the end to hear about his athletic endeavors because Jordan’s extracurriculars are yet another example of his intense work ethic.

Steven Esteb is a WGA screenwriter who's sold TV and film projects to places like MGM and RKO Pictures, directed 6 feature films, from an AIDS documentary to a political comedy starring Beau Bridges and Judd Nelson, even a gangsta rap cult favorite for Cash Money Records starring Lil Wayne, Birdman, Juvenile.  And he created and hosted the totally insane Journalista Podcast for iHeart Radio, which might just be on a streamer in the near future.  With all that he's a popular script consultant and screenwriting coach, even taught screenwriting and film production at Loyola University in New Orleans.  He's the ultimate survivor, still writing and still pitching, and when the shit hits the fan, he'll be the last man standing.  

This is a fun conversation with the badass Kevin Clark-Ryan who recently released VIPERS, the short film he co-wrote and shot in LA, and who is currently a TV Showrunner’s assistant. With extensive experience in both New York and LA as a production assistant, driver, writer, director and bringing the deeply appreciated paychecks to set - Kevin’s point of view, coming directly from the trenches, is both wise and entertaining. He even let me ask him about the best time to take bathroom breaks - an essential topic in many a writer’s life.

With experience on close to 3000 TV, Film, Video Game and Stage projects, Karen Huie is a veteran actor who plays the role of Grandma Tanaka in the 2026 Disney Pixar film, HOPPERS. She also has extensive experience in looping as well as teaching classes at places like the Groundlings and has written and sold TV pilots. I met Karen many years ago and must admit I wanted to just sit back and keep listening to all of her engaging stories about such a long, and dedicated creative life. One, which began with her childhood in New York City’s Chinatown. NOTE - warning, spoiler alert if you haven’t seen HOPPERS yet!

Jason Shuman has had a prolific film and television career as both a writer and producer. From his beginning days, producing a horror film about the tooth fairy in Australia through projects from BANGKOK DANGEROUS to REBEL IN THE RYE, LONE SURVIVOR, ARE WE THERE YET, HALF BROTHERS, ACAPULCO, and the HBO Series WINNING TIME: THE RISE OF THE LAKERS DYNASTY - he is the embodiment of a story machine. This is even more clear with his upcoming projects, feature pitch, COLA WARS, and DRIFT - which he first co-wrote as a short story with one of his partners, Ben Queen. Both of these projects sold in recent bidding wars. Success aside, Jason manages to be a funny, humble and thoughtful human being as you will see in today’s discussion.

Carole Kirschner has been a Career Coach in Hollywood for over 25 years and is the Director of the WGA Showrunner Training Program & the Paramount Writers Mentoring Program. She actually started off as a stand-up comic and then spent 15 years as a senior-level development executive, including at CBS and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television. And this episode is pretty special because not only is she a much beloved figure in the entertainment industry, but I also worked with Carole for over a decade and I consider her one of my greatest influences.