520: SHOWRUNNER AARON RAHSAAN THOMAS

520: SHOWRUNNER AARON RAHSAAN THOMAS

Author: Hilliard Guess April 15, 2025 Duration: 2:06:57

In this episode, Hilliard & guest co-host Saeed Crumpler sat down with one of our favorite repeating guests AARON RAHSAAN THOMAS, acclaimed TV, Film writer/producer/ creator/co-showrunner of S.W.A.T., who began his career on Soul Food, Saturday Night Lights, Numbers, CSI NY, Southland, Sleepy Hollow and The Get-Down to list a few!


We talk about how Arron developed and pitched S.W.A.T., how writers can use certain techniques when pitching their projects to networks or PODS, pivoting while shooting during COVID and after the death of George Floyd, management and producing, serving the client, giving yourself room to improvise, why TV Spec scripts are important and so much more!

This is a don’t miss episode y’all!

Subscribe, like, follow, share & 5-star review!

EMAIL:
ScreenwritersRantRoom@gmail.com

WWW.SCREENWRITERSRANTROOM.COM

For information, Merch (T-SHIRTS/HOODIES), and all things Rant Room!
https://screenwriters-rant-room.printify.me/products


⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@Hilliard Guess on all social media
@Hilliardguess.bsky.social
IG: @ScreenwritersRantRoom

Guests:
@arthomastv
@balance510

WE ARE NOW OPEN TO SPONSORSHIPS AND BRANDING OPPORTUNITIES⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Screenwritersrantroom@gmail.com

We invest countless hours per week to deliver the actionable content that goes into this podcast. We appreciate your support!

Our Motto: “Keep it GAME all day!"


Step inside a space where the polished veneer of Hollywood gets stripped away, replaced by the raw, unfiltered conversations happening behind the scenes. Screenwriters' Rant Room is guided by Hilliard Guess, a working WGA writer, director, and producer whose own path includes a role as Director of Development and now executive producing an Amazon series. He brings that grounded, insider perspective to every episode. Rather than rehearsed interviews, you’ll hear the kind of frank talk that happens after a long day on set or in a writers’ room. Hilliard sits down with guests or engages with rotating co-hosts, and together they drop what he aptly calls "industry bombs"-those unvarnished truths, frustrating anecdotes, and hard-won insights about writing, producing, and surviving in TV and film. The tone is as hilarious as it is candid, making the complex machinery of entertainment feel human and relatable. This isn't a lecture on structure; it's a living, breathing, and often laughing chronicle of the creative grind. For anyone curious about the real stories behind the screen, this podcast offers a front-row seat to the rants, revelations, and camaraderie that define a life in storytelling.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Screenwriters' Rant Room
Podcast Episodes
493: EMMY NOMINATED PERES OWINO [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:56:17
In this episode Hilliard and guest co-host (writer/professor) MICHELLE AMOR sit down with super talented writer/filmmaker PERES OWINO, Nominated this year for a Creative Arts Emmy, she co-wrote Netflix’s “African Queens…
492: HEAD WRITERS' BEAU DEMAYO AND BRANDON EASTON [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:54:44
Have you ever thought about Animation and how it works for screenwriters? In this episode, Hilliard chopped it up with Head Writer’s BEAU DEMAYO (MARVEL’S X-MEN 97) and BRANDON EASTON (TRANSFORMERS: WFC-SIEGE), going in…
491: NAVIGATING HOLLYWOOD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:36:26
Are you considering giving up on your Hollywood Dream? In this episode, we talk with TV Writer's Zimran Jacob and Naiem Bouier about their journeys to Hollywood and the crazy things that make a writer want to pack up and…
490: MORE WRITERS ON THE VERGE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:53
In this episode, Hilliard does a super fun, high energy podcast with Writer’s on the Verge - DIJORN & TRINEA MOSS (Paramount Writers Mentoring Program) and MYLES WARDEN (Act Your Age) that we just know all of your writer…
489: SCREENWRITERS' BURNING QUESTIONS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:16:55
In this episode, Hilliard and TV Writer Saeed Crumpler spend over 2 solid hours answering Emerging Screenwriter Questions that came in from Twitter and Social Media! These two drop nothing but industry game, giving clear…
NEW SEASON ROLL OUT - PROMO [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:54
In this promo clip, Hilliard gets us ready for the new season as we celebrate “10 YEARS OF GAME", what’s coming up on the podcast and some of the new, fun and exciting things we can look forward to! Our Motto: "We keep i…
END OF SEASON - UPDATE! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:17
The Screenwriters Rant Room is taking a 6 week break while Hilliard is away working on a big TV project. Expect us back in mid-May or early June. If you NEED your Rant Room fix, check out the archives - there's almost 50…
487: SCOTTY MULLEN - ASSIGNMENT WRITER [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:56:10
In this episode, Hilliard and Tristan J. Shuler from Road Map Writers sat down in a hilarious and engaging episode that is packed full of game. Our guest this week is little bro, Scotty Mullen, an award-winning writer kn…
486: "ZADOC ANGELL - ECHO LAKE ENTERTAINMENT" [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:16
In this episode, Hilliard and Rene Rodriguez-Lopez (Development Exec at BET+), sat down for a fun, inspiring conversation with Literary Manager ZADOC ANGELL who began his career as a TV Literary Agent at Paradigm, where…