524: EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - ERIC DEAN SEATON

524: EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - ERIC DEAN SEATON

Author: Hilliard Guess June 30, 2025 Duration: 1:48:36

In this episode, Hilliard and guest co-host writer/dir/prod Fia Perera sit down for a 2 hour, in-depth conversation with writer/director/executive producer ERIC DEAN SEATON!


Highlights: Working his way up as an AD, getting his first episodic directors gig, sustaining a long career, directors get hired for what you've already done, creating a graphic novel an producing the award-winning short, fake it til you make it and we open it up to a room full of filmmakers who "ASK US ANYTHING!"


More about Eric:
With a Daytime Emmy nomination and three NAACP Image Award wins, Eric Dean Seaton stands out as one of the most dynamic and versatile storytellers in television, seamlessly crossing genres and styles.


In the dramatic realm, Seaton has directed and executive produced the pilot and series Average Joe. His episodic work includes episodes of Will Trent, High Potential, The Cleaning Lady, Superman and Lois, Batwoman, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, The Flash and All American: Homecoming.


In the world of single-camera comedies, he has contributed to hits like Modern Family, Black-ish, The Goldbergs, American Housewife, Life in Pieces, and Grown-ish. 


In multi-camera productions, Seaton has taken on pilots for Family Reunion, The Prince of Peoria, Raven’s Home, Mighty Med, and Kickin’ It. Additionally, his work in variety includes helming the beloved sketch shows All That and So Random making him one of the very few directors to have successfully navigated every style of narrative television.

In addition to his work behind the camera, Seaton is the creator, writer, and publisher of the critically acclaimed graphic novel series Legend of the Mantamaji, and its sequel, Legend of the Mantamaji: Bloodlines. He also directed the accompanying multiple award-winning Legend of the Mantamaji: Live Action Short.

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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

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