547 - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - J. DAVID SHANKS

547 - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - J. DAVID SHANKS

Author: Hilliard Guess February 16, 2026 Duration: 2:27:23

In the spirit of GORDON PARK and PAUL ROBESON, J. David Shanks prides himself on being the contemporary renaissance man. He’s a writer, producer, and actor with aspirations of adding to his hyphenated list of industry skill sets, Director for feature films and television series.


David is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. He received his MFA in Producing for Film, Television, and New Media from the world-renowned Peter Stark Producing Program. His writing credits include NBC’s SHADES OF BLUE, FOX Television’s SHOTS FIRED, SHOWTIME’s THE CHI and the critically acclaimed NETFLIX SERIES SEVEN SECONDS where his episode, MATTERS OF LIFE AND DEATH won the 2019 NAACP IMAGE AWARD for Outstanding Writing in a Television Drama.


Presently, David is working under an overall deal with AMC Network. He is currently the Executive Producer/ Co-Showrunner for the AMC SERIES 61st STREET and EP on CROSS S2 & S3.


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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

Screenwriters' Rant Room
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