TV WRITERS LIVE PANEL - ANTHOLOGY IO

TV WRITERS LIVE PANEL - ANTHOLOGY IO

Author: Hilliard Guess April 9, 2026 Duration: 1:14:19

BONUS EP!

In its inaugural year, Anthology IO Short Film Festival is not holding back any punches. With its premiere event in Los Angeles on March 28th, 2026. 


THE TV WRITERS’ HUSTLE: ROOMS, PITCHES & STAFFING

Breaking into television isn’t just about writing a great script — it’s about understanding the hustle behind the scenes. In this candid panel, working TV/Film writers (Hilliard Guess, Tash Gray, Saeed Crumpler and Chris Derrick) pull back the curtain on how the business really works: from developing and pitching shows, to navigating the writers’ room and landing that coveted staff job.

Expect real talk, practical advice, and insider gems on how today’s writers break in, level up, and survive the ever-changing world of television. Whether you’re an emerging writer or a veteran on the grind, this conversation will give you the game you need to move your career forward!


https://www.studioio.la/anthology-io


DETAILS:

  • Date: Saturday, MARCH 28th, 2026
  • Venue: Solotech Studios @ The Eastman Kodak Building in Hollywood
  • Address: 6700 Santa Monica Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90038

Limited Parking Accessible at: 1017 N Las Palmas Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038


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
522: SHOWRUNNER LATOYA MORGAN [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01:28
In this episode, Hilliard and guest co-host writer/producer Deonte Staats sit down for a two hour, nothing but game conversation with Showrunner/Co-Creator of the new MAX hit series DUSTER!Highlights: LaToya’s time in th…
521: CO-EP STACEY EVANS MORGAN [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:10:12
In this Season Finale episode, Hilliard and guest co-host, comedy writer Myles Warden sat down for a super fun, 2-hour episode with CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER STACEY EVANS MORGAN!We talk about Stacey’s amazing journey from as…
520: SHOWRUNNER AARON RAHSAAN THOMAS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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 caree…
519: SHOWRUNNER GLEN MAZZARA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:55:26
In this episode, Hilliard and guest co-host TV/Film writer Saeed Crumpler sat down with big bro Showrunner GLEN MAZZARA (Crash, Damien, The Walking Dead, Hawthorne, Extraction to list a few)!HIGHLIGHTS: The WGA's new TV…
518: CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER VINCENT BROWN [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:53
In this episode, Hilliard and comedy writer Myles Warden sat down for a super fun conversation with Co-Executive Producer VINCENT BROWN.Vincent recently wrapped up as co-executive producer for the FOX animated series HOU…
517: STACIE GREENWELL - STAR ON CROSS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:10
In this episode, Hilliard and guest co-hosts (actor/filmmaker) Shawn Carter Peterson and (actor/filmmaker) Iona Morris Jackson sat down with STACIE GREENWELL who plays the role of Detective Shawna D Lackner, one of the s…
516: SURVIVING THE MEETING GAUNTLET [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:02
In this episode, Hilliard and Writer on the Verge, Rich Scott, sit down for an impromptu conversation about writer, showrunner and executive meetings -- over talking, mentorship, perception, nurturing relationships, bein…
515: TV STAFFING MEETINGS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:22
In this episode, Hilliard does his very first Bottle Episode by himself covering TV STAFFING MEETINGS!He talks about how it all works, the General, the Staffing Breakdowns, mandates, themes, mimicking your script to the…
514: SHOWRUNNER - BEN WATKINS (PART 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:41:46
"CREATING CROSS"Hilliard and guest co-hosts actor/filmmaker Johnny Ray Gill and actor/filmmaker Denzel Whitaker chop it up in a dope, 2-part episode with showrunner BEN WATKINS, writer-creator of the NAACP Image Award Wi…
513: SHOWRUNNER - BEN WATKINS (PART 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:46
On an all new episode, Hilliard and guest co-hosts actor/filmmaker Johnny Ray Gill and actor/filmmaker Denzel Whitaker chop it up in a dope, 2-part episode with showrunner BEN WATKINS, writer-creator of the NAACP Image A…