Pitch Justin Kohlas (Wednesday, September 10th 2025)

• About Justin Kohlas

Justin Kohlas is a writer and producer with projects spanning television, film, and book adaptations. He has pitched to Universal Television, Lionsgate, Skydance, and many other companies. He is currently developing THE NEW YORK TIMES bestseller THE OVERNIGHT GUEST by HEATHER GUDENKAUF into a television series with NCIS: LOS ANGELES star DANIELA RUAH. He also served as a writer on NCIS: LOS ANGELES, producing his own episodes under EMMY-nominated showrunner R. SCOTT GEMMILL (creator of THE PITT).

Justin is an executive producer on the upcoming feature SHATTERED SKIES, produced alongside PASTIME PICTURES (MONSTER SUMMER starring MEL GIBSON and MASON THAMES of THE BLACK PHONE and HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON). He is also in development on THE LEDGE: AN ADVENTURE STORY OF FRIENDSHIP AND SURVIVAL ON MOUNT RAINIER by JIM DAVIDSON and KEVIN VAUGHAN with OSCAR-winning producers ACE CONTENT (FREE SOLO). His company, KIMBERMARK, will premiere its latest film, HIDE, at SCREAMFEST in Los Angeles this October. DAN LIU (STAR TREK, THE WALKING DEAD) is attached to direct his original screenplay TAKE ME TO THE LAKE, co-written with MATTHEW MIKITA, which he will also executive produce.

Justin's latest project was recently in Deadline and he's also currently developing and shopping two projects from Stage 32 writers!

Past credits include serving as DAVID LYNCH's on-set assistant for the LA unit of TWIN PEAKS and multiple book adaptations for the screen, including THE AMERICAN DREAM: HIS STORY IN THE MAKING by DAVID LEE WINDECHER and MAN VS OCEAN by ADAM WALKER.

Before becoming a writer-producer, Justin built his career from the ground up as a set production assistant on major network and studio projects including IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA, CAKE starring JENNIFER ANISTON and ANNA KENDRICK, NCIS: LOS ANGELES, HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, SHAMELESS, WILFRED, COMEDY BANG! BANG!, and many others. That hands-on experience gave him a working knowledge of every department, from grip and electric to wardrobe and props, and a deep understanding of how professional sets operate. That foundation continues to shape his producing approach.

Brief personal statement: Films and TV helped me get through a family tragedy I experienced as a kid, and that’s why I became a writer and producer. I want to give that solace to others. I’m drawn to work that has “the thing behind the thing"; an emotional core you can feel and a clear visual style that has a lived in POV.

 

Justin specializes in all genres of TV and Feature Film scripts and is currently reading Drama, Horror, Thriller, Action, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, True Story, and Biopic.

 

Tips on pitching to Justin Kohlas

Guidelines

• You may only pitch ONE project per reservation. Execs are looking for projects they can develop, NOT portfolios.
• You should have a completed script available upon request for the project you pitch.
• Do not reach out to the executives unless directed by Stage 32. They do NOT accept unsolicited material or appreciate being cold-called/emailed by strangers.
• Missed reservations are not refundable and will not be rescheduled.

Live Pitches

Within 15 minutes of your scheduled pitch, the exec will reach out by Zoom or Phone. Your pitch session will last approximately 8 minutes.

Written Pitches

Written Pitches will be no more than 2 pages submitted as a PDF or WORD document. Any written pitch uploaded past the deadline will not be shown to the executive and will result in a non-refundable forfeiture of your pitch.

Scorecards

Within 3-4 weeks of your pitch session, you will receive a Pitch Scorecard on which the exec you pitched will provide pitch feedback and note if they are PASSing, or would like to REQUEST your material.

If you are requested, you will be notified via email with further instructions. The execs will have 2-3 months to review your material and note if they are PASSing, or would like a MEETING. If a meeting is requested, we will introduce you via email.

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Please understand that these are working executives, and their schedules are subject to change at a moment's notice. We always strive to give you at least 24 hours of notice if a session has been cancelled, and we will recommend another executive for you to pitch your material to.

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Need help with your pitch?
Download the Stage 32 Pitching Guidebook

Questions or Concerns?
WriterHelp@Stage32.com

What Can Stage 32 Pitch Sessions Do For You?

Whether you're preparing to find (or switch) representation, go out with a feature or TV script to production companies, studios, streamers, networks, investors or buyers, Stage 32 Pitch Sessions are a great first step to make sure you are on the right track.

Stage 32 has cultivated professional relationships with over 3,000 industry professionals including managers, agents, development executives, producers, investors and other executives and professionals across the industry who listen to pitches from the Stage 32 community. For these executives and pros, Stage 32 has become the place to discover new talent and material.

How it Works

It’s simple. You simply pick the executive you’d like to pitch to. You can choose to pitch either via Zoom or through a written pitch.

Your executive will give you feedback on the pitch and ask and answer questions in real time. You will learn what works and doesn't work with your material and you can continue to hone your script and pitch as you prepare to go to market.

Then, within 3 weeks, you will receive a scorecard outlining various aspects of your pitch including Pitch Delivery/Format, Clarity of Pitch, Set Up of Protagonist(s) & World, Obstacles & Conflict, Clarity of Tone, Originality of Concept and Strength of Voice.

Further, you will receive an industry standard PASS or REQUEST for your project. If you receive a request for your script OR if the executive requests a meeting (or both!), we will facilitate the arrangement!

For over a decade, Stage 32 writers have secured tens of thousands of script requests and thousands of meetings with industry professionals as a result of pitching through Stage 32. These requests and meetings have led to thousands of success stories including writers securing representation, sales, paid options, produced films, open writing assignments, writers room jobs and much more. You can check out our success stories here!

Your Zoom Pitch Format

In our Zoom or Phone pitches, you will pitch directly with the executive through Zoom or via telephone. Your pitch will be 8 minutes in total. It is up to you on how you want to use your time, but we recommend you spend 5-6 minutes to pitch your project, which will allow for 2-3 minutes of executive questions and feedback.

Your Written Pitch Format

Written Pitches must be no longer than 2 pages submitted as a PDF or WORD document. Your written pitch should include the name of the script, logline, format (feature film or TV pilot) and genre. From there, you’ll want to lay out the main points of your story and character arcs to create and present a clear, concise narrative.

Stage 32 Pitching Tips

Both live and written pitch sessions follow industry standards and are designed to present your pitch to working executives. They will provide you with meaningful, actionable guidance to not only improve the work and the pitch, but to help you best position your work for the marketplace. So please come fully prepared.

Once you sign up for your pitch session you will be given educational resources to help you best prepare your pitch which include example pitch beat sheets for both feature film & TV verbal pitches, examples of both written and feature film written pitches, as well as an example video Zoom pitch.

Code of Conduct

This is a professional environment and you are pitching to seasoned executives. Decorum is important. Please adhere to the guidelines below.

1. Do not ask the executive if they want to read your script during the pitch.
2. Do not reach out to an executive outside of the Stage 32 platform. This is highly unprofessional and will result in being disqualified from pitching again.
3. Stage 32 works directly with our executives. If there is interest in your script or a meeting request, we will facilitate the request.

You’ve worked so hard on your material, we couldn’t be more excited for you to present the work to your executive. We have no doubt that by following the guidelines above, you’re going to do fantastic!

Best wishes with your pitch.

And remember, if you ever have any questions from choosing an executive to which of our services may be right for you, never hesitate to reach out to the Success Team at success@stage32.com - We’re here to help…always!