The Breakdown Webcast with Story Analyst for Amazon Studios Michael Schulman

Hosted by The Breakdown

N/A
You are not a VIP member

Only VIP members have access to this exclusive webinar library. Click here to subscribe to a VIP plan.

Stage 32 Next Level Education has a 97% user satisfaction rate.

The Breakdown

Webinar hosted by: The Breakdown

Michael is currently the Story Analyst for Amazon Studios where he covers all submissions for development that come through to Amazon. Prior to Amazon, Michael Schulman was the story analyst/script consultant for Netflix in the Original Independent Film (OIF) division. Prior to his work with Netflix and Amazon, Michael worked at Barry Mendel Productions on the Disney lot where he was involved with the acquisition, development and production of Wes Anderson's RUSHMORE, Oscar Nominated THE SIXTH SENSE, and Spielberg's Oscar Nominated MUNICH. Michael spent two years as head of development for 4 time Oscar Nominated Michael Mann’s company where he worked on Oscar nominated ALI starring Will Smith, 5 time Oscar Winning THE AVIATOR, and TEXAS KILLING FIELDS starring Jessica Chastain. Michael also spent years on the buyer side of film as VP of Development for Alec Baldwin’s company at Orion Pictures and subsequently for Dennis Quaid’s company at TriStar. Michael’s consultations are designed for advanced screenwriters who are ready to take their career to the next level and start seeking professional representation. He also wants to work with writers who have their first draft, and need help brainstorming what the key elements are to keep and edit to quickly get your project market ready. You will receive an in-depth analysis of your project’s strengths and weaknesses and an accurate preview of how agents, managers, and studios would respond to the submission. Michael has presented several well-received webinars on the screenplay development and acquisition process, and he has been interviewed and frequently quoted in the industry media. More importantly, you will get the experience of being in a producer’s meeting where the goal is to dissect the draft and get the project ready to submit to the studio. This is a deep creative scrub of your project that will provide a specific game plan for a rewrite that will help position your project in the sweet-spot of what the studios and streamers are looking for. Michael is happy to discuss strategies to effectively find the right professional representation, and—when it’s appropriate—facilitate introductions to agents, managers, and producers to help get the right eyes on your material. Michael began his career at the William Morris Agency as an agent trainee and assistant to the worldwide head-of-talent where he worked with top actors including Richard Gere, Mel Gibson, Nicolas Cage, Denzel Washington, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Nicole Kidman. After a move to ICM, and upon promotion to agent in the motion picture literary department, Michael began representing emerging screenwriters, directors, and producers, brokering the deal for Danny Rubin’s screenplay GROUNDHOG DAY to director Harold Ramis.   Full Bio »

Webinar Summary

Writers' Room Members! Much more than a Breakdown Webcast, our special guest, Story Analyst for AMAZON Studios, Michael Schulman, will be going to discuss how Spec Scripts get shopped by Agents & considered by studios using examples he worked on: GROUNDHOG DAY, THE SIXTH SENSE, REGARDING HENRY, and MUNICH. Our LIVE audience will get the experience of being in a producer’s meeting where the goal is to dissect the draft and get the project ready to submit to the studio. This is a deep, creative scrub that will provide a specific game plan for a rewrite that will help position your project in the sweet spot of what the studios and streamers are looking for. Michael began his career at the William Morris Agency as an agent trainee, then at ICM, as an agent in the motion picture literary department, Michael began representing emerging screenwriters, directors, and producers, brokering the deal for Danny Rubin’s screenplay GROUNDHOG DAY to director Harold Ramis. Michael also spent years on the buyer side of film as VP of Development for Alec Baldwin’s company at Orion Pictures and subsequently for Dennis Quaid’s company at TriStar, and worked at Barry Mendel Productions, where he was involved with the acquisition, development, and production of Oscar-nominated THE SIXTH SENSE and Spielberg's Oscar-nominated MUNICH. Michael spent two years as head of development for Michael Mann’s company, where he worked on Oscar-nominated ALI, 5-time Oscar-winning THE AVIATOR, and was a former story analyst/script consultant for Netflix in the Original Independent Film (OIF) division. Invaluable knowledge is being shared with our Writers' Room Members, right here on Stage 32!

What You'll Learn

Writers' Room Members! Much more than a Breakdown Webcast, our special guest, Story Analyst for AMAZON Studios, Michael Schulman, will be going to discuss how Spec Scripts get shopped by Agents & considered by studios using examples he worked on: GROUNDHOG DAY, THE SIXTH SENSE, REGARDING HENRY, and MUNICH. Our LIVE audience will get the experience of being in a producer’s meeting where the goal is to dissect the draft and get the project ready to submit to the studio. This is a deep, creative scrub that will provide a specific game plan for a rewrite that will help position your project in the sweet spot of what the studios and streamers are looking for. Michael began his career at the William Morris Agency as an agent trainee, then at ICM, as an agent in the motion picture literary department, Michael began representing emerging screenwriters, directors, and producers, brokering the deal for Danny Rubin’s screenplay GROUNDHOG DAY to director Harold Ramis. Michael also spent years on the buyer side of film as VP of Development for Alec Baldwin’s company at Orion Pictures and subsequently for Dennis Quaid’s company at TriStar, and worked at Barry Mendel Productions, where he was involved with the acquisition, development, and production of Oscar-nominated THE SIXTH SENSE and Spielberg's Oscar-nominated MUNICH. Michael spent two years as head of development for Michael Mann’s company, where he worked on Oscar-nominated ALI, 5-time Oscar-winning THE AVIATOR, and was a former story analyst/script consultant for Netflix in the Original Independent Film (OIF) division. Invaluable knowledge is being shared with our Writers' Room Members, right here on Stage 32!

About Your Instructor

Michael is currently the Story Analyst for Amazon Studios where he covers all submissions for development that come through to Amazon. Prior to Amazon, Michael Schulman was the story analyst/script consultant for Netflix in the Original Independent Film (OIF) division.

Prior to his work with Netflix and Amazon, Michael worked at Barry Mendel Productions on the Disney lot where he was involved with the acquisition, development and production of Wes Anderson's RUSHMORE, Oscar Nominated THE SIXTH SENSE, and Spielberg's Oscar Nominated MUNICH. Michael spent two years as head of development for 4 time Oscar Nominated Michael Mann’s company where he worked on Oscar nominated ALI starring Will Smith, 5 time Oscar Winning THE AVIATOR, and TEXAS KILLING FIELDS starring Jessica Chastain.

Michael also spent years on the buyer side of film as VP of Development for Alec Baldwin’s company at Orion Pictures and subsequently for Dennis Quaid’s company at TriStar.

Michael’s consultations are designed for advanced screenwriters who are ready to take their career to the next level and start seeking professional representation. He also wants to work with writers who have their first draft, and need help brainstorming what the key elements are to keep and edit to quickly get your project market ready. You will receive an in-depth analysis of your project’s strengths and weaknesses and an accurate preview of how agents, managers, and studios would respond to the submission. Michael has presented several well-received webinars on the screenplay development and acquisition process, and he has been interviewed and frequently quoted in the industry media.

More importantly, you will get the experience of being in a producer’s meeting where the goal is to dissect the draft and get the project ready to submit to the studio. This is a deep creative scrub of your project that will provide a specific game plan for a rewrite that will help position your project in the sweet-spot of what the studios and streamers are looking for. Michael is happy to discuss strategies to effectively find the right professional representation, and—when it’s appropriate—facilitate introductions to agents, managers, and producers to help get the right eyes on your material.

Michael began his career at the William Morris Agency as an agent trainee and assistant to the worldwide head-of-talent where he worked with top actors including Richard Gere, Mel Gibson, Nicolas Cage, Denzel Washington, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Nicole Kidman. After a move to ICM, and upon promotion to agent in the motion picture literary department, Michael began representing emerging screenwriters, directors, and producers, brokering the deal for Danny Rubin’s screenplay GROUNDHOG DAY to director Harold Ramis.

 

FAQs

Q: How do I watch my webinar live?
A: If you received a confirmation that your webinar is on Go to Webinar, you will receive an email from Go to Webinar with further instructions for participating in the live webinar. You can also access your webinar link in your purchase history located under settings in the top right-hand corner of your Stage 32 profile.

If you received a confirmation that your webinar is on Zoom, you will receive a separate email from Zoom with further instructions for participating in the live webinar. Your login link will not be in your Stage 32 profile. If you did not receive your link via Zoom please email support@stage32.com.

Q: How do I watch my webinar on demand?
A: You will be able to watch your webinar on demand as many times as you’d like inside your Stage 32 profile. The recording is processed and posted between 24-48 hours after the webinar concludes. You can follow the instructions below.

YOU MUST HAVE A STAGE 32 PROFILE TO WATCH YOUR VIDEO – STAGE 32 IS FREE TO JOIN If You Already Have a Stage 32 Profile:

  1. Log into your Stage 32 profile
  2. Click "Settings" in the top right-hand corner (gear icon)
  3. Click "Purchase History"
  4. Choose this webinar and click the link to view
If You Do Not Have a Stage 32 Profile:
  1. Go to www.stage32.com
  2. Create a profile using the SAME email address you used to sign up for this webinar. The email addresses must match in order to watch the webinar.
  3. Once you have your profile set up, you can view the webinar by clicking "Settings" in the top right hand corner (gear icon)
  4. Click "Purchase History"
  5. Choose this webinar and click the link to view

Q: What is the format of a webinar?
A: Stage 32 Next Level Webinars are typically 90-minute educational broadcasts that take place online using a designated software program from Stage 32. Your webinar will be taught by a working industry professional with in-depth teaching on a topic. If you are able to attend live you will be able to ask your Stage 32 Educator questions during Q&A.

Q: What are the system requirements to watch my webinar live?
A: You will need to meet the following system requirements in order to run the webinar software: Windows 7 or later Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) or later.

If you have Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X 10.9 (Mountain Lion): The webinar software does not support these operating systems. If you are running one of those operating systems, please upgrade now in order to be able to view a live webinar. Upgrade your Windows computer / Upgrade your Mac computer.

Q: What if I cannot attend the live webinar?
A: If you cannot attend a live webinar or purchase an on demand webinar, you will have access to the entire recorded broadcast, including the Q&A.

Q: Will I have access to the webinar afterward to re-watch?
A: Yes! Like all Stage 32 education, after the purchase of a live or on demand webinar, you will have on-demand access to the recording.

Q: How do I get a copy of the handouts provided?
A: If the webinar you take included handouts you can find them as downloads underneath your on demand video. You must be logged into your Stage 32 profile to view the video and get the handouts by clicking settings in the top right hand corner, then clicking purchase history.

Q: What if I need accessibility and accommodations?
A: Email support@stage32.com to request accommodations.

Thanks for your loyalty to Stage 32 Education. We value having you in the Stage 32 community.

If you have any further questions, we are always happy to help. Please contact Stage 32 support at support@stage32.com.

Questions?

If you have a generic question about Stage 32 education you can take a look at our frequently asked questions section on our help page, or feel free to contact support with any other inquiries you might have.

Other education that may be of interest to you:

The Script Breakdown of Pulp Fiction by Executive Liaison Nick Phillips.

We return to the Writers' Room Script Breakdown Webcast of the iconic Quentin Tarantino script, PULP FICTION, which debuted at Cannes on May 12th, 1994, on its 31st anniversary!

The Breakdown Webcast: Writing True Stories

Whether musical biopics like Rocketman, historical dramas like Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile or The Irishman from Netflix, or films loosely based on historic events like 1917 or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood... audiences are fascinated by true stories. During this super-sized 90-minute webcast, we explore films and series including Chernobyl, The Social Network, Munich, Molly's Game, Charlie Wilson's War, and more to find out what makes a good script based on true events or real people work.

The Breakdown with LT Verrastro

We’re back in the Writers’ Room for the Breakdown with LT Verrastro (Writer). We breakdown produced screenplays focusing on a different aspect of writing every webcast. Join us as writer/producer LT Verrastro breaks down his Season 4 Episode 4 of BASKETS.

The Breakdown Webcast: Horror, Thriller And Other Genre Scripts

Everyone loves a good thrill! In this webcast we will break down what makes Horror, Thriller and other genre scripts so appealing - and why they continue to dominate box offices around the world.

The Breakdown with Julia Harter (GHOSTS)

We’re back in the Writers’ Room for the Breakdown with Julia Harter. We breakdown produced screenplays focusing on a different aspect of writing every webcast. Join us as Julia breaks down their episode of GHOSTS.  

The Breakdown Webcast with Sandy Shenkman

Join us for the SCRIPT BREAKDOWN WEBCAST of the feature film NUREMBERG (2025)with Producer Sandy Shenkman! Sandy is a Los Angeles-based producer with 15 years of experience working across film and television, selling over 25 projects to networks including HBO, HISTORY, FOX, ABC, NBC, TNT, USA, FX, WGN, LIFETIME, AMAZON, CBC, and THE BBC. His producing credits include 715 (BLUESTONE ENTERTAINMENT) as executive producer, DOWN DOG (AMAZON STUDIOS) as development executive, and THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE (WARNER BROS.) as assistant to producer TYLER MITCHELL! Currently, he serves as a consulting producer for BLUESTONE ENTERTAINMENT, where he recently co-produced the upcoming historical drama NUREMBERG (SONY PICTURES CLASSICS) starring Academy Award winners RUSSELL CROWE and RAMI MALEK, scheduled for release in late 2025. Join us for educational fun right here at Stage 32!

register for stage 32 Register / Log In