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Michael Peterson runs Development for Phoenix Pictures with Mike Medavoy, where he worked on THE 33 with Antonio Banderas, THE PROMISE with Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac, and the Monty Python comedy ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING with Kate Beckinsale and Simon Pegg. They are in development on an NFT documentary. Michael was also involved in the development of THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER starring Corey Hawkins, based on Bram Stoker's Dracula novel, and in production partnership with Steven Spielberg's Amblin, Universal, and Dreamworks. Phoenix Pictures, known for producing critical and commercial hit films, including the Oscar-winning film BLACK SWAN, Martin Scorsese's SHUTTER ISLAND, and WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING. Michael produced The Critics Choice-nominated series THE LONG ROAD HOME for National Geographic and the animated film OZI: VOICE OF THE FOREST with Medavoy, which premiered at the Annecy International Film Festival. Prior to joining Medavoy at Phoenix, Michael worked in independent production as a producer and production manager. Michael has great experience in development and is always looking for more projects to develop and grow writers' talents. Full Bio »
We’re back in the Writers’ Room for the Executive Hour with special guest Michael Peterson. Prepare to delve into Michael’s captivating journey and wealth of experience, as he generously imparts invaluable advice, all while eagerly responding to the burning questions YOU bring to the table. Don't miss this exclusive opportunity to gain insights and inspiration from a seasoned professional in the industry!
The Executive Hour
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We're back in the Writers' Room with for the Executive Hour Webcast with Producer Mike Sammaciccia, who produced the Emmy-nominated project, "SURVIVE" for Jeffrey Katzenberg, which starred Sophie Turner and Corey Hawkins. He was SVP of live-action movies and series for Nickelodeon for many years, producing 4-5 live action and animated movies per year. This content consistently broke audience benchmarks and propelled the careers of many young stars. Mike was very generous with his knowledge and insights, and the questions from the group were fantastic and thought provoking!
In this Executive Hour we speak with screenwriter Lorien McKenna! Lorien is a former Pixar Story Manager who worked on such features as Oscar-winning UP, Oscar-winning BRAVE, Oscar-winning INSIDE OUT, and THE GOOD DINOSAUR. She also served as a producer for Paramount Animation where she oversaw development for WONDER PARK. Lorien, along with Oscar-nominated writer Meg LeFauve, sold their romantic comedy anthology, THIS THING CALLED LOVE to Hulu with Dan Lin producing; as well as a half hour sitcom, POOG to NBC and WBTV. Lorien also wrote HOW TO SET A FIRE AND WHY, based on the book of the same name by Jesse Ball, for Straight Up Films. Previously, she served as the Co-EP for Hulu's CURIOUS GEORGE series, and has developed projects for Disney Jr., Funko, and Netflix. She is the co-host of the podcast The Screenwriting Life with fellow screenwriter Meg LeFauve. During the webcast, Lorien discusses her unusual career trajectory, working in the "Brain Turst" on Oscar-Winning animated films at Pixar, battling "Imposter Syndrome", tackling adaptations, writing for television vs. features, how hard it is to take notes even as an established writer, and much more!
This week Jason welcomes screenwriter Tripper Clancy, who wrote the summer's smash comedy hit, Stuber for 20th Century Fox! Tripper went on to write comedies and dramas of all shapes and sizes for Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Amazon, Netflix, MGM, Fox Animation, Paramount Animation, and Hasbro. He recently adapted the New York Times’ bestselling novel, The Art of Fielding, and writes on Season One of "I Am Not OK With This", a half-hour show for Netflix and is currently developing a series with Quibi. During the webcast, Tripper talks about finding an agent, selling and developing Stuber, being in the writers' room of a Netflix series, and the best advice he ever received!
We're back in the Writers' Room with for the Executive Hour Webcast with Producer-Manager Doug Draizin! Doug is a seasoned entertainment industry veteran whose career has encompassed many aspects of the business. Doug's clients are currently Executive Producing shows on Netflix and Amazon - including the Netflix original series "RAISING DION". He represents both established writers and writers who are new to features and television. Doug was a talent agent at the Agency for the Performing Arts where he represented Danny DeVito and John Candy among others. He later served as a Vice President at both United Artists Pictures and Lorimar Films before venturing out as an independent producer and personal manager. As a producer Doug was responsible for Columbia Pictures’ FOOLS RUSH IN, SPY HARD starring Leslie Nielsen; and the independent dramedy, LOVE COMES TO THE EXECUTIONER starring Jeremy Renner, and PURE COUNTRY 2. In the world of television movies Doug co-executive produced for NBC, ABC, Showtime, 20th Television and Fox Broadcasting. This was a fantastic conversation with Doug who relayed stories of how he discovered some of the industry's most prolific talent, and how writers can go from being assistants to showrunners during their career.
We're back in the Writers' Room for The Executive Hour with Michael Wormser. Featured as a "Go-To Producer" by Produced By Magazine, Michael Wormser is a co-founder and producer at Cinemand Films. Michael has produced features for Legendary, Lakeshore Entertainment, Netflix, and IFC Films, as well as series for Fox Television Studios, Hulu, FreeForm, Netflix, and 20th Century Digital. He has produced over 70 projects over his career that span film, commercials, music videos, short films, branded content, interactive web series, and studio marketing campaigns. His most recent film work includes THE THINNING and the sequel, THE THINNING: NEW WORLD ORDER for Legendary, INTERNET FAMOUS for Lakeshore (now on Netflix), and the award-winning indie drama FUNNY STORY which premiered at Slamdance Film Festival. Michael is currently in pre-production on the true-crime thriller THE CULT. Michael is the former Head of Production for Maker Studios where he developed, produced and distributed content, bringing monthly viewership from 40 million to 250 million. PRAISE FOR MICHAEL'S LESSIONS: "Thank you so much for this webinar!!" -Sephera G. "Thanks Michael, awesome stuff" -Hugh P.
This week, Jason speaks with producer Natalie Qasabian, who has forged a successful career producing independent films which have had tremendous commercial success! Natalie began her career producing three films for the indie film duo the Duplass Brothers, including Duck Butter directed by Miguel Arteta, Natalie went on to produce All About Nina starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Common. Later, Natalie produced Searching, a thriller starring John Cho and Debra Messing which was acquired by Sony at Sundance in 2018 and went on to gross $75M at the box office! Currently she's producing Run, starring Sarah Paulson for Lionsgate as well as the sequel to Searching for Sony. Natalie talks about starting her career as a Line Producer and Production Manager, and how that allowed her to make independent films for a modest budget. Natalie shares her insights on the effectiveness of proof of concept videos, how first-time filmmakers can attract financing, and the inside story of how she sold Searching to Sony at Sundance!