On The Page
Join professional script consultant Pilar Alessandra as she demystifies screenwriting and answers your questions about script craft and story.
Episodes
1000. Learning on the Job
In the very last episode of the On the Page Podcast, host Pilar Alessandra says goodbye and takes part in an "exit meeting" courtesy of podcaster Ben Blacker.
999. Get It On the Page
Whether you're writing something "elevated" or "grounded," Pilar helps you build a scene one element at a time.
998. Cleaning the Kitchen
Austin Elliott chose to "be the person who cleans the kitchen without being asked," and went on to maintain steady work in the industry. Here he talks about the important lessons he's learned as he advanced from PA to the writers' room.
997. Five Tips for Moving to LA and Starting Your Career
Writer Danny Bayliss came to LA right after college and has learned a thing or two in that time. Here he shares "five tips" that include ways to live a good life while expanding your network.
996. Comic Book Creative
Josh Sky was an aspiring TV writer when he got an opportunity to write comics for his favorite character He-Man. Fifty issues later, he discusses what he's learned and his feelings about where comic book writing and screenwriting converge.
995. The Writers Guild Foundation
"The Writers of today helping the writers of tomorrow." Such is the motto of The Writers Guild Foundation and its executive director Julie Lacouture. Julie describes the programs at the WGF which include the Veterans Writing Project, the Writers Access Program and its new partnership with the Nicholl Fellowship.
994. The Play's the Thing
Actor/writer Marissa Alaniz discusses the love of the craft and passion for her subject matter that led her to write and produce her recently published play Elizabeth.
993. Lessons from Wanuri
Lessons about bio-pics, lessons about pitching, lessons about hope. Writer/director Wanuri Kahiu (Rafiki, Washington Black) returns to the podcast to talk about all of it. Don't miss this one!
992. Coming of Age as a Screenwriter
Actor/writer Karin delaPena Collison's first feature script Coming of Age won a Nicholl Fellowship. Here, she talks about what led up to it and what came next.
991. Dialogue Driven
On the Page Podcast and Rock Solid Podcast listeners contribute their favorite dialogue-driven clips from movies!
990. Nadia 911
Nadia Abass-Madden drew from her experience as a 911 operator to land a job on the Fox series 911. 49 episodes later she's back on the podcast to tell her tale.
989. Shooting for the Moon
Katrina Medoff, co-founder/executive director of the Moonshot Initiative, talks about the program's mission, events, film challenge and script accelerators - all aimed at getting emerging writers in the door.
988. Script Supervisor to Screenwriter
Sylvia-Anne Parker is already a rockstar script supervisor, but over the years she's also been selected to the Sundance Episodic Lab, the Writers Lab and the Sony Creative Corridor. Recently, her BBC audio drama A Tale of Two Trumpets won an Imoson Award. Hear what she's learned as she continues on her path to screenwriting success.
987. Master Adapter
Writer Jeremy Slater has built serious genre credentials across major IP, from creating Marvel's Moon Knight and developing Netflix's The Umbrella Academy to writing on Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and the television adaptation of The Exorcist. Here he talks about his latest feature film, Mortal Kombat II, and his approach to adapting IP and making it his own.
986. A Screenwriter to Watch
Named a top 25 screenwriter to watch by the ISA, Irish screenwriter Conor Dowling has written for everything from kids animation to live-action sci. fi. Here he talks about the ongoing development of his feature projects and the lessons he's learning along the way.
985. Company Retreat
Creating involved character bios and being ready for the script shifting at a moment's notice; LaNisa Renee Frederick talks about the acting-plus-improv process involved in the unconventional Amazon series, Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat.
984. Producing in the UK
Veteran producer Eleanor Greene talks about the ways she discovers and develops stories, often "beginning at the end" to help a project find its way.
983. Screenwriting in South Africa
Zunaid Mansoor, a leading professional script editor and consultant in South Africa, shares his wisdom about screenwriting, the entertainment marketplace and the future of storytelling for his country and beyond.
982. How to Be a Screenwriter
Phil Stark, screenwriter and licensed therapist, talks about his latest book, How to Be a Screenwriter, covering how to network, get an agent, develop with producers and take notes.
981. Oscar Talk 2026
Pilar and her friends Brian Pope, Mike Musa and Alex Troxler get together in person for one last time for their annual discussion about the best screenplay and best adapted screenplay Oscar nominees.
980. Blacklisted
Writer Chris Hill, the host of the podcast Blacklisted, talks about his personal screenwriting journey and what he's learned talking to writers who've made the coveted "Blacklist."
979. Killing It
Following years as a successful screenwriter, Irene Turner talks about the work and fun that went into writing and producing the Ambie Award-nominated fictional podcast Lady Killer for Audible.
978. A Cinematographer's Eye
Writer/Director Jethro Waters talks about the ways that cinematography reflects emotion and how that is shown in his new independent feature Gunfighter Paradise.
977. Back with Bax
"Dapper" David Bax, host of the long-running podcast Battleship Pretension, returns to talk about the movies that had the most impact on him over the past 10 years.
976. Five Across, Six Down
Craig Brewer, Writer/Director of Song Sung Blue, Dolemite is My Name and Hustle and Flow, talks about his inspiration and script writing process.
975. Danielle Pinnock … Superstar!
Actor/writer Danielle Pinnock gives an actor's take on the writers' room, drawn from five seasons of playing the iconic "Alberta" on the CBS hit series Ghosts.
974. It's OK To Change Your Mind
After graduating UNCSA, fimmaker Kat Street made decisions about what she really wanted to do as she filmed a web series and developed screenplays.
973. Money for Makers
Writer/ director Drew Feldman is also a financial planner who specializes in helping creatives. Hear what he has to say about smart budgeting, planning for a successful future and navigating the "whiplash" of variable income.
972. Dopamine on Demand
The "first five second rule" and "cliff hangers that force the swipe." Writer Isabel Dréan discusses her new book, How to Write a Vertical Series in Ten Days.
971. Falling In Love With The Script
Hanelle Culpepper's career as a director spans dozens of series and a variety of genres. Here, she talks about her character-driven approach to directing and how she often "falls in love" with the script. She also discusses her latest project, "Red White and Blue" a series of short films inspired by the Bill of Rights.
970. 2025 Writing Year In Review
Career coach Lee Jessup returns to discuss the industry changes and writing trends of 2025 and shares what's ahead for the new year.
969. Logline Competition 2025: Part 2
Pilar reads and gives feedback on the loglines that didn't make the top fifteen lists for the 2025 Logline Contest.
968. Logline Competition: 2025
Pilar and Aadip read, evaluate and vote on feature and TV loglines sent in by listeners. Which ones will win and which ones will make the "bonkers" list?
967. Following Her Dream
Vilma Llaguno's dream of making her movie 40 Before 40 was accelerated when she won a Kickstarter initiative, placing her film on Tubi and forcing her to learn very quickly.
966. Learning While Doing
Actress/writer Corbin Reid shadowed directors and learned what went on behind the scenes of the shows she acted on, making her ready when the opportunity came for her to pitch and executive produce. Her movie The Christmas Showdown premieres on the OWN Network this weekend.
965. Announcement: 2025 Logline Contest!
It's time for the very last On the Page logline competition! Pilar explains the rules and gives the deadline.
964. Science Storytelling
Filmmaker/social scientist Dena Seidel talks about how her digital lab brings the story of scientists and scientific work to the public.
963. The Ultimate Production Planner
Filmmaker Landi Maduro walks us through the elements of her Ultimate Feature Film Production Planner which give creatives a timeline to help stay on track and concrete strategies to make their work profitable.
962. Supporting the Writers Room
Writer Brett Melnick (King of the Hill, Dave) walks us through the different jobs and duties of the "support staff" in a writers' room: writers' assistant, showrunner's assistant and script coordinator.
961. A Clear Message
Writer/director Rhona Rees knows what she wants to say before she writes. Here she talks about her award-winning dystopian thriller and her newly completed high-concept comedy, both driven by big issues and a strong message.
960. The Autism Scene
Entertainment attorney Britton Payne talks about his work with The Autism Scene, a nonprofit advocating for the inclusion of explicitly autistic characters in kids pop culture. Check out his new competition the AuSPEC AWARDS, a kids animated series spec script competition which requires a series regular meaningfully interacting with an explicitly autistic character.
959. LaToya Morgan: Fifteen Years Later
What happens when you're feeling discouraged in your writing career? You "persevere" and eventually carve out a career like writer-producer LaToya Morgan (Shameless, Parenthood, The Walking Dead, Duster). We read her fifteen-year-old letter to the podcast and talk about what happened next!
958. A Social Commentary
Writer Lori Rosene-Gambino does not back down from adding social commentary into her fictional narratives. Hear what she has to say about her movie Anniversary, directed by Jan Komasa and starring Diane Lane.
957. The "Strange Alchemy" of Playwriting
Krista Knight discussed her work as a playwright, screenwriter, and new media artist, including scripting a ride for Tokyo Disneyland, adapting Trolls for DreamWorks/Music Theatre International, writing a stage musical with the late Jill Sobule and creating a VR puppet play during the Covid lockdown.
956. Epic Intimacy
Writers Jake Emanuel and Willie Block talk about the "epic intimacy" they created for their fictional podcast Edge of Sleep which went on to become a book and television show.
955. Writing a Movie While Staffed in the Room
Rae Benjamin (The Witcher, Sirens of the Deep) says she's "inspired by stories and characters" and isn't afraid to explore any medium to get there.
954. Trial by Fire
What happens when fire breaks out on the first day of your film shoot? Writer/director John W. Kim talks about that and other challenges that went into the writing, directing and producing of his independent film Reunion (currently in post-production).
953. Your Creative Side-Hustle
Filmmaker Michelle Muldoon joins Pilar to talk about all of the ways your storytelling and creativity can be applied to other creative work that, in turn, helps fuel your script writing.
952. On a Wing and a Prayer
Producer Lauren Vilchik talks about the love and hard work it took to make the movie A Little Prayer, currently in theaters.
951. Screenwriting Sensei
Writer and UCLA Professor Paul Chitlik talks about his newest book, The Screenwriting Sensei, which takes screenwriters from start to finish.
950. Loglining a Life (with Pilar's Dad)
As she did with her mother, Pilar learns about her father through a series of "loglines" discussing the movie-worthy moments in his life.
949. Graham Yost
This week's writing wisdom is brought to you by the writer/producer of Speed, Broken Arrow, From The Earth to the Moon, Band of Brothers, Sneaky Pete, Slow Horses, Silo and more!
948. Art Can Start With a Joke
Actor / writer Stephanie Koenig (English Teacher, Lessons In Chemistry) talks about the jokes and ideas that inspired her to write and the confidence she has in creating her own content.
947. Fact Meets Fiction
A real-life UFO sighting combined with knowledge of the addiction world helped to create the fictional independent movie Star People written and directed by filmmaker Adam Finberg. Here Adam talks about the story process for the movie and how it evolved from script to screen.
946. Shared Equity Filmmaking
Film entrepreneur Gray Jones discusses the new platform Share which aims to split film profits with everyone involved - above and below the line.
945: "You Are Your Own Business"
Writer Melissa Cassera, who now has 14 Lifetime movies to her credit, discusses her businessperson's approach to getting and keeping work and the need to stay "obsessed" as an artist.
944. Vertical Films
Writers George N Koulouris and Will Amato talk about the fun and work that go into writing short, entertaining content for "vertical films."
943. Adventures in Screenwriting
Writer/producer David Simkins (Adventures in Babysitting, Charmed, Grimm, Blade, Roswell, Angel) talks about his start as a screenwriter and his evolving process of writing his "core story."
942. Truffle Hunting
From development funds to film markets, Frederik Ehrhardt talks about what it's like to write and produce in the United States and Europe.
941. The Fab Five
The five writers selected for the 2025 CBS/Paramount Writers Mentoring Program talk about the craft and career lessons they've learned from the program and each other.
940. Young Storytellers
Bill Thompson discusses his exceptional arts non-profit Young Storytellers and the new report, Growing Pains, which centers around the concerns and tastes of Gen Alpha.
939. "What's the Most Interesting Version of This?"
From procedurals to features, writer David Loong (The Hunting Party) challenges himself to find the most creative way to tell a story.
938. The Perfect Song
Pilar hijacks the Rock Solid Podcast listeners to curate a list of perfect songs from iconic movies.
937. Scripts with a Conscience
Writer Troy Mann combines his Texas roots with his world travel and years of teaching experience to create genre scripts that are also intense morality tales.
936. The Happiest Killer
Writer/director Josh Stolberg (Saw X, Spiral and Jigsaw) returns to talk about the July release of his next indi-horror movie Skillhouse.
935. Finding Story from Family
Narrative and documentary filmmaker Oanh-Nhi Nguyen makes movies about her family, their past and the intergenerational experience. Here she talks about what she's learned as a writer-director and how she makes sure that networking is a regular part of her process.
934. Disaster is My Muse
Award-winning documentary director Molly Bernstein discusses the process and narrative approach that went into researching, developing and directing her documentaries about Maus creator Art Spiegelman and magician Ricky Jay.
933. Baseball Stories
Screenwriter and major league baseball scout J.D. Elliby talks about the authenticity, character arcs, obstacles, and emotional moments that help create a great on-screen baseball story.
932. Film Techniques That Tell the Story
Lenses, lighting, looks, and "oners." What are the filming techniques that help tell the story beyond the page? Writer/director Jeremy Walton breaks it down for us.
931. Philip Barantini (repeated episode)
This episode was originally recorded in 2021 with director Philip Barantini, currently best known as the director of "Adolescence" a four-part series on Netflix. This episode focuses on his independent feature film Boiling Point, also shot in one take. Hear how he kept the camera moving while also telling a rich story of an intense night in a restaurant.
930. Smart Popcorn
Up and comer Billy Zeinert talks about writing "smart popcorn," familiar stories with novel twists.
929. The Making of Dead Deer High
Married creative partners Joshua Dean and Jo Rochelle describe the shared teaching experiences that inspired the writing of the independent feature Dead Deer High and the adventures they encountered while making it.
928. Saraswathi Buyyala and the Dancing Atoms
Writer/director Saraswathi (Vani) Buyyala talks about her journey from being a teenager in India to becoming the head of Rhythm and Hues Asia and eventually following her creative passions with her production company Dancing Atoms.
927. Writing Act Three
Pilar takes a moment to talk about the themes, triggers and ah-hah moments that work to create a strong act three in a feature film. Surprise announcement at the end of the episode!
926. The Art of Being Yourself
Writer Craig T. Williams talks about his approach to making industry relationships, nailing interviews and about the fact that all of his opportunities, including his first writers room job, happened after the age of 50.
925. Oscar Talk 2025
Pilar and her friends Brian Pope, Mike Musa and Alex Troxler get together for their annual discussion about the best screenplay and best adapted screenplay Oscar nominees.
924. The Scaffolding Method
Television writer Taylor Vaughn Lasley talks about her latest Peabody-award nominated project and the unique method of building story she teaches her students at Syracuse University's Newhouse School.
923. "That's Another Story!"
On the Page "rising star" Tamar Feinkind has found stories from her dad, herself, her motherhood and her Jewish identity. Here, she talks about her projects, pitches and a pivotal name reclamation that helped change everything.
922. Finding Humor In the Darkness
Political turmoil! Climate disasters! How can a comedy writer find the funny? Marc Warzecha, writer, comedian and director of The Sketch School, is here to help.
921. On Call With Tiffany Bratcher
Writer Tiffany Bratcher worked her way up from writers PA to writer for the Amazon Prime series On Call and story editor for Chicago PD. Here she talks about writing procedural and half-hour drama, police ride-alongs and the need to always be pitching.
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