The Social Screenwriters Podcast

Pushing Back Against Ageism in Screenwriting w/Brad M. Johnson (Founder of The Grey List)

Hey there, everybody! Today on the show we have a very special guest--screenwriter and founder of The Grey List, Brad M. Johnson!

Brad M. Johnson is a writer and filmmaker based in the Pacific Northwest near Seattle. He’s a life-long storyteller who has recently returned from a 12-year detour into the world of corporate marketing to focus on his original loves — movies.

As a storyteller, Brad specializes in genre stories about broken people, redemption, and the power of family, and his scripts have been recognized by Final Draft, The Black List, the Walt Disney Company, and MGM among others.

In 2022, Brad launched The Grey List, an initiative to push back against ageism in the entertainment industry by curating a selection of production-ready feature and pilot scripts from writers over the age of 40.

Brad also runs Daisy If You Do Productions, an indie-film production company. Their first film — and Brad’s first directorial effort, CHAT — was completed in 2023 and is currently making the rounds on the festival circuit.

When he isn’t working on his next script or film, Brad spends his time watching curling (and hoping to one day join a team) and making bad puns that make his family’s eyes roll.

Enjoy! Like and share on Twitter and Instagram, @SocialWriterPod

Making a Big Spec Sale w/Jason Gruich (COP CAM)

Hey there, everybody! Today on the show we have a very special guest--screenwriter, Jason Gruich! Jason is a current member and Captain of the Writers Guild of America, East. He has sold four original feature specs since 2017 to various production companies including a major spec sale to Warner Bros (New Line Cinema) with his first-person, crime-thriller COP CAM with Chris Bender attached to produce. Jason is a former, 21-year police veteran and has worked in all facets of law enforcement including K9, narcotics, investigations, and crime scene supervision. Jason writes original crime and action-thriller film and TV projects that are imbued with an uncanny sense of natural grit and realism, ensuring the read is a truly authentic experience. Born and raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast to parents of Croatian descent, Jason’s writing is influenced by a lifetime love of movies, books, graphic novels, and music as well as an insatiable desire to make every page count. He is repped by Nick Leicht at Bright Leicht Content; legal at McKuin-Frankel-Whitehead. Enjoy!

Writing on a Fox Sitcom w/Allison Jackson (CALL ME KAT)

Hey there, everybody! Today on the show we have a very special guest--screenwriter, Allison Jackson! Allison is a Los Angeles based screenwriter who writes funny shows about Black women in not-so-funny situations. Originally from a town of three thousand in Ohio, Jackson developed her love for screenwriting while working in China, and learned Mandarin by watching Chinese period dramas. She then attended the American Film Institute, where she studied screenwriting and developed her voice for writing nerdy, funny, Black characters. She has worked as a Writers’ Assistant for Amazon and as a showrunner’s assistant on an HBO comedy show. Her comedy pilot, “Enough,” was selected for the second round of the Sundance Episodic Lab, and her feature, “Believe the Hype,” was selected for the second round of the Sundance Development Track.. In this episode, we discuss her transition from journalism to screenwriting, living in China, attending AFI, working as a writer's assistant, making it into the 2022 Fox Writers Incubator, being staffed on CALL ME KAT, and more! I hope you enjoy this episode!

Producing a Netflix Top 4 Indie Film w/Luke Barnett (YOUR LUCKY DAY)

Hey there, everybody! Today on the show we have a very special guest--actor, producer, screenwriter, and director, Luke Barnett! Luke is a jack of all trades and most recently, it was his producing work that helped bring success to the feature film, YOUR LUCKY DAY, written and directed by Dan Brown, and starring the late Angus Cloud and Jessica Garza. The film reached the Top 4 on Netflix recently and is getting a ton of attention. In this episode, we discuss Luke's earliest screenwriting work writing sketches for comedy website Funny or Die, writing his feature film debut, his journey as an actor, producing YOUR LUCKY DAY, and more! I hope you enjoy this episode!

Script Clearances and What Writers Need to Know w/Carley Aggromito (ABIGAIL FRANKLIN'S IMPROBABILITY OF STARDOM)

Hey there, everybody! Today on the show we have a very special guest--screenwriter and script clearance professional, Carley Aggromito! Carley is an Australia and Vancouver-based writer writing features while working in script clearances by day. In this episode, we discuss her writing, contest success, and the world of script clearances. I hope you enjoy this episode!

Writing in TV Rooms at Netflix & Amazon w/Shruti Saran (SLIP on Roku)

Hey there, everybody! Today on the show we have a very special guest--screenwriter and filmmaker, Shruti Saran! Shruti has written in writer's rooms at Netflix and Amazon, and is currently ESE on Season 2 of SLIP on Roku! In this episode, she shares her personal experience with moving from Texas to LA to join her first writer's room and all the lessons she's learned since. I hope you enjoy this episode! 

 

Watch this episode over on YouTube if you'd like! Subscribe to my channel!

A Cinematographer's Approach to Story w/Brett Pawlak (SHORT TERM 12, JUST MERCY)

Hey there, everybody! Today's guest is cinematographer, Brett Pawlak! Brett was the DP of one of my all-time favorite films, SHORT TERM 12, in addition to a bunch of other incredible television and film credits. In the episode, we talk about how he got started with cameras, meeting frequent collaborator, writer/director, Destin Daniel Cretton, winning the Jury Prize for Short Filmmaking at Sundance with the SHORT TERM 12 short film, and more! Also, you can watch the full video podcast of this episode over on YouTube. Just search "The Social Screenwriters Podcast and you'll see my channel (Andy Compton). Please subscribe if you haven't! More video content to come this year. Say something nice on Twitter/Instagram and remember to tag us, @SocialWriterPod! If you'd like to support us with a donation, you can now do so by going to our Linktree in the bio of our Twitter or Instagram and click the Donate button. Anything helps! Thanks so much for the support, y'all. -Andy

Screenwriting From Outside Hollywood with Andy Compton (Special Guest Host - Gabe Braxton)

Hey there, everybody! Doing something a little different on this episode--the screenwriter in the hot seat will be ME! With my good pal, Gabe Braxton, guest hosting. We talk about how I got into screenwriting, contest success, starting a screenwriting career from outside Hollywood, and more! Also, you can watch the full video podcast of this episode over on YouTube. Just search "The Social Screenwriters Podcast and you'll see my channel (Andy Compton). Please subscribe if you haven't! More video content to come this year. Say something nice on Twitter/Instagram and remember to tag us, @SocialWriterPod! If you'd like to support us with a donation, you can now do so by going to our Linktree in the bio of our Twitter or Instagram and click the Donate button. Anything helps! Thanks so much for the support, y'all. -Andy

Writing a Feature Film in the Festival Circuit with Leah Simmons (VALENTINE CRUSH)

Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to screenwriter, Leah Simmons, or as you may know her on Twitter, Leah From South Dakota! Leah is a screenwriter based in, you guessed it, South Dakota. She writes genre features and pilots and in this episode we discuss her feature film credit, VALENTINE CRUSH, her writing process, film festivals, and more! Give it a listen, like, follow, subscribe, say something nice on Twitter/Instagram and remember to tag us, @SocialWriterPod! If you'd like to support us with a donation, you can now do so by going to our Linktree in the bio of our Twitter or Instagram and click the Donate button. Anything helps! Thanks so much for the support, y'all. -Andy

Writing a Movie for Lifetime with Brandi Sperry (TAKEN IN MONTANA)

Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to screenwriter, Brandi Sperry! Brandi is the screenwriter of the TV movie, TAKEN IN MONTANA, which premiered on Lifetime in September 2023. She a multi-genre writer who writes in both the TV and film formats. In the episode, she talks about her projects, her writing process, and a disdain for praise! Give it a listen, like, follow, subscribe, say something nice on Twitter/Instagram and remember to tag us, @SocialWriterPod! If you'd like to support us with a donation, you can now do so by going to our Linktree in the bio of our Twitter or Instagram and click the Donate button. Anything helps! Thanks so much for the support, y'all. -Andy