Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, we have writer, actor, director, composer, editor, and singer/songwriter Steven Martini. I met Steven on Twitter and quickly realized, "OH MY GOD, THAT'S CADET ALEX STONE FROM MAJOR PAYNE!" I was a big fan in my childhood, so it was a thrill to meet Steven now, 30 years later. And it's been an interesting three decades for him as he's built himself a nice career as an indie filmmaker, even getting Martin Scorcese on his side. No, really--Scorcese EP'd his...
Jul 11, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 49
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, we have a returning guest, Edith Rodriguez. Edith and I first spoke on the pod right after we both landed our first managers in late 2021. Now, we're back and Edith has been in two different writer's rooms and shares her experience! Edith Rodriguez grew up between the sunny beaches of Puerto Rico and cold winters of Wisconsin. She learned early on that if you’re going to speak up in a big Caribbean family, you better be able to tell a good story. After ye...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 48
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show we have a very special guest--literary manager at Epicenter, and one of my managers, Allard Cantor! New York City born, New Jersey bred, and University of Wisconsin educated, Allard Cantor started life as an envelope salesman in Manhattan before choosing to follow his passion for film and moving to Los Angeles. He attended the American Film Institute, where he received his MFA from their prestigious producing program. There, he discovered an aptitude for h...
Dec 09, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 47
Hey, there everybody! This is just an update episode on why I've been away, what I've been up to, and the future of the podcast. If you're reading this, thanks for sticking around through my absence! Life got busy. But, I'm excited to give an update on the pod.
Nov 25, 2024•7 min•Ep. 46
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 h...
Aug 12, 2024•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 45
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 includ...
Jun 17, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 44
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 writ...
May 14, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 43
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 w...
Apr 16, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 42
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!
Mar 19, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 41
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!...
Feb 20, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 40
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 ep...
Jan 30, 2024•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 39
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...
Jan 08, 2024•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 38
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 lik...
Nov 22, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 37
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 su...
Oct 11, 2023•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 36
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to screenwriter, Sam Watson! Based in, and proudly repping, Philadelphia, Sam is a Black, biracial, Ukrainian-American television writer. His work recently landed him a manager, which we get into more in the episode! 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...
Aug 29, 2023•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 35
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to screenwriter, Andrea Berting! Hailing from Chicago, Andrea works in the world of wardrobe for live theater along with hustling her screenplays. In the last year, she landed a manager from Tobias Management, and it seems her career is on the up and up! We get into all that and more! Give this episode a listen, like, follow, subscribe, say something nice on Twitter/Instagram and remember to tag us, @SocialWriterPod! If you'd like to support u...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 34
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to Emmy-nominated Producer and President of Invention Studios, Nicholas Weinstock! Nicky has worked on a bunch of amazing projects from Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek, to Bridesmaids and the Emmy-nominated hit SEVERANCE. In addition to that, he's started his own FREE mentorship group for screenwriters around the world called, Craft Services, that takes place over Zoom and Discord. You can learn more about this group at Craf...
Jun 29, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 33
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to screenwriter and director, Avishai Weinberger! His short film, THIRD DATE, currently has more than 1.4 million views on the popular YouTube Horror channel, Alter. In addition, his feature script, PRECIPICE, reached the Top 50 in the Nicholl and is currently in development. We get into all that and more! Give this episode a listen, like, follow, subscribe, say something nice on Twitter/Instagram and remember to tag us, @SocialWriterPod! If y...
Jun 08, 2023•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 32
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to screenwriter, Joe Favalaro! He's a Black List recommended screenwriter who recently signed his first shopping agreement. We get into all that and more! Give this episode 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. A...
May 15, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 31
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to screenwriter, Suzanne Griffin! This episode comes just a short time after Suzanne landed her first manager, so we dive into all the good feelings that come along with reaching such a milestone. Give this episode 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 o...
Apr 20, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 30
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to Zack Zucker, a literary manager at Bellevue. In this chat, we discuss understanding the market vs chasing the market, a topic hotly discussed on Twitter not long ago. Give this episode 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 D...
Mar 28, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 29
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to ABBOTT ELEMENTARY's Story Editor, Joya McCrory! Truly a pleasure to have her on the show as Abbott is one of my favorite shows on television right now. Give this episode 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. A...
Mar 17, 2023•52 min•Ep. 28
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to twin screenwriting duo, Gina and Lisa Gomez! With one of the craziest screenwriting origin stories I've ever heard, this is an episode you won't want to miss! Give this episode 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 bu...
Mar 07, 2023•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 27
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to Nathan Graham Davis, the screenwriter behind the action thriller film, AFTERMATH, starring Dylan Sprouse and Mason Gooding, coming soon from Voltage Pictures. In the episode, we get into AFTERMATH, appearing in Deadline, the long, winding road that was Nathan's journey into the business, and much more! Give this episode a listen, like, follow, subscribe, say something nice on Twitter/Instagram and remember to tag us, @SocialWriterPod! If yo...
Feb 13, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 26
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to Josh Guffey, screenwriter and director behind the new crime thriller, ALL GONE WRONG, starring Jake Kaufman and Tony Todd, who you might know from MF'in CANDYMAN (1992). It's an indie feature shot here in my home city of St. Louis on some Sony DSLRs and they stretched every dollar of modest budget to make a rad crime thriller. It comes out January 27 on Amazon, Apple TV+, iTunes, Vudu, Google Play, cable on-demand--pretty much anywhere you ...
Jan 27, 2023•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 25
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to screenwriter, Aiko Hilkinger. Winner of the 2022 WeScreenplay TV Contest and 2020 Fast Track Fellowship in the Holiday and Animation category, Aiko has been making waves in the TV animation space. Not to mention, she was named one of Network ISA's Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2021. We talk about all those accolades, her process, contests, work/life balance, and more! Give this episode a listen, like, follow, subscribe, say something nic...
Jan 19, 2023•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 24
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to screenwriter and director, Gina DeAngelis. A Silver Prize winner in the PAGE Awards Competition, Gina has placed consistently across many of the top screenwriting competitions, including both Austin Film Festival and the Nicholl Fellowship. We talk about those accolades, in addition to some of the exciting career developments she's having, with one feature currently in post-production! Give this episode a listen, like, follow, subscribe, sa...
Jan 05, 2023•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 23
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to screenwriter, Nick Gambino. His feature screenplay, The Fuck-It List , just won Best Drama Feature at Austin Film Festival which as many of us know is a HUGE deal. A freelance writer by trade, Nick's been in the professional writing game for a few years now, but with this recent momentum, he's ready to take that next step into securing representation and making screenwriting his main gig. We had an awesome conversation and I think all you w...
Nov 15, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 22
Hey there, everybody! Today we have a very special, quick hit edition of the pod. I'm bringing back my first guest ever, writer/director Gabe Braxton, to share details of his crowdfunding campaign for his first indie horror feature, A Gettysburg Haunting! In it, we talk about the story, his cast and crew, and details on how you can help him get this awesome indie horror flick made! Give this episode a listen, like, follow, subscribe, say something nice on Twitter/Instagram and remember to tag us...
Nov 04, 2022•21 min•Ep. 21
Hey there, everybody! Today on the show, I'm talking to screenwriter and director, Katie White. After paying her dues as an assistant, Katie had the opportunity to write a couple episodes of NCIS. Upon completion, rather than staying on the network procedural, Katie gambled on herself and left the show to carve her own path in the industry. In this episode, we talk about writing on NCIS, what it takes to be part of a writer's room, filing taxes as a professional writer, how to navigate meetings,...
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 20
