Screenwriters' Rant Room

Screenwriters' Rant Room

This is the Official Podcas for "Hilliard Guess' SCREENWRITERS' RANT ROOM!" Our host is Hilliard Guess, a WGAw writer, director, TV/Film producer and most recently, the former Director of Development at Blue Monday Prods (now executive producer of Amazon's upcoming CROSS: AFTER HOURS series). Hilliard does one-on-one interviews with guests or rotating co-hosts stop by to drop industry bombs in this unfiltered, hilarious podcast series that delivers nuthin’ but REAL TALK… from REAL working writers! SUBSCRIBE, SHARE, 5 STAR RATE! Screenwritersrantroom.com Our motto: “Keep it GAME all day!"

Episodes

October 7, 2025 95 mins

In this episode, Hilliard and co-host writer/prod/author James Moorer sit down with incomparable TV/Film writer/producer AKELA COOPER!
There's almost two hours worth of game dropped and the last 30 mins of this super fun conversation was opened up to a group of writers sitting in the audience so that they could “Ask Us Anything!”
Akela Cooper wrote M3GAN, produced by Universal, Blumhouse and James Wan/Atomic Monster and A...

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In this Season Finale episode, Hilliard sits down with actor/writer/prod/director NOEL BRAHAM - co-founder of the hit MICHEAUX FILM FESTIVAL now in its 7th year and killing the game on the circuit!
HIGHLIGHTS: The Power of “YET," lessons from his family growing up, becoming an actor, climbing many mountains, becoming a filmmaker and producing a Webseries and daytime Emmy-nominated short films, the power of community, co-fou...

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August 26, 2025 73 mins

In this episode, Hilliard and guest co-host TV comedy writer Myles Warden sat down in a super fun conversation with icon comedy/drama writer SARA FINNEY JOHNSON (co-creator on the ICONIC television series’ Moesha and The Parkers) and who has worked on many one hour dramas (Queen Sugar, Games People Play, etc) that make her invaluable in the room, on set, and in production!


HIGHLIGHTS: Growing up in Los Angeles, working as a PA t...

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August 19, 2025 136 mins

In this episode, Hilliard and guest co-host Tristan J. Shuler sat down for a 2-hour, in-depth, hilarious conversation with R. K. RUSSELL, Out NFL Player, activist, poet and author of the amazing new book THE YARDS BETWEEN US!

HIGHLIGHTS:
Growing up in Buffalo, Dallas racism and culture, Football at Purdue, the emotional NFL Draft and signing with the Dallas Cowboys, his traumatic experience in NY, meeting his partner Corey an...

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August 11, 2025 153 mins

In this episode, Hilliard sits down for an in-depth, over 2-hour conversation with SELWYN SEYFU HINDS Showrunner/Creator of WASHINGTON BLACK the new hit series on HULU!


HIGHLIGHTS: The Source Magazine in the late 90s and the climate of Hip-Hop, going from Guyana to Brooklyn in the height of Classic Rap, the night Biggy Smalls died, his college years at Princeton, becoming an author, moving to LA to write screenplays, pitching ti...

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In this episode Hilliard and guest co-host filmmaker/cinematographer (nephew) William M. Barclay sit down with Icon, Emmy-winning director/producer PARIS BARCLAY.


HIGHLIGHTS: Paris’ Revival of his musical LETTERS FROM NAM, indie film and its importance today, using resources around you, Paris’ start directing music videos, pivoting to directing episodic TV, interview questions for directors, working with writer/producers, shortl...

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In this episode, Hilliard and guest co-host actor/filmmaker Denzel Whitaker (Black Panther, The Great Debaters) sit down for an in-depth, hilarious conversation with episodic director/producer KEN WHITTINGHAM, the man behind directing over 350 episodes of comedy television!


Highlights: Ken’s rise from PA to Stage Manager in multi-cam comedies, Marla Gibbs giving him his first Story By credit on the hit series 227, landing his fi...

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In this episode, Hilliard and guest co-host, tv/film writer Saeed Crumpler recorded a "LIVE" Screenwriters' Rant Room podcast at the Bravemaker film festival in Redwood City, California!


HILLIARD GUESS 

With credits on Deadly Class (SYFY), showrunner on the award-winning digital series TICKER, Exec Producer on Amazon’s CROSS: AFTER HOURS, and the upcoming coming-of-age film MERMAID!, Hilliard Guess knows what it rea...

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In this episode, Hilliard and guest co-host, writer/producer Dwain Worrell sit down for a super fun conversation with Co-Executive Producer CHRIS RAFFERTY (THE FLASH, COBRA KAI & LUCIFER)!

Chris has been a lifelong artist in many different fields. He grew up an illustrator with dreams of drawing comic books. Made short films while earning a film degree at UC Santa Barbara. Spent time on stage acting and in front of cameras doing...

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In this episode, Hilliard and guest co-host writer/dir/prod Fia Perera sit down for a 2 hour, in-depth conversation with writer/director/executive producer ERIC DEAN SEATON!


Highlights: Working his way up as an AD, getting his first episodic directors gig, sustaining a long career, directors get hired for what you've already done, creating a graphic novel an producing the award-winning short, fake it til you make it and we o...

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June 23, 2025 136 mins

In this episode, Hilliard and Queer guest co-hosts writer/producer Deonte Staats, actor/filmmaker Dalila Ali Rajah and writer/content creator Skylar Ezell sit down in a super fun, engaging, 2-hour episode chopped full of game.


Some topics: Highlighting people in our culture, anti-fem insults, "it’s just a phase," acceptance of being Out, a Platinum Gay, Shout Out to Patrick-Ian Polk and the new Noah’s Arc Film, centeri...

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June 16, 2025 121 mins

In this episode, Hilliard and guest co-host writer/producer Deonte Staats sit down for a two hour, nothing but game conversation with Showrunner/Co-Creator of the new MAX hit series DUSTER!


Highlights: LaToya’s time in the Warner Bros Writers Workshop, the Overall Deal and how it works, the John Wells system, creating the show Duster, casting, staffing the room, the importance of what’s on the page and we later open it up for a ...

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April 28, 2025 130 mins

In this Season Finale episode, Hilliard and guest co-host, comedy writer Myles Warden sat down for a super fun, 2-hour episode with CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER STACEY EVANS MORGAN!
We talk about Stacey’s amazing journey from assistant to co-ep, challenges as a writer, investing in yourself, opening doors for yourself, saying yes to opportunities, producing outside of scripted TV, speaking gigs, being the sexy writer in Hollywood, trad...

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April 14, 2025 126 mins

In this episode, Hilliard & guest co-host Saeed Crumpler sat down with one of our favorite repeating guests AARON RAHSAAN THOMAS, acclaimed TV, Film writer/producer/ creator/co-showrunner of S.W.A.T., who began his career on Soul Food, Saturday Night Lights, Numbers, CSI NY, Southland, Sleepy Hollow and The Get-Down to list a few!


We talk about how Arron developed and pitched S.W.A.T., how writers can use certain techniques ...

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April 6, 2025 115 mins

In this episode, Hilliard and guest co-host TV/Film writer Saeed Crumpler sat down with big bro Showrunner GLEN MAZZARA (Crash, Damien, The Walking Dead, Hawthorne, Extraction to list a few)!


HIGHLIGHTS:

The WGA's new TV Writers Leadership Training Program, what Glen's been up to since our last episode #93 back in 2016, how to handle Development, Pitching & Notes, protecting yourself when times are slow, writing for ...

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In this episode, Hilliard and comedy writer Myles Warden sat down for a super fun conversation with Co-Executive Producer VINCENT BROWN.
Vincent recently wrapped up as co-executive producer for the FOX animated series HOUSEBROKEN, starring Lisa Kudrow.


Prior to that, he served as a Co-Executive Producer on Apple TV’s series LIFE BY ELLA, winner of the Humanitas Award, a WGA Award and the Emmy Award for writing.


Vincent be...

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March 24, 2025 93 mins

In this episode, Hilliard and guest co-hosts (actor/filmmaker) Shawn Carter Peterson and (actor/filmmaker) Iona Morris Jackson sat down with STACIE GREENWELL who plays the role of Detective Shawna D Lackner, one of the stars on the Amazon Prime hit series CROSS!


Stacie’s journey from the courtroom to the camera is a testament to following one's true passion. After several years practicing law in Washington, D.C., Stacie real...

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March 17, 2025 68 mins

In this episode, Hilliard and Writer on the Verge, Rich Scott, sit down for an impromptu conversation about writer, showrunner and executive meetings -- over talking, mentorship, perception, nurturing relationships, being ready for an opportunity, working with producers and friends, having a Rep that works for you, not against you and so much more!


Our Motto: Keep it GAME all day!"


For information, Merch (T-SHIRTS/HOODIE...

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March 10, 2025 60 mins

In this episode, Hilliard does his very first Bottle Episode by himself covering TV STAFFING MEETINGS!


He talks about how it all works, the General, the Staffing Breakdowns, mandates, themes, mimicking your script to the pilot, the zoom interview, showing personality, welcome to the show, curiosity, talking about yourself, tell them why you love their script, how writing partners can shine in a meeting and so much more!


This ...

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March 3, 2025 101 mins

"CREATING CROSS"

Hilliard and guest co-hosts actor/filmmaker Johnny Ray Gill and actor/filmmaker Denzel Whitaker chop it up in a dope, 2-part episode with showrunner BEN WATKINS, writer-creator of the NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series and Outstanding Drama Series for Amazon’s new hit series CROSS.


Ben talks about how he created and wrote the series CROSS on Amazon Prime and we go deep in...

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