Houston native Shannan E. Johnson, screenwriter, former TV executive and founder of The Professional Pen, shares her advice for anyone trying to break into Hollywood in an interview with The Defender.

Johnson, who grew up in Scenic Woods and worked as a creative executive at NBCUniversal’s Syfy before founding her script consultancy, explains why today’s writers have to wear every hat, from producer to manager, and how building your own audience gives you more control over where your work lands.

In this video, you’ll hear about:
• Why the real power in Hollywood sits in the executive suite
• Wearing every hat as a writer, and why you still need a lawyer
• Learning the business from the set and the office
• Planning where your script will land before you write it
• Building an audience you own
• Finding another way through the door

Chapters
0:00 Meet Shannan E. Johnson
0:17 Where the power is in Hollywood
0:31 Tip 1: Wear every hat
0:46 Tip 2: Start on set
1:03 Tip 3: Know where your script will land
1:14 Tip 4: Build an audience you own
1:27 Tip 5: Find another way through the door

Read Laura Onyeneho’s full profile, “Shannan E. Johnson: Screenwriter charts her own Hollywood path,” on defendernetwork.com.

Subscribe to The Defender for more exclusive interviews, local news, and community coverage.

Sign up for the Top 5 newsletter

Defender Newsletters

Donate / Support Our Work

Contribute to the Defender Network

#ShannanEJohnson #TheProfessionalPen #Screenwriting #Hollywood #BlackFilmmakers #Houston #TheDefender