Great storytelling thrives on great feedback. This class explores how to give notes that inspire, not deflate—how to challenge writers without crushing their voice. We’ll break down what makes notes useful, how to communicate them effectively, and how to turn criticism into creativity. This panel discussion was recorded on Tuesday, October 28th, 2025, as part of our Act One Producing and Entertainment Executive Program.
About our panelists:
OWEN SHIFLETT has been the SVP of Production and Development at both Blue Monday Productions and Content Superba. Prior to that, Owen held positions as VP of Development at Shudder and Sundance Now, where he oversaw the creation of original content for both platforms. Owen also served as the Head of Television at Parkes MacDonald and Director of Development at AMC Networks.
CLARE SERA has written in the family film genre for nearly every studio in Hollywood, including writing BLENDED, the Sandler/Barrymore family rom-com and SMALLFOOT, the animated family film. She has contributed to dozens of films, both animated and live action in this genre. She has written a screen adaptation of The Shadowmaker (by author Ron Hansen) for Goodman Pictures and is developing a feature take on the Nativity story for Southland Studios.
QUINTON PEEPLES has written multiple features for all the major networks and studios including Fox, NBC, ABC, Disney, Lionsgate and many others. He found his way to directing in 1995 when he shot his original screenplay “JOYRIDE” starring Tobey Maguire and Benicio DelToro. Quinton has worked on multiple shows as varied as “FLASHFORWARD,” “UNFORGETTABLE,” “THE LAST SHIP,” “11/22/63,” and Marvel’s “RUNAWAYS.” Most recently he ran the limited series “ECHOES” for Netflix.
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