What Is
Good in a Room
All About?
Good in a Room is a website run by me, Stephanie Palmer, to teach you proven strategies to:
Write film and TV scripts
Sell your material
Get hired
Create a lasting career
But what does Good in a Room mean?
good in a room /adj. Good in a Room is an inside-Hollywood phrase used to describe film and TV writers who are good at networking, pitching, and selling what they write. You can learn more about how to be “good in a room” on my Getting Started page.
Who Is
Stephanie Palmer?
In many ways, I’m a creative person just like you. I started out wanting to direct plays and graduated from Carnegie Mellon with a degree in Theatrical Directing.
But then… I got an opportunity to intern on a project directed by James Cameron (Terminator, Aliens, Avatar). One thing led to another and eventually I became a studio executive with MGM Pictures.
I was fortunate to work with many top writers and directors and supervise the production of over 20 movies with $12M-$150M budgets.
The
Good in a Room Origin Story
Being an executive is a dream job for some people – but it wasn’t for me.
I knew I needed to get back to the creative side of the business.
So, about ten years ago I took a deep breath and left my job at MGM to focus on the part of the process I liked best: helping writers to develop and sell material.
At the same time, I got back to my own writing.
I wrote a best-selling book published by Random House. That got me on TV (including NBC’s Today Show) and speaking gigs at Disney, Warner Brothers, USC, Merrill Lynch, and Google.
“Part cheerleader, part mentor, part hard-nosed consultant, Palmer extracts important words and phrases from her clients like gold from ore.”
“Stephanie Palmer shares her experience listening to thousands of pitches. Much of her direction on how to pitch well is counterintuitive, but it’s dead-on accurate.”
My First Hollywood Job
I had just finished working with esteemed playwright August Wilson (RIP) on a production of Jitney when I got the chance to be an intern on Titanic.
My initial assignment was to drive boxes of “undisclosed materials” from Los Angeles to the set in Baja, Mexico. In retrospect, I never should have driven boxes that “you are not to open” across the Mexican border….
Climbing The Ladder
Next I worked at Jerry Bruckheimer Films, where I was the Executive Assistant to the President. After that I became the Story Editor at MGM Pictures where I supervised the team of story analysts and was responsible for processing over 4000 screenplays each year.
Then, I was promoted to MGM’s Director of Creative Affairs where I acquired, developed, and produced feature films.
Helping Screenwriters
To be able to get back to my creative roots, I left MGM and started my consulting business to help film and TV writers write, pitch, and sell their material.
I have worked with dedicated amateurs and creative pros at all levels of the business, from recent film school graduates, experienced film and TV writers, to Oscar and Emmy-award winners.
The
Key Insight
After working my way up the ladder, producing films with big budgets and hiring top writers, then helping new writers to launch their careers, I was surprised to discover this:
Every project and writer was different from a creative perspective, but the strategies and tactics they needed to navigate the non-writing aspects of Hollywood were almost exactly the same.
What Others Say
Blake Snyder
Screenwriter and author of the bestselling book Save The Cat!
Scott Hartford
Co-Executive Producer, The Girls Next Door, Kendra, Ancient Aliens
Billy Greenfield
Producer/Assistant Director, The Sessions, Dating Rules For My Future Self
Sebastian Twardosz
Partner, Circus Road Films
Brian Egeston
Head Writer, Tyler Perry's House of Payne
Jonathan Wolf
Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the American Film Market, Independent Film & Television Alliance
Films I Worked On
Fun Facts
- Grew up in a house without a television
- Started with zero Hollywood connections
- Hollywood Reporter, “Top 35 Executives Under 35”
- Swore I’d never marry a writer… and married a writer.
Featured In
Good Writing Matters
I believe that when good material gets purchased, when good writers are hired, when the highest-quality movies and TV shows get made, and when more diverse voices are present at the decision-making table, we all win.
But when you don’t have the right strategic perspective, there’s a good chance that your ideas stay in your head or end up living in a drawer, on a shelf, or lost in your hard drive.
Hollywood is an intimidating, complex, and unfair place.
Most of the time, crucial emails get ignored, great scripts get rejected, meetings with VIPs go nowhere, and creativity just gets stomped on.
It’s easy to waste years of your life thinking you’re getting somewhere only to find out that you were going in circles or the wrong direction.
That’s why I’m here – to help you to get on track and “level up.”
Join The Community
The reason Good in a Room has thrived over the last 10 years is YOU. I’ve built this website and stocked it full of carefully chosen resources to help you succeed.
I’d love to have you join me and 50,000+ aspiring and professional film and TV writers.
Join The CommunityReady to Get Started?
As a next step, I recommend taking a look at my Getting Started page.
We’ll explore the possibilities of what works best for you, and I’ll guide you to the free resources that can help you get results.
Get Started