Running the Show
From Writers' Room to Final Cut with Todd Slavkin
Our First Saturday Workshop Series!
Saturdays, September 26, October 3, 10, and 17, 2026
2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern (11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Pacific)
A Note From The Founder
In almost seven years of operation, this will be our first Saturday workshop ever. I’d like to say that it is simply to beta-test a possible new window, especially as we get into fall, but that is not the only reason. Our showrunner coach, Todd Slavkin, can't do it any other time. Currently, during the weekdays, Todd is consulting on not one but two television series!
Why? During COVID, Todd elected to teach a master's-level graduate program in showrunning at the prestigious Dodge College at Chapman University. A few years later, his students are now running shows, so he is working with them as a mentor.
That said, Todd loves teaching. And he said to me that if we could do Saturdays, he could teach his first-ever online class. So Saturdays it is!
David Kirkpatrick
Founder, Story Summit Writers School
Who is the most important person on a television series? The star? The director? The producer?
Many of our industry leaders will tell you that it is the showrunner. When a network or studio considers a new series, the showrunner can sometimes be more important than the stars attached.
A cast member can bring a much-needed audience to the first episode, but often it's the showrunner who holds the magic to bring viewers back again.
The showrunner is responsible for the creative life of the entire series, which includes a thousand decisions to be made before any episode reaches the screen. That role is multi-faceted: writer, producer, manager, problem-solver, and core-creative leader. The director reports to the showrunner.
That said, no showrunner does that work alone. A television series depends on a writers’ room filled with people who understand not only how to write, but how to listen, contribute, solve problems, support the larger vision, and become part of a creative team.
In this four-part Saturday workshop series, veteran television writer, producer, and showrunner Todd Slavkin will take us inside that world. Through writing, production prep, production, and post-production, Todd will show how an episode moves from the room to the screen, and what writers need to understand if they hope to become trusted members of a television writing staff.
Most writing classes teach you how to finish a script, which is no small feat. But this class will help equip you to enter the room, become part of the team, and understand what it takes to carry a television series forward.
Faculty
Todd Slavkin is an accomplished writer, showrunner and director with a career spanning film, television and multiple genres. Working with his longtime friend and writing-producing partner Darren Swimmer, Todd has written and produced many popular television series, including Smallville, Shadowhunters and The Mysterious Benedict Society. His other television credits include No Ordinary Family, Alphas, Defiance, Dominion and Guilt.
Todd created and served as showrunner of Melrose Place 2.0 and has written pilots for ABC, NBC, Fox, Freeform, SYFY and The CW. For his work on The Mysterious Benedict Society, Todd received four Emmy nominations across two seasons, including nominations for Outstanding Young Teen Series and Outstanding Writing for a Young Teen Program.
Todd earned his BFA in film writing from the University of Southern California and recently has taught the masters class in show running at Chapman University.
The Four Corners of Production
Over our four Saturday workshops, Todd will take writers through the complete life of a television series, from the first conversation in the writers' room to the final cut delivered to the screen.
Writing - Saturday, September 26
Todd begins in the writers’ room, where the creative life of a series takes shape. He will explore how a team defines the world, develops the characters, builds season arcs, and turns the larger vision of the show into individual stories that move the series forward.
Prep - Saturday, October 3
Once the scripts begin moving toward production, the showrunner must translate the vision of the series for directors, department heads, and the production team. Todd will look at how those creative choices are made while protecting the tone, continuity, and larger arc of the show against the realities of time, budget, and schedule.
Production - Saturday, October 10
Production is where the world of the series becomes real. Todd will examine how the showrunner maintains consistency across performances, directors, locations, and episodes, while solving creative and practical problems in real time and keeping the larger story on course in the writers' room.
Post-Production - Saturday, October 17
In post-production, the final identity of the series continues to emerge. Todd will take writers inside the process of shaping performance, picture, music, sound, and visual effects, while ensuring that each episode serves the tone, momentum, and ultimate destination of the series.
Who This Workshop Is For
This workshop is for writers and creatives who want to understand how episodic television is actually made. It is especially valuable for writers who want:
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To better understand the responsibilities of a showrunner
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To see how a script changes as it moves into production
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To learn how creative decisions are made under real-world pressures
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To write television with a stronger awareness of the entire production process
And, of course, no previous production experience is required.
The Takeaways
By the end of this four-session workshop, writers will understand the complete journey of a television episode. More important, they will begin to understand what it means to run the show: to protect the story while working with hundreds of people, thousands of decisions, and the constant realities of time, money, and production.
Writers will leave with a more complete understanding of television, a stronger sense of how showrunners think, and a clearer picture of what it takes to carry a story all the way from the writers' room to the final cut.
Today's Price Only $247 for 8 Hours of Instruction
Story Summit Members: This class is included at no additional cost
Story Summit Membership subscribers receive this class at no additional cost. Just register and the discount will be applied automatically. Please make sure you're logged in to receive the discount. Not a subscriber yet? Join here.
Please note: Our classes are designed specifically for live participation, so your attendance is important. If you need to miss a class for any reason, you’ll receive a passcode-protected link to watch the recordings after the course is over.
