Development is more than taste. It’s a skill.

Advanced story training for aspiring TV and film executives.

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The Professional Pen's Executive Training Program Cohort III Announcement

According to The Wrap, traditional executive jobs are shrinking. Entertainment and media companies cut more than 17,000 jobs in 2025 as companies responded to consolidation, cost cutting, and an evolving entertainment landscape. Yet independent creators have never had more opportunities to develop and distribute their work. From feature films and digital series to podcasts and independent production companies, storytellers are building careers beyond Hollywood's traditional pipeline and are seeking trusted development partners to help elevate their stories.

Designed by former television executive and screenwriter Shannan E. Johnson, the Executive Training Program equips aspiring development professionals for that reality. Over seven weeks, Changemakers studied screenplay structure, story analysis, commercial evaluation, and executive communication while learning to deliver actionable development notes and cultivate productive relationships with writers.

This year's cohort included Martica Allums, Trinity Antoinette, Aja Gaddie, Zipporah Greene, April Guscott, Britt Morton, and Christina Terry. In the program, they also learned from industry leaders Tsedy Gebeyehu and Michelle Sneed (A Few Good Women Productions), Maryam Mehrtash (Disney, Paramount), and Ashley Whitaker (Starz), who shared insights on entering the industry, navigating career transitions, and the evolving role of development in today's entertainment landscape.

MEET THE COHORT
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Better notes. Better collaboration. Better stories.

The Executive Training Program (ETP) at The Professional Pen trains aspiring development executives
to think and operate like true story partners.

Participants - we call them Changemakers - learn how to evaluate material, understand the writer’s process, and guide projects with clarity and intention — not confusion or ego.

By bridging creative and executive perspectives, ETP leads to:

  • More effective collaboration with writers

  • Shorter, smoother development timelines

  • Stronger, more inclusive storytelling

  • Content that resonates with diverse audiences and sells

Learn more

“This is one of the most insightful and generous training programs I’ve ever participated in. The level of behind-the-scenes access, real-world application, and executive-level insight is unmatched — the kind of knowledge aspiring creatives and execs rarely receive, let alone in such a passionate, accessible format. Shannan is a phenomenal instructor, and the team is incredibly giving with their time, feedback, and wisdom. You can feel how deeply they care about your growth. This is a top-caliber program that not only sharpens your eye to executive function but also elevates your sense of what’s possible.”

- Dionne, Cohort I

7 weeks of virtual sessions

Live, instructor-led sessions focused on real-world development skills, shaped by a former TV executive and working screenwriter who understands both sides of the desk.

Speaking the Writers' Language
​Giving Notes

Learn TPP’s proven note-giving method that prioritizes the writer's growth. Develop clarity, objectivity, and structure in your feedback style, so you can advocate for the script without rewriting it yourself.

WEEK 4

WEEK 1

Welcome to the Industry
​The Basics of Being an Executive

Start with a foundational understanding of the development pipeline. Learn the hierarchy of roles,  where executives fit into the creative process, and what it really takes to build a career in development.

Practice What You Preach 
The First 15
​
We’ll introduce  TPP’s development rubric as a tool to break down the first 15 pages of any script that lands on your desk. Learn how to evaluate a script and articulate your perspective like a professional exec. You’ll apply these tools to two real submissions to sharpen your instincts and communication skills.

WEEK 5

WEEK 2

A Day in the Life of an Exec
​Executive Panel
​
Meet real working execs across film and television. Hear what their days really look like, what they look for in talent and story, and how they climbed the ladder. This session offers context to shape your executive identity and questions for the rest of the program.

WEEK 6

Executive Coaching - 
Notes on Your Notes

​Step into the writer’s seat and receive professional feedback on your First 15 analyses. Strengthen your communication skills and learn how to revise feedback with clarity and care—because great execs know how to support great writers.

Film School Fast Track
​Story Structure
​
Learn to identify the key beats of 2-act, 3-act, and 5-act structures across film and TV. Strengthen your story intuition so you can speak the writer’s language and evaluate scripts with confidence.​

WEEK 3

WEEK 7

The Finale
Wrap Up + Career Strategy

Submit your revised notes following the coaching session. Reflect on your growth and begin strategizing your next steps. Each Changemaker will receive a 1:1 coaching call with Shannan E. Johnson, CEO + Head Consultant at TPP, to map out a personalized career plan moving forward.

HOW TO APPLY

PAST EXECUTIVE PANELISTS