As a manager of development at NBC Productions, Joe Slowensky saw every kind of idea for film and TV projects you can imagine—and some you can’t. But these days, he’s busy writing scripts of his own. His first produced feature, the CBS Sunday Night Movie Miracle in the Woods, was seen in more than 14.5 million homes and received the highest ratings of the week (except for the World Series).  His second CBS film, Three Secrets, also won the ratings battle during the highly competitive May sweeps period.

With an M.F.A. from USC, Slowensky began his career working in development of movies and miniseries at CBS. These days, he enjoys working with students, in part, because “they’re where the trends are starting. It’s fun to help shape their fresh, unbridled ideas into something they might be able to sell.”

Slowensky is an active member of the Writers Guild of America, West and the exclusive Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Writers Peer Group, where he’s a voting juror for the annual prime-time Emmy Awards.  But he’s always ready to listen to students, because developing a good story is where it all starts—for students and pros alike.