We are talking with Dan Merchant about what it takes to bring a concept from idea to fruition, making it through the development process successfully. Find out how to get your script made and not thrown in the trash!

What does development actually mean? What are the steps of developing a project and why do some things get held up or not make it through the process to get made? Find out the answers to these and other questions in this Q & A.

Dan Merchant is a veteran television writer/director/executive producer best known for SyFy’s zombie horror-comedy hit Z Nation and VH1’s “rock-n-roll Twilight Zone” anthology series, Strange Frequency. Dan also recently served as a Co-Executive Producer on Z Nation’s prequel series for Netflix, Black Summer, season one. He’s also developing the sci-fi thriller Downwinders with producer Jonathon-Komack Martin (Deadpool), Selling Books for SONY Affirm TV and is adapting The Seer Triology novels for television with Releve Entertainment and Revelations Entertainment. Dan is also in development on Monsters of Rock, an 80’s teen rock comedy featuring rocker Sammy Hagar and Kenny Kane is a Dead Man, a dark comedy about a misfit teen who fakes a terminal illness to win the girl and achieve high school popularity. Previously, Dan wrote/produced/directed the indie feature documentary Lord, Save Us From Your Followers. USA Today called Lord, Save Us… “Michael Moore-meets-Monty Python. A humorous and heartfelt examination of the culture wars.” Variety proclaimed: “Admirably bold…It would take a hard heart indeed not to be moved.”