Joan Scheckel, a renowned writer, director, producer, and teacher, is the creator of The Technique(TM),a groundbreaking approach to writing, directing, and filmmaking craft in Hollywood. Known as the "director's guru," she is a master teacher in the tradition of Stanislavski, Strasberg, and Joseph Campbell, challenging cultural addiction to conflict and calling for a new storytelling paradigm that emphasizes feeling and meaning.
Joan's innovative work informs every level of the mise en scène, from writing and acting to directing and visual style. She trains and collaborates with directors to develop, workshop, write, direct, and produce material from scratch, having worked on iconic hits such as Niki Caro's Oscar-nominated Whale Rider, Dayton/Faris's Oscar-winning Little Miss Sunshine, and Joey Soloway's Emmy-winning Transparent.
Joan's extensive portfolio includes over 84 feature films and television shows, with 74 of them coming to her with unfinished drafts, no financing, or cast, and featuring first-time or early-career writer/directors. An impressive 83 of these projects have been released, earning over 800 nominations and 406 wins, including major category nods at the Oscars, Spirits, Golden Globes, Sundance, Cannes, Bafta, Emmys, PGA, and DGA.
This year alone, graduates of The Technique(TM) have garnered over 63 award nominations from Sundance to Oscars and Emmys. Joan's work has been profiled and featured in numerous articles and publications, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Marie Claire, Deadline, Indiewire, Vox, IF Magazine, California Sunday, and the New York Observer.
As Joan continues to make a significant impact on the film industry, she is poised to create a slate of books, films, labs (live and online),podcasts, and apps, further solidifying her influence on a generation of directors.
