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Emmy-nominated writer, producer, director
Paul Sado
Storyteller, filmmaker, professor.
Emmy-nominated writer, producer, director
Storyteller, filmmaker, professor.
INT. ABOUT — DAY
Paul Sado is an Emmy-nominated writer, producer, and director. He co-wrote the animated film LEO, starring Adam Sandler and Bill Burr and directed by Robert Smigel, which was Netflix's number one movie in 2023. SANDY WEXLER, which he wrote and produced, reached the same spot in 2017.
He wrote THE COBBLER, directed by two-time Academy Award winner Tom McCarthy and starring Adam Sandler, Dustin Hoffman, Steve Buscemi, and Ellen Barkin. He co-wrote the indie thriller ELECTRA, starring Academy Award nominee Maria Bakalova, which premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
He has produced, written, rewritten, and doctored scripts for Netflix, Fox Searchlight, Lakeshore Productions, and Sony Pictures, among others, and gave development notes on THE DO-OVER and MURDER MYSTERY for Netflix.
Paul teaches Advanced Screenwriting as adjunct faculty in the Department of Dramatic Writing at NYU Tisch, and screenwriting at Barnard. He lives in Manhattan.
EXT. SELECTED WORK — CONTINUOUS
Dir. Robert Smigel. Adam Sandler, Bill Burr. Netflix's number one movie of 2023.
Dir. Tom McCarthy. Adam Sandler, Dustin Hoffman, Steve Buscemi, Ellen Barkin.
Premiere at the Cinerama Dome, Los Angeles. Adam Sandler, Jennifer Hudson. Netflix's number one movie of 2017.
Indie thriller starring Academy Award nominee Maria Bakalova.
Development notes and story consultation on THE DO-OVER and MURDER MYSTERY (Netflix).
Script doctoring, rewrites, and production writing for Netflix, Fox Searchlight, Lakeshore Productions, and Sony Pictures.
On set. Writing is the job; directing is the rewrite.
INT. COACHING — DAY
One-on-one sessions for writers, actors, and directors who want the script to get better.
I read your pages and tell you what's working, what isn't, and what to do about it. We talk character before structure, because structure follows what the character wants and what it costs them. If it's a comedy, we treat the funny as its own craft and build it on top of a story that would hold up without a single joke.
Hourly sessions need no prep. Bring pages or bring nothing and we start from scratch, on the clock. Between sessions you get a push and someone to answer to.
Complete read of your script with page notes, followed by a 90-minute call.
Sixty minutes, remote, zero prep required. Pages get worked live.
Email with a sentence or two about the project and where you are with it. Sessions are remote. Invoiced through Thank You Mask Man, Inc.
INT. WHAT THEY SAY — LATER
Paul Sado is a close friend and colleague. He is someone I can consistently rely on for smart input and creative support
Paul is both genius and generous, he blends his love of cinema and storytelling with a true gift for character driven work. He is my first phone call to solve a script problem and has a never-ending wealth of creative ideas. He guides with humor , compassion and courage. Paul pushes me off the creative cliff and reminds me that I will always be caught
Paul has done writing for me on a number of my Adam Sandler movies I directed. He is a very good writer. Funny, organized and great under pressure. He's a pleasure to be around. He can really roll with any situation well. Along with the comedy he knows how to keep depth to the characters
Whether I'm working up a pitch or trying to punch up a project towards its full potential, I can always count on Paul to bring out my best. Sado knows story, he knows comedy, and he possesses a media literacy that is off the damn charts. He is sharp, nimble and charismatic and he knows how to transmit those qualities to students and collaborators alike. I give that six out of five stars
Working with Paul is a true pleasure. Our work together has spanned years now. Sessions with Paul always get my mind moving and give me new, fresh and exciting ideas to improve my work. Every script he advises me on gets exponentially better each time