Learn from a seasoned film and television executive who has helped develop, acquire, and produce award-winning and billion-dollar projects across major studios

Get a step-by-step breakdown of how real packaging works today—including how to attach actors, directors, and creative talent that actually moves your project forward!

Packaging is one of the most misunderstood — and most essential — skills in the film and television business. It’s not just about attaching talent; it’s about understanding how buyers think, how projects are evaluated across markets, and how to position your project so it actually moves forward. Without a strategic package, even the strongest idea can stall before it ever reaches the right decision-maker. In this exclusive Stage 32 class, you’ll get a clear, practical understanding of how packaging works in today’s industry!

And yet, this is where many creatives struggle. You may find yourself unsure of how to approach talent, how to build meaningful relationships without existing connections, or even what order attachments should happen in. It’s easy to think packaging is about chasing big names or waiting for the “perfect” collaborator, but that mindset can lead to common mistakes—like misaligned casting, ignoring genre expectations, or failing to understand how different buyers evaluate projects. Many creatives also overlook the business side entirely, avoiding research, market data, or the roles agents, managers, and lawyers play in shaping a viable package. These obstacles can keep your project stuck in development instead of moving toward execution.

That’s why you’ll be learning from Eben Davidson, a producer and studio executive with over two decades of experience at the highest levels of the industry. Eben has worked on major projects like the Oscar-nominated Arrival and the Transformers franchise, and has overseen films that have collectively grossed over $1 billion and earned 18 Academy Award nominations. With leadership roles at Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television, Blumhouse Television, and now as a producer running the U.S. office for Empress Films, Eben brings a rare combination of creative and business insight. He understands firsthand how projects are packaged, sold, and produced—and how to navigate the system in a way that actually gets results.

In this interactive two-part class, you’ll gain a clear, practical understanding of how packaging really works today. Across two sessions, you’ll learn how distribution drives decision-making, how talent is evaluated across formats and genres, and how to build a package that aligns creatively and financially with the marketplace. This is a business-first approach designed to help you move from development into execution with clarity and confidence!

This interactive Stage 32 class is held on Zoom and goes substantially more in depth than a Stage 32 webinar. Best of all? As soon as you sign up you will be linked on email with your Stage 32 Educator and given a questionnaire to fill out and send back to them. You will have access to your Educator for the duration of your class by email to ask them any questions you have about your craft or career - it’s like having a mentor on demand! And, if you can't make a live session, don't worry! All class recordings will be available 48 hours after each session and you will be able to view them in your Library on your Stage 32 profile. Finally, you can expand your network with like-minded creatives - you'll have a dedicated lounge for interactive support and discussions with your fellow classmates!

Praise for Eben's Education:

"I really enjoyed Eben’s class and learned a lot from him. His expertise is so precious and what he shared with us is something almost no one could reach." -Mao N

Understanding the ecosystem and building a strategic foundation.

• The current distribution landscape and how it shapes packaging decisions
• How studios, streamers, and independent buyers evaluate projects differently
• The talent hierarchy and why the order of attachments matters
• Genre expectations and how they influence casting and packaging strategy
• Common packaging mistakes and how the wrong talent can derail a project
• Industry gatekeepers, coverage, and how projects are vetted
• Building meaningful relationships when you don’t have existing connections
• The roles of agents, managers, and entertainment lawyers in packaging
• Conducting effective research: talent, comps, availability, and market data
• Reframing your mindset to approach packaging as a business, not a dream
• Q&A WITH EBEN

Turning strategy into action and building a sustainable approach.

• Outreach strategies for talent, representatives, and casting directors
• Tailoring your materials (script, deck, one-pager) for specific targets
• Writing professional offers: structure, terminology, and legal basics
• Understanding financing types and how they impact your package
• Scheduling fundamentals and how availability affects attachments
• Navigating whether to approach agents, managers, or lawyers first
• Making strategic creative decisions that strengthen your package
• Positioning your project within current market demand
• Understanding showrunners, credits, and structure in television
• Using rejection as data and building a slate-based producing strategy
• Q&A WITH EBEN

WHAT TO EXPECT:

PLEASE NOTE: This exclusive Stage 32 class will be booked on a first-come, first-served basis. The opportunity to work this closely and for this long with an expert in the field is an incredibly unique and valuable opportunity. If you are interested, please book quickly. Once the spots are gone, they’re gone for good.

• This is an intimate, in-depth, practical, and detailed class held on Zoom where you will be interacting with your instructor.

• This class consists of 2 sessions roughly two hours in duration and offers significantly more in-depth content than a standard Stage 32 webinar.

• ***Your instructor will be available on email during the entire duration of the class to answer any questions you have about your project.***

• To stay motivated and inspired you will have access to a dedicated Stage 32 Lounge post where you can meet, connect and communicate with your fellow classmates throughout the length of the class and beyond. Let Stage 32 help you find your tribe!

• Can't make it live? Don't worry, each session will be recorded and you can watch it on demand at your convenience. 

• You will be held accountable to take the lessons from each week and move your work forward.

• Payment plans are available at checkout through Shop Pay

• Emerging and intermediate producers who want to understand how to strategically attach talent and package projects for film and television
• Writers and writer-producers looking to increase the marketability of their scripts and move them into active development
• Directors seeking to understand how to position themselves within a package and attract the right collaborators and buyers
• Independent filmmakers who want to learn how projects are evaluated by studios, streamers, and financiers
• Creative executives and development professionals looking to strengthen their understanding of modern packaging strategy and talent hierarchy
• Anyone developing a film or TV project who wants to move beyond “just having an idea” and into real-world execution and financing readiness

Praise for Eben's Education:

"I really enjoyed Eben’s class and learned a lot from him. His expertise is so precious and what he shared with us is something almost no one could reach." -Mao N