Introduce Yourself : Turning TV Ideas Into Sold Shows (Without Losing Your Mind) by Hanan Abdelaal

Hanan Abdelaal

Turning TV Ideas Into Sold Shows (Without Losing Your Mind)

Hey everyone! I’m Hanan, an Emmy-winning developer & creative exec with nearly two decades in unscripted TV, developing & selling shows for Netflix, Hulu, TLC, Food Network, HGTV, and more.

I’ve spent years on the inside—pitching, developing, and making deals happen—and now I’m here to help other creatives do the same without the burnout and second-guessing.

Hanan Abdelaal

hi Jack, nice to meet you.

Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Hanan Abdelaal. Great to meet you. Congratulations on winning the Emmy and all your accomplishments! Here's a blog that'll help you navigate Stage 32 and connect with other creatives and industry professionals: www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-platform-...

Rebecca Heidt

I'd love to know how to not burn out!

Lonnie James

Glad to meet you, I'm sure many will benefit from your repertoire of knowledge! Also, congrats on all your accomplishments. Shows a great deal of time, effort, and dedication to the craft.

Kat Spencer

Nice to meet you Hanan! I love your goal to help others avoid burnout, I share the same goal, though I'm sure we do it in different ways. Your role sounds very interesting.

Nick Kostomarov

Hi Hanan!

Nice to meet you and welcome!

Hanan Abdelaal

Rebecca Heidt Burnout is pretty much built into this industry. You can’t always avoid it, but you can learn how to sustain yourself so it doesn’t take you out. What’s been the hardest part of managing it for you?

Hanan Abdelaal

Lonnie James

Really appreciate that, Lonnie. Congrats on finishing Resident Evil: Day 0. Curious, what’s been the biggest challenge in bringing your stories to life? The writing itself, breaking into the industry, or something else?

Majd Ra'ed Abdul Almestrihi

Hi lion I am really interested

Hanan Abdelaal

Maurice Vaughan thank you.

Hanan Abdelaal

Kat Spencer Nice to meet you too. Love that we’re both tackling burnout. It’s such a huge issue in this industry. Would be great to hear more about your approach in helping people navigate it.

Hanan Abdelaal

Nick Kostomarov Nice meeting you. Congrats on being an award-winning VFX supervisor. Huge accomplishment.

Hanan Abdelaal

Majd Ra'ed Abdul Almestrihi hi Majd, what can I help you with?

Hanan Abdelaal

Greg Zawaski I focus exclusively on unscripted content: reality, documentary, lifestyle, and everything in between. But I wish you the best with your TV pilot.

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Hanan Abdelaal. What are some ways you help people avoid burnout?

Majd Ra'ed Abdul Almestrihi

Hanan Abdelaal I will contact you and we will discuss plans and ideas and agree.

Hanan Abdelaal

Maurice Vaughan I’m trained in mindfulness techniques and teach nervous system regulation tools to help people manage stress and prevent burnout. Especially in high-pressure industries like entertainment. Is there anything specific you’re dealing with when it comes to burnout?

Rebecca Heidt

Hanan Abdelaal Being the creative mind, script writer, and main producer to make a $3.2 M feature film be made with a small amount of help from others. Everyone has ideas but wants me to put in the man power for it. I suppose the multi- tasking and following up is exhausting.

Leonardo Ramirez

Love it that you're giving back to the community Hanan Abdelaal. It's kind and thoughtful and I'm glad you're with us! All the best with everything you put your hand to!

Maurice Vaughan

That sounds great, Hanan Abdelaal. I'm mainly exhausted physically when I get burned out.

Bobby Foster

Burnout is real when making efforts to get your show picked up. Thank you for reaching back! Are you hosting a class or just offering insight to those asking?

Kenneth Arinze Ezema

Hanan Abdelaal Nice to meet you here.

you're here to help other creative to achieve their...- I'm very excited to hear that, and I look forward to connecting with you.

Thank you Hanan Abdelaal

Kirk Findlay

Hi. Would you mind looking at my trailer and give feedback? I have 3 different versions as I'm finishing the edit on my documentary (still). www.pioneersofthepacific.com

Hanan Abdelaal

Bobby Foster Burnout is so real. especially in the grind of getting a show picked up. I do host workshops, though I don’t have the next one scheduled yet. I’ll keep you posted. I also offer 1:1 consulting and coaching, helping professionals with mindset for longevity and navigating industry dynamics. And for non-scripted projects, I jump in on the creative side when needed. Let me know what you’re looking for.

Hanan Abdelaal

Rebecca Heidt That’s a massive load to carry. No wonder you’re feeling exhausted. When you’re the driving force behind everything, it’s easy to slip into overdrive and burnout. What happens when we have too many demands with little time to recover is our nervous system stays in overdrive - and so regulating your nervous system throughout the day will be helpful to start. Are you building in any small recovery moments throughout the day? i.e. box breathing.I don’t know your full situation, but happy to chat more and offer specific feedback based on what you’re dealing with.

Hanan Abdelaal

Kenneth Arinze Ezema Nice to meet you as well!

Hanan Abdelaal

Maurice Vaughan Burnout is your body’s way of waving a giant red flag, telling you to pay attention. It’s not just exhaustion, it’s a full-body protest against the way you’re working. The sooner you listen, the sooner you can make changes that help keep you going without running yourself into the ground.

Hanan Abdelaal

Leonardo Ramirez Happy to help. Let me know if there's anything I can support you with.

Leonardo Ramirez

You’re very kind Hanan Abdelaal. Thank you!

Gary Stephenson

Hi Hanan, New Zealand based and financing for films is hard. My script is liked by producers but NZ production companies do not have the financing.

Maurice Vaughan

Thanks, Hanan Abdelaal. I've gotten better at taking breaks and resting so I won't get burned out, but I want to get better at it.

Kat Spencer

Hanan Abdelaal I'd love to hear your approach as well! Work/life balance has always been a priority for me and somehow I am good at staying calm under pressure (even when I was working registration in the ER). I love shifting mindsets and helping with stress reduction. It's usually all about habits and mindsets.

Other topics in Introduce Yourself:

register for stage 32 Register / Log In