How 2 Hollywood Veterans Are Sneaking Kids Into the Film Industry with Chet Thomas & Darrin Fletcher | OpenEd

Two Hollywood veterans with credits including Saving Private Ryan and The Sandlot built a virtual backlot where students audition for real productions. After 25 years, their students are on Broadway, working with Spielberg, and selling scripts for six figures—all without traditional film school.

🎬 Sneak on the Lot: https://sneakonthelot.com

Timestamps

(00:00) Cold Open: The Goth Kid Who Became Hollywood Success

(01:00) Meet the Hollywood Veterans Behind Sneak on the Lot

(08:00) Why Film Sets Don’t Have to Be Stressful

(11:00) The Philosophy: Lifting People Up

(15:00) Building the Virtual Backlot

(19:00) How Real Casting Happens Through a Game

(22:00) Connecting Students with Industry Professionals

(26:00) The Columbine Origin Story

(29:00) Why Every Classroom Fits in Filmmaking

(35:00) Film as Universal Opportunity

(39:00) Success Stories: From Broadway to Spielberg

(41:00) The Goth Kid’s Transformation Story

(45:00) Future Plans: Hiring Students for Real Productions

About Our Guests:

• Darrin “Fletch” Fletcher — Storyboard artist (The Sandlot, multiple studio films) turned producer/director at Angel Studios

• Chet Thomas — Former DreamWorks executive (Saving Private Ryan, Meet the Parents, Minority Report) and producer of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever