I have trained hundreds of people internationally to enter the film industry or accelerate their career trajectory as Script Supervisors for the past 30 years

I'm Daniela Saioni, a veteran script supervisor in film & television who has worked in 10 countries with multiple A-list directors, performers and crews. I love my job and I have a specific approach to my work: I not-so-jokingly refer to us as "Director Whisperers". You see, as script supervisors, we are in the privileged position of working closely with the director in a key position on set that puts us in the centre of the action.

Once upon a time, however, the odds of success in the film business were stacked heavily against me. When I began in the industry in 1991, I was an outsider whose parents did not understand the film business and were in no way supportive of my desire to work in it. As immigrants, they were insistent that I avoid anything remotely creative and look for 'a real job'. A few short years later, I was living life on my terms in a job I loved.

Although I don't regret the years I put into self-financing my film degree, it ultimately had little impact on my career. So if lack of film school or having no connections feels like a barrier to entry in the film business, I am here to confirm that you don't need to spend the tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars it takes to get a film degree in order to have a rewarding career in this industry.

I know this for a fact because I have been training script supervisors and directors since 1995 through a proven program I developed that has led hundreds of people in 30 countries to lucrative film careers they love as script supervisors.

If you don't know what a script supervisor does, you are not alone. In fact, when I was working at my first job in the editing room and asked the producer if there was any way I could work on set, she said "I can get you a paid gig as a script supervisor right now", and I looked at her blankly and said, "what's that?". She smiled and said, "Show up tomorrow. You have editing experience, so you'll do great."

And even though I had little idea what my duties were that first day, I took my cues from the director and knew in the first few hours I had found my calling. We definitely didn't learn about this role in film school.

About three years from that day, after diving deep with editors and directors with intention and curiosity about how I could become great in this role, I joined my first union, booked a TV series, paid off my student loans in full, backpacked through Europe all summer and put away a bunch of money for my retirement. I was 25 years old and I hadn't been on holiday since I was a child. And life only got better from there.

Because, the truth is, you don't need to work all year to earn a great living as a professional script supervisor, so you can design the life you dream of. I do love the job but I also have many creative interests, so for most of my career, I personally chose to work six months on set and use the rest of my time to pursue my other passions: writing, teaching, performing and travelling.

Back up just a second - did you really just say one of your passions is teaching?

Absolutely. I began teaching and designing filmmaking courses because I never had the support I needed when I began. I also happen to love the challenge of taking complex subjects and breaking them down in entertaining ways that everyone can understand and with a clear process that my students can put into practice.

Once I had unlocked a major secret way in to an industry and lifestyle that previously seemed unattainable to someone like me, it changed my life and my first instinct was to share this knowledge with others and change their lives, too, fuelled by my belief that everyone who wants to should have access to quality jobs in the film industry.

So I kept my course fees accessible, and I built a legacy of diverse script supervisors who are now my peers, some of who went on to became directors I now work with. This is not surprising, because the first thing I ask of you as my student is the same thing that set me apart early on in my own career: that you think like a filmmaker. You become a valued member of the director's team and stand out among your peers by being a Director Whisperer, which is the paradigm I have used to train my exceptional alumni for almost three decades, while applying my methodology in my own career.

You can find me speaking on multiple film topics on my YouTube Channel @schticktoscript . Those talks have helped guide people in and to this work, but many don't realize how much further and deeper I go to get students certified in my training program until they experience it for themselves.

Some people first come to me because they want to train with the script supervisor from Suits or My Big Fat Greek Wedding or A Simple Favor, or even very random things on my resume, but soon realize the value of so many other things about my program itself.

My training program consists of several parts, with the foundational training in two main sections: the coverage class, AM I COVERED? THE ART OF VISUAL STORYTELLING FOR FILM & TV (what I call the "macro" of our role) and the SCRIPT SUPERVISION INTENSIVE (the "micro".. the detailed but important minutiea of our role).

Plus, there are several bonuses and masterclasses that I keep adding to that my Director Whisperers get full access to, and a weekly live Q&A component, feedback via email on your homework assignments, a resume review, and an option to add competitively-priced private coaching time with me in future (via Zoom or live) at any stage of your career. I also travel to various cities to meet as many of my students as I can. It's important to me to provide a high touch point with my students and alumni.

This is a fully online, comprehensive career training program with 50 hours of training, plus over 20 hours of bonus talks and interviews, and ongoing weekly live Q&As.

It's like having a go-to mentor from wherever you are in the world, and the training is recognized and respected by several North American union locals and UK agencies.

Although the impact of this program means saving months to years off your learning curve and helping you advance in the industry that much faster, the course fee is currently based on about 1 week of indie non-union work in the U.S., or about two days of pay on a U.S. union film set. It is an accessible rate for this level of training by someone with my experience as both a veteran script supervisor and a veteran teacher - quite possibly the most accessible rate in the English-speaking world at the moment for the value and track record of the program.

Besides training people brand new to the industry, I have trained alumni who came to me well into their careers - even beyond the 10-year range I suggest - or after completing BFAs, MFAs and even expensive vocational script supervision programs at notable schools who have all said they got something very different and significant out of my program that other schools did not teach them. That's likely because of my focus on the Director Whispering aspect of our role, in taking the time to ensure my alumni can actually troubleshoot coverage and understand and engage with the director's process effectively.

When you graduate, you not only receive a Certificate of Completion from a respected industry veteran, you get access to me for life in my alumni group, where you can ask ongoing questions and network with your fellow Director Whisperer community around the globe.

I am one of the rare instructors who trains you in both internationally-recognized systems of paperwork: US and UK, because in Canada we have to be fluent in both systems, and because I also want my alumni to be prepared to work internationally, as I have.

One of the things I love most about the program is the international community I have built that you can enter into once you have joined. Even though it is an online program and you can go at your own pace, those who participate in our weekly Facebook Group lives, Zoom calls and in-person meetups will definitely get added value from the network and connections made as a result. Several of my students have made friends for life, which I think is also important in this business.

There is no tax applicable outside of Canada, and for those who live in Canada, I will incorporate the taxes into the total (meaning, no additional fees will apply beyond the $1297 US or the $349 US x 4 payment plan or the new $197 US x 8 payment option).