Screenwriter | Story Consultant
Scott Barkan is a versatile storyteller with a unique journey from acclaimed musician and songwriter to screenwriter and sought-after script consultant. Drawing on over two decades of creative experience, he brings a rhythmic sensibility and innovative approach to narrative structure in film, television, and audio content. His diverse portfolio spans horror, thriller, crime drama, and action genres, with recent forays into romance and fantasy for digital platforms.
As a produced screenwriter with multiple sales and options, Barkan combines industry insight with academic expertise. He currently shares his knowledge as a screenwriting instructor for Script Anatomy, a judge for the international PAGE Screenwriting Awards, and a professor at Rowan University.
Barkan is a member of the WGAW and is repped by CAA and Mainstay Entertainment. He also shreds on guitar.
Contact: scottbarkan@gmail.com
PRODUCED FILMS
"I’m Just F*cking With You"
LOGLINE:
During their stay at a secluded motel, a pair of siblings are subjected to a night of increasingly frightening practical jokes by a prankster bartender who may or may not be a psychopath.
Medium: Feature FilmMy Role: ScreenwriterGenre: Psychological Thriller/Horror/ComedyProduction Company: BlumhouseDistributor: Hulu
Director: Adam MasonBudget: $1.2M
Starring: Hayes MacArthur, Jessica McNamee, Keir O'DonnellWorld Premiere: SXSW, March 2019
Status: Released - April 1st, 2019, HuluAwards: Narrative Spotlight Selection, SXSW 2019
"Edge of Fear"
LOGLINE:
After being stabbed in the heart by ruthless home invaders, a man is left for dead. Now weak, outnumbered, and knife sticking from his chest, he attempts to do the impossible: save his wife from these murderers before he bleeds to death.
Medium: Feature Film
My Role: Screenwriter
Genre: Action/Thriller
Production Company: Parkside Pictures/Hollywood Media Bridge/Rosat Entertainment
Distributor: Netflix
Budget: $5M
Director: Bobby Roth
Starring: Robert Patrick, Robert Knepper, Rockmond Dunbar, Lin Shen, Zhu Zhu
Status: Released - August 2018, Netflix
IN DEVELOPMENT
"The Sun Always Sets in the West"
LOGLINE:
In the last days of the old west, a vampire must defend his ranch - from sunrise to sunset - against ruthless outlaws who have come to claim his adopted human daughter.
Medium: Feature Film
My Role: Screenwriter
Genre: Western/Supernatural
Studio: Lionsgate
Budget: Est. $25M
Status: In Development
“Sunken City”
LOGLINE:
25 years after his high school sweetheart's unsolved murder, new evidence reignites a failed musician's vengeful obsession with the case, putting him on a collision course with his estranged former bandmates — a gambling addict and the detective assigned to a related slaying in their insular harbor town.
Medium: Feature Film
My Role: Screenwriter
Genre: Crime/Drama
Status: Available
PRODUCED AUDIO SERIES
"The Conjurers"
LOGLINE:
When the impoverished scion of a fallen magical family discovers a talisman that will supercharge his training, he vows to use his newfound power to redeem his family name.
Medium: Audio Series
Adapted from: “Martial Universe” (Chinese Web Novel)
My Role: Senior Writer and Showrunner through first 100 episodes
Genre: Fantasy
Production Company: Pocket FM
Status: Ongoing Series on Pocket FM with 2.1 Million plays and counting
"Reincarnated with the Strongest System"
PREMISE:
Reborn into a world of magic, William is ready to live his new life to the fullest! Armed with a sassy goat sidekick and a unique God-given system to level up his life, William is determined to make the most of his second chance. But the path to power is paved with hilarious mishaps, from leading a herd of warrior goats into battle to navigating the whims of Gods and Goddesses. Accompanied by an eccentric cast of friends and foes, Willaim’s second shot at life is a wild ride filled with comedy, adventure, and plenty of heart, as William learns what it means to lead a well-lived life.
Medium: Audio Series
Adapted from: Webnovel of the same name
My Role: Senior Writer and Showrunner through first 200 episodes
Genre: Fantasy
Production Company: Pocket FM
Status: Ongoing Series on Pocket FM with 1.7 Million plays and counting
UNPRODUCED AUDIO SERIES
“Reborn to Kill”
PREMISE:
Betrayed and murdered by someone within his own crew, ruthless New York mob enforcer Bobby Maguire shockingly awakens from the dead in the scrawny body of a nerdy Long Island teenager. Thrust into an alien world of pimple cream and prom dates, Bobby scrambles to uncover the supernatural forces behind his reincarnation while tracking down the traitors who stole his life. But his vengeful mission unravels when he finds himself drawn to something he never had in his old life: Family. Will Bobby embrace this second chance at life? Or will his violent instincts destroy his fresh start and all those he has come to love?
Medium: Audio Series
Adapted from: “God of Blackfield” (Korean Web Novel)
My Role: Creator, Senior Writer and Showrunner through first 180 episodes
Genre: Action/Sci-Fi/YA
Production Company: Pocket FM
Status: Unproduced due to Licensing issues
“The Boys and Girls School for Criminal Enterprise”
PREMISE:
Running a criminal empire can be tough. From learning how to cook the books and negotiate with fierce rivals, to putting down turncoats and bribing law enforcement officials, a mafia don's job is never done. Which is why the shadowy bosses from across the globe have joined forces to create an elite institution - the Boys and Girls School for Criminal Enterprise. A secret academy tucked away in a remote location, where the scions of each major outfit - the Yakuza, the Bratva, the Cosa Nostra, the Triads, and more - are molded into the next generation of ruthless overlords.
Within these hallowed halls, backstabbing betrayals and bitter vendettas are as common as the classes on racketeering and assassination tradecraft. For Luca Andretti, heir to the Detroit Andretti family, his biggest distraction isn't the torture lectures or money laundering workshops. It's the bewitching Katarina Zhukova, daughter of a formidable Russian boss. Her icy beauty and effortless cruelty has Luca wrestling with the ultimate liability - desire. Falling for the competition could mean all-out war between families. Luca knows making a move could be monumentally stupid...or the starting play in Luca’s masterplan to take down his family’s rivals from the inside.
Medium: Audio Series
My Role: Writer/Creator
Genre: Action/Sci-Fi/YA/Romance
Production Company: Pocket FM
Status: Unproduced Pilot
“The Kingpin’s Contract Queen”
PREMISE:
Marilyn Lightwood returns to New York after a year of exile, only to find her crime family on the brink of ruin. The solution? An arranged marriage to Killian King, the dangerously attractive heir to their rival dynasty.
Thrust into an unwanted engagement, Marilyn must navigate treacherous family politics, old vendettas, and her conflicted feelings for the infuriating Killian. As her wedding day looms, she realizes she'll need all her wit and determination to take control of her destiny.
In a world where love and violence walk hand in hand, Marilyn sets out to outsmart both families and carve her own path in the criminal underworld. Will she succumb to others' machinations, or can she turn the tables and find both revenge and unexpected romance?
This gripping tale proves that even in high-stakes power plays, one woman's will can change the game - and her heart might just follow suit.
Medium: Audio Series
Adapted from: “Mr Arrogant’s Contract Wife” (English Webnovel)
My Role: Writer/Creator
Genre: Mafia Romance
Production Company: Pocket FM
Status: Unproduced Pilot