In 2007, Jason Dean Hall was named by Variety magazine as one of the “Top 10 Screenwriters to Watch.” After studying business, English, and cinema at USC, Hall tried his hand at acting until he realized it was screenwriting for which he had a true passion. His breakthrough script, Rodney on the Roq, followed the bizarre life of legendary Los Angeles deejay, Rodney Bingenheimer. A recent project he wrote for DreamWorks is a global-warming-themed superhero story about a firefighter, titled Burns. Hall discusses the discipline required to be a screenwriter and his real-life inspirations, as well as some insight into his new film Spread, starring Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche.