The wait is (nearly) over. AppleTV’s two-time Emmy-winner Severance is returning to our TV screens on January 17, 2025 – just over 1,000 days since the season 1 finale aired; yes, we did the math! Starring Adam Scott, the sci-fi thriller centers around the mysterious Lumon Industries, the… intriguing procedure that its employees undergo, and the double lives they lead as a result.
At Vancouver Film School, we love to see our alumni get hired onto these big, award-winning industry projects. That’s why today, we’re turning the spotlight on Film Production graduate Mohamad el Masri, just one example of a VFS alum working on Emmy-winning shows who has proven that the path to becoming a writer is rarely a straight line.
A successful screenwriter in L.A., Mohamad has written for October Faction, Here and Now, and Soulmates. He was even recognized on Tracking Board’s 2016 ‘Young & Hungry’ list as one of Hollywood’s top 100 new writers. This list highlights the most promising up-and-coming creatives who are driven to succeed in the entertainment industry.
VFS alum Mohamad el Masri is a Writer and Co-Executive Producer on season 2 of Severance. But how did Mohamad el Masri become a screenwriter? Prior to his success in entertainment, he worked multiple production jobs. Although these jobs weren’t writing positions, they gave him valuable experience in other areas of film production. With persistence, he was finally able to pen his way into the writer’s room.
We were fortunate enough to speak with Mohamad and gain insight into writing for dark sci-fi TV shows, what inspires his work, screenwriting career tips, and what it takes to write for an Emmy-winning series:
Looking at your past work, there seems to be a recurring dark/sci-fi theme. Do you specifically seek out these types of projects?
There’s very often no choice in the matter. Rare opportunities come along in an extremely competitive landscape, and I do my best to present my work and myself in a manner that results in being hired. The choice of tone or genre is rarely in my control, so my hope is to work with kind people, whose creative work and intent I admire and respect, and vise versa. I’ve worked very hard at not making a fool of myself by underestimating others, which has served me well.
How did you land your role on Severance?
The opportunity on Severance came after 21 years of countless, debilitating failures. But, I’m always on time and never miss a deadline.
How does it feel to have worked on an Emmy-winning series? Has it impacted your career at all?
I’m grateful to have worked on Severance and am proud of its success and recognition, but the work of being a writer continues apace, as it did before.
With a reported cost of $20 million per episode, season 2 of Severance is sure to be unforgettable.What inspires you as an artist?
What inspires me as an artist is blinding rage at the absolutely horrid state of the human condition.
How has your experience at VFS helped you achieve such an incredible career?
VFS showed me that there are no such things as geniuses, savants, or auteurs. No one is inevitable. There is only relentless work, deliberate choices, generous collaboration, endless curiosity, failing and learning—and the primacy of dignity and being kind. Everything else is noise.
Do you find other ways of channeling your creativity outside of the writer’s room?
I jog fifteen kilometers a day in an impossible attempt to escape the scourge of existence, read many books to numb the pain, stress eat to feel again, kvetch with my friends about the dying of the light whilst waiting for the coming of the asteroid, and watch unhealthy amounts of sports talk media and football. Existentially speaking, the latter two are admittedly preposterous, but I find the bright primary colours of professional sports indelibly soothing—so I partake voluminously, with vigor and joy. These are the most creative things I do outside of writing.
We enjoyed Mohamad’s commentary about the state of the world today (especially using words like “kvetch”) and his ability to take each obstacle as an opportunity to learn, never taking his writing career for granted. We encourage all aspiring creatives to view challenges as opportunities and push yourself to learn from anything and everything. As with breaking into the writer’s room for television – you never know what’s going to happen in the next episode.
Looking to train as a filmmaker and be a part of the production team on popular series on Netflix, AppleTV, Amazon, and more? Explore VFS’s Film Production program and apply today! And, if you want to learn more about Mohamad’s role on Severance, read his other interviews with Indiewire and Winter is Coming to go further behind the scenes of Severance season 2.
FAQ
1. Who is Mohamad el Masri?
Mohamad el Masri is a Vancouver Film School Writing for Film, Television & Games alum and the Co-Executive Producer of Severance Season 2.
2. What is Severance about?
Severance is an Emmy-winning series on AppleTV. A sci-fi thriller, it explores the ethical and psychological impact of separating employees' personal and work memories.
3. How did Mohamad el Masri get involved with Severance?
Through his training at Vancouver Film School, years of persistence, and building up his CV through industry experience, he earned his role as a Writer and Co-Executive Producer for Season 2.