alan shapiro studied at New york university film school where his junior year production  briefly...brian was chosen for best student film. it was shown at new york’s museum of modern art and on pbs, and helped him raise enough grant money to finance a second short, meeting halfway, later bought by showtime.  warner brothers provided the balance of a college scholarship and summertime apprenticeship under ken russell on paddy chayefsky’s altered states.

over the next few years he wrote stonybrook for warner bros., wrote & directed the award- winning tiger town for disney starring roy scheider, produced disney’s the blue yonder starring peter coyote and art carney, and penned the teleplay for nbc’s crossing the mob with jason bateman. shapiro wrote, produced and directed disney’s the christmas star with ed asner and fred gwynne, and soon thereafter caught the eye of francis coppola, who produced his writing & directing on fox’s pilot of s. e. hinton’s the outsiders.

shapiro wrote and directed the warner bros. feature the crush, which marked the film debut of his young discovery, alicia silverstone. then wrote and directed the universal pictures feature flipper starring elijah wood and paul hogan.

he has taught writing & directing at usc school of cinematic arts and is an active member of the dga and wga,