While still an undergraduate at Occidental College in 1975, Scott interviewed Clarence Carnes, an inmate who had done time on Alcatraz and was known to be the youngest inmate in the Federal prison. The interview resulted in documentary aired later on PBS. In 1980s, Scott began to work with Dave Bell Associates production company, where he produced
HBO's "Decoys", a documentary about undercover police officers in New York City. Scott made his directorial and writing debut with 1983's ''One Man's Fight for Life'' – a story about a school teacher struggling with lung cancer.
The Soul Collector (1999) Scott's first Hallmark Hall of Fame fantasy is a romantic drama about an angel (Bruce Greenwood) who chooses life on Earth. Broadcast on
CBS on 24 October 1999, the film placed in the weekly Nielsen top ten. Lead actress
Hilary Duff received the Young Artist Award for Best Supporting Young Actress the following spring.
Cedar Cove (2013–2015) Scott directed the two-hour pilot and served as producing director on all three seasons of
Cedar Cove, Hallmark Channel's first original scripted series based on Debbie Macomber's movels. The series follows a story of Olivia Lockhart (played by
Andie MacDowell), a Municipal Court judge in a quiet town in the
Puget Sound.
Run for Your Life (2014) In 2014, Scott directed
Run for Your Life for
Lifetime. The film is based on Katherine Kotaw's memoir
Quicksand, which tells the story of Meredith (portrayed by
Amy Smart), a woman who escapes from her abusive husband by fleeing Canada. She relocates to Seattle, but her former husband, who has since remarried, eventually tracks her down.
Dangerous Lies (2020) In 2020, Scott directed
Dangerous Lies, starring
Camila Mendes and
Jessie T. Usher. In October of the same year, the film was nominated for
People's Choice Awards in the
drama movie category. Scott's long term relationship with writer David Golden resulted in the spec thriller being picked up as a Netflix Original. In 2021, the film won the Non-Theatrical Feature Cinematography award at the
Canadian Society of Cinematographers Awards.
Christmas Comes Twice (2020) In December 2020, Scott returned to the Hallmark Channel to direct the time-travel holiday film
Christmas Comes Twice, starring
Tamera Mowry and Michael Xavier, which premiered as part of the network's "Countdown to Christmas" programming. The following year he directed
Gingerbread Miracle, another Hallmark Christmas-themed film starring
Merritt Patterson and
Jon Ecker.
If I Run (2025) In 2025, Scott directed an adaptation of
Terri Blackstock's 2016 book
If I Run for
Lifetime Network starring
Kat Graham. ==Michael Scott vs CIA==