[1] Sautter started his professional life as an urban planner for local government before pursuing a career as a writer.
Cognisant of the difficulties other writers have in breaking into the entertainment industry, Sautter shared his knowledge as an instructor at screenwriting workshops, including Selling to Hollywood, the New Writers Awards (sponsored by NBC), the Hawaii International Film Festival, and more.
Sautter's last major project was as writer and story advisor for the 1993 Italian television series Lucky Luke, based on a French comic book character.
The series featured a largely American cast but was never broadcast in the United States.
In the mid-1990s, the Scriptwriter's Network created the Carl Sautter Memorial Screenwriting Competition as well as the Producer's Outreach Program for Television.