Screenwriter Lands Representation with A-List Management Company through Stage 32!

I once had a successful mentor say to me, "You're not a writer". For a while, I stayed in my directing lane, believing those words for years at a time, but eventually, that voice faded away. Having been in denial when it comes to calling myself a "writer", I never felt an epiphany urging me to share my story. I just have my own quiet, little voice, and I know this voice all too well that it bores me.

I realized through each medium, whether it was writing love letters in grade school, poems in high school, lyrics in college, the practice of 600+ morning pages using methods from The Artist's Way, six feature screenplays, writing and directing dozens of short films, music videos, film races, and written and directed some 300 commercials for Fortune 500 companies that I've always been a writer and will always be a writer.

In the last few years, I've grown an appreciation for my voice because it won't let me imitate, plagiarize, or lie. It's stubborn but it's me, and it's the only voice I've got. I committed to screenwriting full-time. It's a lot of quiet, inner solitude, and forcing myself to stay focused, but the delayed gratification appears when completing a project, winning a competition, and getting a manager.

How I came to be on Stage 32

I sold my commercial production company in Seattle, sold our house, and uprooted my wife and kids to LA to start anew at 36 years old. Then Covid hit. Networking in person became obsolete. My vision board would be better served as a giant paper airplane. My screenplay Flight Plans qualified in the top 2% on Coverfly and won numerous awards, including a shortlist at the Austin Film Festival. I felt like none of this was helping, but was at the very least validating and kept my spirits up.

I was writing every day, hiking, mountain biking, and directing commercials on zoom calls. I kept hearing utterances of Stage 32 from industry peers, so I made a profile and started exploring. 

Screenwriter Keith Rivers lands representation through Stage 32!

How I Connected with the A-List Management Company

I needed time to build trust with Stage 32's platform, and that meant not doing anything on it. Finally, I bit the bullet and purchased half a dozen 10-minute pitches and a couple of 60-minute talks, one with a manager, Josh Marks, who liked my screenplay, and instantly we gelled, talked strategy, and set goals.

We immediately got to work on our first project and I've been grateful to see doors open week after week. This slight momentum shift has caused me to work even harder.

Advice for Fellow Screenwriters on Stage 32

Skip the pep-talk with your ego and take the plunge into the platforms and others like it. If you aren't going to, then someone else will gladly take your conversation with an executive.

Don't worry about being ready or over-prepared, just speak from your heart and with gratitude. If they don't like your material, take what you can and keep working on it.

Don't abandon or shun away new ideas. Eventually, the right executive, manager, or producer will see what you see, so keep turning over rocks and don't beat yourself up if you don't find anything.

Lastly, don't doubt yourself as a writer, ever. It's a severe waste of time.

About Keith Rivers

Keith Rivers grew up in North Bend, Washington is largely known for David Lynches’ iconic film, Twin Peaks. Rivers is an award-winning director with a passion for uniting captivating visuals and anthem-driven narratives in his work across numerous genres. His innate curiosity and inclination toward adrenaline have inspired a diverse body of work, working with top clients such as Microsoft, Amazon, Delta Airlines, Mazda, Hyundai, Porsche, Alaska Airlines, McDonald's, Chevrolet, and Taco Bell.

Popularized through Microsoft, Rivers entrepreneurial spirit led him to inadvertently start production company Workhouse Creative, Inc. in Seattle, representing directors and running a post-production arm called St. George Post before selling to Wild Gravity, LLC in 2018.

Rivers has written and directed several global ad campaigns including one for Internet Explorer 9, where a music synchronization deal for Alex Clare begot him triple-platinum record sales and a BRIT award. Rivers also created the instantly viral Surface commercial for Microsoft, which received 9 million views and won a Gold ADDY award.

Rivers donated his time working with the non-profit organization World Vision in area development projects out of Zambia, Bangladesh, Amazon River, and Senegal, where he documented humanitarian missions around growing education, children, and culture.

As a hobby, Rivers is a singer and songwriter, with four completed music albums. He is currently in development on several films.

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