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Screenwriter Lands Option Agreement From 'SHARKNADO' Writer Thunder Levin After Connecting On Stage 32

10th Short Film EB
Posted by Jon Tamburini

Before I turned 30, I decided to pursue acting.

In 2016, I joined acting classes and met people who would not only become my best friends but also huge inspirations for me. Some of them introduced me to the idea of writing my own script. I got into acting because of my love of old horror movies and wanted to pursue this impossible dream before starting a family.

Even before I started acting, however, I always had an idea - a personal passion project - stuck in my head that I knew, one day, I had to get out. All I had to do was figure out the best way to execute it.

Fast forward to 2020. COVID hits... The world shuts down... I decided NOW was the time to sit down and finally write my script and iron out this story I've wanted to tell for a decade. In late 2020, the DEAD HEAD HUNTER script was completed. After searching the web for ways how to pitch my script, I came across Stage 32 which gave me all the tools to not only fine-tune my script, but also the opportunities to pitch to industry insiders. It was a DREAM.

For the past 3 years, I have sent my script to various producers, story editors, and professional screenwriters, and have taken onboard all their feedback, which, to my surprise, was mostly positive.

Maybe my script has an actual shot? I thought. Now, it was all about getting it in front of the right people. I submitted a 10-page review to Thunder Levin in May of 2023. The writer of the SHARKNADO movies. Thunder replied with a GLOWING review and told me he read all the way to page 15 (or thereabouts) before he realized he was well past just those first 10 pages!

Screenwriter Lands Option Agreement From SHARKNADO Writer Thunder Levin After Connecting On Stage 32

This was nuts as I had NEVER written a screenplay in my life and learned to format over a series of YouTube videos! Two months later, I received an email from a Stage 32 moderator saying Thunder wanted to meet me. I was beside myself.

We met over Skype once he realized I lived in Scotland and not L.A. He was very interested in various elements of my story and believed the script had the potential to be something better than it was. I agreed. We connected over Skype and had amazing creative meetings, figuring out a new, better, more engaging approach for DEAD HEAD HUNTER.

After finally figuring out what the story was, Thunder suggested some rewrites. I couldn't wait. One month and many late nights of typing later, I resubmitted it to Thunder, and he loved it. I was overjoyed!

With DEAD HEAD HUNTER now the best version of itself, Thunder, who now shared my passion for the script, added his own touches and offered to option and shop it around to various production companies in Hollywood. We signed an agreement and now DEAD HEAD HUNTER is one step closer in the process to becoming a reality. .

Genuinely, never in my wildest dreams did I think any of this was possible, especially from a self-employed 30-something from a small town in Scotland with no screenwriting experience.

To all my fellow Stage 32 writers, as cliche as it sounds, the opportunities are out there! And Stage 32 makes it easier to find.

Pour no less than your heart and soul into your script, and eventually, the right people will share your passion for your work.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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