Land Your First Win: What You Can Learn From Other Stage 32 Success Stories

The Numbers Tell a Story

Out of 80+ success stories tracked:

• 25 writers signed with managers or agents
• 15 entered shopping agreements
• 4 secured options
• 15 attached producers or directors to their projects
• 20+ secured general meetings that led to their script being developed
• 4 got projects produced or released

But the most important number? Zero writers succeeded by accident.

Every single success story involved intention, follow-through, and, more often than not, patience.

Success Doesn't Happen in One Meeting

One of the biggest myths in screenwriting is that you need "one big break." The data tells a different story.

Joshua Keller Katz met producer Henry Hereford during a pitch session in 2023—pre-strikes. They stayed in touch for over a year before Henry came on board as a producer for Josh's screenplay LAST FLIGHT FROM KABUL. They're now revising the script before going out to talent.

Dempsey Gibson first pitched literary manager Rodrigo Moscoso at Zero Gravity Management in August 2024. He didn't get signed immediately. Instead, he stayed in touch, kept the relationship alive, and signed with Rodrigo in September 2025—over a year later.

Lesson: Success is rarely immediate. The writers who break through are the ones who stay visible, stay professional, and keep the door open even when the answer is "not yet."

Multiple Touchpoints = Higher Success Rate

Writers who had multiple interactions with executives—consultations, pitch sessions, script reads—were significantly more likely to land representation or attachments.

Ray Cho booked a 30-minute consultation with producer/exec Emmeline Yang Hankins, who read his medical TV drama script. They decided to work on it together and are now in development.

Mathew Tretola signed a shopping agreement with literary manager Tammy Hunt of Sandstone Artists after booking a consultation.

Robert Chimento signed with literary manager Evan Anglin at Zero Gravity Management after booking a consultation.

Lesson: Don't treat consultations as one-offs. If an exec likes your work, follow up. If they give you notes, implement them and circle back. If they say "not this one, but keep me posted," actually keep them posted.

Contests Work—But Only If You Use Them as Launchpads

Winning or placing in a contest doesn't automatically get you repped. But it does get you access, momentum, and credibility—and what you do with that matters.

Henry Sawyer-Foner reached the Finals of the 4th Annual Romantic Comedy Screenwriting Contest. His script MY BOYFRIEND'S A ROBOT impressed judge Nicholas Bogner, Literary Manager at Affirmative Entertainment. They met, and Nicholas signed him a month later.

Josh Miller, winner of the 7th Annual Sci-Fi Contest and finalist in the Period Piece Contest, signed with Tamer Ahsan of Zero Gravity Management after a Feature Script Read + 60-Minute Talk.

Len Uhley signed with Evan Anglin at Zero Gravity after a pitch session.

Former Stage 32 writer turned producer Brodrick Haygood met writer/director Richard Zelniker through a Stage 32 Rom-Com Contest. Brodrick was a judge, Richard won, they stayed in touch, and a few years later, Brodrick executive-produced and co-financed Richard's film THE VORTEX, which was released theatrically in February.

Lesson: Winning gets you in the room. What you do once you're there—how you follow up, how you take notes, how you stay in touch—is what determines whether the relationship goes anywhere.

Open Writing Assignments Are Rising

While pitch sessions and consultations get most of the attention, Open Writing Assignments (OWAs) quietly generated a significant number of general meetings and script requests.

Michael Carty requested general meetings with Sara Zofko, Thunder Levin, and Michael Deigh after reviewing OWA submissions.

Silvia Mathis requested general meetings with Iannis Aliferis, Cal Barnes, Vern Urich, Torino Von Jones, Melanie Lang, Peter Wisan, and Michael Mendershausen.

Windsor Yuan and Alexia Melocchi both requested general meetings with writers selected from OWAs.

Ai Ebashi signed a short contract with Little River Entertainment (Beach House's subsidiary) to write a marketing pilot and series treatment after being connected through an OWA. She's staying attached for further development once a buyer picks it up.

Mercedes Mason's script AVERSION was submitted for an Open Writing Assignment and ended up with director Kourosh Ahari attached to direct and produce.

Lesson: OWAs cannot be overlooked because they work. Execs are actively looking for specific material, and if your script fits the mandate, you're already halfway there.

Zero Gravity Management Is Actively Building Their Roster

If there's one agency that stood out in the data, it's Zero Gravity Management. They signed at least 5 writers through Stage 32 in the past year:

• Robert Chimento (consultation)
• Dempsey Gibson (pitch session → stayed in touch → signed a year later)
• Josh Miller (contest finalist → script read)
• Sam Tahhan (script read + 30-minute talk with Jack Geiger)
• Len Uhley (pitch session with Evan Anglin)

They also met with 5 writers from the Action/Thriller Contest and 3 finalists from the Animation Contest.

Lesson: Pay attention to which executives are actively looking. Zero Gravity isn't just taking meetings—they're building their roster. If your work aligns with their mandate, prioritize them.

Script Quality Still Matters (Obviously)

Every success story involved a script that an executive genuinely responded to. But here's the thing: great writing alone doesn't guarantee success. You also need:

• Strategic targeting (pitching to execs who work in your genre)
• Professional follow-through (responding promptly, implementing notes)
• Relationship maintenance (staying visible without being pushy)

Brian Edgar had a 30-minute script call with producer Patrick Raymond. Patrick liked his elevated thriller DARK SANDS and wanted to develop it. After some back and forth (Patrick was on set!), they ended up working together when their schedules aligned.

Lesson: Write the best script you can, but don't stop there. Learn who's looking for your type of material and put your work in front of them.

The Timeline Varies—And That's Normal

Some writers signed within weeks. Others took years. Both are valid paths.

Kevin & Kelly Tavolaro signed with two managers at Marathon Management after a single pitch session.

Joshua Keller Katz stayed in touch with producer Henry Hereford for over a year before officially partnering on LAST FLIGHT FROM KABUL.

Lesson: Don't panic if success doesn't happen immediately. Keep writing. Keep networking. Keep showing up. The timeline is different for everyone.

What This Means for You

If you want to replicate these success stories, here's what the data suggests:

1. Book consultations and pitch sessions strategically. Research the exec first. Make sure your material aligns with their mandate.
2. Follow up. If an exec requests your script, send it promptly. If they give notes, implement them and circle back. If they say "keep me posted," actually do it.
3. Don't ghost. Multiple success stories involved writers who stayed in touch for months or even years before signing. Persistence (without being annoying) pays off.
4. Use contests as access points. Winning matters, but what you do after winning matters more.
5. Submit to OWAs. They're one of the most underrated pathways to general meetings and script requests.
6. Pay attention to who's actively looking. Some executives are building their rosters right now. If your work fits their mandate, prioritize them.
7. Be patient—but stay active. Success takes time, but it also requires consistent effort. Keep writing. Keep submitting. Keep building relationships.

Your Success Story Could Be Next

80+ writers broke through, right here on Stage 32, in the past year. Some signed with top managers. Some entered development. Some got projects produced. All of them had one thing in common: they showed up, did the work, and didn't give up.

If you're ready to take the next step, check out which executives are currently taking meetings, reading scripts, and actively building their rosters. Your success story could be the next one we write about.

Not sure where to start? Email me and the team at success@stage32.com and we’ll help you.

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