Stage 32 Success Story: Zero To Zealful In Under Six Months!

Last year, I snagged a 2nd Rounder badge at the Austin Film Festival with my script Kira and Henry and sat in on a roundtable led by Larry Postel, a non-represented screenwriter living in Dallas. Larry’s story is unique in that he has managed to have four original spec screenplays purchased, produced, and released since 2020. Larry told us his secret; he sent out query emails after doing lots of research on who would be a good producer for his scripts. He didn't have a manager and I had thought that was the way to go. I started sending out ten queries a day for months and how many responses did I get? Zero.

But I have a manager today thanks to Stage 32 and in a very short time, she has had over twenty requests for my scripts from producers and directors. She also included three of my best scripts in her Lookbook while she was recently at Cannes and she will be taking a few to The American Film Market in November. Best yet, I now have a script in production and another one optioned. So, how did I get from zero to zealful in under six months?

Here are the steps that I used to find a manager through Stage 32...

Write A Variety Of 2-3 Perfect Scripts

If you're starting your screenwriting career or merely stuck, learn how to write a winning and marketable script. Try to write a variety of genres; I have a thriller, fantasy, family drama, comedy, sci-fi, rom-com, and even a Hallmark Christmas script. I also write TV pilots. I graduated long ago from UCLA's advanced screenwriting program but couldn't work on my screenwriting career due to other financial commitments. While working "hard for the money," I wrote over a dozen scripts in hotel rooms and on airplanes. Some placed in Nicholl Fellowships and the Austin Film Festival, but they were far from "perfect." After selling my software company two years ago, I was free to write all day, and I applied to various diversity fellowships and won the Native American Media Alliance Fellowship last year, where I got instruction and feedback from my fellow cohorts. If you are not eligible for a diversity fellowship, there are hundreds of webinars, labs, and classes right here on Stage 32.

Like me, you might think your scripts are "good enough," but they are probably not, and you probably need one of three things: better plot structure, character development, or snappier dialog. To find out which (or all three) you need honest feedback.

Get Coverage, Feedback, & Enter Contests

Feedback is where Stage 32 excels. There is always a contest going on - I have one entered in the latest Stage 32 TV Drama, and there are two that I'm considering with my June "mad money." I use Coverfly to enter contests and track my submissions, but you can also enter directly on the Stage 32 website and order your coverage. I'm a contest junky, but it has paid off; one of my scripts is in the top 3% on Coverfly, and five of them are in the top 20%. This part of your four-stage plan is hard. You are going to waste a lot of money, get lots of rejection, and almost drown in criticism - but you need this.

Use those notes to get better! Whatever the dreaded contest reader is saying about your script is not any different than what the reader at a production or management company will say. It is rare to have the actual Manager, Agent, or Producer read your script. Getting past the reader is key. After I signed with my manager, we started the process of sending my scripts to a professional reader. I now have three that have scored a 9+ "Recommend" and another six that are a 7+ "Consider," and just to test this reader - yup, I have a devastating "Pass" that I've been rewriting and rewriting. Thank goodness that script has not gone out - because you only get one chance.

Learn How To Pitch & Design Pitch Decks

I took a class and learned how to do a verbal and written pitch. You need both. I'm a former stutterer, so verbal pitches are painful for me, but I make up for it by being prepared and using a large computer screen and pitch deck. For my written pitch, I used the Star Wars example available through Stage 32 and started a process of getting over fifty evaluations from the producers, managers, and agents through Stage 32's Pitch Sessions. I think at $35 - this is a bargain. Each "Pass" taught me something, although the constant rejection was horrible.

I did a verbal pitch at Austin Film Festival and got applause and it didn't kill me. I survived. I have 2 to 3 pitches that I can do without my pitch deck, but all of my scripts on my website have a pitch deck included. If you search "pitch deck" on Stage 32 - there are lots of links that can get you through this stage. It helps to have your written pitch done first, get feedback on that, then rewrite your script. Then, you're ready for the icing on the cake, which is your pitch deck.

If you're a Stage 32 Writer's Room member, you can also participate in their Wednesday Webcasts Pitch Tanks or their Thursday Night Pitch Practices over Zoom!

Be a Good Client For Your Manager

After one of the managers on Stage 32 finally gives you a "Request," reads your script, and then signs you – be careful what you wish for.

Now, the real work begins, and be ready to spend some money to catch up to where you want to be quickly. On my website, there is a link to each of my pitch decks and I thought I had some wonderful pitch decks on my YouTube channel. But in truth, they were terrible. Hopefully, I'll get those videos updated soon, as I've learned so much about how to improve them in a short amount of time.

First, as mentioned above, you should take a class on Stage 32 on the right way to create these! My problem was that I was a quart low on artistic talent, so my manager suggested that I use Better Earth Productions. My average cost was about $150 for each, but my pitch decks were already created, and the magical Annalisa only had to take the information that I'd put together and make them stand out visually. She also did my posters for my manager's Lookbook for Cannes, along with the ones on my IMDB page.

I'm a good client (my manager tells me so)! I send my manager an update every Monday that recaps the writing and pitching that I'm doing. Pitching? Seriously? Yes, I still pitch my scripts to producers as often as I can because I don't expect to sit back and wait for my manager to sell all my scripts on her own. The odds are greater if we're both doing that. I have four more scripts that need coverage, so I'm rewriting them and my Native American cohorts have formed a workshop for the summer, to review each other's work. I'm also writing another Christmas movie. But the key is to always be writing.

Here is the feedback I got from one of my pitches on Stage 32:

"Sandi's pitch for BLOOD MOON WOLF is really great! I love how it's formatted, that it's (mostly) clear and concise, and that it gives all the pertinent information like tone, comps, etc. Well done! The concept for the script sounds fun and reminds me of ENCINO MAN, but with a modern Twilight, Native American twist. My main hesitation is that sci-fi/fantasy ideas like this are great, but the distributors are almost exclusively looking for IP in this space these days. They are all so risk-averse, so they are prioritizing properties with established fanbases. I hope the market changes soon and original projects like this become more viable, but I wonder if Sandi's ever thought about trying to write this as a book? Could be a good way to build the IP- Producer (Paramount +)"

Today, I'm writing my script Blood Moon Wolf into a YA novel based on this producer's "Pass" notes. I take every suggestion seriously. You have to keep writing, learning, entering contests, and pitching to be a good client for your manager. You might think you've taken residence on Easy Street once you've been signed, but that is when the real work begins – so be prepared! It will be worth it. Try registering for a Stage 32 Pitch Session HERE today and get started on the road to zealful.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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