Filmmaking / Directing

Ashley Renée Smith I only take the time during the day. I find it more comforting during that time.

Ashley Renée Smith asks, has living in Hawaii influenced your filmmaking or storytelling style in any noticeable way over the years?

I tell the stories untold in modern times of the Ascended Masters here with no limits. No fear. No writer's block. I think what they are thinking as they are thinking it via automatic writing. I ask anything, get immediate answers. No need to meditate first (I am always 'on' for channeling). Immense I.P. on tap!

I'll invite the A.M.s of the Pacific into this discussion for a quick note to answer, themselves. Let's see what they would wish to reply to the question of how any of us can equally access them, whether in Honolulu or anywhere else (especially bordering the Pacific), even without say my half a century of channeling experience. It is not that hard...

You have to approach us with respect, with a dignity that borders on reverence.

No one even thinks about us in anything.

We provide the Aloha to all without complaining.

Thank you, Ashley Renée Smith~ I know not everyone likes my style and that's perfectly fine; my voice is most authentic when my stories are about playing the hand you're dealt rather than winning against the world on your own terms. That's why Finding Elpis isn't a story about working your way up to massive success, it's about what you do when you succeeded WAY bigger than you thought possible. Why Lunar Window isn't about actively pursuing nunhood, it's about what you do when the perfect man finds you and will stop at next to nothing to win you over. Hell, it's also why Marisol and Mezzaluna isn't about suppressing yourself to act normal as it is about what you do if your imaginary friend is real and determined to emotionally return you to your younger self. And also why Glass Waltz isn't about moving on from a death or choosing new love so much as it's about how a love triangle will always be doomed and that's okay. I could go on but you get the picture lol

Basically I learned via soul-searching that my anxiety colours my style rather inseparably and as such total agency doesn't really exist for my characters; it's too open-ended and chaotic. It's much more natural to always have the world be bigger than the character, to throw them things they might not even really be able to overcome. It's also why I keep coming back to Christianity in particular, or more broadly higher powers, in my works; life is just more comforting as a believer rather than as an atheist and I happen to like that a lot. Even if to some people that's a huge cop-out :p

All this to say that my voice, my area of interest, isn’t about getting working towards a bigger goal for the sake of it; it’s about hypothetical “I got this thing that I may or may not have asked for, now how do I deal with it?” Because I daresay anyone can tell the former story but most won’t even entertain the latter so why not me? :)

I too work from home and most mornings, I walk along the local beach barefoot. My walk normally happens for about 45 minutes sometime between 6 am - 8 am. I find it a fantastic way to start and plan my day. I agree Ashley Renee Smith spending time in nature is a daily habit worth cultivating.

Ashley Renée Smith this is another good on I couldn’t wait to dive into but had to head out to work. What intentional changes have I made to challenge myself to grow creatively? For me it’s been:

Engaging in the Stage32 discussions you host or present a call to action too. Especially the 24hr QA forum engaging us with directors, producers, filmmakers etc.

During these threads I’m able to pick up gems of real world application of screenwriting and navigating the industry as an emerging scriptwriter.

Engagement is often a challenge for me because of my schedule and work/life balance but some how seem to make it work through my ambiversion.

Through thread engagement and introverted-style webinars I was able to address known and unknown challenges with loglines, structuring my pilot, and discovering brand identity.

The creative growth and the impact Stage32 l Netflix is creating was evident this week.

So I said all this to say being in the community is like a breath of fresh air given the “world” I currently reside in. It’s good to be apart of the network and I look forward to the journey that unfolds.

Brially-Michaël MÉfumes Welcome, Brially-Michaël this is a strong and clear creative identity.

I like how you combine thriller elements with character-driven storytelling, especially the idea that the real danger comes from within the characters themselves. That always adds depth and tension.

The mix of mystery and dark romance also sounds like a compelling space to explore, especially across different genres.

Curious—do you start more from character or from concept when building your stories?

Hi Abhijeet Aade ,

​In the majority of cases, I start with the concept and the worldbuilding. I love creating the 'rules' of a universe first.

​However, there are times when a specific character provides the spark. For instance, in one of my other projects, 'Le Seigneur des Âmes' (The Lord of Souls), the entire story grew out of a character inspiration.

​But generally, my foundation is definitely worldbuilding. I find that once the world is solid, the characters naturally find their place and their conflicts within it. How do you find the balance between a grand concept and personal character arcs in your own work?

Great to connect! What's your favorite thriller? Did a specific project inspire you to become a writer?

Hi Geoffroy Faugerolas

Thank you very much for the question. In fact, I don’t have a favorite thriller in the strict sense, because I’m fascinated by everything that falls under the thriller genre. Both in my own works and in those that already exist. To answer your question, I’ve been passionate about cinema since I was very young. I became a writer and started writing my own novels before moving into screenwriting. I have a deep passion for everything related to thriller, mystery, and suspense — including forbidden or toxic dark romance.

Brially-Michaël MÉfumes Hi,

That’s really interesting I like the idea of building the rules of the world first, especially how that naturally shapes conflict and character behavior.

For me, I tend to start more from the character side, but I’ve realized that the “world” still plays a crucial role, even in grounded stories. It might not be a constructed universe, but it’s the emotional and social environment the character exists in.

So the balance usually comes from letting the character drive the story, while making sure the world consistently challenges or reflects their internal state. That way, the external and internal journeys feel connected rather than separate.

I think when both are aligned, the story starts to feel more organic.

Would love to hear more about how you develop those rules in your worldbuilding process as well.

Working out what a script is saying is so key to unlocking its potential. The overriding theme should inform the journeys for all the characters somehow - whether in big or small, positive or negative ways, they should all have a relationship to that theme. That's what really lifts a script and takes it to the next level.

Christina Pickworth Absolutely, I agree with that.

I’ve been realizing how once the core theme becomes clear, it naturally starts shaping every character’s choices even in subtle ways. It almost acts like an invisible thread connecting everything.

That’s something I’ve been exploring more in my current project as well, especially making sure each character has their own relationship with that theme rather than just supporting the main arc.

Really appreciate you sharing that perspective.

Huneyn Ja'afri I get what you mean sometimes it feels like the chaos gives you something to react to, and when things go quiet, that external push disappears.

But I like what you said about those quiet moments being a space to reflect. I’ve found that’s often where the deeper layers start to reveal themselves not necessarily new ideas, but a clearer understanding of what’s already there.

And that shift you mentioned, where it leads you to something completely different, is interesting too almost like the process is guiding you somewhere unexpected.

Appreciate you sharing that.

Amanda Toney Thank you, I really appreciate that.

That’s interesting about music it can definitely unlock something different creatively. I’ve had moments where it shifts the emotional tone of a scene completely.

This week I’ve been focusing on refining my feature project Pie & Coffee, mainly working on emotional clarity and making sure the character choices feel honest and earned.

What kind of music usually sparks ideas for you?.

Joshua Young That’s a great way of putting it the “incubation effect” really captures that phase perfectly.

I agree, it’s interesting how much emphasis is placed on the initial draft, while this quieter stage is where the deeper work actually starts to take shape. It’s less visible, but probably more defining.

What you said about scripts being “correct” but not felt really resonates that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to move away from in my rewrites. Letting the material sit and then coming back to it almost as an audience does change how you see everything.

Appreciate you sharing that it’s a perspective that doesn’t get talked about enough.

Great question, Naveen. It's hard for projects to cut through the noise. Everyone's distracted. Audiences are tightening their belt. Free platforms like Tubi are rapidly growing. I don't think quality is an issue -- look at the success of vertical dramas. I think it's an issue of relevance.

Hello Geoffroy Faugerolas , Thanks for the response. I totally agree that vertical dramas are getting bigger and better these days. Also I just want to add one point here, i think there are no new stories around the globe maybe perspectives exists. If we show a regular story in a different perspective and scale, movies are working at some points. For that we need Screenplay skill and vision of the Director. We experienced it in few cases in India. I hope you understand my point here.

Mike Boas That’s a great point about keeping the original creator involved that usually helps preserve what made the concept work in the first place.

The transition from YouTube to a feature with A24 is really impressive too.

I don’t think it’s based on a true event though it feels more like it’s inspired by internet horror and liminal space concepts rather than real incidents.

Still, the atmosphere and execution in the trailer look very strong. Curious to see how they expand it into a full narrative.

So much hype but it's not really...scary? He found a big room and so what? Why does he keep going. Too many plot holes.

That is a good point, that the trailer itself isn’t scary. So I’m basing my excitement on the fact that the web series was scary and I have faith in the creator that it will deliver.

I don’t think you can judge the plot holes based on just a trailer. I will concede that it’s a challenging concept to stretch over 90 minutes. Sometimes a fantastical premise loses me, like in Snowpiercer. Sometimes I can forget about logic, like in Skinamarink.

Looks like it's going to be an exciting movie to me! I always love an eerie movie like this

Sam Rivera This is actually a really positive move, especially with people like Ryan Coogler and Brad Bird involved. When filmmakers at that level advocate for theatrical, it definitely carries weight.

I think it’s more than just symbolic if they push on things like theatrical windows and marketing, it can influence how studios and exhibitors approach releases.

At the same time, the challenge will be balancing theatrical with how audiences are actually watching content now.

But overall, it’s a good sign that the big-screen experience is still being actively protected.

Sam Rivera Theater attendance has dropped consistently over the last three decades because the experience is no longer relevant. Also, despite what consolidation in the cinema sector might be thought to indicate, analyzing the actual revenue numbers show they remain exceptionally profitable. Why try to save a paradigm that the audience doesn't care about any longer. They quote: "There is nothing like that feeling of sitting in a dark theatre, the sound washing over you, watching something unfold on a massive screen that you simply cannot replicate anywhere else...: while your feet stick to the gummy floor, the woman behind you won't get off her cell phone, the people in front keep shouting at the screen, the seat creaks, and you wonder why you got in your car and fought traffic across the city for the privilege of a poorly conceived big budget flick, to be charged $20 for 75 cents worth of sweet water and popcorn after you paid $30 for two tickets. Ah... the nostalgia.

I'm skeptical until I see real action being taken. The experience needs to be improved for customers.