Introduce Yourself : Happy IYW :) What movie or television show motivated you to pursue a career in the film industry? by Sandra Isabel Correia

Sandra Isabel Correia

Happy IYW :) What movie or television show motivated you to pursue a career in the film industry?

Hi IYW,

My name is Sandra, and I am a screenwriter and executive producer from Portugal.

I love this Stage 32 weekend because it allows us to network, get to know new people, and change ideas.

I am curious to know if there is a movie or TV show that motivated you to begin to write, to produce, or to direct.

I was born in a theatre owned by my father, and in those times, I saw Bud Spencer, Terence Hill, and the unique Bruce Lee. I grew up and began a business career as a global entrepreneur. But my passion for filmmaking was there.

In 2022, I saw KILLING EVE with Jodie Comer and Jodie Comer, very well written by Phoebe Mary Waller-Bridge, and I fell in love. The inspiration was so big that two years later, I began to write my first screenplay, and one year later, I am here also as Stage 32 lounge moderator.

I love thrillers, sci-fi, romance, and fantasy, and I wrote a Romantasy feature, and I am really proud of it!

Please share with me. What movie or TV show inspired you for your career?

Meanwhile, have fun this weekend and don’t be an introvert. :)

Leonardo Ramirez

Hello my dear friend Sandra Isabel Correia - I LOVE your bio! What a joy that must have been to be introduced to theater at such a young age. I remember when I was a child and my father took me to Radio City Music Hall - I think that was my first introduction to theater/movies. But as far as what influenced me - wow, there are so many. Pretty much anything science fiction - Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Empire Strikes Back, Back to the Future, The Last Starfighter and lot of animation - The Iron Giant, Titan A.E. Starblazers and many others - can you tell I'm an 80s kid?

Maurice Vaughan

Happy IYW, Sandra Isabel Correia! Hope you had a great week! HARRIET THE SPY made me want to become a writer when I was a kid, but OFFICE SPACE motivated me to start writing scripts. I found part of the OFFICE SPACE script online in high school, and I liked the way it was written. Screenwriting is the most unique writing medium in my opinion.

Sandra Isabel Correia

My sweet friend Leonardo Ramirez, they are good memories. It was a joy! Did you know that at the age of 10, I helped my father by welcoming customers to the cinema? Armed with a flashlight, I took the ticket and drove to their location to watch the film. I remember watching the film's catalog and choosing with my father the movies he would buy to showcase in the cinema. Oh, Radio City Music Hall, what a wonderful memory you have. I love the same as you, Scfi, and the first Star Wars ( Princess Leila, Han Solo and of course Luke Skywalker) I was in my youth, we are 80s kids :)) I wish you an amazing weekend my friend and tasty cooking :))

Sandra Isabel Correia

Happy IYW my good friend Maurice Vaughan :) Thank you! I went to Google because I didn't know both of them, and it's curious that you have been creative all of your life. Since childhood with Harried the Spy and as an adult with Office Space. I love that! Explain to me when you say, "Screenwriting is the most unique writing medium, in my opinion." What do you mean with writing medium? Because the word medium for me is the ability to communicate with the ethereal. Is that what you mean?

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Sandra Isabel Correia. Writing mediums as in what you write (scripts, books, comics, etc.). I think screenwriting is the most unique writing medium because screenwriters can write one-word sentences, write weird, format scripts how they want, add emojis in scripts, etc.

Leonardo Ramirez

What a beautiful story Sandra Isabel Correia and memories of your father. I love that. Wishing you an amazing weekend, my friend.

Geoff Hall

Sandra Isabel Correia ah, the Jodie Comer connection! She is such a talent. Here's wishing for good things with Soul Mated! Have a great weekend.

Sandra Isabel Correia

Maurice Vaughan thanks for sharing the meaning, it’s a different one in Portuguese language :)) Yes, I agree with you and have the same opinion:)) Gives us freedom!

Sandra Isabel Correia

Thank you my beautiful friend Leonardo Ramirez :)) You too and always smiling:))

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Sandra Isabel Correia. Yes, screenwriting gives us freedom! That's why I like to make suggestions when I give notes on people's scripts instead of telling them they HAVE TO do something.

Sandra Isabel Correia

Geoff Hall Yeah! That’s why :)) She has a unique talent and we go to see much more about her in 2025 new movies! Thank you my sweet friend, dreams come true and who knows if she will be one of A list star for Soul Mated :)) I dream :D Have an amazing weekend and a big hug for your soul mate :))

Sandra Isabel Correia

Maurice Vaughan thats what we call in the business field, a real mentor. A mentor gives you suggestions and guidance based on his business experiences and is what you do!

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh

HI Sandra Isabel Correia~ I think the TV show that made me want to get into screenwriting was Mad Men. I can of course appreciate that I don't have the life experience to make anything in that vein but nonetheless it makes me want to create something that'll make a lasting impression that only I can write :)

Sandra Isabel Correia

Happy IYW Banafsheh Esmailzadeh that is the magic of screenwriting. I also don’t have the ability to write as Phoebe did for Killing Eve, but I did my best and I am proud of it! Who knows if one day you will have that life experience and I have Phoebe’s ability! For me, the journey is amazing and joyful ate the same time :))

Francisco Castro

MIAMI VICE. It was the very first spec script I wrote... and it was TERRIBLE.

Sandra Isabel Correia

Francisco Castro the first one is always terrible :))) I remember MIAMI VICE, it was a great show!

Ashley Renee Smith

Happy Introduce Yourself Weekend, Sandra Isabel Correia! Great question! For me, my television obsession originated with Buffy The Vampire Slayer. To say that I was obsessed as a kid, would be an understatement. I started watching the show at 4 years old. I never missed an episode week to week. I collected all of the DVD boxsets, had books, and listened to the Once More With Feeling soundtrack so many times that I destroyed the CD. My parents would often ground me by taking away my Buffy DVDs when I got in trouble, although sometimes they would take whatever book I was reading at the time because they knew it would drive me crazy not to be able to finish it right away. And once when I was about 9, I embarrassingly performed two different songs from Buffy's Once More With Feeling episode at a summer camp talent show. I am NOT a good singer. It's a memory that haunts me to this day.

Sandra Isabel Correia

Ashley Renee Smith Oh! That’s such a good memory! You see, since your childhood you were inspired by Fantasy, and now I am curious about the genre of your first penned book :)) I remember Buffy the Vampire, I love Vampire movies :)) Like a wise, I am not a good singer, and when I was in my youth in the church, the priest doesn’t allow me to sing, only if I do playback ahahahah

Ashley Renee Smith

Hahaha! My book is a fantasy, Sandra Isabel Correia. =)

Sandra Isabel Correia

Ahahahah Ashley Renee Smith so I am aligned with you LOL :))

Anthony Moore

"Sharknado". - If someone could get this made, then I can get something I write made.

Danny J

Hey Sandra! It's nice to read about what inspired you. I live in Portugal too, but I am from France. I write and also direct.

The movies and tv shows that inspired me are: Cloud Atlas, Matrix, The Sixth Sense, The Witch, or The Haunting of Hill House, I'm mainly into horror, sci-fi or genre. I watched a bunch of martial art movie since family members were fans of Bruce Lee too! I recently watched the remake of Nosferaptu, and woowww! Robert Eaggers is really doing a good job brining back Gothic to the big screen.

Have a nice week :)

Danny J

OH! How could forget to cite THE Stephen King as my main inspiration for everything ahah

Sandra Isabel Correia

Danny J so nice to meet you and welcome to my country:)) I love sci fi and fantasy :) I saw Cloud Atlas two times and I love how parallel worlds interact in the film, Matrix, The Sixth Sense is a masterpiece and The Witch, I love it! Bruce Lee is a legend! Thank you for sharing Danny!

Sandra Isabel Correia

Oh Matthew Kelcourse I love your story! I wrote my first book when I was 14 in a old typewriter from my grandfather. Only for fun! You are an adventurous soul, Indiana Jones inspired:)) Thank you for sharing :) Have an amazing week :))

Sam Sokolow

Hey Sandra Isabel Correia - hope you're great my friend! It's been a lifelong love affair for me. As a latchkey kid in NYC, movies were my babysitter and imaginary friend. But the one film that turned the dreamer into a doer and set me on my path was WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT. I walked into the theater a movie buff and out of that theatre needing to be a part of making movies - I was in complete wonder of what I had witnessed and, even more, that people had made it. Somehow. But they did. It's all I ever wanted to do since those lights came up.

Sandra Isabel Correia

Hi, my friend Sam Sokolow, it's so good to have you here sharing with us! I am good, and I hope you are too. :) I love that "movies were my babysitter and imaginary friend" and WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, your big love and inspiration. Its amazing how some masterpieces can enlighten our true love and inspire us in our journey. When I saw "Jessica" with her red dress, I never forgot, and at my university graduation, I used one like Jessica Rabbit: ))) Happy you followed your wonder and heart. Thanks for sharing my friend!

Bobby G

Tv shows like it's always sunny in Philadelphia and trailer park boys along with movies like Goodfellas and Saving private Ryan gotta be what motivated me to start writing.

Laura Donaldson

Hey! It's so interesting reading everyone's answers. For me, it was Breaking BAD... although, I could see that was a lofty goal to start writing after watching that... it wasn't until I saw THE Affair that I thought I could write a screenplay. A consultant got me thinking about features and shorts :)

Sandra Isabel Correia

I like what inspired you to write Bobby G thank you for sharing :))

Sandra Isabel Correia

Hey Laura Donaldson it’s really interesting to read what inspired each one of us to write and we can see that they are all different:)) Breaking Bad was your awakening and The Affair your real affair to begin to write :)) Thank you for sharing :))

Christopher Wells

Tales from the Dark Side. That got me really into wanting to learn more about writing.

Sandra Isabel Correia

That’s interesting Christopher Wells and you write Horror genre?

Other topics in Introduce Yourself:

register for stage 32 Register / Log In