Screenwriting

From structure to content to representation to industry trends, this is the place to discuss, share content and offer tips and advice on the craft and business of screenwriting

Meet the Stage 32 Success Team! We're here to help you with your craft & career!

Email us at success@stage32.com

For over 12 years Stage 32 has been committed to helping screenwriters at every stage of the process and have helped launched thousands of careers! Our Stage 32 Team is made up of members who actively are working in the entertainment industry! All you have to do is shoot us an email at success@stage32.com and we can help you navigate your career no matter what stage you are at!

Whether you are brand new to writing and trying to hone your craft, to a mid-point where you're starting to get some traction and recognition in contests but wanting to take the next step, or if you are a paid professional in screenwriting, we are here to help you. We talk all day every day with executives in the business and help matchmake creators with film & TV makers and we absolutely love it!

Our Stage 32 team is the best in the industry. Our CEO produced the creator of EUPHORIA Sam Levinson's Sundance winning film and has sold feature film screenplays and an original TV series to a mini major studio which has an Apple Showrunner attached. Our Executive Liaison Nick Phillips is a producer and started his career as a studio executive at SONY and Miramax. He just had BARRON'S COVE come out from Mandalay and REVERSE THE CURSE with David Duchovney. Our Managing Director is a producer who just sold a TV show to USA. I ran development for ImageNation and developed FLIGHT, BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL and THE HELP. Our Marketing Coordinator was the production coordinator for all of White Labels' unscripted slate (Savage X Fenty with Rihanna, Can't Cancel Pride for iHeart & Hulu, Masked Singer: Japan, etc.), our Certification Director is a 2-time Emmy nominated producer on NatGeo/Disney's GENIUS, our international certification producer has worked on over 200 international films and is the President of Canacine Quintana Roo in Latin America for all filming in that region. Our Executive Assistant produces Stage 32 education programming for the Cannes Film Festival and FOCUS London. The rest of our team started their careers at places like Circle of Confusion, Buchwald, Pierce Law Group, Marsh Entertainment, Third Hill Entertainment.

Between our collective experience on our team, over 12 years of running Stage 32 and our current partnerships with companies like Netflix, Canon, the Cannes Film Festival, American Film Market and dozens of film commissions around the world we really pride ourselves on having our finger on the pulse of the business! 


Shoot us an email at success@stage32.com and let us know what you're working on!

Liked by Hossam Hussien Alakwah and 7 others

Joohee Muromcew
Preparing for a script consult

Hello, Stage32 friends - This week I have a 30 minute script consult with an exec, who I am very excited to meet. This will be my first consult. Any tips or suggestions? Questions you wish you had asked? Any newbie faux pas to avoid? Thanks! Joohee

Amanda Toney

Joohee Muromcew -when you’re meeting with an executive the purpose of your call is to develop your script to the point where it’s attractive for a producer or a buyer to want to take it on and to deve...

Expand comment
Richard "RB" Botto

Some great advice here already, Joohee Muromcew. I'll just add to remember that the exec is a human being with goals (and job responsibilities) just like you. They want to help and, of course, they wa...

Expand comment
Ewan Dunbar

Just remember that it is someone experiencing your work for the very first time, like anyone else reviewing your work going forward. Consider the notes they're giving to you from their perspective. If...

Expand comment
Amanda Toney

Keep us updated on how it goes! Now we’re all invested :)

Liked by David Michael Kelly and 12 others

Sandra Isabel Correia
My experience with Zero Gravity: Query Letters

Hi, Stage 32 screenwriters.

I want to share with you my recent experience with Zero Gravity because I believe it's vital for you to not give up. As many of you know, I want my screenplay Soul Mated to be optioned. As many of you know, I sent surgical query letters, and I also sent them to ZG. They ar...

Expand post

Sandra Isabel Correia

Thank you Ewan Dunbar. That's why I wanted to share, because I see so many writers who are frustrated with query letters and industry responses, and I wanted to inspire and give hope. There are great...

Expand comment
Erik Bianco

Well, same experience with them. Sent my script few weeks ago. Now, we have to face the harsh reality of this profession. Patience... hope... etc...

Sandra Isabel Correia

That’s so good Erik Bianco and I am happy you shared also. Yes, but patience, hope, resilience, persistence, are mindsets that we face in all professions and it’s good to have them ;) It means we are...

Expand comment
Erik Bianco

Thank you Sandra. And good luck with your project.

Sandra Isabel Correia

I am also cheering for you Erik Bianco :)) Step by step we will find the right team :))

Liked by Mark Deuce and one other

Gregory Barone
the Giant Killer Script Page Five review

Page 5 - Six Panels

(Ch1 Pg5 Panel One)

(Medium shot - Gerarit raises his arm, fingers straight and together, preparing to strike. The men are confused and curious, watching closely.)

OFF-PANEL VOICE (TALIESIN): What's he doing with his arm up?

OFF-PANEL VOICE (DIANDAN): Look! The flies!

(Ch1 Pg5 Panel T...

Expand post

Maurice Vaughan

That's what Gerarit used the jam for, Gregory Barone! Great way to SHOW he's resourceful without dialogue.

Marty Howe

Killing flies with jam? Who is entertained by this?

Gregory Barone

Maurice Vaughan ever heard of the 'show, don't tell' rule?

Maurice Vaughan

Hey, Gregory Barone. Yeah, I learned that a long time again. It changed my scripts for the better.

Liked by Amanda Toney and 3 others

Gregory Barone
The Giant Killer Scritp Page Three review

(Please note that this is done as it would a script for a comic, I have a background in comics so I use comic terms for the script. I do hope to get this made as a movie of short tv show.)

tagline: Stand tall against giants

logline: A simple tailor goes on an adventure to kill giants that threaten the...

Expand post

Mark Deuce

Well Done Gregory Barone

Marty Howe

well done for what?

Mark Deuce

For putting this story together Marty Howe

Marty Howe

But its crap.

Gregory Barone

thanks Mark Deuce

Liked by Maurice Vaughan

Noël Savignano
Adapting a Novel into a Screenplay – Share Your Best Tips!

Hi everyone! I’m currently adapting my novel Nino into a screenplay and refining its structure. I’d love to hear from others who have worked on novel-to-screen adaptations—what were your biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them?

Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Noël Savignano. I turned a few books into scripts way back. I talked with the authors, taking notes on what they wanted to be in the scripts. I also read each book once or twice, taking notes. If...

Expand comment
Noël Savignano

Thanks, Maurice! That’s a great insight. I can see how adapting a book to a screenplay requires strategic choices, especially when it comes to scaling down expensive scenes. I’ll keep that in mind as...

Expand comment
Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Noël Savignano. I'm not sure if I've ever had to completely remove a key scene because it wasn’t working in the adaptation process. If that happens, maybe try and combine that scene wi...

Expand comment
Noël Savignano

Great advice.!! Thank again Maurice.

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Noël Savignano.

Liked by Sarah Gabrielle Baron and 18 others

Mike Thompson
Help! I Wanna Be a Screenwriter!

Greetings! Allow me to introduce myself -- my name's Mike Thompson, veteran Hollywood writer/producer of feature films, Dragonfly, starring Kevin Costner, and Love Happens, featuring Jennifer Aniston. I also co-created the FOX television series, John Doe, and have written and produced indie film and...

Expand post

Geoff Hall

Mike Thompson Don’t do it Mike. Seek professional help. a good therapist could help you with this obsession.

Mike Thompson

Mark Deuce thank you, sir -- appreciate the feedback!

Mike Thompson

Susan Kelejian thank you -- believe me, I understand the struggle!

Mike Thompson

Sarah Gabrielle Baron thank you -- you've got the right attitude!

Mike Thompson

Geoff Hall ha -- good advice!

Liked by Maurice Vaughan

Calice V.
Seeking Feedback from Experienced Writers & Directors on The Crow

I’ve spent six years developing The Crow, a psychological thriller with a neo-noir edge. It’s a non-linear, multi-timeline mystery spanning 4.5 timelines, deeply rooted in science and chemistry—no supernatural elements. The story follows Nicholas, a man unraveling layers of deception, obsession, and...

Expand post

Ewan Dunbar

You can search for people to give you feedback in the script services page here. There you can look u pan executive's background and filmmaking experience to find someone that matches what you're looking for.

Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Calice V. The Crow sounds interesting! I haven't written multi-timelines in a script before, but you could add lines in the scenes so the reader knows which timeline they're reading. Something lik...

Expand comment
Göran Johansson

Dear Calice, nice that you like what I wrote. And if you want me to tell more, feel free to contact me.

Calice V.

Göran Johansson thank you so much. Of course, film grows on feedback - I always keep an open mind and focus on learning/growth opportunities.

I sent a connection request, let me know if you got it!...

Expand comment
Göran Johansson

accepted

Liked by Sarah Gabrielle Baron and 10 others

John Mezes
Writers' Challenge!

I'm throwing down a gauntlet to my fellow writers! Take a script you haven't touched in a while and write 2 pages by Sunday. Keep me posted on your progress right here!

John Mezes

Ok fellow Stage 32 peeps! It's Sunday, check in time! How did everyone do with the challenge? I'd love to hear the progress made!

Maurice Vaughan

Thanks, John Mezes. It's going to be a writing sample since the budget is so big, but I'll pitch it as a spec too.

Robert Franklin Godwin III

I rewrote an ending to three year old script. It is a "where are they now' end to a pilot used to foreshadow coming episodes. The pilot is a dramedy, and episodes are tilted to comedic hijinks. Each c...

Expand comment
Ewan Dunbar

Great challenge! Taika Waititi has said he'll often leave a script for a year, look at it again, throw it away and write it from scratch. The idea being that what sticks in his mind will be the good stuff!

John Mezes

Nicely mapped out, Robert Franklin Godwin III. I'm glad you were able to accomplish the rewrite. I love it, Ewan Dunbar! The good, workable ideas linger and should be used. I like the approach....

Expand comment
Maurice Vaughan
Coffee & Content: Let’s Talk About Where You’re Spending Your Time

Stage 32’s founder and CEO, Richard “RB” Botto, shares two videos in today’s blog.

In the first video, Studio Binder does a deep dive into the mechanics of modern film marketing from old-school trailers and press junkets to today’s digital-first strategies including social media campaigns, micro-tar...

Expand post

Liked by Maurice Vaughan

Daniel Silvas
The ups and downs then writing through them.

Happy Pi day 3.14. I've recently felt I was doing well and improving but just when you think you've got it. You don't. I want to tell the person that is writing MY story that I have enough character built and to finally get to the good parts. Just then, I took a leadership position with a local scre...

Expand post

Maurice Vaughan

Congratulations on the leadership position, Daniel Silvas! Screenwriting definitely has its ups and downs. We celebrate the ups and grow from the downs. Hope you have a great time teaching the screenw...

Expand comment

Liked by Jim Boston and one other

Maurice Vaughan
3rd Day of Introduce Yourself Weekend!

IYW is Friday through Monday. Introduce/reintroduce yourself, build industry relationships, catch up with friends, talk about your projects/goals, and share your victories (small or big)!

Don’t forget to comment on other people’s posts. It’s a great way to network and show your support for others....

Expand post

Liked by Jim Boston and 3 others

Liz Lachman
Quarterfinalist in the Comedy Feature Screenwriting contest

Thank you, Stage 32 judges! I’m so glad you liked “Free Chickie!” And congratulations to all my fellow quarterfinalists- may The Force be with us…

Maurice Vaughan

Congratulations, Liz Lachman!

Mark Deuce

Congratulations Liz Lachman and best of luck with your project!

register for stage 32 Register / Log In