Screenwriting

What a great idea, I would love to be part of an exchange. Message me directly if you see this and we'll work something out.....

Drongo Bum You raise some good points but you continue to forget while on your quest to defend the poor misunderstood reader, MY POST ISN'T ABOUT THE PLIGHT OF READERS! I don't care about producer's "sensibilities" or what "genres" they prefer. I've done my market research and I wrote a story I think will be entertaining to a large variety of audience members. This is an entertainment industry, is it not? My $1.5M budget for a SAG action/thriller independent film, compared to the big risk misfires of the last 3 years, is relatively low risk equating to some of the craft service costs of other films. I have a worldwide known star extremely interested in playing the title role, I have my shooting schedule all planned out and a screenplay that hits on all the upper tier market shares according to genre, film rating and source material. I'm doing my best to find investors without having to rewrite my soul with people who can't write a decent message in a Christmas card.

Agents need a referral from someone in the industry but it can't be anyone in the industry. It has to be someone they shared a Diddy video with, Studios want to own everything that comes out your head when the only creative milestones they've accomplished in recent years comes out in a daily movement and distribution wants to charge you $5K for a box of pencils on top of the other hidden fees and rip offs they are known for but you just get in goosestep with the all of your 45 years of wisdom and knowledge to defend the downtrodden readers. Why don't you go to another lounge like say "Anything Goes" and you can start a prayer group or support group for your dear precious readers. I'm not interested in your crusade. I'm here to try and utilize Stage 32 for what it was intended for. I'm trying to network with other creatives. I have no idea what the hell your purpose is.

Drongo Bum Oh, now it's personal abuse. Poor baby. I didn't accuse anyone of anything they aren't guilty of. I speak from experience. of which you can't seem to understand. It's like seeing that someone is incompetent or mentally incompetent and then saying it's the best version of this person ever. I never said reader were keeping me down? no. I told of one experience I had with someone, but I'm not blaming him for anything. I'm not blaming you for anything except being a royal pain because for someone with 45 years of experience, which is getting more pathetic or entertaining every time I remind you of your resume, you seem to have a really hard time understanding context and content. Calling people out for the stupidity they wish to display is not being offended. I'm just making statements of facts and as I tried to apologize for taking a more personal view of your inane comments, you just can't let it go.

So let me try to put this in layman's terms and this is is a factual comparison so try not to be offended but you are about as important to me as a dust mite on a flea's ass. I don't care about your existence. I will never care about your existence nor do I ever need for our lives to cross paths ever again. If you find enjoyment going back and forth with me, you truly have a pathetic and sad life. Now am I being mean and insulting or is it just my opinion?

Since you seem to love having the last word, go ahead and run wild. I promise I won't respond unless you cross the line. I wouldn't do that. Cowards that like to hide in shadows are only brave until the light hits them.

Alright, Head of Community stepping in here. This conversation has clearly strayed far from its original purpose. Arguments like this do not benefit anyone and only serve to damage reputations.

On a platform like Stage 32, there are always eyes on these discussions—fellow creatives, potential collaborators, and industry professionals. How you handle disagreements here goes a long way in showing others whether they would want to work with you, give you feedback, or even just engage in conversation with you moving forward. Professionalism and respect should always come first, even when you don’t agree with someone.

If you don’t like a post, there are plenty of others to engage with. From this point forward, the discussion should focus entirely on the topic of the original post—whether or not you are interested in participating in a screenplay exchange.

If the argument continues past this point, this thread will be removed. Let’s keep this community constructive and supportive.

Hello Philip, I'm Shayla. I am looking for a screenplay exchange. If you're interested please let me know!

Congratulations on winning, Vincent! Congratulations to everyone who placed! Congratulations to everyone who entered the contest!

Congratulations Vincent! So pleased for you (and also very jealous!).

You're welcome, Anthony Portelli.

Maurice, how can I get in contact /search Stage 32 with Jason Mirch, Chris Deckard, Anna Henry? they come highly recommended

You could email Stage 32’s Development Team, Anthony Portelli. success@stage32.com

So you’re looking to cut it down before submitting to script contests?

Try sharing with a writers group. They can help tell you what to cut.

Right off the bat, I would suggest cutting the musical elements. They might work great in a completed film, but won’t present strongly in a writing competition.

thanks Mike.

there actually isn’t any music written in. not in that context this is more towards Black Mirror/ The Devil’s Advocate/ Limitless or Lucy than Human Traffic or Back to the Future even though it’s time-travel science fiction script

If you have Anymore ideas you are welcome to share.

Have a great day!

For me who naturally works alone it depends how strong of a hold a project has on me. I wish I could write fast all the time but it takes me a few months to get the first half or so down and then I'm writing the second half within a week. I try to write at least three pages a day.

Maurice Vaughan John Purvis Drongo Bum Ken Inetimi Jon Shallit John C. Bounds Stephen Folker Christine Capone Todd Fabyanic Banafsheh Esmailzadeh

Thanks everybody for all of your reponses. I've experienced some of these situations myself, so I can relate. It's a LOT easier for me to write shorts definitely, but here was my situation: Finding time to write outside of a FULL-TIME job. This would take some of my feature-length scripts months to write! It’s hard for me because I need to get it done in at least 2-months. So, I dislike the screenwriting process because I need to shoot, I need to get the camera rolling. I'm more interested in the filming process itself(Designing the visuals). So, I guess I need to find an already written script and direct it.

You're welcome, Nick Eff (Mandlamadi). This blog might help: www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-find-time-to-write-a-screenplay-even-with-a-...

Depends on what I am writing. For instance i just wrote a half hour TV pilot for a time travel series....I wrote the half hour pilot in a day. I wrote another hour long pilot that took me two weeks. However I also wrote a full blown screenplay (195 pages) that took me 6 months.

I just wrote a first draft in three weeks then polished it for a week and think it's done as of today. But I've taken many, many months to write a script too. One thing that sped me up this time was AI. The research is so much faster that way.

The one with the most experience would head it up for sure...

Five writers, most experienced leads as mentioned by Mark Deuce; he/she provides the overall (strategic) view of the series, and of season one. Focus on season one, let's say 10 episodes. The lead provides the overall arc for the season, and then talks about how each episode will work. This is where story development comes in for each episode, and everyone contributes, sometimes. Once each episode is outlined by acts (or other, if not using acts) the lead will write the first script, and then each writer gets an episode, and another episode (example one writer gets episode 2, and 6, next gets 3, 7, next gets 4, 8, and the fourth writer gets 5, 9), and the lead will write the final episode for the season. Each writer is responsible for their script 60 pages, and the lead will review and rewrite each script as needed for continuity in story arc and character.

Lindbergh E Hollingsworth Thanks, for valuable insight! It sounds relatively as I think of this myself. Though, having a lead to write the first and the last piece - is a good find and makes a lot of sense.

Yes, I do. And man, I wish I was in your shoes. If I started at your age, I might've made it already!

I won the LA Int. Screenplay awards out of multiple rounds, 1,300 scripts and I am from Ohio, having taught myself mostly on Google and through Stage 32.

BUT

That script was far from my first draft. I paid for "Coverages" look that up. Over and over. By doing this, I continued getting feedback after feedback from real, working people in this industry. I highly encourage you to ask your parents for $300, or save that money yourself, and buy three coverages from here or another site like it after you're done with your draft.

These people will give you advice, and it'll be different. What you need to pay attention to is which parts of your script they are ALL saying the SAME thing about.

Example: three execs read my script, and one says the ending sucks, one says the ending is good. That means it could go either way, and I don't have a real answer on that.

Now, if ALL THREE say "Your ending sucks" then your ending sucks. That way, you can operate on multiple opinions, and you know what to change.

Lastly, as for your draft, shoot for 90 pages. That's a feature film. Or, if you just want to roll with a short script, think 15-30 pages. Each page is a minute. But my advice is to shoot for the stars. If you're only capable of writing 30 pages, people will take your project, turn it into a long movie, and then it's official their project that you get a little chunk of. You want your idea to be yours and completed by you.

Take your time! You're 16! If you made it by 25, you're the greatest writer ever and that likely won't happen.

Use this first script as your teaching tool, good luck, and keep writing!

Hi Adrianna! It’s so exciting that you’re already working on a script for your film school application at such a young age! You're definitely on the right track. Bravo to you to following your passions :)I’d recommend focusing on building your network and portfolio. We have some great educational resources here at Stage 32 that could really help you:

- How To Network Effectively As A Screenwriter with Steve Desmond: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/how-to-network-effectively-as...

- How To Build Your Portfolio As A Writer To Get Noticed By Reps with Kelly Edwards, plus 3 worksheets: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/how-to-build-your-portfolio-a...

Feel free to reach out to me directly at edu@stage32.com if you need any more advice or recommendations. Always happy to help! Good luck with your script and I’m sure you’ll do great!

Adrianna Flintosh I'm so happy you're here! This is awesome, and you are in the right place. In addition to what Maurice said, check out the Lounges, too, where you can learn a lot from some of the conversations and find like-minded people to connect with.

My best advice is always to write what you know! Share your experiences so far in life through your stories, the good and the bad, and don't give up when the going gets tough! Cheers!

Also, network as much as you can! Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. :)

Excited for this Wrap-Up, Ashley Renee Smith! I set my reminder. I'll see you, Kay, and everyone there!

Anyone who missed it live can watch the full video HERE: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGoQSk0y9Wx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&...

Pierre, your project “Widow’s Son,” sounds fantastic! Congratulations on creating such an incredibly interesting story and finding such an amazing character as Harlan. Good luck in the competition!

Take care,

Melissa

Melissa, thank you for the kind words.

Hello James and fellow writers!

I've submitted my Family-Adventure-Drama, BOB DOOLEY. Inspired by true events, this comedic yet dramatic story is about my Great-Grandfather and his Capuchin Monkey pal, Bob Dooley.

In the late 1890s in a small town in Ohio, my great grandfather, George, was a young charismatic entrepreneur who always dreamed of having his own fairground with food, rides and livestock. In 1920, within these script pages, he tells the story of how he started his "famous" fairground two decades earlier but in the beginning it was challenging and his rocky start almost crashed his dream until one fateful day when he discovered a capuchin monkey he calls, Bob Dooley. Fame and success came quickly after that because Bob Dooley is a crowd favorite and now George’s popular fairground is a train-traveled destination. Get ready for a fun ride as Bob Dooley is somewhat of an entrepreneur himself. But when tragedy strikes, George is asked to do something he never thought he'd do.

Hello James and fellow writers!

On behalf of my collaboration with first-time writer Stephen Jones I've submitted the pilot for a limited series titled PLANTNATION. The series presents an alternate view of a dark era in American history and is written with irony and grit.

It’s 1860 and there’s talk of emancipation in America amid rumors of war. Our protagonist, Jefferson Jones isn’t waiting for political change. He provides sanctuary for runaway slaves under the protective cover of nature deep in the woods of Eastern Kentucky. His unique homestead cultivates a potent aromatic plant used for textiles and medicine. The PlantNation community is diverse, industrious and peaceful, a utopia. All of it hard-won after Jefferson's cruel exile from his family’s Tennessee cotton plantation ten years earlier by his older brother, Eric. Seems that Jefferson’s compassion for humanity was a shameful realization that Eric was happy to bring to an end. Now Jefferson has a new family. Their life and community is safely hidden from the dark side of the pre-war Antebellum South. Invisible to Eric's dangerous obsession with runaway slaves. Until it isn't. Can Jefferson keep his past buried forever or will the sudden appearance of a young slave, Augustus, unravel a decade of secrets among all of them?

We had "Er ist wieder da," Jojo Rabbit," and "My Neighbor Adolf" -- controversy covert by comedy.

Jerel Damon/Sallie Olson/RutgerOosterhoff

Present the WO2 drama "The Final Solution."

Inspired by an eyewitness event:

"After an SS officer's family is accidentally sent to Treblinka, he must save them before the commandant dismantles the camp and kills all inmates."

Beside the SS-Totenkopf-Division, who run the death camp,

No winesses, NON!

Heidi Schussman, this is such a fantastic testament to the power of table reads—not just for refining a script, but also for building connections and opening doors to unexpected opportunities. It’s so encouraging to hear how your initiative led to a paid treatment gig, even if you weren’t ultimately chosen. That kind of experience is invaluable!

I completely agree that hearing professionals bring your work to life is an eye-opening experience. It highlights pacing, dialogue flow, and character dynamics in a way that simply reading a script in your head never could. And beyond that, it’s an incredible way to expand your network in an organic and collaborative way.

I did want to clarify that it’s against Stage 32’s policy for the same exact post to be copied and pasted in multiple lounges, as a measure for us to stay on top of spam posts. However, if you ever want to share something like a table read invitation in different lounges, you just need to adjust the text of the post to be different and intentional for each space where you’re sharing it. That way, the post remains engaging and relevant to each specific audience.

I love that you still managed to bring together such a diverse and talented group.

Ashley, I appreciate encouragement!

This is awesome Heidi Schussman! What a great idea to put together a table read online. I love this!

Leonardo, you've got to give it a try. It's super helpful. Just be careful about all the various time-zones! :D

I think I will Heidi Schussman ! It really does sound like it is helpful and a lot of fun!

We talked about a lot at the Community Wrap-Up today and had fun! If you missed the Wrap-Up or you want to rewatch it, here's the link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGoQSk0y9Wx/