Screenwriting

Congratulations on getting a script request, D. Alexander!

David I'm not sure what screen you are referring to. My pitch was over the phone via Skype. Where would I find this page?

Probably, select the "star sign/wheel" at the right top, select "purchase history", then upload screenplay. If that isn't correct ask again...

Thanks yeah that didn't work either.

You might need to email the Stage 32 Script Services team at writerhelp@stage32.com, D. Alexander.

Hi Anna, Thank you!!

Hi Kyanna Simone - my solution after a 32 coverage producer loved the feature script but wanted more, suggesting a limited series would allow a bigger world, is one that will not work for all (any?) other feature-to-pilot projects, but it worked well for me.

I simply divided my 120 page script into (roughly) 10 twelve page episodes and the pilot episode was an expansion of the first 12 pages. The pilot was a 2024 Barnstorm Bolt finalist, so it worked for this one and it was a ball expanding that post-apocalyptic world.

Thats bad advice from UCLA professsor; you're going from simple tell one complete story (feature) which you can do with your own ppl, own schedule to writing multi stories on someone else's time & corporate rules (tv).

Assuming we know the difference between a series and a feature, neither a feature nor a series should be considered simple and each can be adapted into the other. It just takes time and determination and desire ;-)

Thanks guys!!! My professor isn’t a producer but a sales agent. So he works more-so in marketing and distribution. He loved the marketability of the story and thought it’d be a great limited series marketing-wise. I agree! on the screenwriting/producing side I know there’s a lot of work that has to be done to make the switch! So, thanks SO much for all of the insight!!

You are amazing Francisco, you rock! Congratulations and keep rolling:))

Here is someone that knows how to succeed in this business.

CONGRATS Francisco Castro

Francisco, congratulations to you! You're really cruisin' and sailin'!

On a roll, Francisco! Congratulations!

Was there any money from contests?

Great share, Ben Cahan! It is motivation to keep writing.

“Drawn by the electric tension in the air, I wandered down to the boat dock — foolishly ignoring the storm swelling above. Lightning clawed across the sky in jagged, blinding branches. Then — CRACK! — a bolt struck the lake not far from where I stood, sending a shiver through the water... and through me. My heart pounded — but not just from the near miss. In that charged, adrenaline-soaked moment, a story sparked to life. What if a blind protagonist was struck by lightning... and saw a future murder? A fractured, flickering vision with almost no details. How would he stop it? And what if... it was his fiancée who was destined to die?”

It’s great to sit down and think of script ideas, but writers can also get ideas from events that happen around them/to them. And that’s why writers should carry a notebook, phone, voice recorder, etc. around with them.

Here’s what Glenn said in the article, Dan MaxXx:

“This year, my TV pilot CryoLife shattered expectations, winning three contests — including the Stage 32 Annual Sci-Fi Contest. The victory came with something every emerging screenwriter dreams of: industry access. Stage 32 arranged mentorship with a showrunner and lined up meetings with agents, producers, and literary managers — real opportunities to push my career forward.

Not long after, I landed a Zoom meeting with a producer and her reader who had requested CryoLife. They liked the script — the premise, the execution, the potential. For a moment, I felt the spark of possibility ignite again. But then reality hit.

“The industry’s in a contraction right now,” the producer explained. COVID. The writers’ strike. Studio cutbacks. Budgets had been slashed across the board, and only WGA writers were being considered for projects. She was blunt but kind — my script had impressed them, but hiring a non-union writer just wasn’t an option. “Budgets are everything now,” she added.

It wasn’t the outcome I’d hoped for, but it wasn’t a closed door either. She promised to keep me in mind when (not if) the industry recovers.

In the meantime, I’m gearing up for what comes next. Winning Stage 32’s contest opened doors I never thought possible, and I’m ready to make the most of every meeting, every mentorship, and every connection still to come.”

I don't know what cash prizes are offered by various screenwriting contests, the gist of what Glenn was recounting related more to learning how to become a better writer and how his high placements and wins have fueled his ability to get connected with Industry folks.

I've never shopped an idea without a full script, SL Dobbins. It might be possible, but I'd rather have a treatment and script in case the producer, director, etc. wants to read the script. If the producer/etc. wants to read your script after reading the treatment and you don't have a script, it might be a missed opportunity.

No, wait for publication and book sales, wait for offers. Cart before horse never works. Spend your time now marketing book, winning book audiences. The first thing (book) has to be the main thing. My cousin works at big corp pub company- they dont want their roster of novelists writing screenplays.

Merry Christmas, Jed Power!

Merry Christmas Maurice Vaughan

Merry Christmas, Mark Deuce!

Did someone hear shots fired at Nakatomi Plaza? If so, Merry Christmas!

Haha Michael Dzurak. Someone call John McClane. Merry Christmas!

Thanks everyone for the overwhelming support and well-wishes! Pat Alexander I don't entirely remember how I got the job; I think the producer saw something I wrote and called me up later and asked if I'd be interested in writing this movie. It was two days before I went overseas with my family on a 10-day vacation. I toured during the day and wrote all night. I'm so happy I pushed myself at a time it would have been so easy and natural to say no. And things have just been looking up and going forward ever since! It could happen to anyone, too, so just keep at it. I never won any contest or anything special, I just write and write. So, it can happen to anyone!

You're welcome, Michael David.

CONGRATULATIONS, Michael David!!!

Congratulations Michael David Wishing you all the best! :)

CONGRATULATIONS Michael David I will check out the trailer and film.

i'd watch it – there's still a lot of life in the genre if you can find a fresh approach

Maurice Vaughan, I haven't watched VEEP either, nor have I seen THE DEATH OF STALIN. Thus, it's ironic that my script was described as reading like a zombie movie as realized by Armando Iannucci given that I'm not familiar with his work. Adding to the irony, when I was writing my feature, Adopt-a-Zombie (formerly titled Chronic Zombies), it felt like I was finally finding my own authentic voice only to learn it's reminiscent of Armando Iannucci's. But then again, this was just one reader's impression of my work.

My reader also stated it was a smart mix of influences. But during the writing process, I wasn't aware that I was tapping into any influences -- WARM BODIES and BEING THERE among others. All I wanted to do was to craft an engaging character-driven story.

Glad to hear you think there's still life left in the genre Robert Bruinewoud. It's a fresh approach according to one reader from a coverage service. Whether other readers agree has yet to be determined.

Sabrina, How much did you pay for those 4 lines? Do you think what you received was worth the money spent? Best, Jed.

I spent about ninety dollars on a coverage package that included four pages of notes evaluating all major aspects of my screenplay. In my opinion, the feedback I received was worth what I spent, not just because most of the notes were positive but because the reader identified several minor problems with the script--among them a few too many characters and a page count on the long-ish side for the genre. I'm currently consolidating some scenes and pruning off a subplot to reduce character count and page length.