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

Liked by James Earl and 2 others

Ansh J.
The real tension lives between what the Character sees… and what we know.

The scariest part of psychological thrillers is not what happens.

It is what should not be happening, but is.

In Yohana’s World, I wanted tension that didn’t shout.

It had to be subtle.

So instead of overt danger, it was necessary to build tension through discrepancy.

A line of dialogue said twice in the...

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Home - Yohana's World
Home - Yohana's World
Torn between brushstrokes and bloodstains, a brilliant but psychologically fragile private investigator must put a restraining order on her vivid imagination
Rosie Schreiber

Ansh J. THIS!!!!! I literally couldn't watch Get Out after a certain point because I was questioning my own reality, my logic was collapsing! I love a slow breakdown!

Ansh J.

I am glad it resonated Rosie Schreiber

Liked by Jack Binder and 3 others

Sydney S
New Screenwriting Lab! Write Your Genre Film In 8 Weeks

Learn from the former Development Coordinator at Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions!

Walk away with a polished first draft of your feature or short film!

So, you want to write a “genre” film? You’re not alone. As the industry evolves and redefines what genre means today, there’s more opportunity tha...

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Sydney S

Email edu@stage32.com with any questions or for a payment plan!

Sydney S

Can't wait for this lab to begin, Savannah is going to be a wonderful educator!

Savannah Abrishamchian

So excited to get it started, Sydney!

Sydney S

Me too, Savannah! Thanks for hosting!!

Sydney S

Hey everyone , Happy Friday! We have 4 spots remaining!

Liked by Ashley Renee Smith and 3 others

Sebastian Tudores
Week Three of July Filmmakers Club Still Going!

This Week’s July Filmmakers Club Challenge: Build Intentional Relationships

Stage32 understands me! That's all I can say lol Hectic weeks (happens often) and didn't get around to posting much & nothing for the Filmmakers Club - but here's Stage32 and Ashley, patiently urging me to jump in, even on Th...

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Sebastian Tudores

Rosie Schreiber haha you caught that ha? :)

Liked by Jack Binder and 5 others

Ashley Renee Smith
What Makes a Classic Story Ripe for a Return?

According to this recent Deadline article, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is getting a TV spinoff series, more than 50 years after the original film left its indelible mark on cinematic history:

Adaptations and legacy IP are...

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Ashley Renee Smith

Can't disagree with you there, Rebecca James!

Ashley Renee Smith

Oooh, thats a great one, Leonardo Ramirez!

Ashley Renee Smith

Absolutely, Mone't Bradley, there’s definitely a delicate balance. While I agree that many remakes fall flat and risk diminishing iconic IP, a bold new take can offer something valuable when done with...

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Ashley Renee Smith

So true, Wal Friman, chemistry can make or break a story, especially when it’s a romance at the heart of the film. Some stories hinge entirely on the dynamic between the leads, and no amount of clever...

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Ashley Renee Smith

You bring up a really important point, John Erwin, there are certain films that feel untouchable because every element came together so perfectly. Dr. Strangelove is one of those lightning-in-a-bottle...

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Liked by Justin Coombes-Pearce and 8 others

Lawrence Hughes Stern
Award-winning, repped Screenwriter and Professional Script Analyst

Hi everyone - just wanted to say hello and see what people are working on and trying to create these days! I am repped in LA for writing, have five screenplays optioned, and have worked as a script analyst for many years at one of the top literary/talent agencies here. Maybe we can work together! I...

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Lawrence Hughes Stern

Rosie Schreiber thanks Rosie! Just connected with you -

Adam Carpenter

Welcome!

Lawrence Hughes Stern

Adam Carpenter Thank you!

Shazz K

hello Lawrence Hughes Stern Writing something atmospheric and intimate in the thriller space. Still finding my feet in how best to present the work , would love any guidance, would love to connect on...

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Lawrence Hughes Stern

Shazz K Hi - nice meeting you. Just accepted your request to connect. Message me - thanks :)

Liked by Ashley Renee Smith and 3 others

Rosie Schreiber
On Days Like These

It's 93 degrees out. The smoke from the nearby wildfires is finally blowing the opposite direction, the wind in this high desert is up, and it's time to finally sit in the shade outside and feel like the best part of summer is here...aside from the occasional hot thunderstorms I crave that is...this...

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Shazz K

That’s such a beautiful reflection ,the way nature opens up that creative channel is so real. For me, it’s usually late at night, when the world quiets down and everything feels a little suspended. Th...

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Maurice Vaughan

Just lying around thinking about scripts and script ideas does that for me, Rosie Schreiber.

Debra Holland

Sitting outside on my patio looking over the scenic view.

Rosie Schreiber

Debra Holland Yes girl! SO good <3 Unless the scenic view is overlooking a slaughterhouse haha in which case I take it back haha

Ashley Renee Smith

This is beautifully said, Rosie Schreiber, and I feel this so deeply. For me, it’s walking my dog under a night sky so that I can look up at the stars, or standing at the edge of my balcony during a s...

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Liked by Justin Coombes-Pearce and 7 others

Leonardo Ramirez
July Community Open House!

Sign up for the July Community Open House on July 30th. These are always fun and a wealth of information. https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-july-community-open-....

Hope to see you there!...

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Rosie Schreiber

Leonardo Ramirez Maurice Vaughan Im new here, as you know! WHATS OPEN HOUSE! SPILL! Lol...

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Leonardo Ramirez

Hey Rosie Schreiber ! Good to hear from. you - it's where Ashley goes over what all newcomers are able to accomplish by joining Stage 32 - tools to use, where to find them, etc. It is fun because you...

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Sandra Isabel Correia

This is great and Ashley will explain all secrets about navigating Stage 32. It’s a place to be :))

Ashley Renee Smith

Aw, feeling the love, guys! Thank you!

Liked by Maurice Vaughan

Sydney S
Upcoming! Write Your Faith-Based Feature Film In 8 Weeks

In this interactive Stage 32 screenwriting lab, you will write your faith-based feature film under the supervision and guidance of a world class faith-based writer and director. Guiding you through the writing process is Nathan Scoggins. Nathan recently wrote & directed the faith-based feature films...

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Liked by Katrina Lena and 2 others

Maurice Vaughan
Global Screenwriting Contest Hub

Stage 32 is the official home of the new Global Screenwriting Contest Hub! It's a centralized destination where screenwriters can submit to the world’s most trusted and career-launching contests!

Stage 32 has partnered with top-tier competitions:

– Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival Screenplay...

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Liked by Ashley Renee Smith and 4 others

Happy Friday Writers!

Good morning and happy Friday everyone! I have a few questions for you guys on what you guys feel like best helps you improve in writing and with your story telling.

1. how much do you guys write? do you guys write everyday, a few times a week, what has been the most effective way for you to stay co...

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Maurice Vaughan

Good morning and happy Friday, Devin Singer.

1. I try to write every day. Sometimes it's ten pages, five pages, one page, one paragraph. It depends on what else I have to do that day. I like to set a g...

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Erin Leigh

Happy Friday! I'm not the writer to ask about consistency (doesn't happen with kids and a day job), but, outside of Stage 32, I love Tom Vaughan's newsletter (Story and Plot). He also has a site/blog...

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Jon Shallit

Depends on whether it is for pay or a spec script. For pay-I brute force work like a maniac so the requester is happy. They don't have any idea how hard it is to write! Some say it should be done in a...

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Göran Johansson

I am a slow writer. Since I film my scripts myself, I know that any shortcoming will be revealed when it is too late to correct. And to improve your writing, do something you have never done before. Like helping your local group with no-budget filmmakers to film their next script.

Rosie Schreiber

TGIF!

Liked by Ashley Renee Smith and 6 others

Aleksandr Rozhnov
A Question About Screenwriting Structure: Should the Setup Happen Faster

Hi everyone, I have a question for fellow screenwriters.

Most screenwriting textbooks say that the setup should happen within the first 15 minutes, and the first plot point by around 30 minutes into the film. But I personally believe that in today’s world—with TikTok, YouTube, and other fast-paced pl...

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Aleksandr Rozhnov

By the way, I almost always guess how a movie will end. There are only a few cases when I didn’t. One of those films is The Game starring Michael Douglas. That’s where the ending was truly unpredictab...

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Jon Shallit

THE USUAL SUSPECTS. Love the twist ending with the limp that disappears. Never saw that coming. Brilliant writing.

Jim Boston

Aleksandr, I like to put the setup within the first 10 pages...and land my first plot point within the first 20. (That's what I get for having watched made-for-TV movies.)

Eric Christopherson

If memory serves, Syd Field said inciting incident 10-15 pages in, and first plot point at 25-30. I have this habit of checking on the movies I'm watching (assuming that one minute of film time equals...

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Aleksandr Rozhnov

I believe a film must be felt and played out in your head, because the "one page equals one minute" rule is only a rough guideline. One page of dialogue might take just 20–30 seconds of screen time, w...

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Liked by Maurice Vaughan

Gregory Barone
the Giant Killer Script Ch 4 Pg 11 review

(Please note that this is done as it would be 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 or short TV show. I'm looking for feedback on the pages, if you can take the time to read and leave a review in the comments....

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Gregory Barone

This page is giving me the most grief. I tried to get things to work, but I just can't seem to.

Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Gregory Barone. I like that Wicke's two heads act differently. I think the scene is fine except "Gerarit’s" and "Gerarit" in Panel Four should be "Garerit's" and "Garerit."

I also looked at Page 10...

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