Trending Lounge Discussions

HELP!!!

Hi, Donna Tiberio. What's the screenplay and book marketing company?

Nice to meet you, Christinne M Bley. What scripts are you working on?

Hi, Maurice! Sorry took awhile involved in some classes and getting ready for Hollywood Pitchfest. THank you for asking about my scripts, I'd like to know what you are working on as well. But I am very occupied so forgive me in advance when I am tardy answering, thanks!!

Working title for my current script for animated feature film is "The Catfish Kids Save the River Town" but I'm changing the main characters from actual catfish to kids so have a lot of rewriting! Good thing we love it!

You're welcome, Christinne M Bley. I'm finishing up a ghostwriting job, working on a feature spec script, networking, and pitching projects.

No problem. Take your time responding. Let us know how Hollywood Pitchfest goes. Hope you have great pitches! And keep us posted on "The Catfish Kids Save the River Town." It sounds interesting!

This is a great article Geoff Hall and I use Deviant Art to also promote my work as well:

https://www.deviantart.com/markdeuce

The problem with self distribution is some avenues are not open to filmmakers without an agent. You still need a go-between sales agent to sell to foreign markets, iTunes, and major streamers.

This week’s Filmmaking Stuff podcast touches on this.

https://filmmakingstuff.podbean.com/e/how-film-distributors-and-sales-agents-make-money/

Maurice Vaughan thanks, Maurice. We have already started promoting Seeing Rachel in development. Once we get the development funding, we’ll employ the services of a publicist.

Mark Deuce I’ve really enjoyed your work on Deviant Art, Mark. Thanks for sharing.

Mike Boas hi Mike, that is true. In the UK there are services like BitMax that you can go to, which help you with aggregation and distribution. And yes, with the big guns, we’ll need a go-between, but such is life. I think it probably adds a bit more clout to our productions than trying unsolicited approaches. Thanks for sharing.

M LaVoie It's been a rare thing in my life to converse with someone who really "knows their stuff" about cinematography and they not mention "A Clockwork Orange."

Director wise I find David Fincher’s vision stunning. Recently I’ve been captivated with the DP from THE BEAR Andrew Wehde. I can’t take my eyes off his work.

Joshua thanks, can't wait to hear you on the webinar - hearing all these good things here. And of course to hear the answer to my questions.... do you recommend that I post them here again? Asking for clarity since you had mentioned you will answer them after the webinar...

Definitely watch the webinar for more in-depth information and examples, however, when it comes to your writer's voice, so far no AI can perfectly match a writer's voice. For me, that's a benefit as that helps protect the creativity side of using AI as a tool. That being said, the most effect ways I've found that help me in the editing or rewriting stages are: Asking it to (the AI) to "reorganize the scene where X character is more of the protagonist." Or simply by telling it "I want the following things achieved and want to know if it's clear that they are in the following scene: Jana has a change of heart half-way through, Michael visually realizes that there's something wrong etc..." Another thing to keep in mind is, although ChatGPT, which personally I feel is the best so far, can do amazing things, it can miss elements of the story from time-to-time, especially the larger the volume of information you give it at any one time. So if you have a story you want to edit or rewrite, break the conversations down into sections. For example, if it were a movie script, I'd upload just Act One and give it a paragraph or two of what Acts 2 & 3 are and then start the edit and rewrite process on Act One. Then, when Act One is done, I'd move onto Act 2 in the same chat. Now it has the memory of all the work you did on Act One and what changes you want to make so it is better armed for Act 2. Essentially treat it like a human. We don't want to overload a person with information then ask them to get into the details. We want to give the person chunks at a time and then talk to it. Another tip is, if you don't like something it does, tell it. For example: "I don't like that idea on re-structuring the scene. Show me what it would look like if the middle was the beginning, the beginning was the end and the end was the middle." That's just an example, but it's fun to move things around in that manner to give you a different perspective of your story.

Even MORE helpful information, Joshua. I have already been playing with it to give me ideas for future episodes for a comedy series for which I have written a pilot. I was super interested in the ideas it spewed out!

That's great to hear Lynn! Another quick tip I love to use is, once you've written a scene, upload it and ask it to give you fifty words to describe the environment. I find I can really enhance the tone and character of an environment by choosing words out of the massive list. In the past I spent twice the amount of time google searching for word lists that were accurate to my environment. I love how, thanks to ChatGPT and other AI's, they can understand your environment then pump out word lists you can then use.

Giant lightbulb just went off in my head with your suggestion, Joshua. I often say that the Thesaurus is my favorite book, because I often pop it open to find just the right word to express what I'm trying to say on the page. But from your description, I'm betting AI would dig even deeper, and, having my scene as a reference, would cast a much wider net than when I'm searching for a single word with the Thesaurus. It's so good to be living in the 21st century.

sure thanks

Most welcome, Mukesh Thakur

What a great introduce yourself post! What cinematographers or videos or movies inspire you?

Great to meet you Mukesh Thakur and Welcome aboard!!

Welcome and great introduction.

Ppl tried this Strategy with comic books when comics were booming in 2000-10; it cost a lot of money & time & talent to publish a comic book. I think screenwriter Max Landis tried this.

If you just want to make your own movies, be a producer-writer. Spend your time learning to make movies. Self-publishing a book to just sell movie rights to a buyer seems a long-winded doomed plan.

I'm on the comic book train. Kickstarter provides a great vehicle to find backers and finance your comics.

Of course, novels represents a lower cost option. However, a novel that no one reads will not do much for developing your IP.

I've ada[ted a lot of novels. Write one if you want but the odds of selling the screenplay as a result is a real long shot at best unless the book becomes a best seller and that also it a long shot. Just write a good screenplay and call people on the phone. The odds of selling a screenplay on the phone are about ten times better than just doing whatever every other screenwriter is doing.

The two highest grossing films in the specialty (indie) market the last two weeks were original screenplays. Take a look on the streamers and see how many films lately have been made from original screenplays. The studios are one thing, the indies another.

Wow! Thank you Richard "RB" Botto

No, you don't have to be a member of the Writers' Room to enter the contests, Alejandro Marello. You have to be a Writers' Room member to enter the Open Writing Assignments though.

In my experience, what's best about contests is often the chance make industry connections with people in places that can actually move your career forward, whether that's getting you signed or optioned or just getting into those exclusive pockets that elude so many of us on the outside looking in . In recent years, it feels like even the contests considered most "prestigious" have lost a bit of their prestige, so if a contest isn't putting you in front of people who want what you have, it can often become sort of an empty thing to win a "big one." Of course winning any contest is a great marketing tool and you should hang that success banner on all of your social media profiles (including here on Stage 32). That's what's great about the contests here at Stage 32, they run year round and the team is committed to not just finding one great script per year, but dozens of great scripts and getting those great writers in front of people who can make a difference in careers.

Pat Alexander I very much appreciate this Pat. I attended my first awards ceremony for a fest tonight in LaLa Land and it was actually a lot of fun, however, I will be picking and choosing from here on out.

That's one hell of a post, Pat Alexander. Spot on in every way. And I fully agree, a few of the so called prestige contests haven't had a writer signed, optioned or produced in close to a decade. They don't go to work for their writers either. They announce the winners and it's off to the next. Many have seen through the facade, which is why their submissions continue to decrease. Yet, on broad based social media, newbies especially are lured in by people talking how they are the ones to enter.

Again, why would you enter any contest that doesn't put your screenplay in front of and give you access to decision makers? Made zero sense to me when I was breaking in, makes even less sense to me now.

The only people who profit from screenplay competitions are the people who run them. I never entered one and have zero desire to ever do that. However, if I did the only ones I would ever consider would be the ones they offer here on Stage 32, The reason being they try to promote the winners. At least that is what they say and I have no reason not to believe them

Matthew Kelcourse A lot of screenwriters here are submitting screenplays and if they get a pass they move on and hope they find some other producer that might want to option their screenplay. The odds of that happening are less than 1 in 5,000, which is a generous estimate. A screenplay is a screenwriter's calling card. If a producer is willing to read it then it then it did its job even if they pass on it. You should thank the producer and thank them again after you finish your next screenplay so they are the first to know about it. The first screenplay I optioned was to a producer who passed on two previous screenplays. Also, another thing you can try is to attach a director who has a lot of credits directing movies that are similar to the ones you are trying to sell. That way if you don’t have a track record you can use their credits and contents which would make your screenplay more valuable.

Good tips coming in from a number of good people. Let's tack on an epilogue: when someone says "no" - executive, director, talent, producer - then make sure the door is open so you can come back and submit another script! You'll be building a relationship(s). (Like Dan said above, a producer passed on two of his scripts, and then optioned on the third submission)

Your point is massively important, Lindbergh E Hollingsworth, and it's one that eludes many writers. Opening a door should be viewed as a massive success. Even if this script is a pass, the invitation to pitch or send others is a big deal. Further, what might not be a fit for one, might be for another. We've seen numerous successes here over the last 13 years where an exec passes on a project but sends the script to a colleague at another prod co where they might thing the material is a fit.

All great stuff. Hate to pull a Biden, but my father had a saying: don't burn your bridges, keep your footpath clean, and the gate slightly ajar. Translation? What they all said :-)

Grteat points Richard "RB" Botto & Matthew Kelcourse

I'm so excited for A Quiet Place: Day One, Amanda Toney! Lupita Nyong'o is one of my favorite actresses. Looking forward to a Quiet Place marathon!

I loved this one Amanda Toney & Maurice Vaughan and was a good as the first.

Sounds like an excellent deal, Pat Alexander! Congratulations, IATSE members!

Great news, Pat Alexander!!

Excited for this deal. It’s a great boost all around.