Introduce Yourself : Your friendly neighborhood Director of Education by Sam Sokolow

Sam Sokolow cheers! Working on outlining a new comedy feature spec. I remember reading McKee and how in his view Act I is Inspiration, Act II is Craft, and Act III is Philosophy. I've been here on Stage 32 for about a year and you all have contributed so much spectacular momentum and creative inspiration, I thrive on being connected like this and still have a million Vault videos to catch up on, so to me there is plenty of Educational material here on the site each week that is way more than I can even delve into,

I love the programming, the community and the platform and people for how powerful and inspiring it has been for me.

I appreciate it and I make a creative effort to occasionally post something quirky in the Screenwriting Lounge when I can come up with something I think is worthwhile.

I share Stage 32 posts on facebook and follow the various Instagram accounts and comment there because I love the fascinating power of social media.

Thanks so much to you and your team for sharing so much relevant industry experience with those of us who are just entering the field!

Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. I mean Director of Education. Haha

Congrats on all your success, Sam Sokolow! Thanks for all the advice you post in the Lounges.

I'm rewriting a short script with a writer/director. He plans to film it this fall. I'm also pitching scripts. I have some jobs lined up (writing and pitch deck design).

I'd like to see the Education Department put together more webinars about pitching. And more webinars about rewriting.

I am such a novice in the industry that I kind of feel like, being in the Lounge, I've snuck into a place I'm not supposed to be. I really enjoy screenwriting and have pilots for a female-led drama and a YA drama in my completed pile. I'm trying to broaden my skills and am currently working on two movies. For education, I'd love something that gives me a clear starting point. My e-mail inbox in flooded with advertisements for contests and different classes. My paying job is as a teacher so I don't have a ton of money to throw around on what is currently a hobby. I feel like the things I already spent money on were poor choices on my part, due to not knowing the things I don't know. (I realize a big part of my problem is imposter syndrome!)

Hi, Annie Beauchman. Welcome. Glad you're in the community. The Introduce Yourself Weekend Lounge is for everyone (new and old), so don't feel like you're not supposed to be here.

The Screenwriting Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting) and the blogs (https://www.stage32.com/blog) are great, free places to learn more about screenwriting. There are even some blogs about dealing with Imposter Syndrome.

Stage 32 has some great webinars on screenwriting (https://www.stage32.com/webinars/tag/screenwriting). Some of them are free.

Something that gives you a clear starting point? You mentioned pilots for a female-led drama and a YA drama, so this free webinar about writing drama scripts for streaming television might be a good starting point. https://www.stage32.com/webinars/Netflix-%20-Stage-32-Present-How-to-Wri...

Annie Beauchman Blog "How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome as a Creative" https://www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-overcome-imposter-syndrome-as-a-crea...

Thank you, Maurice Vaughan ! I'll start there, and free resources are always a win.

Sam Sokolow Hello Sam, from Bristol, UK. I’m putting together a pitch deck for a series written for US TV/streamers. It has the sombre tones of ‘Millennium’ and the conspiratorial suspicions of the ‘X-Files’. Yes, I’m a Chris Carter fan!

Developments at Stage 32? Many of us here are new to feature film and TV. It feels like a stumbling stone not to have a track record, when meeting with Reps and Execs and I’ve been told so by a Literary Agent. It seems like the old Equity Card conundrum; you can’t work without the card and you can get the card without work. Strategies for this stage of our ‘careers’ would be great.

Hi Sam, being a newbie in this nebulous industry, there is so much to discover. But what I would like to gain an understanding of is when a script is approved, what follows after? how does the process move from script to screen? and how do the commercial aspects come into it? I appreciate any insights you can share. Thanks so much!

You're welcome, Annie Beauchman. Yes, free is always a win. :)

One area I feel like I need to learn more about is intellectual property. How is it that sequels or new iterations of old movies can be made (i.e. The Hustle as a remake of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels)? As a screenwriter, how do we approach projects like these, when we may have lots of ideas for things based on pre-existing IP?

It's really generous of you to share your knowledge and experience. I recently finished writing the script for my first horror feature. I'm letting it "marinate" until I get into rewriting later. Stage 32's training offerings are already great. I was wondering, though, if there is any training when you are a novelist to adapt your writing style to fit the screenwriting genre. I'm not talking about the adaptation of the story itself, but really the writing style. For me, the biggest challenge is there: not to write like a novelist anymore, but really like a screenwriter. I don't know if what I'm saying is clear.

What you're saying is clear, Evelyne. One thing that might help is to just write scripts and read scripts. The more you write scripts, you get experience writing like a screenwriter. When you read scripts written by other writers, you see how many details you should include in the action lines and you see what you can leave out (like a lot of inner thoughts, which is common in novels).

Maurice Vaughan True that! I recently read the script from Poltergeist, and I was dazzled! I thought : "Wow! That's what I want to do!"

Here are some more scripts, Evelyne: https://screencraft.org/blog/download-70-screenplays-legally-free/

You can also read scripts on Stage 32 members' pages.

Thanks! Don't worry, I know these websites and I already have many scripts. But thanks! :)

Ok, great, Evelyne! You're welcome.

Maurice Vaughan so appreciate your feedback on what you'd like to see more of in education, it helps steer us in what we want to offer.

You're welcome, Rosemond. Glad to help.