Maria J Gallardo: Actor in Tucson, Arizona.

Thank you for the add Spike!

Thank you for the add Alfonso!

Thank you for the connection Barbara.

Thanks for connecting Lorena!

Thanks for the invite Ben!

Thank you for the invite!

It's nice to meet you Maria, and thanks for the invite.

Thank you for the invite!

Thanks Maria!!

What a wonderful experience and thank you for letting us in on it. It sounds like Marlon was perfectly down to earth which allowed you to connect as fellow artists. Have you done anything as of yet with the script he gave you?

Hi Maria. I'm RB, co-founder and CEO of Stage 32. As an actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker, I know first-hand the challenges all creatives face finding work and attracting attention to their projects. That's why we created Stage 32. Since our launch in September of 2011, the community has grown to 110,000+ members strong spanning 180+ countries making Stage 32 the social network uniquely populated with the most creative people on Earth. This is a network for you, built by you. Like most things in life, the more you participate, the greater the rewards. We ask all new members pay it forward and invite at least 5 fellow creatives and to spread the word of Stage 32 through other social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. You can also invite fellow creatives through the site by using the "Send Stage 32 Invites..." button on the upper right side of your profile. The more creatives, the stronger the network. The stronger the network, the more opportunities. Thanks for joining the movement and for being a part of this most talented and inspiring community. PS - Please take a moment to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @Stage32online.

Hey Maria, I'm the CTO and lead developer at Stage 32. Please let me know if you have any questions or feedback about the site. I'd love to hear your comments! To get started with Stage 32 and understand all the features and resources the site has to offer, please check out the Getting Started section and our FAQ.

Basic Math. in excess of 10,000 scripts written per year. 1,000 optioned/purchased (tops). 400 Movies made. You hear these numbers over and over again, but we often forget some bigger truths behind them. Of the 1,000 scripts that are purchased, at least 9/10ths of them are written by already produced screenwriters, who were hired on to write the script by either Studio execs or Produced/Working producers. So, that means of the 1000 scripts bought, about 100 were spec scripts (that's aiming high). Of those 100 spec scripts that were bought, how many would you guess were written by new/unproduced writers? I'd guess 5, tops. Maybe 6 if I'm being generous. So, my question to you good folk here, is do you want to know the harsh truths of this business or do you want to turn a blind eye to these truths so you can live in a happy little bubble? I get it. This makes me sound like a dick... so be it. Entertainment is the only industry where any plumber, wall st. exec and/or retail store employee believe that they too, with no training and little effort can make it big. It's why every day the airports unload these bright eyed, fresh faced girls and boys who came here (hollywood) to be a star, yet, within a year are back on that plane heading home. I've seen it waaaaaaaay too many times. Why is this? Unrealistic expectations. Screenwriters are no different. We believe that if our script is soooooo awesome, someone has got to buy it, right? I mean, why wouldn't they? Look at all the crap they put out every year. My screenplay is sooooooo much better than that crap! Recognize that perspective? I thought it too, when I started out. Hollywood is beyond cutthroat. It is a brutal business... and that's the key word. BUSINESS. Everyone here, and I mean EVERYONE is here to do one thing. Make money. This is not a business of art. No one here cares about art. They care about money. Let that soak in. So ask yourself, why would a producer hire you to write a script, an unknown, instead of hiring someone who has a proven track record? Where is the incentive for them? Now, the reason for this post isn't to be a dick, but rather to help those who live in the happy bubble. The more informed you are, the better are your chances. A) In response to another post, If you want to work in this biz, you have to live where the decision makers are. It's just that simple. Wall Street is New York. Silicon Valley is the San Jose area of California. Government is Washington DC and Hollywood is Los Angeles. Why is it always the unproven/unproduced writers who test this and argue this, but every professional in this biz will agree with me? If I hear someone say "But it's a global business!" One more time... Yes, it's global in regards to sales. In regards to filming, but not in regards to deal making. Deals are still conducted, almost entirely, in LA. Thems the breaks. B) This leads me to your script. I don't care how good it is. If it ain't commercial, no one's buying it. If the subject has been done to death, no one's buying it. If you're untested and unproduced and it would cost the studio $100 Million to make, they're not buying it (even if it's the next Star Wars). C) Staying positive and Keeping a chin up and Knowing in your heart that you're"gonna make it!" is all well and good, but it is useless. Yes, you should remain hopeful and positive so you can push yourself forward, but let's get out of our heads that if you really want it bad enough, it'll happen. This is naive. There are thousands upon thousands of actors out here with that same attitude. It's nice. But in the end they still work at starbucks. (Not that I'm knocking working at Starbucks. I'm no class warrior.) So, in my humble opinion, here is what it takes to succeed. A) Write an awesome, commercial, affordable to make, script. Then write another. And then another. And then another one after that. B) Now, get on a plane and move to LA with your 3-4 completed, top shelf, commercial screenplays. C) Get an normal person job here. Meet folks in the biz. Keep writing. Because let's be honest, after you finish that 4th script, the first one will seem kind of shitty. That's what they call learning and growing. D) Prepare for the worst and hope for the best. 99.999999999999% will say "No" to everything you submit. "No" is job security. Everyone wants to keep their job. E) If you get that "Yes" prepare to say "Yes" to every request they have of you, no matter how absurd. Aliens in your 15th century period piece screenplay? No prob! You want Ninjas in my modern day retelling of Romeo and Juliet? Done and done! Why? Because the writer who is disagreeable and unable to be worked with is the writer who will not be worked with. and finally... F) Have loads and loads of luck. I recommend sacrificing a woodland creature or selling your children to Satan... your choice.