Composing

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Stage 32's FREE Heated Rivalry Script Breakdown Webcast Is An Event You Won't Want To Miss!

Stage 32's FREE Heated Rivalry Script Breakdown Webcast Is An Event You Won't Want To Miss!

LIVE on March 20th at 1:00 pm PT!

Sometimes a show takes an already beloved story and launches it into an entirely new level of cultural impact. That’s exactly what happened with Heated Rivalry.

Adapted from Rachel Reid’s popular Game Changer romance novel series, the story already had a passionate fan base behind it. But when the six-episode series premiered in November 2025, it didn’t just satisfy existing fans. It exploded into a global phenomenon.

  • 10+ million viewers in the United States
  • Reached #1 on global streaming charts
  • Become the most-watched acquired series ever on HBOMax
  • Sent the original novels to the top of the New York Times Bestseller list
  • Boosted NHL ticket sales by 20%
  • Sparked worldwide distribution deals

And here’s the part that really caught the industry’s attention: The series was produced for roughly $11–12 million, with about 30% of the budget covered through tax incentives.

Now writers, producers, and executives across the industry are asking the same question: What made this show work so well?

On Friday, March 20th at 1:00 PM PT, Stage 32 is hosting a FREE script breakdown webcast where Producer and Development Executive Anna Henry will walk through the pilot episode and unpack the storytelling choices that helped make the series such a success.

Even if you can’t attend live, registering ensures you’ll receive the full recording to watch or listen to anytime.

It’s a great opportunity to look under the hood of a show that proves smart storytelling, strong structure, and a clear understanding of audience can turn a modest production into a global phenomenon.

Don't miss out! Make sure you sign up today!


Liked by Maurice Vaughan

Navid Lancaster
The Music of Sinners, with Ludwig and Serena Göransson

A deep dive into the Score of Sinners. Winner of the following Awards for 2025-2026: Oscar, Bafta, Golden Globes, Grammy Awards, Critics' Choice Awards, African-American Film Critics Association, Astra Awards, Austin Film Critics Association Awards, Black Reel Awards, Boston Online Film Critics Asso...

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Liked by Maurice Vaughan and one other

Keon Wu
AI in composing?

What do you guys think about AI use in composing and songwriting? Do you think that it should be limited/banned from commercial use, or embrace it with open arms? I do understand the difference between AI generated songs and AI tools.

Libby Wright

I think sometimes AI can be helpful as a way to just check in on something lyrical, however, often it can cause us to be lazy if we're not careful.

João Pimentel

Eu acho que as vezes o projeto quando é feito por IA ele fica estranho, e as vezes pobre, pois a IA geralmente tem respostas mas genéricas, e as vezes sem graça, então principalmente na composição de...

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Robert D. Carver

I am totally opposed to employing AI in any of the creative arts--composing music, playwriting, painting, sculpture, literature, photography, etc.--It's only for lazy, illiterate people.

Morgan Aitken

I majorly agree with you, Robert D. Carver ! Listen to the short tracks I posted in this lounge that I generated from prompts using Adobe Firefly's soundtrack AI beta. They pretty much prove your poin...

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Morgan Aitken

João Pimentel I've used my iPad to rough-translate your comment into English. What you say is interesting and worth sharing. I hate to ask, but it would help the Portuguese challenged people here - I...

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Libby Wright
How Long Have You Been Composing?

I remember from a really early age making up songs. I'd play them on the piano (instead of playing the assigned scales) or write lyrics down in a notebook. They'd be about nothing, or big feelings I was having, or something that happened at school that day. Sometimes they were even satirical. When did you discover composing?

Mark Gosney

Guitar Instrumental music and Songs for to many years. Orchestral film type compositions for about ten or so years!

Stuart Michael Thomas

Started on guitar as a child in the late 70s. Played rock for years but in 2000 I started working for a composer in a commercial post studio in Sacramento. 2003 moved to LA and been doing film work ever since.

Julien Clément

Composing seeded into my mind at teenage (~ 90's), then stayed dormant for decades. I've listened to thousands hours of musics of any style since then and never stopped playing the piano that I starte...

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Tony DiGregorio

I've been composing in one way or another since 1976. My earliest work have been lead sheets of jazz tunes but since then I've been writing extended compositions for jazz ensembles, chamber music and...

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Morgan Aitken

Composing? Really, for me the Q is how long I've been decomposing. I'd say that's been since the advent of AI and most recently, Adobe Firefly: soundtrack. We're all doomed!

Kat Spencer
What kind of music instantly makes you feel something in a scene?

I’ve been thinking about how quickly music can change the emotional weight of a scene.

Sometimes it’s not the big orchestral cue that does it. Sometimes it’s the quiet piano note, the subtle pad, or even silence right before the cue.

As a composer and songwriter, I’m always fascinated by how different...

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Morgan Aitken

You couldn't be more bang on about "the quiet piano note, the subtle pad, or even silence..." Kat Spencer . It's the contrasts, the incongruity - a sonic subtext - that gets me every time. Philip Glas...

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Kat Spencer
I Never Plan What I’m Going to Write....

I never sit down with a plan.

No outline.

No emotional roadmap.

No “today I’m writing something uplifting in D minor.”

I just sit down… and whatever comes out, comes out.

Sometimes it’s peaceful.

Sometimes it’s cinematic.

Sometimes it surprises me completely.

I’ve learned not to force direction.

The music se...

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Haley Mary

I write most of my poetry and lyrics intuitively. Occasionally I do research and have some idea of what I want to write about for a song. When I write plays/short stories, I tend to plan out how I want the story to go.

Morgan Aitken

... uplifting in D minor... I bloody love that line, Kat Spencer !

Baron Rothschild

Intuition only feels like “no plan” when the identity behind the work is already stable.

When the emotional architecture is set, the work knows where it’s allowed to go — so it feels spontaneous even...

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Kat Spencer

Morgan Aitken heehee. Leave it to me, if anyone can. Haha.

Kat Spencer

Love the discussion, everyone!!

Kat Spencer
What’s One Thing That Dramatically Improved Your Craft?

I’ve been thinking about how different everyone’s creative process can be. For me, the biggest thing has simply been making the time to sit down at the keyboard—whether that’s a piano or a computer. Ideas for a title or a lyric might pop into my head during the day, but the actual composing only hap...

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Morgan Aitken

Hiya Kat Spencer ! Good to see you again. I don't know if I've dramatically improved on anything, but I find soul crushing stress gets my creative juices flowing. I guess I ride emotion like it's a st...

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Libby Wright

I think for me, it was all about letting myself be free to create without judgement or self-editing. Letting the ideas fully manifest before the editing work begins. I think that is true in any creative work!

Kat Spencer

Oh boy Morgan Aitken - I think I'm right there with you. I composed nearly everything during my two decades of darkness. Now that I've learned how to manage stress properly, I don't compose as much ha...

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Ashley Renée Smith
Lets Talk 2026 Oscar Predictions!

With these projects currently circulating in the awards conversation, I’m curious what everyone here is predicting, rooting for, or still unsure about.

Best Original Score Nominees: Sinners, One Battle After Another, Hamnet, Frankenstein, Bugonia

Best Original Song Nominees: “Train Dreams” from Train...

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Amanda Toney

Kpop Demon Hunters is probably going to win!

Ashley Renée Smith

Honestly, Amanda Toney, I haven't been able to stop listening to the KPop Demon Hunters Soundtrack for months.

Leonardo Ramirez
Join Us! March Stage 32 FREE Community Open House - Wednesday, March 25th at 12:00 pm PT

For this month’s event, Ashley will be joined by Pat Alexander from the Stage 32 Success Team, who will be live to answer questions and provide guidance around:

• Career Development Services

• The Writer’s Ro...

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Donato Cipriano
Cinematic violin performance recorded in my studio – looking for film scoring collaborations

Hello everyone!

My name is Donato Cipriano, I’m an Italian violinist, composer and music producer based near Naples. I run a recording studio where I compose and produce cinematic and orchestral music.

I wanted to share a recent performance recorded in my studio: a cinematic arrangement for violin and...

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João Pimentel

Muito bom, Violino é perfeito né? Tinha uma época que eu sabia tocar, mas parei aos poucos e desaprendi, muito bom trabalho!

Navid Lancaster
Morgan Aitken
Adobe Firefly can generate soundtracks now. I tested it. The corpse twitched.

Adobe informed me Firefly can now generate soundtracks, which sounded like exactly the sort of sentence that should be followed by a small fire and a class action lawsuit.

So naturally, I tested it.

I ran four short cues through it: trailer tension, orchestral uplift, prestige-doc montage, and a sorro...

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