Screenwriting

If you haven't seen the Hollywood Reporter article on the upcoming partnership between our Stage32 and the 2nd most successful in global monetization Vertical Drama platform, DramaBox, here it is: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/dramabox-seeks-new-u-s-writers-stage32-1236436618/

Once again, so impressed with Stage32's commitment and follow through with creating real opportunities for its members. In this particular case:

- Access to a free development program and mentorship for those selected

- More opportunities for paid writing assignments

- and possible segue into a new legitimate career pathway

And, as it happens... ;) I will have the pleasure of moderating a webinar on "How to Write Vertical Drama Scripts" this Tuesday, Dec 9th at 1pm PT / 4pm ET with an instructor that's right in the thick of it. Education equals preparation is what I always tell my students, as they stare in shock that I am implying 'practicality' haha

You can register here if you want to check it out:

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/how-to-write-vertical-micro-d...

Who's writing micro dramas right now? I resurfaced an old series pilot proof-of-concept film I did a while back (I'll be posting about it shortly) and thinking if it's worth restructuring into a micro drama - it doesn't quite follow the structure but I have some thoughts on why sooner than we may expect, there will be a niche also for what we may call 'elevated micro dramas' ... so, if you're writing one, what can you share of your experience thus far?

Can I have feedback for this scene? I have tried to describe characters, settings, it's my second screenplay and I want it to be good before I pitch. This is the logline: 'When Grace moves to a small town, the locals become dangerously obsessed with her, and she must uncover why she's the target of their fixation in order to escape before their obsession turns deadly.'

For context this is a prologue to the story:

EXT. MILLER HOUSE - NIGHT

A two-story colonial sits at the end of a tree-lined street in what should be a picture-perfect small town. White picket fence. Manicured lawn. American flag hanging limp in the suffocating stillness.

But tonight, it's under siege.

DOZENS OF TOWNSPEOPLE swarm the property like insects drawn to rotting meat. They press against windows, their breath fogging the glass in rhythmic patterns in, out, in, out, perfectly synchronized. They rattle doorknobs with mechanical precision. They climb onto the wraparound porch, moving on all fours, stepping over flower pots and trampling Claire's prized begonias into pulp.

Their faces are illuminated by the warm glow from inside the house. Some are CRYING. Tears streaming down their faces while they SMILE. Others have eyes rolled back, showing only whites. A WOMAN in blood-spattered pyjamas claws at a window screen. She doesn't stop. Her exposed nail beds leave dark smears on the glass. She's LAUGHING.

The crowd moves as one organism, pulsing, breathing, reaching. When one person inhales, they all inhale. The sound is deafening.

INT. MILLER HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS

The coffee table is overturned, family photos scattered across the floor, their glass frames cracked, the images beneath staring up accusingly. Furniture has been shoved haphazardly against doors, the antique credenza, the leather armchair David's father left him, even the piano bench. Everything.

Windows rattle in their frames like teeth chattering. The whole house GROANS like something alive and dying.

DAVID MILLER (40s, high school history teacher, wire-rim glasses cracked and hanging off one ear, button-down shirt soaked with sweat and something darker) drags a heavy oak bookshelf across the hardwood floor. His hands are bleeding. The bookshelf leaves a dark smear behind it.

Books tumble off the shelves- Gibbon's Decline and Fall, Team of Rivals, a battered copy of To Kill a Mockingbird. They land with wet, heavy thuds.

DAVID

(voice cracking, almost gone from shouting)

Kitchen! Claire—check the kitchen door!

CLAIRE MILLER (40s, ER nurse, still in her blood-stained scrubs from the hospital, dark hair matted to her skull, a deep gash bleeding freely from her temple down her neck) sprints past him. Her sneakers leave red footprints on the hardwood. She's running on something beyond adrenaline now. Beyond fear. Pure survival instinct.

CLAIRE

It's locked! Deadbolt! Chain! They're at the back door!

Her voice breaks into a sob.

A CRASH. Multiple HANDS smash through the living room window simultaneously, sending a explosion of glass across the Persian rug. The hands grope blindly, fingers splayed, searching, caressing the air.

One hand belongs to MRS. CHEN—Sarah's piano teacher. Her fingers are broken, bent at impossible angles. She's still wearing her wedding ring. The skin around it has split.

David grabs the aluminium baseball bat—Ethan's, from Little League and swings hard. CRACK. CRACK. CRACK. Bones break. The hands don't withdraw. They keep reaching, even as fingers dangle uselessly.

SARAH MILLER (16, their daughter, long dark hair tangled and stuck to her face with sweat, eyes wild and red-rimmed, wearing an oversized hoodie torn at the shoulder) stands frozen halfway up the staircase. She clutches her younger brother against her side so tightly he can barely breathe.

SARAH

(voice breaking, barely audible)

Dad—dad, what did we do? What did we DO?

From outside, a CHANT begins. Low at first, almost melodic, a lullaby sung by a hundred voices. Then building, building, building—

TOWNSPEOPLE (O.S.)

(overlapping, frantic, ecstatic)

Sarah-David-Claire-Ethan... The Millers-The Millers-The Millers... The family-our family-THE FAMILY...

The voices fracture into glossolalia, speaking in tongues, animal sounds mixed with names.

David's face goes corpse-white. He looks at Claire. Her eyes are hollow. They both understand now.

This is about all of them. The entire family. Together. As one.

CLAIRE

(whispered, horrified)

They want to keep us.

Sarah can't move. She's transfixed by the windows where faces press against the glass like specimens pinned to boards. Faces she knows. Faces she trusted.

At one window: MR. HAYES, who runs the hardware store, his face pressed so hard against the glass that blood vessels burst in his eyes. He's mouthing something over and over. His teeth scrape the glass.

At another: PRINCIPAL MORRISON, mascara running down her face in black rivers, hands splayed against the pane. At the side window: JESSICA WONG, Sarah's best friend since third grade, still in her soccer uniform. She's sobbing hysterically, her face contorted.

Hello, just today, I had received feedback from Olivia Morris.

I did a two page pitch feedback and she had possibly more than two pages of feedback. The last feedback I had gotten was about a paragraph and a half, which I was disappointed in, not in my ability but it felt like the executive didn’t take the time to read my pitch clearly.

Olivia however, even though she didn’t requested material, give me a lot of praise and a lot of suggestions, it made my day.

To me, this was a success, and I will use her feedback to revise this.

I recommend her for the genre she is specialized in.

Hey, so I'm quite new here. Always looking to read new log lines and scripts. What is your project you're working on at the moment? Tell me about it! :)

Who wants to win $5k and do what they love the most?

We recently partnered with DramaBox to find writers that can adapt their titles or create new ones for their vertical series app. Interested? Read more here: https://www.stage32.com/happy-writers/contests/Stage-32-%20-Drama-Box-Sc....

(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. replace panels with shot.)

Ch5 Pg 7

(Ch5 Pg6 Panel 1 - Close-Up Panel)

Garerit, who explains with a calm, confident smile, clearly anticipating the giant's confusion Garerit is still standing with a relaxed posture, arms crossed as he speaks. His demeanor is assured, and his eyes convey a sense of understanding that knows what he's doing. The small branches behind him are gently swaying in the breeze, symbolizing the task he will handle.

SB (Garerit - Speaking, Dialogue Bubble): "The branches, though, are light enough to be carried. It's the perfect balance."

(Ch5 Pg7 Panel 2 - Full-Width Panel)

Garerit climbs onto the tree. He's quickly scaling it with ease. This moment emphasizes Garerit's agility and resourcefulness, as he's able to adapt to situations quickly. The background shows the dense forest around them, providing context for the scene and the enormity of the task they're facing. Garerit's quick thinking is evident as he prepares to ride the tree instead of carrying it.

SB (Garerit - Thought Bubble): "I'll climb up! It'll be easier if I ride the tree."

(Ch5 Pg7 Panel 2 - Medium Panel)

Garerit is sitting on the evergreen hidden in the tree's branches, his feet dangling down. He appears comfortable and confident, almost as if he's been in this position before. The tree's branches spread out around him, creating the illusion that he's helping to support the branches. From this angle, it seems like Garerit is doing the work, even though Garna is still carrying the tree. The tree trunk continues to rest on Garna's shoulder, with Garerit's weight distributed, which is easily balanced by the giant.

SB (Garerit - Thought Bubble): "Let's see if I can make it look like I'm carrying all the weight."

SB (Garerit - Speaking, Dialogue Bubble): "I got hold of all the branches, let's move forward and get to the castle."

(Ch5 Pg7 Panel 3 - Full-Width Panel)

We see the task in motion. Garna is lifting the massive tree trunk, which he carries with ease, though his face shows a slight strain due to its weight. Meanwhile, Garerit has found a spot in the tree to sit and hide among the branches. Garna, who is still adjusting his grip on the trunk, contrasted with Garna's strength and slow, steady pace.

SB (Garna - Thought Bubble): "He's keeping pace with me. He doesn't seem to struggle at all!"

(Ch5 Pg7 Panel 4 - Full-Width Panel)

Garerit is riding on the tree with a look of satisfaction. Garna continues to carry the tree trunk, but now there's a certain lightness to his steps- he's carrying both the trunk and the tailor without much effort. The forest around them continues to stretch wide, showing the distance they've already covered and the impressive teamwork between the two. Garerit's cleverness is on full display here, as he manages to manipulate the situation to his advantage without losing any of his charm.

SB (Garna - Thought Bubble): "He's small, but the branches are no burden to him! He's Clever!"

Ch5 Pg 8

(Ch5 Pg8 Panel 1 - Full-Width Panel)

Garerit is perched on the tree, now almost invisible behind the branches, making it appear as though he's holding them up with all his might. Garna continues to carry the tree trunk, his massive body hunched slightly under the weight, supporting the entire tree. The image emphasizes the illusion, with Garerit giving a subtle smirk as he realizes how easily he's tricking Garna into thinking he's helping. The giant is unaware of how the tailor has turned the situation to his advantage.

SB (Garna - Speaking, Dialogue Bubble): "You're good at this!"

SB (Garerit - Speaking, Dialogue Bubble): "Been doing this type of thing for most of my life."

(Ch5 Pg8 Panel 2 - Full-Width Panel)

Garna walks as he continues carrying the tree trunk, now with a more relaxed and confident stance, while Garerit leans back and enjoys the sway of the branches. The background should depict the wide open forest, with mountains looming in the distance, showing that their journey is far from over. The image conveys a sense of manipulation and trickery, with each using their strengths in the way that best suits them.

SB (Garna - Speaking, Dialogue Bubble): "You have!"

SB (Garerit - Speaking, Dialogue Bubble): "The road ahead is long, Garna. We'll need to quicken the pace if we want to make it before nightfall!"

SB (Garna - Speaking, Dialogue Bubble): "Right."

(Ch5 Pg8 Panel 3 - Close-Up Panel)

Garerit's face shows his satisfied grin as he glances over at Garna from the far end of the tree. His eyes twinkle with amusement as he realizes how successful his plan is. The playful aspect of his personality comes through here, as he's enjoying the wit-based victory. He's using his small wit to manipulate the situation, and the panel highlights that Garerit knows he's in control, even if Garna doesn't fully realize it yet.

SB (Garerit - Thought Bubble): "He has no idea. This is going perfectly." "We're doing so well at this pace we just might make it before sundown."

(Ch5 Pg8 Panel 4 - Close-Up Panel)

Garerit's satisfied grin as he rides the tree, looking ahead. His face is pleased with his success, and there's a twinkle in his eye, signifying his awareness of the illusion he's created. This small moment emphasizes how Garerit can outsmart the giant while maintaining a sense of humor and confidence in the situation. There's a playful element to Garerit's character here, and this panel highlights the ongoing theme of wits over brute strength.

SB (Garerit - Thought Bubble): "Let's see how long it takes him to realize he's carrying me."

SB (Garna - Speaking, Dialogue Bubble): "You're doing great, better than expected."

(Ch5 Pg8 Panel 5 - Wide Panel)

In this wide panel, Garerit and Garna continue along the road with the tree. The illusion of Garerit holding up the branches remains intact, and the two of them make their way through the forest. The size contrast is evident again, with Garerit small on the tree, while Garna carries the trunk. This panel shows them moving toward the next stage of their journey, and it visually reinforces the teamwork and misunderstanding between the two characters.

SB (Garna - Speaking, Dialogue Bubble): "Let's keep going. We're almost there."

SB (Garerit - Speaking, Dialogue Bubble): "Right, I'm bearly tired at all."

I'm reluctant to participate in the lounge since I've never had a project produced. I have six scripts "completed" (which is a nebulous word in writing). I've made the finals in several competitions and had a few options. But have had nothing produced. Any advice on where to go from here?