Screenwriting

Hi everyone, I’m curious for those of you who’ve worked with producers, what’s the one thing you wish you had known earlier about what they really look for in a script?

MERRY PRANKSTERS wins Best Feature Screenplay at the Broad Humor Film Festival AND gets a DOUBLE RECOMMEND from Stage 32!

Hi all, I've only just started using Stage32 more frequently these last 2-months, since Coverfly shutdown in early August this year. Since returning to this site, I naively didn't realise how on my feet I needed to be regarding accepting "network requests" and parties interested in my written work.

As of Saturday just gone two-weeks prior, I had a lady named, "Sultana Herguera" on Stage 32 / "Isabel Herguera" (name on email thread), send a network request which I accepted and briefly chatted to here. She quickly sent a legitimate email address to continue discussing interest in one my two written projects. Before going further, I briefly researched her and it turns out she's an animation film lecturer with a history of animation shorts to her name, and is located in Spain.

I sent the first 10 pages of one script for safety and after some further email discussions, she expressed great interest in developing the project, with her fee being roughly $1250USD. I stated being unable to afford this service due to present financial status and proposed keeping her information for future.

She replied with a strong and adamant message as long as I was fully committed to my work, we could arrange an alternative finance pathway. This is where she introduced me to her, "long-time collaborator and licensed agent who had greenlit multiple, successful projects". I continued communicating with this colleague, "Sophia", over Whatsapp.

I only ever knew her first name, not surname, and never had a phone call--which I found very odd for this likely working relationship.

Sophia's service fee which I sent two amounts of $340AUD ($220USD) for her development of a script pitch deck, never resulted. She supplied an email address for the payment via PayPal (I found this method odd) and immediately refunded the first one. I searched the email address and it belonged to a lecturer at a Spanish university. For the second time she recommended using the option, 'Friends and Family', and again, refunded the amount when it didn't arrive immediately on her end.

I explained this likely being the result of an international transaction and it would take some time to complete (my bank later confirmed this). She really pressed getting the money in order to start working on the pitch deck.

All these communications were written very well and gave no indication to me of "Nigerian Prince money ordering" or sloppy AI-written scamming. However, scammers is exactly what they were. After talking to close friends about the timeline of events over phone, they were convinced it was a scam.

I contacted my bank immediately after this phone call and the next day, the second $340USD payment was refunded to me. I also sent my bank investigation team screenshots of the entire Whatsapp chat history. Furthermore, I reported the account on here and contacted Stage 32 about it, advising on my experience.

Throughout this period waiting for Sophia to receive the payments, again, pressing the pitch deck creation, I ended up wasting six-hours in a library (PayPal payment pending) constructing one. I sent this to her on Whatsapp convinced I was helping a development process along.

Conclusion: I had a refresher experience with modern scamming and was made to believe I was getting direct development access for my feature film, by accepting a Stage 32 network request. After some brief research, my close friends said Stage 32 admin and users in forums strongly advise against doing business with anyone who simply supplies email addresses or bank details in network chats.

Hi Guys and Gals... Who in our esteemed community is a Pro member of the writing platform INKTIP?

- here's their pitch

InkTip Pro

Make your scripts visible on inktip.com so producers can discover you.

Get 6-8 pitching opportunities per week sent to your inbox.

Enter any Pitch to Page contest for no extra charge.

Get access to our regularly updating list of agents and managers open to unsolicited queries.

Soooo... anybody have a view or care to comment - good or not so good - is it worth $32.50 per month and if so why?

As screenwriters, we spend so much time working in solitude, rewriting, building characters, and structuring acts, that when the opportunity to speak directly with a producer comes along, it can be hard to know what to ask.

So let’s flip the script:

If you had the chance to talk to a producer who’s sold pilots to HBO, Starz, FOX, and BET, worked in development at Universal Pictures, and shepherded hit films, what would you ask?

• What questions do you have about what producers really look for in a script?

• What feedback do you wish you could get before you submit?

• What do you want to better understand about the industry side of storytelling?

Share your thoughts in the comments. Not only is this a chance to reflect on your biggest questions, but you might get the chance to ask them directly.

This Wednesday, July 17, inside the Stage 32 Writer’s Room, we’re hosting a live Executive Hour with producer Regina Lee, who has worked with creators like Rob Thomas (Veronica Mars), Owen Wilson, and This American Life. She’ll be taking member questions and talking about what gets a script noticed, and what doesn’t.

You can redeem your free month of the Writer’s Room here if you’d like to attend and ask Regina your questions live: https://www.stage32.com/writers-room/plans-vip

Let’s hear it: what question would you ask a producer about your script, your career, or breaking through as a screenwriter? Drop it below!

LOGLINE: Inspired by true events, a relentless young woman left for dead in a fiery crash must recover her memories to expose her ex-best friend’s deadly betrayal.

I’ve had this film idea and it’s not gotten out of my head I just want atleast one person to tell me they like it or some opinions on it here’s the idea

Logline:

In the neon-lit underground of NYC, two lifelong friends build a ruthless illegal empire fueled by wild raves, drugs, and high-stakes gambling—only to spiral into paranoia, betrayal, and violent destruction as their loyalty collapses amid a brutal Mexican standoff that leaves them both dead.

Tone & Style:

Gritty, vibrant, and pulsing with swagger. The film fuses the raw energy of underground electronic music culture with a dark, operatic intensity—mixing EDM beats and moody synths with orchestral crescendos. Think Sicario meets Requiem for a Dream meets Tarantino.

ACT I — THE COME-UP

Setting: Neon-lit, rain-slicked underground NYC alleys and grimy backroom clubs.
Opening Scene: A slow-motion roll of double sixes on a roulette table in an underground casino. The crowd erupts, flipping the table in wild celebration as a swelling orchestral score contrasts the chaos with elegant intensity.

Characters:

* Nico Blaze — Charismatic, calculated, and always in control.

* Ryder Knox — Wild, impulsive, fearless, and hungry for power.

They start small, hosting illegal raves in a rundown warehouse, funding their nights through party drug sales and secret gambling events. Their charisma and cunning quickly make them local legends.

Score: Fast-paced EDM, techno, and industrial beats mixed with atmospheric synths.

ACT II — EMPIRE

Their empire expands exponentially:

* Bribing corrupt cops to stay untouchable.

* Laundering money through music festivals, merchandise, and a growing tech venture.

* Earning millions daily and becoming cult-like figures in the underground scene.

But cracks begin to show:

* Nico wants out of the shadows, aiming to go legit and global with clean money.

* Ryder spirals deeper into addiction, paranoia, and reckless violence.

* Their bond fractures, tension simmers, and betrayal lurks beneath the surface.

Score: The music darkens — shifting to jazz-infused tones, classical strings, and haunting motifs that mirror the rising conflict.

ACT III — BETRAYAL + BLOODBATH

Nico plots a fake DEA bust to oust Ryder and secure the empire for himself. Ryder discovers the betrayal. Their final confrontation erupts at their biggest, most extravagant rave—a nightclub engineered like a collapsing cathedral of sound and light.

Explosions and gunfire tear through the venue as innocent partygoers are caught in the crossfire. The nightclub pulses with chaos, mirroring the collapse of their friendship and empire.

The two face off in a brutal, savage fight—personal, violent, and tragic.

Final Scene:
In a bloody Mexican standoff, both Nico Blaze and Ryder Knox die amid the wreckage of their dream. The screen fades on the empty, smoke-filled club, the distant wail of sirens echoing their empire’s ruin.

Score: A cataclysmic crescendo blending orchestral chaos with glitch, synth, and industrial sounds.

My Comedy, THE GAMES OF THE III OLYMPIAD, made it to the Finals of the 2025 PAGE Awards!

https://pageawards.com/past-winners/2025-winners/2025-finalists/

Attention, writers! A fantastic new batch of Open Writing Assignments (OWAs) is live, and this one is packed with unique opportunities tailored for the voices of today. This is your chance to connect directly with A-list talent, major production companies, and top-tier literary managers.

Here’s a breakdown of who’s searching for projects like yours:

- For Gen Z & Millennial Audiences: A production company is specifically seeking Comedy, Rom-Com, Thriller, Horror, and Action feature scripts that start in a grounded place and explore themes Gen Z & Millennials will instantly understand and identify with.

- A-List Talent Seeking a Star Vehicle: An A-list actor's production company is on the hunt for a powerful, character-driven, dark, smart, and unique drama for them to star in and produce.

- Fresh Worlds & New Voices: A literary manager at a major firm is actively looking for fresh material and new clients with "new worlds we haven’t seen before," whether grounded or high-concept.

- Horror & Thriller: A film financier seeks high-concept horror for a studio output deal. A literary manager wants genre-driven, hooky thrillers and horror. Multiple companies are seeking these genres.

- Global & Mid-Budget Films: An international prod co needs clean, universal scripts in Crime, Thriller, Comedy, and Crime-Comedy for features under $5M-$10M.

- Sci-Fi & Speculative Fiction: A producer is looking for high-concept sci-fi features and TV pilots with near-future, dystopian, or utopian elements.

- Dramas & Biopics: Literary managers are seeking powerful biopics and features of all genres.

- TV Lit Agent Seeking: Native American-centered narratives for features and pilots, as well as live-action features and pilots for 10-12 year-olds driven by female leads.

- Paid Writing Gigs: A paid OWA is looking for a comedy story editor for script doctoring on a financed project.

The OWA program is your most direct path to getting your work in front of the exact right people. It’s not just a submission portal—it’s a career launchpad.

New to Stage 32? You can join the Writers' Room for a FREE month and apply to these incredible opportunities right away.

Start Your Free Trial and Submit Today: https://www.stage32.com/writers-room

Your unique voice and story are in high demand. Don't miss this chance to get them seen.