Screenwriting

Hi, Alyazin Alriyami. Welcome to the community. I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. I wanted to let you know that I moved your post from the TV Series Pitch Document Writing Lounge to the Screenwriting Lounge. The TV Series Pitch Document Writing Lounge isn't active anymore. Let me know if you have any questions.

Stage 32 has a blog that'll help you navigate the platform and connect with creatives and industry professionals all over the world. www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-platform-...

Stage 32's November Community Open House was Tuesday. It'll help you navigate Stage 32 and connect with creatives and industry pros. The recording is up now. It's free to watch. Your parents or guardians can sign up for you here: www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-s-november-community-open-ho...

Since you’re a minor, make sure your parents or guardians are aware of your account and have access to it. Also, be especially careful about privately connecting with anyone on the platform.

I suggest adding a profile picture of yourself. People will feel more comfortable networking and collaborating with you if they know what you look like. And if you have a picture, your profile will show up when someone searches for you. You can upload a picture by clicking the gear symbol in the top right-hand corner and selecting “Edit profile” in the drop-down menu, then clicking the red button underneath your location and choosing "Update profile picture."

I’m not sure if you’ll get a chance to pitch as a 16-year-old, but your location doesn’t matter. I suggest keep learning about screenwriting and the industry and build a portfolio of great scripts.

Here’s a blog for up-and-coming screenwriters: www.stage32.com/blog/the-questions-up-and-coming-screenwriters-need-to-a...

Stage 32 has other screenwriting resources:

Screenwriting Lounge: www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting

Screenwriting Blogs: www.stage32.com/blog/tags/screenwriting-25

Screenwriting Education: www.stage32.com/education/search?term=Screenwriting

Script Services: www.stage32.com/scriptservices

The Writers’ Room: www.stage32.com/writers-room (your parents or guardians can sign up for your first month of membership free here www.stage32.com/writers-room/plans-vip)

Hi Maurice Vaughan ,thanks for your reply I really appreciate that and will try doing what you suggested, thanks again!

You're welcome, Alyazin Alriyami. Great. Hope those resources help! And I'm a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. If you ever have any questions about Stage 32, let me or another Lounge Moderator know. We have badges on our pictures. Or you could email support@stage32.com.

Writing commercial scripts (15 sec, 30 sec, etc.) can help writers get better at writing the first page, Elle Bolan. There's not a lot of time in a commercial script, so you have to grab the reader's attention right away. It gets writers in the habit of grabbing the reader's attention right away (the first word or sentence/sentences).

I've found starting a feature script with the protagonist or monster/antagonist doing something that's important to the story grabs the reader's attention.

Yep, that's the same method. 15 to 30 seconds flexes that exact same muscle.

It's a good skill to have.

I tend to drop in media res as often as possible. Right to a pivotal moment before page 1 ends. Maurice Vaughan

That's a great idea, Elle Bolan. I mainly do it in commercial scripts and short scripts. I also like to set up a mystery (like showing an object) on page one. I used to overuse flashforward scenes on page one in my scripts.

Hi, Shayla Booth. Welcome to the community. Stage 32 has a blog that'll help you navigate the platform and connect with creatives and industry professionals all over the world. www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-platform-...

Stage 32's November Community Open House was Tuesday. It'll help you navigate Stage 32 and connect with creatives and industry pros. The recording is up now. It's free to watch. www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-s-november-community-open-ho...

I suggest adding a detailed bio to your profile. It'll help you build relationships/network on here. You could add things to your bio like why you became a screenwriter, your accomplishments, your goals, and what movies and shows you like. You can edit your bio by clicking the gear symbol in the top right-hand corner of Stage 32, then selecting “Edit profile” in the drop-down menu, then clicking the red button underneath your location and choosing "Edit Profile."

I suggest adding your last name. It’s Stage 32’s policy that members have a proper first and last name or a pen name on their accounts. A lot of Stage 32 members are reluctant to accept network requests from profiles that don’t have proper names, and they’ll report the accounts as spam, which will cause the accounts to get removed.

Static Screams sounds intriguing! You could post your script on your profile. Producers search profiles for projects. That and networking are how I sold four short scripts to a producer. Click the gear symbol in the top right-hand corner and select “Edit profile” in the drop-down menu. Scroll down to “Loglines” and click “Add/edit loglines” to the right of “Loglines.” You can also post your script on your profile this way: www.stage32.com/loglines (near the top where it says “Add a Logline”)

Hey, Maurice Vaughan Thankyou so much for the advice, I will add to my profile :) Appreciate the help.

You're welcome, Shayla Booth. Reach out to the Success Team at success@stage32.com. Geoff and his team can help you connect with producers, executives, and more.

And Stage 32 is the Global Screenwriting Contest Hub (www.stage32.com/scriptservices/contests).

In a book you could spend fifty or a hundred pages setting up your world and charm your reader into it slowly, like slipping into a warm bath. In a screenplay its probably fifteen pages max of As-Is and even then, you should already have a major hook/inciting incident/trigger.

I think I should go into writing books rather than Screenplays because I prefer the creative freedom to roam and create a world to the T with no restriction of word count.

If its not too much I posted the first Screenplay I wrote on my profile, its a quick read and I'd love to hear criticism on it

With screenwriting, you need to second-guess the supporting story the visualization provides.

Take Lord of the Rings. The visualization had to be done before a word could be written.

So I am not totally sold on the fortunes of selling scripts. Selling film rights to a book feels to have more gravitas.

Njabulo Shabangu If you ever need help publishing a story and getting the ISBN to protect your work, let me know, that is what we do.

I learned screenwriting by creating no-budget movies. For me the standard script format is intuitive. My advice to those who have problems with the format is to contact your local group of no-budget filmmakers. Help them to film. When you are forced to read, and understand what must be in the film, you will find it easier to understand why the standard format looks the way it does.

thank's maurice ;)

You're welcome, Fares Mohamed. I'm a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. If you ever have any questions about Stage 32, let me or another Lounge Moderator know. We have badges on our pictures. Or you could email support@stage32.com.

And it's Stage 32’s policy that members have a proper first and last name or a pen name on their accounts. A lot of Stage 32 members are reluctant to accept network requests from profiles that don’t have proper names, and they’ll report the accounts as spam, which will cause the accounts to get removed.

thank you very much for your message and for your help.

No worries on my end regarding my name: my name is Fares, so everything is in order. Thanks as well for the information about connection requests and the risk of being reported as spam — I’ll be careful.

Have a great day, and I look forward to connecting on Stage 32!

You're welcome, Fares Mohamed. I suggest adding your last name. Have a great day too! I hope you find success on here!

I am in Sweden, also part of Europe. I translated my latest script into American English. Then I wrote to about 100 production companies which appeared to accept submission from us who have no agent. Almost all the companies I wrote to were based in USA. But still the only answer which appeared encouraging was from Australia.

Hi, Julie Lamont. I look for a writing partner who has the same vision for the project and someone who'll be professional and respectful.

You could make a collaboration post on the Job Board (www.stage32.com/find-jobs).

When I look for a writing partner, I look for someone who differs from me. Preferably opposite gender and very different age. Different social background. Unfortunately that maximizes the risk for disagreement. At the same time, collaboration for me means that one person tells "this is what I have in my story right now so tell me all you want to add". And when the first person receives suggestions from the second person, the first person decides which suggestions to use.

I use all three of these in scripts, Ehsan Rahimpour, especially suspense. I don't think I've used all three in one scene. I might try it.

Congratulations on the request, Suzy Miller! I suggest emailing writerhelp@stage32.com.

I love all of it.

I think I love them all.

Each part carries a different emotional timbre.

Even though I’m still writing the script, I can already feel the distinct emotions of every section as I develop the narrative architecture.

In my case, first act is what they wanna do in their daily lives. and later i give them surprises and twist and turns like.

Another thing is that whole story is in your head entirely, but i become paralyzed when i thought what they will do in their daily chores.

Elle Bolan when McKee said that Act I is Inspiration, Act II is Craft and Act III is Philosophy, well I concur with that and I see Act I as kind of being the most fun, I can pretty much posit whatever I want as a writer and of course I will have to suffer for it later haha to make it plausible.

I love writing Act I and outlining the story beats and getting that first 25 pages built, from there the span of 75 more pages can be daunting, and one needs to create and know the ending and the better you know yourself and your world view the more easily that Philosophy is set at the end like a cornerstone,

Act II is also fun and can be the deal-breaker if it's not going well, an uphill marathon to get scenes in movement and story logic and the journey realized.

Then again maybe my favorite part is when they ride off into the sunset page 104 or whatever, finishing a screenplay even in first complete draft is an amazing creative feeling and saying YES to the Format, the Form, the Craft and the Art.

But yes in watching films I do enjoy most the opening five minutes as long as it is all new and cinematic, I am settling into my seat for the journey and the adventure.

I am definitely the opposite haha. I love the first act. The opening scene is my favorite to figure out and one that I feel I have the most realized by the time I actually hit the page. I honestly have the first and third acts mapped in my head before I even start outlining, creating beats. For me, the tough one is Act 2. It's still fun to do, but it is the longest stretch, and it is really the test of whether your concept works or not.

You're welcome, Meriem Bouziani. Great. There's a lot to do in the Writers' Room. I hope those pitch resources help!

If I'm doing a phone pitch I have my script ready to go. I'll rehearse it several times to make sure it's not to long and that helps me make sure I reach all the things I want to tell them.

Always finish up with "I'd be happy to answer any questions you have." It helps sounding confident and willing to to work with them.

Good luck.

Thank you very much for your help.

I wish you the best of luck as well Bill Albert

You, too. Another thing to remember is they want you to give them the best idea they've ever heard. Let that help your confidence.

yeah, originality matters. I hope my story, The Silent PFC War, stands out as something unique and layered to them Bill Albert