Screenwriting

Once upon a time, my GF worked as an uncredited animator for Lilo and Stitch. The way she tells it you stop wanting to work for Disney once you start.

I don't understand that. But some of their project made me cry happy tears. I know they can do better for others.

...

Disney has an intern and apprentice program that you can look into. You're going to have to work your way up the ranks if you really want to make that kind of difference.

Maybe idealism can help. Was Walt Disney and many inspiring people Idealist as well.

Hi Pat Alexander and everyone in the lounge!

I submitted my metaphysical queer romcom:

What Is Meant For You Will Always Find You

which aims to increase awareness of humanity, especially to women.

Logline:

Two spirits attempt to rekindle their cosmic romance on Earth by reincarnating as a pair of women, but find their newfound terrestrial fears and beliefs are an obstacle to their relationship.

Tone: It’s a feature film that aims to explore love beyond the physical realm and the courage

it takes to embrace one’s true self.

Why Me:

I am the only person who could write this feature since the plot reflects who I am, who I was, and who I became. It's my DNA.

The plot is based on a journal I started writing two years ago, detailing a series of metaphysical experiences I've had to face and conquer. The characters' obstacles are based on my own life experiences as well.

Why Now:

Because I want to raise humanity’s awareness with a love story that begins in the

spiritual realms and manifests in the physical world. We need to evolve as human beings and now it’s the perfect time :))

Good luck to all of us and Thank you Stage 32 for this opportunity:))

Best of luck to everyone. These were all cool to see :)

Wihsing everyone in the contest luck. I agree with Sydney Summers - these are great!

I submitted: Spritzer - Little Does He Know

Logline: A rom-com set in the California wine country, pitting a macho American high-tech, jug wine maker against a sophisticated French woman as they attempt to save the vineyard by producing award-winning champagne.

This is a rom-com set in the wine country of Sonoma, California. Spritzer runs a successful jug winery. But his great Aunt Belle who owns the winery wants to make the best possible champagne.

But they know nothing about making sparkling wine as it is known outside the champagne region of France. So they import a strong-willed and stunning Chef du cave from France. There is an instantaneous mutual dislike but they must find a way to work together as, if they fail, the winery will be lost. Needless to say, romance can bud through adversity.

My idea for a Romantic comedy is called "Tour-Ette" and involves a bus full of smashers doing community service going on a rehabilitation French Tour holiday to a French City called Saint Ettiene. The two with Tourettes syndrome fall in love when they break down in the Alpes. I havent submitted as I don't have a membership yet unfortunately. www.Tour-Ette.com

I remember your script "Analyze Fish," Rutger Oosterhoff. Did you come up with that idea by mixing those two movies, or did you figure out your script was a mix of those movies later on?

You can run this process through AI software and it will output hundreds of catchy loglines & synopsis. Still adds up to zero 'cause the idea involves lots of human time to make- if ppl are serious.

The possibilities for ideas are endless.

Haha Maurice. You remember my logline from the logline section. Sadly there was never a script. How I came up with it, I probably got from the title Analyze This to Analyze Fish, then the rest was easy. I must say it didn't come out of nowhere. I did a lot of "Analyze" "This" and "That".

Feading all the info of the old (2016) logline into ChattGPT it came up with:

"In 'Analyze Fish,' a greedy Dolphin Shrink initially agrees to manipulate a depressed Loan Shark into committing suicide for a million clams offered by the Great White Padrino, but has second thoughts when he develops an unexpected friendship with his patient, leading to a heartwarming journey of self-discovery and redemption amidst the perilous waters of their underwater world."

Are you talking about this post, Cameron Tendaji: www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/I-Finally-Have-a-Manager-annnnddd

If that's the post, you said, "So long story short… if your main goal is to find representation you’re wasting time… (don’t be like me lol) you should be showing that you know how to be a producer as well. That you know the industry, you can get things done on your own, and that you understand the business… and a manager can come in and help facilitate. Because if the writers strikes taught us anything.. you can’t just be a writer. You HAVE to be a multi-hyphenate."

I responded, "What you did is a great idea for others to follow, but searching for a rep isn't a waste of time. And not every writer wants to be a producer. I don't want new writers and experienced writers to think becoming a writer-producer is the only way to get a manager."

A writer who thinks like a producer when outlining/writing scripts and being a writer-producer are two different things.

Maurice Vaughan i was just giving you a hard time lol

Haha Ah man, Cameron Tendaji. Ok.

Maurice Vaughan - When I’m writing music, I try and think like a Producer, as if it will fit into a scene, or its long enough l, or too long, musically.

Like you - a Little bit - I wonder how, for example, how a contemporary or rock ‘n’ roll music (with vocal ease) will fit into a scene which I’ve written.

Hi Jacob, thank you for posting this. I learned a lot from this. As a writer, I have never attended a festival. What is a festival that you recommend?

Hi Roberta M Roy - Ewan, who commented above, teaches a Stage 32 course on pitch deck fundamentals and execution that I highly recommend (and today is Cyber Monday so it's on sale :)

Here's a link so you can check it out: https://www.stage32.com/classes/Stage-32-4-Part-Class-Pitch-Deck-Foundat...

As the guy(s) below once said, "That is the sound of inevitability." Will attempt to create a pitch deck for one of my scripts, happy to muddle through the process myself (learning curve, self-development etc.). It's handy being able to search for topics on here, and sourcing the helpful links from Maurice and CJ.

What a great thread. Thank you for those links, Maurice Vaughan . Looks like I need to get started on a pitch deck!!

You're welcome, Ben Henning. Glad the links help.

I'll also be running my 8 part Pitch Deck writing lab again starting in July.

Not everyone but I believe most new screenwriters believe their first screenplays are good enough. After they have several under their belt they have to go back and rewrite them. At least that was how it was for me.

Thank you all for your comments. Dan Guardino my first screenplay I was sure would win an Oscar, it was crap.

What I desire now when I ask people to read my work is their emotions, not technically advice. Things like “Why does Harry do that?” or “Judd is a shit, I didn’t like him”. Or good feedback “It fks with your head” why niece gave me that on a thriller I wrote.

That sort of feedback is as close to a test screening as I can get.

You're welcome, Craig D Griffiths.

Dear friends, my situation is similar. If you are willing to read my latest screenplay, you can send me the latest you have written yourself. For mutual reviews. I will try to find your worst error.

In 2014, I directed my first movie. 104 minutes long. A no-budget comedy based on a play I had written. Afterwards, two persons reviewed the film. Both reviews "smelled sulfur and brimstone". I sure thanked both reviewers.

Taika Waititi sometimes writes a script, leaves it for a year, reads it again, throws it away and writes what he remembers (as it'll be the good bits worth remembering). Re-writing is an essential tool for any writer.

Fantastic! Super congrats to all the quarterfinalists who have placed in The Grown Up Movies annual contest. Excited to be among the quarterfinalists with my screenplay, Fausto's Road, and I'm looking forward to reading your names among the semifinalists mid-May.

Congrats to all who made the cut, including yours truly. Grateful to Stage 32, especially for the grown-up theme. We of a certain age enjoyed great times, great music, are still fun, and have stories to tell!

Boom! Way to go, everybody. Enjoy the good feels!

Excited to learn my dramedy, GUS, made the Quarter Finalist cut!!! Congratulations to all Quarter Finalists!!!

Very excited that The Jane Austen Syndrome made it to the Quarterfinalist rounds! Thanks to Stage 32 for the "Grown Up" — not to be confused with "Adult" — theme and congrats to all my fellow honorees!

Hi James Sutherland. If we’re talking about features, I absolutely think you can pitch and sell to N. American markets from Tokyo (I’m in Prague).

The key is to get a rep (manager) in the market you hope to sell in.

That said, as you noted, if your hope was to sell a series, you’d most likely have to eventually be in LA or NY.

Thanks for the answer and thanks for having the pop-up AMA, Shaun O'Banion.

Is there a market for Fact-based drama (which correct me if I’m wrong, sounds like biographical) at the moment. The huge issue that I’ve been running into lately myself, is putting a lot of work into a project (getting it packaged with talent) just to be told “this is great but nobody is buying this kind of project at the moment”.

Hey Cameron Tendaji - Thanks for the question.

Hollywood is cyclical. Anything that isn’t popular at the moment will come back around. Example… in very recent history, you’d hear, “no WWII projects.” Then we just got Masters of the Air and a film set around Nuremberg is about to roll.

Rom-coms, as you may recall, were considered strictly Netflix-only. Then the movie with Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell opened big, following on the success of the Jennifer Lawrence comedy. Now Rom-coms are back!

We’re out now with a biopic and getting great feedback - BUT we have a film that can be made for a price. Think a $30-$50 million dollar movie for grown-up’s can’t be made? Tell that to Yorgos Lanthimos.

Point is, the old adage “nobody in Hollywood knows anything” is as true now as it ever has been. Studios never know what they want until someone else makes it and it hits. Then they all want to emulate that success until a couple flop and they all get scared again.. Keep developing and packaging the movies YOU want to see. Eventually you’ll find the right time and the right people.

And, by the way, Netflix just announced they are interested in making smaller films for a good price with a greater chance of upside.

Fantastic Shaun O'Banion thank you for your time and the advice!