Screenwriting

As you start thinking about 2026, what’s the first creative goal or intention you want to set for yourself as a creative? Not the ten-step master plan, just the initial move that gets the momentum going.

Is it finishing a draft, committing to a consistent creative routine, outlining a new idea, revisiting an old project with fresh eyes, learning a new skill, making your first industry connection, building a pitch deck, submitting to festivals and contests, landing a rep, financier, or distributor, or finally putting your work out there for feedback?

For me, my 2026 creative goals include:

• Completing the full first draft of my manuscript

• Returning to Cannes and helping Stage 32 have an even stronger year and presence there

• Making Austin Film Festival 2026 our best yet

• Going on a creatively inspiring adventure

• Getting back to making more consistent cooking content on social media

Drop your answer in the comments, and feel free to cheer on someone else’s goal. Sometimes saying it out loud is the first real step toward making it happen.

Why My AI Workflow Starts on the Page, Not the Prompt

The AI conversation in filmmaking has become almost theological—salvation or damnation, depending on who’s preaching. But for creators actually building films, that debate often skips the most practical question:

Who’s steering the ship?

There’s a misconception that using AI means surrendering creative control—that you push a button and the machine “dreams” for you. My process is the exact opposite. I don’t ask software to invent concepts for me. I build constraints, then I force the tools to execute a vision that already exists.

That’s why I treat the screenplay as the source code.

I wanted to share my personal pipeline for a recent mood reel to make one thing clear for fellow filmmakers: AI is not a slot machine. It’s a high-fidelity brush. To get a result that feels cinematic rather than synthetic, authorship has to come first.

The Pipeline: From Graphite to Generative

My workflow respects the traditional hierarchy of filmmaking, but adapts it for this new era. The tools change, but the order of operations does not. Intent first. Execution second.

The Analog Origin (The Sketch / Previsualization)

Every shot begins as a hand-drawn frame. Composition, silhouette, and emotional weight are decided in graphite before a single GPU is engaged. This isn’t nostalgia. It’s control.

When you commit to a visual decision on paper, you create an anchor the algorithm cannot casually override. The soul of the shot exists before it becomes data.

The Script (The Blueprint and Constraints)

That visual concept is then codified into the screenplay. Every beat in the 50-second reel was written before it was rendered. I pull descriptive language straight from the page—texture, atmosphere, tempo—and translate it into shot constraints.

I write shots as rules: what must not change (silhouette, mood, camera intent) and what may vary (micro-texture, lighting nuance, atmospheric noise). The AI isn’t hallucinating a world. It’s following a shot list.

The Execution (The Hybrid Finish / Look Development)

Next, the drawing and script constraints move into the digital space. This is where I work like a cinematographer. I refine lighting, control specular highlights, adjust fog density, and tune depth and material behavior until the image matches the promise of the page.

I’m not discovering the image here. I’m finishing it.

The Motion (The Performance Pass)

Once the frame is solid, I introduce motion through generative video tools. But motion, like blocking, is dictated by the script. If the scene calls for creeping, heavy dread, I don’t accept default animation. I iterate until the physics, pace, and weight feel emotionally correct.

Movement is treated as performance, not decoration.

The Finish (Editorial Is the Final Author)

After the renders and motion passes, the real finishing begins.

AI can generate clips, but it cannot assemble meaning. That last mile is editorial, and it’s entirely human.

I select takes, build the sequence, time the cuts, and shape transitions so the reel breathes like a single thought rather than a stack of outputs. I’m cutting for rhythm, not novelty.

I also do what I call “pitch-to-zoom” finishing: subtle reframing, gentle crops, and small keyframed movements that guide the eye and control tempo. Sometimes the camera leans forward. Sometimes it holds still. Sometimes it needs to listen.

This is where authorship becomes undeniable. The final piece isn’t the model’s taste. It’s my taste, applied frame by frame, in silence.

Vision as the Ultimate Guide

The result can look expensive and vast, but the real success is that it feels intentional.

If you see a specific creature silhouette, a deliberate camera drift, or a moment of unsettling stillness, you’re not seeing a random algorithmic decision. You’re seeing a directorial choice made on the page and in the sketchbook long before the render finished.

The Future of Independent Authorship

When AI is used without authorship, it produces content. It feels like a dream without a dreamer.

But when AI is used to execute a screenplay you’ve bled over—when it becomes the lens rather than the eye—it turns into the most powerful tool for independent world-building we’ve ever had.

The necessity of this era isn’t better software. It’s better authorship. The machine can render pixels, but only you can render intent.

Anna Henry is an independent producer through her company, Idle Hour Entertainment, which focuses on projects with international appeal and showcasing diversity in writers and stories. Anna is also a sought-after script consultant, and teaches screenwriting for television on Stage 32, including through Stage 32 & Netflix’s Creating Content for the Global Marketplace Initiative. Anna began her 20-year career as a television development executive at CBS, ABC and Nickelodeon. After freelancing as a creative consultant to production companies, she served as head of development at a literary management and production company. As a manager and consultant, her clients have worked on shows and set up projects at virtually every broadcast, cable and streaming television network. She is currently pitching several projects she developed with writers, some of whom she met right here on Stage 32.

Her next lab on writing a historical fiction / period pilot script starts this weekend. https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-8-part-screenwriting...

I am excited to answer your questions about writing for television! You can ask me about the elements of a successful series, pilot structure, creating characters and world, the craft of writing pilot scripts, pitching for television and the state of the industry.

Ch6 Pg 11

EXT, CASTLE GARDEN - NIGHT

Garerit, still cloaked in his enchanted invisibility cloak, crouches in the moonlit garden. He gazes up at the towering structure, where a single window remains lit- the Princess's chamber. Garerit clenches a small pouch in his the magic beans he had taken earlier.

Garerit inspects the small, shimmering bean in his palm. It pulses with a faint golden glow, humming softly with hidden energy.

Garerit (Thinking): "If these beans truly hold magic, then this should do the trick.”

Garerit kneels by the tower's edge and presses the bean deep into the soft earth. He quickly covers it and steps back.

A faint tremor ripples through the earth. Tiny cracks form in the soil. Garerit stumbles back, eyes wide.

With a sudden burst, a thick, twisting vine shoots out of the ground, spiraling and twisting upward along the tower wall! Its leaves spread wide, forming natural footholds. The beanstalk stretches higher and higher, wrapping itself around the side of the tower. It stops just below the Princess's window.

Garerit grips the vine and begins his ascent, carefully stepping on the thick leaves. The tower walls are too smooth to climb otherwise—this is his only way up. A cool night breeze sways the beanstalk slightly as he climbs higher.

Ch6 Pg 12

EXT, CASTLE GARDEN - NIGHT

Under the pale moonlight, Garerit climbs a thick vine that has sprouted from the magic bean he planted below. The vine coils around the stone tower, reaching the window outside Princess Elaine's room. Garerit moves with practiced ease, careful not to make noise.

Garerit crouches on the window ledge, his magic cloak draped over his shoulders. The moonlight streams through the window, illuminating the chamber's elegant yet lonely decor.

Princess Elaine, a young woman with sorrowful eyes, sits on a luxurious, ornate bed under the moonlight, gazing at the night sky. Her long, flowing silver hair drapes over her shoulders as she absentmindedly touches her flowing white gown. A small candle flickers on a nearby table, casting a warm glow alongside a gilded mirror. Her expression is distant and pensive. Garerit observes her with awe.

Garerit (Whispering): "Princess Elaine?”

INT, ELAINE"S ROOM - NIGHT

She turns her head toward the window as the sound of rustling leaves reaches her, eyes narrowing. She looks at the dark figure in surprise.

Elaine: "GASP! Who's there?”

 Garerit (VO): "A friend.”

Garerit peeks through the windowsill with a mischievous grin. Elaine stood up quickly, startled by his sudden appearance.

Elaine (Softly): "Who are you? How did you find your way up here?”

Garerit (Grinning): "I'm Garerit, just a simple tailor, but a clever one. I used a little bit of magic."

Garerit steps down from the windowsill with a graceful bow. Elaine, though startled, watches him carefully, unsure of his intentions, but curiosity flickers in her gaze.

Garerit: "I heard a tale of a princess cursed to live as a white deer. Thought I'd see if it was true and meet her myself.”

In late 2026–2027, I plan to hire screenwriters for an animated series I’m producing. Writers will be engaged under non-union contracts, with compensation ranging from $250–$400 per 7–10 minute episode, and occasional higher pay for standout contributors.

Payment will be processed through a production payroll company (such as Entertainment Partners or Cast & Crew). The payroll company will serve as the employer of record and will provide all required tax documentation.

This will be my first time hiring freelance/gig screenwriters, and my goal is to create a fair, transparent, and positive working environment. I’d really appreciate insight from working writers:

What additional considerations should I be thinking about?

What do you typically expect or require from an independent producer looking to hire you?

What helps make a short-form writing job feel respectful and worthwhile?

Any guidance or perspective you’re willing to share would be incredibly valuable. Thank you!

Ch 6 Pg 9

INT. THRONE ROOM - DAY

A grand throne room, once a place of regal authority, was filled with tension. King Aldebrand, an aging but formidable ruler, sits on his throne, his face set in stone. Before him, EliDoras, draped in a long, flowing cloak embroidered with arcane symbols, stands defiantly. Court nobles murmur among themselves while guards stand at the ready.

KING ALDEBRAND:

"EliDoras, for your crimes against the kingdom, I hereby decree your exile. Never shall you set foot within these lands again!"

A FLASHBACK - EliDoras standing before a great, unfinished monument, his hands raised as dark energy crackles around him. The land wilts beneath his feet, and workers flee in terror as the sky darkens overhead.

NARRATION: "He sought to harness magic beyond mortal comprehension, promising prosperity but bringing only ruin."

King Aldebrand and his council stand in a war chamber, maps scattered before them, showing villages consumed by unnatural storms and crops turned to dust.

NOBLE:

"The sorcerer's experiments have brought famine and strife! His ambition knows no bounds!"

Back in the throne room, EliDoras clenches his fists, his eyes burning with defiance. His voice is sharp, filled with resentment.

ELIDORAS:

"You fear power you cannot control. But mark my words, this kingdom will suffer without me!"

Ch 6 Pg 10

INT. HALLWAY - DAY

Two royal guards seize EliDoras by the arms, dragging him toward the great doors of the hall. His cloak billows behind him as he glares back at the king, a smirk forming on his lips.

ELIDORAS (WHISPERING):

"You will regret this, old man. The world is larger than your throne."

A desolate road stretches beyond the kingdom's borders. EliDoras, now a lone figure in the distance, walks into the wild lands, where shadows seem to welcome him. The faint outline of a hidden fortress looms in the background, barely visible through mist and jagged peaks.

NARRATION: But exile is not the end of his story. In the forgotten places of the world, power still lingers, waiting for a master bold enough to claim it...

A dark chamber deep within the mountains. Hooded figures kneel before a grand, ancient throne, carved with symbols of lost magic. A single, spectral flame hovers above it, pulsing with power. EliDoras steps into the light, his smirk widening.

ELIDORAS:

They think they have cast me away... but my rule has only just begun.

This is my first completed screenplay, and I would truly appreciate any honest feedback or constructive criticism.

English is not my native language, so I’m aware there may be language or formatting issues. I’m very open to learning and improving, and I know the script will eventually need a polish editor.

If you have suggestions on who I could send this project to, or advice on next steps, I would be extremely grateful.

I’m also thankful for any recommendations for free or affordable screenwriting software.

Thank you so much in advance to everyone who takes the time to read or respond. It truly means a lot to me.

if you have to Rewrite a movie that already  Shown , What is the film you envision, and what would you like to write about it?

The purpose of this question is to inspire you to write the film you would like to see, exactly as you envision it.

Plot is not what happens.

Plot is the pressure system your protagonist is forced to navigate.

Most scripts collapse because the writer chooses events before choosing the governing pressure.

Pressure is:

- the force that narrows choices

- the condition that reveals character

- the engine that produces story

If you don’t define the pressure, your protagonist becomes reactive instead of authored.

Upstream clarity question:

What is the one pressure your protagonist cannot escape — and how does it shape their choices?

This is the decision that creates the engine.

Theme is not a message.

Theme is a governing question — the unresolved tension the story is built to explore.

Most writers try to “add theme” after the draft.

But theme isn’t an addition.

It’s the north star that aligns:

- character

- conflict

- structure

- resolution

If you don’t define the governing question, your script will feel scattered even if the scenes are strong.

Upstream clarity question:

What question does your story ask that your protagonist must answer through action, not dialogue?

This is the decision that gives the script meaning.