Screenwriting : Script/Meeting requests from pitches by Christine Capone

Christine Capone, this is such a great question! Similar to a few of the questions that have been knocking around in my own head. For context, I am un-optioned, new to the industry, long-time writer. Full of naivete as they say. I've been writing and studying since 1994 - my days at "The American Academy of Dramatic Arts", when it was still in Pasadena. Now that my construction business is self-sustaining, my sights are set on perfecting and marketing my screenplays.

I have been "tuning" my screenplay Elven for about 4 months, and wanted to get insight and knowledge from an industry professional. Specifically an established actress's perspective. I spent the $149, and got the "Script Read" and 30 minute conversation with Allie MacDonald. Worth every penny! She was insightful of possible changes, knowledgeable of my script, and supportive of the moments within the script that are spot on.

I know this doesn't really answer your question regarding pitching, but if you are seeking really good, real time feedback, I highly recommend the 30 minute conversation. They literally shared with me the changes they want to see, to consider my script for option (their opinion). To be able talk about my screenplay with an established working executive . . . worth its weight in gold! How else would I ever get that opportunity? Maybe when I have representation, but until then . . . will any of this lead to representation, a sale, or option? Not sure, but my optimism is starting to feel more like discernment. If my work is good, then the results will speak for themselves. Until then, I don't have any other option but to pay for people's opinion, just like I do at my doctors office. 30 minute talk with an executive? 100% worth it. Talk to me in 60 months, I will either be severely jaded or optioned. Ha!

Your book of work is remarkable! Keep up the good fight! We are here rooting for you!

Hi Matthew thank you for sharing this information. I agree, it helps to get feedback from an exec. if your script isn't getting any traction, as far as passes and requests are concerned. I usually pay for script coverage before I send it out to a competition. I know, it's a lot of money, but the feedback helped me advance to the QF's last year. Maybe I'll try a phone conversation. The one comment that I seem to receive is "We've seen this before", which makes me question...where? I mean, there's a formula that you have to follow. In rom coms, the girl ends up with the guy or vice versa. In a crime, there's a good guy and bad guy, but when you write it like that, they want something different and when you change it, they say it's not formulaic. It's a struggle. In any case, I hope you were optioned!! Good luck with your writing and thank you for your comment!

Greg, I know, it's very expensive. One year, I spent over $300 in coverage. That is why I do these pitches. Usually I do anywhere between 2-3 pitches for the same script and then I compare notes and make the necessary changes. You'd be surprised how different their comments are, but they're helpful none the less.

They are real meetings. A writer Sean Farley signed with a manager at Zero Gravity off a Stage 32 Feature Read+30 Min call. His script got optioned, then produced in late 2023. The movie is a crime thriller called Neighborhood Watch, starring Jack Quaid and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, directed by Duncan Skiles (The Clovehitch Killer) and it's due out later this year!

Christine Capone Most any professional producer should be able to to gauge where your project should fall from just the genre and a 3-4 sentence synopsis. Is it a fairly new and original way of looking at the subject matter? Is it entertaining or emotionally moving? Does it have a strong rewatchability factor? After that everything is a gamble for them.

In 2024, we saw (or didn't see) a lot of film belly flops that these "experts" thought would make a profit but for one reason or another were grossly unnoticed by the general public. Everything from big budget disasters to small budget misfires with every film going into production thinking it's going to hit big with audiences. No matter the size of the disappointment, they all had one thing in common; someone made a hell of a pitch to get these underachieving disasters made.

Now I have a film project with a low budget and a worldwide known talent interested in the title role. The genre is the top of the market shares according to genre and I did not pay for feedback of any kind. So far, while no one has pulled the trigger, I am getting my work looked at and considered.

So while this industry says the story is most important thing, it really isn't. It's the confidence and hype you can bring to your work. Be excited about what you want to say to the world and if they tap into your energy, they'll figure out the rest.

All of the script reads I've done have been phenomenally helpful Christine Capone. Although to be transparent, I spent at least twice as much in '24 on both reads and pitches but none of the pitches panned out. .Some things you'll want to keep in mind are the state of the industry and the genre you write. I had one executive give me a "writer:recommend" and say to me, "you clearly have a destiny in writing animation and specifically, science fiction - in a space where it's needed" but because of the state of the industry, he passed on the project. Animation is expensive but live-action drama is not. Executives are scared to sign a new person on. I'm not saying any of this to be negative or toot a horn, I'm simply saying there are a lot of variables. AND writers are expanding into other areas as well (producing, acting, etc.) Either way, you got a double-recommend which is fantastic! Keep going.

I've had a 60-minute Skype call with an exec and it went quite well. Ultimately she didn't elect to pursue anything with me but I appreciated her insights and learned a lot about what to expect and how some execs think. I've also had one live pitch session where I learned about pitching and while she loved my idea and said she'd love to see it as a movie, sometimes execs have to pass because they don't feel they're the right person to take it on. I respect that immensely.

Christine Capone, success stories happen from those meetings all the time! You can see many of these successes shared here: https://www.stage32.com/scriptservices/success-stories

We also publish Stage 32 Success Stories on the Stage 32 Blog almost every Wednesday (including today), so that members and execs can share these stories with the community and offer insight into how they moved things forward. You can find these stories here: https://www.stage32.com/blog/tags/success-stories-55

Some particularly exciting ones to check out:

https://www.stage32.com/blog/a-stage-32-success-story-getting-to-the-yes...

https://www.stage32.com/blog/the-little-screenwriter-who-could-tenacity-...

https://www.stage32.com/blog/more-pitchin-less-bitchin-how-i-found-repre...

https://www.stage32.com/blog/how-stage-32-helped-me-accomplish-my-goals-...

https://www.stage32.com/blog/merrily-all-the-way-we-roll-from-stage-32-c...

https://www.stage32.com/blog/merrily-all-the-way-we-roll-from-stage-32-c...

https://www.stage32.com/blog/stage-32-success-story-zero-to-zealful-in-u...

https://www.stage32.com/blog/how-stage-32-got-my-work-in-front-of-the-ri...

Don’t you just love those “great project, but because of the state of the industry we have to pass” passes haha

to be fair, Cameron Tendaji the state of the industry in 2023 was pretty brutal and had an odd hangover effect into 2024. think we'll be seeing less of those in 2025, as folks already seem back off to the races so far this year

Ah, there's a success stories section. I guess I just needed to do a bit more digging.

Mike, I've only submitted written pitches.

"We've seen this before" is a tough criticism bc sometimes you are writing something that's been seen before somewhat and you're doing it because you like it. I think the key to all writing is bringing a new take to the story or a different point of view on familiar subject matters.

Just looking at some scripts that have won Stage 32 contests in the last year, which are scripts that have been read and really enjoyed by over a dozen people (i.e. very well vetted and the kinds that garner lots of meetings) -- there was a holiday movie from a genderqueer perspective, there was an action movie where a cleaning lady takes a superserum and gets special abilities, there was a twist on the classic Cinderella fairy tale, there was a sci-fi drama series set in the world of cryogenics, there was a comedy about a curmudgeonly nihilist who has to learn interdimensional astrophysics.

all of these scripts were pretty familiar type stories with a common structure that's been seen before, but they all contained a unique take on the familiar. we've seen plenty of superserums, but a cleaning lady taking it feels new. we've seen Cinderella, but this time it's from her sister's perspectives and they're the heroes, we seen slick tech-y dramas but we haven't seen a deep dive into the world of cryostasis. so there's always room to operate within audience expectations by creating a new angle on what's been seen before.

Hi Christine. I must say, I myself had a positive experience. It was educational and there was interest. Unfortunately she could not take it on as there is a copyright (film title) issue which can be remedied with a letter from company to allow me right to use title. All in all I had a fantastic experience as it was my first pitch.

Your odds are extremely small. Even if you had the most incredible personal into, then you had the most amazingly executed script, what are the odds that 1 person you are pitching has the pull to actually green light budget, get the right actors, director, and make the film and then distribute it? This last year also saw major down turns in production and tons of writers and other people in film getting no work. People with lengthy careers threw in the towel because they couldn't afford to go out of work for so long. I don't want to discourage you but just trying to paint the picture that in order for anyone to get a deal right now there's a lot that has to go right.

No Robert, that's not discouraging at all!! haha. We can still write. Do you continue writing know this?

In my experience with pitches on Stage 32, I’ve only received feedback and got one request that ended with no interest.

I view pitching from a slightly different perspective. The notion of a 'gatekeeper' who can unlock opportunities feels somewhat distant, especially in contexts like Brazil, where pitching is rarely the first point of contact. As a filmmaker, my experience has shown that projects are typically submitted beforehand, with the process heavily centered on securing funding. Frankly, the odds of success are slim, and the costs are high. I don’t believe pitching should be treated as a career strategy in any form—even if you do your research and target executives who work with projects like yours, pitching often feels more like a lottery.

We must also confront a truth: executives are often poor judges of scripts or projects. Many prioritize what their companies or clients demand, aligning with industrialized metrics rather than artistic merit. How often have we wondered how certain films got made? (What is okay? The Joblo channel on YouTube has wonderful stories that answer this question!) Executives invariably evaluate projects through a commercial lens, comparing them to pre-existing successes to fit market trends. But filmmaking is an art, inherently subjective. Can you imagine David Lynch pitching Eraserhead in a boardroom?

This brings to mind Paul Schrader’s quote: 'A screenwriter is half a filmmaker... But it is not an art form, because screenplays are not works of art. They are invitations to others to collaborate on a work of art.' For this reason, I advocate for alternative paths seeking partnerships with directors or actors, producing independently of market expectations, and submitting work to festivals. While not easy, this approach prioritizes the creative and collaborative process.

That said, for me, pitching should be reframed not as a transactional sales process but as a chance to improve storytelling skills. Every pitch forces you to convince others, and future collaborators of your vision, offering valuable feedback. Regardless of the outcome, observing reactions, whether visceral or technical, helps me refine the narrative. While success is unpredictable and expectations must be managed, the act of pitching itself is educational. Embrace it: tell your story, and who knows where it might lead.