Screenwriting

Maurice Vaughan I agree with the strong hook, Maurice. The hook for my psychological thriller, DREAM HOLLYWOOD, starts with two questions: 1.) Who's your favorite celebrity? (Wait for answer) 2.) If you had to, could you kill them? Yeah, these two REALLY get the ball rolling! : )

Sharing emotional moments always make for incredible nourishment during a pitch.

Dan MaxXx hahahahahahahah! "Always dudes." really made me laugh!! And Dan, I AM spending money. Those $35 pitch sessions don't grow on trees! Plus, being very cash-savvy, I like to bring a coupon to my Pitch Knife Fight. First impression is key, here. It tells the executive that I can work within budget.

What a hook, Bill Brock!

Maurice Vaughan Thanks, Maurice. It’s a very unique approach that hits an exec / producer right between the eyes! Plus, extremely memorable! I once had an exec answer “Tom Cruise”….. and he instantly followed with , “Wait, um… why would I HAVE to kill Tom Cruise???” I almost burst out laughing because the exec was totally thrown!! Man, I gotta dust that script off and get back to pitching it.

You're welcome, Bill Brock. Definitely memorable. Your hook got the exec/producer involved in the pitch. “Wait, um… why would I HAVE to kill Tom Cruise???” And your hook got him intrigued, which is great in a pitch!

If I am right, they are an AI feedback company.

I'm a big proponent of point of view in screenplays too, Mike Boas. And POV in scenes. I agree. Keep the story through the main character’s eyes, unlike the story calls for something different.

And I thought about something when I read your post. Sometimes writers pick the wrong character as the main ccharacter. Say a writer wants to pick a businessman as the main character. Maybe the story will be better if the janitor in the businessman's building is the main character.

Thats an okay theory but thats Monday quarterbacking from the couch. You dont know what you have until you shoot and edit. I mean anyone at home can redo anything after seeing the finished creation/thing/whatver. They aint starting on a blank canvas, or on-set deciding where to place the camera. Just think of the logistic issues of having one actor in every scene during production days. The Actor cannot get sick or take a time out and chill. He has to be in every shot every day.

The case for Bourne Identity is that if we never leave the character, we are more involved in the mystery, learning as he learns.

In the actual movie, we're ahead of the character, so the tension comes more from “what will he do when he finds out what we know?” A valid way to go, but it’s interesting to me that the story could work the other way with different tensions.

The best movies in my opinion are deft at shifting the points of view around to capture the story from different angles. A great hyper-focused one track POV can be cool if done well, but most of the time, I find stories benefit from being seen via multiple angles that can help add different textures and perspectives.

If Gilroy just had Bourne in every scene, from begin to end, you think Producers & the director would've given him script notes on cut aways to the villains or not? Mike Boas

I remember reading that orginal Star Wars script & movie assembly edit was supposed to begin with Luke on the farm. Who knew then you could introduce main character 25-minutes in?

Welcome to the community, Eddie Monkman. Here's a blog that'll help you connect with producers and other industry pros: www.stage32.com/blog/the-importance-of-community-and-collaboration-in-th...

Stage 32 has a Job Board where you can look for work (www.stage32.com/find-jobs). The Job Board is updated regularly.

You could post your projects on your profile. Producers search profiles on here for projects. 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 projects on your profile this way: www.stage32.com/loglines (near the top where it says “Add a Logline”)

Stage 32 has in-person Meetups that are great for networking (www.stage32.com/meetups). I didn't see any Meetups in London, but keep an eye on the Meetups page for more London Meetups. You're welcome to start a Meetup too.

Do the opposite of what everyone else is doing. If you got $$$, I would go to every major Awards show/charity events coming up. I think you can buy a ticket/hustle your way to the Oscars Awards or SAG/WGA dinners.

Thanks for the help!

You're welcome, Eddie Monkman.

Here! Here! It might not only make the screenplay stronger but you are developing relationships in a positve way.

How exciting, and a great lesson! Best of luck on this project! (Hopefully the producer suggested more Zeppo!)

Hi Brad, Zeppo is well and truly part of this story.

Hi Brad Eastridge, Yes, I have always thought Zeppo was a forgotten member and was a massive part of the story; my screenplay is mostly set before the movies in Vaudville, and Zeppo was integral.

So excited to see this! Congrats and best of luck, can't wait for this to get made!

I haven't seen NICKEL BOYS yet, Pat Alexander, but I remember seeing the shot of the two protagonists walking and looking up at the camera, and I wanted to see the movie and read the script. I think a unique concept, POV, character, etc. is one of the easiest ways to get people interested in a script.

Hey, Thomas Cummins. Stage 32 offers feedback (www.stage32.com/scriptservices). I got some of the best notes in my career during a Feature Script Read + 30 Minute Talk with an Executive.

Feel obliged to throw my own hat into the ring. I've been working in the industry since the last century and have been helping to develop scripts for many, many years. Do take a look at my site for more information, and feel free to come have an informal chat anytime. www.philmscribe.com

Congratulations on your play being nominated for the 2025 Pulitzer, Susan Kelejian! I hope you win! Forming a production company sounds exciting! Congratulations!

I don't think I've ever written a script that was pure entertainment. All of my scripts deal with social issues and social change, even if it's a tiny bit.

I think a lot of these social issue type things tend to be just part of the background in the beginning of the story, almost invisible to the main character, then gradually builds up as a real problem until it is something they're forced to confront. No one wants to face horrible situations, theyre forced to.

I love that this topic has garnered so much attention! So cool to see that so many of you are looking at the imprint you leave on the world. Kuddos!

Mike Clarke thanks for your comments and your honesty. Much appreciated the way you phrased it.

Susan Kelejian You're definitely someone to watch in the future. Lately, everything I've been drinking has a bitter taste to it. That's probably why my latest film project is titled THE CURMUDGEON. I'll be looking for your next project THE OPTIMIST to come out next year! (Note to readers: Susan has no project titled THE OPTIMIST. I love her focus though.)

Whats the endgame? Writing for tv for someone else or writing a tv show based on your idea?

Just seems members here want to do their own thing, sell specs and be number 1 on tv show call sheets with zero track records. Now look at it from a rep's pov- what makes your talent above average than their current roster?

Dan MaxXx I think about this all the time, i.e. it's often hard to discern what people's ultimate screenwriting goals are. Do you want to be a ghostwriter, a TV staff writer, a story analyst, a script doctor, a freelance screenwriter, a web series writer, etc.?

I agree with a lot of the advice here, and I'm in a similar boat to you, Line Rainville , though about 4 months behind you (not ready for an agent or to pitch my work quite yet). My plan is to follow Maurice's guidance above, and will try to focus most of my efforts on pitching and identifying opportunities to showcase how my screenplay might be valuable/sellable.

Thank you all for your thoughtful insights and advice! I truly appreciate the time you took to share your perspectives.

@Maurice Vaughan – Your suggestions on networking and contests reveals really helpful. I’ll continue expanding my connections here and exploring Stage 32 opportunities, while using IMDbPro, though finding agents open to unsolicited submissions remains a challenge.

@Mike Clarke – Your approach is interesting, and I agree that the industry is highly competitive. I want also to engage in the creative process and collaborating on bringing projects to life. Wishing you the best on your journey!

@Drongo Bum – I completely agree that having a strong portfolio is crucial. I have screenwriting experience, and one of my pilot episodes was recommended by WeScreenplay for its potential. I’m continuously refining my work and seeking the right avenues to showcase it.

@Ewan Dunbar – Great point! I see this as an active process and want to demonstrate my value beyond just having completed scripts. I’m open to getting involved in the development and writing process to bring a project to production, not just selling concepts.

@Mike Childress – I appreciate the perspective on managers, but at this stage, I believe an agent is more aligned with my goals. My focus is on making the right connections to move my projects forward rather than development oversight.

@Dan MaxXx – To answer your question, I aim to develop and sell my own TV series, but I’m also open to opportunities to contribute as a writer on other projects. I understand that representation is about demonstrating industry value, and I’m working to position myself accordingly.

@Patrick "PK" Koepke – It sounds like we’re on similar paths! I’d be happy to keep in touch and exchange insights as we navigate this process.

I continue searching for agents or producers open to sci-fi projects, I’ll explore here. Thanks again for all the great advice!

You're welcome, Line Rainville. Glad my suggestions were helpful. Let us know how the search goes.