Trending Lounge Discussions

Hi, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh that´s right. But we have to get used to it . It's actually a good sign. I’m also finishing my Paper Planes to take it to pitch, and all I want is to make them happen and get them optioned. I want to see it fly, just like the paper planes.

Hi, Darrell Pennington If we stop seeing it as a “hard truth” in a negative way, it becomes much easier to accept. We all have things to learn and areas to improve, so if we stay open to these hard truths, they can actually work in our favor.

Hi David Ramey Gordon Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Yes, social media can become very damaging for us, and we really need to be careful because not everything is what it seems.

Thanks forsharing your frustation John Fife. Are you editing without having a coverage report or after? It´s good to have other people opinion before editing in order to know exactly what to edit. I´ve been attending the Coverage Report sessions that Kay Ross presents here. Some are for USA residents and other for Europena residents because of Time Zone. I assure you it´s a very helpul decisin to make. You can email her teliing to want to participate. K.Ross@stage 32.com

Maria Caeiro Hi, thank you for sharing that. I completely agree in this industry there are many factors beyond the script itself that affect whether a project gets optioned or produced. The important thing is to keep improving the craft while also staying confident in our voice as writers.

Every script teaches us something new, and sometimes the right project just needs the right moment and the right people. Wishing you the best with your writing!

Nico Abondolo Thanks for this post. Tell us more about you and your projects to help others connect.

Can someone please make a musical that is cool songs and cool characters, people can take their kids to and its ok but totally parents musical plot.. and i dont care the plot. ? Something like a Car Chop Shop Stealing and Reasons Why.. and Consequences.. without a stop.. it will go on. I have a friend that kept driving on a taken away licence and over and over.. like 7 times got caught.. and only the running away an tacked by officers was what the judge cared about.. she spent one night in jail over and over.. and post poned the court for over a year and a half. Then spent 3 months in jail as the deal.. and is back out. That should be in there. Come up with Crimes your Friends got busted on and Fit them in.. Then it feels like a real number. You could have Jailed Players still calling shots on what to steal.. with their codes. And have funny things worked out for how they talk in code. And dont copy anyone elses stealing car idea . Make it where they make diversions as a group and crazy manipulations while stealing behind the person.. keep it a story behind the mains going. it doesnt have to be fast... a slow steal is funny. Best of Luck, Break A Leg..

You're absolutely right that the principles of storytelling (point of view, stakes, emotional payoff) are platform-agnostic. What changes is the rhythm and delivery: digital-first audiences often expect quicker engagement, visual hooks that work without sound, and a sense of immediate, accessible entry into the world. But underneath, they still crave what any audience craves: a reason to care. Action Bronson is a great example, and in general, it reminds me of this mixed bag of online personalities who have managed to crossover to bigger spaces, and the conversation of whether they are valid in those spaces, but we have those who majored in journalism and turned the internet into their own publication! When you're adapting those fundamentals for a project like this, do you find yourself leaning harder into character as the anchor because the narrative structure itself is looser?

Laura Notarianni Really interesting topic. In my opinion the platforms may change, but the core principles of storytelling remain the same. Whether it’s a film, series, or digital-first content, audiences still connect through character, conflict, and emotional payoff. The format might be shorter or more experimental, but the narrative engine is still built on the same foundations.

As a director - writer, I find that digital platforms actually push creators to be even more precise with storytelling grabbing attention quickly while still delivering a meaningful arc. It’s exciting to see how traditional storytelling tools are being adapted for new mediums.

Absolutely, and I've done the reverse, too: used my own life experience to figure out a character's. Most of my stories have a degree of idealism to them (after all, my art is my safe space to be my full self and at my core I am an idealist), but they also naturally are coloured by recurring experiences and thoughts, desires. It's why I write drama (particularly love triangles) so well lol (the fictional kind is infinitely more fun than the IRL kind >.>;)

Absolutely. Due to a pivotal choice that was in large part influenced by circumstances of the time, I ended up not going to a certain school. However, I imagined my life from that point on if I had gone and boom, it was the inspiration for a drama outline. The script is still in writing. Part nostalgia, part regret, part dream, it's a meditation on what might have been. My own parallel universe.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai hey! thank you, i also like this number a lot :)

Quite interesting, I also subscribed. I loved Alien White.

Aleia Sublime Really beautiful work. The atmosphere and tone are strong.

Sharda Crawford thank you! i’m happy you appreciate it

Shanan Samuels thank you; even one subscribe means a lot

woah, no idea but now I want to see it! XD

What about Unforgettable (2017)?

The Scream franchise and the spin off Scream-comedy movies are some of my favorites. I believe Scream played its part in shaping the market and how franchise movies would be presented throughout time, like many that have come before (e.g. Starwars). I'm one to say I love a good franchise. Cuddled up in front of the big screen with my favorite snacks on a rainy day is a great time to me. From Lord of the Rings, The Conjuring, and Harry Potter. However, franchises that are established to hold timeless quality like Stranger Things, It, and Jurassic Park or also notable mentions for their ability to stem far beyond novels, movies, and tv series but that evolve into full scale universes of merchandise, games, collaborations, partnerships, and immersive rides at Disney, Universal Studios. Beyond that, some of these high value IP franchises enable timeless nostalgia across generations. Movie to ride adaptions still have a large impact on my life today even though I experienced rides like Back 2 the Future, ET, and Backdraft when I was a kid growing up in California. The proximity of being around unlimited creativity and the environment walked by the stars kept my creative juices flowing and mind packed full of endless ideas. I'm sure things in California are far different than they were in the 90s.

I'd probably like to visit A Nightmare on Elm street with a modern reboot. However, aside from Freddy Krueger, I wouldn't use any of the other existing characters. I don't think you can replace the original Nancy and they already did a remake with the basic story.

The other option I'd like to do is a Friday the 13th film but with a more psychological take (as long as I retain everything that makes a Friday the 13th film) and a new protagonist who could potentially do as many as 2-3 films. I'd have to of course make the sure the first of those films actually works in a way that audiences accept it. Too many franchises look ahead without considering the first film actually works.

I do have ideas for actually do a miniseries that faithfully adapts the novel version of I Know What You Did Last Summer. There'd be changes to accommodate the modern day setting and deviating with a story that reduces a character to being hospitalized for much of it so that doesn't happen in my version. And also just having the four leads intermix more.

The only thing I think would stop me is the fact that the original novel isn't a slasher and people already have that at the back of their minds. Additionally, I'd have take into consideration that based on the box office returns past the first film and the fact that TV series didn't go beyond 1 season. I'm just not sure that IP has enough interest.

I could be just me, but I prefer more thought-provoking or fun-provoking films rather than fright-provoking franchises -- Sherlock Holmes, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, and the Knives Out franchise.

Tom Stohlgren I enjoyed the Indiana Jones franchise it was incorporated as an immersive ride experience at Universal Studios as well. And I will say I’ve taken a liking to the Knives Out franchise also.

l liked the Bourne series with the films Identity, Supremacy, and Ultimatum actually being an updated, post-Cold War adaptation of the first novel. I think that was a good move as that story focuses on Jason Bourne and who he is, while the subsequent novels' plots rooted in the Cold War wouldn't resonate with audiences too well in the early oughts.

I was diappointed with 2016's Jason Bourne and found it too much of a retread.

Congratulations! :)

Nice Job!

Congratulations!

thanks everyone! appreciate it!

Congratulations xochi

Great take Tash, so insightful. Thanks.

Tash Smurthwaite I got very helpful, thorough script analysis once from a competition I entered: "One of the script's biggest strengths: the characters. One of the script's biggest weaknesses: the characters." It made me realize I needed to layer my characters more rather than just coming up with good funny ones who deliver jokes. It's stuck with me ever since when writing new scripts or looking back on previous ones.

The best advice I get is the recurring advice from various editors/readers:

"Work on the credibility of your characters."

That's something I could get angry about, especially if I'm placing characters in an unusual setting, but even in a dystopian fantasy story (for instance), a character has to feel real.

Very insightful! Thanks for your expertise!

I learned filmmaking at a public access television station. The strategy was to film and edit something short, then show it to others for comments. Look at their faces while they looked at the video. One learns a lot in that way. And with 10,000 viewers one has good reasons to cut away errors as early as possible. So I have persuaded tens of people to give me comments on the screenplay I right now try to sell. I thank those who find something which is poorly written. When I receive a comment which I don't understand or can't use, I return to it after I have received comments from others.

I was actually looking into this recently too. I think online acting classes can be really helpful, especially if the instructor gives direct feedback on your scenes and auditions.

A friend of mine tried a small online acting workshop and said it helped a lot with confidence and character work.

I'm also curious to see what programs other actors here recommend.

I tried a couple of online acting classes last year and one of them was actually really good because the sessions were very interactive.

They focused a lot on audition techniques and practical exercises instead of just theory.

They also had a free workshop option which helped me decide if the classes were right for me.

I don't know of any interactive online acting classes . stage 32 has several acting and audition webinars and labs that you can find on the education page.

I'm totally new to animation, and the software that makes it work! I was thrown, kicking and screaming into it by shooting plates for VFX (as a cinematographer). Of course, this piqued my interest in just what my footage was going to be used for. Oh boy, did that open up a Pandora's box of excitement. Now I'm dropping names like, Maya, Houdini, Blender, 3Ds Max, Nuke as if I know what they do. And, I'm jonesing to see almost anything that hits the screen from the output end of that pipeline.

Any mind-blowing recommends I can gaze upon on Apple TV, I would most appreciate. Or if you've got shorts posted, staple the URL in the comments.

Cheers! Thank you Sydney S it's an exciting moment, and seems the definitions of the Category and Genre implications of Animation have gone broader,

however one feels about the amazing AI examples emerging across every platform, there is a full momentum of traditional techniques as well.

After 3 years in Production with miniatures and RC toys I launched my film to the global festival circuit August 2025 with world premiere in Istanbul at AIFF where it got Best Comedy Short Film.

It is questionable as Animation, I am expanding Episode 2 and beyond with more "stop-motion" technique but also relying mostly upon a "tableau and vignette" staging and shooting style that facilitates an unusual production design.

Anyway the proof-of-concept has reached 75 Selections from Festivals in more than 24 Nations with 20+ Awards and much more to come,

including Awards specifically for "Animated" Short, so I guess

"SUPER TURBO JET BOATS" Movie does in fact qualify for category!

I feel exceedingly gratified that my instincts for this script I wrote in 2021 brought me to physical techniques rather than AI because it feels like much more fun to build sets and execute the project in various locations than to simply sit at a desk and push buttons and let AI have all the fun!