Trending Lounge Discussions

David Rozzell, If you’re specifically looking for mentorship and guidance on next steps, I highly recommend reaching out to the Stage 32 Success Team at Success@Stage32.com. If you share a bit about your project, your goals, and where you’re at in the process, they can help point you toward the most relevant resources, introductions, and opportunities here on Stage 32.

David Rozzell The Independent Producers Guild is a great place to start.

Congrats on your Emmy! That's amazing.

Hey Tyler Geis congrats on your emmy.

Hi Tyler Geis, welcome back! I’m Ashley, Head of Community here at Stage 32. It’s great to see you stepping out of observer mode and jumping back into the conversation.

And huge congratulations on the Emmy for your work on the Paris Olympics, that’s an incredible achievement.

It sounds like you’ve built some real momentum over the last few years, and with your goal of landing representation in 2026, this is a great time to get more visible and engaged. I’d definitely encourage regular participation in the Screenwriting Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting) and the Producing Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/producing). Those are strong spaces to reconnect, share what you’ve been working on, and build relationships with creatives and professionals who can help move things forward.

I’d also love to invite you to our March Community Open House next week. It’s a free session where I walk through what’s changed on the platform, how to use Stage 32 more strategically, and which resources may be the best fit for your goals this year:

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32s-march-2026-communit...

Really glad you’re back, Tyler. Looking forward to seeing you around the Lounges and hearing more about what you’re building next.

Emmy winner Tyler Geis has a great ring to it! Welcome back!

Tyler Geis Wow, that is AMAZING!!! Congrats!

That sounds like an amazing time! How cool! What do you think the most beneficial thing about Allegory?

Lauren Hackney I had a chance to take a selfie with Michael Hague who was a person I learned from immensely in my screenwriting journey.

Anthony McBride isn't it inspiring to meet the people we admire! Somehow it makes this industry feel accessible.

That's so cool Anthony McBride !

Gareth Taylor!! Happy Introduce Yourself Weekend, my friend! Have you been working on anything new that you’re excited about?

Ashley Renée Smith Vital Butinar My latest feature premiered 2 weeks ago. Here's the trailer: https://vimeo.com/1172795610?fl=tl&fe=ec. Besides this, I shot a commercial last week and have a documentary coming up in April. Sadly, this is as busy as I've been in the last year. It's been painfully slow.

Gareth Taylor That is very artfully shot. Dig the angles and lighting choices. Your department brought the Thunder visually. Let’s connect and talk shop when time permits. Sending positivity your way meanwhile.

- JD

J D Staley Thank you! I really appreciate the words. Let's chat

Hi everyone! I’m an aspiring screenwriter from Uzbekistan passionate about storytelling and filmmaking.

I’m currently working on original scripts, mainly in thriller and drama genres. My latest concept, “Shadow of Silence”, explores a young man uncovering a dangerous hidden truth.

I’m here to connect with filmmakers, producers, and creatives from around the world. Open to collaboration and new opportunities.

Let’s create something powerful together!

Found my "Mercy Springs" here, too.....who knows....have had lots of these that ended up quite honestly, nowhere.....fingers crossed. What stuns me here is the wide variety of writers and their cultural backgrounds. So impressive!

Congratulations to everyone who qualified and congratulations to everyone for entering - putting your work out there can be daunting! good luck for the next round of selections.

Grateful that my screenplay Mata Hari reached the Quarterfinals of the Stage32 + Mark Creative Management Film + TV Drama Screenwriting Contest.

While working on this story, I kept coming back to one idea: in a performative world, stillness is often mistaken for weakness. But I believe it’s the opposite. There is a quiet strength in not explaining yourself, in not performing for others, in simply remaining who you are.

Mata Hari created herself in a world that wanted to define her — and paid the price for it. it made me think a lot about what freedom really means. Not just the freedom to move, but the freedom to exist without constantly justifying who you are.

Always drawn to stories where identity and emotion live beneath the surface — this one means a lot.

— Judith

Congratulations to my fellow quarter-finalists! So grateful that my baby Blue Idaho is one of the selected few, in a line of talented international artists. Thumbs up!

Congrats everyone on making it this far! I'm excited to see if No Greater Duty can take the next step.

Amazing Shamila Habibi !!

Congratulations!

I'm so proud of you, Shamilia. It's a real honor to have your screenplay among the top six. Congratulations! I'd be honored to know what genre your screenplay falls into to be included in the top six. Your answer would help me understand it better. Thank you so much for sharing!

That's amazing! Congrats, Shamila!

Congratulation

Sam Rivera I appreciate that, Sam.

A lot of what I’ve been focusing on lately comes from what I learned while developing a psychological thriller I’ve been working on.

One of the biggest takeaways was restraint. Not needing to show everything, but letting tension come from what’s withheld. Allowing the frame to carry partial information, or placing the camera in a position where it feels like it’s observing something it shouldn’t fully understand yet.

I also started paying more attention to internal pacing within scenes. Not just how the story moves, but how long a moment is held, when to cut, and when to stay just a little longer than what feels comfortable. That delay can build a kind of pressure that dialogue alone can’t.

Another thing that stood out was contrast. Letting a scene feel controlled or even calm on the surface, while something underneath feels off. That imbalance tends to create tension without needing anything overt to happen.

It’s been less about adding more, and more about being intentional with what’s there and what isn’t.

Still refining it, but that’s been a big shift in how I approach scenes.

.

Icon Hakari Nice to see you back here! Don’t miss our special event today!Writer’s Room Q&A with Showrunner Jacob Tierney: https://www.stage32.com/writers-room/portal#webcasts

Sign up for a Free month of the Writer’s Room: https://www.stage32.com/writers-room/plans-vip

Welcome, Icon. The focus on how a scene feels visually rather than just how it reads on the page is exactly the right instinct for a writer-director. That gap between the two is where a lot of projects lose something -- and closing it early in the process makes everything downstream easier.

Psychological thrillers live or die on pacing and framing, so the fact that you are studying those elements deliberately while developing one speaks well of where this project is headed.

The graphic design background is more useful than people might expect in this space. Visual communication, composition, negative space -- those instincts transfer directly to how you think about a frame.

Take your time with it. The work will show that.

Lindsay Thompson I appreciate that, Lindsay.

A lot of how I’ve been thinking about psychological thrillers comes down to how much you choose to reveal versus what you let sit underneath the surface.

Even with the cover I posted, it’s less about something being clearly understood and more about creating a feeling through imagery and symbolism, letting it be interpreted rather than fully explained.

That same approach carries into how I build scenes. Keeping things grounded, but allowing certain elements to hold weight without drawing too much attention to them.

Just taking the time to develop that balance more intentionally.

Thank you so much, Sam Rivera — I really appreciate that.

Honestly, it felt like the story found me. I knew early on that I had to write my first script about her.

What drew me in wasn’t so much whether she was guilty or innocent, but the idea that she may have been misunderstood — a woman shaped by her time, yet refusing to be defined by it.

I was really interested in exploring that space between perception and truth, and what freedom actually means when the world is constantly trying to define you.

I’ll definitely check out the webcast — thank you for sharing that!

Hello Judith

Great to get to know you

Very interesting concept

Love to see actors who are also articulated writers. I believe your screenplay will be so vivid and fun to act, as you've written it with passion

Have a great one

~Dami

hey Judith Pajer congrats on making the QFs of the drama contest!

Thank you so much, Pat Alexander — I really appreciate that. It means a lot!

Thank you so much, Damian Watzen — that really means a lot.

I feel like writing and acting naturally inform each other, so being able to approach a character from both sides is something I really value.

Bravo!

Unprecedented and the next big thing, trust me guys, find a way to be co-funders on Darrell Pennington 's project.

Seriously, every one loves pets, and rarely does a chance for such a multi-cultural international adventure story comes to hand

I just got to know you Darrell, and you never fail to amaze

Love the logline! I can't wait to see it on the big screen.

Damian Watzen Thanks, Damian! I appreciate the support!!

Heidi Schussman Thank you Heidi!! I hope it happens!

Hi David DeHaas - it's great to see you here and awesome that you're writing and building your audience on Substack. I just read two of your essays there - very thought-provoking topics and ideas. I see the philosopher at work! As a screenwriter, what genres are you creating in? What types of films and shows do you like?

I have written in a number of genres actually! Recently I've been watching that show 'The Offer' learning about how they made the Godfather!

David, welcome! Screenwriter and philosopher is a pretty compelling combo, and building your Substack audience while developing your craft is genuinely smart strategy! Don't miss the FREE Community Open House on Wednesday, March 25 at https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32s-march-2026-communit.... What kind of stories do your philosophical leanings pull you toward most?

Hey David DeHaas great to hear from you! I was at a screenwriting seminar this past weekend and one of the producers mentioned substack being the place to be digital publishing these days.

Hi David,

Honestly, that’s not a bad strategy at all. Building an audience around your voice whether through philosophy, poetry, or storytelling can absolutely help create visibility and momentum over time. Producers and collaborators often respond not just to scripts, but to writers who show consistency, perspective, and the ability to engage readers.

More importantly, it gives you a space to keep creating and refining your themes while your screenwriting journey unfolds. Sometimes being “unproduced” just means you’re still in the phase of building signal.

Curious are you developing any scripts alongside the Substack, or focusing mainly on growing the readership first?

Wishing you real traction with both.

Hi Sandra and congratulations on your accomplishment. Like you I like stories with emotional depth because it makes you feel more connected with the character. It also makes you think. There's nothing like watching a movie or reading a book that has you thinking about it or replaying it in your head for days - even weeks after. It's essential to any story.

Thank you, Haley Mary

You are right, Devon Callahan, likewise. It’s essential to any story. Happy IYW.

Hi Sandra Correia! Happy Introduce Yourself Weekend! Love seeing everyone pop in and reintroduce themselves—glad you’re here! Congratulations on your short script, Soul Mated! Also, we wanted to invite you to our ON DEMAND event happening tomorrow in Stage32! Join our FREE script breakdown for HEATED RIVALRY, join here: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/heated-rivalry-breaking-down-...

Hi Jaz Lagrimas, happy to meet you. Thank youuuuuuuu. Yes, I am already IN. Thanks for advice. See you there.