Trending Lounge Discussions

Congratulations!

you will get it next time, hope we can work together, I have a really good movie to share with you them won’t neglect us

Congratulations! Keep an eye on our upcoming contest announcements. If you got one official selection honor, more are on the way for you, I'm sure!

Bravo! @paulcondon

Congratulations!!! Paul Condon =) Yay!

Maria Restivo Glassner Thank you, I'm not great at drawing so It did take a lot of time to do this, overall it's a concept that payes omage to the classic cartoons.

Sydney S Thank you. I've put a lot of effort. I have way much more art about this, I just chose this one because is my fauvorite.

This looks fantastic. Just the time of extreme artwork needed in the 3D space.

Kevin Jackson Thank you I think the same.

Congratulations on Armstrong-D.U. being under consideration by a producer, @Alex! Dog's Land sounds fun and incredible! I like both animation styles in the picture, especially the bottom style! I like the idea of having a hybrid language! I'm looking forward to seeing how Dog's Land looks on screen!

Everything was corrected that dday and the producer loved the pitch and said it exellent characters. S. it was worth the confusion bc everything he said indicated a read. But we'll see. Thank you to everyone for ther help and advice. This was a producer who worked on many films in the same lane as mine, so it was never about 35 bucks. And all about sticking to a plan. And I've gotten 3 reads out of 6 pitches so far, so I'lm starting to see the inevitability of this film becoming reality.

Dominick Lordes 3/6? That's a great record. Really exciting. Feel free to DM me when you hear back from the producers, or if anyone want to engage, shop the project etc. and I can advise on next steps.

Well, I've been nominated for best. supporting actor at LIFFfor a role. flatter than 3 week old champagne, so I've pitched myself to play the lead. That's why I wrote it. The three producers who requested a read all seemed to love my. passion, and were cool with it. So, if nything goes further I think I need to get an Entertainment lawyer. That's my next if and. when the interest in the piece starts a bidding war. But when all comes down to it, I will ask you for your advice my good man. Thank you and I'me very grateful for your support. That kind of love is certainly felt.

That’s really frustrating, especially considering the time and effort that goes into preparing a pitch. I’m sorry you had to experience that.

At the same time, situations like this unfortunately highlight how unpredictable the industry can be. I hope you get another opportunity to present your work to someone who truly values your time and creativity.

Wishing you better and more respectful collaborations ahead.

All. worked out great, Hadil. Stage 32 were real pros and got me my pitch back that very same day. And the producer I pitched. to was awesome and liked it. So, no harm no foul. I was just. upset the moment it happened and it turned. out to be rectified with class and accuracy. I love these pitches and I've had extraordinary grace. and luck doing most of them. Not everyone's going to love your shit.

I've made so many posts and comments for so long, I don't remember when I started seeing results, Abhijeet Aade. I haven't been that active on Stage 32 lately because of health issues. I've been catching up on some posts and messages today. But it's not always about being super active. Sometimes it's about meeting the right person/people.

That makes a lot of sense, Maurice Vaughan really appreciate your honesty.

It’s reassuring to hear that it’s not just about constant activity, but also about connecting with the right people at the right time. I guess it’s a mix of consistency and timing.

Wishing you a smooth recovery as well hope everything gets better on your end soon.

Thanks again for sharing your experience, it’s genuinely helpful.

You're welcome, Abhijeet Aade. Yeah, it's a mix of consistency and timing. Thanks. Have a great week!

Abhijeet Aade The short answer is yes! Producers, managers, and collaborators discover projects and talented people through Stage 32 conversations all the time. But it usually doesn’t happen from a single post alone. It comes from consistent visibility, thoughtful engagement, and relationship building over time.

We’ve seen some really great examples of this in the community! For instance, Sandra Correia built her crew and created her first short film, which is now screening at festivals around the world, from connections she made right here in the lounges:

https://www.stage32.com/blog/from-idea-to-laurel-how-i-wrote-directed-pr...

Just recently, a producer reached out to Stage 32 member Lauren Hackney to collaborate on a screenplay after connecting through conversations in the Screenwriting Lounge. She shared about that experience in yesterday's blog:

https://www.stage32.com/blog/why-stage-32-feels-like-a-choose-your-own-a...

Keep showing up, sharing your process, asking questions like this, and engaging with others. That’s where the real momentum tends to build.

And of you're curious about the other ways that Stage 32 members are finding success, you can check out this awesome blog from a few weeks ago that breaks down other Success Stories from the last year: https://www.stage32.com/blog/land-your-first-win-what-you-can-learn-from...

It happens all the time! We have had hundreds of success stories over the years that you can more about here: https://www.stage32.com/scriptservices/success-stories. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. We recently published an article compiling the more than 80 success stories that happened last year with writers getting signed, having their projects produced and more: https://www.stage32.com/blog/land-your-first-win-what-you-can-learn-from... I'd recommend sending me and the team an email at success@stage32.com, sharing more information about your writing and your goals so that we can help you.

Halloween, 1995.

I take back everything I said Steve Windels . Bill Brock should replace Bruce Willis.

Haha yes definitely!!

I will always be up for another installment of the Die Hard franchise!

Leonardo Ramirez HAHAH! Good one, guys. Would love to! Anyone got a Time Machine? I was 32 back in ‘95!!! I went to a costume party that year. I need to find the full body photo. Dried bloody rags tied to my bare feet. Yep. Total commitment!

Michael Thorn Swing over to YouTube and type the title into the search box. It’s there.

OK.

Best of luck to you, Bill!

Michael David Thanks, Mike. You’re very kind, which is why I’m tossing all my luck over to you. This new-found Double Luck Identity will enable you to….. Dare I say it…….RULE THE WORLD!!!!!!

Bill Brock Great topic Bill. I totally agree with you as I have noticed the same thing. I don't like the movies that come out now because they seem empty or a duplicate plot from a previous movie. I only went to the theater twice last year and did not like either movie. I was bitching about them on my way out of the theater. Makes you think with the rise of AI that they have software nowadays that will make the entire movie with your script. I haven't used it yet but I often wonder if Hollywood is dying, will writers turn to these programs with their scripts and create a full length feature film? A film created by AI that the writer can post on You Tube or TikTok and charge viewers $1 to view the movie. If viewers don't like it, the review comments would sink the video but on the flip side, if the viewers do like it, the review comments would garner more paying customers and writers would get their payday upfront. I love technology.

Film I made

Another

Hey, I’m also starting out again after leaving the filmmaking and writing for years. I’m trying to get back into it. Would love to find collaborators.

Hey Huneyn, welcome!

Honestly, the ideas themselves are less important than the perspective you bring to them. AI-human love, religion, even psychological killers—these have all been explored before, but what makes them feel fresh is the emotional core and how personally you approach them.

For example, an AI love story isn’t really about “AI” anymore it’s about connection, loneliness, identity, and what it means to be human. If your version is rooted in grief and guilt, that already gives it a stronger, more unique angle.

Same with religion and love—people don’t necessarily look for answers, they connect more with characters who are struggling with those questions in an honest way.

If anything, I’d say don’t worry about whether the idea is “overdone.” Focus on:

– what your story is really about beneath the concept

– what emotional experience you want the audience to feel

That’s what makes it stand out.

Curious—which one of your projects feels the most personal to you right now?

Abhijeet Aade Hey, thanks for commenting! I think the angel story? It's the most personal one to me. But, I don't know, people say I talk about things through my works. They say I ask questions through my work, questions that shouldn't be asked? People said that these questions made them somewhat uncomfortable. But I guess that's what it means to make art, and express yourself, right? to express things that can't be expressed through words, or ordinary interactions.

But yeah, it's a bit strange, but the more I think about my stories, the more I'm in shock at what I wrote. Because it's clearly implying something, something I wasn't writing consciously. Like the AI love story I wrote, I was thinking about it. As it turns out, it's not just an AI love story. It's about grief and love through the lens of an AI. It's that AI discovering how messy humans are, and how messy we are when we love someone, and I think this project is going to talk to people, like really talk to them about their own relationships, and how messy they've been in their relationships.

I sold an entire series based on the strength of the deck and the accompanying PoC. 6 full episodes. COVID ended up killing the production. We were small enough and new enough that we didn't recover like some of the bigger shows. Nevertheless, the PoC was what got me in the door with the right folks to greenlight the project. No tears, though, because that closed door opened a window to another series that is still airing. Again, a strong PoC helped sell that one too.

I also still make shorts after all these years because they're fun to make and I don't need anyone else to fund them, approve them, or even like them. They're just for me.

My vote is on short film.

go with the short film, since we are in this new age of production opportunities, that option seems more feasible.

In 1980, there was a short film titled Proof, that became a 1985 feature titled Fandango. Both were directed by Kevin Reynolds. Proof was taken shot-for-shot from a sequence of Fandango. It was a hell of a sequence, though. If you want to see how one thing led to another, watch Fandango understanding that Proof is the skydiving sequence. Maybe that will inspire your choice of a scene that will sell your feature.

If you are a new director, certainly a short film to demonstrate your talent.

Oh my gosh, that first one Banafsheh Esmailzadeh - that's hilarious!! And cool that you got one from Clayton as well!

Leonardo Ramirez Truthfully, it wasn’t when I was writing a script or studying to become an actor. It goes back even earlier—when I was a ballet dancer.

At the Kennedy Center, a renowned prima ballerina with American Ballet Theatre said something to me that I’ve carried ever since:

“Never ever give up. What one person tells you doesn’t mean it’s true. If I had listened, I never would have become a prima ballerina.”

I was very young when she said that—but it stayed with me.

Wow, Natalie Diorio - what a memory. I can totally see where the atmosphere and setting at the Kennedy center contributed to the memory of someone saying something so meaningful. Nice!

Thanks Leonardo Ramirez, yes, that first one is an all-timer xD and yeah, Clayton so far is a cool dude :)

Leonardo Ramirez I have a lot of great memories to share and to be honest I am so grateful. I just don't know where to share them so others can also learn from them, maybe? But they are all great and fun. I shake my head from all the experiences I have had as a violinist, a ballet dancer, as an actress working on sets and stage and now as a first time screenwriter. I am making myself sound old, but I'm not. I've just been lucky because I NEVER GAVE UP. =)

your text is invisible.

thanks for the feedback, I don’t know why my text is invisible

ps: I posted the movie details on my wall if you can’t see it here

Hey, Lauritz Ingram. Welcome to Stage 32. Here's a blog that'll help you navigate the platform: www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-platform-...

And here's a video that'll help you navigate Stage 32: www.stage32.com/help?category=how-to-navigate-stage&parent=341676

You can edit your comment by clicking "edit" to the right of your name where it says "edit," "delete," and the time you made the comment.

Hey Maurice … Thanks

https://youtu.be/h6Q4ilD448s?si=HTGK8RTWMEOWNfMs

You're welcome, @Lauritz.