Trending Lounge Discussions

Hi Luca Nicora, welcome to Stage 32! I’m Ashley, Head of Community here on the platform. It’s great to have you here!

I’d encourage you to stay active in the Screenwriting Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting), the Acting Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/acting), and the Filmmaking Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/directing). Those are great spaces to connect with creatives across all sides of the craft and build relationships with people working in similar, character-driven spaces.

If you’re looking to connect your projects with the right opportunities and collaborators, our Success Team is also a fantastic resource. You can reach them at Success@Stage32.com and share more about your slate and goals, they can help guide you toward curated introductions and next steps.

I’d also love to invite you to our Community Open House happening this week. It’s a free session where I walk through how to navigate Stage 32 strategically, build meaningful industry relationships, and make the most of the platform’s tools and resources:

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

Hey @Luca Nicora great to hear from you! Sounds like you come from a great background with strong training and have the right mindset in developing your slate on your. That shows great initiative that can get people behind you. Keep on building and check out all the opportunities on Stage 32 to connect with passionate creatives!

Fantastic!! \o/

Kevin Jackson I know it was meant for clarity but the (DO NOT QUOTE ME ON THIS) was unnecessary funny to me because my knowledge is limited so I tread extremely light around the topic too. It makes sense what you're saying and I would love to learn more because there's money and opportunity with it, however I don't feel like anyone talks about this in depth. I went to a local film festival here in Texas and they spoke about it on a generic bases but I would love to dive deeper on the topic to truly grasp the resources that are available. I wonder if this would be something the education team here at stage 32 could put a webinar or something together for. THIS would be the content I would love to sit in on and learn about. Also, if this message doesn't make sense. I'm sleep deprived and running off of hopes and dreams at this point in time.

In terms of courses, stage32 does provide education where that is concerned. Hope this help. I have no idea how in depth they go.

Get Certified in Feature Film Financing Agreements https://certification.stage32.com/#/online-courses/bf3d1992-3d70-4a33-9e...

There is also this webinar "how you can use US tax incentives to fund your film

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/how-you-can-use-u-s-tax-incen...

Understanding Global Tax Incentives.

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/understanding-global-tax-ince...

A bit late to the conversation but I think the tax credit will only be of use for local production start ups. The exchange rate and established talent pool in Canada and India will still draw the larger productions. Always happy to see animation get a break in the industry.

Kevin Jackson Thanks for sharing! I'll be sure to check them out in my down time this week.

Ruslan Malakhov whenever someone asks, “What kind of budget do you imagine for this film?” my response is always, “I believe every story can be told for any budget. Give me a campfire, and I’ll keep you on the edge of your seat for 90 minutes.”

EVERY person I’ve said that to responds with a broad smile.

That notwithstanding, I am embarking on my feature directorial debut and have intentionally scaled it down - limited locations and cast, no pyro, no stunts, no car chases. I’ve made every move I can think of to limit the risk I present as a first time director.

Think of Japanese haiku in which one has a budget of syllables per line. The limitations you have to work within tend to intensify the language used, focus one on essential meaning, etc. So any constraints one has to work under can have its advantages to creativity too.

Great question, Ruslan and very relevant right now.

I do think many writers have become more budget-aware at the concept stage, sometimes even before fully discovering the emotional core of the story. Market awareness can be a useful tool, but when it starts to dictate imagination too early, the work can lose urgency and originality.

In my experience, the strongest projects usually begin from a place of necessity a theme, character dilemma, or world that demands to be explored. Budget strategy can then shape how that idea is executed rather than whether it exists at all. Some of the most effective high-concept films feel large not because of scale, but because of clarity of stakes and precision of perspective.

So perhaps the balance is this: create without fear first, then package with intelligence. When both instincts are present, the story has a better chance of feeling both authentic and viable in the marketplace.

Elara Wright

elarawrites133gmail.com

One should write to create excellence in writing. That is the priority. Further down the list is to be budget conscious, although in today's world much is possible with less.

Aside from special effects concerns, a good writer should be able to limit number of characters and locations and still tell a good story. Write it so it works on a lower budget, with the possibility to expand with higher priced cast, crew, and production value.

Macbeth works just as well in a black box theater as it does in feudal Japan or outer space.

Some writers have yet to learn to minimize locations (reduce unnecessary company moves) or consolidate characters (why does that waiter get a monologue on page five, then never appear again?).

I just watched Bugonia, which is mostly three people in a house. And it’s riveting.

Vital Butinar Don't miss our Free Writer’s Room Q&A with Showrunner Jacob Tierney Tomorrow at 3PM PT: https://www.stage32.com/writers-room/portal#webcasts

Congrats on getting a first feature to post — that's no small thing, especially on a no-budget production where every problem requires a creative solution rather than a financial one. There's something uniquely exciting about that moment when a teaser comes together and you can finally see the film living outside your own head. What's the biggest surprise so far in the edit — anything that ended up working better than expected, or a scene that's challenging you in ways you didn't anticipate?

Hi Vital Butinar Happy Introduce Yourself Weekend! It’s awesome to see you here and taking a moment to reintroduce yourself. Wishing you all the best with your project, Pure Vortex!

Thank you Laura Hammer! I'll definitely try.

Thank you Sam Rivera. Yeah it is interesting seeing the trailer and it makes it real, I also kind of took it as a kind of marker or something, now the teaser is out and I have to finish the film. If you know what I mean.

It's interesting because one of the things that didn't surprise me about pre-production and production was how much similar it was to our short film shoots. Same prep, same production basically.

But yeah, the biggest surprises were in post, how some things worked great and how we had to massage other stuff into place. But the way biggest surprise was because we added a bunch of story in pre-production to the screenplay to make the supporting characters deeper. It's funny how now while cutting we got almost exactly to the same place with the story that it was before we started changing it for production. That's what I found really interesting and of course how different it is shaping a story through an entire hour and a half long film. Which is also a bit different than with shot films or music videos.

Also that my initial estimate of 5 months for post production was way off, it's going to be more like 7 to 8.

Now that sounds like a really cool series. I don’t think we’ve ever seen something like that set in a carnival, that’s a cool concept.

Thank you for those encouraging words.

Hi Kazie Kane, welcome to Stage 32! I’m Ashley, Head of Community here on the platform. Carnival Town Murders sounds like such a cool concept! As you continue developing it, I’d encourage you to stay active in the Screenwriting Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting) and the Producing Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/producing). Those are great spaces to connect with writers and producers working in series development and to build relationships that can help move a project like this forward.

You may also really enjoy the Writer’s Room, especially right now. It’s a fantastic space to connect with industry professionals, join exclusive discussions, and access Open Writing Assignments. You can explore a free first month here:

https://www.stage32.com/writers-room/plans-vip

And tomorrow is actually a great time to jump in, Writer’s Room members will have access to a live Zoom Q&A with the showrunner of the hit series Heated Rivalry. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about developing a strong drama series directly from someone doing it at a high level.

Really glad you’re here, Kazie. Looking forward to seeing you around the Lounges!

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.

This is such a great post- congratulations!!

Amanda Toney The shopping agreement started with a conversation here on S32. From a comment response, to messages, to emails, to a query, to series of Zooms, and finally the agreement and a contracted rewrite based on notes from the interested party. The latter got the shopping agreement renewed.

Given my half-way to the moon timezone, I had some issues with attending events based on PST, but if I can shuffle my schedule a bit, I'll gladly join. Either way, thank you very much for the invite. Cheers.

Good post.

Ashley Renée Smith My process. Meaning, the voices in my head roll off my tongue and/or typoing fingers much better. I first went into "Howard" having seen countless movies, yet unable to describe things like structure, plot beats, etc. I was basically typing a stream of conciousness. Now, I have a whole new approach and ready outline templates for any ideas that stick particularly well.

What a fascinating debate!

I'm reading all the comments and it's igniting a burning passion within me, an enduring, indelible passion.

Thank you so much for your connection, Ana. Looking forward to exchanging ideas with you!

Hey Gareth Taylor .

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

I think you're running massively into nostalgia here, comparing what you liked most from the 90s to everything today. Obviously that's going to yield a particular result regardless of the overall quality of each base era. The same percentage of good movies will generally result from an examination of any time frame, as long as you're using the same principles to do so in each case.

Everyone has their own opinion, but personally, I feel a certain nostalgia for 90s cinema.

All I know is people still talk about, write about and study'90s films -- Schindler's List, Forrest Gump, The Silence of the Lambs, Titanic. No one, on the other hand, talks about Nomadland, Moonlight, Spotlight, CODA, Anora, The Artist, etc. etc.

It reminds me of that Bette Davis line from Sunset Boulevard: the stars are still big but "It's the pictures that got small."

I couldn't agree with you more.

It was Gloria Swanson's line in Sunset Blvd.

Hello Sam Rivera, your commitment to filmmaking and to this community is appreciated.Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

I am a storyteller. Ello Sam.

Your job sounds interesting - wonder if there's something similar here in England :D (desperately looking for a new job! Amidst my potential screenwriting career...)

Nice to meet you, Sam Rivera. Cheers.

Happy Introduce Yourself Weekend, Sam Rivera! =)

Aleksandr Rozhnov Love the classics, but I get frustrated by endless reboots and sequels — a couple (2–3) can work, but after that it feels like milking instead of creating. I’m a big fan of Predator (the originals and Predators) and Prometheus — love when sci‑fi/genre takes risks. I only count the original Star Wars as essential, though Rogue One and Andor honored the universe. The Evil Dead remake is a good example of paying homage while telling a different story; that’s the balance I want to see. And sure, a remake of Lawrence of Arabia could be interesting — but only if someone like Ridley Scott could give it the vision it deserves.

Are those sexual predators? lol.