Trending Lounge Discussions

The hottest discussions in the Stage 32 Lounge.

Liked by Paul Samson and 3 others

Sean Flanagan
What's Next After a Proof of Concept?

Hey Guys!

First time poster (be gentle).

I'm wondering how this syndicate of people feels about the animation development process in 2026 and going forward.

There's lots of talk about packaging that goes around.

What's too packaged? What's not packaged enough? In my experience the answer literally v...

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Leonardo Ramirez

Sean Flanagan - consider forming a relationship with a smaller animation studio that works with the larger ones as well as streamers. You might get a bit more insight about the market talking to someo...

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Cyrus Sales

Sean Flanagan This is a great post and you’re asking a lot of the same questions I’ve been thinking about for a short I’m currently working on. The packaging side of animation development is something...

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Cyrus Sales

Bob Harper great feedback! Things I personally need to think on especially "What are you offering them besides a concept and your stellar personality?"

Leonardo Ramirez As a smaller animation studio,...

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Whitney Davis

Sean Flanagan This is a really great question! First, let me say it’s amazing that you’ve already put together an amazing project based on all you’ve accomplished thus far. Obvi it’s amazing project t...

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Sean Flanagan

Whitney Davis how are you finding possible showrunners? Ive got connections to a few but all in the live action space, so I absolutely get the obvious appeal of saying heres the person qualified to ru...

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Liked by Paul Samson and 9 others

Michael Thorn
In need of some quick feedback

I'm finishing off a new draft of a pilot episode and I need some quick feedback/notes on the opening scenes. We're talking 12 pages.

I'd be more than happy to do this on a mutual note-sharing basis if anyone would be up for a short read over the weekend.

Libby Wright

I'd be happy to and I'd love feedback for a swap too!

Michael Thorn

thanks Libby - I've submitted a network request and we can then share email addresses so we can send one another attachments

Adriana Cannata

Hi! I'd love to join the mutual exchange, too

Cole Potter

I am also available to exchange feedback on your drafts. I have only five years screenwriting, three scripts in constant rewrites and three in first draft; nothing sold. My focus has been features and pilots, mostly adventure and dramedy. Happy to offer my insights.

Michael Thorn

Thanks so much Cole Potter - I'll send you a message with a link to the episode now - it's really just the opening scenes - first 12 pages - I'm keen to get feedback on but if you fancy reading on, pl...

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Liked by Paul Samson and 4 others

Dwayne Williams 2
Seeking Feedback on My Film Attachment List (Non-Actor Roles)

I created an attachment list for a film project I’m developing, TOUHCLESS, and wanted to ask if this is helpful when pitching. I’d really appreciate feedback on whether I’m taking the right approach and what I should improve to better bring the film to life.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai

Dwayne Williams 2 helpful only if they are actually attached or you have signed LOIs. Else they are just a wish list that implies certain required budget.

Dwayne Williams 2

Thanks for the insight Shadow! Quick question — how would you recommend actually attaching talent to a project at this stage? Is it best to consult directly with agents/managers to secure LOIs, or is...

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Liked by Paul Samson and 2 others

Syed Turab
Stage32 — First Appearance. Make It Count.

Hey Stage32 —

My name is Syed Abu Turab. I'm a filmmaker and the founder of Filmnigaar Pictures, coming to you from Lahore, Pakistan — a city that has more stories buried in its streets than most countries have in their entire archives.

I make psychological thrillers. Not because the genre is fashiona...

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Dwayne Williams 2

Hi Syed Turab, welcome to the Stage 32 community!

Psychological thrillers that challenge perception can be incredibly influential, and it’s great to see filmmakers from Lahore bringing that voice to th...

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Syed Turab

thank you for navigating, that would be a great start!

Liked by Darrell Pennington and 18 others

Geoffroy Faugerolas
Packaging in the TV space

A trend worth paying attention to: TV pilots are increasingly arriving at networks and streamers already packaged. That means producers, talent, and sometimes financing are in place before the first real buyer conversation happens. The bar has moved. The good news? Writers who are proactive about bu...

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Jonathan Jordan

Sometimes this process can even start with the query/pitch by including specific talent names for characters or roles such as: "The protagonist is a Jennifer Lawrence type," or "A David Fincher vibe," etc.

Geoffroy Faugerolas

Kevin Birnbaum Everyone will be able to make their own stuff...but will it be good? Will it break through the noise with no promotional efforts? Can word of mouth suffice? For some, it will. But not f...

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Kevin Birnbaum

"You can't create or write in a vacuum." Really? You're not understanding what I'm saying, and I get that. I'm a creator. As a writer, I write what I want. Like any novelist, poet, or playwright. I've...

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Anthony McBride

Geoffroy Faugerolas I still favor the mulit-cam projects, so Chuck Lorre is my ideal showrunner. Still trying to figure out how to get on his mailing list....

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Darrell Pennington

At the very likely risk that I will at least be thought of if not labeled a 'brown noser' haha (I've been called much worse TODAY) I am often surprised at the level of pushback articulated by Stage 32...

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Liked by Suzan Yumerova and 3 others

Muhit Bhuiyan
Project pitch

Project Pitch: The Promise Kept (Part of a Trilogy)

Genre: Crime / Thriller / Drama

Format: Feature Film

Logline:

A troubled teen grows into a police officer and spends a decade secretly hunting the female crime boss responsible for his parents’ death.

Synopsis:

Once known as a troublemaker, Jakeur dis...

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Viper Cameron-Lovell

would love to connect with you! feel free to send me a dm do you have a Budget?

Muhit Bhuiyan

Viper Cameron-Lovell I currently don't have a budget but we can talk about it in DMs. Do you have Facebook? I am more active in Facebook messenger....

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Muhit Bhuiyan

Viper Cameron-Lovell or you can give your email. we can talk through that. I have some questions to ask.

Liked by Dwayne Williams 2 and 6 others

Jason Green
How do you all handle music cues in scripts — especially when the sonic identity is part of your voice?

I’m a very music‑minded writer‑director, and my sonic choices are part of my storytelling. I don’t use music as wallpaper — I use it as emotional architecture. In The Bushmen, for example, Every Time I Die is the show’s pulse. It’s not a needle drop; it’s part of the identity. In The Unmaking, “Only...

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Pat Alexander

I typically avoid music cues. Music rights can be very expensive and it's certainly an emotional risk to pigeonhole yourself into one note for a scene because the chances that scene is going to have t...

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Darrell Pennington

Pat Alexander another very painful but much needed insight....the pain..........

Liked by Paul Samson and 22 others

Ashley Renée Smith
Creative Growth Check In: Growth Sometimes Comes From Helping Someone Else

One of the ways I challenged myself this week was helping get a new team member up to speed on what makes this community so special.

It was genuinely a joy. I’ve always loved teaching and helping people feel confident stepping into a new space or skillset. But I’ll be honest, one of my favorite parts...

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Ashley Renée Smith

Meriem Bouziani, that’s such an honest challenge to share, and I think a lot of writers feel that same tension when they’re polishing a script.

It can be scary to feel like the language or structure mi...

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Meriem Bouziani

Yeah, I’m trying—I hope I’m doing it right. Thank you very much for your encouragement. Ashley Renée Smith

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh

Thanks yeah Ashley Renée Smith, especially since I remember saying I’d never adapt any of my works into new media lol but in fairness I’d been meaning to give the story a proper edit/rewrite and I fig...

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Opaida Alhazaa
I really like this perspective. For me right now, growth means pushing myself to learn more about storytelling and the craft of writing. Being part of communities like this helps Expand comment
Dwayne Williams 2

Love those questions, Ashley Renée Smith. For me it’s always been about learning across different forms of art and creation.

Long before I started writing, I was deep into video and VFX. I never full...

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Liked by Amanda Toney and 35 others

Spencer Robinson
What A Manager Looks for in a Writer Client

As a literary manager who also does consultations, one of the most common questions I get asked is “will you be my agent?” It’s a weird question (because I’m a manager) but I get what people mean. I thought I’d share some of the things I look for when signing a new writer.

First off, the majority of...

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Spencer Robinson

Brett Wickman Yep, that “one script” prob won’t sell when you first take it out, so you have to have more.

Sanna Peth

Spencer Robinson Thank you very much for your help! You saved me from wasting about $3200. It turned out that the profile was indeed fake. I’m really grateful that you let me know....

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Dwayne Williams 2

Great insights here, Spencer Robinson. Could you expand a bit for the community on what you mean by “somebody I want to speak to” and your “no a-hole policy” when deciding whether to sign a writer?...

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Spencer Robinson

Dwayne Williams 2 Somebody who is not an asshole

Liked by Paul Samson and 3 others

Cory Tenner
New Prestige Thriller Series Looking for Industry Feedback

Just listed my debut TV pilot on Stage 32. The Silent Circle is a prestige global thriller about a retired Tier One operator who builds a covert network to dismantle the trafficking economy that killed the child he raised as his own.

Think Slow Horses meets Sicario with the emotional weight of a fath...

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Viper Cameron-Lovell

can you send me more details on the producer and director opportunities!

Cory Tenner

Thanks for reaching out. The project is a prestige TV drama currently seeking literary management and production company interest. Best of luck with your work!

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