Trending Lounge Discussions

Great to meet you Eva Mathews - what an incredible service to offer for medical accuracy. Glad you're with us on Stage 32. Here’s a great blog post for navigating Stage 32: www.stage32.com/blog/navigating-stage-32-for-your-best-experience-3095

Hi Eva, what a coincidence. I just watched the movie "Not As A Stranger" yesterday from 1955 with Robert Mitchum and Olivia de Havilland. They spit out medical terms that flew over my head. Although the terminology may be outdated from that time period, medical jargon is a language unto itself. A bit of trivia-according to IMDB, Not As A Stranger is one of the first films showing a beating heart undergoing open-heart surgery.

Hi Eva Mathews, welcome to Stage 32! I’m Ashley, Head of Community here on the platform. I’m really glad you introduced yourself.

Your background in family medicine and your willingness to help with medical accuracy is such a valuable resource for storytellers.

You might enjoy spending some time in the Screenwriting Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting). Writers there are often discussing story development and craft, and I imagine many would appreciate insights from someone with real-world medical experience.

I’m also hosting a free March Community Open House where I walk through how to navigate Stage 32 strategically, build meaningful industry relationships, and make the most of the tools and resources available here. You’re very welcome to join us:

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

Really glad you’re here, Eva. I have a feeling a lot of writers will be grateful for your expertise.

Thank you Eva Mathews !

Awesome, thank you!

Ugur KUZEY UK Kayikci Sounds like an intriguing story and definitely something to consider for a series. Great synopsis, but I would like to know more about what his father was involved in and how it ties to Brian and his motivation to do what he does. I think that might strengthen the synopsis and reveal the protagonist's drive in your film. Cool story.

John Fife Thank you for your valuable feedback, I truly appreciate it. Brian’s motivation is deeply rooted in his father’s past. His father was once involved in crime alongside his closest friend, but after falling in love with a woman, he chose to leave that life behind.

Before his death, he left Brian a letter — not just a farewell, but a kind of final testament. In it, he confesses his past mistakes and urges Brian to stay clean, to choose justice no matter what.

Brian’s journey is driven by this message. He is not only seeking justice, but also trying to avoid becoming the man his father once was. I agree that this connection can be presented more strongly, and I am working on enhancing that emotional depth within the story.

Sounds really good Ugur KUZEY UK Kayikci I like it.

This sounds like a very compelling and emotionally driven story. The transformation of the main character, especially being pulled into a dark world after his father’s death, creates a strong foundation for both internal and external conflict.

I really like the choice of justice over revenge it adds depth and maturity to the narrative. The fact that Elias is still free leaves a powerful sense of tension and opens the door for a sequel or further development.

Overall, this has great potential. Wishing you success with this project!

HADİL AKER Thank you so much for your thoughtful and insightful feedback. It truly means a lot to me.

You perfectly captured the core of the story — Brian’s transformation and the balance between inner conflict and the external world he’s forced into. The choice between justice and revenge is the heart of this narrative, and I’m glad that came across clearly.

Elias remaining free is indeed intentional, as it opens the door to a larger story and future developments within this universe. This project is designed with expansion in mind, and there is already a continuation story in development.

Your perspective is incredibly valuable, and I sincerely appreciate your support.

Johnie Blaze Congratulations on your project. Great things take time. ;) Very cool also on the car dealership. I used to collect Oldsmobiles. I encourage you to check out some of the Lounges and Blogs to find your tribe. :)

Hi Johnie Blaze, welcome to Stage 32! I’m Ashley, Head of Community here on the platform, and it’s great to see a fellow Texan jumping into the community.

Spending 20+ years developing a franchise concept like Shadow of the Light shows a serious level of dedication. I’d definitely encourage you to spend time participating in the Screenwriting Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting). It’s a great place to join conversations about structure, development, pitching, and the business side of screenwriting while connecting with other writers and filmmakers who are building projects.

If you’re thinking about next steps for the project, whether that’s positioning the franchise, pitching, or connecting with the right professionals, our Success Team can also help guide you toward curated opportunities and resources aligned with your goals. You can reach them anytime at Success@Stage32.com.

I’m also hosting our March Community Open House webcast 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...

Glad you’re here, Johnie. Looking forward to seeing you around the Lounges and hearing more about the world you’ve been building.

Meri nazar mai ek ladka hai producer to nahi par wo bahut bhatar mangar ban sakta hai , usne wo art Direction karta tha uska ek art Direction kaam oscar mai nomination ho rakhi hai or wo ab jayda production team mange karta hai commercial shoot par uska work Profiles bahut acha hai Prabhat sharma mera dost hai agar intrested ho to batana mai contact no. dunga or ap ye bata do ap kiya chahte ho or kaam ke badle mai kitna or kya pay karoge

mai short film director writing karta hu or krke sikhta hai mere pass film festival ke liye kuch idea's hai or mai bina khudh apne paise se 2ok se ek film par kaam kar raha hu abhi 40 min duration 21 logo ki team ke sath

Happens all the time I'm told!

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.

Awesome work JungGyu! Welcome to Stage32.

Hi JungGyu Park, welcome to Stage 32! I’m Ashley, Head of Community here on the platform. It’s great to meet you, and your background as a visual artist sounds incredibly impressive. Since you’re stepping into directing, I recommend spending time in the Filmmaking Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/directing). It’s a great place to join conversations with other directors, producers, and cinematographers who are discussing craft, collaboration, and project development.

You may also want to reach out to our Education Team and tell them a bit about your goals as a director. They can suggest some fantastic Stage 32 classes and webinars that can help strengthen both the creative and business sides of your directing journey. You can contact them at Edu@Stage32.com.

I’m also hosting our March Community Open House webcast, where I walk through how to navigate Stage 32 strategically, build meaningful industry relationships, and position your projects for real traction on the platform:

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

Really glad you’re here, JungGyu.

Thank you so much for the kind words Ashley Renée Smith (: I'll definitely take a look!!

Welcome

Sua trajetória parece incrível. Desejo-lhe muito sucesso na sua carreira de diretor!

Elara Wright Really intriguing concept. The idea of receiving messages from a future version of yourself is a great psychological hook, and the twist that the warnings might actually be guiding the disaster is very compelling. It builds a lot of tension just from the premise alone. I’d definitely be curious to see how the final voicemail plays into the climax. Great setup for a psychological thriller!

Reminiscent of "The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg."

wow

Tension is all about keeping the audience aligned with the character’s perspective while letting subtle cues build unease.

Some of my favorites that nail it are The Others for its slow-burn psychological dread, Misery for character-driven claustrophobia, It Follows for its persistent, creeping tension, and of course The Thing for its masterful suspense and paranoia.

Hotel Mumbai for me really held the tension. I almost felt like the victims in the movie. I was waiting with excruciating anxiety, wonder if I was next.

No Country for Old Men

I didn't think I would like it when I started it but, Hacksaw Ridge

Most Hitchcock films, but especially Rebecca, Notorious, Rope, Rear Window, Lifeboat, Suspicion, Strangers on a Train, Dial M for Murder, North by Northwest, and Psycho.

Awesome to meet you Kevin Patel! The Long Way Back sounds right up my alley.

Hi Kevin Patel , great to meet you here. Both projects sound really interesting, especially STAN—the psychological horror concept with the teddy bear is a very intriguing idea. I also appreciate stories that focus on emotional depth and character-driven moments.

I'm Abhijeet, a filmmaker and director based in Mumbai. I enjoy working on grounded, intimate stories as well, and it's always great to connect with creatives who value strong storytelling and visual tone.

Wishing you the best with the development and crowdfunding. Looking forward to seeing how the projects evolve.

hello kevin.. welcome

Hi Kevin Patel I'm Prosper Okenyi (P. J Oken). I focus mainly on action thrillers and psychological drama with a blend of sci-fi. I'm based in Nigeria.

Hi Kevin Patel, welcome to Stage 32! I’m Ashley, Head of Community here on the platform. Glad you took the time to introduce yourself.

One quick suggestion that can really help with networking here, you may want to consider using a real profile photo instead of a company logo. Stage 32 is a very relationship-driven community, and people tend to connect more easily when they can see the person they’re talking with. It helps make conversations feel more personal and approachable.

Since you’re working in storytelling and development, I recommend spending some time in the Screenwriting Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting) and the Filmmaking Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/directing). Those are great places to join conversations about craft, collaboration, and project development while getting to know other creatives.

We also have a great upcoming free webcast you might enjoy called Heated Rivalry: Breaking Down the Script, where we’ll be diving into the storytelling, structure, and craft behind the script. You can check it out here:

https://www.stage32.com/education/products/heated-rivalry-breaking-down-...

Really glad you’re here, Kevin. Looking forward to seeing you around the Lounges and learning more about what you’re working on.

Spencer Robinson Sorry, I'm aware of that. Wrong question, what I meant: would you recommend writers to build up a structure in detail before writing the scenes throughout?

Hi Frank Meijden, jumping in as I'm online (UK time!).

In most writers’ rooms I’ve worked in, we beat out the structure first, scene by scene for the pilot and then episode by episode. If someone is writing a pilot, I’d generally recommend mapping out the whole episode before drafting.

The beats don’t need to be super detailed, they can be broad (e.g. “X character meets Y character” or “X and Y fall out over Z”). The goal is simply to know the key events and the order they happen in before writing scenes.

Of course, every writer’s process is different. Some people can draft from a blank page and instinctively land on good structure. But if that approach isn’t working, building the structure first can really help... Interested to hear your take, Spencer! x

William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Princess Bride, All the President's Men, Marathon Man) used to say: "Screenplays are structure."

Tash Smurthwaite Frank Meijden I always suggest starting with an outline. Different writers do this in different levels of detail, and a beat sheet is great if that's something a client wants to do. At the very least, a detailed outline helps catch potential issues early.

It's true, Spence (I can call you Spence, right?) Whenever I leave a movie theater, the first thing I talk about is the movie's structure. If the movie doesn't evenly distribute the acts or if I'm not seeing an inciting incident within the first fifteen minutes -- then forget it!, ON the other hand, I rarely care about dialogue or the characters. How about everyone else?

Superb

Welcome here!

Hi Jim Greer, welcome! I’m Ashley, Head of Community here at Stage 32. It’s great to see you finally jumping in and introducing yourself, especially as a fellow Texan. I’m just down the road in Austin as well.

I also see that you’ve been a Writer’s Room member for over a year, which is fantastic. One thing I did notice, though, is that this looks like your first post in the community, and I really can’t stress enough how important regular participation is if your goal is to build the kinds of relationships that lead to real opportunities.

The Lounges are where a lot of those connections begin. Asking questions, sharing what you’re learning, posting about resources, discussing your filmmaking experiments, or even talking about lessons learned from your YouTube projects all help make you more visible. Over time, people start recognizing your name, engaging in conversation with you, and that’s often where collaborations and job opportunities grow from.

Since you’re exploring filmmaking, writing, and voice acting, I’d recommend staying active in the Screenwriting Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting), the Filmmaking Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/directing), and the Producing Lounge (https://www.stage32.com/lounge/producing). They’re great spaces to meet creatives who are developing projects and looking for collaborators.

Also, if you’d like a deeper look at how to navigate the platform strategically and get the most out of the community, I’m hosting our March Community Open House webcast. It’s a free event where I walk through how to build meaningful industry relationships and position your projects for real traction here:

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

Glad you spoke up, Jim. Your sense of humor and willingness to experiment creatively will fit right in around here. Looking forward to seeing you around the Lounges.