Introduce Yourself : Actress/Producer/Screenwriter by Jennifer Buttell

Great to have you in the community Jennifer! Do you find that you have a creative community in Missouri where you moved? Maybe you can put together a Stage 32 meetup in your area to find some like-minded people to connect with? Just click "browse" on the top menu bar, then go to meetup. Pick a coffee shop and time for people to meet and voila!

Wow! Very cool. Yes, there is a very talented film community here. They've helped me produce a music video and shoot a pilot for a comedy web series. Thanks for the info!

Hi, Jennifer. Sorry to hear about the unforseen circumstances. One great way to market your scripts is to post them in the Logline Section of your profile. Members can give feedback on them, and producers/production companies/etc. search Stage 32 for projects, so it's a way to get eyes on your scripts.

That's a great idea... I always feel like my loglines could be so much better... thanks for the comment!

You're welcome, Jennifer Buttell. Here’s a logline template that might help:

“After ______ (the inciting incident/the event that sets the plot in motion), a _______ (an adjective and the protagonist's position/role) tries to _______ (goal of story) so ________ (stakes).”

Loglines are one or two sentences (a one-sentence logline sounds better and it takes less time for a producer, director, etc. to read it). You can add the antagonist in the logline. The inciting incident can also be at the end of the logline.

Avoid using names in a logline (unless it's a Biopic or a famous story -- like a fairy tale). Use an adjective and the protagonist's position/role instead of a name.

Avoid using “must” in loglines because “must” sounds like the protagonist is forced to do whatever the goal of the story is (instead of the protagonist doing it willingly), and “must” doesn’t sound active. Audrey Knox (a TV literary manager) also said this during a logline review webinar on Stage 32 (https://www.stage32.com/webinars/The-Write-Now-Challenge-The-Logline-Rev...). Instead of using “must,” use “attempts to,” “fights to,” “struggles to,” “strives to,” “sets out to,” “fights,” “battles,” “engages in,” “participates,” “competes,” etc.

Example #1:

“After a group of dog criminals arrives in a small town, an impulsive dog sheriff defends a dog treat factory so they won’t steal food that’s meant for hungry dog families.”

Example #2:

“A dysfunctional couple works together to survive against bears after they crash on an abandoned road miles from help.”

NOTE: Not all stories will follow this logline template. Biopics, documentaries, and Experimental scripts might not follow this template. The overall logline for a TV show might not follow this template, but the logline for an episode in the show could.

Welcome Jennifer! I can relate when it comes to the marketing piece.

Hi Jennifer - great to meet you here! One of the my favorite aspects of Stage 32 is that you can thrive from anywhere and connect with the industry all over the world. Marketing can be challenging but there are terrific resources and education here that can help. In fact, there’s a webinar today at 3pm PT to help writers with their query letters to managers that you may find helpful. Here’s a link so you can check it out: https://www.stage32.com/webinars/How-To-Write-A-Query-Letter-That-Gets-Y...

The query letter webinar is tonight, Sam Sokolow. Thanks for the reminder.

Well what is great these days is you can be a filmmaker anywhere. Excited to see how your next projects goes for you! Cheers!

Thanks everyone! So much great info. Appreciate it!

You're welcome, Jennifer Buttell. I recommend the webinar that Sam Sokolow mentioned. Here's the lounge post for it (www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/Youve-writtien-a-hot-screenplay-now...). The webinar will be available to watch on-demand soon.