Screenwriting : Stage 32 pitch exec no-show by Alexandra McLaury

That happened to me a few times in a row. They offered me another free code but I just took a refund. Contact Writer's Help.

I did. Waiting to hear back about a refund.

You should just reschedule. Don't give up so easy. It was probably some kind of mix-up.

Give up? I wasted an hour waiting. I mean, he was the one getting paid to show up, so...

Let me tell you a little story. I had a call with a showrunner from one of the most popular shows currently on CBS. I pitched him my ROM-COM and his notes were spot on. Unfortunately, it took one whole year to hear back from him. I fixed the pilot script, and it went from sort of funny to hilarious. It is now moving forward with a production company, and I am elated. You just never know. I owe my good fortune to STAGE 32. They contacted him and he responded very courteously.

That's awesome, Lee. Good for you. I've directed 50+ movies and am a bestselling author of 25+ books with decades of business experience in the industry. I've won awards for my scripts. I'm not devastated by this inconvenience. I'm annoyed. It's not Stage 32's fault. I just want a refund for my wasted time. I was where I was supposed to be. It's my CC that was charged. No big deal.

I have only done one call but I have not heard anything from my written pitch so I am beginning to be a little concerned

Alexandra, I too have been around the block a few times. Authored 5 books and 22 screenplays. Script doctored 5, one for DreamWorks. Produced and directed features and even acted in a few. Anyway, believe me you are not out of your money. They (STAGE 32) will give you a refund, but I say, pitch a producer find another one don't give up. I have a feeling about you that whoever you pitch, they are going to give it high marks. Be sure to let the people at STAGE 32 know what happened (if they don't already). They will fix it. They fixed mine!

Alexandra, we need to be friends here.

Cyreita, it probably takes time (more than you think) to read and then write clear and concise remarks. Don't give up..

I pitched to an executive, she gave me positive feedback, 5 score on all categories, said she would be pleased to work with me, said she would be in touch soon, never heard from her again. I sent a follow-up, still waiting.

Murphy Ernst I didn't get to the feedback stage -- I'm talking about a live pitch meeting where the exec didn't call at the scheduled time, or an hour after, etc. He was a no-show.

Did you email writersroom@stage32.com, Cyreita Drummond?

We (the customers) should not apologize. They (sellers) fucked up.

Dan MaxXx 100%! I got an email from Stage 32 this morning saying there was a "glitch" on the execs end and he couldn't call me yesterday. LOL. Yeah - it was Sunday and he made other plans. Never heard of a professional exec who's job is to acquire new content for production not being able to make a phone call. I opted for a phone call over Skype for exactly that reason! So there would be no glitches. I wasn't offered a refund, just a reschedule. I asked for a refund. Waiting to hear back.

Maurice Vaughan thank Maurice as always and I will reach out trying to be patient in hopes they will contact me soon. I think Stage 31 is wonderful so trying to give them a little more time to get back to me.

You're welcome, Cyreita Drummond.

Hi Cyreita. Be patient they will contact you. BTW, you are in STAGE 32. I wish you all the best. It will happen!

Alexandra, I told you. Be patient and good things will come from the GLITCH! This whole fiasco may have happened for a reason. You never know.

Hey Dan, please, watch your language here.

Lee Shargel why are you so invested in convincing me to wait? I believe money spent on services should be returned if the service - whatever the service may be - doesn't happen. In any business, that's the ethical thing to do. But now it's over 24 hours and I'm still waiting for an email about a refund. Never forget these execs make a percentage of the money paid for pitches. They are not showing up and making calls for free -- it would be a waste of their time. My time is important, too. There is no shortage of great scripts at CAA, WMA, ICM etc etc etc. These pitch meetings are cash cows. It's a great service for many reasons, and it's awesome many writers have found success, like you! For me, I don't like my money being held, where my only option is a credit for another pitch or to reschedule. We shouldn't have to send email after email to Stage 32 to get it back.

Lee Shargel She doesn't have to be patient. The asshole didn't show up for a meeting so they should have offered her a refund right away. Those producers taking money from screenwriters will never get a dime from me.

Good for you Dan. And Lee, are you really a screenwriter? Even Disney really isn't PG anymore

WOOT! Dan Guardino exactly! The fact that when you sign up for these services there's no verbage on refunds if something happens - like the exec is a no-show. My CC company was super suspicious when I told them there's no cancelation nor is there a refund policy clearly stated. I find this odd.

Yes, I really am a screenwriter (IMDB). I have had a run-in with a Disney Exec, and he was a complete rectal producer. He said I should have a different name on the screenplay instead of mine. This was in regard to the adaptation of my book FIREMAN DOWN: The story of African American firefighter Arthur Reese. He was Black and I am white. He thought it would be better if his name was on the story as the writer. I couldn't believe my ears. I paid this jerk for a consultation and got this! So, as far as I'm concerned, DISNEY can take a hike.

Alexandra, I apologize. I absolutely respect your feelings about this and if it's a refund you request, you should get and you will. STAGE 32 could be likened to a money printing machine, and it is. Like so many other screenwriting services out there, it's costly. I recently got ripped off for $400.00 with another service that I thought was Bonafide. I did my research and paid the money. Only to discover the HIDDEN costs. STAGE 32 is probably the best place to invest your time and money. There have been success stories and writers have had their projects produced. I think the best thing about STAGE 32 is people like you. We make friends here and help each other. RB has created something here like no other. If he is successful at it, good for him. I wish I thought of it.

Fellow writers I am so frustrated. My script has changed hands in various departments of Stage 32 from readers to producers since 2020. Just when I thought it sounded good I came across a list of recently produced films. I was shocked that my concept had been made into a film and whoever presented it to a film maker forgot to change character names. I couldn't get help from Writerhelp. Up to now Writerhelp has decided to completely ignore my suggestion that Stage 32 investigates who is responsible for selling my work. What would you do if you were in my shoes?

Hello, this thread popped up in my email and it said there were a lot of conversations, so I thought it must have been super important. As an emerging screenwriter who really takes to heart the experiences and knowledge of those more experienced screenwriters, I’m a bit terrified at what I’ve read here to be honest. I think writers, particularly screenwriters are some of the most gifted of all artists. I have so much respect for those who can really write a great, well crafted script. It’s a gift. I don’t know a lot as I am fairly new to the industry, but I do know that writers should never turn on each other. Ever. In an industry that likes to de value writers, we must always have each other’s backs. But, once again, I don’t know a lot. Oh and so far I love Stage 32

I was recently contacted by a "producer" who wanted to see my work. I checked, and the name and even his photo were indeed on IMDB. But a little more checking revealed that it was a fake. I reported it to Stage 32, and they closed the account. My guess is that this person planned to hold my work for ransom. My rule is, never send out anything that isn't already registered with the WGA. I am wondering how common this is, because it ate up time I could have used elsewhere.

Hi Samuel, I love Stage 32 too but it can be a fertile hunting ground for some bad apple somewhere.

Beth Black I was contacted by two different fake accounts posing as real industry people. Scams are easy to spot when the scammer is asking for money upfront, writes with a ton of typos, or acts desperate for scripts. Any industry exec or producer etc with their salt has plenty of options for scoring material. Believe me, they don't need amateurs, or people who seek to sell their first script.

I am taken aback by Stage 32's lack of enthusiasm to check on a report that provides details and pointers to something so disturbing. Do writers send out scripts to Stage 32 at their own risk? Is Stage 32 just a spectator when anomarlies emerge like that?

Yes; they just reschedule! Contact the moderator team; you can still get your time! I my instances, there was already an e mail sent about rescheduling while I was waiting for their incoming call. I therefore could have already responded to the exec. need to pick a new time option within that e mail missed

Kenneth Adrian Ellis Um, no, my time was two days ago on Sunday. The exec didn't call me. I don't want to reschedule, as I told 'writers help' after they looked into why I wasn't called. I just want my money back.

@nester - yes, at your own risk. Always register your intellectual properties at WGA online and also copyright if you want the extra protection. You can also send your material to yourself in a self-addressed stamped envelope certified mail and DON'T OPEN IT EVER. Also -- keep an email chain, and all proof of evidence on where you send your scripts. Many studios have teams of lawyers that have plenty of money to keep you tied up in litigation until you go broke, Fighting them is often futile.

As far as Stage 32 being able to track down a chain of where a script goes when it changes hands, etc... no idea about that. My advice is to find an entertainment attorney (not an attorney who specializes in other things non-entertainment related) and keep them on a retainer if you can afford to. An attorney can make all of your submissions if you don't have an agent or manager, and write or read/approve any legal doc you may be given.

Alexandra, thanks for the advice. I feel so let down. I have worked so hard and paid a lot only to come to zero and left alone in the cold.

Nester Murira The moment a work is created, it already had copyright protection (mailing it to yourself has no meaning). If you want to bring an infringement suit, then you'll need to register first. If you shared your work, you should have a paper trail of the dates and times your PDFs and such were created and shared. An entertainment lawyer will have to discuss your options. Registering after the infringement can be done, but it impacts the statutory damages phase.

Registering with the WGA doesn't do much in a court of law. The best they will do is show up to court and say what date the script was registered, they don't actually look at the scripts. Registering opens up options for arbitration.

Concepts aren't copyrightable. It's quite often that "similar" concepts show up in produced films. If there are substantial specifics in the expression of ideas, then there could be a case.

Stage 32 are doing the best job they can to do right by both sides, I have had a good experience with them, as my script received a contact from a producer who gave the MOST gushing praise, which in hindsight was FAKE, and after a couple of respectful attempts to contact her to follow up, she ignored me. Hollywierd is full of fake, take the licks, move on.

Thanks Christopher for your valuable comments and advice. My script is registered with WGA, but like you say, it doesn't help. I do understand that concepts are difficult to copyright but in this case it's difficult to accept because similarities should not go as far as identical character names.

Thanks Ernst.

Just to clarify what I meant - yes, registration must happen before a writer shows their work to anyone - pro or not. Ideas, stories, and scripts can be stolen by friends and associates, too, not just industry people. And, yes, sending a self-addressed stamped envelope with your script/treatment sealed inside of it via CERTIFIED mail is meaningful and can be important if a writer decides to sue. It was my attorney who told me doing this was more valuable than registering with the WGA, etc because as long as the letter stays sealed, it's an untampered document certified by a government entity. And, if the writer ends up in court, that sealed, certified, untampered letter can be opened right in front of a judge as proof of ownership of the source material written by the writer. WGA registrations expire every five years. A team of studio attorneys can keep a suing writer in litigation for that long and all the writer does is bleed money for five years only to realize their story is no longer registered to them. There are all kinds of loopholes that seasoned attornies bank on because lawsuits are normal in Hollywood. Many many many writers have tried to sue. Some win. Most lose.

Thanks Alexandra. I will take note of your advice and try to secure my scripts going forward. I'm gutted but will carry on writing.

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I second what Christopher Phillips said, Nester Murira. Here's an article that talks about the difference between registering with the U.S. Copyright Office and registering with the WGA (www.linkedin.com/pulse/copyright-registration-usco-wga-william-gilmore). The article also talks about the "Poor Man's Copyright." It doesn't hold up in court.

Good morning fellow writers! Here's hoping everyone crushes it today! Figure out a pressing issue with a script! Query that agent you have your eye on! Sell a script! Pitch a script! Or simply start a new script! Whatever your screenwriting goal is today, I'm rooting for everyone to kill it!!

Thanks, Samuel Morney. Rooting for you too!

Maurice Vaughan honestly, very little holds up in court for a writer going up against a studio or big production company. A writer waging a lawsuit against an independent producer has a better chance of winning unless the writer can't afford a strong litigation attorney. The point is, there's not much we can protect ourselves with considering there are millions of writers in the world drawing from the big thought-bank in the ether. Similar ideas are bound to be discovered and written about by many. Here in 2024, the metadata in writing software might help, but every time a writer rewrites or edits a script they must be sure to rename it so the timeline of drafts is apparent. Know what I mean?

I know what you mean, Alexandra McLaury. I do that ("every time a writer rewrites or edits a script they must be sure to rename it so the timeline of drafts is apparent"). Whether it's a spec script, writing job, or ghostwriting job.

I am learning a lot from all your comments. Thanks everyone. A huge learning curve!

In the 70s, before the internet and personal computers, the poor man's copyright was widespread and applicable considering scripts were written on typewriters with no metadata, floppy discs, or other storage that could document a timeline of drafts. My attorney had a writer client who used his SASE in a case against a producer (in the late 70s) and it worked in his favor. It all depends on how, who, where, and when Maurice Vaughan for some of these rules and laws.

Writers can be passive and naive and way too trusting. Sharks smell blood in the water in an industry built on greed and bad behavior.

Maurice, thanks for the article.

You're welcome, Nester Murira.

Alexandra McLaury Obviously your attorney had more evidence. The problem with SASE is that anyone can mail a certified unsealed envelope to themselves and put a screenplay inside it later on. I know I am not a mastermind so I am sure an oppsing attorney would be able to figure that out.