Luciano Mello: Director, screenwriter and cinematographer in São Paulo, Brazil.

Lynelle Paulick and to all the people reading this blog. Based on my experience as a screenwriter and AI user, I can say that the future won’t be about creativity but about speed. In the sense that, given equal creative ability among screenwriters (with or without AI), the one who meets deadlines the fastest will be chosen. And when it comes to speed, artificial intelligence is truly an accelerator.

I was able to turn a 60-page film treatment into a 20-page screenplay outline in just half a day by using AI to condense the scenes. Of course, human supervision is and, in my opinion, will always remain essential.

Lynelle Paulick that's exactly where AI helps screenwriters as an assitant in timesavings with labor-intensive manual tasks.

I've saved hundreds of hours of manual effort in usng Text-to-Speech AI in turning already completed original screenplays into recorded drama podcasts, to test drive scripts on an audience as "table reads," with https://youtu.be/hSFJDAxJYXU if you're interested.

Greg, I'll check this out! Will let you know. Thanks.

Luciano Mello happy Introduce yourself week. I agree with Maurice Vaughan

Thanks, Jordan Smith and Maurice Vaughan. I'm producing already, putting the bibble together, the goal is to make a pilot at least an animatic, applying for some grants this year, and also maybe crowdfunding to finance this and see what happens, I'm also starting to pitch around. The poster is inspire by old revolutionary posters.

You're welcome, Luciano Mello. That sounds great! I hope you get the grants! Let us know if you start a crowdfunding campaign.

It was made in Blender an open-source free software. It had a very small crew compared to most animated features. Voice talent typically does not get paid much for animated films (not as much as acting scale). But yes, that certainly helped. The writer was also the director, producer, composer, editor and art director (plus many other roles). Those are ATL costs that were all saved. However, the reality is the major studios animated films are way overblown on budget. So the truth is, most animated features can be made at a fraction of the cost.

Here's an interview with the filmmaker -- entirely self taught. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAz7tS1b68s

Thank you for posting this Laurie Ashbourne

I haven't seen I'm Still Here, but it's on my watch list, Luciano Mello. I'm looking forward to watching the film and reading the script.

Luciano Mello , thanks for sharing this script.

This is awesome! thank you for sharing. Brasil and its people share a special place in my heart, as I’ve volunteered in the favelas six times, just outside Rio. It’s like a second home. When I saw the film at VIFF last November, in a theatre full of Brazilians living in Vancouver, Canada… it was a moment I will never forget. Emotional. Raw. Palpable. One of the best films I have seen in years, and I jumped up when it won best international film. Vamossss Brasil!

Mark Deuce your on your pokemon go shyttttt lol

Eric Christopherson That makes a lot of sense—if an idea sticks with you, it’s probably worth chasing. I love that Coppola insight too; the best stories always seem to spark strong reactions. Do you have a project where you’ve noticed that kind of response?

Howard Koor agree !! i notice when i write stuff for people and help ghost write i dont get as motivated ! it feels like work and then i just get turned off

Your odds are extremely small. Even if you had the most incredible personal into, then you had the most amazingly executed script, what are the odds that 1 person you are pitching has the pull to actually green light budget, get the right actors, director, and make the film and then distribute it? This last year also saw major down turns in production and tons of writers and other people in film getting no work. People with lengthy careers threw in the towel because they couldn't afford to go out of work for so long. I don't want to discourage you but just trying to paint the picture that in order for anyone to get a deal right now there's a lot that has to go right.

No Robert, that's not discouraging at all!! haha. We can still write. Do you continue writing know this?

In my experience with pitches on Stage 32, I’ve only received feedback and got one request that ended with no interest.

I view pitching from a slightly different perspective. The notion of a 'gatekeeper' who can unlock opportunities feels somewhat distant, especially in contexts like Brazil, where pitching is rarely the first point of contact. As a filmmaker, my experience has shown that projects are typically submitted beforehand, with the process heavily centered on securing funding. Frankly, the odds of success are slim, and the costs are high. I don’t believe pitching should be treated as a career strategy in any form—even if you do your research and target executives who work with projects like yours, pitching often feels more like a lottery.

We must also confront a truth: executives are often poor judges of scripts or projects. Many prioritize what their companies or clients demand, aligning with industrialized metrics rather than artistic merit. How often have we wondered how certain films got made? (What is okay? The Joblo channel on YouTube has wonderful stories that answer this question!) Executives invariably evaluate projects through a commercial lens, comparing them to pre-existing successes to fit market trends. But filmmaking is an art, inherently subjective. Can you imagine David Lynch pitching Eraserhead in a boardroom?

This brings to mind Paul Schrader’s quote: 'A screenwriter is half a filmmaker... But it is not an art form, because screenplays are not works of art. They are invitations to others to collaborate on a work of art.' For this reason, I advocate for alternative paths seeking partnerships with directors or actors, producing independently of market expectations, and submitting work to festivals. While not easy, this approach prioritizes the creative and collaborative process.

That said, for me, pitching should be reframed not as a transactional sales process but as a chance to improve storytelling skills. Every pitch forces you to convince others, and future collaborators of your vision, offering valuable feedback. Regardless of the outcome, observing reactions, whether visceral or technical, helps me refine the narrative. While success is unpredictable and expectations must be managed, the act of pitching itself is educational. Embrace it: tell your story, and who knows where it might lead.