Screenwriting

Hi Shayla! Thanks for asking — love the openness of the community here.

I’m currently developing a near-future elevated sci-fi series called GLITCH. It follows a sensitive, blue-collar worker living in a society quietly shaped by emotional-guidance AIs. When a small mistake from his assistant nearly costs him his arm, it triggers a chain of events that exposes the limits of a system built on “well-being.”

I’m also working on a darker, found-footage-style project around urban exploration and paranormal distortions — very character-driven, very grounded.

Always happy to connect and exchange about writing and worldbuilding. What are you working on? :)

Hi Shayla ! I have just finished the first draft of my short film, The Ringer - It centres around a day in the life of a quiet ringer and his dog as they move through a single day in the Australian outback, where routine, silence, and companionship reveal the life he’s built for himself.

It's intended to be a quiet, yet cinematic short film, with the Australian Outback landscape being a character in and of it's own.

Happy to discuss further or share with anyone who would like to read and share thoughts.

Cx

Oh boy, let's see. I just finished up a rewrite on my feature TETHERED last week. My feature INSPIRATION INC is up for another pass since I got notes from my reader wanting more resolution. And drafting on my feature SHIFT is now heavily underway. Act 1 is about done.

Hey im working on a horror film that i recently just pitch it’s called The Demon Who Writes The Star, It’s a prestige horror story about a rising music artist who discovers that his fame isn’t just making him popular — it’s feeding something ancient and evil.

The louder the world chants his name, the stronger a demon becomes. His concerts turn out to be rituals, his fans become vessels, and his popularity becomes the doorway for a cosmic entity to enter our world. To survive, he has to break the ritual using the one thing the demon can’t control:

Human imperfection.

It’s a story about fame, trauma, obsession, and how dangerous it can be when the world worships you for the wrong reasons.

Interesting Juan Rodriguez . Getting scenes together for a thriller rewrite.

Maurice Vaughan nice! I’m really shaping this one around my personal high school experiences- which were… weird, to say the least. (We had a school gator- very Florida.) I think the producer was right about the specificity of place making it stand out, because idk how any other school with so many Florida specific things

Yan Ju Zeng I think it's in our nature to shy away from that vulnerability but if we don't connect and empathize with our characters, our audience won't. Your concept will flourish now with that insight and heart, I hope your journey was not a difficult one. I'm adding more of my close friend into my story and I feel like I'm betraying her,. I've been by her side during this period in her life and it feels like a natural progression but also symbolic of what she means to me.

High school is a gold mine for script ideas and scene ideas, Yan Ju Zeng. Some of my personal high school experiences were weird too. And embarrassing. :D

Marie Hatten yes, many characters are derived from people I’ve met. I just hope they don’t take offense when I take creative liberties (gotta keep the plot moving.) I was asked by another person I pitched to what this story has that sets it out from other coming out dramedies, and I think the Florida aspect and the centering of the character’s own denial will make it better- especially with a high light of comedic edge!

Yan Ju Zeng Important issues delivered in a unique way will always be impactful.

I can tell that you write because you love it Maurice Vaughan , it's also why you're so passionate about and engaged with this community. I've always loved language and films, that's why I write. I've silenced it at times when I'm riddled with doubts but I have to remember my why. I want to create art that has meaning.

I think those are great reasons to write, Stefano Pavone! Movies, shows, books, etc. are definitely ways to leave a mark on the world, and "leaving my mark on the world" could be a theme for a story.

You're welcome, Banafsheh Esmailzadeh. "Written & Directed by Banafsheh Esmailzadeh." I'm looking forward to seeing your films!

Great reasons to write, Holly Fouche! Sometimes people see writing as "inspire or entertain," but it can be both.

Thanks, Marie Hatten. I appreciate it. Those are great reasons to write! I get riddled with doubts sometimes too. I've gotten better at ignoring the doubts and just writing. I think we need to do that as writers.

I'm looking forward to these, Leonardo Ramirez 2!

These are always a blast Maurice Vaughan!

Sandra Isabel Correia I knew it would be meditation related. :)

A lovesick man must use a heart shaped symbol in the night sky to track his other half. before her imminent death.

Omg ouch E Langley I love it.

That's cool Abram Christian , mine is just straight romance lol.

Sandra Isabel Correia before i read your caption, i saw not a 2d hexagon but a 3d cube—with a heart embedded. my logline:

after a microscopic black hole punches an inch-wide tunnel through the earth in the future—killing Jake’s daughter and opening his mind to block-time vision today—he’s been on a 40 year mission to break time itself to save her

COMPS; Arrival x Watchmen

Marie Hatten I love a good romance.

No screenwriter fee would look very amateurish to me, and I'd expect to see some sort of participation deal for the writer there - effectively making them a producer.

There should normally be an assignment downpayment or script purchase fee and then a schedule that sets the remaining payment due on the first day of shooting. Perhaps broken down further to another payment free on wrap up.

It's messy out there though. Lots of scrappy stuff.

With respect I say, if you are given co-director credits but without pay, you are an intern. You need to get paid both as a writer/creator and co-director. Back-end points are good if you get to that point, but pay yourself first.

I am a dedicated screenwriter I love my craft, pay me first or my work will not get produced.

Screenwriters have to eat, too.

You should be a line item in the budget (ATL). So everyone gets a little pay except you. Unacceptable that you're taking the hit. Pay could be $5K.

I'm excited for another Community Open House, Leonardo Ramirez 2!

Thanks CJ Walley. That's what I mean though- if you google or read many scriptwriting books- people quote the one page= one minute. They don't explain the reasoning, they don't tell you how the exceptions work-- they just leave it like that.

Being neurodivergent- the tendency is to take things literally because everyone seems to say it, so it's what is. When reality doesn't hit that-- there's this disconnect. It makes you wonder what you did wrong. It makes you wonder if your writing isn't good enough if you're too far over or too far under. It honestly makes it harder for me to tell the story I need to tell if I'm keeping that thought in mind. Yes, my stories are roughly between 80-120 minutes in scene minutes, but script pages are much less. For people coming in from other mediums- that concept is like the "250 words per page" guideline you hear. They don't tell you it depends on formatting, on font, etc. You just hear the quote, not full truth behind it.

Starting out-- things like this can really be misleading because you don't know dialogue tends to run quicker, action can be long or short depending on the type of action it is. It's a learning process- one I believe would be easier learned if the standard answer everyone seems to quote was a bit more open- "Production avg is one page is one minute. But action can be longer, dialogue can be shorter- spec scripts are different than a production scripts." It's not pithy, but for someone like me- it's a lifeline to help me learn the process, to get better at it- to find my voice and writing style in scriptwriting, just like I have my voice and style in writing books.

I apologise if I seem all over the place with generalisations- but by sharing this-- I think many of us who are new or who have stumbled over this issue-- can relate. We move forward when others, like yourself, step forward and give answers to help us understand the actual reasoning behind the phrase and to show us how action and dialogue differ on the printed page.

https://johnaugust.com/2020/how-accurate-is-the-page-per-minute-rule-2

https://stephenfollows.com/p/is-the-page-per-minute-rule-correct

https://nofilmschool.com/one-page-equals-one-minute

https://screencraft.org/blog/this-is-why-your-screenplays-page-count-mat...

https://nofilmschool.com/how-many-minutes-per-page-of-script

You know, I ignore it. I don't pay it a damn bit of mind. I just write. Being a bit more minimalist certainly helps, but I don't bother paying attention to the one page = one minute thing. I worry about the story, the emotional journey, the character arcs.

Funnily enough, it usually seems to work out about right anyway.

By the way, I've just discovered, that Slamdance Screenplay Competition recognise feature from 41 to 140 pages https://slamdance.com/screenplay-submit/

You're overthinking it. One page = One minute, it is an average, not a unbreakable physical law. As a sci-fi writer I can say with absolute certainty that the multiverse will not collapse, the world will not come to an end, and you will not self-destruct, if your write a page, film it and that scene NOT be equal to exactly one minute of action. Trust me.

I honestly don’t pay it too much mind, I know it’s a guideline more than a hard and fast rule. That being said though I’m definitely still trying to nail “come late, leave early” ^^;

Hi there, is a link to the recording of the webinar available yet? Manythanks.

Thank you to everyone who attended! Your handouts have been added to your Stage 32 my library portal!

The recording will be uploaded in the next 24 hours for viewing

Thank you Ammon for all the knowledge and Seb for moderating!

Any questions, please email edu@stage32.com

Finally an animation lab, so excited about this lab coming in November!

Any questions for me or Evan, shoot me an email at edu@stage32.com! Happy Monday!

I am so excited to have everyone joining us this weekend! Make sure you get your questionnaire sent in before the lab :)

Hi Everyone we are at the 1/2 way mark of the class and the students are literally amazing!

This makes my day to hear Evan!!

Maria Restivo Glassner, thank you! Sometimes the best answers come after a little reflection! I’d love to hear what dream collaborators come to mind once you’ve had a chance to think it through :) You are welcome to share with us.

Sandra Isabel Correia My voice is ready, haha!!!

My ideal collaborator would be Steven Spielberg because his body of work taps into Sci-fi (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Drama (The Color Purple). A mix I would like to incorporate in the script I am writing about single Black women who secretly desire Prince Charming but can't find him on earth.

Ah ah ah Darrell Pennington :))

Shirley Collier, I love that vision. Spielberg’s mix of sci‑fi wonder and grounded drama feels like such a natural fit for your story. The premise you’re exploring is bold and imaginative, yet deeply human. Thanks for sharing.

Hi, Kseniia Zhuravleva. I keep the budget in mind from the start (during outlining). One location/a few locations, small cast, no pets/one pet, etc.

It depends on your knowledge/experience. The average un-produced writer is understandably going to struggle to know what does and doesn't cause issues.

Generally speaking though:

Fewer characters

Fewer locations

Some stuff you just can't predict. I had a director hooked on the idea of two characters jumping into a lake. Seemingly simple. Then came SAG rules with stunt coordinators, stand ins, divers, and additional insurances.

Keep this in mind too. Producers are reading scripts as organic documents. Nothing is seen as permanent. Experienced ones will be considering ways to keep costs down and production value up while they read.