Screenwriting

With all best wishes by a producer he states: "The piece feels positioned as a prestige film, and while that carries artistic value, it would require a significant budget . . .That said, your track record and your skill as a writer are evident. You clearly have strong command of structure, character, and tone, and that level of craft comes through on the page. Keep up the good work!"

My question is, how does one find a prestige producer willing to take on my feature "It Takes a Village" which, while special effects are at a minimum, has a large cast and multiple locations? Or is it more likely it would attract a producer if it were a television series? I have the story in both forms. Feature and Tele Series.

Hello everyone,

I’ve completed a feature-length tragic romance screenplay titled REHNUMA.

It’s a character-driven story exploring love beyond memory — where instinct survives even when remembrance fails. The film is designed as a slow-burn emotional experience rather than a plot-heavy narrative.

I’m here to learn, exchange feedback, and connect with fellow writers and filmmakers.

Looking forward to being part of the community.

Thank you.

Cold DMs only work in this industry when they’re backed by proof that the creator has already put real skin in the game — personally, emotionally, and financially.

Anyone can “spray and pray.”

But spray + pray + proof? That’s a strategy.

Producers and execs think in ROI — effort vs return.

If you won’t invest in your own story, why should they burn fuel investing in you?

The strongest signal you can send isn’t perfection —

it’s ownership:

• You finish what you start

• You fund your momentum, even at micro-budget scale

• You promote your work before anyone asks for it

• And most importantly: you engage back.

Festivals, readers, producers, journalists, fellow filmmakers — when they reach out, you don’t vanish. You reply. You thank them. You connect. You build relationships, not noise.

The industry ignores creators who sound like they need someone else to care more than they do.

They respond to the ones who say:

“I’m not waiting for permission to succeed.”

That’s not spray and pray.

That’s participation, investment, and momentum.

And momentum is the real currency.

Having been double recommended a second time, my screenwriting year ended on a little high note.

It was an exhausting one, but I'm in the mood to wish everyone a happy new year and the strength to keep writing until you win that uphill battle.

I was double recommended for an animated fantasy adventure and a live-action sports and family drama.

And I do wonder if anyone, whose script has been included in the lookbook, has had any feedback, contacts or success from it. If you find the time, let me know.

Happy to have you in my network and wish you all the best

T.

In August I posted that an Australian production company asked for more details after I tried to sell my script to them. They are back, asking for still more details.

Those of you who like myself want to sell by sending a query letter, I hope you understand that you will have to answer similar questions.

The production company want me to improve upon my logline and synopsis.

Old logline :

A female CIA operative with a doppelganger in another galaxy tries to flee there because of her abusive boss, but finds a way to confront him and can stay.

Their comments :

"A good Logline *sells the reader on your project and gives the reader a quick overview of the *Who, *What, and *Where of the story.

Aim to capture the attention and interest of the reader in 2-3 sentences.

We recommend that you to elaborate on the exact location that you’re referring to in the logline (“flee there”)."

So feel free to improve upon my suggestion to a new logline :

"Due to her abusive boss, a female CIA special agent tries to flee to a planet where she has a doppelganger. But the boss is a liar, so she realizes that she can't leave our planet. Instead she must find the strength to confront her boss."

And then the synopsis. Old synopsis :

Pauline, a CIA operative, is haunted by the loss of her baby and manipulated by her uncle and boss, Gunpowder, who demands she assassinate a powerful figure to prove her loyalty. Reluctant to comply, Pauline's grief leaves her feeling indifferent about her own well-being.

Pauline becomes an unwitting witness when scientist Albert accidentally teleports his financier Marlene to the Andromeda Galaxy. Marlene returns after encountering her doppelganger. Bertha, a professor and part-time CIA spy, seeks the teleportation device to exact revenge on Albert, who accuses her of cheating. To appease her boss, Pauline assists Bertha.

Pauline learns that in the Andromeda Galaxy, her alternate self was imprisoned for murder. Trapped by Gunpowder’s lies and emotional abuse, Pauline, desperate to avoid the kill order, teams up with Bertha. They try to coerce Albert and Marlene to help them flee to the Andromeda Galaxy, only to find Marlene prepared to fight back. In the aftermath Pauline finds the strength to confront and expose Gunpowder. With the fall of Gunpowder and Bertha, Pauline begins to heal from the loss of her baby.

Their comments :

"

Your synopsis should set up the *Who, *What, *Where, and *How, touching on every beat of the story (without necessarily giving everything away).

Think of the *Synopsis as an extended version of the *Logline.

Your synopsis is informative, but could require more explanation on how the occurrences coincide.

Expand upon the characters of the story. All stories are about people, and we therefore need to know *WHO this story is about.

How do the characters that you mentioned impact the narrative? What are their roles?

What is Pauline’s motive for fleeing to the Andromeda Galaxy?

"

And here is my suggestion for a new synopsis, which you should feel free to improve upon

"

The story illustrates that we have relations both with those we meet and those we can't meet.

Our main character Pauline, a CIA operative, is haunted by the loss of her baby and manipulated by her uncle and boss, Gunpowder. He demands her to assassinate a powerful figure to prove her loyalty. Reluctant to comply, Pauline's grief leaves her feeling indifferent about her own well-being.

Pauline becomes an unwitting witness when scientist Albert feeds a mathematical formula into a scientific instrument, which accidentally teleports his financier Marlene to the Andromeda Galaxy. Marlene returns after encountering her doppelganger. Bertha, a professor and part-time CIA spy, seeks the scientific instrument to exact revenge on Albert, who accuses her of cheating. To appease her boss, Pauline assists Bertha.

Gunpowder fools Pauline to believe that her dead baby has a doppelganger at an orphanage in the Andromeda Galaxy. While Bertha falls in love with a man in the Andromeda Galaxy, by using Albert's scientific instrument. Trapped by Gunpowder’s lies and emotional abuse, Pauline, desperate to avoid the kill order, teams up with Bertha. They try to coerce Albert and Marlene to teleport them to the Andromeda Galaxy, only to find Marlene prepared to fight back. In the aftermath Pauline finds the strength to confront and expose Gunpowder. With the fall of Gunpowder and Bertha, Pauline shows that she can heal from the loss of her baby.

"

Most creators think their problem is skill.

It rarely is.

The real issue is orientation — knowing where you are in the lifecycle of your own project.

When orientation is missing, creators:

- overbuild too early

- revise things that aren’t defined

- chase feedback that doesn’t apply

- fix symptoms instead of causes

- mistake movement for progress

Orientation is upstream.

It answers the questions that talent can’t:

- What phase am I actually in

- What decisions belong here

- What decisions don’t

- What is the governing logic of this stage

- What is the next necessary movement

When orientation is clear, the work stabilizes.

When it’s missing, even talented creators drift.

Upstream isn’t about being better.

It’s about being aligned.

Talent moves the work.

Orientation decides whether it moves in the right direction.

Congratulations to the Quarterfinals of the Stage 32 + Mammoth Pictures 12th Annual Search for New Blood Screenwriting Contest!

As you start thinking about 2026, what’s the first creative goal or intention you want to set for yourself as a creative? Not the ten-step master plan, just the initial move that gets the momentum going.

Is it finishing a draft, committing to a consistent creative routine, outlining a new idea, revisiting an old project with fresh eyes, learning a new skill, making your first industry connection, building a pitch deck, submitting to festivals and contests, landing a rep, financier, or distributor, or finally putting your work out there for feedback?

For me, my 2026 creative goals include:

• Completing the full first draft of my manuscript

• Returning to Cannes and helping Stage 32 have an even stronger year and presence there

• Making Austin Film Festival 2026 our best yet

• Going on a creatively inspiring adventure

• Getting back to making more consistent cooking content on social media

Drop your answer in the comments, and feel free to cheer on someone else’s goal. Sometimes saying it out loud is the first real step toward making it happen.