Screenwriting

Billy Cox - "... Visibility is currency "full quote:

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1DxcGqYWsn/

Thanks, Tom. I'm not a great promoter. In my business, I've never had to promote or advertise because word of mouth always kept me busy. I'm an introvert and wouldn't mind being left alone to play with my horses, dogs, and cars. But I love to write and would like to make films (and maybe TV), so I need to become (as you say) visible. I need a plan to create visibility. Any thoughts? jim

Michael, Pitching? Where do I begin? If I'm not formally pitching, I do a pretty good job, but I'm given 3 or 5 minutes and told "GO". It doesn't come out so well. I'm terrible at self-promotion, but have done well in meetings with producers and actors. jim

Hi, Jim Ramsay. Check out my comment on this post: www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/Where-do-I-start-4

Being a semi-retired web marketing guy, I always recommend getting your project a Facebook Page, and a separate website.

Websites in today's markets are now the new brochure and sales engine for whatever you're selling.

Websites have a different value now than they did before AI.Before AI, "search engine" traffic was what drove people to a site. While that still has some merit, the search engines are now all AI.

Now, the meatier you make that website, with very dense information - the more you can be found. No need to trim everything down, now you can pump up the volume (great movie) and be found in ways not previous possible.

I started searching for my projects within AI, and it exposed a huge number of weak spots - and instead of waiting weeks for search engines to figure out my updates - within a day AI had already revised its findings on my project. It's not just dumping quoted information - it's summarizing what it finds.

It actually had attributed another author to my work because of me not formatting the text properly. Fixed it and now it's correct - all within a day.

THEN -

BONUS ROUND - I stumbled into the amazing reach of Podcasts. (WTF?)

A lot of people think I'm nuts until they see the numbers. ("they laughed when I sat down to play").

Yep RSS feeds of your audio episodes automatically siphoned up by Apple and YT and Amazon - all automatically siphoning your latest episodes, and folks find them on Amazon, YT, and Apple Podcasts.

What was once a dead means of internet radio broadcasting has made this GIGANTIC RESURGENCE. Those of us in the web business thought podcasting was dead around 2003.

YouTube just this year launched a podcast section to all YT channels. Amazon Music has a huge Podcasts section ... you have 3 GIANT platforms that will come and get your content automatically.

Why the resurgence? I think it's headphones and treadmills. Folks are retreating into their headphones.So what do you podcast about? Well you can use your own voice, radio style and begin to talk about your work, or perhaps you create episodes using AI audio podcasting tools which are fantastic, and I have I setup some test sites with some sampler podcasts generated by NotebookLM. (https://notebooklm.google.com). I have the NotebookLM AI people "review my work", or they will debate the topic.

Here's the punchline ... of the test sites that have a few as 3 or 4 episodes, the ORGANIC search engine value of the websites that have podcasts is dramatic.

Screenshot of my project Mayorga website, and its podcast download numbers ...

https://mayorga.pro/page.php?p=podcasts

Lew Hunter told me to, “write what you know.” Including bits of me and my family histories creates nuances that make each character intriguing, unique, and relatable.

Thanks so much Ingrid Wren. It's funny because there have been times where I'll post something and it just gets buried (I'm sure that happens to everyone) so when I posted this, I honestly thought very few people would read it so I'm honored you stopped by. I absolutely love how you said "I always look for the light and the joy that can come from surviving difficult circumstances" - I SO resonate with that because I feel it's my "calling" to raise hope through story. I'm so sorry that you had to deal with a narcissistic mother - for some reason, I've had a ton of narcissistic persons show up in my life at one point or another. As odd as it is to say, it's actually helped me to grow in being able to resist the arrogant mindset with thicker skin. Thank you so much Ingrid.

You're so right Nancy Wilkinson - and interesting how much we learn from our family dynamics. Some make us stronger through growth while others we learn "what not to be". I'm grateful you stopped by to share.

Leonardo, thank you so VERY much for the post!

Jim Boston Honored my friend. Glad I got to know you a little better.

TOM SCHAEFER, Sheridan + McConaughey is pure Texas grit meets charisma. What a combo!

Thanks, Sandra Isabel Correia. I'm not rushing the script. I want to pick the right theme for it.

Thank you very much Sandra Isabel Correia

I also get inspiration from Mr. Nobody for The De-Evolution Game because it treats parallel universes. I tried to use the Mr. Nobody structure, as I noticed the psychologist with Nemo guides the movie.

Each time he asks a new question, old Nemo responds with a new parallel universe. But it didn’t work for me, so I had to create a new way to handle the parallel universes smoothly.

I hope I do well with The Silent PFC War now. I’ve developed the structure carefully and I’m

Sandra Isabel Correia - Re: indeed ... See article about TS's 1883 - some great insights!!!

(link to full article below)

"We can expect the tale to be told in Sheridan's unorthodox style, as he explains, he doesn't know how to do it any other way.

“I don’t know how to make a TV show,” Sheridan explains.

"I don’t have any idea and don’t really care to learn.

I don’t do pattern budgeting, or write act breaks into things. I write 10-hour movies, and go shoot them. I don’t have a writers room, I’ve written them all myself. It’s not for lack of effort, I’ve tried three times.”

“Maybe this is coming from a bit of a place of ignorance because I’ve never been in a writers room, but there are certain tropes and structures that TV shows have relied on for a really, really long time,” he said.

“Certain buttons and A stories and B stories that you can drop them into any show, I don’t do that.

So, for someone who’s an experienced staff writer to come along and attempt to figure out this bizarre stream-of-consciousness writing I do, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to them.

I don’t do outlines. I’ve just sat down and written all the episodes before we started filming. That way everybody knows what we’re doing, all the way through.”

https://movieweb.com/1883-taylor-sheridan-duttons-ranch/

I've never seen any of his work, but I hear good things about Henry Cavill. I love that he's a geek and a fierce defender of source material so he's exactly who I'd want on my team.

Other than him, I'd love to work with Kunihiko Ikuhara as I mentioned in another thread because I'm already trying to copy him with my writing anyway xD that's if anything of mine ever becomes an anime and has adequate surrealism/symbolism.

But no matter what, in terms of actors, I'd want chameleons who can really disappear into the role and become the characters rather than be recognizable names who can't do that anymore, and directors who can build on my vision with their own touch and insights so we can create something truly amazing together.

You're welcome, Sandra Isabel Correia. Thanks! I have some really unique projects to pitch. I'm rooting for you to reach your goals this month!

Maurice Vaughan Thank you Maurice. you’re a gem!

Thank you my friend :)

You're welcome, Abram Christian. Keep us posted on your film.

You're welcome, Sandra Isabel Correia.

Hi, Shay Booth. You could pitch your script to executives, managers, etc. through Stage 32's Pitch Sessions (www.stage32.com/scriptservices/pitch-sessions). The Pitch Sessions are mainly to get feedback on pitches, but members have gotten managers, signed shopping agreements, etc. through the sessions (www.stage32.com/scriptservices/success-stories).

Reach out to the Success Team at success@stage32.com. Geoff and his team can help you connect with producers, executives, and more.

And I suggest networking on Stage 32, on other platforms, and in person. It could lead to you connecting with producers, script requests, meeting requests, etc. Here's some blogs on networking: www.stage32.com/blog/tags/networking-41

Stage 32 has free in-person Meetups that are great for networking (www.stage32.com/meetups). If you don't see a Meetup in your area, keep an eye on that page for new Meetups. And you're welcome to start your own Meetup.

I write about unsolved problems, like the Doomsday Clock, health reform, police violence, etc. that are not morally "taboo" but psychologically "taboo" from human denial and tribal silos causing those subjects to be avoided & remain unsolved. So my characters try to deal with them, often blended with dark humor to try to break through denial.

I explore some taboo topics as I lean into horror and absolutely dive into extremely dark territory, but there are some I stay away from showing on the page and leave to implication. I think that comes more from an internal reason versus how I feel an audience/reader would react. There's a fine line between exploration and exploitation depending on what topic you're dealing with. If you do deal with something taboo or heavy, it needs to be purposeful and not just to shock. For me, if it doesn't elevate a character or the plot, then it has no place.

Hi Luis García, It's a pleasure to connect with you. I am a Stage 32 moderator in the lounge, and I only want to advise you, if you can, to add a profile picture. That will open more of your networking connections and will make us more engaging to answer your publications. If you can do it, just do it! Like Nike ads :))

My two major stories, *The Silent PFC War* and *The De-Evolution Game*, may feel like taboo topics. It all depends on how you see and treat them.

I write about family conflicts, and my characters are often young women. The only upside of a complicated childhood is that now I have plenty of material for horror stories.

Hi everyone. All your loglines and plots sound amazing!! I wish everyone all the success. :) And for those who have asked: I am writing a script called Static Screams, it is a horror/thriller and the pilot is on my profile if anyone wants to read!

Thanks, Shay Booth.Static Screams sounds scary. Catchy title. I'm about to check out the logline.

Hey Shay! Absolutely LOVE the title Static Screams! Great logline too. Has all the elements I look for in a good horror script/film.

I recently finished my latest horror, too! It's a feature-length called 11 ELMRIDGE. It's a psychological horror drama set in the suburbs of Indiana.

Logline: A grieving mother discovers a supernatural tear in her home that reveals a person’s life from birth to death, unleashing disturbing hauntings and an obsession that begins to consume her idyllic town.

Good luck and success on all your projects! Have a great rest of your week!

Martin Graham Hi Martin! That sounds great, I'll have a read if it's up! :D

HeyShay Booth , I am working on my female driven crime thriller feature.

I agree, Ehsan Rahimpour. I don't use coincidence in scripts, especially during the climax and ending.

"The solution, therefore, is not to avoid coincidence, but to dramatize how it may enter life meaninglessly, but in time gain meaning, how the anti logic of randomness becomes the logic of life-as-lived." I've never tried that. Thanks for the idea.

You're welcome Maurice Vaughan. McKee actually urges us not to escape by resorting to a convenient plot device called a "coincidence," but to find an organic, meaningful internal logic within the story to resolve the conflict.

That’s awesome to hear! Getting such detailed and thoughtful feedback from Olivia really shows how invested she is in helping writers grow. It’s rare to find someone who takes the time to dig deep into a pitch like that.

Glad it made your day — and thanks for the recommendation!

Congratulations on the Pitch Session going so well, Justin Groats! I'll keep Olivia in mind for feedback. Thanks for the rec!

Congratulations to you for getting detailed feedback.

Can you please tell me what genre you write in?

And thank you very much.

Meriem Bouziani it is science fiction, superhero action, aimed towards young adults

Ok thank you very much Justin Groats

Hi, Michael McDermott. I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. I wanted to let you know I moved your post from the Acting Lounge to the Screenwriting Lounge since it fits better here. Let me know if you have any questions.

I've been getting script ideas by combining movies.

Thank you. This is day one of what I hope will be a long, enjoyable, and perhaps profitable experience.

I think I appreciate every single idea that comes to my mind, but I feel more drawn to the most layered, crazy, and almost never-seen-before concepts—especially those involving neuroscience, AI ethics, parallel universes, and sentience.

You're welcome, Michael McDermott. I hope so too! What's your creative goal(s) for this month?

I'm concentrating on developing stories that inspire humanity to do better. I started my TV show creation journey inspired by Taylor Sheridan. I wrote my first scifi novel back in 2013, having a huge annoyance with the oversaturation of garbage like horror, dystopian scifi - mental garbage that only creates fear and loathing of humanity.