Trending Lounge Discussions

A 61-page script might be considered a feature, Srabon Ghosh. I watched a feature film the other week that was like 71 minutes without the end credits, and I've heard about other short feature films getting made.

I suggest checking with the contests to make sure they consider a 61-page script a feature.

Let a screenwriter see it. You'll get an opinion about length and probably easily resolve your 'time issue'. Sixty pages is very likely giving you an immediate disadvantage you cannot afford at this stage of your journey.

Your page count is very light. Get yours up to 90, and let the producer and director be concerned with what to do with it.

I think the screenplay for THE ARTIST was very short, approximately 41 pages, but its running time was around 100 minutes.

I loved the style of the artist, but absolutely do not like that movie. But what do I know. To me it was a misfire. Millions of others obviously don’t agree. That’s movies for you.

Hi, Ashley Dreswick-Dollinger. Welcome to the community. Congratulations on having four books published!

Stage 32 has a blog that'll help you navigate the platform and connect with creatives and industry professionals all over the world. Producers, directors, executives, writers, and more. www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-platform-...

Stage 32's November Community Open House was Tuesday. It'll help you navigate Stage 32 and connect with creatives and industry pros. The recording is up now. It's free to watch. www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-s-november-community-open-ho...

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

Hey Ashley Dreswick-Dollinger, the little excerpt you posted grabs my interest. I want to know the process Allie and Everett go through and the outcome. Here's to your success in finding that group of special people who will bring this story to completion on screen.

I see your book on kindle and I might pick up this story to take me through next week. you have a beautiful weekend

Thank you Rose Dupuis! That truly means a lot to me ❤️

Welcome to Stage 32. When you get a chance, make sure you fill out your profile, bio, and upload your logline for the screenplay. I’ve only been here for a little, but they continue to stress the importance of having a full and complete profile because managers and agents will look at it and want to see information about you and what drives you. I wish you the best!

Ashley Renee Smith one of the standouts for me was ‘The Eternaut’ on Netflix, from Argentina. It’s a six episode short form series, based on Héctor Germán Oesterheld graphic novel.

I love it because it sustains the mystery and the tension of the story. The acting is awesome as well as the production design. I have loved these dystopian, apocalyptic stories probably since I watched films like ‘The Day of the Triffids’ and the Quatermass films, when I was a kid.

I remember "The Day of the Trigffids." This dystopian film still haunts me, especially when overgrown trees and bushes creep toward my house. Ah, the power of the movie.

Edward Yang's Yi Yi & Taipei Story. It's hard to find something original, new- refreshing nowadays, so in my attempt to turn back the time, i got hold of these two gems and they have influenced and inspired me ever since.

When it comes to writing & the psychological exploration of deeply flawed characters, you'll catch me betting my 2 kidneys on Takopi's Original Sin. Masterful in every aspect, but a short disclaimer- it's not an easy watch.

Go blind, but come with enough space & a free evening to fully grasp the inner turmoil and conflict you've just felt & probably continue to feel for at least a little while. It's a ride but one worth taking!

I love everything that Octavia Butler has written. However, Kindred and Parable of the Sower stand out as the most significant influences on The Way Makers, my YA historical fiction series. Before she left here, I wrote and asked her if I could write a film script for Kindred. She wrote back and said it was already contracted out. I still have that response tucked away in my files somewhere.

Ashley Renee Smith, for me it will be what is known as "Vertical media"!

I recently completed a Trailer for my film ,with the "aspect ratio" for demonstration!

Writing commercial scripts (15 sec, 30 sec, etc.) can help writers get better at writing the first page, Elle Bolan. There's not a lot of time in a commercial script, so you have to grab the reader's attention right away. It gets writers in the habit of grabbing the reader's attention right away (the first word or sentence/sentences).

I've found starting a feature script with the protagonist or monster/antagonist doing something that's important to the story grabs the reader's attention.

Yep, that's the same method. 15 to 30 seconds flexes that exact same muscle.

It's a good skill to have.

I tend to drop in media res as often as possible. Right to a pivotal moment before page 1 ends. Maurice Vaughan

That's a great idea, Elle Bolan. I mainly do it in commercial scripts and short scripts. I also like to set up a mystery (like showing an object) on page one. I used to overuse flashforward scenes on page one in my scripts.

I think the first pages of The Silent PFC War may feel boring, but I can’t delete them.

They are the daily life routine before the disaster begins.

I like the Comedy Western mix, Jim Boston. I haven't heard about a lot of them.

Quite a few feature-length Western comedies came out of Hollywood in the 1957-74 period. (Two of the most famous ones were 1965's "Cat Ballou" and 1974's "Blazing Saddles.")

I guess what happened to shut Westerns of all kinds down were three things: A dip in popularity as the Twentieth Century headed for the sunset, spaces to film oaters in the Mountain and Pacific time zones dwindling, and...1977's "Star Wars" setting a new standard.

It's a good problem to have, but my problem is Comedy - the awful temptation to put comedy gags into serious stories to amuse myself. I'm a natural gag writer so have to stop myself. Nothing ruins the high-tension moments in a thriller more than e.g. a fart gag - it is hilarious, but it's not supposed to be there. What I do to control it, is write the gags down separately. I just love writing comedy. -- Yes, I have a few, including a very recent TV thirty minuter called 'Ponzi's schemes' - which makes me fall about laughing.

I think a comic relief character is fine in serious stories, suspenseful scenes, and Horror scripts, David Taylor. Maybe avoid writing too many comedy moments though, or maybe don't make the comic relief character over-the-top funny.

Yeah. I do manage to get the balance right.

Welcome Tony Sterago and bravo on your journey. Yes, you can copyright a treatment as Maurice mentions. Write four pages detailing the story and plot. Here's a breakdown I wrote recently on the difference between an outline, treatment, synopsis. Best of luck! https://filmbudget.com/screenwriting-treatment-synopsis-outline/

thank you. I'll have to put one together and add it to my list of things to do

Thanks for posting the breakdown, Jack Binder. I remember reading it. Great breakdown!

ok.so instead of starting my next 10 pages I need to write a treatment to protect my work by copyright ok. thank you everyone

You can, Tony Sterago, or you can finish the script and register it before pitching the project.

Willem Elzenga 2 Several things. 1. They didn't pay to use the material. It's not in public domain. and 2. ChatGPT will let anyone do it, and has (this is just one of many dozens of lawsuits), so it is making money from unauthorized use of other people's property. 3. However, making money isn't required. Only passing the results off as yours is, and that is what LLMs do and that is what ChatGPT is doing here. 4. Consider as well that the authors have outlines now or might make outlines for their work in the future - AI generated content is not copyrightable - so even generating this ruins the IP of the author. Someone generates this, puts it out there, and now the author cannot credibly use it even if it is identical to one they already created, or intended to create. Those are just a few of the issues here.

I’ll eat my hat when ChatGPT is going to pay authors. Basically Google is doing the same thing.

It's not different than doing a scene from a play and posting it on YouTube. I must write "for educational purposes only" as I do not have the playwright's permission. I can use it in my reel, but I cannot charge people to watch it. Technically, you can't even put on a live play without paying for the use. Just like for music.

I don't see how it would be any different because AI created it. It is copywrited material and therefore cannot be used without the author's permission. AI can use source from the public domain, just like us humans have to.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg, it's an important development! Investors for instance will need to know the particulars of this news. Certainly depending on the outcome public relations factors will have a lot of weight with relative decision makings!

The world of entertainment again watches on!

Eon C. Rambally We'll see how it goes. The AI companies have won in some courts the right to train on copyrighted material. So it's not clear how this will turn out. Unfortunately, the legislators are a decade or two behind the times across the entire world, and this is going to require considered legislation to resolve.

thank's maurice ;)

You're welcome, Fares Mohamed. I'm a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. If you ever have any questions about Stage 32, let me or another Lounge Moderator know. We have badges on our pictures. Or you could email support@stage32.com.

And it's Stage 32’s policy that members have a proper first and last name or a pen name on their accounts. A lot of Stage 32 members are reluctant to accept network requests from profiles that don’t have proper names, and they’ll report the accounts as spam, which will cause the accounts to get removed.

thank you very much for your message and for your help.

No worries on my end regarding my name: my name is Fares, so everything is in order. Thanks as well for the information about connection requests and the risk of being reported as spam — I’ll be careful.

Have a great day, and I look forward to connecting on Stage 32!

You're welcome, Fares Mohamed. I suggest adding your last name. Have a great day too! I hope you find success on here!

I am in Sweden, also part of Europe. I translated my latest script into American English. Then I wrote to about 100 production companies which appeared to accept submission from us who have no agent. Almost all the companies I wrote to were based in USA. But still the only answer which appeared encouraging was from Australia.

Thanks for sharing this, Navid Lancaster. I'm really excited for this movie, and I'm really looking forward to hearing the music!

Awesome to hear, yes thank you Navid Lancaster for the update keep them coming, I also can’t wait to hear the music. It almost sounds like the music could be somewhat similar to the first Jurassic Park score. it was a little more downbeat compared to Star Wars Empire Strikes Back etc.

"the girl WHO remembered Tomorrow" nice name

Thank you.

Welcome to the community, Juan Rodriguez. Stage 32 has a blog that'll help you navigate the platform and connect with creatives and industry professionals all over the world. Producers, executives, directors, managers, and more. www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-platform-...

Stage 32's November Community Open House was Tuesday. It'll help you navigate Stage 32 and connect with creatives and industry pros. The recording is up now. It's free to watch. www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-s-november-community-open-ho...

The Girl Who Remembered Tomorrow sounds intriguing and unique! Catchy title! I can't wait to watch it! Reach out to the Success Team at success@stage32.com. Geoff and his team can help you connect with producers, executives, reps, and more.

Hi, Serhat Boylu. Welcome to the community. Congratulations on finishing your short documentary!

Stage 32 has a blog that'll help you navigate the platform and connect with creatives and industry professionals all over the world. www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-platform-...

Stage 32's November Community Open House was Tuesday. It'll help you navigate Stage 32 and connect with creatives and industry pros. The recording is up now. It's free to watch. www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-s-november-community-open-ho...

How we can enjoy your work?

Hi Serhat Boylu, Your project sounds truly meaningful. I have deep respect for filmmakers who capture disappearing traditions and give voice to communities that rarely get represented on screen. “Koçer” looks like the kind of documentary that preserves something fragile and important.

I’m a writer and cinematographer working on several character-driven projects myself, so I really appreciate your focus on resilience, cultural identity and the tension between tradition and modern life. If you ever need an outside perspective, a creative exchange, or simply someone to look at early cuts and give honest feedback, I’d be glad to connect.

Wishing you success with festivals and distribution. Stories like this deserve a wide audience.

Kolay gelsin.