Trending Lounge Discussions

Hey, Ben Trebilcook. David Koepp, George A. Romero, and Jordan Peele are three of the screenwriters who influenced my writing journey.

Ben, I'm going to back...way back...back into time...and lift up early TV writer Reginald Rose ("Twelve Angry Men") along with the "American Graffiti" team of George Lucas, Gloria Katz, and Willard Huyck.

I've been running my scripts through a couple of tools: WriterDuet's https://screenplayiq.com and https://ScriptReader.ai. [And ScriptReader tells me I write like Aaron Sorkin, Nora Ephron, Richard Linklater, and Tina Fey. (Oh, well...)]

Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!

I don’t know them by name, but every screenwriter behind every sci-fi movie I’ve watched has shaped my sci-fi mind in some way, and I’m very grateful to all of them.

Love Lucas and his vision.

wish you all the Best

Hi, Shirley Collier. Congratulations on all your success! How long have you been writing books and screenplays?

You're welcome, Maheshwarapandiyan Saravanan. 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.

thank you so much, Maurice!

Impressive vision. Months working with an animal? How did you budget that???

You're welcome, Maheshwarapandiyan Saravanan.

Jon Shallit Hi Jon,

Thank you so much. Yes, we worked with the hen for six months.

There was no special budget line for her. We simply spent time every day so she could become comfortable with us and behave naturally during the single-shot filming. My team practiced 3 times every day for 6 months during 8 am sun, 12 pm sun and 3 pm sun.

At first, the hen was a bit unsure of the camera, but by the 4th to 6th month she settled in so well that she behaved almost like a method actor... very natural and aware of her marks.

When we went to shoot for 5 days, there were more people around, so she took a little time to adjust, but the team kept the space calm for her and she managed comfortably.

Happy to share more if you’d like.

It’s not so cut-and-dried. Sound stages are very expensive and require sets to be constructed. But… the dialogue will need less replacement or massaging in post. Locations can cost less to rent, but they generally do not have pleasing sound, so you will pay more to fix the dialogue in post. One significant problem that can arise in that scenario is talent being unavailable or unwilling to record ADR. I’ve directed adr sessions in which the producers owed the talent money, which put me in a position of calming the talent and playing to their sympathies for me just trying to do my job.

This is just one of numerous sound considerations that very few producers consider until they get bitten in the behind. Lesson: hire your sound supervisor for a day during pre-production and have them evaluate every scene for potential issues that you can address in advance.

That’s the sound designer in me. The director in me says, “that’s a YOU problem, sound department.”

What do you want your film to accomplish? Going into the production, everyone should know what is expected of them especially if your budget is minimal. Your goal is to make a professional film that a majority of audiences will see multiple times throughout their lives. Making a "one and done" movie means your film failed as an entertainment vessel. I don't care what anyone says about "the art" or "the message" and everyone is different. I will watch Pearl Harbor every year. Some people didn't like it, but I did. Now I've only seen Schindler's List once because it's a bit of a downer for me. However you feel about either film, I don't think either film has ever changed anyone's course in life. If you're a scumbag, chances are after watching either film, you're still a scumbag. That being said, don't plan your film around your locations unless they have a significance to the overall story.

As for exterior shots vs interior shots, what is actually being shot? When I used existing location for my film, some ADR was needed because of the sounds of air conditioning. ADR isn't that tough if you have a good group of sound guys. You also need to know how much ADR you will need and that should be pretty evident once you get on location. In any any case, do your ADR early instead of months later when you have to bring people back. Exterior shots will require generators to power some of the equipment. Make sure they don't sound like a lawn mower convention.

All this stuff is easy to figure out if you do a walk through of the day in your mind. You want to really control your budget, stop thinking you need to hire A-list talent. Using some recognizable talent is fine, but A-listers don't carry the A-luster they once did because they can't keep their mouths shut and have to give their increasingly stupid opinions about everything to show how smart they are. Mamoa is starting to talk crap now as if he's an expert on anything. If you go to the circus, you don't care if the clowns had a bad day leading up to the show. They have one job. To make you laugh. No one hangs around after the performance to listen to them talk about their feelings on world events. Don't hire idiots or they will kill your chances for making a successful run before your release date and they won't care because they already got paid.

Keep your budget as low as possible while still maintaining the highest levels of execution of the material and you should be fine. Just make sure your main target audience will want to revisit your film multiple times throughout their lives.

Hey, Stefano Pavone. I've heard it can. That's one reason I mainly set my scripts inside.

Writing to budget is something you get better at the more films you actually produce. Location moves are a pain, costing time and money. If you have one actual location that can serve as two or more in the script, that’s ideal.

I co-produced a film with a centrally located production office in the same building where we shot in the lobby. Then we shot in our rented offices. Then on the streets, alleys, and parking lots all in walking distance.

I just worked on a werewolf picture that was mostly a siege at a cabin in the woods, the rest IN the woods.

I’m writing something now that is four locations, and even that may be too many.

My favorite low budget example is Buried, where Ryan Reynolds spends 90 minutes in a box with a light and a cell phone. And it’s riveting.

Watch the movie THE WONDER 2022, it will blow you away when you see how they filmed it , because it’s included in this historic drama movie.

After I saw it I had a serious rethink about costs/budgets.

I'm gonna do another rewrite on my feature script, Suzanne Bronson. What's a step you’re taking?

Suzanne Bronson thanks for the invitation. Hmmmm......a good question. I immediately think, eughhh....my life is so full at the moment, how can I possibly find the space or time for a small step ? Well, as you know, i think the step will be finding some scenes to work on with you. 'Especially since my training starts up again next year.

And going off of that, Maurice Vaughan I WILL find a monologue or two. I have a book that was recommended in the Audition Intensive Lab I took and I have nothing but time. Alexandra Stevens

Great, Suzanne Bronson. I like the "WILL"! What's your favorite type of monologue?

A prepared actor Maurice Vaughan to has both a dramatic and a comedic at the ready, and a classical. Depends on the show you're auditioning for.

thanks for the links Maurice I'll look into them all the ones I found so far have costed money

You're welcome, Tony Sterago. Here are some of the free webinars: www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting/Stage-32-and-Netflix-Partnered-Up-o...

Tony, honestly, I also don’t have the ability to buy expensive courses.

If you have motivation, a well-structured self-study plan can replace almost everything.

Here’s what helped me the most:

One book I read:

Paul Guyot — “Kill the Dog.”

It answered so many questions about what screenwriting is really about.

A study plan using AI.

I use ChatGPT to:

– break down scenes

– practice dialogue

– get feedback

– rewrite fragments

– analyze structure

This way you can build your own “mentorship” without any budget.

Read produced screenplays.

They’re legally available online, and they’re the best textbook you can have.

Write scenes every day.

Even small ones — half a page.

It builds the craft faster than anything else.

You don’t need $500 videos.

You just need consistency and patience.

Wishing you strength on your path — you can absolutely do this.

thank you so much for the encouragement and thoughtful words. I have been using chat GBT To help me, Break down the scenes and also help with world building. It has been invaluable I agree with you It does help a lot. I guess my insecurities are just showing Because I don't know if I'm asking the right questions I don't know If the way I flush out my characters Is more of a ttrpg (table top role-playing games) Character creation Or if The writer in me character creation. I'm doing pretty much everything everyone has suggested so far it just feels like I'm doing it in the dark with a flashlight that's batteries are dying. I guess I would just feel better if there was somebody over my shoulder saying you're asking the right questions you're doing the right things in the right ways. but again thank you so very much for the thoughtful words they meant a lot and I'll keep plugging away the way I am. if you don't mind can I add you to my network?

Tony, thank you for your message — and absolutely, feel free to add me to your network.

I’d be happy to stay in touch and discuss things as we both keep learning. I’m a beginner too, just sitting on a little hill with a notebook, looking down at the big city of screenwriters and trying to understand its streets. So we’re both figuring this out step by step.

And honestly — the feeling of “working in the dark with a dying flashlight” is normal. Let’s keep going. One scene at a time.

Thanks, Kevin Hager. I'll check out Life, Animated.

When you do, invite him to join Stage 32. He could be a good help to others. Even me.

Excellent job on the score, Kerry Kennard! I really like it! "It's the weird sound in the middle, as well as near the end." That's my favorite sound in the score.

Thanks Maurice Vaughan !! appreciate it. It's the IBRIDO from Sonokinitics.

They have a big library of different kind of sounds !! - for different type of genres to write in.

Here's their main page:

https://www.sonokinetic.net

Well, not good enough to win yet, Maurice. I think a few others had more orchestration in some parts. This one does work well for an Indie project - still yes, ... thank you.

The Grand prize was all the Sonokinetic sounds !! plus time with Michael !!

You're welcome, Kerry Kennard. Thanks for the link!

Nice job Kerry Kennard sounds great. I do like those sounds!!

Sandra Isabel Correia We'll see. It is very faddish at the moment. It's been well established for over a decade in advertising, and in short-short ephemerals - ie. the essence of what Martin Scorcese says differentiates "content" (free, cheap, transitory, ephemeral, forgettable) from "film" (expensive, important, memorable, engaging) . But the vertical format is very difficult to watch and about 20 minutes in reelshort.com will have you asking why anyone is forcing otherwise interesting ideas into a format that is hard to look at. The human field of view is roughly 1:85 or 16:9 - standard wide screen or HD, and that accounts for why it has become dominant. It's very easy to view. All of which is to say that the vertical format requires narrative and visual approach to be shot specifically for that aspect. Advertising often is. Narrative so far almost never is. Now recall just a couple years ago Quibi became the fastest studio bankruptcy in history losing $ 1.5 billion in ~8 months, betting largely on the vertical experience, as well as the short-short ephemeral experienc. Were they simply too early? Or is it actually impossible to commercialize the format to the extent it pays for itself? We've been studying this and I can say without doubt that the vertical format is being used to drive traffic to standard long form format. That's a kind of marketing use, which is where verticals came from (in malls, many years ago), and seems to be the actual best use so far.

Really thoughtful breakdown, Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg . I agree. The vertical format feels more natural in advertising and marketing contexts, where it’s designed for quick impact, but narrative storytelling hasn’t yet found its sweet spot there. Quibi’s collapse is a cautionary tale, though it’s interesting to see verticals now being used as traffic drivers toward long‑form work rather than as standalone experiences. Maybe the format’s strength is exactly that: a teaser tool, not the main stage.

"It feels like we’re entering an era where producers and writers will need to design stories with the platform in mind, almost like tailoring the narrative to the canvas" - love that and agree Sandra Isabel Correia . To an extent, artists have always created for their medium. And as you've pointed out with your post on Netflix and WBD, the entire system is shifting to accommodate this ever emergent dynamic between technology and how we interact with it. The younger generations came up in an environment of much less categorization and norms. They'll easily start a show on their laptop when they wake up, carry it over to their phone on the way to school, and return to it on their big living room TV that evening. Just like we now have news and advertisements EVERYWHERE!!! hahaha, I think we're moving toward entertainment EVERYWHERE!!! :)

Absolutely, Sebastian Tudores. Stories now have to travel fluidly across screens, almost like they’re composed for movement as much as meaning. Entertainment everywhere, yes, but the real art is keeping depth and resonance intact as it shifts from phone to laptop to TV.

Sandra Isabel Correia "almost like they’re composed for movement as much as meaning." I'm gonna run out of space in my quotes notebook because of you! hahaha ;)

When a Karte kula instructor's life-threatening medical condition becomes untreatable, she and her father embark on a desperate leap in time to a magical 1985 planet. There, the only cure—an ultra-powerful, reality-altering flower, fiercely protected by a famous Australian singer , accompanied by a sidekick, forcing them into a battle of fate, music and magic where failure means losing everything.

Sounds interesting, Gilad Riv! Do you want some feedback on your logline?

sure do you mind the pitch as well?

I'm not sure what you mean, Gilad Riv.

I think your logline could be tightened up some, Gilad Riv. Here’s a logline template that might help: After/when ______ (the inciting incident/event that sets the plot in motion), a _______ (the main flaw the protagonist has to overcome in the script or an adjective that describes the protagonist’s personality) _______ (the protagonist’s job/career/role) tries to/attempts to/fights to/struggles to/strives to/sets out to/fights/battles/engages in/competes/etc. _______ (goal of story and try to add the obstacles here) to/so/in order to ________ (stakes).

The inciting incident can also be at the end of the logline: A _______ (the main flaw the protagonist has to overcome in the script or an adjective that describes the protagonist’s personality) _______ (the protagonist’s job/career/role) tries to/attempts to/fights to/struggles to/strives to/sets out to/fights/battles/engages in/competes/etc. _______ (goal of story and try to add the obstacles here) to/so/in order to ________ (stakes) after/when ______ (the inciting incident/event that sets the plot in motion).

Loglines are one or two sentences. A one-sentence logline sounds better, and it takes less time for a producer, director, etc. to read it. Try to keep your logline to 35 words or less. Long loglines can make producers, directors, etc. pass on a project.

Avoid using “must” in loglines. “Must” usually means the protagonist is forced to do whatever they need to do in the story instead of doing it willingly. You might need to use “must” in a logline though, like when the protagonist is forced by another character to do something. Using “must” to choose between two options is fine.

Names in loglines are usually for biopics, well-known stories, and franchises (like Mission: Impossible).

Sometimes I put the location and date that the story takes place in instead of the inciting incident if it’s a Period Piece script.

All stories don’t follow this logline template. Biopics, documentaries, and Experimental scripts might not follow the template. The series logline for a TV show can follow this template, but the pilot logline and episode loglines for the show might not.