Trending Lounge Discussions

The hottest discussions in the Stage 32 Lounge.

Liked by Federico Alerta and 2 others

Geoff Hall
Debt Financing

Hi there dear community,

A major investor for our film "Seeing Rachel" has just dropped out (due to a downturn in their business) and so I'm looking at various sources of finance for the film.

One which has come to my attention, is debt financing and I wondered if any of you had any experience of work...

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Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Geoff Hall. I hope you have a great time and make connections at Focus 2025! Looking forward to hearing how it goes!

Jon Shallit

You may have to pay up in interest for that, but I know a source. Call me for info.

Mukesh Parikh

Hi Jon, I would be interested in learning if you can kindly share. I have a $3.5 M - Musical Drama feature based on true events with Grammy winners, Cast and Crew locked and 55% Government incentives. Thanks!

Geoff Hall

Jon Shallit yeah, I know there’s an interest payment. My production team doesn’t think this is a good way for us to go, but now I’m just curious about the process. It’s a learning opportunity.

One of...

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Kenneth George

Geoff Hall What is the film’s budget? Typically, most projects finance about a third or roughly 33% of it through debt. 100% debt would be incredibly risky for the investor unless of course you have s...

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Liked by Federico Alerta and one other

Kevin Hager
No Excuse For Abuse

Do you know someone who has been abused? My sister was in an abusive relationship, luckily, she ended it and is now in a better one, and I want to raise awareness to help prevent this kind of thing. But I need help. I have some ideas about that, and some of them can be with Disney, I want to help th...

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Maurice Vaughan

Great, Kevin Hager. I suggest writing the scripts/getting co-writers to help you write the scripts next.

Elle Bolan

Well good! You have outlines. Then from your outline, you can build a beat sheet. Beat sheets are great for helping you keep the story going consistently in the right direction as you draft

There are...

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Kevin Hager

I have found some help, and I do have outlines. Would it help if that person wanted to help the community like Disney has done with it outreach programs?

Elle Bolan

Ethical alignment is definitely a plus, but it's not going to replace any of the steps you need to take. You'll still need to write the scripts NOT associated with Disney and get them made to build yo...

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Kevin Hager

I have, and I have many. Trust me, I am ready.

Liked by Maurice Vaughan

Gregory Barone
the Giant Killer Script Ch 5 Pg 7 & 8 review

(Please note that this is done as it would be a script for a comic. I have a background in comics, so I use comic terms for the script. I do hope to get this made as a movie or short TV show. I'm looking for feedback on the pages, if you can take the time to read and leave a review in the comments....

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Maurice Vaughan

Hey, Gregory Barone. I think you did a great job on the scenes! Garerit is one of the cleverest characters I’ve ever read about/seen in a movie.

Also, I suggest changing the format from comic book to...

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Gregory Barone

ok, nothing to fix on these pages?

Maurice Vaughan

I think they're fine, Gregory Barone.

Liked by Maurice Vaughan and one other

Stefano Pavone
Is it possible to lower budgets by relying mostly on interior scenes instead of exterior locations?

Hey, guys.

It's a thought I had - I've become more budget-conscious lately, and remembering how old BBC TV shows like "Blake's 7" and "Red Dwarf" (and even the original series of "Doctor Who") were usually shot in studios or on sets, I've been thinking: would having mostly indoor-set scenes reduce th...

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Philip David Lee

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...

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Maurice Vaughan

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

Mike Boas

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 i...

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David Taylor

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.

Göran Johansson

I have done a lot of no-budget filming. The problem with outdoor scenes is the weather, and wind noise. There may also be interruptions due to sudden sounds from traffic. So in my most recent script 4/5 of the scenes are indoor. But some indoor locations give more problems than others.

Liked by Federico Alerta and one other

James LO
GUNPOWDER the short ACT I

Hi everyone — I’m taking a crack at screen writing and come up with the first few pages of a script I’ve adapted from my own short story.

I would greatly appreciate any feedback or brutal notes…

LOGLINE

In a world where AI companions offer their humans unconditional love, two women—one buying, and...

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James LO

Thanks Maurice Vaughan , I’ve edited the post and hope it can be moved back to the screenwriting lounge

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, James LO. I moved your post back to the Screenwriting Lounge. I'm gonna post some feedback a little later today.

James LO

on the app...

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Maurice Vaughan

You can't edit posts in the phone app, James LO. You need a web browser. Sorry, I should've mentioned that in my other comment.

Maurice Vaughan

Overall, great job on the scenes, James LO! They kept my attention, and they deal with some important things, like “If we... ever... have kids, is this the world you wanna leave’m?” The characters fee...

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Liked by Federico Alerta and 14 others

Christophe Lenoir
Finalist in the Stage 32 + Zero Gravity Action/Thriller Screenwriting Competition!

Hi everyone, I’m Christophe Lenoir, a French writer-director working in psychological thrillers and elevated genre storytelling.

I’m incredibly happy to share that my screenplay THE BLOND GUN has just been selected as a Finalist in the Stage 32 + Zero Gravity Action/Thriller Screenwriting Competition...

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Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Christophe Lenoir. What's THE BLOND GUN about?

James LO

is the script or excerpts thereof up somewhere where we could read it?

Petra Jurasova

huge congratulations :)

Fuad Shawn

thrilled to here that. Big Bigg Biggg congratulations ❤️❤️

Jon Shallit

Super!

Liked by David Lee Melton and 3 others

Matthew Wach
Developing a Market-Ready Fantasy IP – Feedback Welcome

Hello Everybody! I’m developing a new fantasy/creature-based IP called Realmon — an original world built from the ground up with unique elemental typings, lore, and evolving creature lines.

I’m aiming to shape this into a market-ready concept that could fit animation, games, or publishing. I recent...

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David Lee Melton

I love it! I’m an animator myself and I like what I see I would say I would turn this into a cartoon animation.

Matthew Wach

Maurice Vaughan David Lee Melton Thank you both — that means the world to me! Realmon is something I’ve been crafting for a long time, and hearing that it reads like an animation-ready concept is seri...

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Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Matthew Wach. Okay, no problem.

Matthew Wach

Maurice Vaughan Check out my post in the animation lounge, if you’re interested! I just introduced a brand new Realmon.

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg

Matthew Wach Youi're welcome. Add me here and I'd love to see your concepts.

Liked by Maheshwarapandiyan Saravanan and 6 others

Sandra Isabel Correia
Netflix’s Bold Experiment: Stranger Things Finale in Theaters

Netflix will release the Stranger Things series finale simultaneously on streaming and in 500+ theaters this New Year’s Eve. At over two hours, the finale plays like a feature film, and fans pushed hard for a big-screen sendoff.

Key twist: theaters keep concession revenue, while Netflix doesn’t take...

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Lindbergh E Hollingsworth

HBO did this with Game of Thrones ... nothing new here with what Netflix is doing ...

Amanda Toney

This is really interesting. I wonder if this is just event/spectacle or if they’re doing this to test theater turnout for some of their other titles.

Sandra Isabel Correia

True, Lindbergh E Hollingsworth. HBO did experiment with Game of Thrones, but I think what’s different here is the scale, timing, and context. Netflix is rolling out a simultaneous theatrical + stream...

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Sandra Isabel Correia

I know, Amanda Toney, it really is interesting! I think it’s both a spectacle for fans and a smart way for Netflix to test theater turnout for future titles. Times are different now, and this kind of...

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Stephen Folker

Movie theaters are slowly becoming a thing of the past. Everyone is glued to their mobile device. To be honest, if you can binge watch at home, why would you go to the movie theater?

Liked by Alex Hunter and 12 others

Shay Booth
Idol scene

So I have nearly finished my second horror tv script called IDOL - to put it brief it's about a woman who moves to a town and the towns people begin to become obsessed. I wrote this scene and would appreciate any feedback! for context it's a scene way into the script.

INT. GRACE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

G...

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David Taylor

Once again, this is a piece with legs. It’s great.

Shay Booth

Hi David, thankyou :) I want to pitch it but not sure where to start!

John Fife

Really cool and kind of creepy

Matthew Thompson

It’s not bad. I can picture it, so that is a plus. You’ve described it enough that it’s easily visualized. I don’t know the whole story, this is just one scene… but 40s for an age seems too young. I e...

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Maurice Vaughan

Reach out to the Success Team at successstage32.com, Shay Booth. Geoff and his team will give you some suggestions who to pitch your series to.

Liked by Jim Boston and 6 others

Nicholas J. Benson
Optioning a Script

Hi all!

This post is specifically geared towards writers out there who have experience with optioning their work.

What should a writer keep in mind when considering an option?

What are the common pitfalls or red flags?

And what makes a "good" option actually worth taking vs. holding out?

Open to any...

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Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Nicholas J. Benson.

Lindbergh E Hollingsworth

How long (term), how much (compensation). Option for $1, or you can do 18 months for $1,000. Do keep this in mind, the option agreement is a contract and what's in it will be used to purchase the scri...

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Lawrence Hughes Stern

Very complex issues - have had 5 scripts optioned now and you must be sure that it's worth giving away the rights for the 6 months or 1 year or however long you choose. Also, protect your IP/your work...

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Jack Binder

Hire an attorney. Period.

Nicholas J. Benson

Thank you again everyone! Very useful!

Liked by Artemis Craig and 9 others

Ryan Wilford
Los Angeles-Based Screenwriter

Happy Saturday Stage 32 Family!

I just wanted to reintroduce myself, as I like to do every so often. My name is Ryan, and I'm originally from Chicago! I've been here in Los Angeles for four, almost five, years now, and I am a screenwriter.

I started my first screenplay, the psychological thriller "Con...

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Maurice Vaughan

Hey, Ryan Wilford. Hope you're enjoying the weekend! Mental health is really important! I think there needs to be more movies, shows, etc. about it. I plan on writing a script about mental health....

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Vamsi Tankala

Hi Ryan Wilford I hope you are having wonderful weekend. I have read the log line "Confidence" really enjoyed it. I wish the very best on your next steps. Happy Holidays!...

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Shaun Jackson Williams

Hi everyone, it is so great to be amongst other writers, are there any tip's that the both of you can share with me.

Michael Dzurak

Congrats on the screenwriting progress. Rewrites are what it's all about!

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