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The hottest discussions in the Stage 32 Lounge.

Liked by Bryan Emmanuel and one other

Suzanne Bronson
Rejection

This is a topic that I think is not covered enough. This is something all creatives experience. Actors, writers, directors, artists, et al. We all must find a healthy way of coping and dealing with rejection. We probably deal with reject more than acceptance and, I would say, we creatives experience...

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Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Suzanne Bronson. I try to learn from rejection, and I move on and keep pitching/applying for jobs.

Suzanne Bronson

Can you tell me more Maurice Vaughan How do you learn from rejection?

Maurice Vaughan

Sure, Suzanne Bronson. Say I send an email query letter and hear back from the producer saying they want to read my script. If the producer reads the script and tells me why they passed on it, I'll ke...

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Suzanne Bronson

In acting, you don't have the luxury of knowing why you weren't cast, or even why you aren't allowed to audition.

Liked by Elle Bolan and one other

Bou Her
Screenplay "A Love Rewritten"

Hi there everyone, my name's Bou Mee Her, it was one day ago but still, happy thanksgiving! I'm new here and I would love to share my screenplay "A Love Rewritten". It's a romcom. Status: Seeking Representation / Currently Submitting to Agents and Festivals. I'm looking for an agent, or literary man...

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Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Bou Her. Welcome to the community. Happy Thanksgiving! I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. I wanted to let you know that I moved your post from the Screenwriting Lounge to the Introduce Yourself Loun...

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Bou Her

Thank you Maurice, sorry and appreciate it!

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Bou Her. Unique Rom-Com! You could post your script on your profile. Producers search profiles for projects. That and networking are how I sold four short scripts to a producer. Click...

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Elle Bolan

Hi @Bou Her and welcome to Stage 32! It's great to have you here. Look forward to seeing you around the lounges!

The Tale of the Jester's Mask

После всего, что мне пришлось увидеть и пережить, мир открылся мне с другой стороны. Каждую секунду, каждый луч света, каждое дыхание ветра—это удивительная красота нашего мира, которую я теперь чувствую самой своей кожей. И, глядя на эту хрупкую и совершенную жизнь, я считаю, что мы, как люди, дост...

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Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Volodimir Skorokhod. Welcome to the community. I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. Stage 32 is an English platform. Do you mind translating your post to English?

Stage 32 has a blog that'll help you n...

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Volodimir Skorokhod

Thank you, I will definitely watch everything and get used to your site, in English...

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Volodimir Skorokhod. Ok, great. And I suggest using a photo of yourself as your profile picture. People will feel more comfortable networking and collaborating with you if they know wh...

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Liked by Meriem Bouziani and 2 others

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg
AI News - George R.R. Martin et al Move To Trial Against ChatGPT

NO - a fan didn't generate a storyline. The lawsuit alleges that ChatGPT uses his work (and that of 17 other authors, acting in a class action suit against ChatGPT and Microsoft) without permission and without compensation. Microsoft and ChatGPT tried to have the class-action thrown out and tried to...

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Maurice Vaughan

I'm glad to hear it, Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg! I hope George R.R. Martin wins! Producers, studios, etc. are big on copyright. I don't see them using generative AI/buying generative AI material an...

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Mathew Tretola

My opinion: I hope they get sued into complete non-existence. Generative ai is one of the worst things humans have created.

Meriem Bouziani

I believe there are several distinct creative states.

Some creators generate both ideas and language themselves — the fully human pipeline with linguistic command and conceptual expertise.

Others use AI...

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Liked by Adam Spencer and 17 others

Maurice Vaughan
Happy Thanksgiving From Stage 32: We Are Thankful For YOU

I’m thankful for a lot in my creative life, like Stage 32’s November Write Club. I got a lot done for Write Club, and I plan on getting some more done the last few days of the month.

What’s something you’re thankful for in your creative life? And what’s something you want to get done before the end...

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Maurice Vaughan

Thanks, Meriem Bouziani. I hope you're achieving your goals too. I got a lot done during November Write Club. I plan on making a post about it this weekend or Monday....

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Meriem Bouziani

Thank you very much Maurice Vaughan

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Meriem Bouziani. Have a great weekend!

Steve Dini

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone - here's to a "Creative Christmas!"

Maurice Vaughan

Happy Thanksgiving, Steve Dini! Hope you have a Creative Christmas!

Liked by Brittany Christine and 2 others

Brandon Keeton
What now?

As we head into the holiday season, most people are settling in to a slow nod off until the New Year. And while I do enjoy a complete playthrough of the vanilla version of Skyrim and a complete watch of Breaking Bad for the last seven years or so around this time, I will also be working on a few thi...

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Maurice Vaughan

Hey, Brandon Keeton. Hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving! I plan on working on projects (finish rewriting a feature script, finish outlining a feature script, etc.) this month, but I might take extra days o...

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Brandon Keeton

The feature is based on a short film we did entitled "Calls", and the short we just finished will be out shortly.

Good to hear about your stuff as well! Keep at it!

Maurice Vaughan

Thanks, Brandon Keeton. I got a lot done during Stage 32's November Write Club. I'm gonna make a post about it this weekend or Monday.

Brittany Christine

Awesome sauce Brandon Keeton ! I just wrapped on what I think will be my final two films of the year, a Christmas Horror that I'm the lead in (it's a gas lighting story called, Forever Yours, a script...

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Maurice Vaughan

Congratulations on wrapping your final two films of the year, Brittany Christine! I'm looking forward to seeing them!

Liked by Kenneth Ellis 2 and 6 others

Ehsan Rahimpour
Active Versus Passive Protagonist

No. 02/ Robert McKee, a wise voice on storytelling, highlights an important point:

An ACTIVE PROTAGONIST, in the pursuit of desire, takes action in direct conflict with the people and the world around him.

A PASSIVE PROTAGONIST is outwardly inactive while pursuing desire inwardly, in conflict with aspects of his or her own nature.

Ehsan Rahimpour

John Fife I think McKee’s sharp insight names the conflict’s general vector — in a passive protagonist, that conflict is fundamentally turned inward, a pattern more common in modern characters, with t...

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Ehsan Rahimpour

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh Yeah, that’s true. In the end, we’re all just writing about our real lives.

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh

Pretty much Ehsan Rahimpour. I like to challenge myself but within reason. I’m primarily the kind of person who believes in playing the hand you’re dealt (whether it’s your fault or not), so my charac...

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Ehsan Rahimpour

Maybe we can Banafsheh Esmailzadeh, expand it like this: In contemporary times, this dual situation almost always prevails, and our art is a way of playing between the two....

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Debbie Croysdale

Thread reminds me too, a passive or active protagonist can be their own worst enemy & antagonist not another human, ghost, monster, society or bad environment etc. I write active protagonists who arc...

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Liked by Salisu Abdullahi and one other

Salisu Abdullahi
The Challenge: When does a 'Contained Thriller' become too claustrophobic?

Hi fellow creatives! I'm currently working on The Venice Glass House (a psychological thriller), and I've been wrestling with the boundaries of the "Contained Thriller" subgenre.

We know films like Buried (one coffin) or Panic Room (one house) succeed because the tight setting raises the stakes and f...

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Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Salisu Abdullahi. I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. I wanted to let you know I moved your post from the Introduce Yourself Lounge to the Screenwriting Lounge since it's about screenwriting. You can...

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Stephen Folker

Good question. Just watched 'The Long Walk' which translated into 'The Long Watch'. At some point - the walking and talking go to be too much for me. Perhaps aim for 75 pages and find a few side locations to mix it up!

Salisu Abdullahi

"Hi Stephen,

That is a great point about The Long Watch (or The Long Walk). You nailed it—that feeling of the setting becoming repetitive is exactly what I'm trying to avoid with The Venice Glass House...

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Michael Thorn

I know this is a little off-topic, but ep. 5 of All Her Fault, which I saw last night, is an example of how a screenwriter can use the midpoint of a series to really confine the action and concentrate...

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Salisu Abdullahi

"Hi Michael,

That's a fantastic, insightful point! I haven't seen All Her Fault yet, but your comment on using the midpoint of a series to confine the action and concentrate on character dynamics is br...

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Liked by Ramon Zapata and 8 others

John Branagan
I'm missing something about the art of Pitch

I recently pitched a tv series concept to a rep at zero gravity management he wrote back to me giving a surprising great review on my pitch and the concept I was pitching yet the rep passed:(. can someone please explain that thought process. Why pass on me and the project when the pitch checked all the boxes.

Thank you,

JB

Emilia Maria

Hey John - if it's any consolation, I pitched 2 weeks ago, and still haven't heard back hah! The wait is killing me, but it is what it is!

Steven R Mitchell

For me, a win is when an executive asks to read my screenplay. Then I know the pitch really worked despite the score and I get feedback on what really counts, the screenplay itself.

Trevor Learey

So many planets need to align for a studio to take on a project. It almost needs to be no brainer with prior success, all the rights, funding, politics and most importantly, need for a project.

Ian Milne

In the meantime well done for getting your foot in the door and getting to pitch! I'm still working on that step.

Debbie Croysdale

@John It may be too expensive to make.

Liked by Nathaniel Watkins and 10 others

Kat Spencer
Are you writing through the holidays or taking a creative pause?

I’m always curious how other writers navigate this time of year — some people slow down, some ramp up, and some use the season to reset for the new year.

Do you try to keep your usual writing routine through November/December?

Or do you intentionally step back, refill the creative well, and come back...

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Yan Ju Zeng

My girlfriend probably wishes I would take a break, but unfortunately, November is one of my busiest months for inspiration.

Jack Middleton

I’m taking a break, but I’m still working in my mind

Willie Williams

I took a break for the last two weeks of November and plan to start writing again on Monday.

Terry Chodosh

I write when I get a creative burst of an idea which usually happens when I am distance swimming in a 50 meter pool, since swimming laps is so monotonous that I think through scenes in the novel which...

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Wyman Brent

I do not take breaks except for when I get to spend time with my son. Doesn`t matter which time of year then.

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