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The hottest discussions in the Stage 32 Lounge.

Liked by Tucker Teague and 2 others

Uttam Akkineni
Script submission and feedback

People write their own scripts and don't know whom to approach and how to approach. They don't get a chance to receive proper feedback on their scripts other than from their close friends. Unless they receive feedback from outsiders or professionals they think that they have written a mind-blowing s...

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Marty Howe

Script feedback is just one persons "opinion". The only opinion that matters, is a Production company with money. Send your scripts directly to a Producer, with a view to getting the film made. Skip t...

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Uttam Akkineni

The real problem is on how to approach producer directly.

Drongo Bum

Uttam Akkineni Do you mean "how" as in "what to say to him/her"? Or do you mean "How to get in contact with him/her?"

You describe yourself as a screenwriter, a script consultant, and a script coordina...

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Drongo Bum

Marty Howe "Script feedback is just one persons "opinion"."

It depends on the nature of the feedback.

If it's confined to subjective elements, such as story and characters, then yes, the feedback is lar...

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Maurice Vaughan

You can also post your scripts on your profile. Producers s...

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Liked by Jane Tumminello and 17 others

Maurice Vaughan
Dialogue Tip – Write it On the Nose First

On the nose means a character says exactly what they’re feeling or thinking. The dialogue doesn’t have any subtext. Something that helps me with subtext is writing the dialogue on the nose first, then rewriting what the character says different ways and picking the line that has the best subtext.

Say...

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Banafsheh Esmailzadeh

Exactly Maurice Vaughan , they can even do it because they absolutely hate the other character or otherwise don’t trust them, can be lots of things :D

Ewan Dunbar

A good next step after this would be to see how it plays with no dialogue at all. We can pick up a lot of social cues just by looking and with the help of editing and shot choices, you can emphasise a lot without a word being spoken.

Maurice Vaughan

You're right, Ewan Dunbar. I've been thinking about writing a script without dialogue. If I do, I'll rewatch movies like A Quiet Place and No One Will Save You and read the scripts....

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Anna Marton Henry

This is the technique I always teach as well. However, a colleague recently pointed out that every once in a while an on-the-nose line can work in a script that is otherwise full of subtext: https://w...

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Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Anna Marton Henry. I know Tom. I talk with him on Twitter/X sometimes, and I'm subscribed to his newsletter. He has a lot of great advice and insight!

You and Tom are right about using on-the-nose...

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Liked by Banafsheh Esmailzadeh and one other

Somay Gupta
Calling All Screenwriters! Share Your Journey

Hello fellow writers,

Every screenwriter has a story:_what's yours?

What inspired you to pen your first script?

How many days did it take you to complete and sell it?

What was your experience like in negotiating with managers, agents, producers, and studios?

How did you improve your script formatting to...

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Alison Weaverdyck

A quarter-life crisis put me back on my writing path in the 20-teens, but it was lockdown-induced existensial dread that had me looking for a new medium. Screenwriting was love at first fade in. My fi...

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Banafsheh Esmailzadeh

I'm still very very new to screenwriting so not much of a journey but I have been telling stories since I was two years old and wrote them down since I was about 12 or 13, wrote my first play at 22, f...

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Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Somay Gupta. Great idea for a post! It could help new writers and experienced writers.

What inspired me to write short stories was my elementary school teacher and the movie Harriet the Spy. What i...

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Somay Gupta

Great story, Alison!

The 2020 pandemic was a truly unique time for the whole world. Many of us felt trapped, yet in that stillness, we found ourselves thinking outside the box, tryin...

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Liked by Julieanna Aliwarga and 8 others

John Mezes
Writers' Challenge!

I'm throwing down a gauntlet to my fellow writers! Take a script you haven't touched in a while and write 2 pages by Sunday. Keep me posted on your progress right here!

Philip David Lee

Drongo Bum And yet, George Soros can hire as many protesters as he wants without batting anyone's eyes. Seriously, Drongo, don't you think I figured this out before I got to the final battle? Who said...

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Drongo Bum

Philip David Lee "George Soros can hire as many protesters as he wants without batting anyone's eyes."

Wut?

"You're always out to try and make me look like a first class clown.."

Wut?

"As you snicker at m...

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Robert Franklin Godwin III

The script was originally written as a pilot. Then I rewrote it as a feature. Notes from a producer said "This has possibilities as a pilot." So, I rewrote it again, as a pilot (still working on it)....

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Kevin Jackson

Bet.

Julieanna Aliwarga

Love this. Thanks John. All the best to everyone. About to continue the scifi podcast script I'm working on with my friends.

Liked by Harri-Pekka Virkki and one other

Kem Charles
Kemuel Charles

Hi S32 community.I'm new to the site. I live in New York and interested in camera work, editing, and directing. Looking to expand my friends in the filmmaking community.

Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Kem Charles. Welcome to the community. It's great to meet you. Here's a blog that'll help you navigate Stage 32 and connect with creatives and industry professionals: www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-s...

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Kem Charles

Hey Maurice. Thanks.Yeah, New York is not for everyone. Time Square and Madison Square always feel to me like I am line dancing with people every 2 feet.

Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Kem Charles. It did feel like line dancing. Haha

You said you're interested in camera work, editing, and directing. Stage 32 has Lounges and Education for those. The blog link I put in...

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Liked by Maurice Vaughan

Stage 32 Job Alert
Screenwriter hired through Stage 32 Jobs

Paul Iwari, a Screenwriter from Port Harcourt, Nigeria was just hired for the project titled "Writer for a short film". Congratulations!

Maurice Vaughan

Congratulations on getting hired, Paul!

G.Smokey Campbell

Kudos. Write On !

Liked by Oscar Calixto and 3 others

Patrick McIntire
Tip for the Day #14: Indie Films On The Rise

With many Studio budgets exploding to over $250 million, & many of them losing money, it’s no wonder distributors and investors are seeking more indie films. The $3-$8 million budgets are the sweet spot, however, the under $3 million are becoming more popular.

Solid stories with great acting tend to...

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Patrick McIntire

Francisco Castro So why not make them ready for investors? Email me at productionbudgets@yahoo.com for info and rates if interested....

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Patrick McIntire

Toni D'Antonio Careful in using the word "attached". I have a detailed post regarding that word. Sounds like you've put in the work with your package, but if you're presenting to investors, make sure...

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Patrick McIntire

Vic Alexander $5 million budget? Is that based on an accurate budget or a guess? Pitching a script to investors or producers you'll need an accurate budget and more. Email me at productionbudgets@yaho...

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Toni D'Antonio

Thank you so much Patrick. Understood. Anyone who I mention who is attached is under contract or has signed an LOI that gives me express permission to use their name and likeness.. And for all our pro...

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Silvia Dornelles

As a beginner screenwriter I'm always thinking of few locations/actors and focusing more on the narrative. It's nice getting the perspective of someone who's experienced in the field though.

Liked by Oscar Calixto and 7 others

Kat Spencer
What's Your Motivation?

Hi everyone! What is your motivation for writing? What keeps you going and what inspired you to become a writer?

Emanuele Vergari

The motivation that drives me to write, despite the real difficulty of having professional opportunities, is, if I may say so, existential. I was born into a complex family situation for a child, and...

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Sydney S

My motivation always is to share with others! We all have a story to tell :)

Kat Spencer

Wonderful answers everyone! Lucy Addams loved that "I was frustrated when I finished a book and didn't want to accept the story ended." So you took matters into your own hands....

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Kat Spencer

Maurice Vaughan My motivation/inspiration comes from my life. I find it very therapeutic to write. My stories are usually intertwined with what's going on around me, though the storylines differ consi...

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Maurice Vaughan

That's great, Kat Spencer! Writing is very therapeutic. I was writing one day recently, and I felt better afterward. I love creating worlds too. Sonetimes I think of the cities/towns/etc., the rules,...

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Liked by Joshua Marcus and 11 others

Monica Wolff
Hopeful Screenwriter

I feel driven to write female driven comedy

Pamela De Nicolo

Then go for it. Show us your "secret sauce", we all have one. Work on your craft and when it's ready, make an impact on the world

Sydney S

Monica, here if you need any support to recommendations for your female driven writing :) stay helpful!

Sydney S

Sorry forgot to include you can reach me at edu@stage32.com :-)

Somay Gupta

Welcome Monica Wolff!!...

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Chris Ross Leong

so write already! lol!

Liked by Harri-Pekka Virkki and 9 others

Roberto Urbina
Ask Me Anything (AMA) Wednesday 3/12 to Thursday 3/13- Acting in International Productions: Co-Hosted with Cristal Aparicio Cárdenas

Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Roberto Urbina was raised in diverse cultural settings. He lived in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Miami, Florida. Pursuing his passion for acting, Roberto trained at the prestigious Stella Adler Conservatory in Los Angeles and earned degree...

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Alexandra Stevens

Hi Roberto Urbina Thank you for this informative answer. In particular, i'm fascinated by your observation that training relates to how each culture sees the world. It makes me wonder if what you say...

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Roberto Urbina

Ashley Renee Smith Hi Ashley! Finding international opportunities is all about being proactive, having a strong online presence (IMDb, social media, etc) helps a lot.

Working with a good agent or manag...

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Roberto Urbina

Sandra Isabel Correia Hi Sandra, thanks for your question. Playing Conejo was definitely intense, one of the biggest challenges was getting into the mindset of someone who operates in such a dark and...

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Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Roberto Urbina and Cristal. I have another question. Some producers and companies look at an actor or actress' follower count on social media before casting them in projects. I think it's a new th...

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Sandra Isabel Correia

Hi Roberto Urbina, Thanks for sharing with us. And you did that; your "Conejo" is brillant. Stepping into dark minds isn't easy; that's why you are an amazing actor, and you accomplished your biggest...

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Liked by Harri-Pekka Virkki and 3 others

Neil Jaye
Hello!

Hello everyone! I’m new to the group. I’m a relatively new screenwriter with a longtime passion for film and TV. I’m especially drawn to stories where characters are not one-dimensionally good or bad. I believe everyone exists in shades of gray, and I love exploring that in my characters.

I recently...

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Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Neil Jaye. Welcome to the community. Getting a “Double Recommend” as a relatively new screenwriter is really impressive! Congratulations!

Kenneth Arinze Ezema

Welcome Neil Jaye to the community.

I'm glad to hear your success. keep moving!

Liked by Harri-Pekka Virkki and 8 others

Amanda Toney
We're greenlit! Never give up.

Excited to announce that a film that we've been working on for 5 years - yes, 5, long, painstaking years, is finally greenlit. It's a horror film written by a beloved writer from the Stage 32 community with a story that we've been really passionate about making. We had the financing and it fell out...

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Maurice Vaughan

Congratulations, Amanda Toney, the member who wrote the script, and everyone who worked to get this film greenlit! So excited for you all and looking forward to seeing the movie! Thanks for sharing th...

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Maureen Mahon

Amanda Toney that is fantastic! Congratulations!

Michael David

Any more deets? Who wrote it? What's it called? Who greenlit it?

Faraj Jaballa

That is the spirit we need , congratulations .

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