Trending Lounge Discussions

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!

Fuad Shawn I want to know more!! What logline & genere? Who would your ideal "expert" be? Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for asking! It’s a thriller about "a rookie inspector racing to catch a sadistic killer who leaves a trail of gruesome, organ-harvesting murders across the city". I’m looking for feedback from a producer or script expert who knows how to make small-budget thrillers punchy and memorable."

Any serious player in the industry whose name you might recognize. No prep needed, I'd just pitch the basic concept. If the hook is strong enough, you've got interest. If not, you're spinning your wheels. But emphasis on "serious player." Superficial so-called development execs will not be able to help you.

Thanks, Libby Wright. What pitching resource on Stage 32 do you think helped you the most?

Oh, and I forgot to say who I would pitch the script to. Zach Cregger with him as the producer and director.

Libby Wright Feliz Diciembre!!! I would pitch my television series "The Girls" to the Exec Developers for YA shows at any streamer shopping for an inspiring, action/adventure, 30 min per episode show, with three seasons in the making.

"The Girls", action/adventure tv series, episodic

It's about a motley group of seven high school girls who come together when the government shuts down all network and print news outlets, and create an underground news app, to spread articles on science, sports, art, culture, music, and politics, challenging the status quo, and forging their own futures, rather than waiting them to be handed to them.

I am learning how to actually write the tv series bible and am flushing out the character development, the world, and the why now, from the world's perspective within the show.

Hi Camila, so the usual casting sites like Mandy, starnow and Backstage would be good places to start. If you have the credits then there's always spotlight, also spotlight does have a large directory you can look at for things like agencies and other useful info.

Hi, Camila G A. You could check Stage 32’s Job Board (www.stage32.com/find-jobs). It gets updated regularly.

I use all three of these in scripts, Ehsan Rahimpour, especially suspense. I don't think I've used all three in one scene. I might try it.

That’s a solid idea Maurice Vaughan, but it really depends on what the scene or story organically calls for. Sometimes all three are essential, while other times one alone packs enough punch.

Ok, thanks, Ehsan Rahimpour. I'll definitely keep that in mind.

Thanks for sharing the article, Amanda Toney. I haven't written a biopic yet. This article will come in handy. And I might even write a biopic/narrative film mix.

I adapted a biography this year. The shoot just wrapped. The V.O to death comment is very true. They key part is finding the thematic thread within it all.

Congratulations, CJ Walley!

"Adapting real-life stories always seems like such a huge challenge. Is there any approach you recommend to stay true to the person’s essence without leaning too much into over-dramatization?"

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.

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.

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.

Congratulations to you and the team on wrapping day one, Lindsay Thompson!

Love this. That “shared vision = shared pressure” line needs to be printed and gaffer-taped to a few camera carts.

On my first real day as “the cinematographer,” I got thrown into shooting kicking and screaming, surrounded by crates of kit I barely knew how to turn on. Lots of useless footage, lots of smiling and nodding, and a full-on improv performance of “person who totally knows what they’re doing, please don’t look too closely.”

What saved me was exactly what you’re talking about: breathe, stop pretending you’re a one-person department, and lean into the team. A bit of Into the Magic Shop-style visualization, a deep dive into phone-book-sized manuals, plus a lot of advice from this very lounge… and slowly, things started to click. I learned I don’t have to be fearless, I just have to stay honest, keep communicating, and keep learning in public.

Really enjoying these instalments. Keep Part 5 (and 6, 7, etc.) coming.

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.