Last year, my co-creator friend Stephani Prescott and I had just entered a development agreement with Cindy Villareal (Majestic Productions), and it’s safe to say a lot has happened since! Cindy is one of the kindest, down-to-earth people you will ever meet, and it has been an absolute pleasure working with her. The development phase was critical as there is so much up-front work necessary to package everything up.

We relied on Cindy’s guidance and expertise to get the pitch deck and lookbook top-notch and professional. Cindy is also creating the business plan, which will allow us to reach out to investors and secure sponsorships. The pilot script went through many revisions, with a focus on tone and reducing characters. Writing for a budget is something we’ve certainly learned going through this process. Cindy wanted to open it up to a wider audience, so we can maximize the market potential. The script is now at the point where the only notes should be coming from the networks. Stephani and I received a nice holiday surprise at the end of last year when Cindy notified us that she had secured major studio funding through her partnership, and we have now signed a option agreement with Cindy!

Through this collaboration and the strong relationship we’ve built, Cindy became confident to move forward with the option agreement. And because of all the great progress that has been made, the hay is largely in the barn at this point. During my last success with Cindy, I talked about how Stage 32 has helped us collapse time, and this is another great example. With the studio backing us, we only need to bring a small piece of the finance pie to the table. It would’ve taken years to try and fully finance the series ourselves. Co-producing with a studio is no longer a luxury. It is what networks and streamers expect, especially in the post-Covid era.

By formally entering into the option agreement, Cindy’s entire team has been unleashed to the full extent, not just with securing financing/sponsorships but working through her vast network of directors, talent agents, casting directors, etc. No matter what your industry goals are, Stage 32 has an abundance of resources and training available. Knowing that I wanted to get into producing, I took Julie Buck’s four-week budgeting course. I immediately put this into action by scheduling and budgeting the pilot and proof of concept. I’ve worked on getting the website up and running, reaching out to local casting directors, and scouting shooting locations all for our own series. How cool is that! And to my fellow actors, there’s no better way to gain some control over your destiny than to create a screenplay the market desires with characters that are absolutely perfect for you to play.

The genesis of our series concept is an adaptation of Stephani’s book, which many women will connect with, and we are now one giant leap closer to the world hearing her personal story. I will end with a piece of advice I gave in my previous success blog...

Try not to focus so much on whether or not an executive passes on your script but more on the feedback that they give you. All feedback is a gift! I can honestly say I’ve taken at least one idea from every executive consultation that’s made the script better. Trust the process. While Cindy was the most important, every executive I’ve met through Stage 32 had a role in our success and in getting us to this point. Keep casting that line because it only takes one who sees the full potential of your work!

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