Private, interactive lab on Zoom with the writer and producer who brought STARGATE to Syfy

Get two one-on-one script consultations and personalized notes on your pages

Only 10 spots available 

Payment plans available at checkout or email edu@stage32.com for more info!

Sci-fi, fantasy, and supernatural stories let you build worlds that couldn't exist anywhere else, and they remain some of the most sought-after material in the industry. These genres give you room to explore big ideas, entertain a devoted audience, and hold a mirror up to society, all in a single script. But an imaginative premise alone won't get you there. What gets a genre script noticed is the craft underneath it: strong characters, clear rules, escalating stakes, and an emotionally satisfying story. A finished, polished genre screenplay is one of the most valuable things you can have in your portfolio, and in this lab you'll write yours in just eight weeks.

If you've ever had a concept you loved and then watched it stall on the page, you're not alone. Many genre writers struggle with world-building, heavy exposition, and making characters feel real within extraordinary circumstances. Others start strong, then lose tension in Act II or can't land a satisfying ending. And too often, you're left to solve these problems on your own, with no one to tell you whether your world's logic holds or your stakes are truly escalating. That's exactly what this lab is designed to fix. You won't just learn the theory — you'll work through each of these challenges on your own script, with expert guidance along the way.

Guiding you is Thomas Vitale, a writer and producer who has spent his career deciding which genre stories get made. As EVP at NBCU's Syfy Channel and Chiller Network, Thomas oversaw more than 350 original movies, including SHARKNADO 1 & 2. He also developed, commissioned, or supervised series like FARSCAPE, Z NATION, and DARK MATTER, brought the STARGATE franchise to Syfy, and worked on BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, EUREKA, and WAREHOUSE 13. Today he runs Vital Signs Entertainment, where he recently produced the sci-fi film 57 SECONDS, starring Morgan Freeman and Josh Hutcherson. He was also a writer and Executive Producer on The CW's PANDORA. Few people have seen genre storytelling from both the writer's chair and the buyer's desk — and in this lab, you'll get that perspective applied directly to your script.

Over eight weeks, Thomas will take you from concept through a completed first draft. You'll start with genre fundamentals, your logline, and your outline. From there, you'll study the marketplace, build your world and characters, and nail your first ten pages. Then you'll write through the complications of Act II, deliver a satisfying third act, and finish with a rewrite, a polish, and the basics of a sales deck. Along the way, you'll have two private one-on-one consultations with Thomas to get personalized notes on your pages, a level of access to a former network executive that's rarely available to writers. You'll walk away with a completed sci-fi, fantasy, or supernatural screenplay, a clear understanding of where it fits in the market, and the tools to rewrite and pitch it with confidence.

WEEK #1 – Screenwriting Fundamentals & Genre Storytelling

• Course overview and screenplay fundamentals

• Character, structure, conflict, stakes, and visuals

• The first 10 pages, three-act structure, climax, and ending

• Heroes, villains, and creating compelling opposition

• Defining sci-fi, fantasy, supernatural, and crossover genres

• Genre as metaphor and the unique possibilities of genre storytelling

• Developing your premise, characters, story world, logline, and summary

Assignment: Develop a logline and short summary for your film. Focus on key plot points, main characters, and a quick sketch of your world.

WEEK #2 – The Marketplace, Worldbuilding & Characters

• Identifying your market, audience, potential budget, and commercial possibilities

• IP vs. original stories; spec scripts vs. market-driven projects

• Deepening three-act structure and exploring the 8- or 9-act MOW structure

• Tone, believability, the MacGuffin, and set pieces

• Developing protagonists, antagonists, supporting characters, and character arcs

• Motivation, flaws, secrets, relationships, and character bios

• Building your longer outline

Assignment: Write a 6–10 page outline including the teaser, set-up, Act One climax, midpoint, Act Two climax, and ending. Also write short bios for your top 3–5+ characters.

WEEK #3 – The First Ten Pages, Stakes & Worldbuilding

• Nailing the first 10 pages: character, world, tone, genre, and inciting incident

• Character stakes, escalating danger, and maintaining tension

• Quiet moments and knowing when to break the tension

• Worldbuilding: rules, logic, and when to break them

• Cinematic writing: show, don’t tell, and avoiding unnecessary exposition

• Dialogue and revealing the world through action and character

• The audience surrogate and its role in genre storytelling

Assignment: Finish your outline and begin writing dialogue. Complete your first 10 pages and, if possible, reach the end of Act One.

WEEK #4 – Individual Consultations (Consultation #1)

Submit your material for a one-on-one consultation. We’ll review your progress, address challenges, and give you notes to consider as you move forward.

Assignment: Complete 45–50 pages of your script, ideally through the midpoint, implementing any major story notes.

WEEK #5 – Act II: Complications, Escalation & Discovery

• Obstacles, complications, setbacks, reversals, and surprises

• Raising the stakes and creating meaningful midpoint discoveries

• Balancing character development with plot

• Using your speculative world, magic, technology, or supernatural elements to drive conflict

• Avoiding predictable or repetitive sequences

• Sustaining momentum through the often-challenging second act

• Strengthening character relationships and subplots

Assignment: Write your script through the end of Act Two.

WEEK #6 – Act III: Climax & Denouement

• Building toward the final confrontation and resolution

• What makes a satisfying third act and emotional payoff

• Character arcs and character-driven plot turns

• Final stakes, sacrifices, hard choices, and reveals

• Resolving major story threads and character arcs

• Avoiding the “deus ex machina”

• The first ten pages vs. the last ten pages

Assignment: Continue working toward the end of your script and complete your first draft.

WEEK #7 – The Rewrite, Polish & Sales Deck

• Evaluating your first draft: structure, character, pacing, dialogue, and theme

• Identifying story problems and strengthening the screenplay

• Revising scenes, cutting unnecessary material, and improving cinematic impact

• Grammar, spelling, formatting, and writing style

• Finding trusted readers and giving and receiving notes

• The Sales Deck: importance and basics

• Open Q&A and final advice

Assignment: Finish your script if necessary. Review, revise, and polish your screenplay.

WEEK #8 – Final Consultation

Submit your completed draft for review. Discuss your script one-on-one and evaluate the overall shape and potential of your draft. Are you satisfied with the execution of your story outline? What do you like and dislike about this version?

Assignment: Incorporate feedback, share your script with trusted readers, revise as needed, and celebrate your accomplishment!

WHAT TO EXPECT:

PLEASE NOTE: This exclusive Stage 32 lab will be booked on a first-come, first-served basis. The opportunity to work this closely and for this long with an expert in the field is an incredibly unique and valuable opportunity. If you are interested, please book quickly. Once the spots are gone, they’re gone for good.

• This class is designed for screenwriters of all levels who want to write a complete sci-fi, fantasy, or supernatural screenplay in eight weeks with personalized feedback.

• This is an intimate, in-depth, practical, and detailed class held on Zoom where you will be interacting with your instructor.

• This class consists of 8 sessions roughly two hours in duration and offers significantly more in-depth content than a standard Stage 32 webinar.

• ***Your instructor will be available on email during the entire duration of the lab to answer any questions you have about your project.***

• To stay motivated and inspired you will have access to a dedicated Stage 32 Lounge post where you can meet, connect and communicate with your fellow classmates throughout the length of the class and beyond. Let Stage 32 help you find your tribe!

• Can't make it live? Don't worry, each session will be recorded and you can watch it on demand at your convenience. 

• You will be held accountable to take the lessons from each week and move your work forward.

• Payment plans are available at checkout through Shop Pay

• Screenwriters of all levels who want to write a complete sci-fi, fantasy, or supernatural screenplay in eight weeks with personalized feedback.
• Writers of all levels who have a genre concept they love but struggle with world-building, exposition, Act II, or landing a satisfying ending.
• Writer-directors and filmmakers of all levels who want to develop their own genre project from concept through first draft.
• Producers of all levels who want to understand what makes a genre script work and where it fits in the marketplace.
• Novelists and other storytellers of all levels who want to bring their sci-fi, fantasy, or supernatural story to the screen.