It’s the dream of many to have a career as a writer for TV or film, to be able to make a living creating worlds and telling stories. Just ask almost anyone at any coffee shop. However the life of a writer, even the most successful, isn’t always easy. The career path is fraught, unpredictable, and inconsistent. Every writer breaks in (or doesn’t) in different ways, and as a result, there isn’t a singular roadmap for aspiring writers to find the success they’re looking for. That said, having a keen understanding of the industry you’re trying to break into and a wherewithal of potentially helpful steps on your journey is vital in finding your place and advancing in your career.

The truth is there’s so much more that goes into being a writer than just writing. Creative chops alone won’t save you. You are creating art for a market and therefore need to understand how the market operates in order to work within it. And while every writer’s career is unique, there are still commonalities and patterns among them and mistakes many have made that you can avoid by learning from them.

Lee Sternthal is a screenwriter, director and photographer who has written screenplays for every major studio, including TRON: LEGACY for Disney, as well as scripts for Johnny Depp, Mel Gibson and many others. His film, THE WORDS starring Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana and Jeremy Irons was an Official Sundance Film Festival selection and was later bought by CBS Films. Lee is a Sundance Institute Fellow, and his work has appeared on The Black List. Through his journey in this industry he has seen it all - the good, the bad and the ugly - and has come to Stage 32 exclusively to tell you about it.

Lee will reflect on his own career as a writer, the mistakes he’s made and the successes he’s found, both in the indie space and the studio system, to give you the perspective, lessons learned, and strategies to better navigate your own writing career. He’ll begin by focusing on writers just starting out and will discuss whether new writers need a manager and whether they need an agent. He’ll then talk about the pros and cons of having a writing partner and what to expect if you join forces with someone else. He will discuss Sundance Film Festival and reveal what actually happens if your film gets accepted. Lee will also discuss the insider Hollywood script survey the Black List from and illustrate what happens when your script appears on this list. He’ll then delve into screenwriting services, how they can be helpful, and how they can be harmful. Next Lee will then share his own experiences, both writing for a studio for the Disney film TRON: LEGACY as well as writing for the independent project THE WORDS to give you a sense of what those experiences are like from the inside. He’ll discuss how to know how much you’re able to take on and how to grapple with the doubt and Imposters Syndrome that is incredibly common among writers starting to find success. He’ll then go over the best ways to continue to pay the bills as a new screenwriter. Finally, Lee will give you his insider knowledge of the industry, including how to understand who “The Players” are and how to navigate them, what “The Venues” are and how they operate and how to work different rooms.

Praise for Lee’s Webinar:

“It was great to hear about all of Lee’s different experiences. I feel like I have a better sense of what to expect and what to do moving forward to keep on writing!”

-Dennis G.

“Lee was great! This was such an interesting webinar!”

-Betty H.

“I’m so glad I saw this! Lee has so much knowledge to share.”

-Terry C.

“Lee definitely answered a lot of big questions I’ve been asking myself about getting into writing, and now I’m excited to take some next steps. Thanks!”

-Gwen D.

• Starting Out as a Writer
  • Do you need a manager?
  • Do you need an agent?
  • Should you have a writing partner? If so, what to expect.
  • Sundance - what really happens if you get accepted.
  • The Black List - what really happens if you get on it.
  • Screenwriting services - the good, the bad and the ugly.
    • Lee’s own case study that will blow your mind.
• Getting the Job and What to Expect:
• Case Study - Writing for a studio: TRON: LEGACY - what I learned
• Case Study - Writing independent: THE WORDS - what I learned
• Making THE WORDS as a Writer/Director and how to navigate when an “Independent” movie becomes a studio movie
• How much can I take on?
• Eternal doubt - Am I a fraud? We'll go over how to answer this plaguing question.
• Day Job/Night Job - what is the best way to pay the bills as a new screenwriter?
• Insider Knowledge:
  • Understanding "The Players" and how to navigate them
  • Understanding "The Venues" and how they operate - The Peninsula Hotel, The SoHo House, etc.
  • Understanding the different "Rooms" - studio, production company, agencies, etc. and what you should or should not do.
• Q&A with Lee

All levels of screenwriters (advanced, intermediate and beginner) to better navigate your own writing career.