The Stage 32 Lounge

Okay, it's nearly the end of the 12th of December ... has anyone seen an announcement about the Quarter-Finalists?

I see a lot of great ideas and loglines!

I submitted 'Myths'. Logline: When a detective in a small town investigates a series of gruesome murders, he discovers that the perpetrators are not humans, but mythical creatures that feed on guilt, fear and blood ties.

Let's see what happens in the second half of December! ;)

Quarter finalists finally announced, only a day late. https://www.stage32.com/happy-writers/contests/12th-Annual-Search-for-New-Blood-Screenwriting-Contest?mc_cid=01148a4a8c&mc_eid=c24c3265bd

Congratulations to the finalists!

Just saw the official announcement — I’m honored to share that my script KISS is a Quarterfinalist in the Stage 32 + Mammoth Pictures contest!

Hey, Kiara P Oxley. Happy Birthday! Hope you have an incredible birthday! I'm rooting for you to reach your goal! Thomas is my favorite character.

hey Maurice thank you, he is like Clark Kent after all lol, despite being in his late 20s, i have no idea who would play thomas, i had a friend named travis anderson who is a voice actor, and i known him for a couple of months and then sadly he said he was not interested in him anymore, so since then i been scrambling hard to find the right people, and i think nicole is less dangerous than leslie ,but people in this thread may have a different opinion if they watched it

You're welcome, Kiara P Oxley. You're right. Thomas is like Clark Kent. Hope you find voice actors for your series and hope it becomes a hit!

thank so much Maurice some women might find him cute, some men may find him annoying lol, but i started the show in 2024, so has been a year and i saved all the audition files that the people who are voice actors sent me. i am glad you like the show and theme

You're welcome, Kiara P Oxley. Congratulations on working on Thomas for a year! I hope you're enjoying your birthday! Have a great weekend!

I have the same style dreams, for years, finding my way alone or in a team through an interesting diverse cityscape, often urgently, sometimes crime, involved, meet interesting often mafia type acquaintances, overcome darker events, having fun... these dreams sometimes pick up where they left off.

By the way, if you want an answer from God about something puzzling, ask at night before sleeping, you may get the answer when you wake up.

Elle Bolan - My dreams are like completed parts of/or complete movies or documentaries. Did you say you don't visualize? That's incredible. I can't imagine my life not being able to.

I have three-D object visualization. Pick objects up and turn them around in your head to see what they look like from other angles. It's a trained Draughtsman's trick.

@David Taylor I did say that. I can't visualize at all. I get... Color washes and a sense of motion in the colors and blackness. But I cannot create mental images. I've never been a visual person. It's jarring to think people see pictures in the head like full visuals on a screen. It fascinates me. And I think it's cool y'all can do that. I've tried. Guided meditations, books, etc. But nope. Just shifting colors on black.

3D? That's... So wild. I dunno what to make of that. It's incredible.

Elle Bolan - Not really, its draughtsman-ship training. Begin with a cube with a hole in it and draw it in four elevations/views. Then it gets more and more complicated a shape. Then draw cones and other objects which you draw in four elevations to exact dimensions in three D too. By the time you get to drawing machined parts - e.g. tools - in four elevations you get pretty good at it. I don't think people get trained like that anymore, they use CAD design programmes. The training was so that you produced a set of drawings for things which could be manufactured. It was a very long time ago. When I was ten, at school, I wanted to be a Draughtsman/Engineer.

Elle Bolan - PS - In lesson ONE, the teacher said: "Every object you see around you which is not grass, trees or flowers was man-made, it was manufactured, and every single object was born on a piece of paper and a drawing board, like the one you are sitting in front of now. It is my job to teach you how to technically draw anything, do that it can be made, it is your job to learn". I was completely hooked for a few years and wanted to design new things.

Thank you so much, Juliana Philippi. And yes… so much cold pizza already, and it’s only just beginning.

I love this for you. A script request and an email intro with the same exec is not a coincidence; that’s momentum meeting preparation. Stepping up, organizing your time, and trusting your voice is exactly where growth lives, especially when multiple lanes are opening at once. You’ve earned every bit of this, and I’m so excited to see what unfolds as you lean into it with confidence.

Abram Christian, thank you! Thats very sweet.

That’s such a strong and healthy shift, Meriem Bouziani. Page 31 is no small thing, especially when you’re pushing through structural blocks instead of letting them stop you. Finishing the draft gives you something real to work with, and rewrites are where clarity and structure really get to shine anyway.

Debbie Croysdale Learning Adobe and DaVinci is actually a powerful way to bridge that gap. Even if you’re not planning to be your own editor long term, understanding the language, the tools, and the possibilities gives you more confidence in the room and more precision in your notes. It also helps you articulate why something isn’t landing for you, not just that it doesn’t.

I also think it’s okay to acknowledge that final cut rarely feels truly final in our own heads. The questioning means you care.

Banafsheh Esmailzadeh, this is such an exciting stretch of growth for you. I also really like that you’re starting to lean into directing as a potential next step. That makes a lot of sense for someone with your instincts and control over tone. Even learning it little by little, through story, blocking, or visual thinking, will only strengthen your writing.

@Hassan AL Mahfoud and Maurice Vaughan, you know I've been very impressed with the video game inspired shows from recent examples. The Last of Us is excellent too. My husband and I watched Fallout together. It was great!

The Last of Us is excellent, Elle Bolan! TV writers and screenwriters should definitely watch and study it.

@Maurice Vaughan I agree!!

Maurice Vaughan Right now I am focusing in studying about writing scripts methods. I am new in this field and in my first steps in this world of writing. I wrote couples of Logline only. I do not have experience in writing a complete script.

Great, Hassan AL Mahfoud. I suggest going to the Screenwriting Lounge. You can get advice, ask questions, find resources, and get feedback on things. www.stage32.com/lounge/screenwriting

Which email did you use, GJ Harvey?

Maurice Vaughan support, writershelp, and now Geoff and Richard direct...

Elle Bolan Eric Christopherson Yep, been doing that, thx

When was the last time you emailed writerhelp@stage32.com, GJ Harvey?

Maurice Vaughan My last contact from them on this issue was Dec 6 from Support and Dec 2 from Geoff.

You are very welcome, Brenda!

Parabéns Brenda! eu gosto bastante quando grandes projetos são reconhecidos.

Thank you, Maxwel Alves Gomes.

Congratulations, Brenda Mohammed! Best of luck moving forward and getting produced!

Thank you, John Snell.

Hi, M.R. Hilow. Great to meet you. I’m a Stage 32 Lounge Moderator. I wanted to let you know I moved your post from the Introduce Yourself Lounge to the Your Stage Lounge. You can promote your script in your introduction post, but you need to introduce/reintroduce yourself to the community. You could check out other posts in the Introduce Yourself Lounge to get ideas for your introduction post. Let me know if you have any questions.

Stage 32 has a blog that'll help you connect with creatives and industry professionals all over the world. Producers, executives, directors, and more. www.stage32.com/blog/the-importance-of-community-and-collaboration-in-th...

Stage 32's next Community Open House is Dec 29th (www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-s-december-community-open-ho...). It's free to attend. It'll also help you connect with creatives and industry pros. Even if you can’t make it to the Open House, sign up and you’ll get the recording in your Stage 32 Education Library when it’s available.

I'm not sure I understand, I'm new here so am I supposed to say my name and where I'm from and what my goals are? is that what the introduction is about? Sorry, dumb questions I guess...

They're not dumb questions, M.R. Hilow. Yeah, you can say your name, let people know where you're from, talk about, let them know you're a filmmaker/screenwriter/etc., and you can talk about your accomplishments, wins, goals, etc. if you want.

I think I figured it out, lol. Thank you! So many lounges... hahaha

You're welcome, M.R. Hilow. Okay, great. There's a description under the title in each Lounge that'll tell you what goes in that Lounge. And if you're still not sure or you ever have questions about Stage 32, let me or another Lounge Moderator know. We have badges on our pictures. Or you could email support@stage32.com.

It's great to hear your writing journey, Juliana Philippi. I started writing at an early age too. I think the first time I wrote a story was when our elementary school teacher had the class write a short story and make a cover with construction paper. I mainly write because I love to, I have stories to tell, and it's fun.

Maurice Vaughan Oh my goodness I remember construction paper, throwback! I love that. It's amazing how the little, mundane things when we were kids really shape us into artists. Kudos to the elementary school teachers who inspired and guided us all : )

You're right, Juliana Philippi. And just talking about construction paper brought back memories. Definitely kudos to the elementary school teachers who inspired and guided us all. Teachers deserve more love and recognition (theme for a story).

Maurice Vaughan Yes they do. And yeah! Interesting...lots of ideas for new screenplays piling up!

This is beautiful, Juliana Philippi. There’s such a quiet confidence in the way you trace your beginnings, not as a straight line, but as movement, between places, languages, cultures, identities. That sense of being “in between” feels like such a natural birthplace for a writer. When you don’t fully fit one box, the page becomes the place where you get to build your own.

I love how you describe writing as freedom, the freedom to become, to explore possibilities without expectation or permission. That idea of the page as a space where no one tells you who you’re supposed to be feels especially resonant, particularly for those shaped by multiple worlds.