Producing

This is weird - I had a whole post and apparently, Stage32 only wanted to post the first line??

Maybe there was an emoji in the original post? I've had that happen before...one of my messages got cut off because of an emoji.

No - I learnt my lesson from the first time I did that haha! How very odd? This makes me sound demanding though oopsie!!

Hi Sandra! I haven't seen this film yet but I plan to. I will be waiting for streaming as the theaters put me to sleep. Though I admit, having lived through most of the 80s in reality, I'm not as keen on the fascination with that era as some.

I'm more interested in the creative choices Spielberg made in this film. I'm excited to see what he's done.

There’s a meaningful distinction between translation assistance and generated commentary that is detached. Those concerns don’t have to be framed as hostility toward international members. That is the easier and more theatrical interpretation. They can also come from wanting the conversation to remain human and useful. and underscored by others agreeing with it.

The community also benefits from being able to discuss authenticity without every concern being treated as bad faith. That balance matters, especially in any creative space, and particularly one for writers.

Hi Elle Bolan. You must watch if you like the theme. Ahahaha, yes, theaters have that effect. Even yesterday, when I came outside, I was a little bit lost. You will understand why I say it's in the 80s, but mostly it is modern times. He still surprises us, and for me, it is how he grounded the theme about "Aliens" in a earthly way:) When you watch, even on streaming, let me know what your thoughts are. Thank you for sharing :)

And speaking of EMPATHY, in particular... I find that idea fascinating @Sandra. I've seen a lot of creatives explore things like grief and identity (I do myself) but I can really only think of E.T. and Inside Out that explore empathy in any depth. But that's off the top of my head (with a quick Google check to make sure I'm not an idiot) and without digging very deep into my brain. But you know, those two movies made a lasting mark on me so I'm very excited to see Disclosure Day.

You are so right Elle Bolan about EMPATHY. Me too; that's something unexpected, and with the examples you gave ( E.T. and Inside Out) we can see the box office success and how they use Emotions and Empathy as a business asset. Audiences are tired of grief, because everyday we live grief in news and social media, but when something positive comes, audiences respond. People are eager for it. Spielberg was smart; he is and he played very well with that on Disclosure Day. Now you are excited to watch it, YES :)) Also gave me a new idea for a new screenplay hehehe

This is a very good step, Xochi Blymyer and I hope it bring positive results, especially for USA industry :)

I've had several "In Consideration" with ISA, but nothing every happened. And I never found out who was considering my projects. I'm no longer a paid member of ISA.

Also, I don't wanna be sucking up here, but before sending OWA selections to producers/executives, Stage32 gives the identity of the producers/executives so that writers can keep distribution list of where their scripts go. Stage32 is the best site for screenwriters and their scripts.

Yes, we use them for our contests. Very well respected.

I got 'Top Finalist'. When I enquired what happens next, the response was words to the effect 'That's it, old chap...'. They don't give any feedback unless you pay. If you have a screenplay, I'm launching Screen Reads to showcase screenplays in a different way. First 20 are free. https://screen-reads.com

Hi John,

This is a question every serious writer asks when navigating the digital gatekeepers of modern Hollywood. As a script doctor and story architect, I’ve analyzed how these platform funnels operate from both the creative and executive sides.

The reality of the ISA—and similar tracking boards—is that "In Consideration" is a victory of target marketing, but not yet a victory of narrative physics. It usually means your logline, genre alignment, and initial synopsis successfully cleared the first tier of administrative filters. It proves your project looks viable on a spreadsheet.

However, the conversion rate from "In Consideration" to a Full Script Request or a meaningful general meeting depends entirely on how much narrative momentum is felt in those opening ten pages once they actually click the file. Industry readers are looking for a reason to pass within the first act; they read with deficit attention. If your structural architecture doesn’t hook the pacing immediately, or if the internal stakes feel soft, the status stagnates.

Platforms like ISA are fantastic for exposure and breaking geographic barriers, but they are ultimately mirrors of your script's mechanical health. The writers who find consistent success through them are the ones who treat their screenplay not just as a text, but as a highly engineered, market-ready asset.

I'd love to connect in the DMs, John. Navigating these industry pipelines requires a strong strategic blueprint, and it's always great to share insights with a fellow producer and writer.

Best regards,

Ashley, one project that continues to stay with me is The Fifth World. It began as a story about a global tectonic event, but over time it became something much more personal—about inheritance, memory, and the fragile thread connecting one generation to the next. Every time I think I’ve uncovered the heart of the story, another question appears. If someone handed it back to me tomorrow, I’d gladly dive right back into it.

Oh, have I got a heavily truncated, yet still lengthy, story for you...

(Note: Names are changed to protect the participants.)

I was in an improv group with Bitsy, Figaro, Slagathor, Mary Jane, and Timmeh. Bitsy and I bonded over our love of comic books, Batman the Animated Series, and writing. And, in time, Bitsy and I started writing a prospective series as a vehicle for the entire group (main parts for everyone) about a team of super-villains. Figaro and I had talked about doing it before, but Bitsy and I were hammering out the story itself. The characters came easy, as we had based them on all of us.

Then Slagathor got involved. Slagathor wanted to be a part of the creative team (that was Figaro, Bitsy, and me). Against our better judgement, we let Slagathor into the inner circle (partly based on her promises to be able to get eyes on the project, given her connections from when she was on a TV show in her youth).

Bitsy and I, however, wrote the lion's share of the series. Ten episodes for the first season. And we'd also mapped out season 2. We knew these characters backwards and forwards.

The table read proved successful as well. Reactions were mostly favorable. We were then prepping to shoot a teaser scene that would convey the characters, energy, feel, etc., which was the bar fight scene (which also enabled us to not have to showcase most of the powers, therefore not needing special effects).

We trained for months with a professional stunt man. We booked the venue. We rehearsed the scene. The shoot took two-and-a-half days (an extra day than we anticipated, but that's another story). Figaro directed (though, in hindsight, we should have had a different director, especially since Slagathor was also basically the imp in the ear).

And then my daughter was diagnosed with cancer. Don't worry, she's over six years cancer-free now, but at that time, my primary thought was family first for the next six months. So I told the team to find an editor and get it edited. I'd be able to give input, but I couldn't take on a lead role.

Six months later, my daughter rang the cancer-free bell. And the scene still wasn't edited. That ended up proving to be yet one nail in the coffin.

Behind the scenes, Figaro and Slagathor were making things difficult in the improv group for Bitsy and Timmeh. Personal attacks on stage sometimes. Turns out, Slagathor was also quite a bit of a narcissist. I didn't see it to a huge extent, as I wasn't in her crosshairs.

Until I had the audacity to request that, since it was now Covid time, and we were doing shows online, that we upped our professionalism. That meant being professional and punctual. Slagathor and Figaro were notoriously late -- a problem when we were doing live shows, but it got worse when we went online. Apparently, that was unacceptable for Slagathor, who not only berated me during rehearsal, but brought her animosity into one of our live shows. That's a big pet peeve of mine -- that stuff needs to be left offstage.

A line had been drawn. On one side, Bitsy, Timmeh, and I wanted a professional group. Figaro, Slagathor, and Mary Jane didn't. Figaro and I spoke at length about it. I told her that if we weren't going to be professional, I was going to leave the group. Bitsy and Timmeh, unknown to them, were also ready to jump ship.

Slagathor called my bluff. I wasn't bluffing. She once again brought offstage animosity into the show. I announced to the group afterwards that the next one would be my last. Bitsy and Timmeh followed.

The improv group split into two different groups at that point -- Slagathor, Figaro, and Mary Jane remaining with the previous one, and Bitsy, Timmeh, and I formed a different one.

The fracturing, however, also meant that the partnership for the super-villain series was also dead (much to Figaro's surprise, I suppose). Bitsy and I had no desire to work with two unprofessional people, especially those who engaged in personal attacks.

Luckily, Bitsy and I had forethought and retained ownership of the characters. They still have life in them. Unfortunately, Bitsy says that the characters and storylines are too tainted by the involvement of Figaro and Slagathor, so we had to for all intents and purposes shelve the series.

We have a season and a half written, with more episodes plotted out. We know how it ends. We have a barroom brawl teaser scene we can show. I'd like to revisit them, but Bitsy has too much PTSD associated with it. So, unfortunately, this series seems to be the one that got away.

On the plus side, though, Bitsy and I took what we learned and created a better series, our sci-fi comedy series, GOING COMMANDER (with roles written for me and Timmeh). And it's ready to be pitched!

I'm not a producer (yet); I wrote a spec script that was picked up by an independent producer with a track record and great connections. Artistic crew signed on. The producer was sure he could get an A-list director. Financing was coming through an iconic actor in Japan.

And then the March 2011 tsunami hit. The actor and his resources directed their money to the recovery instead. Momentum slowed, then stopped. And never re-started.

That was the biggest of three that came thisclose...

A project can stall at any stage — beginning, middle, or right at the finish line. Budget runs out. Time falls short. Producers back out. Directors delay. Technical teams aren't ready. The reason doesn't matter.

What matters is this: if you still believe in the project — finish it. No matter how late. No matter how long it takes.

But if the project is outdated, the story isn't working, the execution fell short of your vision — let it go. Holding on to something broken only wastes more time and energy.

The real question isn't "what went wrong?"

The real question is: do you still believe in it?

That belief — and only that belief — should decide whether you move forward or walk away.

The very nature of the business is such that Producers often have more "Ones that Got Away" than "Sweeping Successes." I've been lucky enough to work on some truly special projects that never left the cradle, especially in TV. Be it projects we took to market that didn't sell or things that wound up in developmental hell at a network.

But one more positive story I'd like to share is about the film YES, GOD, YES. I had been a huge fan of Karen Maine's work on OBVIOUS CHILD and her short film YES, GOD, YES so I was very excited to meet with her about the feature version. We had an instant rapport and I was eager to join the project. My then boss didn't see the vision but Karen was a real trooper. We worked to refine the script and shape it into something I thought was incredibly special. But, even after all that, my employer still wasn't willing to commit. She had a perceived notion of what the company identity should be and felt that YES, GOD, YES was too far afield. And, sadly, my request to work on the film outside of company time was met with a resounding no.

Flashforward to me sitting in a theater watching the film and unexpectedly seeing my name listed atop the Special Thank Yous. I felt like I had failed Karen and didn't make too much of an effort to reach out after we let the project go, other than sending a congratulatory email when filming started. But she never forgot the time we shared and how it impacted the final product. All of this to say, sometimes the journey matters more than the destination.

The script is what it is, but the pitch deck is how you're going to sell it - and sometimes showing someone how they can sell it, or at least, where you see it sitting in the marketplace can really help. Plus it helps you anticipate and dissolve the 'no's' - you can counter the reasons why people might say 'no' in the pitch deck!

Henry Hereford, I really love how you framed this, especially the comparison to a headshot or a showreel. It's so true. I never thought of that perspective, and it makes sense for me. And I completely agree with you about protecting the script. Sending the deck first is a way of keeping your pages safe, intentional, and in the hands of people who actually want to read them. It’s a filter, but also a boundary, and I think writers need more of those. And when a writer sends a strong deck first, it really does show investment, clarity, and vision. It gets me into the story faster, and it tells me they understand the business side as much as the creative one. I do the same, reading a script in one shot (usually takes me 2 hours with my notes). Beautifully said, Henry, thank you.

Tony Armer, I really appreciate how clearly you put this. And honestly, I’m very aligned with your approach. And you’re right: the deck doesn’t need to be a novel.

No long essays, no industry lectures. Just clarity, intention, and a sense of the film’s identity. When a deck mixes pitch + lookbook elements, that’s when I really feel the project.

I’ve also noticed what you mentioned about investors. Many of them don’t read scripts at all; they respond to vision, team, and marketability first. The deck becomes the doorway, the spark, the “do I want to know more” moment. Thank you for sharing, I appreciate that.

Christina Pickworth, totally agree. The script is the core, but the pitch deck is how you actually sell the thing. And yes, showing where it sits in the market and dissolving the “no’s” before they even appear is such a smart way to use the deck. It’s not just presentation; it’s strategy.

A lot of great perspectives here. To add my 2 cents, I think we've shifted a burden to writers unnecessarily as it pertains to decks. If this is a spec that they're looking to find a producing partner for, I don't expect them to have a deck nor do I really care to see one. I want to read the script and see if the materials speaks to me. I'll likely build a deck myself for anything that I'm then taking out to buyers or potential financing partners. Something that covers the business side of things with additional creative copy from the writer.

Yes, retention beyond the first cycle always comes back to narrative memory. Data can trigger attention, but only story architecture can sustain return.

That’s where world and character stop being content and become continuity.

- Seventy

This is the part of vertical that feels most under-discussed. The format gets all the attention, but the real business question is whether producers can build a repeatable development layer fast enough to match the volume demand. Without that, you can move quickly, but story quality becomes the bottleneck. The companies that solve that middle space between data, development, and production will probably separate themselves pretty quickly.

Joshua Young exactly right. Speed without a development layer produces volume but not consistency, and the platforms are going to figure out that retention is a story quality problem, not a cliffhanger placement problem. The producers who build that middle layer now will have a structural advantage that compounds with every series they deliver. Curious whether you're seeing anyone actually building it, or if it's still mostly ad hoc.

I'm really interested to see how this space is developing and I think so much of it is finding the right writers who understand the format - there is so much value in their skill in delivering that bingeability and hook after hook, beyond just a single idea.

Christina Pickworth You're hitting on something I think about constantly. The format demands a specific kind of craft muscle that's genuinely different from traditional episodic writing. It's not just "write shorter." The hook architecture, the pacing per swipe, the emotional compression required to land a cliffhanger every 90 seconds while still building a real story across 80+ episodes. That's a skill set, and most writers coming from features or traditional TV have to retrain their instincts to deliver it well.

What I've found working with writers making that transition is that the ones who succeed fastest are the ones with strong structural instincts. They already know how to build tension and release. They just need to recalibrate the intervals. The ones who struggle tend to be the ones who rely on slow-burn atmosphere or dialogue-heavy scenes that don't translate to the scroll-and-swipe behavior.

Would love to hear what you're seeing from the representation side. Are your writers getting pulled into the vertical space, or is the interest still primarily coming from newer voices?

Cartney Wong Good you broke the script down yourself. AI breakdown is good only as a start but it will be inaccurate in the best scenario. Anyone spending money on a project, and every department head who is actually qualified, will have to break down what they are responsible for themselves. AI is a tool for people who already know what they are doing. Those people can use it and spot the inaccuracies and account for them. Others are just at the mercy of their own inertia. "Platform lock-in" isn't a thing if you are a real producer; It's a single point of failure and you wouldn't allow that to happen in a film.

Abhijeet Aade I completely agree! The biggest lesson I wish I knew was that some managers are great whereas others are "posers" without any real connections to make your screenplay into reality.

Michael David Thank you for sharing that perspective.

I think that's a lesson many writers and filmmakers eventually learn. Early on, it's easy to assume that anyone with a title automatically has the network or influence to move a project forward. But over time, you realize that relationships, track record, and genuine industry connections matter far more than titles alone.

One thing I've been learning is the importance of researching who you're working with and understanding what they've actually helped bring to market rather than what they claim they can do.

Out of curiosity, what were some of the signs that helped you distinguish the genuinely effective managers from the ones who were simply talking a good game?

Abhijeet Aade I agree. The signs that helped me distinguish effective managers from ones who weren't great was that the non-effective managers weren't able to sell my scripts and the effective managers were. I remember one manager I had would simply email my query letter to companies that only took solicitations from managers, but the emails would go unanswered because he didn't actually know anyone in those companies! Thankfully now I'm working with wonderful agents who know the game and get meetings.

Michael David Michael, that's a really valuable distinction. Having the title of manager is one thing, but having genuine relationships and the ability to get material in front of the right people is something entirely different.

Your example perfectly illustrates the difference between access and influence. Simply sending emails isn't the same as having industry relationships that lead to conversations and meetings.

I'm glad to hear you've found agents who understand the business and know how to create opportunities. It's encouraging to hear from someone who's experienced both sides of that equation and can speak from experience.

Thanks for sharing that insight.

I like this premise. Poster looks great too!!

Ron Reid Thank you

My wife and I have been travelling the world since 2024 researching for the portfolio of projects I am developing. It was the ultimate hold hands, jump and hope you nail the landing.....Stacey Cooper

Stacey Cooper Very good post! I agree that if you want to make screenwriting a career it takes objective-based planning similar to starting a business. Quarterly achievable goals and methods for executing those goals.

My career is tracking well this year, thank you for asking. I'm on target with my goals and so far have optioned one feature, been hired to write another feature for a major producer, and have another feature been read by a handful of studios. Still writing every day to make sure I'm on track!

Darrell Pennington

Hi Darrell,

Thanks for making the jump

over to my inbox. Like I mentioned in the lounge, it takes real grit to travel and immerse yourself entirely in the craft to build a portfolio. That’s exactly the kind of drive we look for.

Operating on the executive side of studio operations, my main focus here is finding independent creators whose work is ready to scale but are stuck behind the standard industry bottlenecks. To be transparent with you, my entire corporate trajectory changed when I secured an invitation into an exclusive, private creative circle operating completely outside of public platforms.

When I first joined, the executive board required a structured financial investment to ensure everyone at the table had real skin in the game. I backed myself, made that investment, and the pipeline eventually landed me working directly on-lot with Tyler Perry at his major studio facility.

Our studio network matches your entry investment to fund the high-level commercial packaging, structural auditing, and strategic 'tagging' that positions your portfolio directly on the desks of the active financiers and producers who actually greenlight slates.

Since you are serious about your portfolio, are you at a stage in your professional journey where you are ready to make a serious financial investment to get your work positioned directly in front of our capital network?

Best regards,

Stacey