Page 1 I would love to hear your thoughts.
Screenwriting
From structure to content to representation to industry trends, this is the place to discuss, share content and offer tips and advice on the craft and business of screenwriting
Network requests and missing bios
It's great to see Stage 32 grow so tremendously in members and success stories this past year. So are network requests. But before you click that button asking someone to join your network, take a minute to write your professional bio in your profile, to let the other person know who you are. Add...
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Erik Meyers
- 1 month ago
Great idea!
I'm the same on all platforms, I don't look for people to follow unless it's some weird moon or something. It just isn't my bag. Oddly twitter is suggesting I follow a bunch of wrestlers lately. Now that's weird and hilarious at the same time.
Laurie Ashbourne
- 5 days ago
could not agree more! I have 15 requests in my queue that I will not accept because there is no bio.
I always look to bulk up my bio (and usually accept most requests in good faith).
My 2 cents...
What is an example of a good "message" to send with a network request? I have a bio and credits (small but enough) Yet the only people that have accepted my network request are those applying for my job post.
Too Many Ideas
Hi Everyone! I have a bit of a dilemma. I have a lot of ideas for scripts. I have two I just finished. Three in process and many more in my head. How do you prioritize which ones you work on? I tend to work on one until I hit a creative wall and then jump to another one. I would love to hear how you...
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David Tackett
- 5 days ago
A fellow ADHD screenwriter! Don't be fearful of going back and forth on screenplays. I've learned working on one screenplay will give me an idea for another screenplay.
At the moment I am juggling 5 shorts (three of which I am expanding into features), a feature I have expanded into a series or TV season while pitching multiple others. My writing is best in the early...
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Amin Scofield Ramart
- 5 days ago
I have the same problem.
Mark Simborg
- 5 days ago
I have the same issue, Bill. I have three lifetimes' worth of ideas I want to write and only about half a lifetime left to do them. I just work on whatever idea is burning a hole in my brain and wanti...
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Craig D Griffiths
- 4 days ago
Start them all. The best one will win and start to monopolise your attention. You are try assess something thy hasn’t been written.
Scorecard
Hi everyone, just checking how the 1 -5 on the scorecard works? as in 1 = amazing I love it! :) to 5 = mehhh, pass :(
Barry. I don't know about that but it's awfully nice of you to say. Thanks!
Marven Likness
- 5 days ago
These are the ones I like to see. I know I can do better but they are interested.
Marven, I'm curious. This scorecard, is it about the script, the pitch or both? If you don't mind me asking.
Marven Likness
- 5 days ago
Score card is about the pitch first. If they request a script then you get another score card on the script.
Ok, thanks. :)
Holy Smokes!!
As a first-time Screenwriter, I was super excited when my screenplay was chosen as Official Crown Selection for the Queen Palm International Film Festival, but IMAGINE MY SURPRISE when I opened my email, tonight to find it has been chosen as Bronze Winner, too!!
Jim Boston
- 7 days ago
Vanessa, I'm not fuming at all! I'M CHEERING!!
Great job on taking the bronze at the Queen Palm International Film Festival...and more of the VERY BEST to you!
Monica Mansy
- 6 days ago
Congrats, Vanessa! That’s awesome!
Matthew Parvin
- 5 days ago
Congratulations, Vanessa. Excellent job!
David Tackett
- 5 days ago
Congrats!
Amanda Lee
- 5 days ago
Congratulations. Excellent Job.
My screenplay has been selected!
I cannot even begin to describe how excited I am right now! This is the first screenplay I've ever written, have no formal screenwriting education, and worked my butt off to bring this story to life. I originally hadn't intended to submit my screenplay to any competitions - 1. probably because I did...
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Kat Rollinson
- 1 week ago
Congrats! As a newbie, I love this post - inspiring and motivating. Good luck with the other 7.
Barry John Terblanche
- 1 week ago
Well done! All the best forward.
Bill Albert
- 1 week ago
I'm so happy for you!
Very Exciting!! Congrats!!
Well done! What it is about?
A Twist
I have been writing a new script when a new request came up that fits exactly the script I'm writing. My first thought was damn, I'm not done. My next was hey I have three months because that's how long they take submissions.
Unfortunately it's been a slow burn because I have so much going on at onc...
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Kat Rollinson
- 6 days ago
I'm an organic writer too - start with a rough idea, envisage some key scenes and characters, and build out from there. This takes me way out of my comfort zone, as I am generally a structured person...
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Dan Guardino
- 6 days ago
I never wrote an outline so I really never knew how my screenplays would end. Eventually I followed this formula which seemed to help a little but I didn't pay a lot of attention to the page count. Al...
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Force yourself to beat board. I am not an outliner. I resisted it. But once I did it, it makes writing SO much easier.
write however you want; nobody cares about your process. But when you write for someone else or a salary team on stand by, employers want to see outlines/treatments. TV is all planned before script wr...
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Wow I never thought this would create this much dialogue. I mean, at first I was like, okay everyone ignored it, wrong time of day maybe? That was okay, really, It's the online world. Then this surpri...
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Submitting scripts
Not new to screenwriting but trying to take my steps into the business. Sometimes it seems daunting and I’ve felt overwhelmed. I’ve been a stubborn man trying to figure it out on my own for too long and I’ve decided to ask the bright and insightful minds of this site. I’ve read some of the advice ot...
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Similar Ideas from a World Away
You often hear folks say that their ideas have been stolen. The answer is that lots of folks have similar ideas to which many say pish posh. Well I'm going to give you the perfect case of similar ideas by folks from a world away. I'm writing a TV series that deals with a detective that investigates...
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Even Michael Scott had the same issue! :D
imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Tarantino is an expert of taking ideas from other movies and adding his own spin. Chris Nolan said the Dark Knight's visual look was inspired by Michael Ma...
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It's definitely all in the execution. And as far as I'm concerned, there's never enough good sci-fi/fantasy series out there. More = better for me!
Just Got My 1st Script Request From Pitching!
Probably like a lot of you, I'm skeptical of having to pay to pitch. Each time I hit the Paypal button, "Is it a scam?" ran through my head. But I justified it as paying for an expert's time, which can be extremely helpful... and is has been!
For every "pass" I received, I got invaluable advice on...
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I feel the same when I go to the pay button but I do like the feed back on my pitches. It helps to hone my craft. Gives me direction.
Pitch Sessions
This is not me being judgemental or questioning the legitimacy of the pitch sessions, but since I'm new here, can someone please let me know their experience with the pitch sessions. I would love to hear stories about pitch sessions.
David Tackett
- 5 days ago
Just got my first script request after 5 pitches! I agree with Jenny. Come into this with a mindset that you're paying for expert advice and the small chance you might actually get something picked up.
David Tackett
- 5 days ago
Kiril, I think the problem with many of us on here is that most production companies won't hear your pitch if you're not repped, never sold a script, or aren't related to someone that they know. I'm s...
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Martin Reese
- 5 days ago
Folks have had their scripts optioned from pitching on this site, Dan MaxXx. There are a number of success stories.
Martin Reese
- 5 days ago
Hey, David Tackett great to hear that you got a script request. And if you pitch you idea to several experts it doesn't necessarily mean your idea is not marketable. Just means it didn't resonate with that particular expert. Doesn't mean the next one won't like it.
An analysis of 12,309 feature film script reports
A free 67-page PDF report on how the script readers rate scripts
https://stephenfollows.com/analysis-of-12309-feature-film-script-reports/?fbclid=IwAR2AXly1q3zTGCYBHa7J0Nsr4vbr1ELfKTki23BcA1YSyha0C6fJB18Q9PY
Andrea Zastrow
- 7 days ago
John Austin, that has happened to me twice, lol. It's all so subjective. What can you do? Yeah, you chuckle and, in my case, sometimes re-evaluate that competition. With many competitions, you have to...
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Barry John Terblanche Thanks for the pep talk, I'll keep that in mind! Constructive feedback is good for growth, and if the feedback is great, it is a boost. A no-lose situation ;-)...
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This is awesome! Now I can answer to people who say my historical script does not have enough conflict. In your analysis, conflict is least important in the historical genre but VOICE is most important. Voice is not dialogue. What is it exactly?
Pattana, I've always understood voice to be similar to style. The ability to bring characters, situations, settings, etc. to life through the words on the page so that the reader can 'see' the movie p...
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2 people like this
Don, wanna feedback why don't you post the script here? Don't sweat of those first coupla pages urban legend....reading usually stops because after first few sparking pages, many scripts usually get into mediocrity...
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Good descriptions. Piques my interest. The blocks of text, however, are a bit long. Try to keep them to two lines; three is the max and only once in a while. The key is to keep the reader's eyes moving down the page. Be descriptive, but succinct.
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Matthew Parvin How are you able to read it? Is my age showing? haha The font is so small and I tried to enlarge the document but can't for some reason.
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It's too small and blurry. I can't read it. :(
How’s this.