Hello all, just a quick introductory post here! I am a script editor/screenwriter and academic from the UK, quite an unusual blend, I suppose! On the academic side, my work and research focuses on the mediaeval era prominently, specifically, the art literature and thought of mediaeval Europe; on the screen side, I’ve had the extraordinary privilege to script/development edit major green lit and commissioned productions for radio, stage, television and screen over the last five years. Indeed, I still regularly read for a major UK film festival as well as an international production company.
This year, however, after much nudging from colleagues, I am finally beginning to take writing and development as a screenwriter or creative producer more seriously – and that’s how I ended up here! The rest is history, as they say…
In terms of working progress, I am currently co-writing and co-developing a feature project which we are preparing to pitch to major international studio executives.
I’m always eager to hear from writing colleagues about anything they’re working on, always confidential of course. Equally, I am also eager to hear about any opportunities, specifically in the drama or historical genres across both film and television that might be emerging.
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Hi William Campbell! So glad you're here! I would definitely check out our classes and labs - there's a great one on historical writing coming up with Annya Henry who's one of Stage 32's most popular instructors
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Great to meet you William! We would love to learn more about what you are working on and point you to all the resources we have to offer on Stage 32. Shoot us an email at success@stage32.com and let us know a little more about your scripts and goals! Always happy to help!
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Welcome to the community, William Campbell. What makes you old school?
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Welcome! I’d love to get some of your insight on what the development stage is like (as a producer).
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Welcome! I am not an academic, but ran an academic publishing house for years, and we specialized in ... medieval studies, the eastern kind, i.e. Byzantium.
I find that many of the skills I gained from years of combing academic texts for inconsistencies and lapses in documentation come in handy when writing fiction. In the end, it is all about building a narrative that hangs together.
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Hello and welcome! Very interesting focus, which particular age of medieval Europe are you focusing on? Here in Italy there are plenty of things about the subject
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Hi William, and welcome on board! Wow, you have so many things going on, how impressive! And nice to meet someone who's from Europe as well as me! I cross my fingers that the pitch will succeed! Remember stage32 has multiple pitch sessions, with exclusive people inside the film industry, if you need to pitch it to someone before you pitch it to the company! Good luck!
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Hi William love medieval European history. Only today my family were lamenting my boring them over dinner with a history anecdote. Working on a time traveller back to ancient Hippocratic Greece and a ww2 comedy. We should have you over for dinner so I am no longer alone
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Hi William - it’s great to meet you here in the community. I’m the Director of Education here at Stage 32. If I can ever recommend any of our education for you please email me directly at edu@stage32.com. Based on your post, I’ll start by recommending Anna Henry’s upcoming lab where you will work with Anna to write a historical TV pilot. She’s an amazing mentor. Here’s a link so you can check it out: https://www.stage32.com/classes/Stage-32-8-Part-Screenwriting-Lab-Write-...
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Maurice Vaughan I'm old school because I drink good cold water and do 100 squat-thrusts a day like Kate Hepburn
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Christiane Lange I also do a little bit of Byzantine work – we must swap notes! On your second point: yes I agree, the documentary skills from academic/historical work are, I find, becoming increasingly valued in screenwriting and big IP production. Certainly beats grading term papers!
Haha William. Do you write Comedy?