Hello everyone, my name is Kenneth. I started my screenwriting journey in 1997 after Batman & Robin was released. I was so disappointed in that movie that, in my hubris, I wrote a screenplay for the next Batman movie and immediately sent it to Joel Schumacher. Understand this, I knew absolutely zero about the screenwriting process at the time, so you can imagine how that went. So, after not hearing anything for days, I figured they didn't like the story. FYI, I still have that script.
So after that, I decided I'd better educate myself a little more if I wanted to be successful at this. My first stop on this journey was The Screenwriters Bible. That book taught me everything that I thought I knew before reading it. Over the years, in between life, I trained myself. I read, I wrote, I dreamed. Two scripts were born from that process. With the advancement of the Internet and AI, I now have the tools to discover places like this, which will hopefully help me to become the person I was meant to be.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I appreciate you all. It is nice to meet you, and I wish us all the best of luck in our endeavors.
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Welcome to the community, Kenneth McNair. Stage 32 had a live Community Open House recently. You can watch the recording here (www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32-community-open-house-webcast). It'll help you navigate Stage 32 and connect with creatives and industry professionals.
Stage 32 also has a blog about navigating the platform and making connections: www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-successfully-navigate-the-stage-32-platform-...
"I wrote a screenplay for the next Batman movie and immediately sent it to Joel Schumacher. Understand this, I knew absolutely zero about the screenwriting process at the time, so you can imagine how that went." That reminds me of the time I sent Paramount a query letter through the mail. I don't have the script anymore, but I remember enough about it to rewrite the script.
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Good luck to us
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Hi Kenneth. Nice introduction.
I definitely understand not fully understanding the writing process initially. I got interested in it at an early age when I was 13. To say I didn't have a process or anything at that time would be a huge understatement. I definitely have some stinkers that I've disregarded from that time or done some complete overhauls.
I think ultimately, it's a process you educate yourself on overtime and improve as you learn just as you said (though sometimes the script isn't the right call because an idea is great but doesn't work for the time being).
That said, good on you for taking a shot at writing a Batman sequel (I can imagine it was probably still better than Batman and Robin was, given you wouldn't have had a toy company dictating your creative decisions the way the writer and director of that film had to endure).
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Maurice Vaughan We live and we learn.
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Samuel Lebow I thought it was. I grew up watching the Adam West series, so the script included villains along those lines.
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I definitely appreciate the Adam West series. But it clashed with Batman and Robin in a way the other films and the tv series didn't. There was camp for sure in the Tim Burton films but it wasn't as extreme but Batman and Robin has a struggle with what it wants to be and dialogue issues present as a result of the film being used for Toy selling instead of making a genuinely good film.
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Hey Ken! Best of luck on your dreams. I hope you make it... Has anyone told you, you look like a young Morgan Freeman? Have you done any acting?
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You're right, Kenneth McNair. What are you working on now?
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No, I haven't done any acting Curt Samlaska, I'm more of a behind-the-scenes kind of guy.
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Definitely with Kenneth on the live and learn quote. Story of our lives. At least we hope we learn lest we end up in one The Twilight Zone's darker endings.
Also, definitely within him on the behind the scenes situation. I like to joke that those of us who can't act create (though that's obviously not true as some people have the ability to do both).
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Maurice Vaughan I just finished a polish on a sci-fi thriller/horror script. Next, I have to start polishing a horror script based on the Arachne myth—still a rough draft.
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Congratulations on finishing the polish and rough draft, Kenneth McNair! I'm not sure if I've heard of the Arachnea myth.
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Maurice Vaughan Loosely, Arachne is the story of a weaver who challenged the Greek god Athena to a contest. She angered Athena with the weaving she created. When Arachne lost the contest, she tried to kill herself. Athena denied her that right. She cursed Arachne to roam the Earth forever in the form of a spider.
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That sounds interesting, Kenneth McNair! Are you writing a Horror Period Piece or a modern take on the myth?
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Maurice Vaughan It is a modern take, sort of. The story is not a retelling, it is more of a continuation. She has a biological imperative to procreate, and the story delves into that.
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Fascinating…maybe she is cursed with the need to procreate, but all of her offspring succumb to some miserable inevitable death…what a nasty curse. To have to watch your offspring die…forever…over and over. Awful Groundhog Day.
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I'm looking forward to watching your movie, Kenneth McNair! And I want to write a Horror Period Piece now.
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Curt Samlaska That is an interesting perspective.
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Maurice Vaughan Thank you for the kind words. If I can get that kind of response from a brief description, then maybe there is hope for me in this business. I am glad that I inspired you, now go write that period piece.
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Thank you, Kenneth. It seems we're in the same boat. Wishing you all the best as well.
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You're welcome, Kenneth McNair. I'm already trying to think of an idea for a Horror Period Piece script. Keep us posted on your scripts.
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Maurice Vaughan Will do. You do the same.
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Definitely will, Kenneth McNair.
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Hey Kenneth McNair - welcome to Stage 32! I'm a diehard DC comics fan so I'd love to know what you came up with as a story for that sequel. And there's nothing wrong with having a little fun with what you would come up with as opposed to what came out. I came up with a sequel to "The Iron Giant" but never did anything with it. It was just all in good fun. Glad you're with us!
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Hey Leonardo Ramirez 2 , great to meet you. That story had Pharoah as the main villain, and included Egghead, and someone other villain I believe. When I wrote this I still wrote by hand, so I will have to dig out the notebook to be sure of all the characters.
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Hi Kenneth, nice introduction there. I wrote my first script in 1995, I even went to the Hollywood Pitch Fest in 2001 to pitch it. I pitched it to about 10 studio execs and most of them really liked the idea and requested the script... but I never followed up and never sent them the script. It was the first thing I ever wrote and I wasn't confident enough in it to actually have it read. Looking back, the idea was great at that time, but the execution/script was clearly a first time writer's work. So as someone who flew to L.A. from Canada to pitch my first ever screenplay and then not to follow up, I admire that you had the courage to send your first ever screenplay to Joel Schumacher.
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Welcome, Kenneth! I’m Sydney from the Education Team here at Stage 32. I love that Batman & Robin sparked your screenwriting journey—what an origin story! It’s clear you’ve put in the time and passion, and we’re so glad you found your way to this community. If you ever need anything or have questions, feel free to reach out to me at edu@stage32.com We’re here to support you!
Have a great week :)
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Hey Zee Risek nice to meet you. I like your origin story as well—congrats on getting responses to your pitches, I'm still waiting on Joel to get back to me. Hey, we all have to start somewhere. How is your confidence level now?
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Thank you for the welcome and kind words Sydney S, I appreciate you.
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Welcome!