Hello Stage 32 People,
My name is Philip David Lee and I am a insufferably confident screenwriter and director that really doesn’t care whose toes he might happen to urinate on because if you’re not walking with me, then you’re most likely in my way. If you think me unpleasant, well, that’s just too bad because the very people you wish to “work” with are the very same ones that made me embittered. Just think; you can grow up to be just like me one day!
Producers, investors, fellow creatives, you name them, they’ve been wrong more times than not and they either blame someone else for their stupidity or their losses are just ignored and they are free to continued their failed approach to the industry. In fact, this is the only industry that rewards a minor success with the means to lose big money on your next project so you don’t get too high on yourself. On top of everything else; these movers and shakers don’t seem to be able to learn from past mistakes.
If you approach them honestly, humble and praise their past work and you present your great idea with a proper and “professional” proposal, they completely ignore you. If you respond to their ghosting with a well worded critique on their questionable ability to do their jobs based on their past numbers, you get a same day response of “How dare you question my incompetence!” Hey, I wasn’t questioning it. Anyone can look up what a disgrace you are. You just blame it on the lead actor or actress.
I really don’t know what drives this industry to such utter stupidity either. You always see these ads for “Producers Looking For Screenplays” but what they’re looking for has never made money or will have an extremely tough climb ahead of them to produce a profit. All you have to do is look at the market shares to see what sells, but beyond any reasonable definition of logic, they’re looking for a failed storyline that, through their own dim-witted inspiration, they think their ideas, based on your idea, will work. We, in the real world, call these people morons.
So I write stories that DON’T comment on social issues and how they should be addressed. I WON’T write some preachy agenda driven drivel that alienates half of an audience and I will NEVER think an action franchise run by a chick flick mentality with overblown budgets is the secret recipe for success.
That’s pretty much who I am at this point. If you want to investigate me further or talk to me, even if we don’t agree on anything. I’m cool with that. Everyone thinks their project is the winner. Let the rest be damned. Should I prove my worth and amass success without anyone’s help, don’t expect me to help anyone else out either. Should I die without ever making a significant contribution to this industry, I won’t care. I’ll be dead and I’ll take comfort in the fact that I don’t have to pay attention to the galactic disappointments that are called humans. That and not having to pay taxes that only go to benefiting criminals, invaders and freeloaders makes death a win-win scenario. Always look for that silver lining!
However, if we should find ourselves on the same page, I’m extremely easy to work with and I’m a lot of fun at parties because I don’t stay too long. I hate parties.
It’s a pleasure to meet you all.
Philip
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Hey, Philip Lee. I don't think I've read an introduction like this before. How's your project going? Are you working on any new projects?
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O! Powerful intro — the lights in my place even flickered.
If writing hits sparks like that, your projects must be fiery.
Take care — with that kind of electricity, people around you will be the first to run
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Hmm. Can you show me on this doll where the big bad industry hurt you?
I kid, of course.
This intro is hilarious. If you put this much creativity into everything you do, you should be unstoppable. It's the type of snark that make characters like Gregory House stand out.
I don't share the view that everyone is an idiot but I can dang sure understand the frustration behind feeling that way.
I firmly believe in "like knows a like" so... Hopefully your people will find you this weekend. Cheers hon, it's nice to meet ya.
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Maurice Vaughan I'm working on a couple of stories right now while still working on The Curmudgeon, and even though I don't have a ton of great works out there, I'm going to need complete control of the project and I only need complete control so that I don't have anyone to blame but me no matter what the outcome be it positive or negative.
Personally, I don't get it. You have Sydney Sweeney in a $15M bio-pic which isn't a big budget and you have it in 2,000 theaters right after she just gave American Eagle a ridiculous increase in stock prices from doing one ad and it only pulls in $1M on it's opening weekend? So you literally have to sell 3.5M movie tickets at an average of $10.78 to pull in a gross of $37M. After the theaters take their cut and if you don't let marketing costs get out of control, you'll come close to breaking even and you only need 0.9% of the total population of the United States to go see your movie? People are doing a lousy job at doing their job! I only need $1.5M for the whole budget! For an action film! BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! LET THE "PROFESSIONALS" DROP ANOTHER $100m LOSS ON THE INDUSTRY. Good Lord! I'm surprised I haven't had a stroke yet. Maybe I've already had so many, my brain looks like a Drexel University rowing team.
Yes, some lower budget films suck and going to the movies is a very hefty price now, but theaters better pull their heads out of their collective rear ends and realize that lowering the cost of going to the movies is going to save them. There's no freaking SNAP program for movie tickets!
We'll see what happens. If you want to read The curmudgeon, send me your email through my dm's and I'll shoot you a copy. I don't need an in-depth review, just a basic "did you like it" answer. I trust your judgement and if you don't like it, I can always fall back on the old "Then you're nuts" trope.
Maybe, I'm just nuts.. I can live with that. I don't have any peanut allergies.
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Great intro- nice to meet you!
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Philip Lee I'm working on three projects, and I have a lot of other things on my plate, but looking forward to reading Curmudgeon as soon as I can.
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Maurice! What projects are you working on?
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Hi, Asl Seil! I'm rewriting a Horror Action feature script for Stage 32’s November Write Club. My second goal is outline and write a short script. I'm trying to figure out what idea to write. I'm also outlining a Fantasy Action feature script. What are you working on?
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Quite the unique introduction.
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Amanda Toney I wanted it to be special and accurate. While I understand that a certain amount of decorum is needed in all interactions with humans whether it be for social reasons or business purposes, there is an advantage to being my age and going through some of the experience I have gone through.where you just want to say the truth from your perspective. Am I suggesting anyone take my approach? Heck no. At this point, I'm more vengeful than anything else. That's not really a smart way to make friends, but then, I'm a Scorpio so it's in my nature. The offer I made to Maurice is extended to you as well, Amanda. I would be happy to look over anything you might have that would benefit from a fresh pair of eyes.
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Philip Lee, as always, I appreciate you taking the time to share your perspective and experience. This industry can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you’re putting your work out there, facing silence, or dealing with situations that feel opaque or dismissive. Many creatives here can relate to moments of burnout or feeling overlooked, so you’re not alone in the experiences that shaped this post.
That said, one thing we’ve learned over the years, and what makes this community special, is that collaboration, mutual respect, and open-minded dialogue tend to move writers and filmmakers forward far faster than industry cynicism ever will. The relationships people build here often become the difference-makers in their careers, and that starts with showing up in a way that invites connection rather than pushes it away.
Whatever your current relationship with the industry, I hope you’ll keep yourself open to positive opportunities. There are people here who understand where you’re coming from and who genuinely want to build alongside others.
Ashley Renée Smith Thank you, Ashley. I think my bigger point I want people to grasp is that I have learned to decipher between what are genuine offers and collaborations and what are the scams so my critique of the industry is to let it be known that I won't suffer BS and can see it a mile behind home plate. Now if you don't like working with honest people, that probably means you constantly are involved in questionable ethics. People like that don't want honest people around them because they run the risk of being exposed and quite possibly arrested. Those that appreciate my honest take can most often be trusted to play me straight up.
Nor am I afraid to tell you if your ideas are, shall we say, less than intelligent. You go up against egos more times than talent in this industry. I'm not afraid to walk away and blast bridges into oblivion if I hear hear an idea that is sooooo stupid, I stand befuddled for hours wondering how a "professional mind" works that way. So what you might perceive as a burned out grumpy bastard with no room for compromise, I see myself as a gardener that can instantly recognize the weeds are that need to go or a dentist that will pull out an infected tooth without Novocaine.
So for those out there that like to run their business like a mob family, stay clear from me because if you try and push some foul smelling crap past me, I don't care who you are. I will burn you down to where you'll think California wildfires are just backyard barbecues.
Likewise, if you want to be involved in a fair partnership or working relationship where success is the main goal and everyone gets what is fair to them, you can do a lot worse than me.
Unfortunately, you can't tell anyone not to touch an open flame so they won't get burned because they need to feel that pain in order to respect why there are warnings in the first place. Am I impossible to deal with? I have friends that truly love me for my integrity. I'm just a guy that finally got enough bandages removed from his fingers to be able to either make fists again or extend my hands out for a honest handshake.
I don't need respect. I just need co-operation and people that can show me that they can adapt to any number of problems and quickly work out solutions. Respect is like romance. It's a false altered behavior with the sole desired result being to screw you.