Hello everyone. I'm new to Stage 32 and to the screenwriting and film industry in general. I'm passionate about it and I dedicate a lot of energy, time, and dedication to ensure my work is as polished and professional as possible.
Here's my situation: I've just finished writing the pilot episode of my series, as well as a detailed series bible including the universe, themes, character arcs, and a multi-season plan. I have registered my work with the US Copyright Office. However, now that I've reached this point, I have no idea what to do next: enter competitions, contact agents, managers, producers, directors, or something else?
To pass the time and avoid passively waiting around, I'm constantly working on other projects that I think could be just as promising.
So, if anyone has any advice or suggestions, I'm all ears!
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Congratulations on finishing the pilot episode and series bible, César Baumann!
Reach out to the Success Team at success@stage32.com. Geoff and his team can help you connect with producers, executives, and more to pitch your series to.
My biggest tip is network/build relationships on here. I've had a lot of success by networking on Stage 32. Here are some blogs on networking: www.stage32.com/blog/tags/networking-41
Contests can get your series in front of industry professionals. Stage 32 is the Global Screenwriting Contest Hub (www.stage32.com/scriptservices/contests).
I've also had success by emailing producers and directors with query letters. I suggest checking out this webinar called "How To Write A Query Letter That Gets You Past The Gatekeepers": www.stage32.com/education/products/how-to-write-a-query-letter-that-gets...
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Thank you so much, sincerely.
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You're welcome, César Baumann. Something I do to pitch my scripts is post pages in Stage 32's Your Stage Lounge (www.stage32.com/lounge/promotion), on Twitter/X, and on Instagram, like First Page Friday, Third Page Thursday, and Sneak Peek Sunday. I've gotten interest and script requests this way. I post loglines and script posters with the pages. And sometimes I post short pitches (like two-word pitches and three-word pitches) on social media.
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Hi Cesar, and congratulations on completing the pilot and bible. Maurice has great advice; there are competitions for pilots only, and if anything, some kind of a win is something you can add to the bible for 3rd party verification - as well as getting coverage from a good coverage service. If you got the script covered here on stage 32, or some other company, and got a recommend or double recommend, that is also something to add to the bible or deck.
I've found that a recommend or double recommend may not always impress producers -- but again, it's a third party verification that may make them take a look. There are also companies that do query blasts -- you can reach several hundred producers, managers, agents that way through a service. I got my first and second managers that way. I also sold a feature via Inktip and two on Script Revolution, which hosts your script free of charge. Wishing you the best of luck!
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Great to have you here! Congrats on finishing your script! I think you’d find this webinar really helpful: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/how-to-find-and-choose-the-right-screenwriting-manager-for-your-career
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You've dotted all your I's and crossed all your T's. You've built the finest structure to house your work. Now it's time to pay attention to the heart of the issue, your screenplay itself. You should do all those things you suggested. I am working with 4 AI bots to find the right people to query. You did all the periphery work. Now it's time to do step 2 of the real work--contact producers, agents, managers, studios and networks (and streamers). Most will ignore you. Most have a rule of not accepting anything unsolicited. They like to protect their small, little club. Our job is to break through the barriers. To get noticed, to get heard. Your work is your voice and we live in a democracy even though people exercise the freedom to think and act undemocratically. They keep doing what they do so you keep doing what you do. Send your work to everyone until they clearly say no. Let them know you're here and ready to give them something to make them money. they all want something new, something different. But they're like the man who gets the unexpected kiss. Their instinctive reaction is to back off even though that's what they wanted all along. It's a filtering system they have because there are so many of us and so few of them. Don't be shy. There are no rules. There are just guts--yours--tempered with common sense. If you believe in the quality of your work, sell it. Make your voice heard among the crowd. That's the only way you'll get noticed By coming to Stage 32, you've come into a network of people who can help you stay on your course and get your movie or show produced and seen by the audience you are targeting.
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If you're only just starting out, competitions are a good place to start, you might get a little free feedback, and then you can get a sense of if you're at least in the ballpark. By that I mean, if you enter 4 competitions and you're quickly rejected, then don't waste your time looking to make it. But if you get to the second round in a couple, then maybe look into shopping it around. I mean, if you win the competition, then awesome, if its a big enough competition then you might end up in touch with someone in the business. But even if you don't win, getting to the second round or semifinals, you've maybe got something viable, even if not perfectly matching the taste of those particular judges.