Screenwriting : Managers by Sky Belluomini

To be ready, you typically need a portfolio of scripts. Usually around 5 is a good start. 2-3 in one genre. 2-3 in another. That is the first level of appeal - having written multiple projects and having them focused in a specific genre that you enjoy. It's harder for a manager to sell you as the writer with "one great horror script" than it is for them to sell you as the "horror writer with 2-3 great horror scripts." Which shows a concentration of efforts and gives more options for a manager to float you to potential production partners with.

To find one, there's a lot of ways you can go - referrals from friends, winning contests will usually get you meetings, or you can pitch your projects to managers directly here on Stage 32: https://www.stage32.com/scriptservices/pitch-sessions

The benefit of that obviously being the ability to get facetime and share about your passion for your stories.

Alternatively if you just want to try to impress a manager on the page first, you can book a script read + consultation with a manager and let your writing do the talking:

https://www.stage32.com/scriptservices/coverage/buy?id=19

The thing about getting a manager is this - many writers have a great script or two. which means there's a lot of competition. And managers don't take on infinite client rosters. So that means bandwidth is limited and like anyone, they can be picky.

What stands out to managers is a pattern of repeated behavior (having written multiple scripts) and a clear focus (in one or two genres) that they can help shape and mold and maximize to hopefully help you make sales and make you both money.

Managers also look for writers whose personalities they like. As their client, you spend a lot of time talking to one another, so you want to like each other. The vibe has to be there as well. And they have to believe you can meet their demands - which is usually on average about 2-3 new scripts per year.

I could use one, I have ideas and screenplays too many to count. So, I could use help in making them scripts.

I agree that having multiple scripts and a clear focus can strengthen a writer's position.

At the moment, I have one completed feature screenplay, THE MONEY SAUCE, which is currently my primary focus. At the same time, I am developing additional projects, including a science-fiction adventure concept that is expanding from a feature into a series. THE MONEY SAUCE itself was also designed with franchise potential in mind.

That said, from what I've observed, having multiple projects alone does not necessarily make finding representation easier. It certainly helps demonstrate commitment and long-term vision, but relationships, timing, market needs, and finding the right advocate seem to play a major role as well.

For me, the goal is to keep building the body of work while continuing to develop relationships within the industry.

I can relate to that.

For me, the biggest challenge has never been finding ideas. The challenge is deciding which idea is strong enough to commit months or years of work to.

What helps me is trying to see whether an idea can support a complete three-act story before I invest too much time in it. If the structure, characters, and conflict continue to grow, then I know it may be worth developing further.

Ideas are everywhere. Finishing scripts is the hard part.

Wishing you success with the projects you're developing.

Sky Belluomini Before pursuing representation, it helps to understand the difference between a manager and an agent, as the two roles are often confused.

Managers typically focus on career development. They may help refine material, provide strategic guidance, make introductions, and assist in building a long-term career plan. Agents, by contrast, are primarily focused on securing opportunities, negotiating deals, and generating business for their clients.

The question is not necessarily whether you need a manager or an agent, but which type of representation best fits your current stage of development and career goals.

Managers can zero in on your writing and tell you if it's high concept and ready, but the ready part is up to you. You maybe a strong writer, but the demands made upon your skill are not apple blossoms in spring time. It requires dedication, perseverance, and a thick skin. I have friends who I have heard say, agents are more demanding than managers. I think they are both demanding. So it goes beyond skill, it goes beyond endurance and it certainly demands talent and being able to option as well as sell...

Karen Crider Obviously, you should listen to managers, agents, and other industry professionals. Their experience and feedback can be invaluable. But ideally it's best to get to a point when the creative is able to assess the commercial potential of a project independent of external validation.

Even industry experts get it wrong. And sometimes there can be competing interests, different priorities, or simply different opinions about a project's potential.

Consider Star Wars. Multiple studios initially passed on it because they thought it was too strange or too risky. To be fair, science fiction was not the proven commercial genre it is today.

Then there’s Rocky. Several studios were interested in the script, but they were not willing to cast Sylvester Stallone in the lead role. What makes this story notable is that Stallone was not a major star at the time, and studios typically view established or popular actors as less risky from a commercial standpoint.

Stallone ultimately turned down multiple development offers because he refused to sell the script without starring in it. Eventually, he found a team willing to make the film on those terms, and Rocky went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Does anyone see a pattern in both cases?

The best way to work with a manager is to consider how you bring them value. They trade on their reputation of having good taste and an eye for talent, so thinking about "how do I bring them value" as a client will take you far.

I agree, you should listen, but Rocky didn't, so what does that say? Sometimes, a creative has to go their own way, especially when it sounds like they are considering everything except the writer's opinion. Most writers will agree to anything just to get the movie made. The courses I have taken tell are of that mind set, especially when starting out. I'm sure that is not always the case. At least is wasn't with Rocky...

Karen Crider I think Rocky is a slightly different case. It does suggest that Stallone was probably highly skilled, since he wrote the script himself (and likely on a typewriter). Importantly, the studios didn’t reject the script for quality reasons—they were interested in it, but wanted to cast a different lead actor. That's a different can of worms.

When multiple studios are saying the same thing, it’s reasonable to infer that the issue wasn’t the writing itself, but casting risk. That’s different from what Star Wars and Lucas were reportedly told about Star Wars, where concerns were more about concept, tone, and perceived commercial risk.

Stallone was struggling at the time, so he likely faced real financial pressure to sell the script outright or maybe financial pressures prevented him to sell. He is as an actor as well as a writer, so he probably chose to hold out for a deal that allowed him to star in the film himself to maximize his earnings. It’s hard to know exactly what combination of conviction and circumstance drove that decision.

Ultimately, a film made for around a $1 million budget, shot in roughly 30 days, and grossing over $200 million suggests that multiple parties involved understood both the creative potential and how to execute it within the constraints of a low-risk production model.

Most writers are not actors, so they don’t have that additional leverage or personal stake in casting, which makes Stallone’s situation somewhat unusual in the industry context. One could argue if you have multiple studio express interest in a script that might have drove him to want to star in it. He had to build his acting career somehow.