National Screenwriters Day Webcast - Now on Demand

Hosted by National Screenwriters Day Expert Panelists

FREE

On Demand Webinar - For immediate download. Unlimited access for 1 year.

Start Learning

Please make sure you use the same email address as the one you use to sign in to Stage 32, otherwise you won't have access to your webinar.
Overlay Icon

Stage 32 Next Level Education has a 97% user satisfaction rate.

National Screenwriters Day Expert Panelists

Webinar hosted by: National Screenwriters Day Expert Panelists

Join Our Incredible Panelists:   KRISTA SIPP, MANAGER, FIRST FRIDAY ENTERTAINMENT @KristaSipp Krista Sipp is a literary manager based out of LA. She and her partner, Devon Byers, founded First Friday Entertainment a management and production company representing writers, directors, and producers in the film, TV, and digital space. Prior Krista was with Circle of Confusion, New Wave Entertainment and Authentic Talent & Literary Management. Currently, Krista is focused on developing clients with fresh voices and diverse points of view. Her clients have worked on projects such as TRANSPARENT, LIVING SINGLE, FAMILY GUY, DR. KEN, as well as the comic book HARRIET TUBMAN: DEMON SLAYER.   RICHARD BOTTO, CEO STAGE 32, PRODUCER AND ACTOR @Rbwalksintoabar Richard “RB” Botto is the Founder and CEO of Stage 32 (stage32.com). Stage32 is the largest online platform connecting and educating film, TV & digital creatives and executives worldwide with 500,000+ creatives and 1,000+ hours of online education taught by 500+ industry executives. As a producer, his films have played at dozens of festivals including winning best screenplay at Sundance. As a writer, his latest screenplay, The End Game, is currently being packaged at Covert Media. As an actor, his latest film On the Corner of Ego and Desire premiered last year at the Raindance Film Festival.   JASON MIRCH, PRODUCER @JasonMirch Jason Mirch is a feature film, television, branded entertainment, and digital content producer and executive. Most recently, he produced a 3D animated feature film starring Jacob Tremblay, Christopher Lloyd, Mel Brooks, Kenan Thompson, and Carol Kane. Mirch was the Head of feature and TV development at Image Nation, a finance and production company based in Abu Dhabi, UAE (Flight, The Help, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Contagion).​ Prior to that he was Co-Head of Development at Zadan/Meron Productions.   HAL CROASMUN, SCREENWRITING U @HalCroasmun Hal Croasmun is a recognized expert in the Screenwriting world and the President of ScreenwritingU. He is also the founder of National Screenwriters Day celebrated each year on January 5th to get writers the recognition they deserve. And he is the author of the Best Selling book, 33 Ways to Sell Your Screenplay.   Full Bio »

Webinar Summary

Saturday January 5 is National Screenwriters Day!
 
Make sure to follow @stage32 and tag #NationalScreenwritersDay on social media! 

Stage 32 CEO, Rich "RB" Botto, Stage 32's Director of Script Services, Jason Mirch, literary manager, Krista Sipp, and Hal Croasmun lay down some serious knowledge regarding the craft and business of screenwriting in 2020. Enjoy over an hour of FREE screenwriting tips and advice from those in the trenches!

Remember, if you have any questions regarding how Stage 32 can help you with your screenwriting career or craft, reach out to our Director of Script Services directly at j.mirch@stage32.com!
 
 

What You'll Learn

Join Our Incredible Panelists:
 

KRISTA SIPP, MANAGER, FIRST FRIDAY ENTERTAINMENT

Krista Sipp is a literary manager based out of LA. She and her partner, Devon Byers, founded First Friday Entertainment a management and production company representing writers, directors, and producers in the film, TV, and digital space. Prior Krista was with Circle of Confusion, New Wave Entertainment and Authentic Talent & Literary Management. Currently, Krista is focused on developing clients with fresh voices and diverse points of view. Her clients have worked on projects such as TRANSPARENT, LIVING SINGLE, FAMILY GUY, DR. KEN, as well as the comic book HARRIET TUBMAN: DEMON SLAYER.

 

RICHARD BOTTO, CEO STAGE 32, PRODUCER, SCREENWRITER AND ACTOR

Richard “RB” Botto is the Founder and CEO of Stage 32 (stage32.com). Stage32 is the largest online platform connecting and educating film, TV & digital creatives and executives worldwide with 500,000+ creatives and 1,000+ hours of online education taught by 500+ industry executives. As a producer, his films have played at dozens of festivals including winning best screenplay at Sundance. As a writer, his latest screenplay, The End Game, is currently being packaged at Covert Media. As an actor, his latest film On the Corner of Ego and Desire premiered last year at the Raindance Film Festival.

 

JASON MIRCH, PRODUCER

Jason Mirch is a feature film, television, branded entertainment, and digital content producer and executive. Most recently, he produced a 3D animated feature film starring Jacob Tremblay, Christopher Lloyd, Mel Brooks, Kenan Thompson, and Carol Kane.

Mirch was the Head of feature and TV development at Image Nation, a finance and production company based in Abu Dhabi, UAE (Flight, The Help, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Contagion).​ Prior to that he was Co-Head of Development at Zadan/Meron Productions.

 

HAL CROASMUN, SCREENWRITING U

Hal Croasmun is a recognized expert in the Screenwriting world and the President of ScreenwritingU. He is also the founder of National Screenwriters Day celebrated each year on January 5th to get writers the recognition they deserve. And he is the author of the Best Selling book, 33 Ways to Sell Your Screenplay.

 

About Your Instructor

Join Our Incredible Panelists:
 

KRISTA SIPP, MANAGER, FIRST FRIDAY ENTERTAINMENT @KristaSipp

Krista Sipp is a literary manager based out of LA. She and her partner, Devon Byers, founded First Friday Entertainment a management and production company representing writers, directors, and producers in the film, TV, and digital space. Prior Krista was with Circle of Confusion, New Wave Entertainment and Authentic Talent & Literary Management. Currently, Krista is focused on developing clients with fresh voices and diverse points of view. Her clients have worked on projects such as TRANSPARENT, LIVING SINGLE, FAMILY GUY, DR. KEN, as well as the comic book HARRIET TUBMAN: DEMON SLAYER.

 

RICHARD BOTTO, CEO STAGE 32, PRODUCER AND ACTOR @Rbwalksintoabar

Richard “RB” Botto is the Founder and CEO of Stage 32 (stage32.com). Stage32 is the largest online platform connecting and educating film, TV & digital creatives and executives worldwide with 500,000+ creatives and 1,000+ hours of online education taught by 500+ industry executives. As a producer, his films have played at dozens of festivals including winning best screenplay at Sundance. As a writer, his latest screenplay, The End Game, is currently being packaged at Covert Media. As an actor, his latest film On the Corner of Ego and Desire premiered last year at the Raindance Film Festival.

 

JASON MIRCH, PRODUCER @JasonMirch

Jason Mirch is a feature film, television, branded entertainment, and digital content producer and executive. Most recently, he produced a 3D animated feature film starring Jacob Tremblay, Christopher Lloyd, Mel Brooks, Kenan Thompson, and Carol Kane.

Mirch was the Head of feature and TV development at Image Nation, a finance and production company based in Abu Dhabi, UAE (Flight, The Help, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Contagion).​ Prior to that he was Co-Head of Development at Zadan/Meron Productions.

 

HAL CROASMUN, SCREENWRITING U @HalCroasmun

Hal Croasmun is a recognized expert in the Screenwriting world and the President of ScreenwritingU. He is also the founder of National Screenwriters Day celebrated each year on January 5th to get writers the recognition they deserve. And he is the author of the Best Selling book, 33 Ways to Sell Your Screenplay.

 

FAQs

Q: How do I watch my webinar live?
A: If you received a confirmation that your webinar is on Go to Webinar, you will receive an email from Go to Webinar with further instructions for participating in the live webinar. You can also access your webinar link in your purchase history located under settings in the top right-hand corner of your Stage 32 profile.

If you received a confirmation that your webinar is on Zoom, you will receive a separate email from Zoom with further instructions for participating in the live webinar. Your login link will not be in your Stage 32 profile. If you did not receive your link via Zoom please email support@stage32.com.

Q: How do I watch my webinar on demand?
A: You will be able to watch your webinar on demand as many times as you’d like inside your Stage 32 profile. The recording is processed and posted between 24-48 hours after the webinar concludes. You can follow the instructions below.

YOU MUST HAVE A STAGE 32 PROFILE TO WATCH YOUR VIDEO – STAGE 32 IS FREE TO JOIN If You Already Have a Stage 32 Profile:

  1. Log into your Stage 32 profile
  2. Click "Settings" in the top right-hand corner (gear icon)
  3. Click "Purchase History"
  4. Choose this webinar and click the link to view
If You Do Not Have a Stage 32 Profile:
  1. Go to www.stage32.com
  2. Create a profile using the SAME email address you used to sign up for this webinar. The email addresses must match in order to watch the webinar.
  3. Once you have your profile set up, you can view the webinar by clicking "Settings" in the top right hand corner (gear icon)
  4. Click "Purchase History"
  5. Choose this webinar and click the link to view

Q: What is the format of a webinar?
A: Stage 32 Next Level Webinars are typically 90-minute educational broadcasts that take place online using a designated software program from Stage 32. Your webinar will be taught by a working industry professional with in-depth teaching on a topic. If you are able to attend live you will be able to ask your Stage 32 Educator questions during Q&A.

Q: What are the system requirements to watch my webinar live?
A: You will need to meet the following system requirements in order to run the webinar software: Windows 7 or later Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks) or later.

If you have Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X 10.9 (Mountain Lion): The webinar software does not support these operating systems. If you are running one of those operating systems, please upgrade now in order to be able to view a live webinar. Upgrade your Windows computer / Upgrade your Mac computer.

Q: What if I cannot attend the live webinar?
A: If you cannot attend a live webinar or purchase an on demand webinar, you will have access to the entire recorded broadcast, including the Q&A.

Q: Will I have access to the webinar afterward to re-watch?
A: Yes! Like all Stage 32 education, after the purchase of a live or on demand webinar, you will have on-demand access to the recording.

Q: How do I get a copy of the handouts provided?
A: If the webinar you take included handouts you can find them as downloads underneath your on demand video. You must be logged into your Stage 32 profile to view the video and get the handouts by clicking settings in the top right hand corner, then clicking purchase history.

Q: What if I need accessibility and accommodations?
A: Email support@stage32.com to request accommodations.

Thanks for your loyalty to Stage 32 Education. We value having you in the Stage 32 community.

If you have any further questions, we are always happy to help. Please contact Stage 32 support at support@stage32.com.

Questions?

If you have a generic question about Stage 32 education you can take a look at our frequently asked questions section on our help page, or feel free to contact support with any other inquiries you might have.

Other education that may be of interest to you:

Stage 32 Screenwriting Lab: Outline & Structure Your Genre Feature Screenplay with Expert Guidance Over 8 Weeks

*12 Spots Available - 2 spots remain*     Do you have a thriller, sci-fi, fantasy, or horror feature you’re working on? Or maybe you’ve been thinking about writing in this space, but aren’t sure where or how to get started? This is a persistently hot genre; but currently, there is a demand for new writers in this space for features that can be done under $15MM. It’s a really exciting time to break into the grounded genre space, but first it's important that you have the right script and know what it takes to sell a project in this genre.  David Chien is a literary manager at Art/Work Entertainment whose clients include the writers of ARRIVAL, BIRD BOX, LIGHTS OUT, and THE THING. They have also had clients work for Netflix, The CW, Cinemax, CBS, NBC, FX, Starz, Nickelodeon, EPIX, and TBS, to name a few. For over ten years David has helped countless writers improve their scripts, get staffed on series, and pitch and sell their scripts to major executives. You will work one-on-one with David over 8 weeks as he guides you through identifying, developing, and structuring your own genre screenplay. This is an incredible opportunity to work closely with someone who knows how to pull great sellable stories out of his clients. He’ll work closely with you on drafting the right concept, building an outline, preparing a verbal pitch, and writing engaging character descriptions. You will wrap up this eight-week lab with fresh ideas and most importantly a solid and thorough blueprint to write a great genre script—one that’ll surely make decision makers notice you.   Throughout the course of this exclusive online lab, you will have direct access to David as a mentor by email and via video conferencing.     Praise for David's Previous Stage 32 Feature Lab:   "David is definitely some kind of genius at what he does. He is able to get to the plot holes and potential problematic issues of a script within seconds. All while he’s able to come up with suggestions and ideas about the how and why things aren’t working and at he same time making observations about the how, what and why might work instead. I’ve never seen anyone able to do this as quickly, or as well as, David can. It’s really quite extraordinary!" - Sarah T.   "I really enjoyed David's class. He was not another "industry professional" who just liked everything he heard and told everyone they were great. He really put us through our paces; made us ask ourselves tough questions. At the end of the course, I've got a solid outline for a unique story and a great starting place for the actual script writing- which is exactly what I hoped for." - Christopher G.

What Film Festival Directors Are Looking For When Programming Films: Demystifying the Submission Process

As an independent filmmaker, screening your project at a film festival may be the best opportunity to put your film (and yourself) on display. It remains a powerful platform for filmmakers of all levels to have their work seen. In fact you’d be hard-pressed to find a successful filmmaker working today who didn’t get their start at a festival. It’s where films get sold, where talent gets discovered, where reputations are crafted, where communities are built, and where the best networking can happen. And with the current movement away from the theatrical model and towards streaming, festivals can also often be the only possible way to physically show your film on the big screen to an audience during its life cycle. Yet despite festivals serving as a lifeblood of the film industry and a launching pad for so many, it’s still a relatively enigmatic and opaque landscape and a difficult one for even the savviest of filmmakers to navigate. Perhaps because festivals can feel so enigmatic, it’s common for filmmakers not to consider the workings of a festival or the rules and goals they operate under before submitting. After all, you already spent a huge chunk of time learning the rules and goals of filmmaking. You put in time, money and resources to make something good and that you’re proud of. Shouldn’t that be enough for a festival? Can’t they just say ‘yes’? Unfortunately, like with any aspect of this industry, there’s more to it. Programmers do a lot more than “find the best films” and they have to balance a lot more than simply choosing things because they’re “good”. To set yourself up for success, it’s time to better understand how festivals tick and what you can do while submitting, or even while making your film, to be better positioned for success and to hopefully get that long awaited acceptance letter. For nearly a decade Harrison Glaser has been immersed in the professional film industry working for Austin Film Festival and Stage 32. As Austin Film Festival’s Film Competition Director, he programmed the festival’s films for five years and discovered his passion for identifying deserving projects and championing exciting and unrecognized talent. During Harrison’s tenure as AFF’s Film Competition Director, over 100 films he programmed went on to secure distribution, six short films were later nominated for Oscars, and one that he qualified ultimately won the Academy Award. His work with Austin Film Festival and Stage 32 allows him to champion undiscovered storytellers and help them amplify their work. He also serves as a professional moderator for many different film related industry panels both online and offline. Through his many years leading AFF’s film selection and working closely with other film fests, he has become intimately familiar with the inner workings of larger festivals, as well as the common missteps many filmmakers make when working with them. He’s excited to share what he knows exclusively with the Stage 32 community. Harrison will pull back the curtains on how film festivals are organized and how they select films, and will give you tips and strategies to better position your film for success once it’s time to submit. He’ll begin by going over at the most basic level who festival programmers are and what drives them. He’ll then offer a bird’s eye view of how a festival’s selection process normally works, including who watches your film, how many times it’s usually watched, and whether it’s watched in its entirety. He’ll also give you a sense of how films are declined, shortlisted, or accepted. Next he will spend time discussing what programmers look for when evaluating films. He’ll go over what appropriate runtimes for both shorts and features are how programmers may react to specific themes and topics. He’ll also talk about festivals’ identities and audiences, premiere status requirements, and other content issues they consider. He’ll bring up copyright issues that sometimes come up as well as how to navigate submitting your film as a work-in-progress. Then Harrison will teach you tips for submitting your film, including how to navigate deadlines, how to work with FilmFreeway and other services, and what you need to have ready beyond just the film when submitting. He’ll also touch on press kits and cover letters. Harrison will delve into how to best communicate with festival programmers. He’ll talk about best practices, appropriate circumstances to reach out and situations when you should refrain from contacting them. He’ll also discuss what to do when you need to change your submission's Vimeo password and how to navigate updating your submitted cut. Finally, Harrison will explore the complicated, notorious world of fee waivers. Expect to leave with a comprehensive lay of the land of how festivals operate and a toolkit to better position your own projects for success on the festival circuit.     Praise for Harrison's Stage 32 Webinar   "Very informative and honest. Good coverage and great to hear form someone who knows." -Paula M.   "Absolutely Great! It was really helpful to hear Harrison's insights & wisdom after having gone through the 2019 International Festival Season. I will definitely take all this with me into my next journey into the festival circuit!" -Becca G.   "Excellent and insightful." -Elease P.   "Super helpful in a LOT of ways! I will be sharing these insights with the production team of the short film I recently directed. We'll take many of these suggestions into account when we start hitting the submission circuit." -Peter M.    

Crash Course: High Concept Writing

Learn directly from acclaimed author and screenwriter Max Adams who has worked with companies such as Columbia Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, and Tri-Star Pictures and Max’s students have won three Academy Nicholl Fellowships, two Austin Film Festival Screenwriting Awards, a Stage 32 Happy Writers Award and more! We continuously hear from the executives that we work with that concept is the most common mistake in spec scripts today. Readers see so many spec scripts that have no chance of becoming films not because the writing isn’t great, but because the writer did not spend enough time on concept. It is one thing to fall in love with a story idea. It is another to stick with it during the uncomfortable phase of working on that idea to make it bigger, badder, better and more enticing to the world. How can you ensure you consistently develop ideas that excite readers and push your script toward a sale? How do you know if your idea is “high concept” enough? What exactly does “high concept” even mean? Stage 32 Next Level Webinars is thrilled to bring you acclaimed screenwriter and writing coach Max Adams to teach you how to create compelling concepts and re-craft existing concepts so that they garner instant attention through one sentence descriptions alone. Dubbed “Red Hot Adams” by Daily Variety for selling three pitches over a Christmas holiday, she will teach you how to pull a story out of the “been there seen that no thanks” file and into the “I have got to read that” file. You’ll learn how to break your story into individual components to find its strengths and weaknesses, which gives you tools to analyze your future writing projects and raise stories’ impact. This will be your complete crash course in high concept writing, and you will leave this webinar knowing how to make your stories more interesting and enticing for readers, buyers, producers, editors, representatives, cast and industry players!

Stage 32 Writing Lab: Write Your TV Spec Script

A New Exclusive Intensive Writing Lab! Payment plans available - contact edu@stage32.com for details Only 4 Spots Left - Grab Yours Now! Get one-on-one mentoring from the VP and Head of Warner Bros. Television Workshop as your write your spec + have email access to your Educator to discuss your craft & career!  Do you want to work as a television staff writer? Are you applying for a television fellowship at Paramount or WB? You’re going to need a television spec script. Unlike a feature spec (which is a wholly original idea), a “television spec script” is an episode of an existing show, written as a sample by a writer to show their ability to match the show’s unique voice. While spec scripts used to be the most common sample for aspiring television writers, recent years have seen the pilot script. The problem is that many showrunners still demand a TV spec script when staffing their shows, and many fellowships and contests also focus on TV spec scripts. In this exclusive Stage 32 lab, you’ll receive mentoring from Rebecca Windsor, the VP of Warner Bros. and Head of Warner Bros. Television Workshop, as you write your own TV spec script that you can use to help launch your television writing career. Best of all, you'll have access to Rebecca via email throughout the entire duration of your lab so you can ask her any of your craft or career questions!  Over the course of eight hands-on sessions, you’ll craft an episode of an existing show (from the list of options under “What You’ll Learn”), getting feedback from Rebecca as you go, and even have a one-on-one session with Rebecca to go over your final script. You will have assignments throughout the class with fast deadlines to emulate the strict deadlines that you would have in a real writers' room and the ability to ask Rebecca any questions you have about the process. In addition to running WB’s Television Workshop, Rebecca also helped launch their digital brand, Stage13, and was previously the Creative Producing Initiative Manager of the Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, playing a key role in coordinating the Screenwriters Lab, the Episodic Story Lab, and the Creative Producing Lab and Summit. She was also the Manager of Development at Samuel L. Jackson’s television company, UppiTV, and at Mandeville Films. Spots for this lab are first-come, first-served, and once they sell out, we’re not selling more. Do not miss out on your chance to write one of the most crucial samples every television writer needs from one of the best in the business.   Praise for Rebecca's Stage 32 Next Level Webinar:   Rebecca was fantastic and her advice was so helpful. She obviously knows this topic well and was able to provide meaningful instruction. - MacKenna V.   Great insight on details involved in compiling and completing applications and how to be prepared. - Angelique W.   It was awesome and informative. Rebecca is so incredibly knowledgeable about this industry and really chisels away at script structure. Great learning from her! - Greg P.

Discovering Your “Why”- How to Become a Powerful Woman in Entertainment and Find Success

There has never been a better time than right now to for women and people from underrepresented backgrounds to break into Hollywood. That's not to say the door is wide open; it's still a jungle out there and it's critical you understand the steps you should take to find your way in.   Hear from the incredible Julianna Medina-Politsky, who was at Legendary Entertainment for nine years and helped produce films like GODZILLA, 42, PACIFIC RIM, and the hotly anticipated and upcoming DUNE before moving to the independent space where she now helps produce exciting new films from up-and-coming filmmakers.   Julianna is a fierce advocate for finding space and opportunities for women as well as anyone from underrepresented communities and is going to break down how YOU can best find your path forward  to break into film or television. You won't want to miss the instructive, inspiring, and motivating presentation Julianna has in store!

TV Drama Pilot & Bible Writing Lab - 8 Weeks from Concept to Script

SORRY, THIS WRITER'S LAB IS FULL - PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR FUTURE WRITER'S LABS! Stage 32 believes in evolving and transforming to continuously put our writers ahead of the competition. Now, no matter where you live in the world, we are giving you the opportunity to work directly with a TV literary manger on a one-on-one basis to help shape your writing through our Stage 32 TV Writing Lab. All classes are taught online and at the end of this 8-week intensive, you will have a completed original TV drama pilot and pitch bible. To teach this TV Drama Pilot & Bible lab, we brought back literary manager Spencer Robinson of Art/Work Entertainment, who represents some of the most critically acclaimed and successful writers of the last few years including writers on Cloak and Dagger, Punisher, Arrow, The Last Ship, Chuck, Justified, as well as feature writers like Eric Heisserer who's films include Lights Out, which has grossed over $150 million and was Oscar-nominated for his Best Adapted Screenplay Arrival starring Amy Adams. Why Spencer? We'll let his last lab students tell you why...   TESTIMONIALS FROM SPENCER'S PAST LAB STUDENTS: “Had a great time learning and progressing my knowledge of the craft of writing and working directly with a mentor who is a professional in the industry. Spencer was fantastic to be taught by! Thank you!” - Natalie A. “It was a great lab. Spencer’s feedback really helpful!” - A.Z. O. “Enjoyed the lab and Spencer was a good teacher. Appreciate his insight!” - Stephen C. “I wanted the accountability of having assignments due. That combined with the class cost was motivation to write and stay on schedule. This is a lab about story structure, getting words on the page, making strong act breaks. Spencer was great at pointed but useful notes. He doesn't sugarcoat anything. I went from an idea he wasn't on board with developing to a pilot he truly enjoyed reading -- and that was thanks to his pointed notes that got me back on track. Spencer will get those who are ready on their way to a kickass first draft.“ - Erika N. “Spencer was amazing!!” - Summer K. “Spencer Robinson is the perfect person to teach this type of class. His patience and easygoing approach is ideal and unique to him. Kudos to Stage 32 and to Spencer. Spencer's teaching style is the best! Thanks Stage 32!” - George P.   WHAT TO EXPECT This lab will be very intensive and you will have ongoing executive guidance from Spencer. You will meet once a week with Spencer through an interactive online class or one-on-one meetings and be assigned weekly assignments to further your growth as a writer. We have created this lab so it will be the most hands on, professional atmosphere out there. By the end of this 8-week lab you will have a completed first draft of your TV drama pilot & pitch bible that will grab the industry's attention. This lab is designed for intermediate screenwriters looking to build a pilot from scratch or expand on an existing idea. Past lab participants formed supportive writing groups to help one another through the process.

register for stage 32 Register / Log In