Screenwriting

Happy Sunday Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? I have some content here for you that is sure to get the creative juices flowing, so grab your coffee and let's dive in. First up, our friends over at StudioBinder have put together a great video highlighting the art of the opening scene. This video highlights how screenwriters & directors hook the audience in the first 10 minutes - whether through introducing characters, establishing relationships, and oftentimes, some good...

The film and television industry is global, yet, to many who live outside of the major production hubs (e.g., Los Angeles, Vancouver, Atlanta, New York City, London, etc.) it can feel out of reach. Stage 32 is the best community to keep us all connected, but what makes us the best? We help each other! But what are you doing to help yourself? RB often recommends on his “Ask Me Anything” series to read the trades. Which ones are you reading? Deadline, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire?...

“It’s good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” ~ Ernest Hemingway I love road trips! I love the idea of packing up the car and hitting the open road, not knowing what we’ll see or who we’ll meet along the way. I plan what I need to take, packing up any essentials. I then plan my destination, but what happens in between departure and arrival has a sense of fluidity! A Road Trip Down Memory Lane… My last road trip had three generations, my mu...

Previously here on Stage 32, you saw a blog from me titled, “Should People Be Interviewing You About Your Entertainment Career Yet?” There has been plenty of time since then to do what I like to call a self-audit, in this context to mean looking at the criteria I wrote about in there and deciding if you’re at a point where you should be an interviewee. How did you do? Good, I hope? I’m optimistic that as you read through that prior post, you were nodding and thinking, “Yes. Uh huh. I’ve done...

I first came across Stage 32 in 2016 but did not really make use of it until early 2017 when I decided I needed to take my screenwriting to the next level. I had toiled for years writing scripts that never made it into any competitions and screenwriting labs. I was already an indie filmmaker with 3 micro-budget features which I wrote and directed. Although those films played at some festivals and got some awards, they never did much for my career. I was still working the day job trying to get...

No matter what role you play in the entertainment industry (actor/writer/producer/etc), rejection is part of the process. We all hear “no” constantly, but what do you do after? I will guide you through easy steps on how to handle a no, and how to take new chances. First, let me introduce myself. I am a young Danish girl, who wants to be a screenwriter. At the moment I am not writing anything new, I’m simply rewriting my finished scripts. Other than that I'm an active member here on Stage 3...

You may recall we experimented with this riff on a classic Stage 32 event a few months ago. The impact of the “Introduce Your FRIEND Weekend” has been astounding! I even received this very lovely “thank you” message from one of my new friends and previous networking buddy:     Thank you, Kimberly! Now that summer is here, productions are up and running, forward momentum is paramount! Pun intended. There is no better way to get energized than to grab a friend to help you meet new friends...

The total global output about screenwriting, whether from books, websites, podcasts, mentors, teachers, universities, workshops, or conferences, should be enough to guarantee that every film experience is a profound, transformative, numinous event of great entertainment value, or at least one of profound psychological significance. However, that is not the case. Interestingly, the greatest correlation is to the Western prejudice for methods and processes. If you only do something in a certain...

Happy Wednesday Stage 32 Community! Last week, we officially announced the winners of our 6th Annual Stage 32 Short Film Contest! Throughout the course of the contest, we welcome thousands of entries from filmmakers all over the world. We had films submitted from over 40 countries, and our 8 winning films hail from 5 different countries! Over the last 5 years, winners from our Short Film Contest have gone on to be signed (UTA, Echo Lake, Verve, and more), financed, and produced. One of our w...

Good morning Stage 32 Creative Crew! We’re kicking off another week in a big way, with updates across the board on the successes Stage 32 members are enjoying with producers, managers, and development executives throughout the industry. We have updates on record shattering meeting requests as a result of Stage 32 Script Services and we have updates on more than two-dozen script requests from industry professionals as a result of the latest, exclusive Stage 32 Double Recommend Lookbook. If you...