Screenwriting

THE POWER OF A SIZZLE REEL So many of us here on Stage 32 have a dream; a dream of either writing or producing or starring in a project. That project could be a movie, a television show, a musical, a short film, and so on. It all starts with an idea, which could be an AMAZING idea, however unless that idea is translated into something tangible like a script or treatment, that amazing idea will never be realized. Let’s take that a step further. An idea, on paper, can only go so far. The writte...

ACT ONE: PANDEMIC, YOU SAY? Things were going great. We had just finished shooting our first horror feature film. I had spent the last four months working with the editor and now it was in the hands of our sound and colour experts when… calamity struck, in the shape of our old friend Covid-19. Allow me to explain. Under the banner of Vamoose Productions, our newly formed production company based in Manchester, England, we had just finished our first feature film, the realistic urban vampire...

Yes! Stage 32 DOES work... Just thought I would offer encouragement and some light in the darkness that is the year 2020. I come to you from the great state of Texas. I joined Stage 32 over a year ago, after years of trying to make connections. If I remember correctly, the first feedback I received ended with, "Writer needs to READ MORE scripts to understand what a GOOD script looks like". Ouch. Yes, he put "READ MORE" in all caps. I was devastated and thought that maybe writing wasn't for m...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! I've got my coffee and hand and your weekly dose of content coming in hot - grab your coffee of choice and let's dive right in. First up, the folks over at The Closer Look have put together a short video essay about how to create strong, memorable characters. This video uses Sherlock Holmes, Batman, Darth Vader, Bilbo Baggins, and Superman as examples. When writing, filming, or performing a character, The Closer Look explains how and why you think about the charac...

Did anyone else sing “Network While You Work” to the tune of “Whistle While You Work”? Only film geeks, amiright? Or maybe it’s only Disney geeks? With less than three months left in 2020, it is so gratifying to hear so many projects are moving into production (utilizing COVID compliance safety precautions, of course). Major films and shows, local businesses, and of course the intrepid independent sets as well, all finding a way to move steadily forward. With more jobs, it also means it is tim...

Through the struggle on the way towards the goal. Why some plans could end broken but “the Dream” must keep pulsating. I’m actually really happy to be asked from Stage 32 to write another article, trying to share something good and offering the opportunity to recognize, together, our common humanity and vulnerability as filmmakers. And maybe as human beings. Rather than pretending to be an expert in anything, or introducing myself in a way that doesn’t interest anybody in here, it’s importan...

Talented writers sometimes start off creating unique and authentic stories, then it tapers off into garden variety offerings. It can sometimes be challenging to continue producing good content due to the pressures of deadlines and the ever increasing demand for good content. These 6 approaches have helped me remain true to myself.     1. Be Authentic! Be Yourself This seems obvious, but it can be hard to remain true to yourself when it appears like the rest of the world admires everyth...

Pulitzer Prize-winner Carl Sandburg said, "The impact of television on our culture is...indescribable.There’s a certain sense in which it is nearly as important as the invention of printing.” Television continues to experience its Golden Age as a multitude of new streamers and premium networks emerge, while existing networks continue to take greater creative and commercial risks with exciting original ideas. Across all platforms, formats and genres, content creators for television are on the...

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, The Cinema Cartography has put together an awesome video about how important the role of editing is in the overall storytelling of a film. Editors and directors ultimately have the final word on what the audience gets to see - and that is powerful. This video uses examples from Inception, Rai...

In many countries, creative workers are organized in unions or guilds, who represent the collective interests of their members for labor-related matters in the audiovisual industry. In this article, we focus on a part of financial compensation in connection with film production, being the payment of residuals to members of the traditional US guilds. More specifically, we will look at the mechanism of calculation and payment of residuals to actors, directors, and screenwriters, from the angl...