Screenwriting

Hello Creative Army! We really need your help in spreading the word! As you have likely heard by now, the 2020 SXSW festival was canceled due to concerns about the health and safety of attendees and the Coronavirus. As filmmakers, producers, screenwriters, and actors ourselves, all of us at Stage 32 are devastated for everyone impacted by the cancellation of SXSW.  Over the last few days, we have heard from hundreds of Stage 32 members who played a part in the films impacted by the cancell...

Good morning, Stage 32 Creative Crew! It’s a brand new week and we are excited to kick it off with some huge news! We are excited to announce that author and screenwriter Greg Mania has officially signed with Cohn/Torgan Management for literary representation! As you probably remember, Greg was the winner of our 4th Annual Comedy Writing Contest with his original pilot, “Mania”. As part of his winning the contest, in October, Stage 32 sent Greg on about a dozen meetings with literary managers...

Call me J.C. - I will be offering blogs from time to time about the process of writing and promoting screenplays. I perhaps am no expert, but I started writing professionally 63 years ago…when I was 16. So, I’ve invested a lot of effort into the process. You name it, I’ve written it, and supported my wife and family well by it. The problem has always been that I’ve been so busy (because I wouldn’t dare to say no to a commercial client), that my creative writing (read Screenwriting) has alw...

We've all had that script or project that we have poured our hearts, souls, and time into. You do the Hollywood hustle networking game and finally, land that big pitch meeting. You passionately pitch your project and eagerly await the executive's praise. Instead, they ask you point blank "what else do you have?"  This question is a staple in any pitch meeting, so it is imperative to know how to answer it when the time comes. Stage 32 CEO Richard "RB" Botto and Director of Script Services Jason...

When I first started writing screenplays, I was a former newspaper journalist with five novels and two novellas under my belt, all traditionally published.I thought screenwriting would be a piece of cake. Wrong answer. It was more like ignorance soufflé with a side order of "What the hell am I doing?" I quickly learned that screenplays are as different from novels as novels are from newspapers. So, as most people with a PC or a Mac would do, I began searching the internet as well as perusing...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! Here's hoping you have had a productive and creative weekend so far. I've got a full pot of coffee and some piping hot content coming your way. First up, we all know that music can be a powerful way to drive story. In our first piece of content from Studio Binder, they discuss how filmmakers use "needle drops", or bits of popular music at strategic moments, to create impactful, memorable moments. From the toe-tapping 80's throwback soundtrack of Guardians of the G...

So You Want to Adapt a Classic? Considering the benefits of adapting the classics of literature—the proven success of their themes and structure, iconic lines, enduring timeliness, and strong characters—the question is, why WOULDN’T you want to adapt a classic? Because it’s already been done... to DEATH. Take Sherlock Holmes. Adaptations are endless, with new ones nearly every year. And the approaches writers take encompass a wide range: placing him in modern times, as a comedic figure, as a...

Foreign Language films are often a hit or miss when it comes to box office performance but 2019 was the year of the Parasite. The Cannes Palme D’ Or winner Korean film by Bong Joon Ho who is by now deemed as much of a film making genius as Kurosawa once was, made 31 Million US dollars in US territory alone and 161 Million dollars worldwide. Historically speaking, the foreign language films that crossed all borders with most success, were those that had relatable character journeys and powerfu...

Good morning Stage 32 Crew! I hope you had a productive weekend and were able to tackle some of your creative goals. We are cruising through February and spring is just around the corner. I know for a lot of us (myself included) now is the time where distractions creep in and start to derail the resolutions we made for the new year. Are you still doing the work? Remember that success in this highly competitive business is a combination of talent and work ethic.   LA-based Stage 32 members...

We all need a little help, every now and then. One of the greatest things about being a writer is that there are so many tools out there designed to help us. The problem is, people don’t know they exist. When you’re a writer, you have to be a Jack (or Jill) of many trades and learn not just about writing, but about editing, and the business itself. It’s all part of honing our craft. And while, at times, the task may seem daunting, I’ve discovered a lot of online resources that I’ve found to...