Screenwriting

Last week I published a post that talked about the launch of a subscription based service for short form video. That same week, my writing partner sent me a link to an article about an app called BlackPills, another platform for short form content. He did this because we're in the midst of our creating a 10-episode web series called OutSkirts and we're looking for different ways to garner attention. Yes, we'll do the festival circuit. Yes, we'll chase producers down at Starbucks. (No, we won't...

It’s back! The thrills, chills, the horror of it all. The most popular horror and thriller screenwriting contests is here! It’s the 5th Annual Search for New Blood Contest. We’re looking for the next A Quiet Place, Get Out, Hereditary, Witch, Red Sparrow, Unsane, John Wick, It Comes at Night, Happy Death Day, 47 Meters Down, The Meg, Atomic Blonde, The Shallows or whatever horror or thriller concept your twisted mind can dream up. We're giving one deserving writer the opportunity of a lifeti...

Hope you are all having a fantastic weekend.  Let's amp it up further with a little Coffee & Content action. First up, a Film Courage video featuring one of our very own.  Mark Sanderson is not only very active in the Stage 32 community, but is constantly helping writers behind the scenes as well.  Here he discusses what he believes are the 5 worst habits screenwriters fall into. Next up, some quality advice from Emmy Award winning casting director, Holly Powell.  In this video, Holly guides...

  The Old West is generally considered the territories west of the Mississippi River between the years 1850 and 1900. The West, however, has also been defined more broadly to include the earlier period of the Spanish colonies of California and New Mexico (1800-1849) and the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, as well as western Canadian history of the 1800s. So, let’s accept that the American Old West covers the westward pioneer movement and development across the North American continent during th...

One of the questions that comes up time and time again for screenwriters is – Do you have to live in LA to have a career? Nope. Obviously, it makes life a lot easier if you live in a creative hub like LA or London or New York, but the world’s a big place and there are artists EVERYWHERE. You can live where you like, but the real truth of the matter is that at some point in your career (if you want a career rather than a hobby), you will need to network with the kind of people who can actu...

Happy Sunday, everyone.  Let's get to the action, shall we? We start this edition of Coffee & Content with a video from our friends at StudioBinder and Dan Harmon. Dan has been quite prolific over the last decade plus and here he explains his 8 proven steps to better stories. Next up, a look at cuts and transitions with examples from some iconic, classic, and recent films designed to help your editing skills. As always, I ask that you share this content with those you believe would benefit...

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” This is what indie filmmaker and actress Sonja O'Hara kept in the back of her mind as she navigated the choppy waters of getting repped. After meaningful encounters and interest in her original series at ITVFest in Vermont put her on top of the world, she floated on cloud nine, quite certain that THIS would be her moment. It wasn’t. Despite encouragement from HBO’s VP of Talent Development Kelly Edwards, Sonja found herself riding...

Samantha Tanner debuted her first feature film at Sundace 2018 as a co-writer of the highly anticipated A BOY, A GIRL, A DREAM, (Directed by Qasim Basir, and starring Omari Hardwick and Meagan Good). A native of Chicago’s West-side, she is also an accomplished actress with a BFA in theater from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Samantha steps into this new unfolding of her career as a screenwriter with joy. Her film credits include: COUNTER CLOCKWISE, PAIN N LOVE, and NITE STALKER....

Over the past few years, we've been honored to be recognized by many in the industry as the leaders in online education for content creators and film & television professionals. As the education partner for AT&T, Cannes and AFM (to name a few), we've been proud to program a variety of panels, talks and workshops which have been presented to creatives all over the world. Now, we're thrilled to announce we're extending our relationship with Hollyshorts. For the last 3 years, we've debuted our...

Welcome to Sunday, everyone. And another edition of Coffee & Content. From our friends at IndyMogul, and for all those making or thinking about producing/filming a short film, it's the appropriately titled 7 Things to Know About Making Short Films! Next up, it's 5 Tips for Acting brought to you by the good peeps at Film Riot. There you have it...Short and sweet. A quick word of thanks to all who have taken the time in recent weeks to share and comment on this content.  While I get much s...