Screenwriting

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...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! First, congratulations to all of you who have already participated in our monthly Introduce Yourself Weekend! Thousands of connections have been made between entertainment creatives and professionals from around the globe. Whether you are a long-time member or brand new to Stage 32, take a moment to pop over to the Introduce Yourself Lounge and say hello before the end of the weekend. First up, in this video from Letterboxd, Oscar winners Martin Scorsese and Leon...

Humans are creatures of story. We have that innate desire to tell stories. Animation is one of the most useful means to tell stories. In what way? Take a look at beautiful, story-driven animated movies that you've probably seen on screen past and present. I'm sure a number of them have come to mind by now. Many of these animated movies, some we've treasured since we were kids. For some of us, we may have curated a list of the best animated movies and series we've watched. What makes us...

It’s the tedious but oh-so-necessary maintenance of being in this industry: online presentation. Just as we once toiled over the formatting and tone of a resume and cover letter, so now must we polish our profiles. Selling ourselves can be exhausting, but look at it this way - your Stage 32 profile is your invitation to play! We all love what we do, and we love meeting people that make the experience magical. Here’s your chance to set the tone for your ideal-project-made-real! So, pour your favo...

In a classic romantic comedy, two unlikely individuals find themselves entangled in a series of humorous and endearing mishaps as they navigate the unpredictable journey of love, ultimately discovering that true happiness lies in each other's company. All-time classics like SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE and NOTTING HILL remind us of the lengths to which we'll go for true love, while saccharine love stories like WHEN HARRY MET SALLY and YOU'VE GOT MAIL remind us that love is sometimes just around the corn...

As writers, we often hear the phrase, “Kill your darlings.” But, that phrase is often in the context of cutting out writing or scenes that don’t work, slow down a piece, or are utterly unnecessary. Recently though, I’ve found myself taking it another way. I’m one of those people who work on multiple projects at once, and two of the things I’m working on had a similar thing happen. I cut an entire character from both. This can be more painful than cutting scenes or entire plot points. In bo...

Where does your career end and your personal life begin? Where does your digital world end and your real-world begin? As a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (EMMYS), I’ve been lucky to be invited to a lot of For Your Consideration screenings and events around Hollywood over the years. At an FYC screening for WESTWORLD a few years back, Jonathan Nolan, the co-creator of the show, had some very insightful words about the dangers of “people becoming brands” via social media. H...

For the last few years, I have been working on my screenplay, THE POSTCARD. It is based on the true story of my Great Grandparents, and all I wanted to do was write a little thing about their story that wouldn't take too long. I thought around a 20 to 30-minute short... Two years later, I'm still writing it. The postcard my Great Grandfather Harry sent to my Great Grandmother Rebecca from the Titanic in 1912. I was doing okay, but as I was writing it, I found that if I was going to say...

Hey, Creative Army! Stage 32's Logline Contest isn't just BACK, it's BIGGER and BETTER than ever with the 1st Annual Stage 32 Ultimate Logline Contest! Every major player in Hollywood routinely hears hundreds of ideas and makes quick decisions based on loglines. This single sentence dictates the uniqueness of the project, shows the bones of your story’s structure, and both your “vision” and “voice” as a writer. You need to boil down your entire narrative, your protagonist’s journey, the obstac...

Good Morning my Warriors of Writing, my Sultans of Storytelling, my Colossi of Creativity! A Preamble Before you dive in, I want to tell you why I wrote this blog post. I will break into this industry, become an acclaimed writer, and set a new standard. This is not a belief. This is a promise. I'm not the best writer, but I'm dedicated to my craft, so this article is for those who are just as dedicated. Those willing to make that same promise and set the path ablaze to create a new standar...