Screenwriting

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 and moderato...

Hi, Stage 32 Community! This June has been a busy and exciting time as our Stage 32 Team worked diligently to bring in as many new resources and opportunities as possible to enrich your experience here in our community! At Stage 32 you have direct access to industry professionals who’ve written, acted, developed, produced, distributed, directed, composed, and represented acclaimed projects like IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA, RENO 911, THE DROPOUT, THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE, THE SHRINK NEX...

Hey, Stage 32 Community, Boy, do I have some exciting updates for you! Our tireless Stage 32 Education Team has been hard at work to bring in some incredible education opportunities and resources for this fantastic community.  Over the next month, you'll have the chance to learn from knowledgeable industry executives, showrunners, acclaimed directors and screenwriters, Emmy-winning producers, video game writers, distributors, attorneys, and representatives. Impressive creative professionals...

Lights, Camera, Action! Okay, technically, it would be called out as "Sound, Camera, Mark It, Set, Action." It's literally built into the DNA of every film and television production, and yet, as a genre, ACTION can be incredibly difficult to execute well. Recently, I had a chance to catch up with my friend and filmmaking mentor, Shane Stanley. He generously shared some insights during our special Produced Script Coverage Report (Mondays in the Writer's Room). We reviewed what it took to green...

You’ve heard the saying “Jack of all trades, master of none”? I’m going to start with something controversial, I hate that quote. This quote has been preached to me on many occasions throughout my career and I can imagine it will continue for the rest of my years. Why this quote? Because my creativity is hard to grasp, I do many things and can do many things well. Does this sound like you? Your creativity doesn’t fit in the societal norms of occupation, the idea that we decide to be or do one...

There are so many different aspects to your screenplay that will guarantee its success. A compelling story is one such aspect, but without interesting characters, the story will just fall flat. Here are some tips to help you write the best characters possible, and bring that story to life. 1. Make The Lead A Likable Person You may want to avoid this, as trying to make a character likable can often make the story dull and uninteresting. After all, if there's no one creating conflict, then the...

As an independent producer, I'm always planning my next project. With a stack of screenplays (many of which are my own), and no Mr. Moneytree waiting to spread his love, it can be challenging. This is why I've taken the Robert Rodriguez approach when it comes to filmmaking. For those of you unfamiliar, Robert Rodriguez's first feature film, El Mariachi, had no crew. And almost no budget. At a meager 7k, he was the writer, director, cinematographer, location scout, sound, and editor. With inflati...

Hey, Stage 32ers! "How do I pitch to Netflix" is probably one of the most common questions we get here at Stage 32, which is why I feel it's important to re-share my thoughts on the subject. What you really need to be asking is WHY your project belongs at Netflix. As all these major companies consolidate, you might be wondering how it will likely impact pitching and your project's path to the screen. And I'm here to answer those questions in today's vlog... Wishing you a very happy, healthy,...

Writing a stage play is a challenge because of the unique nature of the theatre – all of the dynamics of having a real live audience and a limited space in which to tell a story must be taken into account. Writing for the screen is no less of a challenge, but logically the approach must differ due to the medium by which the end product will be presented – the screen - varying greatly from its older cousin, the stage. Writers must appreciate and embrace the uniqueness of these mediums in order to...

Hello everyone! I know this must sound like a promotional blog, a congratulatory blog, or a persuasive blog! Actually, it is none of these! It is just an account of what Stage 32 has done for me at this moment in time. So, please give me a moment for some backstory... My name is Selma Karayalçın and I’m a fifty-year-old woman going on twenty-one who lives on the island of Aphrodite which is called Cyprus. If you don’t know where that is, it is a tiny dot on the map in the eastern Mediterra...