Success Stories

Amid the rustle of crinoline skirts and the flickering gas lamps of a bygone era, history comes to life and the past unfolds before our eyes within period piece screenplays that weave a tapestry of captivating tales from times long past. All-time classics like PRIDE & PREJUDICE and THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY enchant our hearts and take us into the old ways of the world, while unconventional period piece stories like THE FAVOURITE and ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER explore uni...

Five years ago, I was dealing with multiple painful family losses back to back while traveling all the time to improve my acting skills and to work internationally. I couldn’t be close to my family, so I was using screenwriting as a tool for my mental health because, as an actor and interested in learning more about finding my voice, I found it through screenwriting, and later on, I discovered directing and producing too. I have always been somebody who trains himself to improve skills and tri...

I’ve always loved writing and I’ve always had great ideas for TV shows and movies, but since I neither studied screenwriting or filmmaking nor had any contacts within the industry, I didn’t even contemplate writing a screenplay. Until a friend gave me a little push with this simple yet implacable argument: how can you be sure that you’re not a screenwriter if you never try? So, I tried… and I loved it. Talk about a revelation! I had finally found what I really wanted to do. But was I even goo...

Holidays are often a time for family, celebrations, and even a bit of magic, and holiday scripts uniquely capture the wonder and excitement of those occasions. All-time classics like LOVE ACTUALLY and HOME ALONE warm our hearts and bring us a sense of nostalgia, while unconventional holiday stories like DIE HARD and KRAMPUS explore unique ways into the holiday season. Audiences are always ready for that next holiday movie hit -- and we want it be YOURS! If you have a Holiday story that needs t...

Hey, Creative Army! Digital Journal recognized our fearless leader founder & CEO Richard "RB" Botto's contributions to the creative industry and interviewed him this week. In this article, RB discusses what it’s like as a CEO in the digital age and what Stage 32 is doing to support the workers affected by the strikes. RB also addresses his thoughts on artificial intelligence (AI) and on the future of the entertainment industry. This is a can’t miss read, especially if you’ve ever wanted a look...

Hey, Stage 32 Community! Are you ready for the industry to change forever? For the last 8 years our fearless leader, Richard "RB" Botto, has been traveling the world and meeting with hundreds of entertainment industry insiders to work out what creatives need the most to overcome the myriad of obstacles set before them. The time and effort that he’s put into our mission of democratizing the entertainment industry is about to hit a whole new height! Mark your calendars for Monday, Octobe...

I have been screenwriting for many years but always had difficulty making any serious progress, even after winning major screenwriting awards. As a UK-based screenwriter specializing in Science Fiction, there seemed to be the added issue of sci-fi being perceived as too expensive and thus easy to disregard (at least in my small part of the world). I began using Stage 32 Pitch Sessions as there was a clear appetite from many of the professionals for genre material. To date, I have received 5 full...

I’ve always told myself and heard the phrase, “Never give up” (then he sat down speech). Which is why I have continued to seek out different producers and others in the film industry for years here at Stage 32. Wanting to write music since my 30’s, I’ve been going to different schools, starting in Ohio. I started in Music Ed. At Wright State University – for two years, I learned music theory and ear training. Then I had an opportunity to perform ‘on the road’ with a group for a year, called Am...

The idea of a pitch book never occurred to me until I saw Stage 32's promotion of such a couple of years ago. I had what I thought was a solid screenplay but no agent or manager. I had been fortunate to place in several nationally acclaimed contests with my story but no serious callers/producers, although I came close with CAA and Anna Sophia Robb (Bridge to Teribithia) as a possible attachment. I needed another tool. At first, this was something I thought maybe I could do on my own. I studied...

Stage 32 is proud to present the 2nd Annual Feature Screenwriting Fellowship, an incredible opportunity to be mentored by top tier industry professionals and participate in round table discussions with a variety of producers, managers, and writers. Our mentors are looking for the next wave of screenwriting talent -- and we want them to discover YOU!For the last 12 years, Stage 32 Contests have led to dozens of success stories including writers getting representation, sold, optioned, staffed, giv...