Recently, we asked the Stage 32 community a simple question: What's holding you back right now?

The responses flooded in. Writers from 40+ countries shared their struggles. Many familiar, some personal, all valid. What became clear is that the obstacles writers face aren't just about craft. They're about access, resources, confidence, and navigating an industry that doesn't come with step-by-step instructions.

If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like you're spinning your wheels, this is for you. Below are the most common pain points writers face right now, and real strategies on how to move forward despite the noise.

1. The Access Problem: Feeling Locked Out of the Industry

The Pain Point:

"What's holding me back is the closed nature of this business. I come from a corporate background where things move quickly, there are clear next steps, and there is always a way forward. The difficulty just getting traction is very tough." — Aaron Newman

Writers repeatedly mentioned feeling isolated from industry gatekeepers. No local connections, no representation, no clear path from "script done" to "script in development." The relationship-driven nature of the business feels impenetrable when you're starting from scratch and don't know anybody. Thankfully meeting people is a very fixable problem - thanks to the internet. Getting them to like you and believe in you, well that's part 2. 

Strategies That Work:

Be visible and consistent in online communities. Writer Devon Callahan shared: "I've started joining writers groups (one in person, one online) to keep me accountable. We're all in this together." Consistent engagement in spaces like Stage 32 Lounges or other areas across the internet creates invaluable relationships over time. Executives, producers, and fellow writers notice who shows up regularly with thoughtful contributions. It's not all about having a constantly active brand either. It's about checking in and chiming in. Reminding people you're around and you've still got the juice. Over a long enough time frame, if you provide enough good vibes and good value, people will associate your name with those two key elements and make it more likely they'll refer you.

Leverage what you already have. Brenda Mohammed, who advanced scripts to contest finals, reminds us: "Use your contest placements strategically. Update your profiles, mention them in pitches, and use them to open doors in queries." Validation creates credibility. Use it actively, not passively. When you have a polished and contest-placing script, you can turn to business mode, and you should feel comfortable acting like a business and promoting your success. 

Reach out for strategic guidance. Multiple writers mentioned that connecting with the Stage 32 Success Team (success@stage32.com) helped them identify which executives to pitch, which services made sense for their career stage, and how to position their work effectively. You don't have to navigate alone. Ask for help from people whose job is literally to connect you with the right opportunities.

Tap your network. Writer Phoenix Black recently shared what she learned from a consultation call with a Literary Manager, "Ask anyone you know for a referral." Sure, it feels shameless, but if you never ask, you'll never know either. So you gotta have the courage to tap into your own network and ask for a good word from people who already like you!

Get in front of executives. If you're at the stage where every writer friend who reads your work says "wow this is great" and you feel like there's not more room from improvement so far as you can tell, there are avenues to get your work in front of Producers, Managers, and Agents. Whether that's a pitch session, a script read and consultation, or through the Writer's Room Open Writing Assignments (OWAs), these are legitimate, vetted channels where executives like to scout for new material. And they use Stage 32 because we make things turn-key and easy for execs to see lots of projects from writers all over the world.

There are industry scouts everywhere out there. Way more than you know. They're lurking, reading, taking pitches, gathering submissions all over the place. You're in front of them often, but if you're never putting your work up and only waiting for the business to come to you, you'll often surf right past them.

2. The Time Trap: Balancing Writing with Everything Else

The Pain Point:

"Finding the time is my biggest obstacle." — Breyanna Tolbert

Nearly every writer struggles with this. Day jobs. Family obligations. Health. Other creative commitments. Even retirees report feeling overwhelmed with daily demands that leave little energy for writing.

Strategies That Work:

Build accountability structures. Breyanna joined two writers groups specifically to create external accountability. When writing exists only in your own head, it's easy to deprioritize. When other people are expecting to hear about your progress, you show up differently.

Set "writing-first" nights. Jim Boston carves out specific evenings where writing happens before email, LinkedIn, or other tasks. Protecting even 1-2 nights per week as sacred writing time compounds significantly over months.

Build healthy habits. Design your writing time to be very specific. Have a set chair, at a set table, at a certain time to write consistently. Maybe even reward yourself with a little "treat" when you write 10 pages (okay, 5 pages). When you make writing a healthy habit instead of something you do on the fly or at random, you build discipline to get through pages even when your mind isn't running at full tilt.

Accept imperfect progress. Catherine Cole shared: "I can't truly define this as holding me back, but a constant is not having enough time in any given day. Still, constantly putting one foot forward at a time achieves results." She just placed as a Semi-Finalist in a contest. Small, consistent steps matter more than waiting for "enough time" that never arrives.

Like your body, you have to work out your writing muscles to keep them sharp. When you're trying to lose weight, it's never do this one thing and you lose 20 pounds. It's consistent effort, consistent learning or trial and error, and consistently not letting the bad days stop your progress that gets results in the end.

Reclassify your goals. As one writer put it: "Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is pull back and reclassify your goals. Focus on just a few clear, achievable steps instead of trying to solve everything at once." Like Fred Astaire who once sang, "Put one foot in front of the other / And soon you'll be walking 'cross the floor / You put one foot in front of the other /
And soon you'll be walking out the door!" 

Try the Pomodoro method. To improve focus and reduce mental fatigue by breaking work into 25-minute intervals (called "pomodoros") separated by 5-minute breaks. Many writers swear by this method. 

Log off and turn off the noise: At some point, you have to stop doomscrolling, you have to let your mind clear, and you have to do the work. My trick, set strict time slots in the day where you can look at social media. If you miss them, you miss them. No excuses, no cracking open the apps for a quick peek or catch up, until tomorrow. Always. This one habit I have means I'm not beholden to the algorithm's power over my attention span. You control how much attention you give the distractions and disciplining yourself on healthy ways to engage online the right amount that's best for you - makes a huge difference. 

3. The Money Problem: Financial Barriers to Progress

The Pain Point:

"Lack of funds are holding me back. Almost every contest I find fitting for me costs money I do not have. To be honest, I'm about ready to shelve everything and go back to working 50-60 hours a week." — Charity Pleasant

Contest fees. Pitch sessions. Professional coverage. Production costs. For many writers, every opportunity requires money they don't have—, especially international writers dealing with currency exchange challenges.

Strategies That Work:

Prioritize free resources first. Before investing in paid services, exhaust what's available at no cost: Stage 32 Lounges for quick feedback and networking, free webinars, blog articles, podcasts, webcasts, video tutorials, script swaps with other writers, and building relationships through consistent community engagement.

Put yourself out there. It is also entirely free to build an audience. All you need are forums and social media accounts, where you can post anything and everything. You don't have to be "creating content" all the time to build an audience either. Thoughtful, insightful posts can organically build your profile as a thought leader, and with modern technology you can often schedule posts in advance - you can even do a big haul one day, then schedule your posts for the month and let your intelligence and voice build your profile for you. 

Build your network. You can and should be adding anyone to your network that you cross paths with. Just follow people and if they like your vibe, they will follow back. Try to connect and build reals relationship over shared interests (like movies!). You never know who you might get along with and it's important to be curious and get to know people on a real level. If you can, attend local screenings, mixers, networking meetups, and workshops in your area. They're a great way to 10x your network with relevant people fast. Start with a goal of meeting 2 people you like per time out. Do that once a month for a year and you have 24 new allies in the film business.

Discounts, Grants, Etc. Grants exist all over. There are funds, initiatives, fellowships, and opportunities out there for undiscovered writers. Do your research and find ones that could be a fit for you and apply. There's no guarantees, but hey if it's free, it's free. If you don't know of any or you're bad at research. Ask! Ask the people who you think might know, ask the people in your network you've built. And ask for discounts too. If you see an opportunity you like, don't be afraid to ask the team behind that opportunity for a discount. *hint, success@stage32.com, hint*

Make something you control. Several writers mentioned creating proof-of-concept shorts or self-produced samples. Vital Butinar is finishing Pure Vortex, an ultra-low-budget feature: "I honestly think this is the limit of what can be done with no budget. But a finished project becomes a tool. It shows what you're capable of when you do have support." Seeing is often believing and you can say "I've got the next big thing" all you want, but the gulf from idea to execution is large, and if you prove you can bridge that gap, that's worth it's weight in gold.

Work toward it incrementally. Many contests are annual. If you can't afford to enter now, set aside small amounts monthly so you're ready for next year's deadline. Working long hours every week doesn't mean abandoning writing, it might just change your pace.

For the entrepreneurial minded: Start a side hustle. Doesn't have to be forever, but do it to raise the funds you want at a given time. Take on an extra shift one night, go thrifting and become an up-cycler, do cool crafts and sell them, consult on something you have expertise in, pose for an art class one time, drive Uber for a night, bet your friend $50 you can do 100 pushups and WIN THAT BET, collect the cans/bottles you use for a month and take them to the recycling center to collect the fee, sell something you need to get rid of or even do a garage sale, wash your neighbor's fence, mow your grandpa's lawn, change your friend's oil, bet another friend $100 you can beat him in a race and WIN THAT BET TOO, paint a picture and convince a rich friend you're gonna be famous one day so they'll overpay for it, etc. 

4. The Revision Loop: When Finishing Feels Impossible

The Pain Point:

"I am revising a draft and revisions keep rippling through the script, demanding more revisions. I really don't think this is a page 1 rewrite, so I am pressing on." — Michael Dzurak

As writers, we sometimes get trapped in endless polish cycles where fixing one issue creates three more problems. The script never feels "done," so it never gets submitted.

Strategies That Work:

Separate drafting from editing. Mitchell Parod realized: "I catch myself trying to manage the story instead of letting it breathe. What's helped recently is separating those phases more intentionally and letting myself write something imperfect first, then coming back later with a more critical eye."

Set a "good enough" deadline. Linda Harrison is finishing her first draft while already seeing what needs improvement: "I know getting the story down is the first thing, then build from there." Perfection in draft one is impossible. Completion is the goal. So complete, give yourself a week or two to recover mentally, then dive in and give it a polish.

Use external deadlines strategically. Contest deadlines or pitch session bookings force you to call a draft "done" and move forward. Sometimes external pressure is exactly what breaks the revision paralysis. 

When it comes to revisions, don't be afraid to trust your gut and go with what feels right to you. If people tell you one thing, but that's not your instinct, you don't have to listen to them. That being said, the best way to develop great instincts is to read more scripts - produced, un-produced, from friends, from enemies, whoever. Every great screenplay I read has another new little trick I learn that I put in my back pocket and save for later. When it comes time to revise and polish, I rarely find I don't know how to fix anything because over the years, I've collected so many little tricks to get out of any sticky situation I write myself into!

5. The Confidence Crisis: Self-Doubt That Prevents Sharing

The Pain Point:

Fear of rejection, imposter syndrome, and the belief that your work isn't "good enough" prevent writers from sharing material, which guarantees nothing moves forward.

Strategies That Work:

Take action despite fear. Sasha Tomas admitted: "Confidence, courage, and persistence have been my biggest hurdles. But some days, I have to give myself a pep talk. I said F it. Booked some pitches and am going to do it." Courage isn't absence of fear. It's acting anyway.

I always say pitching is a contact sport. You may not like to have to stand up and face the music, with the possibility of rejection hanging over your head, but as long as you step up to the plate and try, you're taking a step forward. No matter the results. And continuing to put yourself out there helps you get reps where you can learn how to take any critique, then how to reframe, restructure, revise what you're doing to get better results.

Reframe feedback as data, not judgment. When Roberto Negron felt "experts were denying his creative chops," the issue wasn't his work, it was treating every note as a referendum on his talent. As one writer pointed out: "If you hear a note once, consider it. Twice, take a serious look. Three times, something's not landing and it's worth addressing." Just don't take feedback personally. It's the worst thing you can do. Like my old high school strength coach used to say, "I'm not attacking you. I'm attacking the problem." If there's a problem someone points out, hear them out and consider. It's not the end of the world. It's just a data point for you to have on what might be a hang up for some people. Clock it and adapt/adjust from there.

Share imperfectly. Grace Balistreri was waiting to complete her entire series before sharing anything. The advice that shifted her thinking: "You don't have to wait until everything is complete. Even sharing a logline or the first 10 pages can start opening doors and help you refine the project in ways you won't see on your own."

Every writer goes through a crisis of confidence at some point. There's so many "nos" in this business and getting to a yes feels like the plot of that new Japanese thriller movie Exit 8. When you're getting every door slammed in your face and the rejections keep stacking up on top of each other, just know -- you're in good company, alongside every writer in existence (even the famous ones!). When I'm feeling low confidence, I always harken to that famous Maya Angelou quote: "You are enough. You have nothing to prove to anybody." Then, keep operating.

6. The Isolation Factor: Writing Without Community

The Pain Point:

Writers in smaller markets, international locations, or niche genres feel creatively isolated. No local collaborators, no writing partners, no one who understands the specific challenges they face.

Strategies That Work:

Build community online consistently. Chase Carmichael struggled with isolation and lack of local animation collaborators. The recommendation: "Stay active in Stage 32 Lounges regularly. Engage in conversations, offer feedback to others, and share your projects. Relationships build over time through consistent visibility." 

You never know who you're going to meet or get advice from in a lounge. Execs frequently contribute and comment on posts. There's a wealth of great advice all over this site and you can find solid community around it.

Share your work. It's something I see too infrequently - writers clamoring that no one will read them. It often comes down to well, who did you share it with? Your community are your allies. Ask your allies and your friends if they'll read your work. Many will say yes, and they'll be excited to see you in a new light based on the stories you tell. Everybody likes to be excited, entranced, scared, fall in love, or laugh. Show your friends you can do that for them and you just got a big +1 in their books.

Don't wait for opportunities. Get out there and meet people. Network anywhere you can, go to screenings, mixers, meetups, and put yourself out there. The more people you meet, the wider your circle gets; the wider your circle gets, the more opportunities you become aware of by volume of proxy. If you want to get on sets, call up your local state Film Commission and ask to see what kinds of jobs are available or that they're always hiring for. <- This is why Stage 32 offers Certifications - so you can get training to work on sets, as a First AD, a Locations Manager, a Production Manager, and many more roles where you can put yourself out there and meet people en masse!

7. The "What's Next?" Paralysis: Not Knowing Industry Steps

The Pain Point:

"I don't know how to move something from interest to firmly setup and moving along. How do you discern between strong interest and passing interest?"

You receive positive feedback on your script ("This is great!") but don't know how to convert enthusiasm into concrete next steps, meetings, or deals. 

Strategies That Work:

Ask direct questions. After positive feedback, ask: "What do you see as next steps? Are you interested in coming aboard as a producer? What's your timeline for deciding whether to move forward? Is there anyone in your contacts you would share this with?" Executives expect these questions. Vague enthusiasm without follow-through wastes everyone's time. So make a direct ask, and even if it's a no, at least you didn't waste any time getting there.

Propose concrete next steps yourself. Instead of waiting: "Would it make sense to schedule a call next week to discuss how you see this developing? I'm happy to put together additional materials—do you need a pitch deck or series bible?" If you have an exec on the hook after reading your script, try to reel them in by setting yourself another opportunity to impress them. It's a business, so you do at some level want to exhibit a little business savvy and chase after the opportunities that are in front of you.

Watch for action, not words. Strong interest includes scheduled calls, introductions to collaborators, requests for materials, and clear timelines. Passing interest is compliments without commitment, and it's important to learn to distinguish politeness from pilot season green-light worthiness. If months pass with no movement despite your follow-ups, keep pitching elsewhere.

Producers who genuinely want to develop something act quickly because they're competing with other producers who might also want it. The projects I've worked on, I was usually reached out to immediately after someone read my pitch or my script. Now, not everyone is going to read your work the very second you send it to them and script reads do take time, but in my experience, the response has typically been very quick after they read / do their process because they don't want to miss out. Seeing something they like with clear market value makes execs act fast.

One example I'm constantly sharing is about this writer Darren Yeboah, who got his script requested from a pitch session in 2025 by an exec. Life happened, the exec got slammed and never got around to reading, it was just stuck on his pile. Until last month, the exec reached out to me and was like, hey i finally read Darren's script, I need to meet with this guy! So we got them together that week. When an exec wants to work with you, believe me, it will be very apparent!

8. Finding the Right Collaborators

The Pain Point:

Writers know they need creative partners but don't know how to find people whose skills and vision align with their projects.

Strategies That Work:

Be specific about what you need. Market your project for the right people to self-identify. Vague "looking for collaborators" or "I need a producer" posts don't work. Specific needs do. So don't middle. You get to decide what you want your story to be, so own what it is and be clear and direct about what it will realistically take. Do research to better inform yourself on what's been done before, what the comps are, what the realistic budget range could be, so you can position your project as close to exactly what it is. It's the difference between when my girlfriend says "I'm hungry" vs. when she says "I want tacos tonight." For the former, we're in trouble because I don't know what she wants. For the latter, I know exactly how to plan and execute a strategy to get great tacos. Producers are good at executing strategies to make films but want to see clear signals from you, so they can properly gauge what they will have to do to make it happen. 

Engage where your collaborators already are. David Weinberg is looking for a romcom director. Advice: "Spend time in the Stage 32 Filmmaking Lounge. Share a bit about your project and connect with directors actively looking for material. Strong creative partnerships often start from engaging in those discussions." It's so true. If you engage with people outside your immediate circle, you meet more people, learn new perspectives, and eventually come to understand what others need. This is all data, which can help you shape and learn what kind of people you should be getting in front of and you wand to collaborate with. 

Lead with what you bring. Don't just list what you need. Communicate what you're offering. Do you have financing conversations happening? Attachments? Contest validation? Make collaboration mutually beneficial. If you bring nothing to the table but your hand out, then you're probably not going to be the type of person others want to collaborate with.

Ask for suggestions. Ask people you know in the industry or execs you meet with: who do you think this would be right for? If you have no idea who to pitch, email success@stage32.com and I can give you tailored suggestions based on your script's logline, genre, and format. It never hurts to ask those more informed and having those conversations every day to learn how you should be moving and positioning yourself.

Know when to say no. Sometimes a great opportunity has major drawbacks. It's okay to say no and not let yourself get burned, when things don't feel aligned or you don't like the vibe. It's important to protect yourself and turn things down when you don't believe they're the right fit. This will save you loads of stress and headaches in the long run.

9. Health & Physical Limitations

The Pain Point:

"Right now, it's struggling with low energy physically." — Jeffrey Pemberton

Chronic illness, disability, and temporary health setbacks create real barriers to consistent output and networking capacity.

Strategies That Work:

Work within your capacity, not against it. Marie Hatten battled flu while trying to finish revisions: "Two weeks of the flu has not helped." Sometimes the strategy is simply: rest, recover, then return. Pushing through exhaustion often produces worse outcomes than pausing strategically. You have to take care of your health first and foremost because this industry is an absolute marathon and not a sprint!

Leverage remote opportunities. Virtual pitch sessions, email networking, and online community engagement level some playing fields for writers with physical limitations. You don't need to attend in-person events to build industry relationships anymore. You can do it all online and at your comfort/speed.

Adjust expectations without abandoning goals. Progress might look different than you hoped, but it's still progress. Small steps sustained over time compound. Don't give up because it's not working right now. Taper your expectations and keep moving. 

Adjust your diet/exercise. This one isn't critical, but studies probably show that eating healthier and exercising more boost your mood and give you more energy. With a boosted mood, you're more likely to write and be creative. So take care of your body and treat yourself nicely, so that you can maximize the energy you've got in a given day.

Final Thought: You're Not Alone and You're Not Behind

One writer said it perfectly: "Obstacles are part of the journey, both in stories and in life. The difference is choosing to keep going anyway."

Every writer in this article is navigating real challenges: time, access, confidence, geography, health. What separates those who break through from those who don't isn't luck or talent alone.

It's showing up consistently despite the obstacles.

It's asking for help when you're stuck. It's taking imperfect action instead of waiting for perfect conditions. It's building community so you're not doing this alone.

Your roadblocks are real. But they're not permanent.

The writers who succeed aren't the ones without obstacles altogether, they're the ones who keep moving forward anyway, one stubborn step at a time.

What's one obstacle you're facing right now, and what's one small action you could take this week to move past it?

Pat A.
Writer Liaison
Stage 32

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

They want scripts that are efficient. Scripts that can attract talent and directors. Scripts where the story doesn't just move forward…it is propelled forward.
Catapulted. Every scene earning its place. Every page keeping the reader hooked and turning to the next one. Lean. Mean. Purposeful.

I recently spoke with a literary manager whose sentiment echoed what we've been hearing consistently across the industry: there is a fundamental mismatch between what screenwriters are trained to do and what the market is actually buying.

Most writers were trained (consciously or not) on the indie films of the 1990s. Long, beautiful, character-driven dramas. Scenes that breathe. Moments that linger. The kind of work that gets celebrated in film school and dissected in screenwriting books. The problem? A lot of that material ends up on the editing bay floor. And editing bay floors are expensive.

That doesn't mean everyone should be writing action movies. Voice matters. Character matters. But understanding what the industry is actually buying is not optional. It's the difference between a script that sits in a drawer and one that gets into the right hands.

And right now, the mandate data collected from over 3,000 executives reading and meeting with writers and filmmakers on Stage 32 is clear:

• Feature Scripts: Action, thriller, and romantic comedy are dominating executive requests — by a significant margin.

• Pilot Scripts: Grounded thrillers and mysteries are leading the way, with buyers responding to contained, propulsive storytelling that hooks audiences from the first episode.

Writers’ Room members who attended our Q&A with writer-producer Donn Kennedy and writer-producer Kraig Wenman (66 feature script sales, 31 produced films, and 5 films with 100% on RT) heard something similar. Screenwriters need to think about what's being made and write with directors, actors and producers in mind. You can't create in a vacuum.

You can't follow every trend, but you can't ignore them either. The data we share can help you find your audience. Write your story. But write it with urgency — because that's what's getting read, requested, and bought right now.

This Week in the Writers' Room

New! Hybrid: Q&A + Pitch Tank with Kelly Needleman- Wednesday, April 15th at 4pm PT!

Kelly brings a rare combination of perspectives to this event. His career spans Wayfarer Studios, CBS/Paramount, and Vanishing Angle, and his on-set experience includes collaborations with Sylvester Stallone, Charlize Theron, Chris Pratt, and James Gunn. He has been actively developing pilots and features with agencies and management companies in LA — which means the feedback he brings into the Pitch Tank comes from someone who understands the full journey, from the first draft to the development room. And he’ll be answer your questions about development and production!

If you would like to join the Writers’ Room, access weekly events, submit to dozens of open writing assignments, and attend exclusive pitch tanks with industry executives- click HERE to accept my offer for a free month!

This Week’s Exciting Announcements!

This week, we're spotlighting Stage 32 Member, Ted Sperling, and won the Stage 32 x Pathfinder Comedy Contest!

Ted Sperling is an LA-based comedy writer known for the feature film WHERE’S THE MONEY (Lionsgate) and his work as a writer and Creative Lead for YouTube personalities Topper Guild, Collins Key, and Rebecca Zamolo. A native of Portland, OR and a graduate of Cornell University, Ted also studied improv and sketch writing at Upright Citizens Brigade.

“TREASURE INC. is a propulsive ensemble comedy with elevated stakes, genuine heart, and an original voice that also feels familiar. Ted Sperling wrote a screenplay that plays like a crowd-pleaser and earns every beat of it. I’m excited to work with him.” - Director Todd Biermann (IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY, MYTHIC QUEST)

Click here to connect with Ted and say "Congrats!"

This Week In The Stage 32 Community!

If you want to understand why some pitches get immediate traction while others fall flat, there’s a conversation happening right now in the Screenwriting Lounge that you need to see.

Stage 32 Executive and Thought Leader Josh Reinhold, a producer, screenwriter, and creative executive who has reviewed nearly 100 pitches through the platform in the past month alone, has identified a pattern that many writers don’t even realize they’re falling into.

He calls it the “Beat Sheet” pitch.

Instead of pulling the reader into a compelling, emotional, and cinematic experience, many pitches are reading like instructions. Step-by-step breakdowns. Character lists. Plot beats. Essentially, writers are presenting the blueprint of the script rather than the story itself.

Josh’s analogy is spot on: these pitches feel like recipes. You are listing ingredients and explaining the process, but you are not making anyone hungry. And that is the core issue.

Because the goal of a pitch is not to prove that you have structure. It is not to demonstrate that you understand story beats. It is to make someone feel something. To create momentum. To spark curiosity. To make the executive on the other side think, “I need to read this.”

This conversation ties directly into what we are seeing across the industry right now. Executives are looking for projects that move. That grab attention immediately. That feel alive on the page and in the pitch. If your pitch reads like an outline, you are already losing that momentum before they even open the script.

If you have ever struggled with pitching, whether written or verbal, this is the kind of discussion that can immediately sharpen how you present your work.

Jump into the conversation, ask questions, rethink how you’re framing your story, and make sure your next pitch leaves them wanting more.

Click here to join the discussion!

Need help navigating the industry? Contact success@stage32.com

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

As a producer and co-director of An Order from the Sky, I’ve learned that every film changes you in some small way, but once in a while, a film resets your entire understanding of what filmmaking means. An Order from the Sky did that to me.

The idea began years ago, during my work as part of the team behind Pebbles: The film that went on to win the Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2021. There was a long take in Pebbles that ran over thirteen minutes. It wasn’t meant to be a technical exercise; it was simply the most truthful way to follow that moment. But that experience planted a seed in my mind: What happens if you take away editing entirely? What happens if the story unfolds at the exact speed of life?

That was when the idea took root. When director Karthik Radhakrishnan shared An Order from the Sky with me, our vision aligned naturally. This ultimately became the Indo–U.S. feature we made: a 76-minute real-time, single-shot, single-character film captured with sync sound and natural light, inside a functioning rural shrine.

Synopsis (Spoilers)

Aagasam, played by actor Baskar, is a small-time thief, begins his morning inside a rural shrine. He brings offerings, bargains with his deity, threatens, pleads, waits. He cannot move until he hears the gecko call, his chosen divine signal of permission. Only then will he dare to steal.

From Page to Stillness: Adapting Imayam’s Story & Why We Chose Single Take

Our beginning was not in visual ambition but in text. With Imayam. Imayam is widely regarded as one of the most significant contemporary Tamil writers, known for his realist, socially rooted writing. Over a writing career of more than three decades, he has authored multiple novels and short-story collections and been honoured with major literary awards—including the Sahitya Akademi Award (2020) for his novel Selladha Panam, and the Kuvempu Rashtriya Puraskar (2022) for his contribution to Tamil literature.

When we adapted Imayan’s story, it did not ask for cinematic adjustment; it arrived whole, with a single man waiting for a sign only he can read. He is simply a man waiting for life to allow him forward, even if the permission comes through the small, uncertain gecko sound at the old shrine. To honour that stillness, we did not rush to reinterpret or stylise it. Instead, we approached the cinematic translation with restraint rather than invention.

Rather than altering the source, we focused on extending its internal space for the screen. The hen remained a quiet presence at the filming site, sharing the frame without being directed or assigned meaning. And for the same reason, we kept it in a single take.

The single take was never chosen for novelty. It came because the waiting itself has no cut in the story. The gecko call does not appear with dramatic rhythm. It appears in its own timing. So we did not interrupt it. If Aagasam waits, the audience waits. If the moment stretches thin, we stretch with it. Cinema usually cuts to command attention. Here, cutting would have changed the meaning of waiting. His hesitation is not build-up; it is simply how he moves through his day.

Real time was the only form that left his inner climate untouched. We were not proving stamina or technique. We were simply avoiding interference with his prayer, his fear, his negotiation with something larger than him. Imayam’s words already carried the weight; our task was only to hold the moment without breaking it apart.

The Hen Who Became a Performer

One of the strangest and most beautiful elements of the film was a live hen that appears throughout the story. Our team rehearsed with the hen for more than six months, not to “train” her, but to help her feel comfortable inside the world of the film.

What surprised us wasn’t how much she adjusted to us, but how much she committed to the rhythm of the scene. She moved through the shrine with the kind of instinctive honesty that even trained actors spend years trying to achieve. At times it felt like she was performing her own version of acting, responding to camera position, movement, atmosphere, emotion, and energy in ways none of us could predict.

It reminded us that real-time cinema doesn’t just record performance.It records presence.

All animal handling on set was supervised, and any moment of positioning or tethering was done solely for continuity and safety during the continuous take.

When a Prop Entered a Community as Sacred Presence

We built a deity specifically for the film, a piece of art meant only for the character’s inner conflict.

When we installed it inside the rural shrine, something unexpected happened. Villagers began to treat it with reverence, integrating it naturally into their existing worship practices. Offerings appeared. Community rituals began to include it alongside the other terracotta figures. And slowly, the prop stopped belonging to the film and began belonging to the community. Today, that terracotta figure still stands in my hometown, and the community continues to hold it within their daily practices.

As filmmakers, we often talk about “world-building.” But here, the world built itself around us. It was a reminder that cinema does not always sit apart from real life. Sometimes it folds directly into it.

Directing When You Only Get One Chance

A single-take film is shaped less by correction and more by trust. Actor Baskar had to carry an emotional arc without interruption for the entire 76 minutes. Cinematographer Vignesh Malaichami had to move beside him with absolute fluidity, adjusting instinctively without second chances.

Director Karthik Radhakrishnan’s approach was to guide the emotional temperature of the space rather than choreograph every beat. The challenge wasn’t staging, it was sustaining truth long enough for it to breathe on its own.

My role as producer and co-director required balancing two realities:the creative instincts of a micro-budget Indian production environment and the structural discipline I had learned while working in the U.S. I traveled frequently between the two worlds during development and pre-production, and that movement became part of the film’s DNA, flexibility from one culture, precision from another.

The Skill of Micro-Budget Filmmaking

People often assume micro-budget filmmaking means cutting corners.In reality, it means choosing with intention.

Natural light wasn’t a restriction: it was a visual philosophy.A real shrine wasn’t a location: it was a living emotional space.A small crew wasn’t a compromise: it was the only way to stay invisible inside the moment.

Every constraint sharpened the storytelling. Every limitation forced clarity.

When Time Becomes the Story

Single-take filmmaking is often described as technical, but for us it became spiritual. When we finally completed the continuous take, exhausted, silent, and unsure what we had captured, there was a moment when no one moved. Not because of fear or pressure, but because we felt we had witnessed a piece of life that would never repeat itself.

That is the gift of real-time storytelling: cinema stops pretending and simply becomes.

And as a filmmaker, that changes you forever.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

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Hey Stage 32 Community!

Ever dreamt of seeing your TV Comedy script come to life and stream on flat-screens in living rooms across the country? This is your chance to turn that dream into reality! We're proud to announce the 6th Annual Stage 32 TV Comedy Screenwriting Contest to help discover the next great TV comedy pilot script!

Our Grand Prize Winner will win a Career Accelerator prize package valued at $4,000 that includes script & career development, writer branding and an education package and will be set up on VIP MENTORSHIP meetings with the Head of Studio at Kevin Hart's Production Company HartBeat, a Manager & Producer from True Talent, and a Development Executive behind shows like BLOCKBUSTER, THE UPSHAWS, & THE VINCE STAPLES SHOW!

Comedy is a staple of TV entertainment that brings us together through laughter. From the relatable family adventures of MODERN FAMILY, to the totally cringe and spastic outbursts of IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA, to the witty quips and eyebrow raises of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, audiences can’t get enough exciting comedic storytelling. This year alone, beloved TV series like THE COMEBACK and MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE have brought us delightfully funny new seasons, while new shows like ROOSTER and THE BURBS are taking couch potatoes by storm. The appetite for amazing TV shows is insatiable, and we want your story to be the next smash hit!

Stage 32 is proud to present the 6th Annual TV Comedy Screenwriting Contest!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

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I hope your weekend has been a creative one so far. Whether you have been writing, filming, editing, or sketching out the next spark of an idea, I have got something today that will give you a boost. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in.

This week’s featured video comes from Film Courage- Hollywood Is Not A Movie Making Town. In the interview, filmmaker Pedro Correa shares a perspective that may feel jarring at first, but it is one every creative needs to understand if they want to build a real career in this industry: Hollywood is not just a movie-making town. It is a movie marketing town.

And whether you love hearing that or not… he is right. Because while we all enter this business for the love of storytelling, artistry, and filmmaking, the reality is that film and television are also products. They are investments and businesses. If you want your work to get made, sold, financed, or distributed, you have to understand how your project fits into that ecosystem.

Pedro talks candidly about the brutal reality of trying to raise financing for his feature My Dead Dad, and one of the most important takeaways from his story is this: People do not just buy scripts. They buy vision. They buy confidence. They buy clarity.

When investors were struggling to “see” his project from the page alone, Pedro pivoted and created a concept trailer to help communicate the tone, style, and emotional feel of the film. That one decision changed everything for him.

Why? Because people are busy. Executives, financiers, and producers are busy. The easier you make it for someone to understand your vision, the easier it becomes for them to say yes. That does not mean the script does not matter. It means your ability to package, position, and communicate your idea matters just as much.

This is something many creatives miss early in their careers. They spend years perfecting the art, but never take the time to learn the business of selling that art. In today’s industry, understanding both is what separates hobbyists from professionals.

This conversation naturally leads into something I get asked all the time: Do short films still matter?

Short films still matter tremendously, but only if you understand why you are making one in the first place. The value of a short film is all about how strategically you use it. If you are creating one as proof of concept for a larger project, it can be incredibly valuable. If you are making one to showcase your directing style, your visual eye, or your voice as a storyteller, it can be a fantastic tool. If your goal is to use that short as a calling card to get managers, agents, producers, or executives to take notice of your talent, then yes, it absolutely matters.

And if that short gets into the right festivals, starts building buzz, or earns recognition? Even better.

The important thing to understand is that a short film is not just content for the sake of content. It is a tool. It is proof that you can execute on an idea. It shows that you can create, that you can take a concept from idea to final product, and that you can deliver something polished and professional. That matters in this industry.

And trust me when I say people are still paying attention. Managers watch short films. Agents watch short films. Production companies watch short films. Junior executives, assistants, and development teams are constantly looking through shorts, festival winners, and proof-of-concept pieces to identify emerging talent.

Now, that does not automatically mean everyone should go out and spend massive amounts of money making one. In some cases, if you have the resources and the ability to stretch your budget into making a feature instead, that may actually be the smarter long-term move. But when approached strategically and with a clear purpose, a short film can absolutely be the thing that opens your first real door in this business.

So let me ask you this- What do you think is harder in today’s industry: creating a great project, or learning how to market and sell that project once it is finished?

As always, here at Stage 32, we love sharing stories and knowledge with our fellow film fans. Know someone who would love this content? Share it with them. You can keep up with all of our videos by subscribing to the Stage 32 YouTube Channel. For more inspirational, educational, and motivational content on all things entertainment industry, follow me on Instagram and X @rbwalksintoabar.

Wishing you a very happy, healthy, and creative Sunday.

Cheers,

RB

Film Courage | Hollywood Is Not A Movie Making Town

RBWalksIntoABar | Do Short Films Still Matter?

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

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The Traditional

Traditional acting techniques have their own philosophies on how to access emotion. From Demidov’s “passively surrendering” and being guided by their “intuitive perception” to find the Character’s “impulses” to Stanislavsky’s Active Analysis and experiencing the physical life/actions of a Character that the actor will, “as a reflex”, experience “the inner feelings” of the Character. Fast forward to the 21st century, and what we know now about trauma. As amazing as imagination, empathy, and physical action is to immerse oneself in a fictional experience, it’s also an excellent conduit for stirring up vicarious trauma or personal resonances and potentially reactivating past trauma. For actors whose own traumas are being activated by the script's content, they are more likely to have a fight, flight, or freeze reaction than a healthy, intuitive, and spontaneous response that the great acting teachers spoke of. I believe what’s missing is the absence of a device to manage emotional dysregulation, which can be caused by engaging empathetic imagining and physicalization of a Character’s emotional life.

A Trauma-Informed Approach

I just want to take a minute and explain what a trauma-informed approach is to acting and why it’s important. In my opinion, any Character worth watching on stage and screen has been traumatized, regardless of whether the trauma appears in the story or not. Writers and directors are continuously giving voice to traumatic experiences, which translates to more actors embodying them. This translates to finding new ways to work with actors that ensure a healthy working environment. “Trauma-informed” is having an understanding of the harmful effects of traumatic experiences and involves employing fundamental principles of compassion and respect. In my practice, this is true when working with actors in prep and when exploring their Characters. A large part of the trauma-informed lens is understanding the importance of emotion regulation when acting in the style of psychological realism. I define emotion regulation in acting as a process in which emotion is managed through the acknowledgment, acceptance, and articulation of its expression for the purpose of increasing emotional range, fluency, proficiency, and control when crafting a Character.

For the actor who is carrying unresolved trauma, they have found ways to cope emotionally and are now living in a protective state. However, in some of these instances, cognitively they may think they’ve moved on from their trauma but symptoms can remain hidden for years until something triggering happens. Like acting in a traumatic story. How many of us have been in a situation or have witnessed actors struggling for a line as soon as they start to feel an emotion they’re not used to? They may well be tapping into unchartered emotional territory, most likely caused by a past trauma, that has not yet been regulated. Hence, they freeze or have a ‘deer in the headlights’ response and lose their train of thought. What’s actually happening is the Broca’s area has shut down. This is an area in the left frontal lobe of the cortex that controls speech. It allows you to put your thoughts and feelings into words. What happens during a traumatic event, and even during a flashback is this area shuts down. The point is, actors push themselves or allow themselves to be pushed by educators or directors to the point of unintentionally triggering their symptoms. And in other instances, actors are aware of their trauma, have not moved on, and intentionally shut down or plow into their emotions and get overwhelmed and struggle to regulate afterward. In either case, the traditional acting techniques for accessing emotion do nothing to support, regulate, or further develop their emotional apparatus.

Decompressing From Distressing Characters

In 2020, Danielle Szlawieniec-Haw conducted a study that found when actors are decompressing from distressing Characters, emotions can be challenging to label and give words to, which makes it harder for the actor to express and therefore process. She concluded that having a space for processing is a “fundamental part of the actors’ health and wellness”. My own practice of Actor Care® works backward from Szlawieniec-Haw’s conclusion. In other words, it gives actors the space to first articulate emotions for their character. Then embody them affect by affect before they dive in and experience it as a whole. You might think this takes the spontaneity out of a performance, but it’s actually quite the opposite. Because of the containment it provides, it allows for courageous choices to emerge, thus greater emotional depth and dimension. It also increases emotional range and fluidity. It slows down the entire process of Character development. The basic premise is to embody strengths before embodying vulnerability. It operates on the principles of Resilience, Boundaries, Defense Management, and Self-reflection. All four principles are designed to accommodate the actor's mental wellbeing by methodically and safely constructing a Character’s emotional life. The principals not only support the actor while in Character but also provide the necessary containment before and after embodying the role.

The Actor Wellbeing Facilitators Collective (AWFC)

When it comes to psychological realism in acting and the potential for experiencing vicarious trauma or (re)traumatization and the resulting impact on actor wellbeing, the many acting techniques for tapping into emotion are not a ‘one size fits all’ approach. While they are useful for some actors, for others, they can be harmful to their emotional wellbeing without proper support. Integrating emotion regulation techniques that support brave choices is an admirable goal for actors, trainers, educators, and coaches. Actor Care® is among the dozens of specialized offerings that are available in the Actor Wellbeing Facilitators Collective (AWFC), a global group of educators, researchers, therapists, acting coaches, well-being practitioners, and specialists of which I am a founding member, along with my colleague, Dr. Mark Seton. Our intention is to support the well-being of actors in education, production,n and lifestyle. Not one of us do exactly the same thing, which speaks to the vastness of the gap we are filling. Techniques like Inscaping, developed by Dr. Sara Lovett, to Emotional Fluency Training for Actors, developed by Tom Stroud and Innis Buchli, all have a place in the world of actor/performance wellbeing.

As research suggests, the world’s population has experienced some form of trauma. The impact of which alters our mind, body, and brain. It’s time to expand the wheelhouse of acting techniques to include our new understanding of how trauma impacts human nature. It’s time to bring wellbeing approaches to acting into the training institutes, onto film sets and rehearsal studios. ‘Trauma-informed’ is not a term to shy away from, but rather embraced and respected for the insights it can offer in our approach to acting and actor training. Having DIY tools to regulate emotion during performances is a game-changer. It’s the difference between an actor suffering for their art and an actor being in control of their craft.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

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Pillar #1: Abundance Always

Hollywood loves to preach scarcity: there are never enough opportunities; succeeding is incredibly rare. That’s a cute story, but I’m not here for it. Successful people don’t believe in scarcity, they believe in abundance. The truth is, there are an abundance of opportunities available to you at any given time.

When you focus on a shortage of opportunities, you put a lot of pressure on anything that comes your way. That pressure creates anxiety and affects your performance. It creates an energy of desperation like, “Wow! I got an opportunity! I better not blow this because it may be the only shot I get.” Ick.

When you believe in abundance, it takes the pressure off of any single opportunity. It also leads to consistent strategic moves—moves that you wouldn’t take after a rejection if you believed another opportunity was never going to come. If you lost an opportunity and were completely crushed, you may never get back up. But there is always another opportunity available. Abundance creates motivation to keep going and keep trying.

Pillar #2: Decisions Come From Desire, Not Fear

Most people make fear-based decisions. But you’re not most people! Successful people make decisions that support their dreams, even if it feels scary.

For example, let’s say you have contact information for a person who could potentially help you with your dream. But you’re scared to contact them. You don’t want to bother them and you’re scared they won’t want to help. So you decide not to contact them. That is a decision made from fear.

The successful person may still have those fears, but they contact the person anyway because it could help their dream. This also happens on a grander scale, when it comes to taking a big leap, investing in yourself, or taking any kind of risk. If you’re consistently making decisions out of fear, that means you’re not taking any risks. And when you’re not taking any risks, you’re not reaping any rewards.

Whenever you make a decision, pause, and ask yourself: Am I making this decision out of fear? Or does this decision help my dream move forward?

Pillar #3: Obstacles Are Opportunities To Pivot

Successful people are solution-oriented rather than problem-oriented. Most people, when faced with an obstacle, focus on the problem. They focus on it so much, they can’t even see a solution. All they see is a dead end. The High Achiever believes in solutions. When they hit an obstacle, they shift into the energy of the solution. They don’t see a dead end, they see an opportunity to pivot.

Do you know about the hidden arrow in the FedEx logo? In the white space between the E and the x, is the shape of an arrow.

There is also a baking spoon in the lowercase e in Fed. I knew about the arrow, but when I heard about the spoon, my mind was blown. “Omg! It was there the whole time and I never noticed!” See where I’m going here? Solutions, or opportunities to pivot, are always there when you know to look for them. People who are problem-oriented never see those solutions, even if they are right there in front of them just like the arrow and the spoon.

Obstacles are inevitable. But so is your success (spoiler alert from Pillar #7!). Believe in ways to pivot, and you’ll see ways to pivot (Ross Geller style). In my experience, the obstacles have always led to something so much better.

Pillar #4: Events Are Neutral, We Decide What They Mean

The stories we tell ourselves dictate everything: how we feel, what actions we take, and the results we get. We’re really good at creating stories when something goes wrong (or when we’re rejected). The moment we are faced with a rejection, the conversation in our mind begins, “I’m not good enough. They didn’t like me. I’m not likable. I’m not talented. This is never going to happen. This won’t work. I guess I’m not meant for this.” Sound familiar?

I can tell you this for sure, we are all really freaking talented at bullshit. Am I right?! Those stories we tell ourselves are not the truth. But we are pretty convincing, so we believe them. The real truth is this: anything that goes “wrong” on your journey, or any time you’re rejected...those events are neutral. They are not good, they are not bad. We assign a meaning to them. We decide if it’s good or bad. We fill in the blanks with why we think it happened.

The High Achiever stops engaging in fictional storytelling. They don’t attach a negative meaning to a neutral event without facts and data to back it up. Events are neutral. You are the only one who gets to decide if you’re meant for this. It’s not up to fate, it’s a decision.

Pillar #5: How You View Your Past

It’s easy to use time as proof that you’re not going to make it. But time doesn’t dictate our potential. Only we can dictate that.

The High Achiever does not let the past determine their future. If you’ve had bad experiences in the past, it may lead you to believe that all future experiences will be the same. For example, if you've had bad experiences with agents, you may then assume that all agents are bad, and you may even stop looking for an agent. But your past doesn’t dictate your future. It’s like taking out all your previous dating baggage out on your new partner. Don’t let your past stop you from moving forward.

Pillar #6: How You View Your Present

The Present is where people get tripped up the most. It’s all about focusing on the process rather than the result. When you plant a seed, you don’t stare at it all day and yell, “FLOWER, WHERE ARE YOU?!” You water it and take care of it, and over time the flower blooms.

Give your present a little watering. Trust that success will come when you’re really good at the process.

Pillar #7: How You View Your Future

Speaking of trust, your Future is all about believing that your success is inevitable. When I’m working on a new big goal, I don’t have time to even consider that it won’t happen. That’s a waste of my energy. Believing that it won’t happen will delay my success.

Our actions are completely tied to our thoughts. When you believe your success is inevitable, you take risks. You make the ask. You keep going in the face of rejection. You get ideas that you wouldn’t have gotten if you were focused on the “statistics” or the “reality of the situation.” Successful people operate from the place of believing they will succeed. Success is a decision.

Pillar #8: Respond Instead of React

Just like Pillar #2 tells you not to make decisions based on fear, Pillar #8 doesn’t want you to make decisions from an emotional state.

When a rejection or obstacle happens, it’s important that you allow yourself to feel the feelings that come up. Let yourself cry. You’re not a robot, so it’s OK to be human and feel the emotions that come along with a situation. In fact, it’s healthy to let them out. I’m totally a crier. I cry all the time. I fully practice Pillar #4, and I don’t let myself stay there, in those negative stories. But I do let myself release it. What I don’t do, though, is make decisions from that state.

It’s easy to want to make rash decisions about your next steps when you’re feeling emotional. But that often leads to making decisions out of fear. You can have your reaction. But don’t respond until you’ve calmed down and can make decisions that support your dream (i.e. don’t decide to give up on your dreams when you’re midway through a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, sniffling through tears).

P.S. The more you do this work, the shorter the time it will take to feel inspired again. Instead of feeling sad for a month, you’ll feel sad for a day. Growth has its benefits!

Pillar #9: You Are CEO, This Is Your Business

This one might sound a little weird, but hear me out. Think about your dream right now. What is it? In order for it to come true, you have to think about it as something tangible, rather than a fluffy concept. When you think about your dream as a business, as something more serious in terms of tangibility, it’s going to manifest that way.

Think of the different aspects a business has: marketing, accounting, sales, and creation. While not every one of those will apply to every dream, they are still concepts that can help you move out of hobby mode and into reality mode.

Every business has 3 types of costs:

1. Startup
2. Maintenance
3. Uplevel

Startup costs cover any investments required to get your dream off the ground. This might include equipment, training, or even moving to a specific city. A photographer may need to invest in a camera, a doctor needs to invest in education, and a director might move to Los Angeles to get connected with a community. Maintenance costs cover maintaining your dream. For example, a realtor may have to renew their license every four years. Or an actor may have to get their hair colored every few months. Uplevel costs cover investments that help you move up to a new level. Like a teacher getting their Masters to qualify for a higher level position, or an entrepreneur hiring a publicist to help them reach a larger audience.

I know money can be a scary thing, but it’s also an important part of making your dream into reality. Thinking of your dream as a business is going to make all the difference. You are the CEO of your dream so it’s time you took charge of it and steered it into the direction of fully realized.

Pillar #10: The Ruthless Bouncer

These pillars will put you on the path to success. I know they sound great in theory, but what about when real life happens?

The hardest part is not letting other people’s words break this wall down. Because the Negative Nancys are out there and they will voice their doubts in very convincing ways. That’s why you need to be ruthless about what you allow into your mind and energy. These pillars set you up for success and the moment you slip back into Nancy’s limiting beliefs, your success is delayed.

Here’s how your subconscious mind works: whatever is stored in there, your mind thinks is the absolute truth (kinda like those people who argue on the internet and aren’t capable of seeing any other side...they insist their opinion is right and everyone else is wrong). Let’s go back to the FedEx example. If your subconscious mind only sees the orange and purple letters, it believes that is the truth and nothing else exists. It doesn’t matter that the arrow and spoon do exist in the white space—if your mind only believes in the letters, it will only see the letters (until you show it proof). So the information stored in your subconscious will always be reflected back to you in your physical world. You’ll see whatever is stored in there.

You will always find what you’re looking for because your mind is wired to find proof that matches the “truth” inside it. Just like the FedEx logo, if you’ve stored “I’m not good enough” in your subconscious, it will be reflected back to you in your life. You’ll constantly have experiences that prove this to be true, that you’re not good enough. And it won’t just be random experiences that fall in your lap and confirm you’re not good enough. Your mind will actually lead you to create those moments.

The good news is that it works this way no matter what is in there. So if you believe that you are good enough, you’ll seek out experiences that prove that true. Can you see the importance of what is stored in your subconscious mind? It plays a significant role in your actions and the results you see. That’s why you need to be ruthless about what you allow in there.

Picture this: your subconscious mind is a club—an exclusive club with a bouncer at the door. There is music pumping and people (a.k.a. your thoughts) dancing, having a grand old time. It’s no wonder that everyone wants to get in there! But, alas, there is that huge bouncer standing outside the club, deciding who gets in. Guess who that bouncer is? It’s your conscious mind!

How does your conscious mind decide who gets into the hopping Subconscious Club? It’s all based on truth. Let’s play this out: Let’s say you’re hanging out with Nancy and Nancy says to you, “That dream you’re trying to go after is really hard. It probably won’t happen.” Oh Nancy, always with encouraging words, right?! Well, at that moment, you have a choice. You can choose to believe what Nancy said, or you can choose to reject it as truth. That’s your Conscious Bouncer dude, deciding if this statement gets to come into the party. If you decide what Nancy said is true, then it’s in! Past the ropes, no cover needed, in it goes! If you decide it’s not true, then it’s not getting in the club and you just won this round of Your Dream vs. Disbelievers. Wooooooo!

As you can see, your mindset is everything. Your beliefs are everything. Now that you have these 10 pillars, it’s imperative that you become ruthless about what else you allow in. You can do this. You are amazing. Your success is inevitable. Anything less is not comin’ in da club.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

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Your ability to read like an executive.

Not just to enjoy material. Not just to react to it. But to evaluate it through the lens of the marketplace.

Your reading brain.

This Is Why Everyone Starts With Coverage

There’s a reason so many internships and entry-level roles in entertainment begin the same way: stacks of scripts, coverage, notes, and then doing it all over again.

At first, it can feel repetitive. It can feel overwhelming. And if you’re being honest, it can even feel like busywork.

It’s not.

It’s where the real training begins.

Interns are cutting their teeth learning how to identify which scripts actually align with the company they’re working for. Not just what’s “good,” but what fits the boss’s taste, the company’s brand, their current mandates, and even their financial capabilities. A great script on paper doesn’t mean it’s a great fit for that company at that moment, and learning to recognize that is a huge part of the job.

But it doesn’t stop at identifying alignment; you then have to articulate it.

You have to clearly explain what’s working, why it could be a strong investment, how it might appeal to a specific audience, and whether it has a realistic path forward in development or production. That’s where the real muscle gets built, not just in reading, but in thinking.

Because you’re not writing coverage in a vacuum, you’re writing it for someone who is busy, who is making decisions quickly, and who is relying on you to filter what deserves their time and attention.

In many cases, you’re even asked to go a step further. After submitting your written coverage, you may be pulled into a room and asked to verbally pitch your thoughts to the development team. To defend your recommendation. To answer questions. To think on your feet.

That’s not just an exercise. That’s preparation.

Because what you’re really learning is how to think like an executive. How to evaluate material within a larger ecosystem of business, audience, and timing. And for those who lean into it and really hone that skill, this is often the beginning of everything they’re working toward.

The Mistake Most Writers Make Early

And this is where so many writers, myself included, get tripped up in the beginning.

When I was fresh out of film school, I misunderstood this completely.

I thought good coverage meant defending what I loved. I thought my job was to champion the scripts that spoke to me personally, to fight for the ones that felt original or exciting to me, and to protect my taste as if that was the value I was bringing to the table.

But development isn’t about your taste.

It’s about discernment.

And that realization takes a minute to fully land.

Because the industry doesn’t run on personal preference, it runs on a combination of audience demand, market positioning, budget reality, timing, and strategy. A script can be beautifully written, emotionally resonant, and completely aligned with your personal taste… and still not be something a company can make, sell, or sustain.

That doesn’t make it bad. It just means it’s not viable for that moment, for that buyer, or for that business model.

Once you start to see that, everything begins to shift.

What You’re Really Training Yourself to See

As your reading brain develops, you start to notice that your instincts are changing.

You’re no longer leading with, “Did I like this?” Instead, you’re asking, “What is this trying to do, and does it succeed at that?”

You begin to read with a wider lens. You’re thinking about who the audience is and whether that audience is clearly defined or just vaguely implied. You start to consider whether the concept feels fresh within its space, or if it’s competing with ten other projects already in the pipeline.

You notice how the idea might translate beyond the page. Can it be produced at a realistic budget level? Does it have elements that could travel internationally? Is there a clean, compelling hook that makes it easy to pitch in a room?

You also start thinking ahead. Can talent see themselves in this? Does the concept have enough depth to sustain development conversations, rewrites, and potentially even a series engine?

None of these questions remove the importance of craft. They elevate it.

Because now you’re not just asking if something is good. You’re asking if it works in the real world.

You’re no longer reading as a fan! You’re reading as someone who understands that every script is a piece of a much larger puzzle.

The Hardest Shift: Separating Taste from Value

This is the part that takes the most discipline, because it asks you to quiet something very instinctive and very personal, your taste.

We all have it. The genres we gravitate toward. The tones we connect with. The kinds of characters and stories that feel like home, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But when that becomes your only filter, it limits your ability to grow.

Maybe you don’t enjoy horror. Maybe broad comedy doesn’t land for you. Maybe you’re not naturally drawn to period pieces or sci-fi. That’s fine!

But if you want to operate at a professional level, you need to be able to step outside of your own preferences and evaluate whether something works on its own terms. And that’s exactly why it’s so important to challenge yourself as a reader. To actively seek out scripts, films, and series across genres and styles that you wouldn’t normally choose. Not just to consume them, but to understand them. To study what makes them effective, what audiences they’re serving, and how they’re positioned in the market.

Because the broader your exposure, the sharper your instincts become.

A horror script can be incredibly effective even if you would never choose to watch it on a Friday night. If the concept is clear, the audience is defined, the budget makes sense, and the emotional or thematic core connects, that’s something you should be able to recognize.

That’s the shift.

You stop asking, “Do I like this?”

And start asking, “Does this work for the people it’s meant for?”

Belief vs. Preference

Now, this doesn’t mean passion disappears. Belief still matters. In fact, it’s essential.

If you’re going to develop something, advocate for it, and push it through multiple stages of feedback and refinement, you need a reason to stand behind it.

But belief doesn’t always come from personal preference. Sometimes it comes from clarity. From recognizing that a concept has a strong foundation. That it speaks to a real audience. That it fills a space in the market. That it has a path forward.

You may not have chosen it as a viewer, but you understand exactly why it works and why it should exist.

Training your reading brain means learning to see beyond your own experience and into the potential life of a project once it leaves your hands.

How This Skill Changes Your Writing For The Better

This is where everything starts to compound. Because once you begin thinking this way as a reader, you can’t not think this way as a writer.

Your feedback becomes sharper because you’re not just pointing out what feels off, you’re identifying why something isn’t landing and what could make it stronger.

Your notes become more actionable because they’re grounded in both craft and context.

Your pitches become more focused because you understand not just your story, but its place in the market and how to communicate that clearly.

And your writing evolves.

You start making more intentional choices from the beginning. You become more aware of your audience. You think about clarity, structure, and concept in a way that aligns with how your work will actually be received.

You’re writing with perspective.

How to Start Training Your Reading Brain Today

This shift doesn’t happen overnight, but it can start immediately.

And it doesn’t only start on the page. You can begin by watching content differently.

The next time you’re watching a film or a television series, challenge yourself to move beyond being a passive viewer. Start thinking about who the project is for. What audience is it serving? What makes it appealing to that audience? How is it positioned in terms of tone, budget, and marketability?

Pay attention to the choices being made. Why does this concept work? Why might it have been greenlit? How was it marketed to reach its audience?

Then take that same mindset into your reading.

When you pick up a script or revisit one of your own drafts, try adjusting the question. Instead of asking, “Did I like this?” take a step back and ask who the project is really for and whether it delivers on what that audience is expecting or hoping for.

Consider what makes it stand out. Think about what would make someone in a decision-making position say yes to this right now.

Even just slowing down enough to ask those questions, whether you’re watching or reading, will start to change how you process material.

And over time, those reps add up.

The Writers Who Break Through Aren’t Just Talented

The writers who break through aren’t just talented. They’re aware.

They understand the difference between what they love and what works. And more importantly, they learn how to align those two things in a way that feels intentional, strategic, and authentic to them.

Because this isn’t just about selling one script. It’s not just about landing a single option agreement or having one moment of momentum.

It’s about building a career that lasts.

The ability to consistently evaluate your work through this lens, to understand the market, the audience, and the viability of your ideas, is what allows you to keep creating, keep adapting, and keep selling again and again.

That’s what separates a one-time win from a sustainable path forward.

Now, tell me in the comments- What’s a film or television series you weren’t the obvious audience for, but ended up really enjoying? What elements made it work for you anyway?

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

The entertainment industry is not a lottery. It is a marketplace with real signals, active mandates, and specific needs at any given moment. Studios are greenlighting certain things right now and passing on others. Managers are building particular kinds of rosters. Producers are attached to projects that tell you exactly what they’re looking for next. All of that intelligence is available…if you’re paying attention.

Read the trades. Every day.
Deadline, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Indiewire…They are a real-time map of the market. When you see that a producer just set up a thriller at Netflix, that tells you something. When you see that a manager just signed three writers from the same genre, that tells you something. When you see that a studio is doubling down on elevated horror or pulling back from mid-budget drama, that tells you exactly where the wind is blowing. Writers who read the trades don’t just know what’s selling: They know why, and they use that knowledge to position their work strategically rather than shooting in the dark.

Don’t write in a vacuum.
The best scripts don’t just tell great stories: They tell great stories at the right moment. That doesn’t mean chasing trends. It means understanding the landscape well enough to know where your work fits and who needs it right now. A contained thriller with a high-concept hook lands differently in a market where streamers are hungry for low-budget genre than it does in a moment when every buyer is chasing prestige drama. Context (and timing) is everything.

Use the people who know the room.
This is where most writers leave enormous value on the table. At Stage 32, our Success Team talks to executives, managers, and producers constantly. We know who is actively looking for material, what their mandates are right now, what they just passed on, and what would make them stop and say yes. That knowledge is available to you.

Before you book a pitch session or submit to an Open Writing Assignment, reach out. Tell us what you’re working on. Ask who on our roster would be the strongest match for your material. We have over 3,000 executives, managers, agents, and producers — and not all of them are equally right for every project. The difference between a pitch that lands and one that doesn’t is often not the script. It’s the room.

The writers who break through aren’t necessarily the ones with the best scripts. They’re the ones who combine great writing with real market intelligence and smart relationship-building. Those three things together are unstoppable.

This Week in the Writers' Room

The Pitch Tank with Sammy Warshaw- Wednesday, April 8th at 4pm PT!

Sammy Warshaw is joining us in the Pitch Tank — a producer and film executive who has spent over a decade working at the center of Hollywood with Jason Blum at Blumhouse on HAPPY DEATH DAY, HALLOWEEN, and BLACKKKLANSMAN, with Neal Moritz at Original Film on SONIC THE HEDGEHOG and ESCAPE ROOM, and as Co-Producer on SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 and KNUCKLES at Columbia Pictures.

If you would like to join the Writers’ Room, access weekly events, submit to dozens of open writing assignments, and attend exclusive pitch tanks with industry executives- click HERE to accept my offer for a free month!

This Week’s Exciting Announcements!

This week, we're spotlighting Stage 32 Member, Julia Shackman who signed a 12-month shopping agreement on her book after meeting the producer in a Stage 32 consultation!

Julia is a feel-good romance author from Scotland, published with HarperCollins imprint One More Chapter. Her debut novel A Secret Scottish Escape has sold over 100,000 copies in e-book, and she has just signed a new two-book deal with the imprint. Her latest release, A Scottish Island Summer, is available now in e-book and paperback. Julia's warm, witty, and emotionally grounded romances are a natural fit for adaptation — think charming settings, sharp humor, and the kind of love stories that stay with you. She is represented by literary agent Selwa Anthony.

Click here to connect with Julia and say "Congrats!"

Announcing The Stage 32 + Mark Creative Management + 831 Entertainment Film & TV Drama Screenwriting Contest Semi-finalists!

We're thrilled to announce the semi-finalists in this year's Stage 32's Film & TV Drama Screenwriting Contest in partnership with Mark Creative Management and 831 Entertainment

Our Finalists will receive:

Our Finalists will receive a Career Momentum prize package valued at $1,500, including Career Development, a Writer Branding Workshop and an Education package, and will have your logline featured in a Stage 32 Look Book sent to over 2,500+ top entertainment industry executives, giving your work unparalleled exposure!

But that’s not all! Everyone who makes the Semi-Finals will receive a Career Breakthrough prize package valued at $1,000, our Quarterfinalists will receive a Career Elevation prize package valued at $500, and all Entrants will get a prize package valued at $100!

The Grand Prize Winning screenwriter will receive:

• Development placement for script development and packaging with Mark Creative Management
• Career Accelerator Prize Package ($4,000 value) including script development, career consulting, writer branding, and comprehensive education resources
• Personal Mentorship Track with dedicated 1:1 career development sessions from our success team
• Industry Marketing Campaign promoting winner to our exclusive roster of 2,500+ managers, agents, producers, and executives
• Strategic Partnership where Stage 32 and Mark Creative Management executives collaborate to prepare your project to take directly to market

This Week In The Stage 32 Community!

Every writer hits a wall at some point. The difference between staying stuck and moving forward often comes down to one thing, being willing to talk about it.

Right now in the Screenwriting Lounge, Head of Community Ashley Smith has sparked a conversation that cuts straight to the core of the creative process: What’s holding you back right now?

It’s a simple question, but an important one. Because the obstacles we face are rarely unique. They just feel that way when we’re in them.

• For some, it’s time. Balancing life, work, and writing can feel like an impossible equation.
• For others, it’s finishing a draft. Knowing where to go next, or how to push through the middle.
• And for many, it’s confidence. Feedback. Rejection. Not knowing if you’re on the right path, or what the next step should be.
• And sometimes, it’s all of it at once.

What makes this conversation so valuable is not just the honesty, it’s the solutions that come out of it. Writers sharing what helped them finish that script. What shifted their mindset. What small change made a big difference. Because progress in this industry is rarely about one big breakthrough. It’s about learning how to navigate the roadblocks as they come.

These are the conversations that remind you that you’re not behind, you’re in process. And that other writers are figuring it out right alongside you. If something has been slowing you down lately, or if you’ve recently pushed through a challenge, this is your chance to both get support and offer it.

Jump into the discussion, share what’s real for you, and be part of a community that understands exactly what you’re navigating.

Click here to join the conversation!

Need help navigating the industry? Contact success@stage32.com

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

Stage 32 Certification offers top-level training built specifically for both emerging and established film professionals, with practical, hands-on skills that productions everywhere are seeking right now. Houston already stands out for our wealth of talent, unique locations, and collaborative mindset. With Stage 32 Certification, we can further empower our local filmmakers so they're equipped not just for Texas-based projects but for opportunities on a global stage.

These online courses—led by industry practitioners from a wide range of filmmaking disciplines—are accessible to anyone passionate about working in film and TV. Whether you're a student just starting or a seasoned crew member ready to upskill, Stage 32's training is designed to help you build both the confidence and technical know-how needed to advance in today's rapidly changing industry.

Here's how this partnership directly benefits Houston's filmmaking community:

• Practical & Essential Skills: Courses cover critical roles such as production accounting, assistant directing, and location management, all designed to ensure our workforce is ready for the challenges of real-world sets.
• Career Advancement: With Stage 32 Certification credentials recognized worldwide by the film industry, Houston filmmakers will stand out when applying for local, national, and international productions—opening truly new doors.
• Global Recognition: Once certified, the recipient will be listed in an international database that helps Houston crew and artists get discovered and hired by productions worldwide.

Professional development and continued training are at the very heart of the Houston Film Commission's mission to nurture a vibrant, sustainable film ecosystem. By offering Stage 32 Certification, we're giving Houston filmmakers the resources to level up, whether their aspirations lie with homegrown indie features or the biggest global studio productions. These courses are a gateway to practical skills, career mobility, and creative confidence.

We are deeply committed to providing new opportunities, supporting growth, and connecting Houston's creative community with the wider world. Partnering with Stage 32 Certification is the next bold step as we champion Houston as a leading destination for filmmakers and storytellers everywhere. Let's keep Houston's film future bright and unstoppable!

What has been filmed in Houston?

Houston, TX, has been the backdrop for some of the most memorable movies and television shows in cinematic history. Landmark films such as "Terms of Endearment" (which won five Oscars, including Best Picture), "Rushmore," "Boyhood," "Urban Cowboy," "Reality Bites", and "Apollo 13" all shot iconic scenes throughout Houston's neighborhoods, universities, and restaurants, capturing the city's character on screen. The sci-fi classic "Logan's Run" used Houston's space heritage and futuristic settings, while productions like "RoboCop 2," "Night Game," and "The Bad News Bears in Breaking Training" showcased Houston as versatile and vibrant. Some recent and notable independent feature films are "Bull" starring Rob Morgan, "Red Rocket" by director Sean Baker, and "Charliebird" by Samantha Smart. For television, Houston's locations have featured in series such as "Reba," "Houston Knights," "Chase," and "Top Chef: Houston," along with reality favorites "My 600-lb Life" and countless episodes of "Cops". These projects not only highlight Houston's rich diversity and cinematic appeal but also solidify its status as a key filming destination for both major Hollywood productions and beloved TV shows.

The Two Types of Stage 32 Certification

Master Certifications: These are a group of courses that make up a master's knowledge of a particular discipline. You will need to take all of the courses in a Master Certification track and pass a test in each course in order to be Master Certified.

Current Master Certifications Include:

• Production Accounting Master Certification
• TV Production Management Master Certification
• Feature Film Production Management Master Certification
• Line Producing Master Certification
• Producer Key Legal Agreements Master Certification
• Script Supervising Master Certification
• Location Management Master Certification
• Production Coordinator Master Certification
• Production Assistant Master Certification
• Assistant Director Master Certification
• Post-Production Supervision Master Certification

Individual Certifications: These are individual courses that focus on a particular skill set, in which you will watch the course and then be tested at the end to receive your certificate.

Current Individual Certifications Include:

• Budget Creation
• Production Scheduling
• Call Sheets
• Production Accounting 101
• Payroll Accounting and Management for Film & TV
• Cost Reporting
• US Tax Incentive Management
• Script Supervision 101
• Script Supervision: Script Timing & Page Breakdown
• Script Supervision: Continuity Breakdown
• Script Supervision: Script Notes & Lined Script Pages
• Script Supervision: On Set Continuity
• Script Supervision: Progress Reports & Work Flow
• Production Wrap Deliverables
• Final Delivery Elements Of A TV Show
• Final Delivery Elements Of A Feature Film
• Option/Purchase/Shopping Agreements
• Feature Film Financing Agreements
• Investor Agreements
• International Co-Production Agreements
• Crew Agreements
• Talent Agreements
• Distribution & Sales Agency Agreements
• Fundamentals Of Location Management
• Location Scouting
• Location Management: Budgeting & Scheduling
• Location Management: Contracts, Risk Management & Negotiating
• The Fundamentals of Production Coordinating
• Production Coordinator: Logistics
• Fundamentals Of Production Assisting
• Production Assistant: On Set Protocols
• Production Assistant: Paperwork & Department Interaction
• Fundamentals Of Assistant Directing
• Assistant Director Scheduling
• First Assistant Director On Set Protocols
• Key 2nd Assistant Director Protocols & Call Sheets
• 2nd 2nd Assistant Director Protocols
• Fundamentals of Post-Production Supervision
• Post-Production Supervisor Protocols for a TV Series
• Post-Production Supervisor Protocols for a Feature Film
• Post-Production Supervisor Scheduling & Budgeting
• Post-Production Coordinator & Production Assistant Protocols

What Happens After You Get Certified?

Once you complete a Stage 32 Certification, you will:

• Be included in a global database searchable by industry professionals, film commissions, and studios.
• Receive a certification badge on your Stage 32 profile, which is visible to over 1.3 million members worldwide.
• Gain credentials to display on your social media, resume, and LinkedIn profile.
• Be recognized as a qualified industry professional, making it easier for you to get hired and advance your career.

Get Certified. Get To Work. Start By Clicking Here!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

I’m curious: if we were to poll 1,000 regular users of Stage32, how many of them jumped in and learned all of the resources right away? My guess is that 8 out of 10 new members were more like me: tiptoeing into the waters.

 

Maybe you’re wondering, “There are so many incredible options, and how do I pick?" I felt like a kid in a candy store, and I wasn’t focusing. Plus, I really wanted to learn it all at once! The good news is: if we can get over THE NEW‑KID‑FIRST‑DAY‑OF‑SCHOOL vibes and move into a place of wonder, learning, and collaboration, we will get MASSIVE value.

 

I know because it was my journey. As someone who started that way and missed out on a ton of great relationships, mentoring, and a place where I felt I belonged, let me share how to start.

 

Every Easter (I have no idea why, because it’s not an Easter flick), my grandma would gather all of us kids, and we’d watch The Sound of Music and sing along. I still love that movie, so in honor of this time of year, and without further ado… my TOP TEN list for getting involved as a new (or seasoned) member; and feel free to sing along as we discuss!

Let’s Start at the Very Beginning (Introduce Yourself Lounge)

It’s easy, and you don’t have to “wax eloquent.” In fact, I recommend you don’t try. Just pop into the lounge and give a brief intro of WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, HOW. One weekend every month, you have a chance to reintroduce yourself.

Example:
"Hi, my name is Libby Wright, and I’m a screenwriter who also dabbles in producing and writing scores. I’ve just joined Stage 32, and I started writing scripts three years ago. I’m here because I want to find connections with other creatives. Living in rural Louisiana, I don’t have a lot of opportunities to collaborate with people in this industry, so I’m really hoping to find some connection here.”

Click here to introduce yourself now!

Do: An Open House (The FREE Open House)

Remember the campus tours when you were searching for college (or uni for our friends across the pond) and how helpful they were in making the decision? That’s what this open house is all about: learning how to navigate Stage32 in all of its glory and finding “your people.” Be able to ask questions, note experts in your area of interest, and learn about upcoming events. The goal of participating is to find ways you can plug in without stumbling around the site.

 

If you missed the most recent Open House Webcast, you can catch the full on-demand recording for free by clicking here!

Re: A Drop of Golden (Advice from Experts)

I did things backwards, I admit it! I started out getting a 10‑page script review before I knew much about the site or that I should even format my script (rookie mistake).

 

Afterward, I learned that I could get awesome expert and collaborative support from the community before I purchased anything educational. While there’s no “wrong way” to engage with Stage32, I would have gotten a lot more value if I’d gotten a little help from my new friends first, as well as expert group members and moderators in each lounge who have experience. Then made the most of these consultations to learn and strengthen my material when I was more prepared.

 

Now I feel more confident and comfortable when meeting with professionals to discuss my projects, goals, and material. Plus, I'm proud to say that I've received a "double-recommend" for both my writing and specific projects.

 

You can explore Stage 32's amazing script services by clicking here! 

 

Mi: A Name I Call Myself (Making a Profile)

This may seem like a no‑brainer, but take the time to create and frequently update your profile.

 

It’s your calling card and the best way for like‑minded people to find you. Be sure to add your loglines, accomplishments, goals, interests, and projects. Use it to grow your network. There’s even a Profile Link you can use to share your page and grow your network faster on other sites and social media accounts!

Fa: A Long, Long Way to Run (To FREE Professional Insights Like Ask Me Anything Events)

I cannot stress enough how awesome this is!

Sometimes there are free webinars, which I love, and if you missed the most recent one where Producer Anna Henry did a full breakdown of the Heated Rivalry Pilot, you can catch the full recording by clicking here!

But Ask Me Anything events in the Stage 32 Lounges are hands down my favorite.

Why? Because an expert is answering whatever questions we pose for 24 hours! Yes, you might not get an immediate answer due to time zones and other commitments, but where else are you, someone from a non‑entertainment hub, going to be able to get expert advice and connections? Where I live, I could ask an alligator, but that’s about it!

The best part is that the posts stay available in the lounges, even after the event ends. So if you missed your chance to ask a question, you can still learn so much valuable information from reading through the posts. 

For example, if you missed the recent Ask Me Anything Event in the Producing Lounge with Film & TV Producer, Nikita Adams, you can still read through all of her valuable advice by clicking here!

So: A Needle Pulling Threads (Finding Lounges of Interest)

Go ahead: pop into every lounge!

There’s no restriction, and you might learn something. Maybe you can come to the lounges I moderate (Screenwriting & Composing) and do a fun creative exercise, talk shop about the greatest scores or characters of all time, or get that pesky logline you’ve been trying to fix for two years up to par (thanks Maurice Vaughn).

Explore all of the amazing lounges by clicking here. But don't just scroll through, join in!

La: A Note to Follow (So Many Lounge Threads to Choose From — Like the Writer’s Room)

And… if you really want to up your game and you’re a writer like me, The Writer’s Room is a must! It’s full of great advice and feedback live on Zooms with industry professionals, exclusive access like Open Writing Assignments to submit your scripts to producers and reps, a VIP lounge where you can collaborate even further with other Writer's Room, and too many other perks to name.

Stage 32 offers everyone a first month free to explore the amazing benefits by clicking here!

Ti: A Drink with Jam & Bread (Getting Expert Help From the Stage 32 Success Team)

I have to say, the staff here go above and beyond.

Whenever I have a question, I send an email (pro tip: email — don’t DM if you have a pressing question). They have guided me to the right educational materials, the right experts to pitch to, and even helped me find other opportunities I didn’t know existed. They know their stuff, and the connections they have are phenomenal.

If you ever want advice about your creative goals, next steps, and the best experts to connect with, you can email the Stage 32 Success Team directly at Success@Stage32.com!

You can also explore Stage 32's Global Contest Hub by clicking here!

Brings Us Back to Do (A Course, A Training Course)

When you are ready, the Stage 32 education classes, webinars, certification courses, and labs are phenomenal.

Some are for absolute beginners—start there!

I learned from my 10‑pager experience and decided to make a wish list of interesting courses. I’ve done webinars and classes, but my all‑time favorite thing here is the LAB offerings.

Labs offer an intimate setting, usually over several sessions, where the expert really gets to know you and offers practical advice for your project. Jeanette Milio’s finance course for my feature film blew my mind and leveled me up in a way I’m convinced I would never have reached on my own. We got to pitch to two executives at the end, and it was invaluable!

You can explore Stage 32's upcoming courses, as well as their entire back catalog, by clicking here.

Or you can always email their Education Team directly to ask for curated advice on the best courses for your interests and goals, at Edu@Stage32.com.

Combine to Make Beautiful Music From Your Creative Efforts

Put all of this together, and you’ve got a real chance at making something happen!

Whether it’s building friendships, honing your craft, learning a new skill, or finding a path to completing a project, this is the way I’ve done it — and the way you can win too.

Do these top ten steps, and you’ll be on the path to massive connection, massive support, and true success! And, if you’re like me, you may just exponentially move your project forward…

My feature‑film script went from busted‑up, total amateur hour to a Double‑Recommended Script, a fully formed pitch deck, an expertly crafted line budget, and solid structure, all thanks to the support, instruction, and collaboration I found on Stage 32.

Now that we’ve sung our way through learning all about Stage 32, I’d love to hear your experiences. Where are you on the list? Have you completed everything, or are there things you still have yet to explore? Are there any parts of the platform that you feel most comfortable or at home? Have you built any special friendships? What favorite tools have I missed?

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

I hope your weekend has been a creative one so far. Whether you have been writing, filming, editing, or sketching out the next spark of an idea, I have got something today that will give you a boost. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in.

This week’s featured video comes from Variety- How 'Wicked: For Good' Composer Wrote 'The Girl in the Bubble' & 'No Place Like Home'

And if you listen closely, there’s a powerful lesson here that goes far beyond composing.

These songs didn’t arrive fully formed. They started rough, imperfect, even a little messy. A voice memo recorded alone at a piano and ideas that felt right in theory but didn’t quite work once they met the reality of the screen. Entire sections were cut. Arrangements were reworked. Tone shifted based on performance, visuals, and emotion. What worked on stage didn’t always translate to film. What sounded good in isolation had to evolve to serve the story.

And that’s the takeaway!

No matter what you create, writing, directing, composing, or producing, your work will evolve. It has to. The strongest creatives are not the ones who get it perfect on the first try. They are the ones who stay flexible, who listen to the story, and who are willing to refine, adjust, and even let go of ideas when something better reveals itself. At the end of the day, it’s not about protecting your first draft or idea. It’s about serving the final story.

I was recently asked how composers, and really any creative, can use Stage 32 to find more opportunities and build real connections. And the answer is simple, but not always easy. You have to show up.

A lot of creatives come into the platform, look around, maybe read a few posts, and then disappear. Some may lurk around in the lounges, watch a few webinars, wait, and hope something will happen. But nothing happens when you stay invisible.

If you want to build relationships, you need to be active. That starts with introducing yourself in the Stage 32 Introduce Yourself Lounge, where creatives from all over the world come together to share who they are, what they’re working on, and what they’re looking for. 

But here’s where most people miss the opportunity; they post about themselves… and then they leave. The real value comes from consistently engaging with others by commenting on posts, asking questions, and starting conversations. That’s how relationships begin, collaborations happen, and people remember your name.

If you’re a composer, the Composing and Post-Production Lounges should be your home bases. Start conversations about your process and challenges you’ve faced, share tips, or ask for insight or advice. You’ll quickly find others working in your space or learning alongside you, and that’s where real connection starts.

And don’t forget, you can actively search for other creatives on Stage 32: directors, producers, editors, people who are looking for exactly what you bring to the table.

But again, none of it works if you’re not participating. This industry moves through relationships. And relationships are built through consistent, genuine connection.

So take what you learned today from the creative process behind Wicked, stay open, stay adaptable, keep refining your work… and then take that same energy into how you show up for your career and your community.

Now I want to hear from you: What’s one creative decision you’ve had to change or let go of that ultimately made your project stronger?

As always, here at Stage 32, we love sharing stories and knowledge with our fellow film fans. Know someone who would love this content? Share it with them. You can keep up with all of our videos by subscribing to the Stage 32 YouTube Channel. For more inspirational, educational, and motivational content on all things entertainment industry, follow me on Instagram and X @rbwalksintoabar.

Wishing you a very happy, healthy, and creative Sunday.

Cheers,

RB

Variety | How 'Wicked: For Good' Composer Wrote 'The Girl in the Bubble' & 'No Place Like Home'

RBWalksIntoABar | How Do I Network as a Composer?

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

A quick Internet search will yield an abundance of self-tape how-to articles and videos, which is great, and I encourage you to watch and read them. But they mostly focus on the technical aspects of the process (cameras, lighting, sound, setup) and far less on the actor’s craft.

So, I’ve designed this article with the actor’s performance in mind. After all—the strength of the audition is still the primary driver for getting the part.

A word before we start. Like anything in this ever-evolving world, there are pros and cons to this shift from in-person to on-tape auditions. The pros are pretty obvious—you can submit from anywhere at any time. This increases the amount of auditions you can submit for as well as decreasing expenses for travel and time. You can also do numerous takes to get the audition you and your agent want, which I’ll talk about more as we go.

The cons involve the same imbalance that I’ve noticed in the ’Net tutorials—self-tape puts a lot of weight on the technical and less on the personal aspects of the audition. When I started making the rounds in the 1990s in Philadelphia and New York, it was all about personal networking—the more auditions you had, the more you got to know casting directors, directors, and other actors. That familiarity figured into how we approached an audition and often played into the outcome.

A casting agent, during a seminar where we were both teaching, gave me a tip that I employed every now and again… as you leave the audition room and the heads of the other actors come up from their sides, subtly clench your fist, bring your arm into your side, and whisper: “Yes!”

The good old days.

Another con is that actors often book gigs because of their ability to make adjustments on the fly. In other words, “directability.” A self-tape audition is a fixed thing, which kills that advantage.

So how do you overcome the lack of person-to-person contact that the traditional audition allowed?

As a teacher and director, I work with more and more actors via online video, both as a coach and for self-tape auditions. The things we’ve learned working through this particular camera frame help to solve some of these cons, because we concentrate on overcoming them as part of the work.

Here’s what we’ve learned.

1. The Audition Room is a Sacred Space

Where you tape your auditions says a lot about you as a person and a professional. Keeping in mind the requirement of a neutral background and soft, even lighting, you can make almost any space look professional with a little time and effort—even a hotel room or back room at work.

In addition to the technical requirements, the space must also be one where you can be calm, focused, and confident. It needs to be quiet—not just for the quality of the recording but for you.

Take a few moments while you’re setting the space to get in synch with its energy. Think good thoughts. Imagine how the audition process will go and how the audition will be viewed and received.

The work of my students and clients who rush the self-tape process always suffers.

I am including The Slate here because it represents you as the professional the decision-makers are evaluating. The Slate is your chance to make that connection that in-person auditions allow. Remember—it’s so much more than just a technical who, where, when, and what. The Slate is your opportunity to show your personality before you shift gears and become the character.

2. Wardrobe, Hair, Makeup (and Props!)

This is another area that is well covered in the self-tape how-to’s out in the ether, with the exception of props.

A quick review: choose a wardrobe and do your hair and makeup so you look your best for the role—if that’s what it requires. Otherwise, choose clothing and do your hair to approximate the character for which you are auditioning. No need to rent a costume—it’s just an approximation, but an invaluable one, to both you and the decision-makers—because costume and hairstyle give you energetic and physical cues for a character.

I always use an approximation of my costume early in rehearsals and for auditions. Shoes are key—you stand and shift weight differently in boots, flip-flops, high heels, dress shoes, or barefoot. Tight, loose, or layered clothing governs posture and mannerisms. Scarves, ties, and hats change how you move your head and neck. The list goes on.

So choose wisely.

Props are rarely if ever talked about. But I have my clients and students experiment with them during the takes. Cigarettes, eyeglasses, a fan or handkerchief… these are the primary props we’ve used. Because they can be part of the “psychological gestures” of the character, as Michael Chekhov called them. They can show confidence, nervousness, thinking—and the all-important shifts between beats. More on this later.

3. Working with the Words

Self-tape gives the actor the opportunity to better control the audition.

This starts with the sides. Print them out and mark them up. Underlining for emphasis, slashes for pauses (don’t ever underestimate the power of a pause), circling significant punctuation, and phonetically spelling out difficult words are the basics that I stress.

Next, mark the changes in beats with active verbs: “to convince,” “to seduce,” “to humiliate,” etc. Mark the most significant turns in the character’s approach, tone, and personality. If the casting director did their job, the sides should have at least one. These are the moments where you’ll truly show your skill.

If you memorize the sides, do it exactly. The last thing you want is to indicate to a casting director/director that you play fast and loose with the words. I prefer to know them well but still refer to the paper. Current wisdom is to memorize and have the papers in front of you to show that it’s a work in progress—another way to demonstrate “directability.”

If you don’t fully memorize the sides, here’s a simple technique: use your thumb as a marker to keep your place; glance at the paper, look up, and deliver the line. Move your thumb. Repeat.

And make sure to have your reader watch where you’re holding the paper, so it isn’t blocking your face or otherwise cutting off your energy and connection to the camera. Hold it almost out of frame, at eye level.

Practice makes perfect.

A strategy from a client: If a line or beat breaks awkwardly on the page, do a little old-fashioned cutting and taping to avoid having to flip a page at a crucial moment.

4. The Role of the Director

The traditional role of the director applies. I often serve as director and reader, and if you can find someone who has both skill sets, all the better.

A key focus for the director is the Breakdown, which is full of valuable information. Information you MUST adhere to for your audition to be considered. A director can be invaluable in interpreting and getting you to adhere to the requirements in the Breakdown.

Once I’ve read the Breakdown and the sides, and the Breakdown a second and third time, I have the first call with my client, setting a strategy based on what we’ve read. We typically set up the self-tape for the next day, giving us an opportunity to adequately prepare.

Another area where the director is invaluable is deciding when to stop. In other words, when the best take has been captured. More on that in #7.

5. The Role of the Reader

I am quick to recall the times in the audition room when I was paired with either a bad actor or—worse—a casting assistant or some other staffer who fed me the cue lines in a stumbling monotone. It was our job as actors to overcome those hurdles.

No more.

One of the most exciting things about self-tape auditions is that they encourage using good actors as your readers. And those readers don’t need to be in the same room—I serve as reader for many actors who live a good distance away.

They put their smartphone on a tripod with a good phone bracket and place me right next to the camera they are using to tape the audition.

So there’s no reason why you can’t go out and get the best reader or readers you can find. They don’t need to fit the part—they just have to work with you to produce the best audition you can muster.

It’s a great exercise for a reader to have to prepare different types of parts—I have read a variety of young and old, ethnicities, genders, and so on. It’s a great selling point for finding good readers. They will benefit as much as you do.

I am always careful to be secondary to the actor doing the self-tape, never pulling focus with volume or an over-sized choice. That’s part of the discipline of any actor whose character is not primary in the beat or scene. More good practice.

6. The Benefit of Numerous Takes

A major benefit to actors doing self-tape auditions is the ability to do numerous takes so you can choose the one that’s best. In order to make the most of this, as you are marking up the sides and doing your rehearsals, work with your director to make strong, clear choices and try to achieve them in the fewest possible takes. I explain why in #7.

After each useable take, check the tech. There is nothing more disheartening than doing a strong take and realizing the camera was never turned on or a dump truck went by and ruined the sound.

7. Knowing When to Stop

da Vinci said that art is never finished but abandoned. What I think he meant is that Perfection is unattainable, there is a gap between what we envision and what we manifest, and there is danger in going too far in the quest to make it better.

I believe that, if the actor has done the correct preparation, the third or fourth take holds their peak performance. The director’s feedback is key. Doing endless takes trying to squeeze out a few more tears or a slightly crisper turn or beat shift or surprise moment can be counterproductive, to say the least.

Remember: the camera’s very sensitive… it can pick up the slightest tension, or magnify the briefest hesitation or second-guessing. So know when to stop. Know when you’ve gotten the take that is your best at This Moment, at this stage in your development as an actor.

A caveat. Once we get a strong, useable take, we go for one more. Honestly, it’s rarely better. And it doesn’t need to be. But sometimes you strike gold.

Then you edit, send, and move on to the next one.

And… Cut!

As you can see, there are lots of benefits for the actor when it comes to self-taping.

Apply these tips, practice them as often as you’re able, and go forward with confidence knowing that your next acting job might just be a strong self-tape audition away!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

The skyline. The scale. The architecture. The speed. The polish. For many people outside the region, the city registers first as a visual spectacle, a place that looks expensive, futuristic, and immediately cinematic.

What it is rarely known for, at least not yet, is narrative filmmaking.

That gap between perception and reality is exactly what makes Dubai so interesting.

Because beyond its image, beyond the obvious production value of its locations, there is something more important taking shape: a growing creative base of actors, writers, directors, cinematographers, editors, and producers who are eager to build meaningful narrative work. Not only commercial campaigns. Not only branded content. Not only short-form material designed for fast consumption and even faster disappearance. But stories. Films. Character-driven work. Projects shaped by authorship, ambition, and a desire to create something lasting.

That side of Dubai is still underestimated.

And it should not be.

More Than a Cinematic City

It is easy to call Dubai cinematic. In some ways, that is the simplest observation one can make about it. The city has visual scale, architectural range, and a striking ability to transform from one tone to another depending on where the camera is placed. It can feel futuristic, clinical, luxurious, intimate, isolated, corporate, or surreal.

But to reduce Dubai to its visuals is to miss the larger point.

What gives the city real promise as a filmmaking environment is not only how it looks. It is the range of people and perspectives that exist within it. Dubai brings together an unusually international concentration of voices, experiences, accents, references, and sensibilities. For any filmmaker interested in story, that kind of diversity is not incidental. It is creatively generative. It expands the kinds of narratives that can be written, the kinds of characters that can exist on screen, and the ways those stories can be told.

The location value is real, of course. But the human value is what makes the city genuinely interesting.

In that sense, the issue has never been whether Dubai has creative potential. It clearly does.

The Missing Layer

What Dubai still lacks, however, is not talent. Nor is it ambition.

What it lacks is sufficient narrative infrastructure.

At present, much of the city’s creative industry is shaped around commercials, branded productions, events, and service-based work. That ecosystem has value. It provides employment, develops technical skill, and keeps production talent active. It has helped build a generation of highly capable crew and creative professionals.

But a city does not become a serious narrative filmmaking hub simply because production is taking place.

Commercial activity and narrative culture are not the same thing.

A true filmmaking ecosystem requires more than technical ability and visual opportunity. It requires structures that support original projects from development through execution and beyond. That means a stronger culture of script development, more pathways for attaching talent, more belief in original material, better producing pipelines, greater access to financing, and a clearer sense of how projects can be positioned for audiences and markets outside the city itself.

This is the layer Dubai is still in the process of building.

And in many ways, that is the most important work ahead.

Building Before Permission Arrives

One of the realities of working in an emerging scene is that waiting rarely helps.

If creatives wait for the perfect system to arrive before they begin, years are lost. Momentum disappears into theory. Potential remains potential.

That is part of what led to the creation of Dubai Creatives, the community I founded as an attempt to contribute to a stronger narrative culture from the ground up.

Rather than approaching the problem as a single filmmaker trying to push one project at a time, I became increasingly interested in building a structure around the work itself: a place where writers, actors, directors, and crew could meet, develop material, attach talent, and make projects together with consistency. A space shaped not just by ambition, but by practice.

Dubai Creatives was built with that in mind.

The idea was simple: if the city needed more narrative momentum, then the most productive response was to create an environment where narrative work could happen regularly. A place where people could sharpen their craft not only through conversation, but through production. A place where collaboration became habitual rather than occasional.

What was especially encouraging was the speed of the response.

In less than two months, the community grew to 300 creatives in Dubai. We secured our first brand collaboration and began attracting actors and crew from different parts of the world who wanted to participate in what was being built. That early momentum revealed something important: the desire for a stronger narrative ecosystem is already here.

The appetite exists.

What it needs is structure.

Why Platforms Like Stage 32 Matter

Local momentum matters, but local momentum alone is not enough.

Creative communities grow more effectively when they are connected to wider industry standards, conversations, and opportunities. That is where platforms such as Stage 32 become genuinely useful.

What stood out to me was not simply the promise of visibility. Many platforms offer some version of that. Visibility on its own is rarely meaningful. What matters is whether a platform helps creatives improve, connect intelligently, and think more seriously about how their work is presented. That is what you get on Stage 32.

One of the most useful entry points for me on Stage 32 was the logline feedback section. It created a practical space to test ideas, refine them, and sharpen my own judgment about what was and was not working. More importantly, the responses often came from people who understood both storytelling and the professional realities surrounding it. The feedback was not vague praise. It was specific. Usable. Developmental.

That distinction matters.

Stage 32 does not merely flatter ambition. They challenge it. They help transform instinct into stronger work.

For an emerging film scene, that kind of access can be invaluable. It exposes local creatives to broader standards of presentation, development, and professional dialogue. It raises expectations. And raising expectations is often the first step toward raising quality.

Why Dubai Should Think Bigger

One of the most limiting things any city can do is underestimate the scale of what it could become.

Dubai does not need to imitate older filmmaking capitals in order to matter. It does not need to replicate another city’s history, identity, or industrial structure. But it does need to think seriously about what kind of creative future it wants to build.

At its best, Dubai offers a rare combination: visual range, international energy, logistical sophistication, and a growing base of people who are ready to create ambitious work. That is not a minor foundation. Many emerging creative hubs would consider that a major advantage.

The challenge now is to move from scattered talent to stronger systems. From individual projects to sustained momentum. From creative ambition to institutional confidence.

That shift requires more than enthusiasm. It requires patience, collaboration, and people who are willing to think beyond the next immediate opportunity. It requires producers who understand long-term development, writers who are committed to craft, actors who seek material with depth, and communities capable of nurturing those relationships over time.

Most of all, it requires belief that narrative work deserves to be built, not merely admired when it appears.

A City Still Open Enough to Be Shaped

Perhaps the most exciting thing about Dubai’s current position is that it is still early. The scene is not fully defined. Its rules are not fixed. Its identity is not exhausted. That openness creates a rare window.

In more established industries, it is often difficult to influence the shape of the culture itself. In Dubai, that possibility still exists. Serious filmmakers, producers, communities, and institutions still have the chance to help define what the city becomes as a narrative filmmaking environment.

That is why this moment matters.

Dubai is not interesting only because of what it already is. It is interesting because of what it has not yet fully become.

The Work Ahead

There is no serious version of this conversation that suggests transformation happens overnight.

For Dubai to become a stronger narrative filmmaking hub, it will need time. It will need better development pathways, more trust between collaborators, more entities willing to invest in original stories, and more systems that allow talent to grow inside the city rather than eventually having to leave it in order to reach the next level.

But the direction is there.

The talent is there.

The hunger is there.

What remains is the continued building of structures strong enough to support the ambition that already exists.

Dubai has spent years being recognized as a place that can host production. The more interesting future is one in which it is recognized as a place that can originate it. Not simply a city that looks cinematic.

A city that creates cinema.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

This Transition Marks the True Arrival of Stage 3 Transmedia

In the early days, transmedia was a novelty consisting of a film with a tie-in comic book. Later, it became a burden for the audience, requiring them to do homework across five different platforms just to understand a single plot point. Now, we have reached a state of functional continuity. The modern viewer does not want to watch a story from a distance. They want to inhabit the world, wear the protagonist’s digital assets in a virtual lobby, and debate the deep lore on decentralized forums. This shift represents a fundamental psychological change where the audience moves from being mere observers of a story to becoming active stakeholders in a shared reality.

The very definition of a creator has changed because of this.

The Writer of the Future is a World Architect

While a script remains a vital window into a story, the Total Intellectual Property (TIP) serves as the foundation, the plumbing, and the geological history of the land itself. If the soul of an IP feels different when it moves from a streaming service to a mobile game, the audience senses that friction immediately. Narrative liquidity requires a story to flow seamlessly between a ninety-minute feature and a fifteen-second character vlog without losing its core identity. This means the "canon" is no longer a static document but a living, breathing database that maintains consistency across every conceivable touchpoint.

A Collaborative Squad

This level of complexity has effectively ended the era of the solitary writer. The new unit of production is a Collaborative Squad.

This is a specialized team where a screenwriter, a technical game artist, and a community strategist work in tandem from the first day of development. The true value here lies in cross-pollinating the logic of different mediums before the first dollar is ever spent on production, ensuring the world is "game-ready" and "community-ready" from its inception.

The Role of Agentic AI as a Bridge Between Mediums

We must also look at the unseen layer of this evolution: the role of Agentic AI as a bridge between mediums. This is not about machines replacing the human heart of a story. It is about using generative tools to automate the connective tissue that holds a massive world together. Imagine a scenario where a writer updates a character’s motivation in a screenplay and an AI agent instantly synchronizes that change across the Lore Bible, the marketing assets, and the NPC dialogue in a tie-in game. These tools act as the ultimate script supervisors, ensuring that a character’s backstory in a graphic novel never contradicts a line of dialogue in a streaming series. This automation allows creators to maintain immense scale without sacrificing the narrative soul that connects with the audience.

The Move Toward Narrative Equity

Beyond the technology lies the deepest insight for the modern producer: the move toward narrative equity.

When fans are invited to participate in the world-building process, they develop an emotional and sometimes financial investment in the outcome. This creates a Participation Economy where the IP becomes a platform for the audience’s own creativity. An IP that allows for user-generated content, modding, and social roleplay is far more resilient than a one-off film because it lives within the community rather than just on a server.

The gatekeepers of the industry have stopped looking for simple stories and started hunting for robust engines. They want to see Intellectual Property that can survive a market crash because it possesses multiple, independent revenue streams. Digital goods, live interactive events, and traditional media must all feed into one central heart. The future belongs to those who stop writing "The End" and start building "The Beginning."

The Architect’s Toolkit:

The shift toward narrative liquidity requires a different kind of creative stamina. To succeed, writers must look beyond the page and consider the invisible forces that bind a community to a world.

• Design for "Narrative Gaps" Traditional writing seeks to close every loop, but transmedia thrives on the "fertile void." When drafting your world, purposely leave high-interest questions unanswered. These gaps are not plot holes; they are invitations for the audience to lean in, speculate, and eventually create their own content to fill the space. You are not just writing a story; you are building a playground.

• Establish the "Physicality" of the Lore We often focus on character arcs while ignoring the "physics" of the world. If your story moves into a game or a VR experience, the rules of reality matter more than the dialogue. Before you write the pilot, define the constraints of your world. What are the costs of travel? How does the economy function? If the rules change between the book and the game, you break the immersion. Consistency is the highest form of respect for your audience.

• The Power of Emotional Portability A character should be able to move from a high-budget film to a pixelated mobile game without losing their essence. To achieve this, identify the "emotional signature" of your protagonist. Is it a specific moral struggle, a unique way of speaking, or a recurring fear? If you can distill a character down to a portable emotional core, they will remain recognizable and beloved regardless of the resolution of the screen they inhabit.

• Relinquish the "Auteur" Ego In the world of Stage 3 Transmedia, the story is no longer a monologue; it is a conversation. You must be comfortable with the idea that a game developer or a fan might discover something about your world that you didn't see yourself. True world-building is an act of radical generosity. If you hold the IP too tightly, it cannot breathe, and if it cannot breathe, it cannot grow into an ecosystem.

• Write the "In-Between" Moments The most valuable assets in 2026 are often the moments that happen between the "big" scenes. Write the grocery lists, the discarded letters, and the background radio broadcasts of your world. These fragments are the connective tissue that AI tools can use to populate a game or a social media campaign. By providing these small details, you give your Collaborative Squad the DNA they need to build a consistent reality.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

The Oscars told the same story. This year's ceremony was notably light on traditional prestige drama. Instead, the films being rewarded were commercially driven, globally appealing, and in several cases genre-forward. The industry is recalibrating around what audiences actually show up for.

So if commercial films are going indie, is arthouse cinema quietly going out the window? Somewhat. Just ask the folks in Row K.

Some of the most commercially viable films being made right now are coming out of the independent space, and the genres leading that charge are horror and romantic comedy. Meanwhile, traditional art house cinema is struggling to find a home. Elevated drama, slow-burn character studies, and festival circuit darlings are increasingly difficult to finance and nearly impossible to distribute theatrically at scale. The buyers who once championed that space have retreated. The audience that sustained it has fragmented. If Oscar-winning producers who used to make indie darlings are now pursuing action movies, rom-coms, or horrors, who will fill the indie drama void?

Hopefully, you. Commercial genre filmmaking can have genuine artistic ambition. Horror that has something to say. Rom-coms built around real emotional specificity rather than formula. The same model that defined arthouse cinema, now applied to genres that can actually sell. And that's why I'm hopeful that a new wave of indie producers can make bold, commercial work outside the studio system with a meaningful message.

This Week in the Writers' Room

The Executive Hour with Kraig Wenman and Donn Kennedy- Wednesday, April 1st at 4pm PT!

We're bringing you The Executive Hour with two industry insiders who have cracked the code on selling scripts at the highest levels. With 66 feature script sales, 31 produced films, and 5 films with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, Canadian writer-producer Kraig Wenman is known for his prolific pace and witty dialogue. Credits include SECRET OBSESSION which premiered as a Top 10 most-watched Netflix Original ever & BANDIT which hit #1 on Amazon/Paramount/Apple. Donn Kennedy, who is an executive producer on BANDIT and on LAST STRAW, is also a Nicholl Fellowship Finalist.

Together, they will discuss the craft and the biz behind a compelling spec.

If you would like to join the Writers’ Room, access weekly events, submit to dozens of open writing assignments, and attend exclusive pitch tanks with industry executives- click HERE for a free trial!

This Week’s Exciting Announcements!

This week, we're spotlighting Stage 32 Executive, Whitney Davis, who is currently working with 3 separate writers that she met on Stage 32!

Whitney Davis is the co-executive producer of MIKE for Hulu and TRUE LIES for CBS. A passionate creative executive and producer with twenty years of experience in entertainment, she began her career as an Associate Field Producer at CBS NEWS before transitioning to scripted television. Most recently, she served as Vice President at Anthony Hemingway Productions, developing projects with the Emmy-winning director. Davis has sold projects to Disney, FX, Hulu, and Onyx Collective. She is currently developing a scripted series with Anthony Hemingway and Bassett Vance Productions, an animated series, multiple features, and a narrative podcast. Through her work with Interim Entertainment, she champions bold storytellers creating impactful content across drama, comedy, horror, erotic thrillers, sci-fi, and fantasy.

Click here to connect with Whitney about your Pilot or Feature!

The Stage 32 + Pathfinder Film & TV Comedy Screenwriting Contest Top 10 Finalists Have Been Announced!

Our Finalists will receive:

Our Finalists will receive a Career Momentum prize package valued at $1,500, including Career Development, a Writer Branding Workshop and an Education package, and will have your logline featured in a Stage 32 Look Book sent to over 2,500+ top entertainment industry executives, giving your work unparalleled exposure!

But that’s not all! Everyone who makes the Semi-Finals will receive a Career Breakthrough prize package valued at $1,000, our Quarterfinalists will receive a Career Elevation prize package valued at $500, and all Entrants will get a prize package valued at $100!

The Grand Prize Winning screenwriter will receive:

• Pathfinder Media placement for representation, script development and packaging with Director Todd Biermann
• Career Accelerator Prize Package ($4,000 value) including script development, career consulting, writer branding, and comprehensive education resources
• Personal Mentorship Track with dedicated 1:1 career development sessions from our success team
• Industry Marketing Campaign promoting winner to our exclusive roster of 2,500+ managers, agents, producers, and executives
• Strategic Partnership where Stage 32 and Pathfrinder Media executives collaborate to prepare your project to take directly to market

This Week In The Stage 32 Community!

Some of the most powerful insights about your writing don’t come from structure books or feedback notes. They come from paying attention to what you keep returning to.

Right now in the Screenwriting Lounge, Stage 32 member, author, and screenwriter Leonardo Ramirez has sparked a conversation that goes straight to the heart of storytelling: What themes do you keep returning to?

It’s a deceptively simple question, but one that reveals a lot about who you are as a writer.

Leonardo shares that no matter the genre or story, certain themes keep finding their way into his work, not by design, but because they’re tied to something deeper. For him, that thread is hope, even in darker worlds.

And that’s where this conversation becomes so valuable. Because when you start to recognize the themes that show up again and again in your writing, you begin to understand your voice on a deeper level. Not just what you write, but why you write it.

• Are those themes intentional?
• Are they something you’re working through?
• Or are they the core of what you have to say as a storyteller?

These are the kinds of questions that help you move from simply writing scripts to building a body of work that feels cohesive, authentic, and undeniably yours. And the responses coming in from the community are exactly that, thoughtful, personal, and incredibly insightful.

Jump in, share the themes that keep showing up in your work, and see what you discover about yourself in the process.

Click here to join the conversation!

Need help navigating the industry? Contact success@stage32.com

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

Quietly in the background, decades of independent production has given me something of incredible value; project case studies and laser-focused insight. This cumulative past experience now reveals just how much consideration my films have had locked into them from the get-go.

(Left to right) Sean O'Grady, Kim Michelle, and Kathleen Murtagh in a production still from Al Carretta's 2024 feature 'It Starts In This Room'.

In Autumn 2024, I released my 23rd (Thirst) and 24th (It Starts In This Room) independent feature films. They had premiere screenings in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe that August and are now distributed on various streaming channels, including Tubi and Amazon. The true value of this situation as a topic for discussion lies in the irony; so far these films are incredibly unsuccessful products, however, success is a strange definition.

If strategised and market-positioned Hollywood films make most of their money in the first two years of commercial availability, then truly independent films that make anything back financially are a total anomaly. Why? Some of the products in this ecosystem can make their money back with a glint from the spotlight because profile and exposure on a carefully considered concept blows it up overnight. Consistently delivered content helps snowball films as interest isn't allowed to collapse in the previous production. The internet-driven world makes or breaks things in hours but when it randomises what might be popular, you need a foothold in the game.

(Left to right) Sean O'Grady and Robin Kirwan in a production still from Al Carretta's 2024 feature 'It Starts In This Room'.

KNOW WHAT SELLS, PREDICT WHAT MIGHT, RISK ON PROFILE

Thirst was made for a total spend of £400, and It Starts for £1550. Royalty returns so far are nominal, but I will detail why this is the case as the point of this blog is to give insight into the marketing foibles of indie film.

I work on zero-spend marketing budgets. I think creatively and decisively to link projects to wider current trends that help the project gain momentum and online visibility. It Starts is a simple story about an aspiring music producer in a near windowless 1990s America. Essentially, the film is inspired by Tupac Shakur's 1994 shooting in a New York recording studio and makes a broader comment on corruption within the music industry. There are some smart, sassy characters, and it's got a tight plot but to see the full potential of the script it needs to be remade in New York with a bigger budget. The key is, limitations aside, the film isn't a pipe dream - it still got made.

Thirst is adapted from American playwright Eugene O'Neill's debut one-act play from 1914. The work is long out of copyright, however, there are over 50+ 'thirst' related films on IMDb, and that poses potential difficulties with exposure. The zeitgeist dictates that 'Thirst' is a work of little relevance in comparison to O'Neill's classics such as 'Long Day's Journey Into Night', except, Journey itself is a soon-to-be-released 2025 feature with Jessica Lange and Ed Harris. This gives us a valid connection, and unlike another cabin-in-the-woods horror from a debutant company, as a director (and actor) I'm showing some range.

Al Carretta as 'The Gentleman' in his 2024 feature film adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's 'Thirst'.

REALITIES OF NO BUDGET PRODUCTION

Thirst could do with some broader physical scope in terms of location. An additional few set-ups around water and a few additional locations could have added so much but the budget reality couldn't factor this. My restriction was what can I produce when my credit cards are maxed out and I've got no income? A reality of independent filmmaking; you simply run out of all resources.

If you've ever helped underserving people with their respective projects or life problems, write it on the wall - these are the first people who will not pay back what they owe and the last people you want in future productions. Petulant ingratitude within the arts isn't talked about much, and in the years after I saw brief financial success with The Devil Made Me Do It I saw my hospitality abused. Little things add up when you're in dire financial straits but to quote Sonny in 'A Bronx Tale', "Look at it this way: it's cost you $20 to get rid of (them), right?..."

Ultimately, I should have re-titled Thirst for potentially wider appeal but a completed feature that only cost £400 should have a unique stance. In 2025, it simply doesn't. After 24 features I can safely say that in the UK, 'no budget' work gets sneered upon. It shouldn't be that way. Closed shop UK film institutions such as BAFTA have a lot to answer for as they fail to deliver any kind of industry pathway for artists who work outside of the film bubble.

Charlotte Reidie (in the mirror) and Al Carretta in a production still from feature 'Thirst'.

PROVING SCRIPT POTENTIAL

I rarely deliver a film that doesn't have current relevance or a linked title consideration in place. My feature films The Devil Made Me Do It (2012), Cocaine.Gangster.Talk. (2019) and The Judge Of Harbor County (2021) have all made their total spend budgets back. Combinations of exposure over a number of years helped achieve this but there are many factors at play that made them successful. Genre and overall actor standard are arguably the two most relevant considerations but I also proved two of the scripts in EdFringe first and knew in 2009 that Devil (in it's stage form as 'The Tears Of A Clown') and Judge were simply the best stories I'd ever come up with.

Proving scripts by making them is an all risk environment so collaborative efforts are essential to realising visions. Finding actors who look past short-term gain for long-term credibility is the goal. Today's marketplace has never been so saturated with content. Cutting through the noise is becoming an art in itself and this means next month's hit is impossible to predict.

Kathleen Murtagh and Kim Michelle in a production still from 'It Starts In This Room'.

QUALITY DERIVES FROM A PLACE OF BALANCE

If you are funded, have money or even have a significant other to believe in your vision with you, consider yourself exceptionally lucky. Quality derives from a place of balance, and this applies across the creative process. If you can assess rationally you can make the best decisions for the production. If you can't, it doesn't mean you won't make appropriate decisions, but the extra creative edge that comes from being in flow and control won't be present. You can make brilliant art under extreme pressure but repeating that process will be near impossible.

One of the core reasons why a media text will fail is immediately obvious to the lay viewer but rarely apparent to defensive creators. I assess my output constructively for what it is. Know your product's strengths, accept its weaknesses but don't try and sell what isn't present.

You can only work within the resources you have, and this is where profile begins to come into play. The more presence you have the greater your chances are that the film - even amidst its respective limitations - will be recognised. I don't attempt festival runs with my films because I can't afford to. These products have to go directly to a marketplace, and in 2025, choices to monetise are nearly as bad as they were in 2010. Distributors don't care for your film - they just assess the ingredients to see if it has the slightest hope of selling.

Nora Woolsey as 'Presence' in Al Carretta's 2023 indie feature 'Twenty Two Presence'.

EYES LIKE CAMERAS

Many years ago a promising young director, then passionate about theatre and film, enthused about the process of viewing everyday life as if it were set-ups for shots on a film. His quote was 'have eyes like cameras'. Said director never pursued a career in the arts but his insistence on pre-visualisation stuck with me. Designed observation has become ever more present in filmmaking but it doesn't always add value in low-budget work.

I've made a number of films that have failed to find an audience, but perhaps shockingly, I've been aware of this potential failing from the start and still pursued the project. As stated previously, the place of balance you need to deliver great product doesn't always exist. So many people and things do not align or cooperate, but sometimes you just have to work with what you've got, or you'll deliver nothing because nothing still costs money.

Carole Boletti and Sean O'Grady in a production still from 'It Starts In This Room.'

THE FUTURE OF CINEMA HAS AN AUDIENCE PROBLEM

Post-COVID, the indie film landscape has changed enormously. New streaming services come and go on a monthly basis, everything is a subscription, and the Amazon Prime interface is a wall of sensory overload. Vast libraries of content slip into the ether of obscurity, and AI is creeping into all aspects of modern life and filmmaking with no genuine benefit.

Through Nightpiece Film Festival, I screen films in EdFringe for a week every August to try and get them an audience they wouldn't otherwise have, yet Snow White has already run 21 times to an empty screen in my local multiplex this week. To me, that indicates there's a big problem with the gatekeepers' programming cinema but as Technicolor goes bust and gets acquired by a Language translation and AI tech business (Transperfect), the march of the future is already pounding.

I didn't attempt to make feature films until the late 2000s. I deliberately held back because I knew that equipment needed to reach a point of quality and value. I also recognised I needed platforms on which to get my content seen; I can after all stage a play in a theatre and open to an audience with no issues. For me the point of technical equality in film production came in around 2010, and that means for the past 15 years the production aspect of the technical playing field has been level. Should I choose to I can still use what I worked with then to deliver content. On a beautifully shot 2k production, you would barely notice any difference.

Now, the part of the playing field that is barely accessible is going to create a problem for future cinema. I'm not a social media content creator chasing subscribers; I'm a traditional filmmaker with limited points of sale and randomised interest in my work. How specifically I stay on pulse, en vogue, and in competitive standard defines my position in the market. The distribution and exhibition models of the past century are collapsing industries. This will strangle the long-term future of original, independent film that needs a focused audience. Commercial cinema venues do not embrace outsider content but they need to. I love cinema, filmmaking, and the arts passionately but stifling variety in exhibition spaces makes them uncompetitive arenas.

Up against new forms of visual media that can now pop up anywhere, this is where the traditional moviegoing experience dies.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

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If you’ve ever dreamed of taking your film to the Croisette, shaking hands with global buyers, or simply navigating the incredible whirlwind that is the Cannes Film Festival and its Marché du Film, this is for you.

I’m thrilled to announce that this upcoming Wednesday, April 1st, we’re hosting a completely FREE webinar with the Executive Director of the Marché du Film, Guillaume Esmiol, to help you prepare for Cannes—whether this is your first time attending or you’re returning with a brand-new project in hand.

Stage 32 is proud to be the official education partner of the Marché du Film for the twelfth year, and together, we are bringing you direct access to the insights, strategies, and real-world guidance you need to turn Cannes into a meaningful step forward in your career.

Click here to register for free now!

Why This Webinar Matters

Cannes is not just a festival. It is a global marketplace.

Each year, more than 12,000 industry professionals gather to present and discover nearly 4,000 films and projects across 33 screening venues. With the continued expansion of the Riviera and Lérins exhibition halls, alongside the iconic Palais des Festivals and the Village International, the Marché has become an even more dynamic hub for global filmmaking.

That opportunity is incredible. But without a plan, it can also be overwhelming.

This webinar is designed to give you clarity before you even step onto the Croisette.

Because success at Cannes is not about showing up. It is about showing up prepared.

Learn Directly from the Source

We are bringing in Guillaume Esmiol, Executive Director of the Marché du Film, to guide you through exactly how the market works and how to position yourself within it.

This is not secondhand advice. This is insight from the person helping shape the future of the Marché itself.

Guillaume will walk you through how to navigate the festival, what to expect this year, and how to approach Cannes in a way that actually creates opportunity, not just noise.

You will leave this session ready to take action.

What You Will Learn

During this webinar, you will gain a clear understanding of:

• The real benefits of attending the Marché du Film
• How to navigate the market, including badges, layout, and key locations
• How the market actually works behind the scenes
• The difference between operating inside and outside the Palais
• How screenings function and how to approach them strategically
• What to expect for programming this year
• This year’s Country of Honor, Japan
• What is new and evolving at Cannes

And of course, you will have the opportunity to ask your questions directly during a live Q&A.

Who Should Attend

This webinar is designed for you if you are:

• A screenwriter at any level looking to understand how Cannes fits into your career
• A producer preparing to bring projects to market
• An actor looking to expand your network and industry knowledge
• A creative executive or multi-hyphenate wanting to better understand the global marketplace

Whether you are attending Cannes this year or planning for the future, this is essential knowledge.

Meet Your Instructor: Guillaume Esmiol

Guillaume Esmiol is the Executive Director of the Marché du Film at the Festival de Cannes, where he oversees one of the most influential film markets in the world.

Before stepping into this role, he served as Deputy Director of the Marché, helping expand its global reach and innovation. He is also the Co-Executive Director of Ventana Sur, Latin America’s leading audiovisual market, and Director of Cinando, the premier online network for film industry professionals.

With a background that spans TF1 Group, startup innovation, content acquisition, and global partnerships, Guillaume brings a rare, full-spectrum perspective on how projects move from idea to market.

This is your opportunity to learn directly from someone operating at the highest level of the international film industry.

Register Now and Invite Your Network

This webinar is completely FREE and open to the Stage 32 community.

If you are planning to attend Cannes, thinking about attending, or simply want to better understand how the global film market works, this is one of the most valuable sessions you can attend this year.

And do not keep it to yourself.

Invite your collaborators, your creative partners, and your friends who are building projects alongside you. The more prepared your network is, the more opportunities you can create together.

If you cannot attend live, make sure you register anyway. You will receive the full recording to watch or listen to at your convenience.

Click here to register for free now!

Let’s Get You Ready for Cannes

Cannes can change your career, but only if you know how to navigate it.

This webinar will give you the tools, the clarity, and the confidence to walk into the Marché ready to make meaningful connections and real progress.

This is one of the most valuable resources we’ll offer this year. Don’t miss it.

If you have any questions ahead of the webinar, drop them in the comments or reach out to us at Edu@Stage32.com. We are here to help you every step of the way.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

I hope your weekend has been a creative one so far. Whether you have been writing, filming, editing, or sketching out the next spark of an idea, I have something today that will give you a boost. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in.

This week’s featured video comes from Thomas Flight- Why Some Movies Feel More Alive

What I like about this piece is that it takes something most viewers barely notice and shows how important it really is to the experience of a film: the people in the background. Extras are often treated like set dressing. They fill the frame, create realism, and help the world feel occupied. But as Thomas Flight points out, the best filmmakers know that background players can do much more than just populate a space. They can reinforce subtext, heighten realism, deepen worldbuilding, create rhythm, and even become part of the visual storytelling language itself.

Sometimes a movie feels artificial not because of a bad lead performance or weak dialogue, but because the world around the characters feels just a little too empty. Streets are too clean. Cafes are too sparse. Offices feel half-populated. It is not always obvious in one scene, but over the course of a film, you feel the absence. A living world matters. Whether you are writing a feature, directing a short, producing an indie, or building a television pilot, what exists around your main characters shapes how believable and immersive that world feels. Great filmmakers understand that the frame is never just about the lead. It is about the ecosystem around them.

I recently had the opportunity to act in a film alongside Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin. It had been years since I had done even a small role on film, and this time, it was a leading role. I remember thinking, “I’m going to kill this guy’s movie.”

The first day, I missed my mark, got in my head, and started spiraling the way most of us do when we are dropped into something that matters to us. But then, little by little, it came back. The rhythm returned. The work settled in. And I kept telling myself, “You’ve done this. You know this.”

That experience reminded me of two things.

First, I am always, always in a mode of self-learning. I want to keep learning all the time. I want to stay curious all the time. I never want to get to a place where I think I have got it all figured out. Whether I am writing, producing, building Stage 32, or stepping onto a set as an actor, I want to keep growing.

Second, everybody takes confidence hits. Everybody deals with impostor syndrome. Everybody questions whether they are enough. The way through that is not by pretending those feelings do not exist. The way through it is by recognizing your progress and making peace with the fact that growth usually happens in smaller steps than we want. You have to celebrate the micro goals on the way to the macro goal. And just as importantly, you surround yourself with a like-minded community.

Because when you are learning, stretching, failing, growing, and trying new things, having people around you who understand the journey makes all the difference. It keeps you grounded. It keeps you moving. It reminds you that progress is still progress, even when it does not feel flashy.

That is true whether you are a lead actor on set, a writer on draft six, or an extra pushing a wheelbarrow through mud for 12 hours to become a one-second blur in the corner of the frame.

What is one small opportunity, lesson, or experience that helped you grow recently, even if it did not seem big at the time? Drop it in the comments below and let’s keep the conversation going.

As always, here at Stage 32, we love sharing stories and knowledge with our fellow film fans. Know someone who would love this content? Share it with them. You can keep up with all of our videos by subscribing to the Stage 32 YouTube Channel. For more inspirational, educational, and motivational content on all things entertainment industry, follow me on Instagram and X @rbwalksintoabar.

Wishing you a very happy, healthy, and creative Sunday.

Cheers,

RB

Thomas Flight | Why Some Movies Feel More Alive

RBWalksIntoABar | Making The Best of Your Opportunities To Learn & Grow

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

There’s a popular expression, “It takes a village.” And people are also quick to whip out phrases like, “It takes teamwork to make the dream work.” But the fact of the matter is, there honestly was really only one person who was responsible for women’s fast-pitch softball ending up as an Olympic sport. While the International Olympic Committee voted in June of 1991 to add the sport to the programme of the Games starting with the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Don Porter had worked and traveled and fought to get the game added to the world’s stage for years and years. In fact, he would end up telling people that it took 29 years, 6 months, and 13 days to finally get the vote he so tirelessly pursued.

Fun fact: Every year, June 13th is celebrated as World Softball Day. I was the one who actually had suggested to Porter in 2005 that the occasion be created, to commemorate the day that the IOC voted women’s softball onto the Olympic programme.

Me and Don Porter at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing

That sort of tenacity is what gets you results. In fact, in one of the rooms at the softball world headquarters, there was a sketch hanging up of a fish inside a pelican’s beak – trying to strangle the bird! Clearly, he didn’t want to become its prey. The accompanying text read, “Never give up.” (There was also another wall hanging that asked, “What have you done to promote softball today?”)

Imagine the possibilities.

Making the Pitch: Not a Softball, but Potential Exposure

Late last year, we sent a pitch on behalf of one of our author clients to a horse industry magazine. Our client’s newest book is filled with poetry she’d written as inspired by the 29 years she owned her horse. It seemed logical for this publication to want to feature her and mention this collection that was now available.

Success seemed in the bag when the editor accepted our pitch. We swung into action, coordinating the interview and gathering up photos supplied by our client. A headshot, certainly, and the book cover, of course, but the magazine had very specific instructions for what they wanted in terms of pictures. The shots needed to show our client, with her horse, and the latter’s ears had to be up.

Yikes. This was starting to be a little tougher. After all, our client admitted to us that when the pictures she sent us were taken she never thought that one day she’d be a published author or have someone wanting to use the images in a magazine.

Nonetheless, off they went, and the publication seemingly was all set. Phew.

A Curveball

Two months after the above, having already received a Word document so we could proof the story that would run and having been told that next would come a PDF with the final layout and design before it went to press, I received an email from the editor, saying that the photos weren’t up to the quality that they publish. I was given a link to see for myself via the online version of their magazine. In other words, it was being reinforced that this is a very high-end magazine.

Watch yourselves here, folks. This is where, left unchecked, your emotions can get the best of you. Your knee-jerk reaction might be to fire back a response that you’ll regret later.

Instead, I used an expression I’ve come to warmly embrace, and I’m happy to share it with you as well to take for a test drive. It’s three simple words that I learned from a sales trainer that he uses when a potential customer comes out with their objection. “Help me understand,” I wrote back to the editor, explaining in the sweetest, kindest, most gentle, and professional way – almost asking for some teaching – and pointing out what had already been sent to us and over what period of time.

It worked.

She wrote back and admitted that she should’ve looked at the pictures when they were first sent, but instead simply made a mental note to herself, ‘Okay, good, there are lots of photos for us.’ But she still couldn’t proceed if we couldn’t produce what they needed. Gulp.

Time to Pivot?

Don’t default to all-or-nothing mode. I wanted to salvage something after all that we’d put into this. First, I suggested that perhaps an online-only story could be published. Then I went as far as to ask if we could even just get a social media post from them across their different channels.

The client wasn’t happy. This had taken too much time. She felt as though there was going to be an expense (hiring a photographer). The horse isn’t even alive anymore. And oh, by the way, she was in Europe and not home in the States, where she is engrained in the local horse community. Any new shots seemed impossible.

As a last-ditch effort, she dug up some photos and emailed them to me. These showed her daughter with the horse. There were also only two of herself on the horse.

Success! The editor gave the pictures the thumbs up, and now we are on for the print edition in May or June.

Never give up.

A client of mine in a TV show interview

A TV Interview?!

Another client of mine wasn’t in Europe, but she might as well have been.

I had her booked for a speaking engagement and thought I would try to get a network TV affiliate to have her on a morning show as a guest, to not only talk about the books she has written but plug the event where she’d be presenting.

When one of the shows responded, saying they were passing my pitch along to the producer of a different show, I was simply happy that it was being kept alive and given consideration.

Lo and behold, the offer came back for my client to come in to record an interview (to be aired two days later). This would require a 12:30 pm arrival at the station. And that’s where things got challenging.

My client responded, telling me that she had an appointment scheduled with a specialist that very day at 1:00 (a good ways away). She went out of her way to not only say that it had been booked some time ago, but that she did, in fact, really need to see this doctor because of some symptoms she had been experiencing lately.

Her initial response back to me was, “Oh well, I guess it wasn’t meant to be.” But I couldn’t just let it go.

As I tried to talk to both sides to find a best-of-both-worlds resolution, my client made me aware that she was actually texting me from a cruise ship and that the cell service was poor, at best, out there. I suggested she call the doctor’s office to see if she could just tell them she had an opportunity to be interviewed on TV and thus would need to be a little late for her appointment.

This was a Thursday, and she said she wouldn’t have success trying to make a call from out at sea but would happily do so on Monday morning when she’d be back on land and the doctor’s office would be open. I emailed the TV station to let them know what was happening and could they possibly hang in there until then.

When I didn’t get a response, I adopted the, “Well, that’s not a No” attitude.

The client called the doctor Monday morning and texted me with an, “Okay, I can do the TV interview.”

I booked it, and everybody was happy.

My Four Ps Approach

This was the latest testimony to the four Ps approach that I’ve always said that I take with Now Hear This, my PR agency. That is, patient, polite, professional, but persistent.

Note that throughout both of these cases, we did not make any demands – on the magazine or the TV show. It’s because I know that there is a long, long line of people wrapped around the TV station who would happily say Yes to being there at 12:30 pm on that particular Wednesday to be a guest on the show. Remember that when your ego tries to convince you that you have some bargaining power and/or something that the other party needs.

We’re all carrying a lot on our shoulders these days. Multi-tasking, despite not being recommended due to the inefficiencies associated with it, has become commonplace. When something looks like it might be falling apart, don’t give in to the urge to say, “That’s fine. I’ve got plenty on my plate these days as it is.”

Don’t give up. You just might end up with that highly coveted booking.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

Screenwriter Rhett Reese, co-writer of Deadpool & Wolverine and Zombieland, watched the clip and wrote, "I hate to say it. It's likely over for us." The L.A. Times covered the backlash and legal escalation. The BBC reported on Disney's threats and ByteDance's response. Much of the coverage treated the clip as a major flashpoint in Hollywood's AI panic.

I've been in this industry for over twenty years. I've watched it survive the death of VHS, the rise of streaming, SD become HD, VFX go more digital than ever before, film cameras move to digital and more. All of the coverage on this missed the actual story.

The Question Nobody Thought to Ask

Realistic looking AI-generated fight scenes have been circulating for the past year or two. Some might say more, some might say less with regards to the realistic part. Tools like Sora 2, Kling, and earlier Seedance builds have all been producing clips of varying quality, some genuinely impressive. But ByteDance itself released the first version of Seedance just two months before 2.0, and the public as well as the news barely registered. Why? Deadline's own coverage of this latest incident catalogued several other Seedance creations in the same breath: Avengers: Endgame remixes, Optimus Prime battling Godzilla, a Friends scene where Rachel and Joey are played by otters. The technology behind all of these clips was functionally identical to the Cruise-Pitt video.

None of them broke the internet. None of them made a seasoned screenwriter publicly eulogize his own profession. So why did this one?

Because it had Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise in it.

That's it. That's the variable. Not the resolution, not the frame rate, not the choreography. The only thing that separated this clip from dozens of equally sophisticated AI demos was that it featured two men audiences have watched for over three decades. Two men we've seen win Oscars, survive tabloid infernos, age on magazine covers, do their own stunts, sit across from Oprah, get divorced in public, and keep showing up. Audiences didn't share that clip because the AI was impressive. They shared it because they instinctually reacted, "Oh my God, Brad and Tom fighting! We no longer need human actors." But what the news and social media seems to not realize is that the reason we reacted so dramatically was because these are humans we have a history with. And that's something AI can't replicate.

Yes, people have been falling in love with AI companions. Hopefully, that's a blip in our evolution. But I'd argue we will have limits when it comes to caring about AI stars. Since we will never meet them in person, never get their autographs, never put them on our "top five, it's okay if my partner sleeps with them" list, it won't be something audiences will pay the same amount of money for or even care about.

That emotional investment? You can't generate it with a two-sentence text prompt. It took two lifetime careers, Brad Pitt's and Tom Cruise's, real human lives lived in public view. People we felt connected to because of both their on screen and off screen lives, for us to care about this one AI-generated video. Take away our history with them... and you don't have a news story.

The Panic vs. The Point: Other Arguments Worth Looking at With More Nuance

The industry reaction to this clip has been loud, fast, and mostly aimed at the wrong targets. Here are the most common arguments making the rounds, and why they need more nuance.

"AI content is now indistinguishable from studio production." Visually? On a clip-by-clip basis, it's getting close. But producing a single impressive 15-second clip is not the same as running a production pipeline. The artistic controls needed to direct character performance, manage shot-to-shot continuity, and maintain a coherent creative vision across a feature film simply aren't there yet. I've sat in editing bays where we spent hours adjusting the eyeline of a single actor across three consecutive shots. That's the level of control filmmakers need, and AI companies are pouring resources into visual realism while the workflow tools that would actually provide it are lagging far behind. A pretty clip is not a movie. And until the pipeline exists to make it one, this remains a tech demo, not a paradigm shift.

"It's likely over for screenwriters and creators." It's not. If it were, it would have been over a year ago when Sora 2 and Kling were producing equally polished output. Nobody eulogized the profession then. More importantly, audiences have so far proven to be resistant to the idea of AI-generated movies and TV shows. People are happy with fun AI clips on social media, but that seems to be their limit. There's a wide gap between sharing something novel and paying fifteen dollars to sit in a theater for it.

"Anyone can now produce Hollywood-level content from their laptop." A 15-second clip with no story arc, no character development, and no shot-to-shot continuity is not Hollywood-level content. It's a tech demo wearing a very expensive costume. And that distinction matters more than most headlines are admitting.

What the Headlines Keep Leaving Out

The pace of AI video generation is staggering. No argument there. A couple of years ago, we were laughing at nightmarish clips of Will Smith eating spaghetti: faces melting, fingers multiplying, pasta behaving like it was possessed. Today, the output is photorealistic and consistently exceeding every prediction about its timeline. But that speed of visual improvement has created a blind spot in the coverage: an assumption that everything else about AI filmmaking is moving just as fast. It isn't.

Let's talk about the dirty secret of AI content creation: the time. Creators love posting their output with captions like "This took me five minutes." In my experience, it's closer to five hours. Sometimes fifty. The AI Coca-Cola Christmas commercial that generated so much backlash? That production churned through roughly 70,000 AI-generated video clips. And that's not one prompt per clip. You're realistically looking at three or four prompts minimum to get a single usable output. They edited that mountain down to a finished spot. Having spent over two decades in post-production, I can tell you: it would have been faster and cheaper to just hire VFX artists. That wasn't a breakthrough. It was a stunt.

The Likeness Is the Asset. Protect It Accordingly.

The legal response to the Cruise-Pitt clip has been swift. SAG-AFTRA condemned the unauthorized use of members' voices and likenesses. The MPA accused ByteDance of infringing on copyrighted works "on a massive scale." Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter accusing Seedance of using a "pirated library" of their characters. Paramount, Warner Bros., Netflix, and Sony followed. ByteDance eventually suspended Seedance 2.0's global launch amid the pressure. These are legitimate, necessary actions, and I support every one of them. Protecting the likenesses of real human beings, performers who built careers and identities over lifetimes, is exactly the fight our unions should be waging.

But it's going to be a marathon, not a sprint. And I think the strategic focus needs to widen.

Much of the union energy right now targets the AI tools and the companies building them. That's important but incomplete. A massive reason this content proliferates is that social media platforms still have weak and inconsistent enforcement around AI-generated likeness content. These clips get posted, go viral, rack up millions of views, and the platforms pocket the engagement without consequence. If unions want to make a real dent, they need to double down on pressuring social media companies and lawmakers so that accounts and services get banned that create and distribute unauthorized AI-generated likenesses. Given the misinformation crisis we're already drowning in, there's a strong argument that platforms should be cracking down on this content across the board.

Of course, that gets complicated when some of these same platforms are busy building their own AI video tools. It's a contradictory mess. Navigating it will require sharper focus than just shaking a fist at the latest demo reel.

And that sharper focus starts with how we talk about this stuff.

"AI" Is Not One Thing And Not All Evil

The thing that frustrates me most about this entire conversation isn't the technology. It's the language. The coverage of this clip, and AI broadly, suffers from a maddening lack of nuance. Every headline screams "AI" as though it's a single monolithic boogeyman, when in reality, artificial intelligence is an enormously broad field already contributing positively to cancer research, historical preservation, geological analysis, and dozens of other domains.

Saying "AI" when you mean "AI-generated video using celebrity likenesses without consent" is like saying "the transportation industry" when you're talking about one car brand. The transportation industry includes trains, ships, planes, bicycles, and spacecraft. Collapsing all of that into one scary word makes for snappier headlines but dumber conversations. And the stakes are too high for dumb conversations.

If our unions, lawyers, and advocates are going to come out on top, and I believe they can, they need to understand the specific, granular threats rather than getting hooked on whatever demo clip goes viral this week. The real power will always be in the nuance.

What That Rooftop Fight Actually Proved

After all the technological leaps, the billions poured into generative AI, the panicked op-eds and emergency guild meetings, the thing that makes content resonate is still, stubbornly and beautifully, human.

Nobody shared that clip because of Seedance 2.0. They shared it because of Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. Because of decades of real interviews, real performances, real scandals, real comebacks. Take away those two names and replace them with AI-generated nobodies, and nobody writes a headline. Nobody quotes it on a panel. Nobody's career flashes before their eyes.

When AI-generated movies inevitably arrive, and they will, they'll feature AI-generated "stars." Characters with no history, no off-screen life, no messy humanity for audiences to invest in. And those movies will be less popular for it. Not because the visuals won't be stunning. They will be. But because the connection audiences feel will be, dare I say, artificial.

So here's what I'd tell every filmmaker, animator, writer, and VFX artist reading this: the rooftop clip didn't prove that AI is coming for your job. It proved that your humanity is the job. The lived experience you bring to a project, the creative instincts that no prompt can replicate, the fact that audiences know a real person poured something real into the work. That's not a vulnerability in the age of AI. That's your competitive advantage. Protect it. Sharpen it. And stop letting a 15-second tech demo convince you it doesn't matter.

The machines can render the fight. They can't make you care who wins.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

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Most writers face the same impossible catch-22: You need industry validation to get meetings, but you need meetings to get industry validation.

Our contests at Stage 32 exist to break that cycle. And we do things fundamentally different from the hundreds of other screenwriting competitions out there.

Stage 32 contests exist to put amazing writers in front of managers and producers looking for the exact type of material you're writing. We've set meetings for 40 different writers this year from our contests (it's only March), and we hope to get that number to 200 different writers by year's end.

Most Screenwriting Contests

Let's be honest about what most contests offer:

Laurels for your poster. A line on your digital résumé. Maybe a certificate, or a copy of a book or screenwriting software you already have. Congratulations, you placed in the Top 10% of 3,000 entries! 

That's nice. It validates that you can write. But it doesn't get your script read and in the hands of people who can actually develop it. Laurels don't connect you with representation. Percentages don't create pathways to production.

The brutal truth: Most contests provide minimal career value beyond the dopamine hit of placement. There's no tangible next steps.

Which is why we at Stage 32 put our Winners and even a lot of Finalists out in front of executives non-stop. We work to constantly bring the high placing writers on our platform the types of game-changing opportunities that can make your career or give you your big break.

Stage 32 Contests Make A Difference

At Stage 32, we're about one thing: being a platform to connect YOU with the people who can rep you, or develop, package, and produce your projects.

Over the past year alone, Stage 32 has partnered with:

• Zero Gravity Management (Deadline) — connecting winners directly with the management company behind major studio deals
• Mammoth Pictures (Variety) — placing writers with producers of critically acclaimed horror content
• Todd Biermann/Pathfinder Media (Deadline) — offering reprsentation + a direct pipeline to an in-demand comedy director
• Color Farm Media (Deadline) — direct access to producers actively packaging projects with talent and financing
• DramaBox (Hollywood Reporter)— $5,000 writer option, with more IP adaptation opportunities available
• Evoke Entertainment (Deadline) — connecting winners with representation who produce dozens of Rom Coms per year

Notice the pattern? Our partnerships get announced in Deadline, Variety, or The Hollywood Reporter because these are legitimate industry players with active development slates, financing relationships, and distribution deals.

We're building a curated talent pipeline to the studios, and they love us for it.

Industry Meetings That Matter

When executives request meetings with contest winners and finalists, we don't just send an email and hope for the best. We personally facilitate those connections. I know because I follow up non-stop to get you the meetings you earned. Whether it's weeks or even months down the line, we will get you in front of the execs who can change your career trajectory. 

Our winners have been signed by IAG, Zero Gravity Management, 42 MP, The Gersh Agency, Verve, and other top agencies. That's just in the last year. Our winners have secured financing for features, like New Blood winner Kevin Bachar whose script THE INHABITANT (2022) was produced by Lionsgate and released on Hulu. They've been hired for writing assignments, like New Blood winner Christina Pamies who signed with Manager Jake Wagner of Alibi Entertainment, who got her the assignment to write BAGHEAD (2023) for Studiocanal. One of our screenwriter/directors sold a spec to Warner Brothers in a bidding war, based directly on his Short Film Contest winning film!

So far this year, we've set meetings for over 40 different writers from our contests that include Contest Winners, Contest Finalists, and even Contest Writers who simply purchased the mentorship add-on and whose logline stood out to mentors. 

Here's the breakdown:

-- Zero Gravity Management Action Thriller Contest: Our contest winner Nico Burasco (KATANA CROCODILE) met with the ZG team, and they requested additional scripts from Nico and are having Nico review a few concepts in their orbit to potentially bring him on as a writer on assignment.

Additionally, Nico met with VPs at Millennium Media (THE HITMAN'S BODYGUARD, ANGEL HAS FALLEN, RAMBO LAST BLOOD, HELLBOY) following his win, which was set up by our contests team after we pitched Nico to Millennium.

But not only the winners make waves in Stage 32 contests. The Zero Gravity team additionally met with 4 other Finalists in the contest for general meetings, including writers Mathew D. Wright (ONE EYE OPEN), Ben Klopfenstein (SOUTHBOUND), Sarah Ward (CHROME PLATED), and Sean Wathen, who is currently developing his finalist placing script ROGUE with ZG.

Another finalist, Gabriella Walls earned a general meeting too, with one of the contest judges Literary Manager Andrew Kersey who read her script HEY, GIRLIE! and enjoyed it. Andrew requested more scripts from Gabriella and they are now wading into the water for talks about representation.

That's SIX writers who earned meetings off of placing highly in one competition.

-- Mammoth Pictures: Our contest winner Selma Karayalcin (WITCH MOTHER) is currently slated to meet with the Mammoth Pictures team coming up soon, but they are currently in Bulgaria scouting locations for their next movie, which is due for production any day now.

This is the Stage 32 difference. Actively working producers actively look for projects they can develop to then make them. Don't take my word for it - let the stats do the talking. While balancing pre-production on their upcoming movie, the Mammoth team evaluated the Top 10 finalist scripts and also requested additional material from SIXTEEN more semifinalist writers to further their evaluation process.

Meanwhile, two more finalists took mentorship meetings with contest mentors Ethan Erwin (ORPHAN: FIRST KILL) and Michael Schulman (AMAZON) respectively, who loved their work.

-- Pathfinder Media: Mark Wheeler and his team at Pathfinder spotlighted about 20 writers who caught their eye upon initial review. We have yet to announce the Finalists for the contest, but Mark has personally met with EIGHT writers already whose writing stood out to him.

-- Color Farm Media: Erika Alexander's Color Farm team recently chose their winner in Michael S. Camp - writer of THE PERFECT KISSER. Michael will soon get together with the CFM team soon to meet with them, in addition to meeting with one of the contest mentors Producer Whitney Davis of Interim Entertainment, who read his work and loved it.

Additionally, writer Tiffany Alzatti who made the finals with her script IN THE CARDS met with mentors TV producer Nicole Tossou and Literary Manager Daniela Gonzalez, who both really enjoyed her script!

-- And coming up next, we have our partnerships with Mark Creative Management/831 Entertainment (another opportunity at meeting with TWO literary managers via our contests) and Evoke Entertainment who are hungry to sign new Rom Com writers and add to their annual slate.

What Else Winners & Finalists Receive

1. Exposure to 3,000+ Vetted Executives

Every contest winner and finalists script is showcased to our exclusive roster of managers, agents, producers, and development executives actively seeking new material.

This isn't a public portal where your script disappears into a void. These are decision-makers with the power to option your work, sign you as a client, or hire you for assignments, and they're specifically looking at our highest placing contest writers because we've already vetted the quality. They know we're bringing them aces, so when they open the deck, they know it's stacked in their favor.

2. Professional Validation That Opens Doors

Placing in a Stage 32 contest, especially winning or becoming a finalist, gives you leverage in every subsequent pitch, query, and meeting.

When you say "I won the Stage 32 Action/Thriller Contest in partnership with Zero Gravity," executives understand:

• Your script was evaluated by industry professionals
• You beat out thousands of other submissions
• A legitimate company saw enough potential to partner with us on discovering you

That credibility shortens the path to getting your next script read.

3. Reads from Working Professionals (Not Interns)

Unlike contests where your script gets read by unpaid readers or film students hoping to break in themselves, Stage 32 contest evaluations come from working industry professionals. The same executives who read for production companies, agencies, and studios judge and evaluate our contests. Then the finalist scripts get read again by more working industry professionals. We do our absolute best to get your material the highest level evaluations possible, so cream rises to the top. 

One frequent contest reader of ours works at Paramount, right now, as a Development Exec. Many have produced credits, optioned their own scripts, have staffed on shows, and have been in the rooms where decisions on what gets made and what doesn't happen. Our readers are active and have a bead on the present market in the industry because they're working in it! And they are very finely tuned and aware of what to be looking for, per market demands.

You Don't Have to Win to Benefit

All placements receive:

• Recognition that validates your writing is competitive at a professional level
• Prize Packages with educational resources, such as Career Development Calls, Coverages, Webinars, and Classes which can help you level up your game
• Networking opportunities within Stage 32's community of writers, executives, and industry professionals, including our Quarterly Contest Finalist meetups
• Credibility when querying agents, managers, and production companies

One writer told us: "I didn't win, but placing as a quarterfinalist gave me the confidence to keep pitching. Three months later, I used that placement in a query that led to my first manager meeting."

Contests Force You to Finish and Polish

Deadlines work. Knowing your script will be evaluated by industry professionals forces you to:

• Actually finish the dang thing instead of endlessly revising Act Two
• Get objective feedback before submission
• Format professionally
• Tighten your logline

The discipline of preparing contest-ready material makes you a better writer, regardless of placement.

Multiple Entry Points Throughout the Year

Stage 32 runs genre-specific contests year-round:

• Short Film Contest (in partnership with Hollyshorts Film Festival)
• Short Script Contest (in partnership with Palm Springs Women in Film & Television)
• Sci-Fi, Horror, Comedy, Drama, RomCom, Period, Family, and Action Contests
• Contests for TV and for Film
• And more launching throughout the year

This means you're not waiting for one annual deadline. You can strategically enter contests that align with your strongest material when you're ready.

The ROI Question: Is It Worth the Entry Fee?

Let's do the math on what you're actually paying for.

What you receive:

• Potential exposure to 3,000+ executives
• Possible meetings with managers, agents, or producers
• Industry credibility if you place
• Networking within Stage 32's global community

What you're NOT paying for:

• A guarantee of winning (no legitimate contest can promise that)
• Automatic representation or sale
• Validation that your script is perfect as-is

The question isn't "Will I win?"

The question is: "Is there a reasonable chance this investment advances my career more than spending the entry fee another way?"

Compare to alternatives:

• Generic query letters: Free, but 99% ignored
• Pitch fests without vetting: Inconsistent quality
• Hiring an independent consultant: $200-500 for feedback alone
• Film school: $50,000-150,000 with no industry connections guaranteed

Strategically entering a few contests per year where your material genuinely fits is one of the highest-ROI investments a screenwriter can make.

How to Be Strategic

1. Only Enter When Your Script Is Truly Ready

Don't throw money at contests hoping external validation will fix a script you know has problems. Get professional coverage first. Workshop it. Make sure it's genuinely your best work.

Red flags your script isn't ready:

• You're still "figuring out" the ending
• Multiple readers have identified the same structural issue
• You haven't gotten objective feedback from anyone outside your inner circle
• The formatting is inconsistent or unprofessional

2. Match Your Material to the Right Contest

Don't enter your gritty crime thriller into the Romantic Comedy Contest hoping it'll stand out for being different. It usually won't. It'll just seem like you didn't read the submission guidelines.

Enter genres where your script genuinely belongs. If your script blends genres (horror-comedy, sci-fi-romance), choose the contest where the primary genre fits best. Many execs love a horror movie that's funny, or a romance story set in a sci-fi world. Think about what the main elements of your story are and lead with those.

3. Read Past Winners' Loglines

Check out previous winners loglines and study them. Notice what kinds of concepts placed or won. Ask yourself honestly: Does my script feel like it belongs in this company?

If past winners are all high-concept genre pieces and you've written a quiet character study, that contest might not be your best strategic fit. 

4. Don't Spam Every Contest

Entering 15 contests in one year with the same script is expensive hope.

Better approach: Enter 2-3 carefully selected contests per year where:

• Your genre genuinely fits
• The partnership/prize aligns with your career goals
• The judging panel includes executives who work in your space

5. Use Placement  as Leverage

If you place at any level, immediately update:

• Your Stage 32 profile
• Your query letters
• Your pitch session introductions
• Your email signature

Don't be shy about mentioning: "My zombie movie ZOMBIES IN BOCA RATON was a quarterfinalist in the Stage 32 Horror Contest." That's not bragging, so much as providing relevant context about your work's professional validation.

What Happens After You Win

Within weeks of announcement:

• Your script gets showcased to our executive roster
• Social media posts generate industry awareness
• Stage 32 promotes winners across our 1.3M member platform
• Executives begin requesting meetings

The Next 3-6 Months: Where your work begins.

Winning creates opportunity. It doesn't guarantee results. You still need to:

• Take meetings professionally when executives reach out (If you want to know what general meetings are like, CLICK HERE for this webinar on them).
• Have additional material ready when they ask "What else are you working on?"
• Follow up consistently (see my post on following up in the Writers Room lounge: 80% of deals happen after 5-12 contacts)
• Keep writing so you're not a one-script wonder

Long Term Impact:

Contest wins compound over time. They:

• Build your résumé for future queries and pitches
• Create relationships with executives who may not develop your winning script but remember you for future projects
• Give you credibility when submitting your scripts to opportunities
• Demonstrate to potential reps that you're serious and validated

What many writers get wrong at this stage... is letting our relationship fall by the wayside. It's a relationship after all. So keep us updated, let us know what new you've written, where you're getting your work out there, and the inroads you've made since your win.

Contest results work best, when we work AS A TEAM. We're here to support you as long as you'll have us.

We can send a Winning writer's work out endlessly, but if you don't generate new material or we get enough no's along the way, it gives us less to work with in terms of getting you the kind of exposure you need to advance your career. Keep writing, keep feeding us ammo, and we can keep pushing for you!

After you win, our relationship becomes like that of a manager and client, we're eager to get you signed, get your work optioned, and get you in front of the people who can give you your big break! Like these writers:

Real Success Stories

Maxwell Gay & Tucker Flodman - Signed with Literary Agent Joe Fronk of IAG (set up by Stage 32) who got them hired as Staff Writers on the 51st season of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE!

Travis J. Opgenorth - Script optioned by Broken Time Entertainment and signed with Persistent Entertainment after Stage 32 introduced him to nearly a dozen industry pros.

Tanya Klein & Jim Cirile - Script set up for production with $1.5M budget, Lucas Heyne attached to direct & Scoot McNairy set to star!

Christina Pamies - Signed by "Billion Dollar" Literary Manager Jake Wagner, then hired by StudioCanal to adapt BAGHEAD (now streaming on Shudder/AMC+).

Kevin Bachar - Winning script became THE INHABITANT (2022), produced by Lionsgate and released on Hulu.

Jeffrey Wright - Staffed in the Writer's Room of THE GOLDBERGS

Career-Changing Representation:

• Robin Wang - Signed with literary agent Jimmy Cheng at The Gersh Agency
• Katie McClung - Signed with literary manager Chloe Morris of 42 MP
• Josh Miller - Signed with literary manager Tamer Ashan of Zero Gravity Management
• Henry Sawyer-Foner - Signed with literary manager Nicholas Bogner as a Finalist in our 2025 Romantic Comedy contest!
• Jimmy Miller - Signed with literary manager Marc Manus
• Richard Doyle (Australia) - Signed with literary manager Will Rosenfield
• Glenn Forbes - Secured representation with Infinity Management International
• Alyssa & Griffin Devine - Signed with HG5 Entertainment, writing 2 scripts with 1 going into production
• Frank Ponce - Signed with 3 Arts Entertainment, script picked up by Atlas Entertainment, sold Evel Knievel series to USA Network
• Diana Wright - Signed to The Cartel and Abrams Artists Agency
• Jonathan Jordan - Signed by major agency Verve, script currently in production
• Greg Mania - Signed with Cohn/Torgan Management, published NPR Best Book of 2020

The Stage 32 Difference: Winners and many finalists receive meetings with managers, agents, and producers - not just a trophy. Real careers launched, real movies made, real representation secured. The pattern: Contests create access. What you do with that access determines outcomes.

The Common Objections (And Honest Answers)

"Contests are just cash grabs."

Some are. At Stage 32, they aren't.

We do work year-round to connect our contest Winners and Finalists with hungry executives. If you win, doesn't matter how long ago it was, I will continue working with you and looking out for opportunities for you.

Just ask Sci-Fi writer Josh Miller, one of the first contest Winners I worked with here at Stage 32. I set him up on meetings and sent his scripts out to executives looking for talented new writers for 2.5 years before he landed a manager at Zero Gravity Management last year.

Or ask TV comedy writers Tucker Flodman & Maxwell Gay, the very first contest Winners I worked with in my role. I helped get them an agent via a meeting I set up and even then continued to put their work out for the relevant opportunities available up until last September, when it was announced they were hired as Staff Writers for the latest season of Saturday Night Live.

Or ask Travis J. Opgenorth, who after his option agreement expired on his New Blood winning spec script, asked me to start putting it out again, which I did gladly. I exist to find opportunities to high level writers who've proved they've got the goods on the page.

Point being, my incentive is creating genuine success for all the writers I can. Every writer who gets signed, optioned, or hired through Stage 32 just strengthens my ability to get more and more success stories for writers. It's the snowball effect at work. One signing means I can confidently and nonchalantly say to the next rep I talk to, "I just got this writer signed at XYZ Company, you're going to want to see the writers we've got at Stage 32."

"I can't afford to enter multiple contests."

Then don't.

Enter strategically. One well-chosen contest where your material genuinely fits is better than five random entries hoping something sticks.

Allocate X amount of your annual budget to a few contest entries that really stand out to you and fit your goals.

"My script is great. Why do I need external validation?"

Because the industry doesn't take your word for it.

Executives receive hundreds of queries weekly. Contest placements signal: "This script was evaluated by professionals and rose above hundreds of other submissions."

It's not about whether your script is "great." It's about creating credibility that gets your material read in the first place. This industry runs on referrals, and a Stage 32 referral are among the best in the business. We don't just copy+paste whatever's around. We vet scripts thoroughly through multiple rounds of reads, so we can know the scripts we recommend to execs are going to be worth their while.

"What if I don't place?"

Then you got a valuable data point on where your material stands, potentially some feedback on what to improve, and you keep writing.

Not placing doesn't mean your script is bad. It can mean lot of things like:

• There were a high volume of submissions and only so many place in the contest. We regularly see scripts scoring with an average in the 80s out of 100 not make our Quarterfinals. Those aren't bad scripts. In fact, they're in really, really, really great shape. There were just other even more amazing scripts! There are many produced writers, repped writers, and high-high-high level writers who enter our contests. It's not random that they place. The competition is fierce and the bar to meet is often truly steep. 
  
  
• The concept didn't resonate with readers. Every script entered into a Stage 32 contest is read 3-4 times on average. Our readers are all working industry professionals, who work in development offices, agencies, management firms, production companies, studios, etc. They know the market. They're aware of the trends - what's hot right now vs. oversaturated. Our readers have serious 
  
  
• The execution had issues that were identified or the script just needs refinement. We see a lot of first drafts pass through our contest. They might even have a buzzy logline that makes the concept look nice on paper. But again, you're often competing with writers who have heavily refined, polished drafts. Your first or second draft is rarely going to beat a pro writer's 10th draft that they've workshopped with coverage, consultations, and labs. They say writing is rewriting for a reason. Anyone can put words down on paper. Truly great working writers do that, then kill their darlings and revise their story to death until it's air tight. 
  
  
• You entered a contest where your genre/style wasn't the best fit. Sometimes we see writers enter Horror scripts into our Family Friendly contest. Or futuristic Sci-Fi stories into our Period Piece contest. Which is never a good recipe for success. Always enter contests with scripts that fit the contest genre or what they're looking for.

Treat it as data, not judgment. Adjust and try again. Then move on to the next project.

The Bottom Line

Stage 32 contests exist to solve the access problem that kills most screenwriting careers before they start.

You can write brilliant scripts in isolation and never get them read by anyone who matters. Or you can use contests to:

• Get professional validation
• Access decision-makers directly
• Build credibility for future pitches
• Create relationships that compound over time

You can't buy success. But you can invest in access, validation, and relationships that would otherwise take years to build through traditional networking.

Every writer signed by our executive partners, every script optioned, every career launched through our contests proves the model works when writers enter with genuinely competitive material.

Your Next Steps

1. Evaluate your material honestly. Is it truly contest-ready, or does it need professional feedback first?

2. Browse our active contests. Which ones align with your strongest scripts?

3. Read past winners' loglines. Does your work feel like it belongs in that company?

4. Enter strategically. Quality over quantity. Fit over hope.

5. If you place, leverage it immediately. Update profiles, mention it in pitches, use it in queries.

6. If you don't place, get more feedback. Improve and enter again, or move to your next project.

Check out our Current Stage 32 Contests: HERE (Among those open are Female Driven, RomCom, Short Film, Short Script, and TV Drama, with our TV Comedy contest launching next month!)

Questions about which contest fits your material? Email me: success@stage32.com

Stop waiting to be discovered. Start creating the validation and access that gets you in the room.

Pat A.
Contest Manager & Writer Liasion
Stage 32

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

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Hollywood is going back to books and it's paying off. HAIL MARY, THE HOUSEMAID, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, VLADIMIR, PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION. The adaptations are coming fast and from every corner of the literary world.

It would be easy to just assume studios are playing it safe, that they're leaning on proven IP, built-in fanbases, and the validation of an existing readership to reduce risk in an uncertain market. And there's truth in that. The numbers back it up: original movies made up just 40% of ticket sales last year, while adaptations consistently generate around 55% more revenue than their original counterparts.

But there's another way to read it. Audiences are not just responding to familiarity, they're responding to stories with deep worlds. To characters that feel real. To the kind of emotional specificity that a well-written novel carries in its bones. In a landscape flooded with content, books offer something increasingly rare: a reason to care before the trailer comes out. And gives studios the freedom to can explore other mediums.

So is Hollywood going back to safety? Maybe. Or most likely, audiences want elevated stories with a less predictable structure — and the industry is, for once, listening.

For writers. the opportunity is hiding in plain sight. Write a short story, a memoir, a graphic novel, a blog… The IP doesn't have to be famous. It just has to be the right story at the right moment. Producers are actively looking for material with a built-in foundation, and writers who bring both the creative instincts and the underlying rights to the table are walking in with an enormous advantage. The adaptation boom isn't the death of original stories; it's an invitation to own your story across formats.

This Week in the Writers' Room

The Pitch Tank with Nicole Tossou- Wednesday, March 25th at 4pm PT!

This Wednesday, March 25th at 4pm PT, we welcome Nicole Tossou, Executive Producer of THE NIGHT AGENT Season 3 on Netflix and most recently featured in Deadline for Executive Producing Halle Berry's upcoming FX series MOTHER DOOM, for a live Pitch Tank inside the Writers' Room.

Four writers will pitch their projects directly to Nicole, receive real-time feedback, and one writer will walk away with a script request.

If you would like to join the Writers’ Room, access weekly events, submit to dozens of open writing assignments, and attend exclusive pitch tanks with industry executives- click HERE for a free trial!

This Week’s Exciting Announcements!

This week, we're spotlighting a talented Stage 32 Writer and Performer, Michael Oosterom.

Congratulations to Stage 32 member and PAGE Award Winner Michael Oosterom who was announced as a Nicholl Finalist!

Michael Oosterom is a Los Angeles based actor/improvisor/puppeteer who has performed leading roles in series on Amazon Prime, Netflix and Disney + with Sid and Marty Krofft Productions and The Jim Henson Company. He's the former Production Manager for Jim Henson's Creature Shop and has puppeteered on numerous projects with The Muppets. He's an alumni of The Groundlings Sunday Company and an ensemble member of Brian Henson's live improvisational comedy puppet show Puppet Up: Uncensored! For younger audiences he's written stage adaptations of Hans Christian Andersen and Shakespeare. He wrote and directed the web series AdvoCat and co-hosted the podcast Nerd Like Me. His stage career has included roles with The San Francisco Mime Troupe, The California Shakespeare Festival, The Wilma Theater & The American Conservatory Theater. Gold Prize winner, 2025 PAGE International Screenwriting Awards.

See Michael's Stage 32 Profile here!

The Stage 32 + Mark Creative Management Film & TV Drama Screenwriting Contest Quarterfinalists Have Been Announced!

We're thrilled to reveal the quarterfinalists in this year's Stage 32 + Mark Creative Management Film & TV Drama Screenwriting Contest — and the scripts are now available for producers, managers, and executives to review. With 80 writers advancing from a highly competitive field, the talent on display is exceptional. If you're looking for your next drama feature or TV pilot, this is exactly where you want to be looking.

The Grand Prize Winning screenwriter will receive:

• Development placement for script development and packaging with Mark Creative Management
• Career Accelerator Prize Package ($4,000 value) including script development, career consulting, writer branding, and comprehensive education resources
• Personal Mentorship Track with dedicated 1:1 career development sessions from our success team
• Industry Marketing Campaign promoting winner to our exclusive roster of 2,500+ managers, agents, producers, and executives
• Strategic Partnership where Stage 32 and Mark Creative Management executives collaborate to prepare your project to take directly to market

Our Finalists will receive:

Our Finalists will receive a Career Momentum prize package valued at $1,500, including Career Development, a Writer Branding Workshop and an Education package, and will have your logline featured in a Stage 32 Look Book sent to over 2,500+ top entertainment industry executives, giving your work unparalleled exposure!

But that’s not all! Everyone who makes the Semi-Finals will receive a Career Breakthrough prize package valued at $1,000, our Quarterfinalists will receive a Career Elevation prize package valued at $500, and all Entrants will get a prize package valued at $100!

Today's Ask Me Anything Event with Producer Nikita S. Adams in the Producing Lounge!

If you want a clear understanding of how projects actually get made in today’s IP-driven market, this is a conversation you should not miss.

Today in the Producing Lounge, veteran executive and producer Nikita S. Adams is hosting a FREE 24-hour Ask Me Anything focused on one of the most important areas of the business right now: how to develop source material and IP into a series or film.

With over 25 years of experience across film, television, and representation, Nikita has worked at the highest levels of the industry. Her career includes development and production on projects like HBO’s LIFE SUPPORT starring Queen Latifah, selling IP-based projects to Amazon, MAX, and Paramount, and leading television development at Folding Chair Productions with an overall deal at Warner Bros Television.

She has also held key roles at BET, New Line Cinema, 20th Century Fox Television, Hallmark, Jamie Foxx’s Foxx/King Entertainment, and Forest Whitaker’s Junto Films, before transitioning into representation at Paradigm and A3, where she championed writers, talent, and production companies across the industry.

In other words, she has seen this business from every angle.

Throughout the AMA, Nikita will be answering your questions about the creative and business side of adaptation, how to position yourself in an IP-driven marketplace, what buyers are actually looking for, and how to approach developing material that can sell in today’s environment.

If you’re an author, screenwriter, producer, filmmaker, or creative looking to understand how to navigate the current landscape, where books, true stories, and existing IP dominate development conversations, this is a rare opportunity to learn directly from someone who has been doing this at a high level for decades.

Nikita will be answering questions all day for 24 hours, so take advantage of it!

Click here to join in and ask your questions now!

Need help navigating the industry? Contact success@stage32.com

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

This collaboration represents a powerful step forward, not only for Mexico’s creative community, but also for the global audiovisual industry looking toward Mexico as a premier destination for film and television production.

Mexico: A World-Class Destination for Filming

Mexico has long been recognized as one of the world’s most vibrant and creative filmmaking nations. From our iconic landscapes and historic cities to our world-class crews and production infrastructure, Mexico has served as the backdrop for countless international and national film and television productions for decades.

Mexico offers an extraordinary combination of advantages that make it one of the most competitive production hubs in the world:

• A vast diversity of locations — deserts, jungles, beaches, colonial cities, modern metropolises, and everything in between.
• Highly skilled crews and technical professionals, recognized globally for their expertise.
• Strong production and post-production infrastructure across multiple states.
• Brand new incentive programs, including rebates of up to 40% of local production spend in regions such as Jalisco and Morelos.
• A rich cultural and creative legacy that continues to shape global cinema.

Some of the most recent prolific international film and TV productions shot in Mexico include: Saw X (2023), Tenth installment of the iconic horror franchise, filmed on location in Mexico City; Los Gringo Hunters (2025), international Netflix TV series set and filmed in Tijuana; Mexico 86 (2024), international drama, with principal photography in Mexico; No me sigas (2025), Spanish-language horror film produced by Blumhouse and shot in Mexico City; Crocodiles (2025), a crime thriller co-produced, filmed in Veracruz, Technoboys (2024), a Netflix feature produced and filmed in Mexico (as part of the streamer’s local production slate); Las Locuras (2024), drama by Rodrigo García for Netflix; The Biggest Fan (2024), comedy starring Kate del Castillo, produced by Netflix; Los Dos Hemisferios de Lucca (2024), Netflix production from Mariana Chenillós; and Down The Rabbit Hole (2024), Comedy-drama from Manolo Caro.

Strengthening the Industry Through Stage 32’s Education and Certification

At CANACINE, we believe that talent development and training are vital pillars for the growth of our national film industry. That is why this partnership with Stage 32 is so meaningful for us.

Stage 32 is the world’s largest online platform for film and television professionals, offering more than 4,000 hours of educational content, workshops, labs, and training led by top experts from the global entertainment industry.

Through this alliance, Mexican professionals – from emerging content creators to experienced film and television producers – will now have access to Stage 32’s globally recognized certification. All programs will be delivered fully online, supported by CANACINE’s national network of delegations across the country.

By connecting Mexican talent with global industry standards and credentials, we are:

• Raising the professional competitiveness of our workforce, locally and internationally.
• Opening doors for Mexican filmmakers to work on international productions.
• Creating bridges between regional talent across our 31 states and Mexico City, and worldwide opportunities.
• Supporting sustainable growth throughout the entire national production ecosystem.

Promoting Mexico to the World through Stage 32’s social platform

Mexico is one of the fastest-growing markets for Stage 32. This alliance also strengthens Mexico’s visibility as a top-tier filming destination for productions from the United States and around the globe.

Stage 32’s social community is an ideal platform for us to bolster CANACINE’s mission in and outside Mexico:

• Represent and promote Mexico’s cinematographic and audiovisual industry at a national and international level.
• Support the growth and professionalization of film talent, ensuring Mexican creators are competitive globally.
• Strengthen the industry ecosystem by bringing together production, distribution, exhibition, animation, post-production, and related sectors.
• Encourage collaboration and investment to expand opportunities for filmmakers and companies across the country.
• Position Mexico as a world-class filming destination, highlighting its locations, skilled workforce, and production incentives.
• Connect regional delegations nationwide to ensure industry development reaches all parts of Mexico.

Media Coverage of the Partnership between Canacine & Stage 32

I am proud to share some of the coverage of the partnership between CANACINE and Stage 32, internationally, and in national and local media in Mexico.

"The National Chamber of the Cinematographic Industry, CANACINE, an organization that represents and promotes the film and audiovisual sector of Mexico, and Stage 32, the world's largest online platform for film and television professionals, announce a strategic alliance to offer new training and certification opportunities to Mexican creative talent.

Thanks to this collaboration, filmmakers across the country—from emerging talents to established professionals—will have access to Stage 32's internationally recognized certification programs, taught by experts from Hollywood and the global film industry. Available certifications include Production Assistance, Location Management, Production Accounting, and other key areas of audiovisual production. All programs will be delivered entirely online and implemented with the support of CANACINE's national network of branches."

Click here to read the full article!

"The agreement also includes the international promotion of Mexico as a filming destination for US and global productions. The country offers a skilled workforce and diverse locations. Furthermore, states like Jalisco and Morelos offer incentives that include reimbursements of up to 40% of local production expenses. This increases Mexico's competitiveness in the global market.

“Training and talent development are fundamental pillars for the growth of the Mexican film industry and represent one of Canacine’s priorities,” said Tabata Vilar, general director of Canacine.

“Partnering with Stage 32 allows us to ensure that the country’s professionals, both established and emerging, have internationally competitive tools and credentials,” he added.

“Mexico has stood out for decades as a creative and production powerhouse in Latin America,” commented David Zannoni, International Liaison for Stage 32 and delegate of Canacine in Quintana Roo."

Click here to read the full article!

What Happens After You Get Certified?

Once you complete a Stage 32 Certification, you will:

• Be included in a global database searchable by industry professionals, film commissions, and studios.
• Receive a certification badge on your Stage 32 profile, which is visible to over 1.3 million members worldwide.
• Gain credentials to display on your social media, resume, and LinkedIn profile.
• Be recognized as a qualified industry professional, making it easier for you to get hired and advance your career.

Get Certified. Get To Work. Start By Clicking Here!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

The Canadian sports romance series, created, written, and directed by Jacob Tierney for Crave and streaming on HBO Max in the U.S., has taken the world by storm. Based on Rachel Reid's beloved Game Changers novel series, it follows two rival professional hockey players whose on-ice animosity conceals a passionate secret romance. It stars Hudson Williams, Connor Storrie, François Arnaud, Christina Chang, and Dylan Walsh. It's been praised by critics, devoured by audiences, and has done something remarkable: it literally increased NHL ticket sales.

And on March 24th at 3pm PT, Jacob Tierney is sitting down exclusively with Stage 32 Writers' Room members for a live Q&A.

What you’ll learn from this Q&A

HEATED RIVALRY is not just a great show. It's a masterclass in every challenge working writers face right now.

First, it's a book-to-screen adaptation: one of the most in-demand skills in the industry as studios and streamers race to option IP. It's an LGBTQ+ sports story at a moment when diverse, underrepresented narratives in genre storytelling are actively being sought. It's a Canadian independent production that secured U.S. distribution with a major streamer, proving that the independent model ( packaging projects outside the traditional studio system), is not just viable, it's thriving. I’d go as far as saying it’s the future.

And it's a show that everyone said wouldn't sell.

Jacob Tierney took a story that lived in the hearts of romance novel readers, figured out how to translate it for television without losing what made it special, navigated the business side of international co-production, and got it onto one of the biggest streaming platforms in the world. The path from page to screen was not straightforward... and that's exactly what makes this conversation so valuable.

What We'll Cover

In this exclusive Writers' Room Q&A, Jacob will go deep on the questions that actually matter to working writers:

How do you adapt a beloved novel for TV without alienating the source material's fanbase — and what do you change when you have to? How do you pitch a story that doesn't fit the traditional mold and get a buyer to say yes? What does the business of international co-production actually look like, and how do you secure U.S. distribution from Canada? How do you write authentic LGBTQ+ and sports stories without falling into stereotypes? What mistakes did he make, and what would he do differently?

And the best part? You'll have the chance to ask Jacob your questions directly. This is a live, interactive session. Bring everything you've been wanting to ask a creator and showrunner who has actually done it.

The Market Right Now

Sports romance is exploding. The appetite for emotionally grounded, character-driven stories in genre spaces is real and growing. Book-to-screen adaptations are one of the most active areas of development at every major studio and streamer. And independent productions are increasingly arriving at the table already packaged, already partially financed, already built, giving creators the kind of leverage and creative control that the traditional development process rarely allows.

HEATED RIVALRY didn't just succeed in spite of the system. It found a way around it. If you're a writer trying to figure out how to do the same, this is the conversation you need to be in.

How to Register

This Q&A is exclusively for Stage 32 Writers' Room members and takes place on March 24th at 3pm PT.

Log into your Writers' Room portal to register and secure your spot.

Not a Writers' Room member yet? Your first month is free — and this conversation alone is worth it. Click here to sign up now!

And if you missed Friday's FREE Webcast Event- Heated Rivalry: Breaking Down The Script, you can click here to catch the entire thing on-demand!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

Let’s kick things off with a huge shoutout to everyone who has already jumped into this month’s Introduce Yourself Weekend. Thousands of creatives from around the world are connecting, sharing their stories, and building relationships that can lead to collaborations, opportunities, and lifelong friendships.

If you haven’t made your introduction yet, you still have time. Head over to the Introduce Yourself Lounge before the weekend wraps. Be bold. Introduce yourself. Your next great opportunity could be just one connection away. Now, let’s grab that coffee and dive in…

This week’s featured video comes from In Depth Cine- How The Safdies Shoot A Film At 3 Budget Levels. The video explores how the Safdie Brothers approached filmmaking across three different budget levels, from a stripped-down indie production to a larger, studio-backed film. But what stands out most is not what changed as the budgets increased, but what didn’t. At the lowest budget level, Heaven Knows What was built out of pure resourcefulness. Real locations, non-professional actors, minimal crew, and a highly reactive approach. The camera often feels like it is chasing reality rather than staging it. Limitations did not hold them back; they defined the aesthetic.

With Good Time, the budget increased, but the mindset stayed the same. Even with more resources, the Safdies continued to shoot with urgency and intention, often approaching scenes as if they were “stealing the shot.” They leaned further into genre, expanded their technical capabilities, but never sacrificed the intensity that defines their work. Then comes Uncut Gems, their largest-scale film. More locations, bigger set pieces, more recognizable talent. But instead of smoothing out their style, they doubled down on it. The camera stays close, the pacing is relentless, and the sound design is overwhelming. The budget did not dilute their voice; it amplified it.

And that is the key takeaway. Your voice is not something that appears once you “level up.” It is something you build, protect, and refine at every stage. The Safdies did not wait for permission. They did not wait for bigger budgets to define who they were as filmmakers. They committed to a point of view early and then carried that through every phase of their career.

Everyone’s journey in this industry is completely different. There is no universal path. There is no formula you can copy and paste. You have to define what success actually means to you. People say to me, “RB, I want to be as successful as you.” But you shouldn’t be comparing yourself to anyone else. Yes, I have sold feature scripts. Yes, I have had projects set up with major companies. But not everything gets made or goes exactly how you envision, and that is part of the process.

What those moments do is open doors, create opportunities, and move you forward. They are stepping stones, and that is how you should be measuring success. Not by someone else’s career or timeline, but by your own forward movement.

I’m sure you have a big goal in mind for what you picture as success. Perhaps it’s seeing your script on screen, landing a role, directing your first feature, or building a sustainable creative career. But you do not get there in one leap.

You get there step by step.

• A finished script.
• A strong rewrite.
• A great piece of feedback.
• A new connection.
• A meeting.
• A small win that leads to the next opportunity.

Those are all wins! If you’re not recognizing those moments, you are missing the real progress you are making. So stop comparing yourself to others or measuring yourself against someone else’s highlight reel and focus on your own path. The only path that matters is the one you’re building for yourself.

Tell me in the comments below- What’s one “small win” or stepping stone you’ve had recently that’s moved you closer to your bigger goal?

As always, here at Stage 32, we love sharing stories and knowledge with our fellow film fans. Know someone who would love this content? Share it with them. You can keep up with all of our videos by subscribing to the Stage 32 YouTube Channel. For more inspirational, educational, and motivational content on all things entertainment industry, follow me on Instagram and X @rbwalksintoabar.

Wishing you a very happy, healthy, and creative Sunday.

Cheers,

RB

In Depth Cine | How The Safdies Shoot A Film At 3 Budget Levels

RBWalksIntoABar | What’s The Real Secret to Being Successful in the Industry?

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

Over the years, I have worked with hundreds of screenwriters in all stages of their careers, and I would like to share some of what I have learned from these many encounters.

Screenwriters often get so wrapped-up in their writing that the thought of what to do next can be overwhelming, so often they do nothing, or they submit their material too soon. Of course, your focus should be on the writing, but eventually you’re going to want to secure an agent or manager to help you break into the industry.

If you are letting your work sit on the shelf because 1) you aren’t sure your screenplay is “good enough”, 2) you don’t know what to do next, or 3) you are afraid of taking the next step, let me assure you that it isn’t as daunting as it seems.

Although I am writing this to give you some tips about taking your first face-to-face meeting with a producer or studio executive, I want to take a minute to emphasize how important it is that your screenplay is ready. The rumors you’ve heard about the first ten pages making or breaking you are true – but it’s really the first three pages.

Of course, if a screenplay passes the first few pages of a read, the body of the screenplay needs to be solid too. The hard truth is that no one in the industry is going to “read” you twice. If your first submission isn’t polished, the next one won’t even be opened. I’m sorry – but it’s true. It has to be a lot more than just a good idea.

Before you send it out, have your screenplay read by an executive on Stage 32. You can find me here, or you can choose from a list of other executives here.

Moving on -

I’ve had a running, inside joke for years that the real reason we have a sit-down first meeting with a writer is to make sure they aren't an axe murderer. Sounds crazy, but it’s true - I met with one and found out afterward. I can’t name names, but it happened at Warner Brothers, and I didn’t move forward with the project.

Let's rewind for just a minute and go over how you got here. If you're coming in for a meeting with me, it is because your agent or manager has convinced me it's worth my time to read you. If I am impressed after I've read you, I will call your representative and let them know I want to meet you.

Occasionally, I may meet you because you have won a writing competition, or someone I know and trust, who isn't an agent or manager, has highly recommended you to me. However, that is what we call an unsolicited submission, and that leaves me vulnerable to being accused of stealing your project and you vulnerable to having it stolen. That’s a topic for another blog. Still, I have occasionally taken that risk. In any case, I've read you and I want to meet you.

A general meeting is about you, but it's for me. I need to find out what kind of person you are. The bottom line is that I need to know what you are like "in the room". Are you easy to talk to, are you bright, interesting, and someone I think we can work with? I say "we", because I am vetting you not only for myself, but for my network/cable/streamer executives, directors, and everyone else you could eventually be meeting with. I will not risk my relationships or reputation on a writer I can't trust to be professional.

So, we'll talk. I'll be asking you questions that will give me a better sense of the things you are passionate about, where you're from, what kind of life experiences you've had, what you majored in, etc. I want to know more about you because if you’ve written a screenplay about a fighter pilot and you were in the Air Force – this matters, tell me about it. Are you an attorney who has written a courtroom drama series? I want to know this.

If I have an open writing assignment, for example, about the guys who decoded the genome and you have a background in biochemistry, bingo! If you have been supporting yourself as a 911 operator until your writing career takes flight and your dream is to be staffed on Ryan Murphy's "911" - perfect (you know who you are, lol). But I also want to know if you are incredibly creative and well-researched in all that you do – tell me, it’s important.

These tips apply whether it is your 1st meeting or your 100th meeting:

1. Let go of your fear. If you are being asked to set a meeting, you're a lot further along than you might think.
2. Screenplay comments and notes are not personal, so please don’t be defensive. Let go of your ego. Television and feature film screenwriting is a collaborative process (even if you are Quentin Tarantino). We want to know you are a team player. There are no ulterior motives. It's about creating a compelling project for an audience, not for you personally.
3. Don't be late. Be 15-20 minutes early, wait in your car, then check in at the desk a few minutes before the meeting starts.
4. Don't discuss the terms of your "deal" in the room, especially financially. That's between your representative (your manager, agent, or attorney) and the studio's business affairs folks. If you are asked specifically, then it's up to you, but you will be better served by politely deferring the discussion to your representative.
5. Don't underestimate the ramifications of your behavior. What happens in these meetings doesn't always stay in the room. Remember, it’s Hollywood.
6. Be yourself. Be willing to share information about yourself, and don't be afraid to ask questions. It is a conversation.
7. Be well-groomed and dress comfortably.
8. Be interesting, be attentive, be enthusiastic, but not desperate. There's a fine line between enthusiasm and desperation. I already know you want to work; you don't need to tell me that. Don't come in expecting anything, and you will be fine.
9. Be informed. Don't go in blind. Find out what kind of projects the executive/studio or producer makes before you go. Watch some of them. It might not come up, but if it does, you'll be ready to talk about them. Bring a pen and notebook and write down anything you need to follow up on.
10. Don't tell me you can write anything - you can't.
11. Don't tell me your stories of rejection, deals gone wrong, or how long you've been trying to break-in to the industry. Everyone has war stories - save it for your book. Keep it positive.
12. Everyone matters, so please treat people with respect. Don't underestimate the power in the hands of my assistant. Assistants are the executive's trusted gatekeepers and more than likely will be an executive themselves soon. If something strikes them as odd or rude, you can be sure they will let me know. The same is true if you make a good impression - I'll hear about it. Always be friendly, professional, and polite.
13. Don't overstay your welcome. Less is more the first time around.
14. Don’t ask me when you will hear from me. I will be in touch with your representative.

Continue to take meetings and enjoy the process. You are building relationships and it's a much smaller community than you may think - word travels.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

This month, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the ideas and conversations that surround this month and ask you to reflect too. Because the truth is, reflection without action is just a nice feeling, and the data is screaming at us to consider real, actionable change because we simply don't have the luxury of becoming complacent.

Let's Start With the Numbers.

We talk about progress, and we celebrate visible wins. But the data published in the months surrounding the Summit paints a picture that demands systemic change and not just applause.

29% of the top 100 grossing films in 2025 featured female protagonists, down from 42% in 2024. (Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, SDSU, 2026)

Women directed just 13% of the top 250 grossing films in 2025 (The Celluloid Ceiling, SDSU, 2026). Among the top 100, that number drops further to just 8.1%, or 9 out of 111 directors, and only 5.4% of directors were women of color (USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, 2026)

7% of the top 250 films in 2025 employed 10 or more women in key behind-the-scenes roles. Meanwhile, 75% employed 10 or more men. (The Celluloid Ceiling, SDSU, 2026)

7% of composers working on 2025's top 250 films were women, a slight rise from 5%. Cinematographers, by contrast, dropped sharply from 12% to 7%. (The Celluloid Ceiling, SDSU, 2026)

29% of the 2025 Oscar nominations went to women. Non-binary and transgender filmmakers received 0% and 0.4%, respectively. (Women in Film, 2026)

And here's one more number that should silence every “but we've come so far” conversation;

+6%

That is the total increase in women's overall behind-the-scenes representation across the top 250 films. To clarify, that's from 17% in 1998 to 23% in 2025. Six percentage points. In 27 years. (The Celluloid Ceiling, SDSU)

I want all of you to sit with that for a moment.

This is not a pipeline problem or a talent problem. It is a systemic, structural problem.

“Intention without architecture is just noise.” - WIFTI Summit 2026

What the Summit Gave Us.

Over four extraordinary days, WIFTI brought together creatives, industry leaders, advocates, policymakers and allies from across the globe who were all united by a shared commitment to gender equality and meaningful change across the screen industries.

People spoke candidly about what wasn't working, and they called out the systems that protect the status quo. But we need the status quo to start paying attention.

The Themes That Kept Coming Back

• Gender equality must move from intention to action. Urgently. Not pledges. Not panels. Equitable budgets, inclusive hiring practices, and accountability structures embedded into the industry itself.
• Technology is reshaping everything. The people making decisions about AI, virtual production, and digital platforms are not yet representative of the audiences those tools will serve.
• Visibility alone is not enough. As Dr. Martha Lauzen of SDSU has noted for years, 'visibility for a few has not generated employment for many.' Greta Gerwig. Jane Campion. Chloé Zhao. Their wins are real. But the numbers haven't moved.
• Sustainable careers, not just projects. From development to distribution, creators need ongoing structural support and not just a single shot at the gate.
• Place matters. Local investment and regional infrastructure are not peripheral issues — they are the foundation on which international collaborations are built.

"Gender equality must move from intention to action with greater urgency." - WIFTI Summit 2026

Why It All Comes Back to the Decision Makers.

Here is the most compelling data point in all of this:

71% of writers on films with at least one female director were women. Compare that to 11% on films with male directors only. (The Celluloid Ceiling, SDSU, 2026)

22% of cinematographers on films with a female director were women. Versus just 5% on male-directed films. (The Celluloid Ceiling, SDSU, 2026)

28% of editors on films with a female director were women. Versus just 19% on male-directed films. (The Celluloid Ceiling, SDSU, 2026)

When women lead, women get hired. When women get hired, different stories get told, and when different stories get told, different audiences feel seen, and they show up.

The 2026 UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report makes this commercially explicit: studios are leaving money on the table. Films with diverse casts consistently outperform at the box office, and yet the industry continues to retreat from the very practices that drive that performance.

"The industry cannot afford to turn away from women and people of color during this time when the theatrical industry is still struggling." — Ana-Christina Ramón, UCLA Entertainment and Media Research Initiative

This is not a social justice argument alone - although it absolutely is that too. It is a business argument. And we should be making both, very loudly, in every room we enter.

Women Behind the Camera.

Across the globe, WIFT chapters were gathering to mark International Women's Day with exactly this kind of honest reckoning. In Warsaw, WIFT Poland (led by Chapter President & Stage 32 Brand Ambassador, Karolina Rum) co-hosted a panel with Kino Praha titled "Women Behind the Camera," bringing together production coordinator Anna Komosa, editor Anna Luka, production manager Patrycja Kycia, production designer Ewa Mroczkowska, and moderator/journalist Anna Tatarska.

The panel surfaced a question that deserves to sit at the heart of every industry conversation right now:

"What creative territories are we failing to explore simply because a single generation still dominates the decision-making rooms?"

Karolina Rum frames the answer through the lens of intergenerational collaboration, which is a concept she calls not just beneficial, but strategically necessary:

"Intergenerational collaboration is becoming a strategic necessity for a global film market defined by rapid technological shifts, cultural and economic fragmentation, and audiences hungry for authenticity." - Karolina Rum, President, WIFT Poland

Younger creators are bringing fluency in emerging platforms, digital culture, and audience behaviour. Seasoned professionals bring institutional memory, understanding of industry cycles, and the hard-won calm of decades navigating both crisis and success. When these strengths intersect, the room gets bigger than any single generation's experience.

But Karolina is clear about the obstacle: gatekeeping. The industry has long been structured around hierarchical access. Who gets the meeting, who controls financing, who 'gets to fail.' Intergenerational collaboration demands we reimagine gatekeeping not as a barrier but as a bridge.

WIFT Poland is launching RE:INVENT. A structured mentoring exchange that flows both ways, pairing established professionals with emerging creatives in mutual learning. Watch this space for more details.

Story as Resistance: A Conversation with Sophie Hyde

One of the most resonant voices in Australian cinema right now is director Sophie Hyde, whose semi-autobiographical film Jimpa (starring Olivia Colman and John Lithgow) is in Australian cinemas now, distributed by Kismet Movies.

WIFT Vic Vice President Katie Page spoke with Sophie about what it means to bring a deeply personal, queer, intergenerational story to the screen, and their words cut right to the bone of everything we've been discussing.

On the Power of Personal Stories

Jimpa grew from loss and love: Sophie's late father, a provocative gay man driven by social justice, and her child Aud's growing public identity as a trans person. The impulse to create a space for that conversation became the film.

"We very much explore the idea of stories and the multiple truths that can exist and how we create narratives to create meaning." — Sophie Hyde, Director of Jimpa

Sophie's film is itself a proof of concept. Here is an Australian female director, working with Olivia Colman and John Lithgow, making a queer intergenerational story across three countries. It exists. It is in cinemas. And it matters. Not just artistically, but as evidence of what becomes possible when the right people are given the keys.

On Vulnerability as a Creative Model

What Sophie describes about making Jimpa - building trust quickly with new international collaborators, offering something personal, having it met - is genuinely a model for the kind of industry we're trying to build. Reciprocal. Honest. Human.

Sophie’s Advice for Women and Gender-Diverse Filmmakers

"Finding each other, championing each other and holding each other is crucial. Rejecting the desire to shrink or put all our attention on how we look. Helping more people make stories and watching them. Giving a shit. Trying really hard. Not hardening too much." - Sophie Hyde

It sounds radical in its simplicity, but in an industry that has spent decades asking women and gender-diverse people to make themselves smaller, it is radical, and it is exactly the spirit the WIFTI community was built on.

Click here to read the full interview with Sophie Hyde!

What Systemic Change Actually Looks Like

We know the problem. We have the data. What we need now are structural solutions. Here's what the conversations of this past month are pointing toward:

1. Accountability with teeth.

Diversity pledges without enforcement are wallpaper. The industry needs clear, auditable gender targets embedded into funding conditions. Not as a bonus, but as a baseline. France has required productions receiving CNC funding to complete gender-based violence training, with obligations progressively extended to full crews. In Norway, 40% of publicly backed productions are directed by women, and they have now surpassed their own target. These are working models to look at and implement locally.

2. Put women in the director's chair. Deliberately and at scale.

The data is unambiguous. When a woman directs, women get hired across every department. Hiring one woman in the chair is a systemic lever. Funders, studios, and streaming platforms need to treat it as one.

3. Finance films directed by women equitably.

According to France's CNC Gender Equality report, films directed by women had budgets approximately 39% lower than those directed by men in 2024. Lower budgets mean fewer screens, less marketing, and less visibility, which is a cycle that perpetuates the underrepresentation it appears to reflect.

4. Build intergenerational pipelines and not just entry points.

Getting in the door is not enough. Mid-career support, mentorship exchange, and long-term career infrastructure are what turn individuals into an industry.

5. Measure everything.

Although many film institutes have developed GEDI strategies, it's important that we continue to collect data, whether that work is institutionalised or driven independently. We cannot fix what we do not measure. Every chapter, every studio, every funding body needs to be collecting gendered data and making it public.

6. Champion streaming as a frontier.

Women creators on streaming programs rose to 36% in 2024-25, which is a historic high, and almost double the 20% on broadcast. This is where progress is happening. This is the result of deliberate decisions by platforms that treat inclusion as a strategic priority. We need to learn from this, amplify it, and demand the same from theatrical.

Questions That Should Keep You Up at Night

We'd love to hear from you because these are the questions we're sitting with:

• If women directing increases female hiring across every department, why are we not treating female directors as an industry-wide investment priority?
• Who controls the financing at your company, your studio, your funding body and what does their gender breakdown look like?
• What stories are not being told right now because the person who would tell them cannot get in the room?
• In what ways can cross-generational collaboration in your team unlock stories and solutions that no single generation's experience could reach alone?
• What would it look like to move gender equity from a values statement to a contractual obligation in your next project?

What next?

• Find your WIFT chapter: 60+ chapters on six continents working toward the same goal. Join us at wifti.net/membership
• Look out for WIFT Poland's RE:INVENT mentorship program: A mentorship exchange built on mutual learning, launching soon. More details from WIFT Poland coming.
• Access Stage 32 Education: WIFTI members get exclusive access to Stage 32's global education platform. Courses, webinars, and tools built for the modern screen creator.
• Watch Jimpa: Sophie Hyde's queer, intergenerational film is in Australian cinemas now.
• Start a conversation in the comments below: What did this past month spark for you? Share your moment of triumph, your moment of concern, or your call to action in the Stage 32 Lounges. We're listening.

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

As we head into Spring 2026, there’s something I want to ask you:

Are you moving forward with intention… or waiting for the “right moment” to start?

If you’ve been feeling stuck, unsure of your next step, or like you’re creating in a vacuum, I want to personally invite you to this month’s Stage 32 Community Open House.

This will be our final FREE Open House event until this summer, so you don't want to miss it.

Wednesday, March 25th at 12:00 pm PT!

You can register for free by clicking here!

Every Success Story Begins With a First Step

Whether you’re chasing representation, looking for collaborators, or ready to stop creating in isolation, this Open House is your opportunity to show up, be seen, and start making real progress.

And I want to be clear about something:

This is not a presentation.

This is not a passive webinar.

This is a fully interactive session guided by me, with live support from the Stage 32 team.

You’ll be invited to:

• Share your goals
• Ask questions
• Tell us exactly what you’re working toward right now
• Get real-time guidance tailored to you

This is about clarity, connection, and momentum.

What You’ll Walk Away With

During the session, we’ll walk through the most powerful tools on Stage 32 and how to use them strategically for your specific goals.

Build a Profile That Works for You

Your profile is your virtual business card.

We’ll show you how to clearly communicate your creative voice, experience, and goals so the right people can find you and understand what you bring to the table.

Use the Free Lounges to Build Real Relationships

This is where the magic happens.

You’ll learn:

• How to write a compelling post
• How to engage in meaningful conversations
• How to stay active without feeling overwhelmed
• How consistency builds visibility, trust, and opportunity

Stay Informed & Take Action

We’ll also break down how to best use:

• The Stage 32 Blog
• Education & Certification
• Career Development Services
• The Writer’s Room

So you’re not just consuming information… you’re applying it.

Get Direct Guidance From the Stage 32 Team

Pat Alexander from the Stage 32 Success Team will also be live to answer your questions and help you navigate career development services, the Writer’s Room, how to strategically connect with executives, and what steps to take next based on your goals.

This is your chance to get clear, actionable guidance directly from the team that helps creatives move forward every day.

Built Around You

We’ll wrap with a live Q&A tailored to the people in the room. Whether you’re a screenwriter, director, producer, actor, editor, or a multi-hyphenate building your own path. You’ll leave with clarity and practical next steps you can act on immediately.

Can’t Attend Live?

No problem. When you register, you’ll receive the full recording to watch or listen to anytime, wherever you are.

Save your spot by clicking here!

If you’ve been waiting for the right time to ask questions, get involved, and take your next step…

This is it.

And since this is the last Open House until summer, it’s your opportunity to take advantage of this free, live, interactive session while it’s here.

I hope to see you there!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .

Horror is IN. And it's not just me saying it, it's the Academy.

I know every cinephile pundit in town is going to have a take on what mattered and what's going to shape the culture going forward, but for the first time in a long time, the Academy Awards didn't feel like same old, same old. As a lifelong horror and monster movie aficionado, I was rooting hard for SINNERS, WEAPONS, and FRANKENSTEIN…and I certainly wasn't disappointed.

Bigger budgets dominated this year too, with expensive streamer-backed projects taking home major categories. So what does it all mean: for us, for the industry, for the moviegoing experience, and for what actually gets made next?

A few things stood out. Most of the films that won told us the world can get ugly and unfair, but love, heart, and heroism will prevail, which feels like exactly the sentiment the moment called for. The ceremony rewarded mainstream success over obscure drama, which was a welcome change of pace. But it also felt, somehow, like the final nail in the coffin for art house cinema.

Right now, what's shiny, bold, and unapologetically mainstream is the flavor of the moment, and somehow, this was a welcome change. More than ever, Movies are combining and mixing genres, and it feels like bold takes are rewarded. So what's next? A horror-rom-com mash-up? A sci-fi-monster-drama? I'm eager to see what filmmakers and writers are going to concoct next when constraints go out the window.

This Week in the Writers' Room

The Exec Hour with Nikita S. Adams- Wednesday, March 18th at 4pm PT!

This Wednesday, March 18th, at 4pm PT, The Executive Hour welcomes Nikita S. Adams, literary talent agent, Head of Production and Development, and one of the most well-rounded executives working in the industry today.

With over 25 years spanning BET, New Line Cinema, 20th Century Fox Television, Hallmark, Jamie Foxx's Foxx/King Entertainment, Forest Whitaker's Junto Films, and the representation desks at Paradigm and A3 Artists Agency, Nikita has done it all.

She'll be joining us live to answer your questions about what agents and executives actually look for in writers, and what it takes to build a lasting career in this industry.

If you would like to join the Writers’ Room, access weekly events, submit to dozens of open writing assignments, and attend exclusive pitch tanks with industry executives- click HERE for a free trial!

This Week’s Exciting Announcements!

We have an incredible Writer's Room event coming up on Tuesday, March 24th, that you won't want to miss!

Join us for an exclusive Q&A with the Creator & Showrunner of HBO Max's HEATED RIVALRY!

Jacob Tierney, creator, writer, and director of the show that took the world by storm, HEATED RIVALRY (Crave/HBO Max), is joining Stage 32 Writers' Room members exclusively on March 24th at 3pm PT for a live Q&A. This is the show that took a "too niche" romance novel, navigated international co-production, secured U.S. distribution on a major streamer, and literally increased NHL ticket sales. Everyone said it wouldn't sell. It did.

Attend this session and learn about the creators’ entire journey from optioning the IP to landing on a major streamer, which speaks to writers interested in book-to-screen adaptations and breaking into prestige TV! Discover how to write authentic LGBTQ+ romance, sports authenticity, character-driven dramas, and learn the world of International productions, how to secure U.S. distribution, and the economics of streaming deals!

Click here to register for The Writer's Room now!

This week, we're spotlighting a talented Writer & Director who recently won the Stage 32 + Color Farm Media Screenwriting Contest & Diversity Talent Accelerator with his script, THE PERFECT KISSER!

Micheal S. Camp is an emerging screenwriter and director focused on character-driven stories rooted in Black life and cultural specificity. A graduate of the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Micheal blends analytical structure with emotionally resonant storytelling.

Originally from Atlanta and currently spending much of his time in Japan, Micheal brings a global perspective to distinctly American narratives. His creative foundation was shaped in the music industry, where he worked as an audio engineer for Grammy Award–winning producer Jimmy "The Senator" Douglass at his Miami studio. His work aims to engage social commentary without sacrificing entertainment value, balancing layered themes with accessible storytelling and cinematic momentum.

See Micheal's Stage 32 Profile here!

This Week In The Stage 32 Community!

Right now in the Screenwriting Lounge, Stage 32 member and screenwriter Maria Caeiro has sparked a conversation that every writer, no matter their level, can relate to: What’s a hard truth you learned the hard way?

It’s the kind of question that cuts through the noise. Because behind every polished script and every “overnight success” is a collection of tough lessons, rewrites, rejections, pivots, and moments where things didn’t go according to plan.

Maria’s own answer will hit home for many of you: spending weeks perfecting a scene, only to realize it doesn’t serve the story and needs to be cut entirely. That’s the reality of this craft. And the responses coming in from the community are just as honest, insightful, and, at times, hilariously painful.

These are the conversations that accelerate your growth. Not because they give you a shortcut, but because they remind you what to expect and how to keep moving forward anyway. If you’ve ever questioned your process, struggled with a rewrite, or wondered if you’re the only one learning things the hard way, you’re not. And more importantly, you don’t have to go through it alone.

Jump into the discussion, share your own hard-earned lessons, and learn from others who are on the same path.

Click here to join the conversation!

Need help navigating the industry? Contact success@stage32.com

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .