Producing

Hey Joe! Congratulations! Sounds like you're getting a lot of momentum here! My advice would be, rather than seek a service to support you, seek a person. It sounds like you have a fairly thorough understanding of the business given your experience in TV, but now you need to translate that into indie feature films.

Shoot me a DM, maybe we can discuss some more options!

To be a bit frank, I think you may be looking for a company to take the script and run with it, and a LOT of services promise versions of that. I haven’t personally seen many deliver in quite the way they advertise. Whether it’s a feature or a series, I think your next step is packaging the project so it looks like the strongest, most valuable IP you can make it: script, pitch deck, and preferably a sizzle reel. Yes, that’s a lot of work, but we’re also often asking people for a lot of money! Stage 32 has great resources for learning that side of things, as do places like No Film School No Trust Fund No Problem (Google). And the good news is, packaging and finding producers aren’t mutually exclusive. My co-writer and I recently pitched to several streamers and broadcasters, and I don’t think we would’ve had nearly as many meetings without the package we built around the project. It made the story easier to understand, easier to get excited about, and frankly, made the producers’ jobs easier too.

Joe, this is actually very close to the problem we’ve been thinking about while building FilmDrafts.

We’ve been working on the platform for quite a while with the idea of helping filmmakers bridge the gap between a finished screenplay and something that can actually be discussed seriously from a production and financing standpoint.

We haven’t officially started our free project initiative yet, but seeing your post, we’d be happy to make an exception and offer it to you first.

If your script is at the right stage for it, we can put together a full script breakdown, shooting schedule and production budget for the project at no cost, based on the actual screenplay rather than a generic estimate.

That should give you a much clearer sense of the film’s scale and help shape the next conversations around packaging, financing, incentives, locations and potential production routes.

If that sounds useful, feel free to send us a DM. You’re also welcome to visit our website, FilmDrafts.com, which is still in active development but is already live if you’d like to get a better sense of what we’re building.

No obligation at all. We’re planning to offer this to a number of filmmakers as FilmDrafts grows, but your post felt like a very natural place to start.

I agree with Joshua. Ultimately you’re looking for a production company or a producer to take it to the next level. Getting it reviewed is really important, though to be honest you’ll keep getting feedback on the script right up until the day of shooting.

Ultimately you want to get it in front of as many producers as possible, targeting those with a track record in your genre and themes, something that falls into their wheelhouse. As a producer, we need to fall in love with the project and be as passionate about it as you are, so we can take it to the next stage.

My personal process is to get a director or filmmaker on board first, then bring the other elements along as you go, which helps with financing and everything else. There’s no single right way to do it, but you want it in the hands of someone who can make the connections, the introductions, and attach the right people. After that, it flows as it flows.

Ashley Renée Smith, I absolutely love the idea behind this. What makes Stage 32 special to me has always been the people, the relationships, the conversations, the collaborations, and those unexpected connections that can genuinely change the direction of a creative journey.

So yes, count me in for the Creative Army! I’m already thinking about where I can “raise the call” and introduce Stage 32 to creatives who may not know yet what this community can offer them.

And I especially love that this isn’t simply about growing numbers, it’s about bringing more voices, experiences, and creative worlds into the same room. That only makes the community stronger for all of us.

Let’s build it!

I think my comment deserves more discussion. When you are talk about "terminal diseases" you are talking about a wide variety of diseases or conditions with a wide variety of outcomes. I for years had the mistaken impression that a "terminal" illness would go a certain way as described in all the tearjerker movies about this issue. However, having developed a medical condition myself that is uncurable and will kill me (if something else does not get me first) I realize that these movies in the interest of telling a complete story in a finite amount of time do NOT do the subject REAL justice. Many people (like me) have an illness that is not curable (but perhaps treatable) but they have absolutely no idea how much time they have left. I could live 5 or more years from now and on the otherhand I could get very sick and not last more than a couple of weeks FROM NOW. I have no idea and neither do the doctors, that is the rub so they say, the medical profession often cannot tell you how long you have especially if your condition is in its infancy, medical advances that could help your condition are happening all the time. You just do not know, of course you could get hit by a truck and die tomorrow, it happens, the uncertainty of anyone's life is the key issue and if you are able to explore that in a properly crafted story you will make a good film.

Elena Schumann That's very deep, Elena. Thank you for sharing it. I can only imagine what it must be like living with your condition.

I like the point you build to in your comment, about the uncertainty.. I believe it was William Archer who said, about storytelling, "Drama is anticipation mingled with uncertainty."

If uncertainty is about life and death, it really touches the core of the human condition.

I lost my closest brother to Lewy Body Disease. During the last year, he wanted to euthanize. The best they could do was hospice at the very end. It was torture for all. I also lost a very close friend to ALS. He did euthanize, and it was not easy but not draining to everyone down to the end... and his last days were deep but also grateful and joyous.

As I develop my project, I think it would be beneficial to tap into your wisdom and feelings on this. Perhaps we could have a conversation about it?

Thank you again for your vulnerability and sharing these deep thoughts.

Jack Vincent this is such a genuinely useful thread to open!

What you're describing with the death with dignity community is one of the most underused financing paths in independent film. Money that follows a cause behaves differently than money that follows a return. A traditional film investor is asking whether they'll get paid back. A mission-aligned funder is asking whether your film will move the needle on something they already care deeply about. Those are completely different pitches, and most filmmakers only know how to make the first one.

On your question about the contact who loves the concept but isn't signing the check, I'd argue those people are often more valuable than the ones who are. Someone inside a cause community knows who funds what, which foundations have money moving this cycle, and which conversations are worth your time. Treating them as a dead end wastes the most useful thing they have, which is their map. The ask isn't "will you fund this," it's "who should I be talking to, and would you be willing to make the introduction?" That's a much easier yes, and it's how those doors actually open.

Also worth knowing- Stage 32 has a class in our on-demand library built for exactly this. How to Tap Into Donor-Advised Funds to Help Finance Your Film. There's over $250 billion sitting in U.S. Donor Advised Funds and private family foundations, and it's money that's specifically looking for socially impactful work, which describes your project precisely. Most producers never touch it simply because nobody taught them how to go after it. The webinar covers how to approach philanthropic funding and how to use it to de-risk a project so traditional investors become easier to attract afterward: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/alternative-fundraising-strat...

Love your perspective, Ashley Renée Smith, and I'm definitely going to check out the Tap Into Donor-Advise Funds webinar. Thanks for pointing that out :)

Ashley Renée Smith, that’s great advice. I didn’t know about this webinar, and since DAFs can be such an important path for raising money for films in the US, I’m definitely going to take a look too, like Jack Vincent .

In Europe, DAFs aren’t really part of the cultural funding landscape in the same way, so I always find it interesting to learn more about how filmmakers in the US use them as part of their financing strategy.

Thank you for sharing this!

Exactly, Sara Hamilton and that’s such an important distinction. The answer really does shift depending on who is sitting at the table and what they need from the project. I’m very much with you on the idea that the strongest position is ultimately the complete package: a story people believe in, the right talent around it, and a clear path toward audience and financing. And yes, once investors and financiers enter the conversation, passion alone is never enough — the numbers have to make sense too.

That balance between creative conviction and financial reality is probably where producing becomes most interesting. Thank you for sharing :)

I think you have to have a good script. During the last award season, time again, listening to panels of directors and producers, you would hear it is about the script. You can always find the packaging elements, but that does not matter if your script, if you have a story that is not well told.

The script is the asset; the package is the transaction. A brilliant screenplay without attachments can still create heat, but a serious financing conversation needs more than heat—it needs a defined audience, budget logic, talent strategy, distribution path, and credible recoupment case. I would rather start with exceptional material because packaging can be built around it. But before approaching money, I want the screenplay and package working together so every attachment reduces a specific financing or market risk. That is the difference between having a project people admire and having one they can actually greenlight.

I agree, Maria Baltazzi. And I think that’s what keeps bringing me back to the screenplay first. You can build the package around strong material, find the right director, cast, and partners, but if the story itself isn’t working, those elements can only take you so far.

I also find it interesting that you heard that repeatedly throughout awards season. At a time when we talk so much about packaging, IP, marketability, and attachments, it says a lot that directors and producers still come back to the same foundation: a story that is genuinely well told. Thank you for sharing.

Markice Moore, I really like the way you framed this: “the script is the asset; the package is the transaction.” That distinction captures the whole debate so well.

I’m with you that exceptional material is where I want to begin, because that gives us something worth building around. But once we move toward financing, the conversation has to become much more concrete: audience, budget, talent, distribution, recoupment, and what each attachment is actually solving for the project.

That last point really stayed with me too: an attachment should reduce a specific risk, not just make the package look more impressive. That’s where a project starts moving from something people admire to something they can genuinely back.

Thank you for such a clear and grounded perspective, Markice. I really appreciate your point of view on this.

Great point, Terri. Thinking about incentives while developing the budget can open up options that might otherwise seem out of reach. Location decisions can have a major impact on what ultimately ends up on screen.

Thanks for sharing this, James!

This looks incredibly valuable. I think attaching the right director is just as important as having a strong script, and I'm especially interested in the section on building a one-sheet that gets attention.

As a graphic designer, I love creating pitch decks and visual branding for film projects, so I'm looking forward to learning how producers package projects from the industry side. Thanks again!

Absolutely, Mercy James! A strong one-sheet has to communicate the heart and potential of a project quickly, so your experience in graphic design and visual branding will give you a fascinating perspective on this. I’m also looking forward to hearing Whitney explain what producers are searching for beyond beautiful design and how the creative and strategic sides of packaging work together.

If you have any questions for Whitney, please feel free to share them here in the thread or add them to the Q&A box during the webinar. We'll be delighted to have you join us!

Thank you so much, Sandra! I really appreciate the encouragement.

I'm excited to join the webinar, especially to learn how producers evaluate a one-sheet beyond the visual design. As a graphic designer, I'm always looking to create pitch materials that are not only beautiful but also strategically effective.

Looking forward to learning from Whitney and the Stage 32 community. Thanks again!

You are welcome, Mercy James.

What an absolutely amazing webinar with Whitney Davis today. Her wisdom, her light, and her open heart filled the entire session. Whitney has this rare ability to make the industry feel both accessible and exciting, and she shares her knowledge with such generosity and clarity.

What stood out most was the practical producer’s perspective she brought to the process of attaching a director. Real steps, real strategy, real experience. She didn’t just talk about the theory; she showed us how producers actually move projects forward, how they identify the right creative partner, and how they build the relationships that get films made.

And of course... her words of encouragement landed deeply:

“Don’t limit your options.”

“Be open to other swayings.”

“You’ve got to believe.”

“Celebrate your wins.”

Whitney embodies all of that. Grateful for her insight, her energy, and the way she champions bold storytellers. What a gift of a session for all of us at Stage 32 <3

Myranda Peterson, I love how you framed this because it really does come back to really good storytelling. Format, trend, genre... all of that fades fast if the writing isn’t tight enough to pull someone in and make them forget their phone exists. And you’re right: older films that lock you in within minutes prove it’s not about attention span; it’s about connection.

What you said hits the core of it: instead of chasing trends, we should be asking what makes a human being lean forward and stay engaged. Looking at which films actually pull people into theaters — and why — feels like the smarter path for all of us.

Yes, exactly. I think my second script could really grab their attention if it’s made into a movie, haha. I hope so Sandra Isabel

As a general rule, older audiences are more likely to watch a movie in a theater than younger audiences. The reason generation Z is going to the theater more is because it is getting older, something that happens with every single generation, the older it gets the more likely the people in it will go to the theater for entertainment.

I know Meriem Bouziani, you are right spot on!

Yes Elena Schumann, thats also true and a very good analysis of generations' evolution :)

I relate to this a lot. I’m much more comfortable building the actual story than trying to condense everything I know about it into a few minutes. One thing I’m learning is that pitching is almost its own separate skill from writing. You can know your project inside and out and still have to learn how to communicate only the parts somebody needs to hear first. I’ve been working on simplifying mine down to the core character, conflict and emotional hook instead of trying to explain the whole world.

Congrats on the double recommends! Here are my two cents about pitches as an exec and a working writer so I am both on the receiving end of pitches and often the one pitching. When I was an actor I had a casting director give me an invaluable piece of advice about auditions which are essentially pitches in a different format, he said he could always tell when an actor was too hungry, and that all it made him wonder was why no one was feeding them, Basically there needs to be an ease about the pitch that can really only come from practice practice practice. The pitch should be so rehearsed that it feels off the cuff. There are two ways to go about doing this, one ask everyone you know to listen to you pitch and second record yourself, then record yourself again. You want to know your story inside and out and then you want to work on making the pitch feel conversational. If you can have it memorized, look us in the eyes, we want to engage with you, we want to be brought in on the journey, not just of the story but of how you came to write it. Make me laugh, catch me off guard, be a person I feel like I can have a cup of coffee with. A fun exercise to work on becoming a better is pitcher is take a movie or story that you don't like and try to pitch it in a way that would make someone watch it. But essentially my biggest bit of advice is to practice, pitching is an art and it can be learned!

Echoing the sentiments of the others here. No need to stop practicing the pitch and improving, but some people aren't as strong on the page as they are in the room. Perhaps you need to explore a collaborator (another writer who excels at pitching or a producer/manager type who believes in you as a writer).

I agree that above all, getting the script in the hands of the producer and let the work speak for itself is key. The better you can position those, the better!

Thanks Alexandra Hensley . I am going to work on making my pitch extemporaneous. I've been too concerned about "getting everything in" and not concerned enough about the overall impression I make. Thank you for this.,

Thanks Sean Hussey . It would be wonderful indeed if I could find a producer/manager who believes in the project. The search continues.

From what I've seen working as a production coordinator, I would say to onboard someone in a consultant role as early as you can. Professionally or even through a friend if they have the know-how for it. They can help you shape the project's budget based on your list of assets/locations/etc, reorganize the project to fit that budget (if need be), and then you can build a pitch deck that's a lot more compelling. That said, given how dark fantasy is in the market right now, it might be a matter of convincing small investors that the audience exists, that your project's story overlaps with other successful dark fantasy content, and map out how they'll get a significant ROI if they partner with you.

Thanks for the insights, Myranda! You're completely right about aligning the asset list and locations with a realistic budget early on.

For RAVANGA, we are indeed keeping a close eye on target audience overlap and building a lean packaging model that demonstrates clear value for partners. Appreciate you sharing your perspective from the production coordination side!

László Vass In addition to Myranda's comment, which is a good one, keep in mind that this kind of project is niche among financiers, studios and financiers. Research from the beginning who among potential networks, studios, etc have in the past funded such projects without substantial pre-existing IP in the same or other media. Finally, as a writer and producer myself, I tell you true that leading with the world-building is death to a pitch and project. There had better be a human story there that in itself has nothing to do with the world-building. The world must be a far distant environment.

ShaShadow Dragu-Mihai

Spot on, Shadow. Couldn't agree more—world-building without a compelling, character-driven human story underneath is just empty background noise. RAVANGA was built from day one around tightly focused character arcs and psychological tension first, keeping the scale grounded and pitch-ready. Thanks for sharing this!

Mari Bengston Love that observation. What's clear is that hustle is a clear competitive advantage...

Katrina Wolfe Agree with your points, which is why I financed my first three shorts... and your point about being a writer warms my heart :) and developing your own material :) :) I won't slow down. Thanks!

Katrina Wolfe, love your point- "But they’re still competing for the same limited number of financing, studio and distribution slots as everyone else, and plenty of projects developed by major stars never get made." I've also seen this many times and had projects with fantastic attachments not move forward. It's hard for everyone, not just beginners, because at the end of the day there are only so many options for the hundreds of thousands of incredible stories that are out there waiting to be told.

It ends up being pretty slow-going but as an indie creator myself, I ended up financing a lot of my work through doing as much of it myself as I could (on the creative/content-design side) and then using my own pocket-money to cast voice actors to bring certain parts of it to life. It led to my creating a more hybrid form of literature/animation as a result, but it became a space for me to be able to create something without waiting for someone else to tell me, "Yes." Kept my sanity more that way, haha.

I think after that, it really becomes talking up your work, growing an audience, and then if that audience loves your work as much as you do, they'll crowdfund other aspects of it.

Good point, Myranda Peterson, and it resonates. I financed my first two shorts, got them into festivals and attended most of the festivals where they were screened. Little by little I got to know people who introduced me to people and... yeah, you know where I'm going with this :)