Hey Stage 32 Gang,
I’m thrilled (genuinely) to be part of the Screenwriting Lounge this week hosting my very own AMA. Having spent time as an agent at ICM, a studio executive, and the head of development for Michael Mann, I’ve seen the industry from more angles than I care to count. Currently, I'm behind the scenes at Amazon MGM Studios where I help process and evaluate the deluge of material being shopped to the streamers by all the major agencies and producers.
I’m here to demystify the process a bit. Whether you have questions about how to get your script considered, the reality of representation, or help figuring out a realistic path to success as a screenwriter in the Hollywood system, quantum physics...or just about any random subject you can think of...I’m an open book.
However, fair warning: although there may not be any such thing as a stupid question, nobody ever said that about some of my answers!
Some potential conversation starters:
* What is the "secret sauce" for a project that actually gets bought today?
* Development: What is the best way to get my project good enough to be considered?
* Representation: How do you actually get an agent to care about your material?
* What’s the most surprising thing you’ve seen "cross the desk" recently?
Also, if you feel like you need more hands-on guidance on your own projects, I offer Stage 32 Executive Consultations. You can reach out to the Success Team at Success@Stage32.com to set something up, and they'll help us connect.
Can't wait to see what you're working on.
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Hi Michael - you are the right person at the right time for me. I am a senior citizen, Indian immigrant (84) living in L.A. I spent 50 years in Engineering Management, Marketing, International Business, Budgeting & Finance. Now I am trying to be a screenwriter! I was inspired by the true story of a close friend of mine and my wife who came to the U.S. and soon suffered an unimaginable series of tragedies - losing her husband, then her daughter, followed by terminal cancer.
As a novice writer, it took me a year to learn the ropes, and after numerous changes to the screenplay, I feel it is finally as good as I can make it.
But that is my opinion. I really would like to hear it from a seasoned, accomplished person in Hollywood. Am I wasting my time and money barking up the wrong tree? I have submitted my screenplay to over 50 contests and festivals. I won three awards, was declared a finalist and a semi-finalist in 5, and got an "Honorable Mention" in 2. I was "not selected" in a dozen of them. I got "professional analyses" from 10 industry experts. So, you can see I have tried everything. Where do I go from here?
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Vijay Jeste Sometimes the story, especially ones from the heart, though endearing, aren't the ones that make it to the silver screen just because we are passionate about them. The contest awards address the quality of the writing, not the marketability of it as a film. That's the hard truth none of us want to believe.
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Michael, thanks for doing this. I'm looking forward to this. The perspective from someone who has seen the process from the agency side, studio side, and now development side is incredibly valuable.
As someone developing character-driven genre projects, I’m curious about how you evaluate the difference between a project that is simply “well written” and one that feels like it has the potential to become something buyers actually champion.
Appreciate you taking the time to share your insight with the community.
Hey, Michael Schulman. Hope you had a great weekend and you're having a great day! Thanks for having this AMA! I appreciate it! What's one thing that gets you to keep turning pages in a script?
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Michael Schulman Maurice Vaughan One written by me?
IDK, just throwing it out there. <grin>
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Hi Michael Schulman, thanks for doing this. I might be misunderstanding what I've read, but is there a specific reason straight dramas are discouraged right now? Because two of my current projects that I'm working on are technically straight dramas.
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Hi Michael Schulman, thanks so much for doing this! In your Anatomy of a Spec Script post, you list "contained sci-fi" as something streamers are hungry for, but also warn against straying too far from mainstream sensibility. Where's the real dividing line between "contained and elevated" versus "too cerebral to break through" — is that about the concept itself, or almost entirely about execution and tone on the page?
Asking because I've written something that sits right on that line — a 10-episode half-hour limited series, a grounded, intimate sci-fi drama set in the near future, not dystopian, not cyberpunk, using scientific/cognitive concepts as emotional metaphor rather than hard mechanics. Does that sound like the kind of thing that could genuinely land with buyers right now, or does it sound closer to what you'd flag as straying too far off the mainstream path?
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Hi Michael Please comment about acceptable page counts for features and genres.
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Hi Michael Please comment about acceptable details when writing cars chases, fight scenes, and sex scenes.
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Hi Michael please comment about correct character descriptions. Thank you.
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Michael Schulman, first of all, thank you for taking the time to join us for this AMA! It’s wonderful to have someone with your experience here sharing insight with the Stage 32 community.
For a writer developing an original animated feature independently, how much does having a strong package beyond the screenplay change the representation conversation? For example, if the writer has screenplay recognition, a professional pitch deck, and a completed animated proof-of-concept, does that meaningfully help get a manager or producer’s attention, or is the screenplay still overwhelmingly what determines whether someone wants to take the meeting?
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Hello Mr. Schulman, as someone who focuses on world‑building — developing the lore, mythology, character arcs, and multi‑season architecture behind a series — what advice would you give to creators like me who want to contribute that skill set to television?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on how world‑builders can best support showrunners and writers’ rooms, and how we can position ourselves professionally in the industry.
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Thank you for taking the time for this AMA, Michael! As the landscape around packaging, formats, platforms, and what buyers are looking for continues to change, have the fundamentals of what makes a story truly stand out changed with it? Or are the same core storytelling principles still what ultimately cut through? And if something has changed, what matters more to you today than it might have ten years ago?
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Hello Michael. As the creator of an original animated universe, I'm developing a creator's blueprint that includes the mythology, character arcs, visual direction, and future story roadmap- not just a screenplay. From an executive's perspective, what makes an original IP feel like it has true long-term franchise potential, and what should a creator include to inspire confidence without overwhelming the buyer?
Hello Michael Schulman I’m in the packaging stage for a comedy with characters in their 70s and the socially uncomfortable path they take fight back when their autonomy is at risk. I have one name actor attached and a deal in place for a post house to provide services as an in-kind equity investment. I had an EP attached who was going to bring $400k, but sadly, that fell apart. Comps: Crazy, Stupid Love, Palm Springs, and Enough Said. This will be my FEATURE directorial debut (I have a director’s reel), so I wrote it as 95% single location that takes place in one day. I’ve researched (but not yet approached) organizations such as AARP as strategic partners, but my connections in finance are limited. What is the most feasible path forward?