Screenwriting

Bring Your Questions: Join Us for the FREE Stage 32 Community Open House

Wednesday, September 23rd at 12:00pm PT

You have questions. You're curious about how to actually make the most of your time on Stage 32, how to use the resources here successfully, how to build genuine relationships that lead somewhere meaningful, and how to move forward with real intention. How to find the right collaborators, producers, financiers, reps, distributors, etc.

That's exactly what this FREE event is designed for.

Our Community Open House is a live, fully interactive conversation hosted by me, Ashley Smith, Head of Community here at Stage 32. It's a genuine gathering where you get to show up, share what you're working on, ask the questions that have been on your mind, and get direct guidance tailored to where you actually are in your journey.

Whether you've attended one before or this is your first, the conversation is different every single time. It's shaped by the members who take the time to join, be present, and bring their real questions to the table. Your voice, your goals, and your curiosity make each Open House uniquely valuable.

Free Registration: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32s-september-2026-community-open-house-webcast

We'll cover the tools and features on Stage 32 that most consistently create momentum for members, and we'll talk about what's happening on the platform that you don't want to miss out on. September lands us in a genuinely exciting stretch of the year. We're coming off Venice and Toronto International, in the middle of New York Film Festival, heading into Austin Film Festival, and gearing up for our annual November Write Club campaign. There's real opportunity to position yourself for what's ahead, and we'll talk about how to do exactly that.

We'll close with a live Q&A focused entirely on you, your questions, your projects, and your next steps. And if you can't join us live, don't worry! Registering guarantees you the full recording so you can watch it anytime, from anywhere.

Come as you are. Bring your questions. Let's have a real conversation.

Click HERE to Register for FREE!

Hello Wade,

Thank you for your time and for considering a potential collaboration. I appreciate the opportunity to review new material and to explore projects that can be developed, packaged, and positioned effectively within today’s entertainment marketplace.

For clarity and transparency, I would lik...

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Hello Wade,

For clarity and transparency, I would like to outline my process.

Every project first undergoes an initial evaluation based on several factors, including creative quality, market viability, production feasibility, audience potential, and overall commercial positioning. This evaluation allows me to determine whether the material is a project I believe can be meaningfully advanced toward financing and production.

If the project passes this initial review and I elect to move forward, I will issue a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) for your review. This document ensure your material is protected and establish the framework under which we would collaborate.

After you have reviewed and signed the NDA, a one-time facilitation fee of $3,000 will be required.

This fee is not a purchase of rights, nor is it a charge for script notes or general consultation. Rather, it serves as a support contribution toward the early-stage development and packaging process required to position a project at a professional, investor-ready level.

The facilitation fee supports activities that may include:

• Professional packaging materials

• Script refinement, proofreading, formatting, and production readiness review

• Market positioning and comparable title analysis

• Preliminary casting strategy and talent outreach discussions

• Director identification and creative team exploration

• Budget development and line producing consultation

• Financing strategy and investor targeting

• Preparation of investor-facing materials and presentations

• Distribution and acquisition positioning analysis

• Legal and business structuring during development

• Marketing and branding strategy for the project

• Scheduling, production planning, and feasibility assessment

• Active producer oversight during early development and packaging

• Industry outreach and relationship management with appropriate partners

Throughout this process, you retain full ownership of your intellectual property unless otherwise agreed in writing.

In addition, should the project move into production, you would be entitled to:

• 5% of the final production budget

• Full writing credit

• Executive Producer credit, where applicable

• Backend participation in net profits, as outlined in the governing agreements

Once development is underway, structured communication will be established, including scheduled Zoom and In Person meetings, or phone sessions to discuss progress, milestones, strategy, and next steps.

If, for any reason, funding is not secured within Five (5) months of commencement of development, the facilitation fee will be fully refunded pursuant to the terms outlined in the agreement.

I maintain a selective slate of projects to ensure each receives dedicated focus and the highest possible probability of success.

For reference, kindly checkout my IMDb profile to view my work history and projects I have been involved in bringing to fruition.

If you would like to proceed, please confirm your interest, and I will begin the evaluation process.

I look forward to the possibility of working together and advancing your project toward production.

Warm regards,

Lloyd Segan.

Ashley Renée Smith

Head of Community at Stage 32 ♦ Creative Executive, Writer, Author, Director of Development

September 2026 Open House Webcast

Göran Johansson

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1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
3 hours ago

I have no plan to participate, but one question. Do you explain for the participants how to find a mentor? Because help from a mentor greatly increases the probability for success.

Anna Henry

I think the idea is that I’m the mentor, at least for this stretch but I invite all my students to email me with questions even after the lab. I do point out a lot of people who put out free resources...

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Maurice Vaughan

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2 people like this
- Jim Boston
- Dwayne Williams
3 days ago

Animals too

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1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
4 hours ago

Or a relationship. Or a reversal. Or a goal to reach at the end. Or the event which starts the story.

3 hours ago

Those are great ideas, Göran Johansson! I didn't think about building stories around relationships or reversals. Thanks for the ideas!

David Taylor

3
3 people like this
5 days ago

Watch old slapstick movie scenes and write down/script what you see as practice.

Or visit a theatre. This form of comedy can work well on stage.

1
1 person likes this
- Wade Taylor
3 hours ago

We have them quite often. Often the scammer has stolen the identity of a legit filmmakere. So if someone asks for money, try to find their web site and then ask "Did you write to me or have a scammer stolen your identity?"

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Dwayne Williams

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1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
1 day ago

Thank you, Samantha Rivera amazing to learn from you! I'll definitely keep that in mind. I've been working on a crime film, so this perspective is especially valuable....

Thanks, Maurice Vaughan! This will help me a lot as well! Appreciate the breakdown.

I agree Asya Mutlu , sci-fi is definitely challenging on a tight budget! I'm actually trying to work on a sci-fi/crime hybrid for a low budget, and I'm focusing on a device instead of trying to build...

1
1 person likes this
- Dwayne Williams
1 day ago

You're welcome, @Dwayne. Focusing on a device instead of trying to build out a large world is a great idea! Keep us posted on your journey.

2
2 people like this
- Maurice Vaughan
- Dwayne Williams
4 hours ago

My three no-budget TV-movies were comedies. No problem creating such a film on a 1,000 dollar budget. Having a story in the past, in the future, or with big objects moving around can be more complicat...

2
2 people like this
- Jim Boston
- Dwayne Williams
1 day ago

Hey, @Dwayne. I haven't written a mockumentary, but reading some scripts might help. I think I've only seen Comedy mockumentaries.

What do you mean with written differently? Because I see two alternatives for creating a mockumentary. Either one treats it as fiction, and then one writes an ordinary screenplay, write in such a way...

4 hours ago

Are you doing this for free or do you expect payment? I don't want to be impolite, but we have had plenty of discussions about members offering services, but all they will deliver is AI. So if you expect payment, you should ask admin how much it costs to advertise.

Michael Dzurak

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2 people like this
- Maurice Vaughan
- Jim Boston
10 hours ago

I've never had this happen. That said, *Final Draft* can be customized. In the top menu go to *Document* and click *Page Layout* where you can tweak the *Header* and *Footer* both of which should be at 0.500"

Krenda Alice

1
1 person likes this
- Maurice Vaughan
10 hours ago

Ingrid Wren that's a frustrating one, Final Draft's PDF export can definitely be inconsistent with margins depending on the print settings used at export, sometimes reprinting to PDF via "File > Print...

E Langley

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2 people like this
- Maurice Vaughan
- Jim Boston
9 hours ago

Find someone new to provide feedback.

I can guess the explanation. There are different paper sizes. Letter size is the normal paper size in USA. Most other countries have A4 as the standard size. i was reminded about the problem when I tr...