Trending Lounge Discussions

The hottest discussions in the Stage 32 Lounge.

Liked by Amanda Toney and 9 others

Yeshua Manéré
Hey Stage32

I’m Yeshua, a French screenwriter building my slate of high-concept stories.

My current flagship project is « FILTRÉS À VIE » a dark sci-fi comedy where beauty filters become permanent after a global tech malfunction.

A mix of satire, thriller and chaos. Imagine Black Mirror, but Gen Z can’t hide anym...

Expand post

Sam Rivera

The title is perfect! As someone who loves diving into the Gen Z psyche, this feels essential. It’s like SKAM France meets REALITY +

Yeshua Manéré

Thanks for asking.

FILTERED FOR LIFE is a sci-fi thriller with dark comedy elements, set in a near future where facial filters become permanently stuck after a global tech glitch. Society collapses bec...

Expand comment
Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Yeshua Manéré. FILTERED FOR LIFE sounds interesting and really unique! What hooked me was "set in a near future where facial filters become permanently stuck after a global tech glitch...

Expand comment
Yeshua Manéré

Thanks Maurice Vaughan ! Here's the full pitch:

FILTERED FOR LIFE – A global tech glitch permanently attaches AR filters to people's faces. Society collapses when no one can recognize anyone anymore, n...

Expand comment
Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, @Yeshua. I think your logline could be tightened up some, and I suggest adding the teens' goal to your logline.

Here’s a logline template that might help: After/when ______ (the incitin...

Expand comment

Liked by Jack Binder and 3 others

Geoff Hall
Debt Financing

Hi there dear community,

A major investor for our film "Seeing Rachel" has just dropped out (due to a downturn in their business) and so I'm looking at various sources of finance for the film.

One which has come to my attention, is debt financing and I wondered if any of you had any experience of work...

Expand post

Mukesh Parikh

Hi Jon, I would be interested in learning if you can kindly share. I have a $3.5 M - Musical Drama feature based on true events with Grammy winners, Cast and Crew locked and 55% Government incentives. Thanks!

Geoff Hall

Jon Shallit yeah, I know there’s an interest payment. My production team doesn’t think this is a good way for us to go, but now I’m just curious about the process. It’s a learning opportunity.

One of...

Expand comment
Kenneth George

Geoff Hall What is the film’s budget? Typically, most projects finance about a third or roughly 33% of it through debt. 100% debt would be incredibly risky for the investor unless of course you have s...

Expand comment
Geoff Hall

Kenneth George thanks, Kenneth. Well, my learning opportunity was cut short as the firm cited in the Screen International email did reply to my enquiry!

Jack Binder

Geoff Hall Congratulations on your progress. Quick reply is debt is okay for film tax incentives, pre-sales, unsold territories. As a vehicle for funding other than cash flowing the film's assets, it'...

Expand comment

Liked by Maurice Vaughan and one other

Stefano Pavone
Is it possible to lower budgets by relying mostly on interior scenes instead of exterior locations?

Hey, guys.

It's a thought I had - I've become more budget-conscious lately, and remembering how old BBC TV shows like "Blake's 7" and "Red Dwarf" (and even the original series of "Doctor Who") were usually shot in studios or on sets, I've been thinking: would having mostly indoor-set scenes reduce th...

Expand post

Mike Boas

Writing to budget is something you get better at the more films you actually produce. Location moves are a pain, costing time and money. If you have one actual location that can serve as two or more i...

Expand comment
David Taylor

Watch the movie THE WONDER 2022, it will blow you away when you see how they filmed it , because it’s included in this historic drama movie.

After I saw it I had a serious rethink about costs/budgets.

Göran Johansson

I have done a lot of no-budget filming. The problem with outdoor scenes is the weather, and wind noise. There may also be interruptions due to sudden sounds from traffic. So in my most recent script 4/5 of the scenes are indoor. But some indoor locations give more problems than others.

CJ Walley

It depends.

The cheapest and most flexible way to do things is to use an existing location that requires minimal decoration and then set everything at night by covering any windows. That location would...

Expand comment
Stefano Pavone

Thank goodness for Central and Eastern Europe, then, CJ - there's plenty of architecture of that type over there... and it's cheap, too.

Liked by Maurice Vaughan and one other

Umme Maria
Screenwriter of Emotional Sci-Fi, Seeking Representation for Feature Script

Hi everyone! I'm Maria, a screenwriter based in Bangladesh, passionate about emotional sci-fi storytelling. My current feature project, Beneath the Bed of Time, explores memory, time, and human connection through a speculative lens.

I'm currently seeking representation and looking to connect with man Expand post

James LO

love those topics: memory, time, human connections—through a speculative lens. I’d he happy to chat with you about that. (I’m an unpublished writer myself—not a producer.)

Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Umme Maria. Welcome to the community. Beneath the Bed of Time sounds interesting. I write Sci-Fi too.

Stage 32 has a blog that'll help you navigate the platform and connect with creatives and indus...

Expand comment

Liked by Paul Rivers and 11 others

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg
Re-Introduction! Meet Me!

I am Shadow Dragu-Mihai, a member of S32 since the very early days. For those new people here, I want to let you know who I am, and for established members, I remind you!

I head the Independent Producers Guild and Diamond Shadow Productions. I have 30+ years in the professional film industry coverin...

Expand post

Rodgers Wilson

Thanks for the introduction!

R

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg

Rodgers Wilson You're welcome. Hope you'll come to one of our virtual drop ins!

Mukesh Parikh

Hi everyone. My name is Mukesh Parikh. I am writer and Producer. My short went on Cannes on the American pavilion. Currently in pre-production of international Musical drama feature based on true even...

Expand comment
Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg

Mukesh Parikh Welcome Mukesh!

Shadow Dragu-Mihai, Esq., Ipg

We have our weekly Tuesday drop in on December 9, at 2pm Pacific, on google meet.

Tuesday, December 9 · 2:00 – 3:00pm

Time zone: America/Los_Angeles

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet...

Expand comment

Liked by Amanda Toney and 9 others

Maurice Vaughan
Coming up with a Christmas Script Idea (or Any Idea)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I just watched Candy Cane Lane on Amazon Prime Video. It's a fun movie! When you're trying to come up with a Christmas script idea -- or any script idea -- pick something that's not usually the focus of a Christmas movie and center your script around it.

Maurice Vaughan

Have you thought about sending him a message, Billy Kwack?

Mark Deuce

Hi Maurice, Santa is the vampire hunter.

Maurice Vaughan

Are you gonna write the script or are you just testing out the idea, Mark Deuce?

Libby Wright

YES!!! It's all about finding a new angle... like what if it's like 1800 and the only wrapping paper is brown-- there is a disgruntled artist elf who is burned out and sick of the same old wrapping pa...

Expand comment
Maurice Vaughan

Exactly, Libby Wright. Finding a new angle. That's a fantastic Christmas movie idea! The origin of Christmas-themed wrapping paper.

Liked by Amanda Toney and 7 others

Yan Ju Zeng
Creepy nursery rhymes and lullabies

Hello all, I’m currently writing a thriller and I’m on a scene where the antagonist is taunting the MC with a little nursery rhyme- but I’m shopping around for lullabies and children’s songs that are creepy enough. Preferably from old folklore. I’m using a Turkish song right now, but I’d love to hear suggestions!

Bill Albert

Always thought The Big Bad Wolf could turn out pretty bad under different circumstances. You could also put Sleeping Beauty into a coma with a bit more meds.

James LO

Maurice Vaughan half a century ago, the words to goosey goosey gander freaked me out as a child

Staton Rabin

At one time, "Ring Around the Rosie" (or "Ring a Ring a Roses") was thought to be a reference to the Great Plague, but scholars dispute that now. The old nursery rhyme "Three Blind Mice" remains creep...

Expand comment
Hyrone Lilly

use the one that is a child's favorite on tictoc

GJ Harvey

One...two... Freddy's coming for you.

Liked by Haley Mary and 2 others

Wyman Brent
How I Create Music Across So Many Genres

I’ve written more than 500 songs in just about every musical style imaginable—jazz, soul, 8-bit chiptune, jug band, doo-wop, hard rock, maqam, country, psychedelic pop, children’s songs, and a lot more. People often ask me how I move so easily from one genre to another.

The honest answer is that it f...

Expand post

Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Wyman Brent. That's great! I move easily from one genre to another too. It's more about being able to tell a story than the genre in my opinion.

Libby Wright

I love moving around in generes - it keeps my ideas fresh!

Haley Mary

Hi Wyman. I'm a poet and songwriter and I love to blend genres together. I've been a fan of Spanish music for several decades and love writing lyrics in Spanish. I also love writing in Russian, Ukrain...

Expand comment

Liked by Tiffiney Cornish and 9 others

Craig Farlinger
Perfect coverage - now what?

Austin Film Festival coverage just gave my screenplay, The Art of Suffering, a perfect score and a "Recommend" which they say is rare. I'm not sure exactly how to leverage this so more agents and producers read it?

Ewan Dunbar

There are a lot of things to do after receiving good feedback like this, but a good place to start may be to ask them. Who on their judging pannel read it? What potential did they see in it? How would...

Expand comment
Kseniia Zhuravleva

Hi Craig Farlinger Congratulations! Like many others, I’d be interested in reading at least the logline and synopsis.

Craig Farlinger

I still haven't found where on my profile I could upload the coverage pdf so that I can give a link to all of you. ​It would be very instructive for a lot of screenwriters. Very clear criteria.

Craig Farlinger
Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Craig Farlinger. You can post your coverage pdf on your profile the same way you post a script. Click the gear symbol in the top right-hand corner and select “Edit profile” in the drop-down menu....

Expand comment

Liked by Amanda Toney and 5 others

Ehsan Rahimpour
20 Screenwriting Tips from Paul Thomas Anderson on how he wrote Licorice Pizza & There Will Be Blood

“A better way to improve your writing is to create two characters who are more opposite to each other. You know, that way you get more traction.”

https://youtu.be/aPn_j1STwgQ?si=J3GqqJe3HM6mW3DO...

Expand post

Maurice Vaughan

Thanks for posting the video, Ehsan Rahimpour. Spectacular ideas do come from the mundane situations of life. I also get ideas from combining movies/shows, misreading things, etc....

Expand comment
Ehsan Rahimpour

True in part Maurice Vaughan; misreading can be useful, and I’d add that mashups work only if there’s a clear thread tying them together.

Maurice Vaughan

Yeah, Ehsan Rahimpour, like combining The Mask and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The script could be about a man who puts on a mysterious mask and becomes a manic superhero that tries to stop a Grin...

Expand comment
Martin Graham

Hands down, the reason I wanted to become a screenwriter. From the very first frame of Boogie Nights. I remember scouring the internet for interviews with PTA back in the day. It's awesome to go back...

Expand comment
Ehsan Rahimpour

You're welcome Martin Graham. For you, I wish the writing of brave and great stories. PTA’s interviews are always fascinating, and that line—"Write without Fear."—really stands out....

Expand comment
register for stage 32 Register / Log In