Stage 32

This is full of fake accounts and profiles using legitimate director and producer names and images to prey on inexperienced wannabe filmmakers to send them money. For example I've attached an image of a fake profile who is using a legitimate producer's name and image to solicit $3,000 from people to fully produce their screenplays. Ridiculous. There is no moderation and seemingly no way to report these fake profiles. This is not a website that legitimate industry insiders use.

Given the background history of the founder of the Stage 32:website, I would be very wary about filling out ANY survey requested by him. Maybe he's been losing money because of the industry strikes because fewer members are signing up and paying for pitches and classes. So now perhaps he maybe resorting to gathering data from membership to sell to a data mining company. If you believe the founder is sincerely interested in your mental health, please think this over carefully and do some research on his background.

After a Free Workshop I now have 200 dollars worth of charges.
I have not used the service ever. I was refused a refund for the charges.
However offered me a coupon for their other services.
After cancelling the subscription I never signed up for I am still being charged.
Avoid any business with business tactics that have no regard for the consumer.
In the end the unethical practices will hurt you. NOT HELP YOU!

So I'm asked to input my paypal details given no costs, no details, no terms and conditions and no information as to what I will gain from my free trial.
No thank you. I contacted them to ask them what their terms and conditions were for this trial, they told me 'they are at the footer of the internet page'. They're not. I'd already looked. There are no T&Cs for this trial, which is illegal. Needless to say I will steer clear.

Stage 32's business M. O is to sell courses and pitching opportunities. That's how they make money. That's why the website exists.

These sessions are allegedly with 'industry professionals.' But what you really get is a session with a person pretending to be an industry professional.

It's a total scam created to reel people in who don't know how the industry really works. In publishing this is known as 'vanity publishing.' (Google it.) Similarly, Stage 32 is 'vanity networking.'

Save your money.

I recently purchased from Stage 32 my first pilot read and 2 pages of notes from Aubrey Campbell. Yesterday, I received my coverage in an email. I had no expectations. I practically fell out of my chair reading Aubrey's notes. Her Comment Summary was like receiving a life sustaining blood transfusion.
Comment Summary: Though the premise here is very strong, the situation objectively hilarious, and the potential staggering, I feel this pilot needs a bit more work in terms of character, joke punch ups, and some technical edits before it's in its strongest form.
I am so grateful to Stage 32 for making this opportunity possible. Jason, Amanda, Richard, and Aubrey Campbell, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Courses of inferior calibre, pitches to arrogant know-it-all industry execs with little to no power to greenlight anything hawking their meagre or even extensive experience for dollars, and the desperation of the site creators and users are palpable. Wasted a lot of money here over several years, six I believe. A better investment would have been AFI or making several short films or even a legit script analysis from a reputable skilled analyst. There are many paths to WGA or BAFTA membership; Stage 32 is not one of them. PS Those grifters keep emailing me, nearly a decade later, no matter how many times I unsubscribe. That is an FTC violation.

Happy Writers at Stage 32 may not be an outright SCAM but it's as close as it gets. For a $45 fee, you pitch your script to a movie "executive" who may or may not "request" your screenplay. This reader provides a "report" on the pitch, based --more often than not in my experience-- on fourth-rate (read: joke) analyses and their own dubious, creative accomplishments. These experts almost always "pass," and one out of five pitches is not responded to one way or the other. In fact, I have never heard anything back from the few scripts that were requested. Happy Writers $300 coverage sessions are even worse. I've learned nothing of value from them, and it is difficult to understand how these story analysts can possibly know more about narrative structure than I do (or anyone else for that matter). AVOID.

It is common sense that haters are 99.9% more likely to write negative reviews about a screenwriting site than satisfied customers who have better things to do with their time, like go off to ponder and execute the notes they received from Stage 32's professionals who actually do read and care about your projects.

The site absolutely does provide a clear path towards getting exposure and professional representation, but sometimes amateur writers tend to have unrealistic expectations and/or a different assessment of their current skill level.

The site used to be on its A-game, but that has changed. I joined in 2018, when they were starting out. And content was fresh with award-winning ideas, and real industry pros willing to lend their expertise. Not so much now. Their online content streaming doesn't work half the time, desktop OR mobile. Their CS is nonexistent. Its days before you get any viable response, if its not some idiot automated email with 'do not respond'.

Had a good script idea good footage for documentary for right producer none ever came forward alot of messages requesting payment for pitches about it really never bothered seems just like away to get rich off wannabes feed you hope but not much really happens you shouldnt have to pay if you got something a producer really wants surely just money making off vulnerables glad i left dont reccomend waste of time effort bad time throughout

As a member since 2012, it was, and still is, my favorite place to visit and connect with other members from around the world. Because I don't live in the U.S. Stage 32 is a way to connect with Executives in L. A. The Educational section is amazing. I've made friends with a few Managers over the years that have since become close friends. Without their help and feedback on my screenplays, I would have never placed in some of the top competitions in L. A. Thank you Stage 32.

I spent about 300 bucks, a few times they didn, t even answer. The scorecard idea is BS. During verbal pitches u can hear dogs barking at the background, or the person is driving, or smth. Else. Sometimes they ask idiotic questions, just to say smth. Like one degenerate, Harris, said he can, t sympathize with bank robbers that were trapped in a spooky house. Obviously the Moron never heard about capers or heist movies. Screw Stage 32, save your money.

Bought two "First 10 Page' reads by execs I carefully chose. One refused to read it so I was forced to choose a third I did not want. One exec returned feedback, the third did not. Sure, my money was returned but I wanted the feedback. And waited weeks to be disappointed.

Beth, a Lounge moderator, wields power like a sledgehammer. Say a word out of line and get bounced. Disagree with her bad advice and get bounced. She's a nightmare.

Further, there are a half-dozen regulars in the Screenwriting Lounge who have been posting for years. They are generally nasty and take over posts.

A good place for a few laughs. Just make sure they're not at your own expense.

I'd like to be an investor of this, but not a subscriber. This outfit really can't help anybody. They do a good job of setting up their program, but to get a project on anything, you must have actual intercourse with the egg's host. This is like an attempt to procreate through a wall. It is a waste of time. Save your money.

Customer service takes days to answer any question no matter how simple.
Once a pitch is uploaded you can't change it even if a month away, terrible.
They also don't say in advance that the pitch if rerecommended then an entire screenplay must be submitted in 48 hours
Feedback is minimal, couple sentences and on the last occasion showed they had not even read the entire pitch which included a poster and 900 words and was inside the 2-page limit.
In my opinion, is nothing more than a $35 dollar donation and not to be used