Do not sign up for this platform! I beg you, do not sign up you will regret it. You should avoid this site as much as coronavirus. Here is the reason why:

I signed up for this site hoping to get somewhere in a career I always wanted since I was a little girl. When I signed up I was on the site long enough.

I started getting trolls coming to my account. What is even worse about this platform is there is no block system where you can block trolls.

When I reported this to Stage 32 support, five days after sending the message I got a behind the scenes message on an email address I do not use and was not linked to the account.

It was a very rude, cruel and extremely evil message. I will even quote some of the remarks that were made in the email. "I was told to get lost, nobody will respond to you because nobody gives a $#*!, saying everybody is laughing at me and good riddance."

This is very inappropriate, childish and unprofessional from a site that is supposed to have professional people operating it.

I contact support about a concern I am having on the site and this is what I get! Bull crap like this! This is simply uncalled for. Even my mom got pissed about this.

This is not an appropriate site for anybody especially if you have autism, are sensitive and very vulnerable. The Stage 32 crew needs to be ashamed of themselves for allowing evilness to happen on their website.

Because of this experience with them, they have forever lost a supporter. I enjoyed using their site until I started getting these people on the site bothering me and reaching out for help leads to cruelty like this. So uncool!

You should not use a site where if you are having issues, contact support and you get people from the website cyber bullying you behind your back.

If you want your work published or to sign up for contests, I recommend give all your support to somebody else. NEVER I mean never give this site any props.

Don't sign up, don't pull it up, don't even look at it, just ignore this garbage of a website. If they give me evilness in return for seeking help, they will for sure do the same for you.

EXTRA, UPDATE: March 11,2024 Also, just to let all of you guys know...back in February of 2023 when I posted this review. I got another mean message on this site right in the area where you see the envelope next to the bell and your name. That proves that Stage 32 is not legit. Why after I post a bad review because of harassment I receive more harassment once this review goes public.

Avoid this company at all costs. I discovered another website called Coverfly join them. They are supportive, I got an accolade and you can even post if you have a disability like autism. As I said, ignore this garbage of a site. Stage 32 receives a thousand thumbs down to the moon and back because of the trauma I received being a consumer of their site.

Let me preface this review by stating that I have some indie credits and have won some screenwriting contests, so I would consider myself to be more of an emerging writer than a newbie to the business.

I decided to test out Stage32 due to one particular industry pro they had listed on their site. More on that in a second.

There are two parts to this site. The first is the message boards, which are a mess and completely impossible to filter or search in any way. After being a member for a few months, I found them to be primarily comprised of self-promotion and newbie chatter and not really worth trawling through.

You can pay for membership to a private message board as part of their 'writers room' program, but I found that section just as dead and not worth the spend. As part of this membership you also get access to weekly seminars and zooms. I didn't participate, but I suppose these could be motivating for newer writers finding their feet.

The second part of the site is paying for access to professionals in the industry. You REALLY need to do your research here. Some of the professionals are indeed legit, and I was impressed with some of the 'gets'. The majority are very low level though and likely not able to help further your career, or even offer feedback worth the price.

I had a very positive meeting with the legit pro I specifically joined the site to contact and we've developed an ongoing relationship off site, so it was worth the price alone for that.

I also had a script request from another legit pro which has turned into a longer conversation and an open invitation to send material directly.

On the flip side, I had two terrible, lazy responses to pitches from people I knew weren't top of their game, but I decided to gamble on anyway.

One 'exec' had clearly copied and pasted a bunch of screenwriting 101 advice lines in her response without giving any detail. Most of what she wrote had no relevance to my script. I checked her professional status further and she is nowhere near as successful as she paints herself, so in reality I felt like I'd had a lucky escape.

The second person I pitched said it wasn't for him without giving a reason. I have serious doubts he even read the pitch as he got some basic info wrong.

Frustratingly, there is no way to feedback or leave reviews of the execs. Presumably this is to prevent 'sour grapes' reviews, but it also means the services being sold are not being monitored for quality and/or satisfaction.

Would I recommend Stage32 to newbie writers? No. In terms of the paid services, Stage32 is acting in bad faith in my opinion, selling false hope to writers who likely aren't ready to have their work read professionally.

Although the message boards are free, they are fairly useless in terms of advice as they are overrun by other newbies. There are much better free alternatives, like Reddit, DoneDealPro, #screenwriting Twitter, scribelounge and Facebook groups like LA TV Writers.

Really, Stage32 could give the most assistance to emerging writers like myself. I would gladly pay for script notes and calls from actual industry professionals but I would expect quality and the ability to feedback if the reviews were poor, which I suspect isn't something Stage32 is willing to do while they are making money in exchange for very little in return.

I regret to report that Stage 32 permits stalking, bullying, and threatening behaviour by its employees, workers, and members.

On July 22, a user created the account "Dumband Annoyed" for the sole purpose of harassing me on Stage 32. This user went through literally every single post on which I had commented, leaving abusive comments directed at me by name. A couple of other users posted comments wondering who this person was and why they thought they could get away with such flagrant violations of Stage 32's standards of conduct. I filed a complaint, and the account and all its comments were deleted within two hours.

On July 23, my account was terminated without notice and I received the following email (profanity in original, here censored):

---
From: "SJA" <*******@yahoo.com>
Date: Thursday, July 23,2020 16:52
Subject: Stage 32

GOODBYE, ***HOLE.
---

This email was sent to my personal email address, not the professional one I used to sign up for Stage 32 (hence the charge of stalking).

This is my second email from this Stage 32 worker. Here is the first:

---
Date: Tuesday, March 3,2020 20:18
Subject: F*** you, go away

You're a nasty piece of s***. I feel so sorry for someone who must denigrate others in a sad attempt to salve their damaged psyche.

Why don't you f*** off Stage 32. No one takes you seriously. Sooner or later users will come to the same conclusion others have and not fall for your inane, mean-spirited, baiting bull$#*!. You have nothing to offer except the stink of your fetid bile.

You're what's wrong with online life. Crawling out from under a rock to attack and slink back under. I despise you, f***ing ***clown. Of course, like a good sociopath, this won't reach you.

Do the world a favor and eat a bullet.

XXOO,
A. Friend
---

This Stage 32 worker is abusing the power of their position to pursue personal vendettas against Stage 32 users. How many other users has this Stage 32 worker persecuted?

I filed a complaint through Stage 32's feedback form, and posted all correspondence on my Facebook profile (https://www.facebook.com/damian.t.lloyd/posts/**************). I received the following response:

---
From: "Stage 32 Customer Service" <*******@stage32.com>
Date: Friday, July 24,2020 12:16
Subject: Re: Offsite abuse from Stage 32...

Hi Damian,

This is Stage 32's Legal Team. The person you identified is not an employee of Stage 32. They are a member and their account has been suspended. Representing them as a Stage 32 employee in a public forum is libelous. Please remove the post and any other social media posts with the misrepresentations. Thank you.
Stage 32 Customer Service
---

The person I identified is clearly more than a mere member, as they have the ability to terminate accounts on Stage 32. Nevertheless, I recognize that the Legal Team may be technically correct that this person is not an employee, as Stage 32 may not pay them for their work. I thus revised my post to replace my initial term "Stage 32 employee" with "Stage 32 worker".

I received the following email from Stage 32 user Shadow Dragu-Mihai, addressed to my personal email address (not the address Stage 32 has on file for me). Note his implied threat that he knows where I live by mentioning my former address:

---
From: "Shadow Dragu-Mihai" <*******@gmail.com>
Date: Friday, July 24,2020 11:22
Subject: Awwww...

Gee did little damian get bumped from stage32?
I wonder why (not really).

Wish I had something to do with it. But... alas, I was far down the line of people who had been asking the moderators to bounce you... Your bitter, unwelcome, unqualified, sometimes stupid and just plain rude commentary caused this. You did it to yourself. I am guessing it's a common theme in your life.

One of the other things you did is flag yourself as someone to NEVER permit anywhere near a production. Unfortunately, the dialog has now moved on to whether your puerile and bitter attitude is common in Vancouver... too bad I can't tell them it's rare in the rainy city... oh well.

Have a good life in your [redacted] basement... as you wait for the teensy Vancouver industry to come back on line... and maybe offer up another opportunity to pull out your aging zoom h3 for another no-budget short video... No one in the real industry will look at you.

And don't bother writing back, your addy is filtered to be forwarded with fun notes to gmail security services, and then trashed. I won't see them.

Ciao little flea!
---

I filed a complaint about Shadow D-M's stalking, bullying, and threatening behaviour with Stage 32 and GMail. Stage 32 did not respond.

I can take no position on whether I deserved or not to have my account terminated; I recognize that Stage 32 has the legal right to terminate any account at any time for any reason or no reason. But this stalking and bullying by Stage 32 workers and / or users is not acceptable under any circumstances.

Stage 32's users, partners, and advertisers should be aware of the conduct of Stage 32's employees, workers, and members.

(The full matter, omitting nothing and updated as events progress, is documented on my public Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/damian.t.lloyd/posts/**************.)

I'm still reeling from the unbelievable start that Stage 32 gave me. From the very beginning I joined Stage 32 maybe three years ago or so, I just started out taking the amazing classes. Danny Manus was one of the instructors on a webinar. I decided to have him read my script and give me notes. Several months later, and after three rounds of re-reads, I started entering the competitions -- placed in several. Then -- I decided my script needed to be read by one of Stage 32 'producers' for feedback. All I really expected was 'feedback' but what I got instead has changed my life -- literally. Seven months ago, the producer who read my script, Brad Wilson asked to speak with me -- then meet with me -- then wanted to option the script. This is no means a producer hired just to read scripts -- he was Robert Duval's producer for fifteen years and has produced 45 films and is very active in the film business. So when he wanted to option my script, I was indeed impressed.
How does this happen? NEVER would have happened without STAGE 32. Never. I'm not sure I would had the knowledge, the time, the resources, the motivation to figure out how to open the doors to a prestigious producer. But Stage 32 does the ground work for us. Our part? Write an amazing script. And that takes blood, sweat and tears. Literally.
Okay, I'm not done -- little did I know more opportunities were to come my way. Last September I was asked to write a script (same producer) for a biopic. Could I do it? Would I disappoint him? What if I did? All the fears rushed to my head. I knew I could do it if I was willing to put in the hard work, ask for help, get notes, etc. And I did. I turned in the script to the two producers and the lead role and they loved it! They said it was more than they had hoped for.
Back to Stage 32. I could have pounded the pavement for years trying to knock on doors of the 'unreachable' in the film industry. And all those doors would have been closed and locked. I learned to accept two things in business:
1) PAY for expert advise. Period. Be willing (and humble enough) to listen to the professionals in the industry. Yes, some may be curt and to the point -- but that's the nature of the business. And it's okay. The feedback is invaluable. Of course, you will get some feedback that seems trite or detached. MOVE ON! Keep going.
2) Write a great script. If you are entering into competitions and/or getting professional feedback on a consistent basis, you'll know if your script is good -- sorry, great.
Everything I am experiencing in my writing career for the last four years is absolutely connected with Stage 32. Every email I've sent has always been respectfully answered. Any help I've needed, they were available. ALL businesses are out to make money -- but I honestly believe Stage 32 wants to see their people succeed. I think that's why they announce so often the success of so many of their members.
So this is my 'thank you' to some great people at Stage 32 and for providing an opportunity for those of us that have a dream the chance to see that dream come true. It's been a life changing experience for me.

I found myself in a rather strange situation recently. A producer was in the midst of making me an offer while securing funding for one of my screenplays. During this, I was seeking advice from a high ranking executive at one of the big studios and an up-and-coming director who works with an A-list star. I had to stop and pinch myself, and then I realised how much of this had come about via Stage 32.

I've been a member of this fantastic networking site for over five years now and have gotten so much out of it. I've connected with filmmakers all over the World, optioned some scripts, chatted about the craft of writing, and made some dear friends. I haven't spent a dime to do this.

In fact, when I reached rock bottom, the Stage 32 Screenwriting Lounge was my saviour, allowing me to get into dialogue with fellow creatives who had real names, faces, and credentials. That's powerful in a world full of usernames, avatars, and dubious claims. I became empowered by this and a much stronger writer as a result.

I often see the site maligned by those who have been unsuccessful at pitching their scripts via the Happy Writers service. I also know writers who have gone places. In fact, I once watched a writer cheer the site on as they joined and submitted a written pitch only to suddenly decide it was all a scam when they got a pass. It's normal to get emotional about rejection, it's easy to find flaws when it's not you who wins, but it's entirely wrong to attack a site in its entirety simply because you didn't impress a producer. Reading through some of these reviews makes me sorry for those writers so bitter they didn't get picked for the team, but it makes me far more sorry for the staff I know work tirelessly to set those pitch sessions up and give those writers every fighting chance they could.

So you tried to pay to get ahead and it didn't work out. That's life. So Stage 32 offered you options to improve your work via courses, consultation, and seminars. That's logical. You're an adult. You knew what you were getting into. Nobody put a gun to your head. Does Stage 32 capitalise off some services, absolutely it does and absolutely it has to, and a lot of that helps keep huge sections of the site free to everybody.

Let's not forget that Stage 32 is a huge platform, part LinkedIn, part Lynda with a whole host of different avenues to chose from, many free and some paid. It deserves to be judged at such and thus, in my experience, it has been nothing but beneficial to me and many of my peers.

Its because of Stage32 that my wife and I secured representation in Hollywood. We live in the Midwest, unable to make the move to L. A. but we wanted to work at selling our talents. We have had numerous pitches, all with great feedback. We pitched to an agency and they wanted us as clients. Now were being shopped around Hollywood. An impossible feat accomplished because of Stage32.

Breaking into Hollywood is a long game. Riddled with disappointment and rejection. Thats the first thing ANYONE in Hollywood will tell you. It takes years to find that overnight success and its not a game for the light-hearted. You have to want it. You have to drive for it. Stage32 is the gateway to access people you would NEVER be able to reach otherwise.

All of the poor reviews here really seem to come from people who are immature and too easily bruised in their egos. Whiners. No one cares which contest you won. Winner of one contest is ignored in another. Thats the way it works. Its as if these folks giving the poor reviews expect to be handed a job or a sale just because they took advantage of a Stage32 pitch. Producers, agents, etc... read THOUSANDS of scripts/pitches a year. Only a handful are ever chosen. Its not whether or not your work is good, it all depends on what they are looking for and what studios want at any given moment.

If you are easily hurt by rejection and are prone to infantile behavior because your work isnt immediately loved, then perhaps Stage32 is not the place for you. If you are committed to getting sold/hired and breaking down the door, Stage32 is your best avenue to make that dream come true. It may take years. Stage32 promises nothing other than the chance to reach inaccessible people who will hear your idea.

Before Stage32 we sent out letters for over a year. Almost 70 of them. Each one was returned stating they do not accept unsolicited contact. Then we found Stage32. We had some growing pains, but we took the evals and honed our pitch, modified our scripts, and secured representation with a firm that is absolutely closed-door. All I can say is choose your pitches wisely. Read carefully what each producer/agent is looking for. Select the ones that are looking for what you wrote. Absolutely take the evaluations to heart and work harder at your craft.

We are so very grateful for what Stage32 has given us as opportunities. Even though were represented were still pitching. Were hungry. If youre hungry as well, use Stage32.

This review includes both; my original review from 2018 and an update from 2021.
I'm a Stage32 "success" story. Everything and everyone on Stage32 to paraphrase a rear-view mirror, "appear larger than they actually are." I was thrilled when a Stage32's "exec" loved my TV project and offered to give me "free development notes, and when my project's sold, the buyer would pay her to do the same." I could have easily afforded to pay for her notes, and I ended up paying for her notes anyway since she wouldn't do anything until paid. I also ended up paying other professionals for their notes because hers were erratic, and I wasted time and creative energy writing in circles. Her "free notes" turned out very expensive to me. Not having the proper industry connections to set up my project, she used my project to benefit herself by pulling me into Hollywood's underbelly, trying to hijack my project through secret meetings with shady producers behind my back. I'm a high-grade professional in my field and I'm used to the high-pressure/stakes professional environment, but I've never come across someone so unprofessional in my entire life. Something was fundamentally wrong with this "exec". When you see her smiling during her webinars, you'd never phantom that she would go from "0" to "60" in seconds, flying into verbally abusive rages, tantrums, erratic calling me at 5 & 7 am to keep me off-kilter, to strong-arm me to sign the rights to my work away. To keep me under her thumb, she constantly threatened to "tell everybody I was impossible to work with." Her weapon of choice is to "spread the word." Since she didn't have worthy industry contacts, she couldn't even find me an agent or manager, because by that time she was afraid that if any normal professional would step in, they could see immediately what she was doing. So, this so-called "exec" did exactly what any newbie does; found a shady producer on Stage32, who trawls this platform to grab free writing, and strong-armed me to sign with him for her own advantage. The irony was that she strongly advised Stage32 staff not to have any business with this very producer for his shadiness, but forced me to sign with him. And this producer, to continue leeching to my project, made legal misrepresentations to his equivalent from Europe about what kind of deal he got with me, and he did the same to another writer he found at Stage32. And when I thought I finally lucked out, and this European producer is a good guy, he began "impressing" me with his "long ties with influential Russian investors, to whom he wanted to bring my work," and only a cretin doesn't know that these are Russian oligarchs. It was the last straw for me.
I wasted years on Stage32, thousands of dollars, and creative energy. I can prove everything I state and even more about Stage32. If you like someone's notes, pay for them to improve your writing but don't get into any kind of "deals" or sign with anybody you found on Stage32.

What's your real name?

Please provide the name of your agent and manager?

And this is toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much to write