Almost two and a half years now for the OWA's and they've yet to produce anything. At what point does it become reasonable to assume that there's no genuine opportunity there?
I think saying the OWAs have nothing of value to offer anyone after six pages of explaining how they work is an odd conclusion to draw. Kinda feels like we're going in circles now. At least one listing isn't a scam or illusion at all. The only thing we don't really know about is the vetting process.
Personally, I have all the validation I can ever imagine. 2024 has been an amazing year and included not only shooting my fourth feature film but a previous one going to #8 globally on Netflix. Two Oscar-nominated actors have now wanted to attach to the same script. However, these OWA rejections do still sting in the moment, and they sting a lot differently to people passing in the traditional sense. I don't know if it's the waiting around and the sudden email out of nowhere, I don't know if it's the paranoia that comes with having gatekeepers, or the way you don't get a reason for the pass, but it feels like a futile process. What it does is make my heart hurt for writers who only participate in these kind of services. I did it for a year after I first started writing and got out of it. I only do the OWAs because they are there and it costs me nothing more to participate. When you throw in the thought of writers paying for all those competition entries and BL evaluations, only to feel they aren't good enough, it just makes me want to weep for them and the writer I used to be. I mean, this is a big part why Script Revolution was originally built - to try and give people hope and keep in the game long enough to refine their craft and plant the seeds of networking.
It's certainly a small world out there and it's many of the same names behind success stories on multiple platforms. That can be a strange beast too. I was recently handed a script to potentially rewrite which was originally penned by a writer who's been showcased on Stage 32.
I am brand new to the world of screenwriting, but have plenty of success collecting rejections in music and both fiction and nonfiction writing, sprinkled along a few actual successes. I understand the highs and the lows, and getting those two "rejections" was a blow (bad timing with the new year as well), but you're putting in the work and keeping an open mind (taking the good advice and recognizing the bits to gloss over). I hope the rest of the year works out better. In the meantime, you got this.
I appreciate the sentiment. 2025 is looking promising, and it's a welcome turnaround after a couple of years of stasis. I now have a rep/manager, and that went on IMDb last night, which felt good.
It's now been a year since I started this thread to voice my misgivings about the S32 OWA's. A lot could've changed in a year but unfortunately nothing has. The OWA's have yet to produce their first paid option or writing gig. I'm wondering if it will still be the same story a year from now and if so, how many people will still be buying into the OWA mirage?
The OWA asking for Pulp Fiction type material has caused me some concern. That's my wheelhouse. Everyone says my work is like early Tarantino and I've never met another writer, in thirteen years, leaning into that kind of tone. You're telling me there's at least ten active writers' room members doing better in that niche? I dunno. I know my concern is coming from an arrogant place, but this is one of the few times I feel I can stand up and say, WTF?
is access to these OWAs "free" (after shelling out US $39 / month to be a member of the Writers' Room) or is there an added charge?
what about the other perks? – i'm guessing acces to their "A Thriving Community of Screenwriters" is free – but what about the "Direct Access to Industry Professionals" and "Exclusive Access Every Week (to webcasts)" – what sort of additional fees are we looking at and what's been people's experiences?
The OWAs are part of the Writer's Room, so no extra charge. Basically, all Writer's Room members can submit to as many as they want, but only with one script for each submission.
The Writer's Room itself is supposed to be a one-stop solution giving everything a new writer needs to learn the craft, network, and submit work. It does that pretty well. There was actually a webinar the other night talking about craft, and the person giving that lecture referenced my book and the part about writing endings.
If Amazon Studios felt the need to shut up shop then what chance, in an ever decreasing pool of buyers do the other folks at the table have at making a sufficent noise to get noticed.
I haven't had much luck with the OWA's yet, but I recently paid for a pitch session and got some pretty good feedback. It made me realize I was missing some key elements of the story. I got high marks on it but it still ended up getting a pass. I will definitely resubmitt to the reader if he offers another opening.
feel free to ignore this question, but for those of us playing at home: could you explain how the process is supposed to work and how this glitch is "worrying" rather than "just annoying"?
I don't know the full process, but I understand it as so:
S32 posts an OWA. Writers can submit any single script to it. Writer are supposed to be active participants of the Writer's Room community. S32 reviews the submitted material in context of the OWA's requirements. S32 selects a certain number of the most applicable scripts to submit. Writers are notified if they've been selected or not via email. The community is notified which writers have been selected via the VIP Lounge. Scripts are forwarded on to the people who submitted the OWA. Any response from the above is relayed back to the writer.
Being notified I've been selected for an OWA I never submitted to and then seeing that OWA is missing from the public announcement suggests a significant admin error.
The OWA data is from my personal monitoring on the site over the last 3.5 years. Until recently there was a monthly "success" blog post that one could check to see what outcomes came through the OWA's.
I got the success blog in my email a few times, but I stopped getting it a while ago. Im starting to think the OWAs are kind of worthless. I havent had a single success from them so far. I dont think the $39 a month is worth it
You're not the only one who is not having any success with the OWA's. Not one OWA participant has had any success as defined by getting a paid option, a writing gig or a rep deal. None out of over 500 OWA's.
just saw this exchange in a S32 'lounge' in response to someone requesting advice on gaining representation:
———
RESPONSE Hello ORIGINAL POST WRITER! I'm RESPONDER, the director of development services at Stage 32. I've helped hundreds of writers find representation so I thought I'd share a bit of advice. Just last week, two writers I've worked with signed with managers through pitch sessions and three others are currently being read by reps. First, I'd say don't chase managers or agents. Let them chase you. You need to create momentum, excitement, interest. Make sure to be ready to pitch yourself and what's unique about you and your POV. When talking to reps via pitch sessions or consultations, you shouldn't hard pitch yourself. Instead, you should pitch your vision and what your voice is, how your work is directly informed by your personal experiences. Let them request materials if they spark to what they hear and read. We're also offering more personal guidance, tailored strategies and exclusive opportunities and access for members of the Writers' Room if you haven't checked it out yet!
ORIGINAL POST WRITER Thanks for your response. I'd joined Stage 32 previously, and was encouraged to join the Writer's Room, to get feedback. I joined, and in the two months I was a member found it completely impossible to get feedback on my work, guidance, or the answers to basic questions. Thanks for your suggestion, but I'm definitely not going to join The Writer's Room again.
I have been in intelligence for years. As an analyst I see all the flags in this statement. Here is one technique being used. You make people feel special. By making someone feel special, they value your opinion, because you give them validation.
"First, I'd say don't chase managers or agents. Let them chase you. You need to create momentum, excitement, interest."
The writer is giving the person the feeling that they are so special the industry will chase them. Why is this insidious? Because it creates the environment of exploitation. You are great. The Industry will chase you. Just pay me money so I can make sure you are ready. Just give me money and I'll give you a special intro.
I walked away from Stage32 a few years ago now. As soon as they started selling course on how to use AI as a writer. This was the flag saying "we don't care about you or the industry, just your money".
hey Craig – you may recognise this technique from your days in intelligence, but it's probably been used in sales for the same amount of time, if not longer
I think saying the OWAs have nothing of value to offer anyone after six pages of explaining how they work is an odd conclusion to draw. Kinda feels like we're going in circles now. At least one listing isn't a scam or illusion at all. The only thing we don't really know about is the vetting process.
Personally, I have all the validation I can ever imagine. 2024 has been an amazing year and included not only shooting my fourth feature film but a previous one going to #8 globally on Netflix. Two Oscar-nominated actors have now wanted to attach to the same script. However, these OWA rejections do still sting in the moment, and they sting a lot differently to people passing in the traditional sense. I don't know if it's the waiting around and the sudden email out of nowhere, I don't know if it's the paranoia that comes with having gatekeepers, or the way you don't get a reason for the pass, but it feels like a futile process. What it does is make my heart hurt for writers who only participate in these kind of services. I did it for a year after I first started writing and got out of it. I only do the OWAs because they are there and it costs me nothing more to participate. When you throw in the thought of writers paying for all those competition entries and BL evaluations, only to feel they aren't good enough, it just makes me want to weep for them and the writer I used to be. I mean, this is a big part why Script Revolution was originally built - to try and give people hope and keep in the game long enough to refine their craft and plant the seeds of networking.
It's certainly a small world out there and it's many of the same names behind success stories on multiple platforms. That can be a strange beast too. I was recently handed a script to potentially rewrite which was originally penned by a writer who's been showcased on Stage 32.
CJ,
I am brand new to the world of screenwriting, but have plenty of success collecting rejections in music and both fiction and nonfiction writing, sprinkled along a few actual successes. I understand the highs and the lows, and getting those two "rejections" was a blow (bad timing with the new year as well), but you're putting in the work and keeping an open mind (taking the good advice and recognizing the bits to gloss over). I hope the rest of the year works out better. In the meantime, you got this.
doug esper
I appreciate the sentiment. 2025 is looking promising, and it's a welcome turnaround after a couple of years of stasis. I now have a rep/manager, and that went on IMDb last night, which felt good.
It's now been a year since I started this thread to voice my misgivings about the S32 OWA's. A lot could've changed in a year but unfortunately nothing has. The OWA's have yet to produce their first paid option or writing gig. I'm wondering if it will still be the same story a year from now and if so, how many people will still be buying into the OWA mirage?
The OWA asking for Pulp Fiction type material has caused me some concern. That's my wheelhouse. Everyone says my work is like early Tarantino and I've never met another writer, in thirteen years, leaning into that kind of tone. You're telling me there's at least ten active writers' room members doing better in that niche? I dunno. I know my concern is coming from an arrogant place, but this is one of the few times I feel I can stand up and say, WTF?
questions for those who know:
is access to these OWAs "free" (after shelling out US $39 / month to be a member of the Writers' Room) or is there an added charge?
what about the other perks? – i'm guessing acces to their "A Thriving Community of Screenwriters" is free – but what about the "Direct Access to Industry Professionals" and "Exclusive Access Every Week (to webcasts)" – what sort of additional fees are we looking at and what's been people's experiences?
The OWAs are part of the Writer's Room, so no extra charge. Basically, all Writer's Room members can submit to as many as they want, but only with one script for each submission.
The Writer's Room itself is supposed to be a one-stop solution giving everything a new writer needs to learn the craft, network, and submit work. It does that pretty well. There was actually a webinar the other night talking about craft, and the person giving that lecture referenced my book and the part about writing endings.
They come, they go.
If Amazon Studios felt the need to shut up shop then what chance, in an ever decreasing pool of buyers do the other folks at the table have at making a sufficent noise to get noticed.
Jay.
Just been notified I've had a script selected for an OWA I can't find any record of submitting to LOL!
No details on who it's been submitted to this time either.
things that make you go, "hmmm"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfZRfw92K78
I think they'll publicly post who has been selected tomorrow and for what, so maybe I'll be able to work out which OWA it should have been for.
I haven't had much luck with the OWA's yet, but I recently paid for a pitch session and got some pretty good feedback. It made me realize I was missing some key elements of the story. I got high marks on it but it still ended up getting a pass. I will definitely resubmitt to the reader if he offers another opening.
The reader
https://m.imdb.com/name/nm8299996/
hey CJ – did you find out "which OWA it should have been for"?
Nope. They announced the finalists in the Writer's Room and the one I'd been picked for wasn't included. All very strange, and frankly worrying.
feel free to ignore this question, but for those of us playing at home: could you explain how the process is supposed to work and how this glitch is "worrying" rather than "just annoying"?
I don't know the full process, but I understand it as so:
S32 posts an OWA.
Writers can submit any single script to it.
Writer are supposed to be active participants of the Writer's Room community.
S32 reviews the submitted material in context of the OWA's requirements.
S32 selects a certain number of the most applicable scripts to submit.
Writers are notified if they've been selected or not via email.
The community is notified which writers have been selected via the VIP Lounge.
Scripts are forwarded on to the people who submitted the OWA.
Any response from the above is relayed back to the writer.
Being notified I've been selected for an OWA I never submitted to and then seeing that OWA is missing from the public announcement suggests a significant admin error.
And the final stage is where the writer gets nothing - no paid option, no writing gig, no rep deal. This is the outcome from the first 500 OWA's.
thanks CJ – yeah, that does sound like a significant issue
hey Richard – can i ask where you got that "first 500 OWAs" info from?
Robert B.
The OWA data is from my personal monitoring on the site over the last 3.5 years. Until recently there was a monthly "success" blog post that one could check to see what outcomes came through the OWA's.
thanks Richard B. – gee, i wonder why they dropped the monthly "success" blog?
I got the success blog in my email a few times, but I stopped getting it a while ago. Im starting to think the OWAs are kind of worthless. I havent had a single success from them so far. I dont think the $39 a month is worth it
Joshua
You're not the only one who is not having any success with the OWA's. Not one OWA participant has had any success as defined by getting a paid option, a writing gig or a rep deal. None out of over 500 OWA's.
just saw this exchange in a S32 'lounge' in response to someone requesting advice on gaining representation:
———
RESPONSE
Hello ORIGINAL POST WRITER! I'm RESPONDER, the director of development services at Stage 32. I've helped hundreds of writers find representation so I thought I'd share a bit of advice. Just last week, two writers I've worked with signed with managers through pitch sessions and three others are currently being read by reps.
First, I'd say don't chase managers or agents. Let them chase you. You need to create momentum, excitement, interest. Make sure to be ready to pitch yourself and what's unique about you and your POV. When talking to reps via pitch sessions or consultations, you shouldn't hard pitch yourself. Instead, you should pitch your vision and what your voice is, how your work is directly informed by your personal experiences. Let them request materials if they spark to what they hear and read.
We're also offering more personal guidance, tailored strategies and exclusive opportunities and access for members of the Writers' Room if you haven't checked it out yet!
ORIGINAL POST WRITER
Thanks for your response. I'd joined Stage 32 previously, and was encouraged to join the Writer's Room, to get feedback. I joined, and in the two months I was a member found it completely impossible to get feedback on my work, guidance, or the answers to basic questions. Thanks for your suggestion, but I'm definitely not going to join The Writer's Room again.
———
so it goes
I have been in intelligence for years. As an analyst I see all the flags in this statement. Here is one technique being used. You make people feel special. By making someone feel special, they value your opinion, because you give them validation.
"First, I'd say don't chase managers or agents. Let them chase you. You need to create momentum, excitement, interest."
The writer is giving the person the feeling that they are so special the industry will chase them. Why is this insidious? Because it creates the environment of exploitation. You are great. The Industry will chase you. Just pay me money so I can make sure you are ready. Just give me money and I'll give you a special intro.
I walked away from Stage32 a few years ago now. As soon as they started selling course on how to use AI as a writer. This was the flag saying "we don't care about you or the industry, just your money".
hey Craig – you may recognise this technique from your days in intelligence, but it's probably been used in sales for the same amount of time, if not longer
For sure. I worked for years in the consumer protection space in government.
Ugh! They've managed to get into my email AGAIN, trying to sell stuff!
Heh. That's why I quit Stage32. Too much marketing and promotions. inkTip maybe a little pricey, but I think it's a better alternative.
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