I'm going to do a much more in depth thread on this and build course work around it because it's so so important. Especially when nobody knows who you are and you're trying to be taken seriously. Why? Because it shows you care. It shows the reader they're in the hands of a true artist who isn't just writing down a series of events they're hoping to pass off as a screenplay. @Chad Desrochers hooked me up with some software that will hopefully allow me to rip some of my fave openings, so I can pontificate on them here for your edification. While I learn to use it, I was just thinking about the opening of one of my desert island movies and wanted to get this discussion started about all time greats that hit home with you. I'm posting just one below. Because it still absolutely delights me 40 years after it came out. I started to describe it, but dug up the script instead do you could see exactly how Joel and Ethan put it on the page. It's all there. Tight. Funny. Love set in motion, despite the odds. On page 1. Your homework. Don't just mention an opening you love, find the script. Show us how the magic happened. And we'll go from there! Raising Arizona Screenplay by Ethan and Joel Coen OVER BLACK: VOICE OVER My name is H. I. McDunnough... A WALL With horizontal hatch lines. VOICE OVER ...People call me Hi. A disheveled young man in a gaily colored Hawaiian shirt is launched into frame by someone offscreen. He holds a printed paddle that reads "NO. 1468-6 NOV. 29 79." The hatch marks on the wall behind him are apparently height markers. VOICE OVER ...The first time I met Ed was in the county lock-up in Tempe, Arizona... FLASH As his picture is taken. CLOSEUP On the paddle: "NOV. 29 79." VOICE OVER ...a day I'll never forget. A bellowing male voice from offscreen: SHERIFF Don't forget the profile, Ed! ANGLE ON THE STILL CAMERA It is mounted on a tripod. A pretty young woman in a severe police uniform peers out from behind it.

As part of building this community, I'm updating the About page. Just curious which of these two vibes with the most people and would make you feel like, "Hell yeah, I need to sign up for that!" I was debating and debating, then I thought... I know a whole group of people with opinions! Let's hear it! Which would you prefer if you were landing on the About Page for the first time, and why? VERSION A: ✍️ The Writer’s Forge Stop forcing structure. Learn to create unforgettable characters that get noticed by agents and managers who can take your career to the next level. Most writers stay stuck because they’ve been taught structure-first. The beats look right… but the script feels dead. It’s missing a beating heart — characters that feel real, alive, primal as hell, and hit the reader on a gut level. The kind that make an industry reader flip back to the title page and think: “Who tf wrote this?” I’m J. David Stem (Shrek 2, Jimmy Neutron, Rugrats, Disenchanted). Studios hired me for 25 years to rebuild scripts from the inside out. Now I help writers do the same inside The Writer’s Forge. 🔥 Hot Seats — clear, honest feedback 🎯 Accountability — write with momentum 💬 Emotional Authorship — build characters reps care about If you’re serious about leveling up, get in here. $5/month for now — jumping to $50 soon. Let’s get to work. VERSION B: Stop writing in isolation and start thinking and acting like a professional. I’m J. David Stem, a $2.5B box office screenwriter and script doctor. Inside The Writer’s Forge, I teach serious writers to level up their craft with confidence — supported by a community that actually shows up and grows together. Get instant access to: 🔥 LIVE Story Hot Seats — real fixes, real clarity, coached by me 💪 Emotional Authorship — create characters actors actually want to play 🎯 Rewrite Rescue — diagnose what’s broken and fix it with professional precision 🎤 Pitching & The Business — insights from my former agent and working TV writers