Hello Stage 32ers!

My name is James J. Papa. I met veteran film writer/director/producer, Julia Verdin of Rough Diamond Management through a consult call on Stage 32. As a result, I ended up co-writing the socially conscious project No Address with her. It is about the homeless in California. This is my story!

How Julia & I Connected

We connected through Stage 32’s one-hour script consults. I strongly recommend this to any writer who feels their script is ready, and polished, and wants to take it out to market. (although these sessions are good to improve your script, if your material is high concept, flows, and polished – producers, agents, and managers will gravitate toward it.

These script read and phone consultations give you a “direct” line to producers/agents/managers who are looking for new material. During these calls you speak with them and get insight into how to improve your material or if they like it, as Julia did, you get a chance to work together.

To elaborate, Julia read a few samples of my material and championed my writing style. It was then that we had an introduction through 32 and several phone calls where we decided to co-write a “new project” together.

My role as a Writer

Throughout this process, I was given the opportunity to allow my voice to be heard. Julia and I created a story that sheds light on an ensemble cast of homeless characters as they navigate and survive the streets of LA.

We both wanted to shed light on this troubling epidemic.

The word “HOMELESS” shouldn’t carry a negative connotation and have the stigma that it currently has. After all, no one wants to be, asks, or wishes to be homeless. Living on the streets not knowing where their next meal will come from, where they will sleep that night, or how they will survive the arduous elements.

By writing and creating No Address, we are hoping to destigmatize homelessness and bring more awareness to this problem.

What I learned from Julia

It was an honor working with Julia. She is an amazing writer and storyteller. Her passion flows through her words onto the paper and into her projects. I look forward to working with her again in the future…

Overcoming casting issues, weather, and other setbacks, “No Address” is on schedule to premiere in theatres come Winter 2023. Look for it!

We are hoping that this project will help take the stigma away from the word “HOMELESS” and shine a light on this topic that is crippling the United States.

From option to 'in the can'

Once Julia and I signed an agreement to co-write a script, we had several calls. We hashed out the main characters first and plotted the story second with a beat sheet. Next, I had to get “FINAL DRAFT” (I use Movie Magic). If you don’t have it, I suggest you get it and become familiar with it. A high percentage of people in the industry use it and you will have to use it and be familiar with it.

After that, we would work on 10 pages at a time. I would write ten pages, then send it to her. She would then read and revise and make changes to those 10 pages in a marked revision color and send it back to me for week one. I would review those pages and the changes she made in a different revision color and then when we both agreed, we would undo the correction colors (confirming them), and move on to writing the next 10 pages. She would then send me 10 more pages and I would revise them as we navigated and plotted through the script.

Once we had a full, completed 100-page draft, it was ready to go into budgeting. At this point, Julia sent the script out to attract and attach talent to the film.

CAST

William Baldwin
Ashanti
Xander Berkeley
Lucas Jade Zumann
Ty Pennington
Patricia Velasquez
Isabella Ferreira
Beverly D’Angelo
Kristanna Loken

The script then went through multiple rounds of changes and revisions before the budget was “locked” and the script was “locked.”

When both the script and budget were locked and the financing was in place, it was time to scout locations for the shoot (Sacramento, CA).

Then came the first day of principal photography…

No Address is now currently shooting in Sacramento and being produced by Julia!

It will wrap shooting in just a few days!

I am so excited that my first full-length script has jumped off the pages and come to life thanks to connecting with Julia through Stage 32!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

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