The Successful Screenwriter with Geoffrey D Calhoun: Screenwriting Podcast

Geoffrey D. Calhoun and Kristy Leigh Lussier break down one of the easiest ways to spot weak screenwriting: dialogue nobody would actually say. They share practical ways to write more authentic conversations before answering listener questions about first drafts, fixing scenes, formatting flashbacks, and whether a writer should ever give up on the dream.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why generic dialogue can immediately weaken a screenplay
How listening to real conversations can improve your character dialogue
Why every scene needs its own purpose, objective, and forward momentum
How to keep moving when a scene is slowing down your first draft
How to approach flashbacks and scene numbering in a screenplay
Why screenwriting formatting has become less rigid over the years
Why your filmmaking career may not look the way you originally imagined
How writers and directors can start creating with the resources they have right now.

Key Moments:

01:24 – Breaking down character-driven storytelling in recent movies
06:03 – The generic dialogue screenwriters need to stop using
10:30 – Kristy's techniques for developing authentic character voices
12:36 – What every scene needs to accomplish
15:26 – Why Geoffrey stopped using Final Draft
16:53 – When should you give up on your dream of writing and directing?
19:57 – Redefining what it means to be a writer and director today

About the Co-host:
Kristy Leigh Lussier is a screenwriter, filmmaker, and creative collaborator who works across multiple genres including horror and drama. She has experience in independent film production, writing, and on-set collaboration, and regularly shares insights into the filmmaking process with the screenwriting community.

About the Host:
With films on network television, streaming platforms, and in theaters, Geoffrey D. Calhoun is a screenwriter, author of The Guide for Every Screenwriter, and a passionate mentor in the industry. He hosts The Successful Screenwriter podcast to empower writers and filmmakers at every level.

Resources Mentioned in the Episode:
Indie Gathering International Film Festival
Screenplay dialogue and character development
Final Draft screenwriting software
Independent filmmaking
Vertical filmmaking and mobile-first storytelling

Connect with Kristy Leigh Lussier
Instagram: @kantoka
Watch Kristy’s vertical drama: The Witch Wolf's Mate.

Connect with Geoffrey D. Calhoun
Watch Geoffrey's Vertical Thriller: Elsy
Website: thesuccessfulscreenwriter.com
Instagram: @screenwriterpod
YouTube: @thesuccessfulscreenwriter
#ScreenwritingPodcast
#ScreenwritingTips #Screenwriting #WritingDialogue #Screenplay #Filmmaking #IndieFilmmaker #Scriptwriting #TheSuccessfulScreenwriter  #WritingCommunity

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Discover how an ordinary break room transformed into a post-apocalyptic set for Geoffrey’s new vertical thriller, Elsy. In this episode, Geoffrey and Kristy sit down with filmmaker and Vault Studio founder George Ansara to explore his journey from commercial videography to launching one of Michigan’s top independent film studios. Go behind the scenes of Elsy’s intense five-day shoot, and learn the keys to indie film success: preparation, collaboration, and community. George reveals how Vault Studio empowers creators with affordable, professional spaces, while Geoffrey and Kristy share insights on producing indie films and the power of filmmakers supporting each other.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:
How George Ansara built Vault Studio into a filmmaker-first production facility
Behind-the-scenes stories from filming Elsy
How Geoffrey designed an entire film set using 3D modeling and AI visualization
Why adaptable production spaces save time, money, and stress on independent productions
The producer's perspective on keeping a five-day shoot running smoothly
Why collaboration not competition is the key to growing the independent film community
George's work with the Detroit 48 Hour Film Project and supporting local filmmakers
Help us spread the word and support indie filmmaking! Our new vertical thriller Elsy premieres soon, and the first trailer is live now on Instagram.

Watch the Elsy trailer now on Instagram Here

Watch the trailer, share it to your stories, comment with your theories, and tag a friend who loves mystery, suspense, and post-apocalyptic storytelling. Every share helps us reach new viewers and brings more attention to independent filmmaking.

About the Host
With films on network television, streaming platforms, and in theaters, Geoffrey D. Calhoun is a screenwriter, author of The Guide for Every Screenwriter, and a passionate mentor in the industry. He hosts The Successful Screenwriter Podcast to empower writers and filmmakers at every level.

Connect with Geoffrey D. Calhoun
Website: https://thesuccessfulscreenwriter.com
Instagram:@screenwriterpod
YouTube: @thesuccessfulscreenwrite

Connect with Kristy Lee Lussier
Instagram: @kantoka127

Connect with George Ansara
Vault Studio: 
Vault Studio Podcast

#Screenwriting #Filmmaking #IndieFilm #IndependentFilm #FilmProduction #MichiganFilm #VaultStudio #VerticalSeries #Elsy #DetroitFilm #48HourFilmProject #Screenwriter #Storytelling #TheSuccessfulScreenwriter

🎬 Get Free Script Leads — be the first to know which producers are requesting scripts and accepting submissions.

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Share it with a fellow screenwriter who’d find it valuable!

In this episode of The Successful Screenwriter, Geoffrey D. Calhoun and Kristy Leigh Lussier break down why some movies fail despite strong marketing, using Supergirl as a case study to explore how theme, character, and a worthy antagonist determine whether a story truly resonates with audiences. They also discuss the current state of Hollywood, the rise of independent filmmaking, and why audiences may be returning to theaters for the right films.

Plus:Why a story without a clear theme feels hollow
What makes an antagonist compelling
The truth behind "Hollywood is back"
Terrible screenwriting advice: "Just add a montage"
Geoffrey shares one of the worst screenplay query emails he's ever received—and the surprising response after he tried to mentor the writer
AI-generated outreach emails and why human editing still matters
Fourth of July movie recommendations and a few classic film memories
Whether you're an aspiring screenwriter, filmmaker, or movie lover, this episode dives into the storytelling principles that separate memorable films from forgettable ones.If you're serious about writing better screenplays, subscribe for weekly conversations on screenwriting, directing, filmmaking, and breaking down the myths of the entertainment industry.📚

Geoffrey's Book: The Guide for Every Screenwriter🎬 

#Screenwriting #Filmmaking #Supergirl #WritingAdvice #Screenwriter #Storytelling #Movies #FilmAnalysis #Hollywood #TheSuccessfulScreenwriter

🎬 Get Free Script Leads — be the first to know which producers are requesting scripts and accepting submissions.

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Share it with a fellow screenwriter who’d find it valuable!

What if the voice keeping you alive couldn't be trusted?

In this special episode of The Successful Screenwriter, Geoffrey D. Calhoun sits down with Assistant Director Kristy Leigh Lussier and interviewer Jess Paul to pull back the curtain on Elsy, a cinematic post-apocalyptic vertical series premiering this July. For over a decade, Elsy existed in different forms a web series, a feature film, a television project before finally finding its perfect home in the exploding world of vertical storytelling.

Now, Geoffrey makes his directorial debut with a psychological thriller that blends mystery, survival, loneliness, and hope into a mobile-first cinematic experience unlike anything currently available in the vertical space.

In this episode, you'll discover:
How vertical storytelling is transforming the entertainment industry
The challenge of creating a cinematic experience in a vertical format
The process of casting Karly Coffee, Rochelle Nicole, and Eric Roman
Behind-the-scenes stories from shooting 21 episodes in just 5 days
Why loneliness is the emotional core of Elsy
The future of vertical series and why Geoffrey believes this is where storytelling is headed
Elsy follows a young woman trapped inside a bunker after a mysterious catastrophe leaves the world buried beneath ash. Alone, isolated, and running out of supplies, she discovers a voice on a CB radio. But as hope grows, so do the questions. Can she trust the person on the other end? And what happens when survival depends on believing a lie?

If you're a filmmaker, screenwriter, content creator, or simply fascinated by where entertainment is headed next, this episode offers an inside look at the future of storytelling.

Topics Covered
Vertical Series Production
Post-Apocalyptic Storytelling
Psychological Thrillers
Writing for Mobile Audiences
Film Production on a Budget
The Future of Streaming Content
Behind the Scenes of Elsy
About ELSY
Elsy is a cinematic vertical thriller following a young woman surviving alone in a bunker after the collapse of civilization. As she forms a connection with a mysterious voice over a CB radio, she begins questioning everything she thought she knew about her world.

Written and Directed by Geoffrey D. Calhoun.

Coming July 2026.

🚨 Watch the ELSY Trailer: Instagram: @screenwriterpod

Watch the trailer, follow the journey, and share your theories before the series premieres.

#Elsy #VerticalSeries #PostApocalyptic #PsychologicalThriller #IndieFilm #Screenwriting #Filmmaking #VerticalDrama #DirectorDebut #TheSuccessfulScreenwriter #SurvivalThriller #MysterySeries #MobileStorytelling #FilmmakerPodcast

🎬 Get Free Script Leads — be the first to know which producers are requesting scripts and accepting submissions.

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Share it with a fellow screenwriter who’d find it valuable!

Hollywood is in the middle of a major shift, and many writers may not realize how quickly the rules are changing. In this episode, Geoffrey and Kristy explore the success of creator-driven projects like Backrooms, the growing influence of online audiences. They discuss what today's moviegoers are actually paying to see, how YouTube creators and independent filmmakers are bringing audiences back to theaters, and what these changes mean for screenwriters trying to build careers in an evolving industry. 

What You'll Learn in This Episode
Why creator-driven films are disrupting Hollywood
What the success of Backrooms reveals about modern audiences
Strategies for writing authentic dialogue
How to approach talent attachment and financing
Help us spread the word and support indie filmmaking! Our new vertical thriller Elsy premieres this July, and the first trailer is live now on Instagram.

Watch the Elsy trailer now on Instagram Here 

Watch the trailer, share it to your stories, comment your theories and tag a friend who loves mystery, suspense, and post-apocalyptic storytelling. Every share helps us reach new viewers and brings more attention to independent filmmaking. 

About the Host
With films on network television, streaming platforms, and in theaters, Geoffrey D. Calhoun is a screenwriter, author of The Guide for Every Screenwriter, and a passionate mentor in the industry. He hosts The Successful Screenwriter podcast to empower writers and filmmakers at every level.

Connect with Geoffrey D. Calhoun
Website:thesuccessfulscreenwriter.com
Instagram: @screenwriterpod
YouTube: @thesuccessfulscreenwriter

Connect with Kristy
Instagram: @kantoka127
Watch The Witch Wolf's Mate: C

#Screenwriting #Filmmaking #Hollywood #Backrooms #IndieFilm #Screenwriter #WritingCommunity #FilmIndustry #Storytelling #TheSuccessfulScreenwriter

🎬 Get Free Script Leads — be the first to know which producers are requesting scripts and accepting submissions.

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe. Share it with a fellow screenwriter who’d find it valuable!