Forbes Spotlights Stage 32 Certification!

Happy Tuesday, Creative Army!

Every now and then, you get one of those moments where the work, the passion, the belief, and the years of pushing uphill finally land in a way that makes you stop, breathe, and say, “Yeah… this is why we do it.”

Today is one of those days.

Recently, Forbes published a full feature on Stage 32 and our Certification Program — calling us “the future of film school and career education.”

You can read the article by clicking here!

To say this is an honor is an understatement. Forbes recognized what our community has been building together for the past 14 years, a global, accessible, industry-first training pipeline created by the people who actually work in the business.

But more importantly, they recognized you. Your ambition, your dedication, your belief in learning the real ropes of film and television, and your willingness to train, collaborate, and grow.

And before I go any further, I want to shine a well-deserved spotlight on the journalist behind the piece, Derek Newton.

Derek is one of the most respected education and edtech reporters working today. His writing is thoughtful, balanced, curious, and unafraid to challenge the status quo, qualities we deeply admire, especially as we enter a new era of creative training. His work appears in The Washington Post, The Atlantic, NBC, USA Today, and he serves as a contributing writer at Forbes.

He’s also the Founder and CEO of Verify My Writing (VMW), a platform dedicated to verifying and certifying that written work is authentic and human-made, giving writers, publishers, and readers peace of mind in an age where authorship is harder to protect. 

We’re grateful to Derek for taking the time to really understand our mission, our community, and the work we’re doing to reshape global training for film and television.

Let me give you a little more insight into what Derek highlighted, and why this moment matters so much for the future of our industry and your careers.

Where This Dream Started

When I launched Stage 32 back in 2011, my goal wasn't a simple one. Build the world’s most comprehensive educational library for creatives in film and television.

Over the last decade, we’ve delivered more than 3,000 hours of entertainment industry education, taught exclusively by people who are actively working at the highest levels of the industry — the producers, executives, accountants, financiers, distributors, filmmakers, actors, cinematographers, VFX artists, authors, coordinators, legal teams, ADs, and supervisors who shape the projects you watch every day.

In 2023, after 8 years of development, we launched the next evolution of that dream: Stage 32 Certification.

We designed it to do one thing:

Prepare people for real, verifiable jobs in film and television — and connect them directly to the global productions that need them.

Why Forbes Is Paying Attention

The article hits on something the industry has been whispering for years:

Traditional education isn’t matching the pace of real-world production needs.

Stage 32 Certification is filling that gap.

Forbes highlighted several key reasons:

1. Training built by working professionals

Our educators include:

• Former Paramount Director of Production Maegan Philmore
• ViacomCBS Senior Production Finance Manager Shalonda Ware
• Former eOne and Carsey-Werner Head of Production Courtney Conte
• Ramo Law’s legal team
• Wrapbook tax-incentive expert Ryan Broussard
• DGA producer Korey Pollard
• Emmy-nominated post-production producer Brad Carpenter
• And dozens of others from projects like BARBIE, TOP GUN: MAVERICK, BABYGIRL, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, THE WALKING DEAD, and more.

These aren’t academics. They’re the people hiring crews, staffing departments, and running productions right now.

2. Certifications that lead to actual jobs

In just two years, we’ve issued more than 2,300 certifications, and we’re working with 50+ film commissions worldwide, with dozens more on the way.

And we’re not talking theory. We’re talking measurable, real-world results:

• 20 production accountants trained in Pittsburgh to support upcoming productions like MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN
• An in-person workshop led by Paramount’s former Head of Production to onboard the newly trained crew
• 15 new production accountants and 20 new PAs trained in Hawaii
• Completed programs in Costa Rica, Poland, Croatia, South Africa, Uganda, Austria, and across the U.S. in Georgia, Texas, Oregon, Nevada, Florida, Utah, and more!

These programs are happening because film commissions are facing the same problem everywhere: productions want to shoot, but there aren’t enough trained people to hire.

Stage 32 Certification is solving that.

3. A global database that connects talent directly to productions

Everyone who becomes certified, whether through an individual or master certification, is added to our new database, accessible by:

• Film commissions
• Streamers
• Production companies
• Networks
• Independents

This is already being used in dozens of territories, with more coming on board for 2026 and beyond.

This isn’t just a résumé booster.

It’s a gateway to paid production work.

And every certified member receives a Stage 32 Certification badge, proudly displayed on their profile, posts, and comments — a verifiable qualifier for an industry that desperately needs transparency and trust.

What Certification Includes

For those of you new to the conversation, here’s the overview:

Master Certifications

Deep, multi-course training in core departments like:

• Production Accounting Master Certification
• TV Production Management Master Certification
• Feature Film Production Management Master Certification
• Line Producing Master Certification
• Producer Key Legal Agreements Master Certification
• Script Supervising Master Certification
• Location Management Master Certification
• Production Coordinator Master Certification
• Production Assistant Master Certification
• Assistant Director Master Certification
• Post-Production Supervision Master Certification

Individual Certifications

Focused training in:

• Budget Creation
• Production Scheduling
• Call Sheets
• Production Accounting 101
• Payroll Accounting and Management for Film & TV
• Cost Reporting
• US Tax Incentive Management
• Script Supervision 101
• Script Supervision: Script Timing & Page Breakdown
• Script Supervision: Continuity Breakdown
• Script Supervision: Script Notes & Lined Script Pages
• Script Supervision: On Set Continuity
• Script Supervision: Progress Reports & Work Flow
• Production Wrap Deliverables
• Final Delivery Elements Of A TV Show
• Final Delivery Elements Of A Feature Film
• Option/Purchase/Shopping Agreements
• Feature Film Financing Agreements
• Investor Agreements
• International Co-Production Agreements
• Crew Agreements
• Talent Agreements
• Distribution & Sales Agency Agreements
• Fundamentals Of Location Management
• Location Scouting
• Location Management: Budgeting & Scheduling
• Location Management: Contracts, Risk Management & Negotiating
• The Fundamentals of Production Coordinating
• Production Coordinator: Logistics
• Fundamentals Of Production Assisting
• Production Assistant: On Set Protocols
• Production Assistant: Paperwork & Department Interaction
• Fundamentals Of Assistant Directing
• Assistant Director Scheduling
• First Assistant Director On Set Protocols
• Key 2nd Assistant Director Protocols & Call Sheets
• 2nd 2nd Assistant Director Protocols
• Fundamentals of Post-Production Supervision
• Post-Production Supervisor Protocols for a TV Series
• Post-Production Supervisor Protocols for a Feature Film
• Post-Production Supervisor Scheduling & Budgeting
• Post-Production Coordinator & Production Assistant Protocols

These certifications are built to immediately qualify you for work inside real production environments — the work that keeps the entire industry moving.

Where We’re Going Next

If you’ve ever heard me speak at Cannes, AFM, or in the Writers’ Room, you’ve heard me say this:

We’re not stopping until every person who wants to work in film and television gets their shot.

Certification is a massive step toward that mission — and this Forbes article is validation of the work all of you, this entire community, and our team have poured into this.

None of this would be possible without:

• Amanda Toney, who has spent years building our partnerships, vision, and infrastructure
• Sam Sokolow, our Head of Certification, whose leadership is powering this entire engine
• Our educators
• Our film commission partners
• And you — the creatives who believe in doing the work and lifting each other up

I’m humbled. I’m grateful. And I’m fired up for what’s coming next.

If you have questions or want to explore certification for yourself or your local region, reach out to Sam and his team anytime at certification@stage32.com.

Much love,

RB

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .