Posted by Richard "RB" Botto

Welcome to the weekend, everyone. This is one jammed packed blog filled with content (I believe) you’ll want to discuss and share with your fellow creatives. Let’s get to it.

Under ENTERTAINMENT AND INDUSTRY NEWS this week: A look a the most daunting aspect of working in indiefilm today; a little film festival controversy revealed; all sorts of diversity articles; FX’s CEO keeps talking and talking and talking; NY and Toronto Film Festivals make programming announcements; a look at the studio box office collapse; why marketing can ruin your movie; Film L.A. raises their permit fees; Iceland raises their incentives; a couple of VR articles and much, much more.

In the VIDEOS section, 12 essential female cinematographers; THR’s Reality Rountable and the Sundance short that broke the Duplass brothers.

Under TIPS, 31 life hacks to improve your life plus screenwriting, acting, filmmaking and film editing tips and tricks.

For everything going on around the neighborhood, don’t forget to check out STAGE 32 NEWS, STAGE 32 MEETUPS, STAGE 32 SUCCESS STORIES and POPULAR AND INTERESTING LOUNGE DISCUSSIONS.

And, of course, for all our upcoming webinars and classes, be sure to check out STAGE 32 EDUCATION.

Again, and as always, I invite remarks and healthy debate in the Comments section below.

Hope you all enjoy the content. Have a terrific and creative weekend!

Cheers!

RB

STAGE 32 NEWS

Stage 32 + Hollyshorts Film Festival - Events All Week! We have an exciting week of events lined up at the HollyShorts Film Festival beginning this Friday! If you are in or around the Los Angeles area, you are more than welcome to come join us for any one or all of our special Stage 32 panels, parties and screenings! Click here to get all of the details! Also check out the Stage 32 Meetups section for more details!

Five Pieces of Advice for Film & Media Composers - Here are five pieces of advice I wish I'd known when I was starting out as a media composer. Firstly as my disclaimer; these are by no means hard and fast rules. Think of the following as food for thought and NOT a recipe for success, but it may help you avoid cooking up a few dodgy meals. Click here!

Collaboration Agreements: What They mean And How They Work - Under the US copyright law, although ideas alone are not protectable, an author or creator owns a copyright in his or her work the moment the author’s expression of the idea is 'fixed in a tangible medium.' (i.e., when the expression of an idea is written down or recorded in some manner.) Once created, a copyright extends for the life of the author plus 70 years, and in the case of collaborators on a copyright, it extends for the life of the last surviving collaborator plus 70 years. Click here to review the issues that can arise and the pitfalls to beware of with respect to collaborations between and among creators of books, screenplays, stories, theatrical plays and television show scripts.


STAGE 32 EDUCATION

Mentor Series: Write A TV Bible That Sells (August 13, 20, 27 and Sept 10) Your TV Series Bible is an extremely important, and often overlooked tool for selling your pilot in the industry. It’s a document which explains in detail – who your characters are, what they will be up against, where future conflict will come, and what themes your show will be exploring. It gives studio and network executives’ confidence that you know what you’re doing, and that the show has the story potential to live on for multiple seasons. Michael Poisson (Director of Development at Silent Machine Entertainment, Krysten Ritter’s production company that has a first look deal at Universal TV) will be giving a lecture about how to write one section of your series bible, and then you’ll be assigned to write that section for a project of your own. The following week Mike will offer one-on-one skype sessions to discuss your work, give you any notes, and answer any questions that you may have. So, at the end of this Intensive, you will have a strong and well-executed bible that you’ll be able to use as a selling tool for your own TV series. Click here to get full details on this amazing opportunity and register now! 

Writing Contracts: What You Need To Know (Aug 16) In this Stage 32 Next Level webinar, Jordan Barel (Development, for Producer/Actor Paul Scheer and Abominable Pictures) will teach you paragraph by paragraph exactly what is included in the standard writer's contract. He will cover three different types of contracts: purchase agreement, option agreement, and negative pickup. We will discuss terms in both a legal and practical matter so that students get the information they need to best be prepared to negotiate their next agreement. Such things will include material and boilerplate terms, what can or can't be negotiated, and how lawyers themselves will be reading and reviewing your agreement.

This will be an in-depth legal discussion walking you through each sentence of a standard purchase and option agreement. We'll also use template agreements as examples to give you a better sense of what these agreements should look like. Click here to register for this webinar now!


HAPPY WRITERS

Stage 32 Happy Writers Consulting Services

Stage 32 Happy Writers offers direct consultations with active literary managers, producers, directors of development and other industry veterans. Stage 32 Happy Writers is unique in that you choose exactly who will be reading your script. No more anonymous reads from equally anonymous "readers". Take a look at our roster of executives, find your perfect match and get the feedback and guidance you need to get the success you deserve. Click here for the amazing opportunities Happy Writers provides to make things happen!

Stage 32 3rd Annual Search For New Blood Screenwriting Contest (Deadline August 31)

Over the last two years, our contest winners and finalists have been signed, optioned, put in development, staffed and secured high level meetings with some of the top executives and companies in the film industry. Our track record with the Search for New Blood has been off the charts. Now we’re back with year 3 of this incredibly popular contest designed to give our horror and thriller writers the chance to have their work exposed to some of the top execs in the industry! Our top 3 winners will get exclusive meetings with executives. ALL Finalists will have their loglines exposed to the over 500 industry execs who work with Stage 32. Click here to register!


STAGE 32 MEETUPS


STAGE 32 SUCCESS STORIES


POPULAR AND INTERESTING LOUNGE DISCUSSIONS


ENTERTAINMENT AND INDUSTRY NEWS

What’s the Most Daunting Aspect of Working in Independent Film Today? Sundance Next Fest Filmmakers Respond

The Film Festival Court of Controversy: How Festivals Moderate Discussions Before Films Reach Theaters

‘Black-ish’ Creator Kenya Barris: ‘I’m So Tired of Talking About Diversity’

Artisans So White: Minority Workers and the Fight Against Below-the-Line Bias

FX CEO John Landgraf Expands Opportunities For Female & Non-White Directors In Wake Of Network’s Spotty Record

FX's John Landgraf Says Scripted Surge Isn't Slowing, TV Losing "Coherent" Conversation

Academy Accused Of Being “Ageist” At Panel On Ageism In #Hollywood

New York Film Film Fest Sets Slate

Toronto Sets #Documentary Program W Leonardo DiCaprio, Fisher Stevens & Netflix Pics

Why has this summer blockbuster season been so bad?

‘Joshy’ Director Jeff Baena: Why Marketing Can Ruin a Movie 

5 Potential Pitfalls in Wanda’s Quest to Dominate Global Entertainment

Hot TV Trend: Anthology Comedy Series

FilmL.A. Raises Permit Fees For First Time in 8 Years

Iceland’s Production Incentive Will Rise to 25%

How Can Virtual Reality Content Creators Make Money?

China Media Capital Takes Stake in NextVR


VIDEOS

12 Essential Women Cinematographers

The Hollywood Reporter’s Reality TV Roundtable

The Duplass Brothers’ Short Film ‘This is John’: Watch the 7-Minute Sundance Short That Helped Launch Their Careers


TIPS

31 Life Hacks To Improve Your Life in Just a Month

Why Your Script Scenes Are Falling Flat and How to Fix Them

Smartphone Filmmaking Tips

3 Tips to Becoming a Better Film Editor

Is Your Headshot for Acting or Modeling?


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As always, we welcome thoughts and remarks on ANY of the content above in the Comments section below...

 

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