RB's Stage 32 News, Notes, Discussions and Other Fun Stuff (January 23, 2015)

Posted 11 years ago by Richard "RB" Botto

Greetings from the Sundance Film Festival and welcome to the weekend, everyone.

This week Amazon announced they were getting into the movie business and if you happened to attend this month’s On Stage With RB, you know my feelings on the subject. I keep saying it’s an exciting time to be a creative and it seems that each week there’s fresh news supporting my theory. Under ENTERTAINMENT NEWS this week, I have all the 411 on the Amazon move including a great piece by Ann Thompson from Indiewire.

Also under ENTERTAINMENT NEWS this week, the Academy makes the right (and way overdue) move by the short film Oscar nominees, a look at why opening in December now hurts your Oscar chances, a Django Unchained producer looks at the recent Selma flap and wonders if voters have “racial fatigue”, Deadline Hollywood wonders what media coverage will look like in the “New Global Hollywood”, The Imitation Game is poised to take the 2014 indie box office crown, my boys Joel and Ethan Coen are heading up the 2015 Cannes jury, I have everything new on Netflix for February, and, speaking of Netflix, their CEO is looking to air 20 new original shows a year (exciting times, I tell ya), Indiewire names the 17 most anticipated shows of the year and much, much more!

Whew…That’s a lot. And the air is thin up here. But wait, there’s more!

Under VIDEOS this week, some fun items including Stephen Spielberg’s classic reaction to the 1976 Best Picture nominees. Under TIPS, the awesome Werner Herzog has 24 amazing life tips you certainly won’t want to miss.

And…A slew of STAGE 32 SUCCESS STORIES, STAGE 32 MEETUPS (including one up here at Sundance!), POPULAR AND INTERESTING LOUNGE DISCUSSIONS (join the conversation), and all the STAGE 32 NEWS we can fit on one page.

As always, I welcome your ruminations on any of the content below in the COMMENTS section. I look forward to your thoughts!

A chill and creative weekend to all!

Cheers!

RB

STAGE 32 NEWS
Stage 32 Hits Sundance 2015! Are you headed to Sundance this week? If so, join Stage 32 there! We will be decending on Park City for the festivities and we are hosting 2 events! Also, RB will be tweeting live from Sundance, be sure to follow him at @rbwalksintoabar. Plus, make sure to follow Stage 32 @stage32online. And, please tweet your Sundance pics to #STAGE32ROCKS. To read more about the Stage 32 events happening at Sundance, click here: Stage 32 Hits Sundance 2015

January's On Stage With RB is now available on-demand! RB welcomed two incredible guests: Rachel Chervin, Development Executive at Broadway Video (Saturday Night Live, Portlandia) and Conrad Sun, TV Literary Manager and Development Executive for Meridian Artists. Rachel and Conrad spoke extensively on opportunities within the industry and how creatives should best position themselves to take advantage. Other topics they covered included how best to query an executive, approaching to networking, how to show off your unique voice and much more. Additionally, RB answered over 2 hours of Stage 32 member questions including how to make the most of your networking time. To read more about what happened in January's On Stage With RB and to learn how to view it on-demand, click here: January's On Stage With RB

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
This Satuday 1/24 at 11am PST Stage 32 Next Level Webinars presents Getting Past The GateKeepers: How To Get Your Script Past The Front Lines Of Hollywood hosted by Rachel Chervin, Development Dept. at Broadway Video (Saturday Night Live, Portlandia). Rachel will bring you an insider's perspective on agency submissions and what you can do to maximize the impact of your writing on the unsung decision makers of Hollywood. Rachel will discuss fun and informative strategies for giving yourself the best chance possible to make a lasting impression on everyone who reads your script. There are so many ways that writers can take themselves out of the running with easily avoidable mistakes, but fortunately, there are just as many ways to stand out from the pack and deliver a calling card script that demands recognition. The key, besides great writing, is knowing the Gatekeepers' game plan - and then blowing it out of the water. To read more about the webinar, see a video from Rachel and to sign up, click here: Getting Past The GateKeepers: How To Get Your Script Past The Front Lines Of Hollywood

Tuesday 1/27 at 1pm PST Stage 32 Next Level Webinars presents How To Prepare A Film Budget hosted by Tatiana Kelly, Independent Producer of over 12 films and owner of Serena Films. In this webinar, Tatiana will present a straightforward method of developing a working budget. She will discuss what some of the key questions are as well as the decisions that need to be made prior to embarking on a budget. There are certain primary elements of the film and the screenplay that may be necessary such as stunts or locations or cast in order to secure financing for example, and which will help start to build out the budget. She will also cover budgeting basics and review what all of the line items represent. To read more about the webinar, see a video from Tatiana and to sign up, click here: How To Prepare A Film Budget

Thuesday 1/29 at 1pm PST Stage 32 Next Level Webinars presents Music Composers 101: Breaking In And Staying In with hosts Sam Estes and Michael Hobe, Sonicsmiths (Inception, Dark Knight, American Horror Story). Sam and Mike have been composers and sound designers for the past 8+ years and have lent their "musical sound design" to many of LA's top composers, including Hans Zimmer, Michael Giacchino, Junkie XL (Tom Holkenborg), Danny Elfman, Christopher Lennertz, Ramin Djwadi, Geoff Zanelli, Lorne Balfe, Henry Jackman, James Levine, Michael Levine, and many others. In this webinar, Sam and Mike are going to explain some of the paths to get to work in this challenging, competitive, and stressful environment - and once you start to break in, what to do to keep work, establishing a base network, and how to make a living doing what you love. To read more about the webinar, see a video from Sam and Mike and to sign up, click here: Music Composers 101: Breaking In And Staying In

Starting Monday 2/2/15 the Stage 32 Happy Writers presents the interactive 4 week class Introduction To Screenwriting, hosted by Mary Cyrbwisky of Scooty Woop Entertainment. Mary has been one of our most sought out executives through our Coverage Program and has helped many writers better their craft (and even signed one!). Finding such a mentor to teach the basics of screenwriting is crucial and we are thrilled to have Mary for this class. This 4 week class will cover how to correctly format your script, how to write dialogue, how to hide exposition, how to structure your script and even how to get your work seen! To read more about the class syllabus, see a video from Mary and to sign up, click here: Introduction To Screenwriting

STAGE 32 SUCCESS STORIES

POPULAR AND INTERESTING LOUNGE DISCUSSIONS

ACTING: Thoughts on The Atlantic Theatre School or other NYC Short courses?
ACTING: Just a few words of wisdom for actors, to help get you to where you want to be!
ACTING: Nyc
ACTING: Auditions for stage musicals
ACTING: Starting up without a showreel in English.
ACTING: How to hire "B" list actors for next to nothing
ACTING: At last JENNIFER ANISTON and ANGELINA JOLIE have something in common -- both were snubbed for an Oscar nom.
ACTING: The funniest and best celebrity audition tapes
ACTING: 11 Tips for a Memorable Acting Showreel!
ANIMATION: Paddington bear
ANIMATION: A newbie question
ANIMATION: Question for Veteran Animation Directors
ANIMATION: Software
ANIMATION: Concept
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Photography
CINEMATOGRAPHY: New website for lighting and grip
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Low end 4K
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Developing a relationship with the Director
CINEMATOGRAPHY: Support systems
COMPOSING: How to become a professional Composer in the Industry?
COMPOSING: Actor Musicians: Sickening or Genius?
COMPOSING: What does music mean to you?
COMPOSING: NAMM this week?
COMPOSING: Consistency with Instrumentation
COMPPSING: Composing
COMPSING: Best Piece of Advice
CREW: Pilot season
CREW: Where to look for crew
CREW: Passion
DEVELOPMENT: Pitching New TV Series to BBC UK
DEVELOPMENT: Simple Methods to Help Start Your Film Project in 2015
DEVELOPMENT: Budgets
DEVELOPMENT: Comprehensive list of the development process from start to finish
DEVELOPMENT: So How Does 'Rush Hour' Become a TV Show? Plus 4 Other Takeaways From Development Season
DISTRIBUTION: Studiocanal bets big on PADDINGTON BEAR
DISTRIBUTION: Want to distribute your own movie ... on your own?
DISTRIBUTION: So where does Marketing fit into Film and TV on Stage 32?
DISTRIBUTION: Long but good read on Distribution advice for indie filmmakers
EDITING: Editing as a True Art Form
EDITING: Graphic Design
EDITING: Best low cost editing software.
EDITING: An article commemorating the late, great Frank Mazzola.
FILMMAKING: Women Underrepresented at Oscars
FILMMAKING: Can you still cast an actor in this situation?
FILMMAKING: 24 Life Lessons for Filmmakers from Werner Herzog
FILMMAKING: If you had to give TWO pieces of advice ONLY to someone who is interested in making films, what would they be?
FILMMAKING: Obscure favorite movie recommendations:
FILMMAKING: Dubbed to Death
FILMMAKING: Fincher on Filmmaking
FILMMAKING: Christopher Nolan Shares DIY Shooting Tricks of His No-Budget First Film, 'Following'
FILMAKING: 10 Ways to Make a Successful Feature Film for a Few Thousand Dollars
POST-PRODUCTION: Music from signed band where to inquire for use?
PRE-PRODUCTION: Medical locations
PRODUCING: Best Website Templates?
PRODUCING: Financing Music Videos
PRODUCTION: Help me out production dept!
SCREENWRITING: What oscar nominated movie would you like to have written?
SCREENWRITING: Inktip Experience?
SCREENWRITING: When do I push for [them] to option?
SCREENWRITING: Submission Agreement
SCREENWRITING: Save the Cat-Beat Sheet
SCREENWRITING: Does anyone use abstract descriptions to be developed later
SCREENWRITING: Does listening to music while writing help you?
SCREENWRITING: Losing the Plot? Marketability vs. Story
SCREENWRITING: Selling a novel as a movie idea.
SCREENWRITING: Queries, et al
SCREENWRITING: Question about using a short clip from an old film [i.e., "Portrait of Jennie," 1948]
SCREENWRITING: Written Pitch
SCREENWRITING: Are screenwriters on the endangered species list?
SCREENWRITING: Table Read
SCREENWRITING: A Basic Writing Exercise
SOUND EDITING: Top 10 Sound Editing Software for 2014
SOUND EDITING: Top 5 Great Reads on Film Sound
SOUND EDITING: Interview: Dean Humphreys (Taken 3, The PIanist, Donnie Brasco..) - great words of advice on working in the film industry.
SPECIAL EFFECTS: After Effects Tutorial - 3D Grid
VOICE ACTING: Great VO Article

STAGE 32 PLANNED AND PROPOSED MEETUPS

ANN ARBOR, MI: Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Meet Up (soon to be retitled)
BUFFALO, NY: Meet up buffalo january
DALLAS, TX: Dallas Meetup
FAYETTEVILLE, NC: Fayetteville, NC Area - Actors & Actresses, Writers, Directors Welcomed!
LOS ANGELES, CA: Creative partnerships
PARK CITY, UT: Stage 32 Meetup at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival
PHILADELPHIA, PA: How About a Philadelphia Meet-up?
NEW YORK CITY, NY: Nyc
SAN FRANCISCO, CA: San Francisco Meetup
TALLAHASSEE, FL: Tally Shorts Film Festival - Tallahassee, FL
THOUSAND OAKS, CA: Meet Up in Thousand Oaks
LONDON, UK: London?
SOUTHAMPTON, UK: Southampton, UK Jan 2015

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

VIDEOS

TIPS

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