Posted by Richard "RB" Botto

Welcome to the weekend, everyone.

This week under INDUSTRY AND ENTERTAINMENT NEWS, a look at the present and future of independent films; why execs are loving the streaming platforms, the Al Pacino, Anthony Hopkins bomb; Hollywood has a sequel and adaptation problem; diversity issues in the showrunner field; two more Hollywood Reporter roundtables; Brian De Palma on why he abhors the Hollywood system; cinematographers have some fresh worries; more turmoil at Sony; Iceland ups their tax incentives and much, much more.

In the VIDEOS section, a cool interview with Orson Welles regarding Citizen Kane, Emilia Clarke and Jay Duplass interview each other and the art of slow motion.

Under TIPS this week, filmmaking (and better sex), screenwriting, acting, sound editing and film editing tricks.

As per usual, it was another busy week on the platform! You can read and see all the happenings under STAGE 32 NEWS, STAGE 32 EDUCATION, STAGE 32 MEETUPS, STAGE 32 SUCCESS STORIES and POPULAR AND INTERESTING LOUNGE DISCUSSIONS.

As always, I welcome remarks and debate about any of the content below in the Comments section.

Have a fun and creative weekend!

Cheers!

RB

 STAGE 32 NEWS

Announcing Stage 32’s Second Annual Short Film Contest -  Today we open up our call for entries for the Second Annual Stage 32 Short Film Contest. Last year's inaugural contest produced entries from Stage 32 members in 41 countries and resulted in a curated program of 6 incredible and well received short films (made by filmmakers from 4 countries). The Stage 32 Short Film Program screened theatrically at the 2015 Raindance Film Festival to critical acclaim from Variety and Indiewire. The program also screened to the Stage 32 community and was exposed to over 500 working industry executives who had the opportunity to connect with any of the winning filmmakers. Click here to find the prizes you can win! This year, we're expanding our scope even further by securing 2 more film festivals (so far) to screen our winners films theatrically and by adding Oscar-winning judges!

3 Simple Steps to Effective Networking (Hint: Get Creative!) -  Michelangelo, Shakespeare, Tolkien and Lewis all understood the value of building a strong professional network. Their careers wouldn’t have flourished in the same way if they’d locked themselves away in their offices, never attending parties, never introducing themselves to influential figures of the day, never forming friendships. They understood that nobody works “alone.” Everyone needs a tribe Who’s in your tribe? What are your strongest relationships? Who’s willing to vouch for you and open doors for you? Who inspires you to keep writing even after facing your hundredth rejection? If you’re thinking, “I don’t know! Nobody! My network succccks” {blubber-sob-sob-face-plant} - blow your nose, pull yourself together, get pro-active, and do something about it. Click here to learn these three simple steps!

Unabashed Confession: I heart Richard Botto - I lve Richard Botto – known to most as RB – with all my heart. I really, really do. And my husband would be perfectly fine with me saying this because, well, he loves the man too. For those of you not familiar, RB is the founder and CEO of the world’s leading social network and educational platform for film creatives, Stage 32. A talented writer in his own right, he was featured in People’s 2003 Most Eligible Bachelor issue (for which we all love to tease him every chance we get). And for quite some time now, he’s been solidly in my corner. So if you would indulge me, allow me to tell you exactly why I adore one Richard Botto to no end. And why I think you should too. Click here to read the story!


STAGE 32 EDUCATION

Film Pre-Production Step by Step Guide (June 11) Pre-production is the most important time for filmmakers. How you plan and the crucial decisions you make will determine the success of your production and ultimately, your film. No matter what experience level you are at, pre-production can quickly become an overwhelming process. To make the most of this valuable time to prep you'll want to take it step by step to ensure no loose ends come back to derail your film. In this Stage 32 Next Level Webinar, Rachel Crouch will use her experience from Cold Iron Pictures to help ensure your pre-production process runs smoothly. She will provide an overview of the prep and planning that will need to happen during the pre-production process. Then she will break it down to help you understand how to hire the right crew, put in place your department heads and why communication every step of the way is so vitally important.

Rachel Crouch began her career with a rather unconventional start working a variety of jobs all over Los Angeles. After interning with Miranda Bailey's former company Ambush Entertainment, she landed a job as a producer's assistant at the film financing and production company Cold Iron Pictures. While at Cold Iron, she has worked on such films as the Spirit Award-winning The Diary of a Teenage, this summer's Swiss Army Manstarring Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano, Time out of Mind starring Richard Gere,and Mike Birbiglia's latest Don't Think Twice, as well as produced a series of short YouTube videos in her "off" time. To register for this great event, click here!

Finding Agency Representation as a Foreign Actor in the US  (June 18)  Learn directly from Mark Allan, who currently works in TV Talent development at one of the "Big Six" Hollywood agencies! He'll give you specific insider knowledge of the how to find agency representation if you're a foreign actor. In this Stage 32 Next Level Webinar, you will learn how you can increase your chances of finding an agent as a foreign actor new to the U.S. market. Using his experience working in the talent department at one of the "Big Six" Hollywood agencies, Mark Allan will guide you through what it takes to secure representation if you're hoping to make the jump. First, he'll cover what you should currently be focused on before arriving in the U.S. and building your career. He'll examine why agents prefer talent that is already established elsewhere over new foreign unknown actors and how you can use your old representation to get U.S. agency attention. Mark also plans to give an overview of the visa process, including the challenges of doing it alone, getting a sponsor or hiring an attorney. You will walk away knowing how to approach building your career as a foreign actor seeking to establish yourself in the U.S. marketplace. Click here to register!

Breaking Down IP (Intellectual Property) For Development  (June 22) Ever read something in the paper you wanted to make into a movie? Got a great novel you absolutely love and think you should make it into a film? Well, before you do you'll want to make sure you can legally pursue this path. There are many aspects to securing the rights to an intellectual property but they don't have to stop you! In this jam-packed Stage 32 Next Level webinar, Breaking Down IP (Intellectual Property) For Development, Jordan Barel (Development, for Producer/Actor Paul Scheer and Abominable Pictures) will provide you a thorough examination of the legal aspects of trying to find and build your story. He walks through the hurdles, pitfalls, and aggravations you can avoid if you look for stories the proper (read: legal) way. In addition, we'll look at great ways to keep those stories safely in your hands and how you can make the next Robin Hood! You'll walk away from this webinar with the knowledge of how to approach stories you find interesting without getting yourself in a legal bind. You'll find out what you need to know to be able to protect your work and focus on the creative development of your projects. Click here to register!


HAPPY WRITERS PITCH SESSIONS

Saturday 6/11 - Principato-Young Entertainment Sam Shaw, Assistant to Manager. Specializes in drama, rom-com, thriller and biopic (features & TV).

Sunday 6/12 - Ramo Law PC Casara Clark, Executive. Specializes in dark comedy and true stories (feature & TV).

Sunday 6/12 - OddLot Entertainment Aldo Chang, Story Editor. Specializes in action/adventure, thriller, horror and sci-fi features.

Wednesday 6/15 - Metric Talent & LIterary Management Christopher Petryk, Specializes in drama, mystery and biopic features & TV.in drama, mystery and biopic features & TV.

2nd Annual Feature Screenplay Contest

By immense popular demand, we are thrilled to bring you The 2nd Annual Stage 32 Happy Writers Feature Script Contest. We are looking to find the top undiscovered writers and the best feature scripts of 2016. As a result of our history with industry insiders and our global reach, we are able to connect the top writers from around the world to leading executives who can make a difference in their career. We develop and champion the best new writers in Hollywood, and executives across the industry love discovering talent from Stage 32 - click here to see what they say about us. Also, our success stories speak for themselves. To read about this contest and register before the June 15th Deadline Click here!


 STAGE 32 SUCCESS STORIES


 POPULAR AND INTERESTING LOUNGE DISCUSSIONS


STAGE 32 PLANNED AND PROPOSED MEETUPS


INDUSTRY AND ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Is the Sky Falling for Independents? Film Execs Say Not Yet

Why Fear Streaming Giants? Indie Execs Sing Praises of Amazon, Netflix

Al Pacino, Anthony Hopkins Movie Has 16 Executive Producers, Cost $11 Mil, Made $0

Hollywood’s New Problem: Sequels Moviegoers Don’t Want

Why Hollywood’s Adaptations Fail: Beyond ‘Warcraft’

Showrunners for New TV Season Remain Mostly White and Male

The Hollywood Reporter’s Drama Showrunner Roundtable

The Hollywood Reporter’s Drama Actor Roundtable

Brian De Palma: Why He’ll Never Work in Hollywood Or on Television Again

Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro Warns of "Major Problem" in the Field

Cinematographers Worry That New Tools Will Allow Others to Alter Their Images

Virtual Reality Stitching Can Cost $10,000 Per Finished Minute

Sony’s Cycle of Constant Crisis: Exec Exits Only the Latest in Continuing Turmoil

Doug Belgrad Stepping Down As Sony Motion Picture President

L.A. Screenings: Foreign Buyers Say What Worked, What Didn’t

Iceland Boosts Tax Break to 25% 


VIDEOS

Citizen Kane Interview: Watch Orson Welles Discuss the Classic Film on BBC in 1960

Actors on Actors: Emilia Clarke and Jay Duplass

The Art of Slow Motion 


TIPS

Top Women Cinematographers Reveal 7 Best Tips for Career Success

Directing a Love Scene: How to Have Better Sex (in Your Film)

Acting: How to Rebuild Your Career After a Hiatus

5 Pro Tips to Immediately Improve Your Film’s Audio

10 Tips for Editing Video in a Thoughtful, Compelling Way


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

 

RB's Interview on Rolling Tape Podcast!
Making Sound Decisions
 
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