Welcome to the Stage 32 Blog. Browse the archive, browse by tags, or search to get started...
There are now 4027 blog posts for you to enjoy. Search them all by tags below.
Acting, Advice, Cinematography, Coffee & Content, Composing, Contests, Distribution, Featured, Filmmaking, Financing, Inspirational, Networking, Producing, Screenwriting, Success Stories, Tips, Trending,
A conundrum is plaguing Hollywood: to get buyers or financiers interested, you need A-list talent or a director attached, ideally underlying IP, and a production company already involved. Most agents and managers don't have the bandwidth to package for their clients, and producers are chasing projects that are further along. In this marketplace, it can seem impossible to "break in." But here's the silver lining: these challenging conditions are forcing writers and filmmakers to become e…
Happy Monday, Stage 32 Community! We're coming into the home stretch of 2025, and I want to talk about something that doesn't get enough attention: what happens after the momentum stops. November Write Club has been incredible. Hundreds of writers showed up every day, engaging in the lounges, commenting on blogs, supporting each other, pushing toward their goals. The energy has been real, the progress has been tangible, and the wins have been stacking up. But here's what I always see …
Just last week, I predicted that A-listers would start gravitating toward genre projects, taking smaller pay cuts for bigger backend deals, as Ethan Hawke did with SINISTER back in the day. Today, Scarlett Johansson was announced to star in the new EXORCIST remake. As studios become more risk-averse, it makes perfect sense: combine the most popular genres at the box office with household names and proven franchises to hedge your bets. A-list talent lending credibility to commercially s…
Recent A-list-driven movies are bombing at the box office and the trades are now writing Hollywood obituaries. But movies like SINNERS and WEAPONS that ‘saved the summer box office’ built their marketing strategy around recognizable talent. So did WICKED. And the sequel is projected to reach monster numbers. So is star power dead? Or is it just evolving? The problem isn't A-listers. It's $200M prestige dramas that nobody asked for. Here, I said it. I believe next we'll see a…
I spent this week talking to two financiers and two buyers, and the landscape has shifted. The new sweet spot for horror and thrillers is $10-15M…a significant jump from where we were just 18 months ago. Action films are climbing even higher into the $30-50M range. Even companies that built their reputation on sub $5m dramas are now chasing bigger, more theatrical projects. This is why I'm hearing more and more that projects are too small. That's creating a massive gap in the ind…
After spending 10+ years at Coverfly, Imagine Entertainment, ICM Partners, Paramount, and now that I’m heading Stage 32’s Development of Services. I've seen thousands of creative partnerships: the ones that lead to produced projects, and the ones that fall apart before they even start. One of my key roles for the past seven years has been matchmaking: connecting writers with the right producers, directors with the right material, and creatives with the collaborators who will …
In today’s market, one thing has become crystal clear: your logline is everything. It’s your first impression, your calling card, and often your only shot at capturing an executive’s attention in a crowded marketplace. We’re seeing more and more that executives are sparking to high-concept ideas rather than slice-of-life projects. Why? It’s “easier” to market. A clear, compelling concept that can be explained in one sentence is what gets scripts…
The team and I just returned from the Austin Film Festival, and I can't underestimate the power of putting yourself out there. After talking with hundreds of writers, filmmakers, and producers over the past few days, it's clear that creatives are increasingly thinking globally. Multiple filmmakers approached us to share how they're shooting internationally, partnering with global production companies, and leveraging local tax incentives to push their projects forward. New production hub…
The industry is changing fast. We're not just keeping up—we're leading the way. So are our partners. I'm thrilled to announce we just launched our Film + TV Comedy Screenwriting Contest in partnership with Pathfinder Media and director Todd Biermann (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, High Potential)—featured in Deadline this week! This partnership highlights a shifting trend in the industry: good IP can be found anywhere, and agencies no longer have exclusive control over …
If you've been away from The Writers' Room for a while or this is your first time hearing about Stage 32’s exclusive membership—buckle up. Because in the past few months, we didn't just improve The Writers' Room. We opened up a new world of possibilities. Here's everything that's changed, everything that's happened, and why thousands of screenwriters are joining the new Writers' Room. The Numbers Don't Lie: Real Results for Real Writers Let's start with the facts. Since w…
I had lunch with a producer on Friday who's worked on major sci-fi franchises for studios like WB and Netflix. Their big takeaway? Whoever has the audience has the leverage. Theaters used to have it. Netflix has it now. But YouTube? YouTube has more leverage than anyone. Here's the shift: it's not enough to own content anymore. You have to own the distribution or the channel. More and more production companies are financing, producing, and distributing their own content to reach audien…
Between AI actors seeking representation and new movie tariffs dominating the headlines, it's been an eventful weekend in Hollywood. But amid industry upheaval, some fundamentals remain unchanged: packages with recognizable names are still in demand. While business models evolve and distribution channels shift, executives still greenlight projects by attaching talent that audiences recognize. Whether it's a name director, an A-list actor, or an established producer, the right attachment…