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Make Your Film No Matter What

In the wild jungle that is the film industry, this is the motto that I try to live by: Make your film no matter what.  Two years ago, in 2020, I finished and released my first film, a 20-minute-long romantic comedy titled Titus & Mirabella. Great timing, I know. And I mean this both in a sarcastic and a not sarcastic way. It was great timing because my film was dealing with the topic of germophobia, so I think it resonated with a lot of people, given the fact that we …

Coffee & Content: Cinematography of BETTER CALL SAUL & Fundraising Resources For Content Creators

Happy Sunday Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? I have some content here for you that is sure to get the creative juices flowing, so grab your coffee, and let's dive in. First up, the folks over at StudioBinder share a fascinating look inside the cinematography of Better Call Saul. The critically acclaimed spin-off of Breaking Bad recently wrapped its final episode after six fantastic seasons. Specifically, this video looks at how the series' visuals match…

What I Learned Making My First Feature Film (for Under $10k)

With no filmmaking experience and lot of extra time on my hands, thanks to COVID, I decided to make my first feature film. For the second time. Quick back story. My first attempt at making a movie was in 2017. A friend of mine, who also plays a role in this movie, asked me to take a look at his short film. After watching he said he wanted me to help make it “better”. I gave it some thought and decided I would do it under one condition. It needed to be a feature. We made it …

Reinventing The Cinema Screen

The notion of a “New Cinema” is a notion based on re-defining the traditional cinema screen. Before we can talk about it, we will need to review and look at the traditional cinema screen to see how it’s being re-defined. In writing this piece for the Stage 32 community, my intention was that the result would be a debate where the creative community and business side ask if this re-defined screen makes possible A New Cinema or if this re-defined screen merely makes pos…

Coffee & Content: Cinematography of STRANGER THINGS & How to Write Better Dialogue

Happy Sunday Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? I have some content here for you that is sure to get the creative juices flowing, so grab your coffee and let's dive in. First up, the folks over at StudioBinder share a fascinating look inside the cinematography of Stranger Things. Specifically, this video looks at how the series primary director of photography, Tim Ives, used color, lighting, lenses, and aspect ratios to create the iconic 80's-style cinematic look of…

The 10 Pillars Of A High Achiever

Through 14 years of working in the entertainment industry, I’ve learned that there will be many ups and downs in a dream pursuit. There will be obstacles, and good days, and opportunities, and rejections. The High Achiever (a.k.a. you!), needs a game plan through it all. The High Achiever needs to handle all of these moments intentionally and carefully, in a way that effectively keeps them on the path to success. That’s why I developed the 10 Pillars of the High Achiever. Her…

Worldwide Premiere of the 7th Annual Stage 32 Short Film Program at The Hollyshorts Film Festival

Happy Tuesday Stage 32-ers! Over the past 10 years, we here at Stage 32 have been thrilled to be recognized throughout the industry as the leaders in online film craft and business education. We are honored to be partnered with some of the most prestigious film festivals and markets in the world including the American Film Market, Cannes Film Festival and the Marché du film, and Raindance Film Festival in London, to name a few. Now, for the 7th year in a row, we are thrilled to …

Coffee & Content: How Taika Waititi Shoots Films at 3 Budget Levels & Zendaya + Andrew Garfield Actors on Actors

Happy Sunday Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? I have some content here for you that is sure to get the creative juices flowing, so grab your coffee and let's dive in. First up, In Depth Cine shares a deep dive into how writer/director Taika Waititi shoots films at 3 very different budget levels. Specifically, they break down the budgets and aesthetics of Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2.5 Million), JoJo Rabbit (14 Million), and Thor: Ragnarok (180 Million). Next up, …

Coffee & Content: Ultimate Guide to Film Composition & How Christopher Nolan Mastered Low Budget Filmmaking

Happy Sunday Creative Army! I've got my coffee in hand and your weekly dose of content coming in hot - grab your coffee of choice and let's dive right in. First up, the folks over at StudioBinder have put together a fascinating video all about film composition. Specifically, they break down how you can use framing & composition to tell a story, create depth, and articulate meaning. You will see examples from JoJo Rabbit, Last Night in Soho, Harry Potter, Trainspotting, and many mor…

How to Present Yourself Online to Book Jobs in the Entertainment Industry

It actually makes more sense in the 21st century to be using the old expression, “Watching the phone.” In this day and age of smartphones we actually can see when a call is coming in. It makes you wonder what people were hoping to see when they’d stare at the phone on the wall or the unit that sat on the desk back in the day. But if you find yourself nodding off because your Android or iPhone is neither ringing nor having texts come in, it very likely could be due to t…

Coffee & Content: 5 Creative Filmmaking Techniques & BRIDGERTON Costume Design

Happy Sunday Creative Army! First of all, congratulations to all of you who have already participated in our monthly Introduce Yourself Weekend! Thousands of connections have been made between entertainment creatives and professionals from every corner of the globe. Whether you are a long-time member, or brand new to Stage 32, take a moment to pop over to the Introduce Yourself Lounge and say hello before the end of the weekend. First up, Film Riot shares an interesting video featuring…

Coffee & Content: On the Set of STRANGER THINGS & Breaking Down INTERSTELLAR's Editing

Happy Sunday Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? I have some content here for you that is sure to get the creative juices flowing, so grab your coffee and let's dive in. First up, the Stranger Things official YouTube channel recently released an awesome behind the scenes look at season four of Netflix's Stranger Things. This videos follows cast members Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, and more around on a "day in the life" look at a typical day on …

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