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Coffee & Content: How Do You Overcome Negativity?
Say, “Thank you”: Why Gratitude is Your Superpower
Embracing Unexpected Opportunities In Your Career
Why Write About Your Experiences Through Fantastical Lenses?
Coffee & Content: Reframing Rejection as Part of the Journey
6 Steps To A Successful Writing Partnership
November Write Club Week #4: Congratulations, You Got Through the Door! How Are You Keeping it Open?
Stage 32 Certification at Focus London 2024!
5 Tips For Writing Your Life Story
Coffee & Content: Traits You Need To Succeed In The Entertainment Business
7 Lessons I Learned From Film Festival Rejections
For many filmmakers, the film festival acceptance is one of their biggest dreams realized – even now as more people share and stream content from their homes than ever before, the allure of the festival hasn’t dampened. Not for me at least, and I imagine many of you too. The feeling of going up to the theatre, seeing your name and your film in the program, and most of all – seeing your work play in front of a real live audience. Not to mention networking with your fello…
The Rise & Struggle of Independent Filmmakers: Sustaining Creativity in a Studio-Dominated World
In an industry dominated by blockbuster franchises, it’s easy to forget that nearly 94% of films are produced independently. These films bring raw creativity to the screen—unfiltered, diverse, and often deeply personal. Behind every independent film, there’s a story not just of artistic ambition but of resilience, resourcefulness, and sometimes sheer survival. This article explores why so many filmmakers choose the independent path, how they sustain themselves amidst ch…
![The [Ultimate] 5-Step Sound Guide for Great Sound on Set](/sites/stage32.com/files/cake/6761d7f802e6e.jpg?abc)
The [Ultimate] 5-Step Sound Guide for Great Sound on Set
During my filmmaking career, I've run the gambit on all different sides of production. Back in Baltimore, I worked with skeleton crews writing, directing, and doing sound on my own productions. Since moving to Los Angeles I've found a lot of work on set sound mixing, and I wanted to give some easy, actionable steps that can help all filmmakers, at every budget level, get the best sound possible. My sound kit from “Sexy Dex.” 1) Knowing The Tools Most sound mixers start wit…
Time To Breakout Of Creative Blocks
Writer's block, the worst enemy of my creative mind, has been the talk of much contemplation and study in the realm of writing and psychology. The Breakout Principle, a concept that I use as a shift into mental focus to overcome obstacles, has emerged as a potential antidote to the paralyzing effects of writer's block. This method has served me well. At its center, writer's block is a psychological barrier and is internal, not external. It impedes the creative flow of ideas and words. I…
Embracing Unexpected Opportunities In Your Career
My travels as an author, screenwriter, and feature magazine article writer have allowed me to visit some very exotic places all over the world, and it all started in The Bronx. I attended a Hollywood film school and graduated with honors. I also have a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and I am a Six Sigma Master Black Belt. I guess you could say it was a unique education. But I learned a lot of things that they don’t teach in film school. And I’m still learning. Screenwriti…
Announcing the 10th Annual Short Film Contest
Hey, Stage 32 Community! The most prestigious short film competition on the planet is back! You've made a short film. You've put in your time, effort, blood, sweat, tears, and perhaps even some serious money into your project. Your goal isn't only to get your film seen, but to get it seen around the world and by people who can make a difference in your career. Would being screened by an Oscar qualifying film festival matter? How about having it screened for over 1,000 executives includ…
How Did You Get That Gig?
When I was a tiny baby screenwriter with no experience, no credits, no hope, no foot in any door, and no connections in the industry, I thought that landing a gig where I would be paid to write was almost impossible to achieve. Until, one day, a producer reached out to me and said… “I have two costumes and a barn. Can you write me something?” That sentence led to a series of events that have now culminated in my first TV show being greenlit. Was it magic? No. It wa…
5 Tips For Writing Your Life Story
Oftentimes, the best stories are based on your own truth. Writing a novel based on your own life has been a pathway to success for authors for decades. Readers and publishers can’t seem to get enough of real people’s stories as expressed in a novel. However, while the best autobiographical novels are effortless reads, they require an incredible amount of work to properly structure and get out onto the page. Writing your own story as a novel can seem daunting. Where do you sta…
Stage 32 Certification at Focus London 2024!
Hi, Stage 32ers! After an amazing and truly inspiring experience at Focus London 2024 representing Stage 32 Certification, a long-time vision and dream of our CEO Richard “RB” Botto, that I am so fortunate to help bring to life, I am returning home to continue our work of democratizing the production industry with greater enthusiasm than ever (and it was already through the roof). I was so excited by the Stage 32 panel I hosted on telling authentic, original stories from w…
Why Filmmakers Must Study Birdman: Lessons in Screenwriting, Dark Humor, and Storytelling
A wonderful piece of ART – that’s the only way I can describe Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). But who am I to judge? This movie doesn’t need my validation; it has 193 wins and 484 nominations to its name, including 4 Academy Awards, such as Best Picture and Best Director. Made with a modest budget of $18 million, it grossed over $103 million worldwide, proving that daring, experimental cinema can resonate with audiences and critics alike. But here&rsqu…
Mapping Out a Multi-Season Story Part 2: Where Do You Get Ideas For This Much Story?
In my previous blog post about mapping out a multi-season story, I talked about how to write up your vision for the future of your series in different ways depending on the format of your show. But a lot of writers struggle with finding ideas for a season arc and ask me if there is a process for that idea generation phase of the process. As a literary manager, part of my job was brainstorming with writers to help them craft the best version of their vision. As a producer, I actually have…
Why Write About Your Experiences Through Fantastical Lenses?
Writing about your experiences through fantastical worlds and characters is a way to explore, process, and share your emotions creatively and engagingly. By translating real-life events into storytelling, you can distance yourself from painful memories for therapeutic benefit and revel in the joys of imaginative storytelling. Let’s dive into how you can achieve this and examples of how to make it work. Therapeutic Expression Translating experiences into fantasy allows the safe …
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