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Coffee & Content: Ensembles & Dinner Scenes

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! I hope those celebrating Thanksgiving had a nice long weekend of feasts, football, and parades, and I hope everyone all around the world had a nice relaxing weekend. I've got holiday gatherings on my mind, my coffee in hand, and your weekly dose of content coming in hot - grab your coffee of choice, and let's dive right in. From Thanksgiving through Christmas and the New Year, this time of year is all about gathering. And who doesn't love a great ensemble f…

How Independent Filmmakers Build & Manage Their Relationships

I started to work in the independent film business in 2007. I have since, as an employee, consultant, representative, and executive producer worked for and with global service providers, production companies, individual filmmakers, sales agents, and others in this industry. And although knowledge, expertise, and affinity with the industry are certainly and undeniably important elements as well, I have learned that nothing has been of more importance to my career than building and managin…

How to Win Over an Executive with Your Pitch

So, you’ve written your pilot script and pitch deck and have gotten your submission email in the best shape you can. The next step: Sending it to an Acquisitions Executive. But who is this person, and why is it worth spending some time to consider who they are? Some will tell you that an Acquisitions Executive is a person who relishes every opportunity to say “no,” but happily, this is not the case. These executives are always hunting for the next script/deck/pitch to …

Coffee & Content: Building Your Story with Production Design

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! First, 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 around 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. As you're networking with the Stage 32 community, you'll meet people from…

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Announcing the 2nd Annual Action/Thriller Screenwriting Contest

Is there anything more exciting than an Action/Thriller film? Action movies are the new blockbusters, so if you've dreamed of seeing your film in the theater this is the genre for you. Television has never been more action oriented as well - if your script has a superhero, you're on the right track! Don't miss this opportunity to see your story on the big screen. Stage 32 offers access to some of the biggest names in the industry, including executives from Alta Global Media, Aaron Sims …

Coffee & Content: Storytelling Through Costume Design

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. When you're creating your film or television series, costume design is crucial to your story. It helps the audience understand the character, adds to the world, contributes to the tone, and can even elevate the plot. It doesn't just exist in period films but even in some of the biggest contemporary-set releases, such as DO REVENGE,…

Release Your Writing Blocks With "The Artist's Way"

As we head into the last two months of the year, you might feel the pressure of trying to complete those 2022 goals before the year runs out. Sometimes the pressure is good: in fact, I’d argue that this is at least part of the reason why NaNoWriMo and Stage 32's November Write Club are such popular challenges. It’s not unlike signing up for a 5K race to give yourself a deadline for starting those healthy habits you’ve committed to building. But sometimes, the pressure o…

Gender Equality in Animation

We had two buildings when I started working at Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1999. There was the Northside building up near the Burbank Airport and the Southside building across the street from the lot off the 134 Freeway. It's commonly referred to as the "Hat Building" because of the giant iconic wizard's hat from The Sorcerer's Apprentice on the west end. The original Disney Animation building still stands in the middle of the Disney lot, but now it's mainly production offices. It h…

What I Learned Making My First Feature Film on a Micro-Budget

Some folks say making a movie is like a marmite; you either love it or hate it. The desire to get into filmmaking started a long time before I made my first short docu-drama HUSH in 2003, which got screened at Cannes Film Festival and picked up an award at the UK's BFM International Film Festival. As a child, I was a lover of films and stayed up till the early morning hours, staring at my dad's action movies, watching the works of Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, and Clint Eastwood on the VHS pl…

Selling Out: How to Think About the Creative Conundrum

“Sellout!” It may only be seven letters, but the criticism is arguably the worst a creative can receive. The fear of becoming one has haunted artists for some time. Defined as “a person who compromises his or her personal values, integrity, talent, or the like, for money or personal advancement,” some argue that it even plagued Shakespeare. What’s interesting is that it’s an egregious insult lobbed at the creative industries disproportionately more …

Stage 32 Official Education Partners of World of Film International Festival

I'm thrilled to announce today the World of Film International Festival in Glasgow, Scotland, has teamed up with Stage 32 as the Official Education Partner. The festival has just begun and goes through November 6th, featuring projects from all over the world. The creators featured in this festival truly embody the collaborative and global ideals that we live by here at Stage 32. Nowhere can you see this better than with NYC-based filmmaker, writer, and producer Stefano D…

9 Directing Tips From Professional Directors

Hey Stage 32ers! We have a fantastic industry creative here, Ryan Little, to share with you just a few of the tips he wishes he'd known when he was first starting out as a director.  As always, we want to make sure that our ever-growing Stage 32 community has access to as many valuable resources as possible through the blog, and that's just what Ryan has brought us today! Ryan Little is a director, producer, and cinematographer with over 20 years of experience in the industry. Hi…

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