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Stunt Performing: The Art of Falling

Being pushed and shoved. Getting punched and kicked. Just another day in the office. Being hit by a car. Getting blown up. Just another day in the office. Yes, I am talking about the, for many years, overlooked unsung heroes of the entertainment industry: Stunt actors. I have been privileged to have been part of that unique group of people. Some call us daredevils. Others call us adrenalin junkies. Still, others refer to us as fools. We are none of these. We are actors, and the risks …

Embrace Your Desire to Be the Best: The Art of Pursuing Excellence

We all have that inner spark; the yearning to be the best at what we do, whether it’s in the creative world, business, or any other field. It’s a driving force that pushes us to exceed our limits and transform dreams into reality. But while the desire for greatness is often seen as a source of inspiration, it can also feel like a heavy burden. So, how do we embrace this desire without allowing it to overwhelm us? The Power of Aspiration At the heart of every great accomplis…

Collaboration vs. Exploitation: A Filmmaker’s Decade of Lessons

I’ve been a filmmaker for nearly a decade, a journey filled with highs, lows, and everything in between. Along the way, I’ve experienced the thrill of true collaboration and the sting of exploitation. A recent incident brought these dynamics back into sharp focus, reminding me how my perspective on them has evolved over time. If you’ve worked in a creative field like filmmaking, you’ve likely brushed up against both: the rare magic of a creative partnership and th…

Confessions of a Script Doctor

Good day to you, Stage 32! Many of you know me as a regular blogger here, but I’m also a development executive with more than twenty years of experience and a screenwriter with more than 70 screenplays under my tires. More than half of these screenplays were written under other writers’ names, working under the most explicit conditions of secrecy and anonymity. Yes, dear reader, I am a script doctor. Presumably because of the secrecy and compromise involved, I get the impre…

Coffee & Content: The Power of Persistence & Facing Rejection Head-On

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, we are exploring The Brutalist, the latest ambitious project from filmmaker Brady Corbet. This deep dive from Frame Voyager dissects the film’s creative journey, from production delays and budget challenges to its groundbreaking use of VistaVision, a format rarely used in modern cin…

Follow The Yellow Brick Road To Your Goals!

It was a sunny Sunday morning, May 9th, 1970. I just sat down for breakfast at a quaint little restaurant in Hollywood. I was going to the MGM auction for a second day. The day before I had snagged a cool prize and it only cost me $20.00. I loved looking for movie props and memorabilia from the golden age of film. My budget was $100.00, so as you may have guessed, you can’t buy much with that. Still, you must remember it was 1970 and one hundred bucks was like a thousand back then.…

Red Carpet Roll-Out: March 2025's New Executives & Education at Stage 32!

Happy Friday, Stage 32 Community! At Stage 32, we are dedicated to helping creatives like you take your career to the next level. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your skills, connect with industry professionals, or develop your next project, we’ve got exciting new education and executive mentorship opportunities designed just for you! This month, we’re rolling out cutting-edge courses and interactive labs led by Emmy-winning producers, top literary managers, and wor…

Redefine Love in Your Creative Process: 5 Key Tips

February often highlights love, although it is not always a simple story. Love can be a grand adventure or a lesson in letting go. It is not just something given or received; it is something created. Whether through the connections we build, the stories we tell, or the art we bring to life, love takes many forms. This month I am sharing five ways to see love through a different lens. Love Beyond the Obvious "The greatest thing you will ever learn is just to love and be loved in return…

Ditch “The Cat” and Double the Stakes: How “Clone Characters” Can Elevate Your Screenwriting

“That’s me in ten years if something doesn’t change.” These words aren’t spoken aloud, but written into John’s features when he finally meets his idol, Chazz, a robe-wearing, Hefner-like man-child still living with his mom (“Ma! The meatloaf!”). In Wedding Crashers, Chazz (Will Ferrell) serves as a clone character: a cautionary example of who John (Owen Wilson) could become if he stays on his current trajectory. According to writer/direc…

Stage 32 Certification: Ladders Are Meant To Be Climbed

Hi, Everybody! I’m the Head of Certification here at Stage 32. Stage 32’s Certification program is the brainchild of our CEO, Rich “RB” Botto, and I’ve had the privilege of working with RB, our Managing Director Amanda Toney, and the truly amazing Stage 32 Education team to help bring this program to life. Like so many endeavors, creative and otherwise, what started as an idea led to meetings and then designs and then execution and then to launch. Now,…

Coffee & Content: Reinvention & Relationships - The Keys to Longevity in Hollywood

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. For years, Matthew McConaughey was the ultimate rom-com star. If you needed a leading man with charm, a mischievous grin, and an easygoing Southern drawl, he was your guy. But then, something changed. In this video essay from FilmStack, they’re exploring McConaughey’s professional reinv…

Watch Who You Call Ugly: The Power of Building in Public

Too many creators spend years perfecting their work in silence, only to release it and wonder why no one is paying attention. The problem isn’t the quality of the work, it’s that people weren’t invited into the process. They never had a reason to care before it existed. That’s why I created the motto, “Watch Who You Call Ugly” or "WWYCU". It’s more than just a phrase; it’s a philosophy about transformation, perspective,…

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