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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 …

Announcing the 2nd Annual Period Piece Screenwriting Contest

Hey, Stage 32 Community! The ONLY Period Piece Screenplay Contest in the World is Back! Ever dreamt of seeing your period piece script come to life on the big screen or streaming on flat-screens in living rooms across the country? This is your chance to turn that dream into reality! Our Grand Prize Winner will get a Career Accelerator prize package valued at $5,000 that includes script & career development, writer branding and an education package and will be flown to LA to meet in…

Coffee & Content: Traits You Need To Succeed In The Entertainment Business

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 this Film Courage interview, Carole Kirschner shares 5 traits that you need to succeed in the entertainment business. Carole spent fifteen years as a television development executive, former Vice President of Television for Steven Spielberg's first Amblin Entertainment, and a Comedy De…

6 Things To Know About Script Legal Research

So, you have sold your screenplay, and you have earned the right to do the first, second, and possibly third rewrite. You have received notes from producers, and directors and have revised the screenplay. The rewritten script has survived the task and has been green-lit into the pre-production stage! The information I will give you is an overview of a required process, not known by many writers. Below are 6 things you should know about script legal research. 1. What Are Script Legal …

St. Pete-Clearwater Film Commission Partners with Stage 32!

Hi, Stage 32! I’m so excited to be part of this special community! I’m also excited to announce that the St. Pete-Clearwater Film Commission and Stage 32 are collaborating to bring Certification opportunities to creative professionals in Pinellas County, Florida. Through this collaboration, we’re helping residents get the education needed to pursue their goals in the production industry at a professional level. What is the St. Pete-Clearwater Film Commission? The St.…

Stage 32 Founder & CEO Richard "RB" Botto Featured in Grey Journal: Highlights From AFM 2024!

Happy Tuesday, Creative Army! As many of you know, I recently attended the 45th American Film Market (“AFM”)! This year was special for many reasons, it was Stage 32’s 10th year as an official education partner of AFM, my 11th year speaking as an expert panelist on the AFM main stage, and the 1st year that this prestigious market was held in Las Vegas, Nevada! Yet it was the overwhelming positivity that I felt from the professionals and attendees around me that stood …

Own The Future: Why I Believe Screenwriters Should Embrace AI

To say the movie industry is in a transitional stage would be an understatement. Studios are still behind their pre-strike production output. Despite the outcome of the strikes, AI is still seen as an existential threat to professional screenwriters and the screenwriting community at large. The trend of studios staking all their output on tentpole franchises hasn’t seemed to lose momentum inside Hollywood studios, despite the fact that audiences speaking with their wallets want to …

Coffee & Content: In Praise of Great Exposition & Pitching Experiences

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 this video essay by Thomas Flight, he’s breaking down the elements that make for great exposition in your dialogue. Exposition in film and TV has a mostly bad reputation, but it’s really just another tool in the writer's toolbox. This video examines examples of exposition, …

6 Steps To A Successful Writing Partnership

I have been writing and publishing stories for more than 10 years, first as a novelist. I always wrote in a silo, never sharing my work until I had reworked it countless times. Heaven forbid someone sees my terrible first draft! After publishing two novels this way, I opened myself up to a trusted friend as my next story was more complexly layered. It all made sense in my head, but would my reader get the connections? By bouncing around ideas and sharing my drafts with this friend, I fix…

Red Carpet Roll-Out: December 2024's New Executives & Education at Stage 32!

Happy Friday, Stage 32 Community! Our Stage 32 Team has been working diligently to bring in new educational and mentoring resources and opportunities to this fantastic community! This December, you'll have the chance to learn from knowledgeable industry executives, film commissioners, financiers, award-winning writers, producers, directors, cinematographers, authors, actors, and representatives. Impressive creative professionals who have worked on or represented such projects as THE …

Say, “Thank you”: Why Gratitude is Your Superpower

This Thanksgiving, my invitation is to pause and consider the role gratitude plays in your writer’s journey. Gratitude is not just a feel-good emotion; it is the way, the path to navigating challenges, strengthening your resilience, and fueling your process. Think of gratitude as your superpower. Find Strength in the Challenges You Have Overcome Think about the struggles you have faced and conquered in your creative life—the dragons you have slain, all the times you broke …

November Write Club Week #4: Congratulations, You Got Through the Door! How Are You Keeping it Open?

As a producer and executive in the entertainment industry for over 20 years, I’ve seen countless submissions and been in hundreds of pitch meetings - on both sides of the table. While the landscape is constantly changing, one thing remains clear - preparation is everything. Whether you’re submitting a script, pitching a new series, or meeting a potential collaborator, your level of preparedness can make all the difference in securing a deal or moving your project forward. E…

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