Filmmaking / Directing

Thank you so much, Ashley Renee Smith— I really appreciate the encouragement! This whole challenge has been such a powerful motivator. I’m officially jumping into Blood Magic: Part 2 this week — building out the next phase of my Afro–U.K.–Caribbean fantasy saga.

Excited to see what everyone creates for Week 2 — this space is full of fire right now!

Quick update — I just wrapped up my third IP bible of the month: Blood Magic: Part 2.

Building this Afro–U.K.–Caribbean fantasy world has been intense but incredibly rewarding. I’ve also wrapped more than enough action choreography, and I’m currently at 18 original creatures — with more coming before the end of the month.

Originally I set out to do four… but since the momentum's flowing, I’m amping it up to six IP bibles now. Let’s ride this wave all the way through July.

Here’s a look at the cover art for Blood Magic: Part 2 — the tone is set, and the Bloodlands are calling.

Appreciate all the energy and support in this space — it’s kept me locked in.

Congratulations on wrapping up your third IP bible of the month, Dwayne Williams! And congratulations on wrapping more than enough action choreography and getting to 18 original creatures!

Thanks so much Maurice Vaughan and honestly, I’m really grateful to you for showing me Canva and how to create pitch decks in the first place. If it wasn’t for that early guidance, I wouldn’t have been able to build out these projects the way I have. Appreciate you big time for that — it made a huge difference!

You're welcome, Dwayne Williams. Glad the guidance helped!

Hey, Imola Orbán. Stage 32 has Filmmaking Education and Blogs.

Filmmaking Education: www.stage32.com/education/search?term=Filmmaking

Filmmaking Blogs: www.stage32.com/blog/tags/filmmaking-19

I have actually taken extension classes and participated in internships and fellowships as well as screenwriting clubs (social groups). That's aside from reading, videos, and watching films.

Thank you Sandra Isabel Correia. I wish you luck on your short also. I know nothing about VIMEO, might not be a bad idea to tell us how you plan to use it for marketing and distribution? Curious.

I will Curt Samlaska. Just let me gather more experience and I’ll share it!

Curt Samlaska getting distribution for a short is sort of a tricky thing since there really isn't any money in it. Depending on the genre, there are some online distributors but they don't usually share in the profits since the platforms that show shorts pay so little so it's more for your exposure than anything. Not saying you can't get a short distributed, I know a filmmaker who has a short playing on planes which is great. Vimeo, YouTube are good for shorts but if it's on your own channel you'll have to do all the marketing. Not sure if that helps or not.

Wow, congratulations! :)

Thanks Christopher Wells for your experience. I know that you can also possibly put them on like Amazon, I think they have a shorts section where you get a little something. I think the YouTube link is probably the most likely, hoping it goes viral and then get some revenue from that. We shall see. I really mainly wrote, produce, directed this short with getting attention in mind. My real goal is to get my feature film Jingle Bell Rock done. That's my objective. I'm hoping by receiving some significant attention from my short that a good producer will ask me what else I have in the hopper. It's all a crap shoot, I know. I really want that feature done. I don't care if I make a dime off of it. I just want that story out there about these kids with epidermolysis bullosa... The film is dedicated to the memory of Jonathan Pitre.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuYxGtuBSgk&t=15s

Randall Scott White would love to see your AI trailers

This is such a valuable update, and I appreciate the clear breakdown of where the real opportunity is emerging, Geoffroy Faugerolas. That sub-$5M space is where innovation, community, and creative control can truly thrive, and for filmmakers who know how to build an audience and a brand around their work, it’s an exciting lane to be in.

Fascinating! I just pitched a sub-$5mil piece that I wrote specifically for the indie market in the hopes that it could one day live with a distributor like A24 or Apple who champion socially urgent pieces. Glad to hear I'm in the ballpark!

The cinematic landscape is changing. Hollywood is looking for fresh ideas and new story structures. The cookie cutter movie days are irrelevant and unrelatable. Consumers want to be able to invest in an interpersonal relationship with the characters in the story. Character studies, unique film structures and risky concepts are the future of Hollywood storytelling. A24, NEON... etc. are thriving from stories like I mentioned.

Wow ! this is such a great insight—especially for some of us who grew up thinking the only way to get a script out there was to sell it to a traditional buyer and pray for the best. Sometimes it works... sometimes it just gathers dust next to your dreams.

That said, I’d really appreciate some clarification on what it actually means to produce a film outside the studio system. How does that process typically work, and what are the key differences in terms of structure, funding, and distribution?

You're right, John D. Stanfield. And great advice ("A way to do this is considering working with someone with experience in international co-production"). Audiences in different countries are attracted to different things, so I think it's smart to cater promo to specific audiences, which I'm guessing the producer, someone on the team, the distributor, or the international co-production company would handle.

Maurice Vaughan - I have thought about teaming up with creative to create however I haven't considered making an anthology feature. Honestly my first time seeing the word, did a quick google search to grasp the concept. Please feel free to point me in the right direction to do additional research. I'd like to learn more and see if this is something I would be interested in bringing to life. What Anthology would you recommend me check out for reference?

I wrote an anthology script and had a short story published in an anthology book, Cyrus Sales, but I don't have experience with making anthology movies. If I find any anthology resources, I'll send them to you.

I've mainly watched live-action Horror anthology movies, like Trick 'r Treat. I don't think I've seen any animated anthology movies.

Here's a list of animated anthology films: www.imdb.com/search/title/?keywords=animated-anthology

And here's a list of live-action anthology movies: www.imdb.com/list/ls097356696

Cyrus Sales, this post is a perfect blend of truth and humor, what a fantastic snapshot of filmmaking in Dallas. Your honesty about the competitive spirit there really resonates, and you’re so right: every creative industry demands that level of commitment and persistence. But it’s also refreshing to hear how strong and supportive the Dallas film community is. That kind of ecosystem can make all the difference, especially when paired with the cultural richness you described.

Cyrus Sales , that’s so cool. Living in a area where you breathe filmmaking industry everywhere, and easy access to others filmmakers, makes the journey exciting. Here in Lisbon, Portugal, our community is big in soap operas and not filmmaking. We are a small community and that’s why I am always looking to be global. Thank you for sharing Dallas vibe.

I just came from Houston Cyrus Sales and I think they share the same traffic issues. On the flip side, I absolutely love the people of Texas. I've lived in quite a few states and have not seen the hospitality and sense of community in Texas be beat. Do what you do, friend. No matter how saturated the market may be, there's no one else like you.

Congratulations, Derek! Hope you continue having success!

Wow...nice going Derek! Congratulations!