Producing

The place for all producers to discuss, share content and offer tips and advice on raising funds, setting a budget, on set strategies and all other topics related to producing a film, television or theater project

Your Stage 32 Success Story Starts Here: Join Our FREE February Community Open House!

Your Stage 32 Success Story Starts Here: Join Our FREE February Community Open House!

Wednesday, February 25th at 12:00 pm PT!

Every success story begins with a first step.

If you’re ready to take yours, join me, Ashley Smith, Head of Community at Stage 32, for our February Community Open House Webcast happening Wednesday, February 25th at 12:00 pm PT!

Free Registration: https://www.stage32.com/education/products/stage-32s-february-2026-community-open-house-webcast

Whether you’re chasing representation, looking for collaborators, or simply ready to stop creating in isolation, the Stage 32 Community Open House is your moment to show up, be seen, and start making real progress.

This free live event isn’t a presentation; it’s a fully interactive session led by you and guided by Ashley Smith, Head of Community at Stage 32. You’ll have the opportunity to share your goals, ask questions, and tell us exactly what resources or support you’re looking for right now in your creative journey.

Ashley will walk you through the most powerful tools and features on Stage 32, including how to build a strong profile that acts as your virtual business card—clearly showcasing your skills, interests, and creative voice. You’ll learn how to participate in the free Stage 32 Lounges in a way that positions you as someone others want to collaborate with, including how to make a compelling post, contribute to ongoing conversations, and stay consistently active in a way that builds visibility and trust.

You’ll also learn how to keep up with the latest industry news, platform updates, and community insights through the Stage 32 Blog, and how to access Stage 32 Education, Certification, and Script Services.

Sydney from our Education Team will also be live to answer questions and help you understand which educational paths may best align with your goals and interests.

This session will close with a live Q&A tailored specifically to your needs—whether you’re a writer, director, producer, actor, editor, or someone who wears multiple hats.

If you can’t attend live, don’t worry, registering ensures you’ll receive the full recording to watch anytime from anywhere!

Wherever you’re starting from, this is your launchpad. Join us and take that first step with intention.


Liked by Sharda Crawford and 2 others

Ashley Smith
When It Gets Hard, What Keeps You Going?

No matter what creative lane you’re in, there are seasons where the work just feels heavy.

Projects stall, funding falls through, rewrites pile up, emails go unanswered, momentum disappears, and confidence wobbles.

That's why it's SO important to talk about how we pick ourselves back up and move forwa...

Expand post

Meriem Bouziani

Hello,

I hope you’re having a great week.

As for me, there are several reasons why I keep going: my love for the story, a sense of responsibility toward its core message, and the belief that it holds so...

Expand comment
Haley Mary

What keeps me going is the same thing that kept me going throughout the pandemic when things shut down. Art means the world to me. I can't imagine doing anything that doesn't involve music, comedy or creating a story.

Liked by Eon C. Rambally and 6 others

James Lagrimas
Stage 32 2-Part Class: How to Approach Equity Investors by Email & Zoom with Lorelle Lynch

When you finally connect with a potential investor for your film, how can you set your pitch up for success? While the road to a yes is never certain, there are proven frameworks that most film financiers use when analyzing projects they choose to finance.

Understanding the metrics that buyers and f...

Expand post

Sydney S

I cannot wait for this class to begin. Learning how to properly approach equity investors can completely change the trajectory of your project. You’ll learn how to reach out with confidence by email a...

Expand comment
Sydney S

Thanks for sharing James :)

Lorelle Lynch

Hi Everyone! Excited to meet and work with everyone in this workshop. Engaging Equity Investors and Financiers does not have to be an uphill battle! Excited to dive in!

Sydney S

Lorelle, we’re so lucky to have you! Excited to have your energy in the workshop - it’s going to be an amazing experience together!

Rich Terdoslavich
Working With Producers and Directors

It starts in the beginning. I get calls/emails/messages/referrals from producers and directors. I am trying to raise funds for this project and I need some concept art/illustrations for not only preproduction, but also for pitch decks, crowdfunding campaigns or part of a presentation to investors or...

Expand post

Karen "Kay" Ross
The Toilet Pitch - the NEW POV Created by Microdramas

Y'all... I won't lie, I started researching "microdramas" over the winter holidays, and they were... not inspiring LOL Sure, there's something for everyone and they are as addicting as TikTok videos or IG reels, but I'm not sure they delivered on the "emotional experience" promise that films and tv...

Expand post

Microdramas in MIP London Focus: Why They Don't Cast Famous People, How Men Are Coming on Board and a Toilet Pitch
Microdramas in MIP London Focus: Why They Don't Cast Famous People, How Men Are Coming on Board and a Toilet Pitch
Executives from GammaTime, which has shows from the creator of 'CSI,' COL Group and Holywater, which has signed creator Dhar Mann, talk ins and outs of vertical shorts.
Sebastian Tudores
It's All About Datum... Data... Metadata

According to research from miralot.com, if you've got a project selected for Berlinale, then 77% of them go on to screen at one of the 25 film festivals mapped in the attached image.

Data has always been important, but the trajectory is exponentially that we will use data for decisions that didn't al...

Expand post

Shadow Dragu-Mihai

Sebastian Tudores It depends what you mean by 'creative' decisions. I don't write "to market" so to speak. However, I do look at historical data and current trends when identifying a market and distri...

Expand comment
Darrell Pennington

I never have even thought to do that, honestly.

Sebastian Tudores

Hey Shadow Dragu-Mihai - "Selection there is a top down process rather than an audience driven process" - that' defines everything else in the analysis, you're so correct to point that out. and I appr...

Expand comment
Jack Binder

Interesting fact thanks for posting. Never for creative, certainly for finance, market placement and alignment, which should always be considered.

Sebastian Tudores

appreciate the distinction Jack Binder - hope you're having a good weekend!

Richard "RB" Botto
Paramount Sweetens Offer For Warner Bros. Discovery

I'll repeat, this thing is far from over. Not even out of the 1st inning.

https://deadline.com/2026/02/paramount-sweetens-offer-warner-bros-discov......

Expand post

Paramount Sweetens Offer For Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount Sweetens Offer For Warner Bros. Discovery
Paramount has enhanced its offer for Warner Bros. Discovry with a $0.25 per share so called "ticking fee" payable to WBD shareholders and other measures.
Richard "RB" Botto

Fantastic summary of the recent news, Joshua Young. Appreciate your contribution to the thread.

And sure, this puts a clock on Paramount. But this line right here - And the political and regulatory dim...

Expand comment
Wes Ambrecht

We're at a point where almost no one on the WBD board believes in the Paramount offer but there's also a genuine fear that the Netflix proposal will be blocked by the government. Members of the Justic...

Expand comment
Jack Binder

They're competing for a reason, the film and television industry is poised for exceptional growth and demand.

Thunder Levin

Either of the proposed mergers would be a disaster for the entertainment industry and for the audience. Netflix would be bad, but Paramount would be even worse. This is the EXACT thing that antitrust laws are supposed to prevent. We need diversification, not more consolidation.

Richard "RB" Botto

There you are, Jack Binder, bringing reason to the party once again. Been happening internationally for years, before the strikes and heavier during the strikes and the momentum hasn't stopped. And if...

Expand comment
James Lagrimas
How to Transition from Writer to Producer. Webinar with Allison Margaret Reid

More screenwriters than ever are realizing that waiting for someone else to “discover” their script is no longer a viable career strategy. In today’s marketplace, the writers who are getting their films and series made are often the same creatives stepping into the producer role — building packages,...

Expand post

Amanda Toney

this is something that we get asked about a lot on Stage 32 and I’m so excited that we are finally putting together a killer webinar about this.

Maurice Vaughan
WIFTI Summit 2026: Global Stories and the Kind of Rooms that Change You

Lauren Simpson, President of Women in Film & Television Victoria (WIFT Vic), recaps the 2026 WIFTI Summit in today’s blog. It’s a must-read blog!

Share your thoughts in the comments or blog comments. Did you attend this year/in the past? Share your experience too.

www.stage32.com/blog/wifti-summit-2...

Expand post

Angel Barrientos Garza
Seeking Producer for Science Fiction IP – Exodus 2333

Hello everyone,

My name is Angel Barrientos Garza, author of the science fiction novel Exodus 2333, a story conceived from its inception with strong cinematic adaptation potential.

The plot takes us to a future where humanity no longer walks beneath the sky: it survives underground, inside a colossal...

Expand post

Maurice Vaughan

Hi, Angel Barrientos Garza. Exodus 2333 sounds intriguing! Really unique concept!

I suggest emailing Stage 32's Success Team at success@stage32.com. Geoff and his team can help you connect with produce...

Expand comment
Angel Barrientos Garza

Hi Maurice,

Thank you for taking the time to read the post and for your thoughtful suggestions — I truly appreciate it.

I will reach out to the Stage 32 Success Team and explore the producer section as...

Expand comment
Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Angel Barrientos Garza. Okay, great. Do you plan on turning your manuscript into a screenplay/hiring a screenwriter to? It might be easier to get producers, executives, etc. interested...

Expand comment
Maurice Vaughan
Mistakes New Producers Make

I tried to produce two feature films way back. I wrote both screenplays, and the first one was a big-budget Sci-Fi Action script. I should’ve made a micro-budget feature or short films first. What are some other mistakes new producers make?

Maurice Vaughan

Thanks, Radoslav Isakov. You're right. I should've made a micro-budget feature or short films first and saved my Sci-Fi Action script for later when I was more established, had more contacts, and had...

Expand comment
Radoslav Isakov

I wouldn’t frame it as “should have.”

That Sci-Fi script is still an asset — just ahead of its timing.

Sometimes the project isn’t wrong. The sequencing is.

Maurice Vaughan

Great point, Radoslav Isakov! I don't have the script anymore, but I remember enough of it to write a new version.

Radoslav Isakov

That actually puts you in a strong position Maurice Vaughan . Rebuilding something from memory often strips it down to what truly matters.

Maurice Vaughan

I never thought about it like that, Radoslav Isakov. Thanks!

James Lagrimas
Perfecting Your 5 Minute Pitch For The Cannes Film Festival. Lab with Alexia Melocchi

If you’ve been dreaming of taking your feature film or television series to the next level, you know that getting noticed at a major festival like Cannes can change everything. You might have a polished script, a fully developed series concept, or even a ready-to-shoot project, but the reality is th...

Expand post

Jack Binder

Fantastic. Honing one's pitch, having it ready at a moments notice is highly valuable. You never know when the opportunity to pitch will arise, and you should be ready.

Sandra Isabel Correia
A Must‑Read for Producers: Stage 32 Just Made Our Workflow Easier

Hey, Producing lounge

I just came across Geoff’s latest Stage 32 blog update, and I think it’s worth your time, especially if you’re juggling multiple projects, collaborators, and deadlines (so… all of us).

What struck me most is how intentionally Stage 32 is evolving to make our creative and producin...

Expand post

Maurice Vaughan

Hey, Sandra Isabel Correia. You're right. Clarity and accessibility can make or break a project. And it's great that Stage 32 is listening to the real challenges we face!

Stage 32 is really easy to use...

Expand comment
Sandra Isabel Correia

Hi. Maurice Vaughan :)) Thank you for jumping in. I completely agree with you, when we’re writing, producing, clarity and quick access aren’t luxuries, they’re survival tools. The search bar is such a...

Expand comment
Maurice Vaughan

You're welcome, Sandra Isabel Correia. Looking forward to what else Stage 32 changes and adds!

Sandra Isabel Correia

Likewise, Maurice Vaughan. Exciting moments :))

register for stage 32 Register / Log In