The place to discuss, share content and offer advice and tips on all things filmmaking and the craft of directing. From pre-production to on set practices to navigating the industry and beyond, this is your forum
This week, I’ve been challenging myself to learn more about the tools, apps, and systems that help keep our creative lives running smoothly. Between personal projects, professional deadlines, and everyday responsibilities, it’s easy for things to slip through the cracks, which is why I like to revis...
Expand post
Just wanted to share my director's reel for some feedback. I've been working on the concept of transcendental film.
Very nice Evan Kimball. What area of the world to you live in? Might want to expand your profile a bit...in case somebody wants to get in touch with you...
Thanks Curt. I tend to be omniscient, as I travel a lot. I live in the Ozarks, and split my time with China often.
Hi Evan , We can talk ?
hey
hello
Have a favor to ask.
I am a final year film student, and I have an assignment to find a professional who has been working in film for at least 3 years to review my portfolio and provide feedback. I'm a director, so if I can find a director to look at my portfolio, that would be the best.
Would anybody be willing to do this?
Noah Mccay Add me here and include your email contact in the message. We can connect off site.
Hello, fellow filmmakers. I'm writing from Vietnam, where the independent film scene is vibrant and full of raw energy. However, like many emerging markets, we face a significant, structural challenge: access to funding. This isn't a complaint; it's the central creative problem that defines my pro...
Expand post
Phuc Quang Vu Dao Access to funding is the issue everywhere. And in all industries. Film is no different in that way. Independent filmmakers, to be successful, need to focus on that business and profe...
Expand comment
Phuc Quang Vu Dao you are very welcome. Yes. Marketing, audience-building and distribution need to be worked on from the inception. If we wait till pre-production, it’s already too late.
I’ve been read...
Expand comment
yes-it is about money and social media
Phuc Quang Vu Dao You are welcome, I appreciate your comment. NOTE that for some reason your comment is in the same color as the web page background (at least on my machine) - so it is visually invisi...
Expand comment
Friends, I have a question for you about using AI in short films.
I recently wrote a short film script called “Dream Life.” It’s a surreal story about how people in big cities now live like robots — their days and nights blend together, every day feels exactly the same, and their dreams start merging...
Expand post
Thank you all so much. I honestly didn’t know this information, so I really appreciate it. Then, for now, this script will probably remain just a script, because making a film like this with CGI would...
Expand comment
Or, this film could also be made as an anime.
Actually, I think the use of generative (or artificial) intelligence is now commonplace for these projects. It can have both pros and cons; I myself helped make a short film using AI (still in develop...
Expand comment
I’ll give you an example. In my script there’s a scene where, early in the morning on the streets of New York, instead of cars, people’s beds are moving—they’re fully dressed, lying on their beds as t...
Expand comment
Aleksandr Rozhnov you can see a similar thing by watching "True Cost / buy now" a Netflix documentary about fast fashion, there is a cool sequence similar. But having said that, try and text your own...
Expand comment
I know that there was actually more time between when it was first mentioned, maybe as a joke, to when Netflix actually aired Space Force, but the timing was still remarkable. 5 months between the creation of the 6th military branch and the show about it. What goes into writing and creating and fili...
Expand post
Hi! This series was released a few years ago. I watched it, and it's very funny.
Being a filmmaker, we create worlds and create entertainment. WB Studios is filled with shows right now, I’ve been lucky to be on one of those. My director and I took this photo because we both love each time we get to come to the studios that have so much history and seeing the stages and who has p...
Expand post
Maurice Vaughan - yes! I am walking my invisible dog!!! thanks for “seeing” him!
How fun!! Great pic.
Haha You're welcome, Xochi Blymyer. Someone should make an invisible dog movie.
love the energy and poses. Happy Halloween!
hello
Ever been on a film set with hungry and thirsty cast and crew? Not a pretty site. The opposite is true when everyone is well fed and hydrated. A big portion of your budget will go to meals and craft service
Silent tension in forbidden love.
It’s not about showing the love itself —but everything they’re holding back.
Filmmakers:
What’s your favorite way to visually convey desire without dialogue?
Stillness, proximity, hands, breath, framing, light?
Sometimes silence says more than confession.
Expand post
You're right, Yanina Koroleva. I like to convey desire in scripts by a character's action, like having a character stare at the other character or having both characters watch each other at an event....
Expand comment
Absolutely, Maurice.
The “almost” moments — the held glance, the quiet awareness — often say more than any declaration.
When the audience feels what isn’t said, that’s where cinema starts to breathe.
Stage 32’s founder and CEO, Richard “RB” Botto, shares some things in today’s blog that'll help you get ready for the American Film Market and have success there. It's a must-read blog!
Drop a comment in the blog if you’re attending AFM 2025.
www.stage32.com/blog/how-to-win-big-at-the-2025-american-...
Expand post
Looks like Netflix's next massive international hit might be coming from Poland! The streamer is doubling down on Polish originals like High Water and Heweliusz, which has led Netflix to see huge success!
This feels like a win for everyone tired of the same old settings. It's giving us a whole new wo...
Expand post
FREE webcast open to everyone on November 19th at 11am PT featuring renowned producer Ethan Erwin, whose films have grossed over $1.5 billion dollars worldwide.
With credits including Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Book o...
Expand post
Thank you very much Geoffroy for the update on the new webcast on November 19th at 11amPT.
Click next to the topics below to subscribe to a topic. means you're already subscribed.
Register / Log In
2 people like this
My biggest hope right now is to write my first screenplay.
Even though I don’t have a solid background in it, I’m learning anyway.
Sometimes I wonder how I even reached this level — how I keep coming...
Expand commentMy biggest hope right now is to write my first screenplay.
Even though I don’t have a solid background in it, I’m learning anyway.
Sometimes I wonder how I even reached this level — how I keep coming up with all these ideas.
But here’s the twist: I’ve already gone far in thinking… now it’s time for writing.
It won’t be perfect in the first draft, but that’s okay — I’ll rewrite it again and again.
I still remember my old Arabic book; it took me four years to finish writing it.
2 people like this
That's awesome, Meriem Bouziani! You're in the perfect place to learn, grow and hone your skills as a screenwriter - if you've written a book you know you can rock a screenplay. Have you looked at joi...
Expand commentThat's awesome, Meriem Bouziani! You're in the perfect place to learn, grow and hone your skills as a screenwriter - if you've written a book you know you can rock a screenplay. Have you looked at joining the Writers Room here (https://www.stage32.com/writers-room/portal) and at the Screenwrtiting Education (https://www.stage32.com/education/collections/screenwriting)? It's bar none and can support you at every phase of your screenwriting trajectory.
In terms or organizing projects and workflows, I've been managing a large slate of projects, tasks and presentations/pitches my whole career and my approach has evolved over time... these days, I rely on Google Docs and Calendars to keep everything front and center and before I go to bed each night I review the calendar and set reminders on my phone for the next day I so I get consistent nudges throughout the day as Zooms, meetings or tasks are approaching. I make sure to schedule in blocks of quiet time for emailing, creating documents and reading scripts so those tasks all get done each day. That allows me to start each day with clarity and stay present throughout the day fully focused on each task at hand as I know that I'll be reminded when the next activity is coming up. It's pretty simple I guess but keeps my many trains running on time.
2 people like this
Thank you very much for your encouragement. I’ll try to learn from those resources. Sam Sokolow
1 person likes this
Just got my first feedback on Rulers Of The Islands.
Appreciate everything you're doing, Geoff!
1 person likes this
Hi Ashley,
This is such a timely and important post! Reorganizing for the new year is essential to maintaining momentum.
My current challenge is entirely focused on packaging and pitching my action-thri...
Expand commentHi Ashley,
This is such a timely and important post! Reorganizing for the new year is essential to maintaining momentum.
My current challenge is entirely focused on packaging and pitching my action-thriller feature, THE SAFE HOUSE, to hit my goal of being submission-ready by the end of November.
To streamline this process, I’ve been heavily challenging myself in two areas:
1. Pitch Deck Visualization: I'm learning to move past simple text documents and create a highly visual, professional pitch deck (using Canva/PowerPoint) that truly sells the tone and scale of the film, not just summarizes the plot.
2. System Integration: I rely on Google Docs/Sheets for all my outlining and budgeting, but I’m now using specific Task Management (similar to Todoist) to track the detailed, step-by-step requirements of different producers and contests. It's about moving from creative development to focused, logistical execution.
Finding that balance between creative flow and logistical organization is always the hardest part! Thanks for posting this—it’s great motivation to tighten up the systems before 2026.
Best,
Salisu Abdullahi