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're looking at one of the most challenging elements of storytelling that screenwriters and filmmakers face: theme. This intangible piece is the heart of any story, bleeding into the plot, the character's emotional arc, and the visual choices creatives make. In this video from StudioBinder, th...

So...many...pitches… That’s the God’s honest truth about what often runs through my mind when I check my inboxes. On social, on email, and anywhere I can be hunted down, I get your pitches. Lots...and lots...of pitches. And the reality is- that’s a big part of my JOB! And while I may not be coming across as super enthusiastic at the moment, I am always excited to discover a concept that resonates with me, that’s unique, that's pitched well. The problem is, lots of these pitches that I sift throu...

A few years ago, I and a producer chum were sitting in a cafe in London, observing the interesting customers it attracted. It wasn't just any cafe: it was a Poetry Cafe with a downstairs space for concerts, open mic nights, and so on. The people we saw coming in, sitting in corners, hiding under their hats, reading, or discoursing at length about whether or not there was quinoa in this or that dish .... it got us scurrying into our notebooks and exchanging anecdotes of various cafe experiences....

Artificial Intelligence has been getting a lot of attention recently, especially in the film and animation industries. In some circles, there is excitement over the possibilities artificial intelligence presents, on the other side of the fence, there is anxiety and major concern. The truth is everyone should be concerned, whether you are an actor, director, cinematographer, writer, musician, or editor, and the buck doesn’t stop there. It affects all roles in the pipeline. However, the concern ma...

Many people have asked me what acting has to do with stunts. Well, everything. We are not just stunt people. We are not simply daredevils hungry for the next big thrill or buzz junkies craving our adrenalin fix. We are actors who perform stunts in character. It does not matter whether it's doubling or a role with no lines. It's still a performance, and it still needs a believable and three-dimensional character. That said, what is stunt acting? What is involved in the process? What is a stunt ac...

This blog will focus on the feature film categories, specifically Best Feature. Hopefully, a future blog on the TV entries can happen before the 2022 Annie Awards ceremony happens in February 2023. The list of Annie nominations came out last week, and I think I’m more excited about the Annie Awards this year than I have been in a long time. Here are the Annie Awards Best Feature Nominees: Disney and Pixar's TURNING REDGuillermo del Toro's PINOCCHIOPUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH (DreamWorks)TH...

It is an honor and a privilege to bring you the worldwide premiere of the 5th Annual Stage 32 Short Film Program! Below you will find seven amazing short films to watch that were carefully curated by Stage 32's panel of leading industry executives. Our esteemed panel of judges is made up of top producers, managers, development executives, and Oscar-winning filmmakers. These films are only available for viewing Monday 1/23/23 - Friday 1/27/23 Plus, join the filmmakers for a live Q&A this Frida...

Negative thoughts are extremely addictive thing. Whether triggered by an actual event, situation, or anticipation of events, it’s very easy to fall prey to their bleakness. They kind of suck you into them, and it’s like a never-ending abyss that you keep falling into. There is something inside you that sees the darkness as a familiar territory and keeps pulling you there. It’s an indicator of the fact that you have resided in this space for far too long or your mind is conditioned to keep fal...

I’ve made a lot of movies. I started off as a Runner and worked my way up. I worked on 13 movies as a 1st AC & 2nd AC and Director of Photography before I became an award-winning Director & Writer in my own right. Having gone from runner to director, I have experienced the whole gauntlet of filmmaking, from the biggest shoots to tiny micro-budget one-man crew shoots. I have seen many ways to do things effectively and simply. There are 6 main areas of filmmaking for the indie filmmaker: Develop...

In 2003, I walked past a former monastery in a Dutch city several times a week, and there were the following words above the portal: 'I was sick and you visited me.' (Bible - free quoted from Matthew). I imagined that a house could be 'sick' and be visited by people who had just died and would find out there that they were dead. Whereby the house could 'cleanse' itself. I knew I had a story. Three years later, I published this suspense story in a collection with other horror authors in the Ne...