Latest Blogs

After publishing my blog, “Why Crowdsource Funding is Essential for Independent Producers”, there was some interesting feedback that pushed back, stating big investors are still the only legitimate way to fund film or other media projects. It was pointed out to me that, “If your goal eventually is a feature film that will be distributed internationally, then you are stepping into serious business, and the film should carry the weight of serious business in both its creation and financing.” As...

Before we delve into what will likely be some highly divisive discourse, I’d like to extend a reassurance to anyone who believes in the intrinsic value of authoritarian politics. Our discussion today will prove just as valuable to you as it will be to the bleeding hearts, the socialists, the people of color, the women, the disabled and neurodivergent people, the transgender people, and the queer people beside whom I proudly stand. What we’re going to talk about today is courage, and accountabili...

The dream of "transmedia" was supposed to be the future. But as recent stumbles in our biggest franchises reveal, we forgot that the human mind craves immersion, not homework. We have spent the last twenty years chasing a ghost. Those of us who map the intersections of narrative psychology and industrial economics have long watched a specific dream take shape on the horizon. We called it "transmedia storytelling." The concept was intoxicatingly simple. Imagine a story too large to be held by...

As our industry changes rapidly and new platforms crop up every quarter, a new player is becoming too big to ignore: Angel Studios. Off the success of DAVID at the box office during the holidays and having just passed 2 million subscribers, the Utah-based mission-driven studio is doing two things Hollywood would never dare to do: 1) Give greenlight power to the audience (the Guild members)  2) Shine off the Hollywood community entirely Angel doesn't need Hollywood because, frankly, its aud...

In The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the Guide itself famously has ‘DON’T PANIC’ on its cover. That's still the best advice for navigating the unknown, including the flood of AI headlines you're gonna read in 2026. After thirty years in the film and TV industry, and years as an ethical AI consultant who spends every week tracking AI's collision with creative work, here's my current assessment of artificial intelligence as it pertains to the film and TV industry: MOSTLY HARMLESS. That's ano...

As filmmakers, we all know the high of wrapping production, that brief moment where the cast and crew are throwing high-fives, hugging, convinced for one breath that we did it. But anyone who has actually finished a short film knows the real work begins when the noise fades, and you’re suddenly alone with the footage, a blinking timeline, and a story that feels heavier than it did on set. On my most recent short, 'Loose Change', a 35mm project I wrote, directed, and edited, that silence was lou...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! I hope your weekend has been a creative one so far. Whether you have been writing, filming, editing, or sketching out the next spark of an idea, I have got something today that will give you a boost. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in. This week’s featured video comes from Frame Voyager: The CRAZIEST Practical Effects of 2025. If you love filmmaking craft, this video is a blast because it celebrates the kind of problem-solving that reminds you why movies feel...

In car parlance, I might be a barn find -- a dust-covered vehicle that’s been unearthed after many years of storage. I wasn’t exactly in storage, but I was in the barn for 40 years, inching toward the door -- i.e., my lifelong goal to be a working actress. I worked 9 to 5 and was a single parent and couldn’t get an LA agent, so I simply did what I could around those parameters. For decades. At times, my forward progress seemed imperceptible. Then, in 2022, I went from zero ability to get an ag...

You've seen plenty of film sets fall apart over handshake deals gone wrong. Contracts might be boring, but they're what keep your project from imploding when things get messy. And they always get messy when money and deadlines collide! As you may be aware, good contracts save productions. However, bad ones kill them. We’ve seen million-dollar projects collapse because someone thought a text message was enough to secure rights. Spend the time upfront or pay for it later, usually in court!...

Happy New Year, Creative Army! I hope you all had a restful, meaningful holiday season and are stepping into this new year feeling energized, inspired, and ready to create. Whether you spent the last couple of weeks reflecting, recharging, or quietly plotting your next move, today is your starting line. As many of you know, every New Year’s Day, we use the Stage 32 Blog to pause, reset, and look ahead together. This tradition isn’t about resolutions that fade by February. It’s about intentio...