Latest Blogs

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, in this video from The Art Of Story, you'll dig into the first page of your script. This podcast is great for discussing story, character, theme, and more in screenwriting, and this episode takes a closer look at how much you need to say with just a small, single page of your story. Next up,...

When you think of great original soundtracks - the best of the best, you probably think of Final Fantasy, Zelda, Skyrim, and even Sonic. Video game music is a genre in itself. It went from 8-bit synthy beeps and bobs to orchestra epic arrangements. The genre has impacted and inspired so many, myself included. I will admit that growing up, I wasn’t into the greats like Final Fantasy or Zelda. I was more into obscure games such as Spyro, Twisted Metal, Crazy Taxi, and such. It is games like thos...

Happy Friday, Stage 32 Community! Our Stage 32 Team has been working diligently to bring in as many new resources and opportunities as possible to enrich your experience here in our community! At Stage 32 you have direct access to award-winning industry executives and professionals who’ve written, directed, produced, filmed, developed, performed, and represented acclaimed projects such as ARRIVAL, TRANSFORMERS, FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS, FOOTLOOSE, THE BOYS, ELEMENTAL, SPIDER-VERSE, MEG 2, C...

Happy Thursday, Stage 32 Community! I hope that the last month has been joyful and productive for you all! Our Stage 32 Education Team has certainly been hard at work to bring incredible education opportunities and resources to this fantastic community. This May, you'll have the chance to learn from knowledgeable industry executives, award-winning screenwriters, producers, directors, showrunners, animators, podcast hosts, authors, script supervisors, attorneys, and representatives. Impressiv...

As a working actor, I am often asked: How do you balance your acting career with the rest of your life? It usually comes from those who aren't actors/artists or those who are actors but are struggling to find that balance. This got me thinking about balance and I asked myself whether "balance" is just an abstract idea or something practical to have in your life. More importantly, is it even possible to have balance with all the things we have going on, all the tasks we have to perform every...

You’ve heard the saying “Jack of all trades, master of none”? I’m going to start with something controversial, I hate that quote. This quote has been preached to me on many occasions throughout my career and I can imagine it will continue for the rest of my years. Why this quote? Because my creativity is hard to grasp, I do many things and can do many things well. Does this sound like you? Your creativity doesn’t fit in the societal norms of occupation, the idea that we decide to be or do one...

My name is Stephen Notley. I'm a screenplay contest reader as well as a screenwriter, so I've written and received loads of script analyses (also known as "coverage"). With this experience on both sides of the coverage game, I thought I'd offer some thoughts you folks might find useful.   My last blog post was called "A Reader's Notes on Proofreading," which I thought was a nice, simple, straightforwardly objective subject on which to chat. This time, though, I'm going to try to dig a bit de...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! First, congratulations to all of you who have already participated in our monthly Introduce Yourself Weekend! Thousands of connections have been made between entertainment creatives and professionals from around the globe. Whether you are a long-time member or brand new to Stage 32, take a moment to pop over to the Introduce Yourself Lounge and say hello before the end of the weekend. First up, in this video from StudioBinder, we're looking at the 12 principles o...

Have you ever fallen in creative love? Perhaps you idly chat about your favorite director, only to discover that you both love their most obscure film best. Over your first coffee date, you playfully square off about who has the worst set stories, but you share a laugh over the resiliency it takes to keep going. Now you're about to start a project, and your new creative ally is firmly entrenched in your corner. 'How in the world did I get so fortunate?' you wonder. If luck favors the prepared, t...

Embarking on the journey of becoming a successful screenwriter involves delving into the intricacies of storytelling at various levels. From the cosmic truths that shape narratives to the communal values inherent in cultures, and the quest for purpose within characters' lives, the 9 Levels of Story offer a framework for aspiring creatives. To help you understand these levels better, I'll be discussing them over the next few weeks in a 3-part blog series. By better understanding cosmic, culture...