Latest Blogs

Happy Sunday to all.  Let's hit the ground running today with some strong coffee and even stronger content. First up this time around, from our friends at Variety, some of the hottest screenwriters in the business offer their advice on how to break in and stay in the industry. Next, acclaimed New York acting coach, John Windsor-Cunningham, offers his advice on how to grab the auditioner's or audience's attention with the very first line you say. As always, I ask that you take a moment to s...

In the spirit of having fun, I thought I would pull out an oldie but a goodie blog post from the vault of my own archives. I wrote it after I had a conversation with another writer about the different things people say to us or ask us when we tell them what we do. (He's a screenwriter as well.) I mean, this is a normal question, right? You start yapping with someone and sooner or later they ask, "So what do you do for a living?" When I tell people I'm an actor and writer, they're not sure...

You need greenbacks.Cash.Money. Just a bit more to help you get your production off the ground. Our friends at No Film School compiled a list of grants you just may qualify for. Most of them are for documentaries, but keep digging. You just might find what you need. For the Full List Click Here: A Massive List of Winter 2019 Grants All Filmmakers Should Know About   Like this blog post? Please share it on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, email etc) by using social media...

I am honored to present to you the worldwide premiere of the 3rd Annual Stage 32 Short Film Program. This program was curated by Stage 32 and the incredible industry executives (including Oscar winners, producers, managers and development executives) who judged our Short Film Contest. We are featuring 7 amazing filmmakers (from 4 countries) all with bright futures ahead. This is the same program that played at the 2018 Hollyshorts Film Festival and the 2018 Raindance Film Festival. The films and...

Let me start with a disclaimer. Any advice I give is worth just what you pay for it. What do I know? I drive a 15-year old pickup and my last royalty check was twelve dollars. But during a tumultuous advertising career I won more than 200 awards. I have enough chrome and lucite to make a couple of Buicks, some of which were even meaningful. Like the one for a literacy campaign. That award got me a presidential citation. (Maybe Carter or Lyndon or one of those.) I wasn't big on politics. Nor am...

Happy Sunday, everyone.  Welcome to December. Let's get warm with a steaming cup of java and some red hot content. First up today, something a little different.  As many of you know, and some may not, having a qualified script supervisor on set is a must.  There are just some things that can't be saved in post and if you don't have the coverage or continuity, you're screwed.  Here, courtesy of Vanity Fair, Martin Scorsese's long-time script supervisor, Martha Pinson, lays down the knowledge...

Everyday we learn about new streaming platforms that offer viewers more options. Less than 48 hours ago, Variety published an article highlighting the WarnerMedia Streaming Platform as the next streaming service to rear it's head. If all goes well, the virtual doors will be open by the end of 2019. After AT&T acquired Time Warner, it took on the company's hefty debt as well. A large portion of that debt will need to paid down, first. We're sharing the full Variety article below. But for...

There is nothing like auditioning. The range of emotions an actor feels stepping into a room full of decision-makers is considerable and often damaging to the quality of the audition itself. One way to keep those emotions and the mistakes they cause in check is to know how to work on a script in a hurry. And I will let you in on a secret: Good readers make better auditioners, whether you get the sides a week, a day, or ten minutes before the audition. So, if you don’t read aloud, it’s tim...

Award-winning filmmaker James Kicklighter has been featured in the Hollywood Reporter, The Times of India, Ain't it Cool News and more and has been directing narrative films for the the past 12 years. His films have screened at the Cannes Film Festival and more! He has spoken all over the world on filmmaking. Kicklighter offers tips for aspiring directors, suggesting they start with two important things before diving in. Kicklighter suggests directors start with two important things before div...

It seems like the movie business is open for just about any entity to hop on board and offer services for the filmmaker. Even Walmart is rumored to be boarding the movie streaming train. But when Apple signed a deal with A24 to amp up its intention to offer original content to viewers, lots of filmmakers stopped in their tracks to listen.   A24 is a distribution, financing, development and production company whose prestige credits include 2017’s Best Picture Oscar winner Moonlight. Per th...