Latest Blogs

Writing dialogue is more than just studying how other people speak. It helps to move your story forward and gives a voice to what you’ve put down on paper. Here are some tips to make this voice as strong as possible. 1) Do Your Research An upper-class woman in Victorian England is going to have a very different life than a teenage boy in 2010. Know who your character is and how they navigate life based on their occupation and social status. Find out as much as you can about the career th...

Still Happy New Year! I am that person who celebrates the new year all month long, embracing fresh dreams and aspirations. While we are motivated to make this year better than the last one, many of us feel hesitation, even paralyzed, unable to move forward. I, too, have been in this place, feeling stuck and overwhelmed by fear. What has helped me? Learning to take a leap of faith, to believe in myself and a power greater than me. Today’s message aims to inspire you to do the same, offering in...

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 agent,...

Hey, Creative Army! When the good news rains, it pours! Stage 32 Certification was once again spotlighted, this time in a recent article on The Wrap, “Do the Math: Production Accountant Shortage Equals New Hollywood Careers”. This article dives into the changing landscape of the entertainment industry and how new educational programs, like Stage 32 Certification, are paving the way for real work opportunities as a Production Accountant on productions around the world. We're seeing the waves...

Happy Tuesday, Creative Army! As many of you already know, this past September at the 80th annual Venice International Film Festival, we made a huge announcement! In partnership with Catalyst Studios–a groundbreaking U.S. production company supporting female-fronted projects– we launched a first-of-its-kind screenwriting contest for feature films with a focus on social impact! We were overjoyed and impressed with the flood of submissions that we received from all over the world. This past we...

Before I turned 30, I decided to pursue acting. In 2016, I joined acting classes and met people who would not only become my best friends but also huge inspirations for me. Some of them introduced me to the idea of writing my own script. I got into acting because of my love of old horror movies and wanted to pursue this impossible dream before starting a family. Even before I started acting, however, I always had an idea - a personal passion project - stuck in my head that I knew, one day, I...

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 Archer Green, you'll see how to use color theory t...

I hope all of you are well and looking forward to making some pretty amazing connections on Stage 32! I am a mother of three girls, one and a half college grads, and a little Einstein. My eldest is an entrepreneur and teaches influencers how to grow, increase leads, and sustainability. My middle child attends SCAD and has been in more films than I’ve ever written. My baby girl has mastered 2D, 3D, and all things technical more than mommy and preparing to do some work for Crunchyroll. I didn’...

After publishing my most recent 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 financ...

Happy Thursday, Creative Army! Your fellow Stage 32 community member and winner of Stage 32’s Short Film Program, Lisa Cole, is on the shortlist for an Oscar this year for her film BIENVENIDOS A LOS ANGELES! Together with Stage 32’s decade-long partnership with Hollyshorts, we were thrilled to be able to screen her film at the 2023 Hollyshorts Festival this past August. Now we can add the excitement of being shortlisted for an Oscar! Inspired by true events and shot on location at LAX a...