Latest Blogs

The production of content, whether film, television or other media, is a complex and multifaceted process that requires careful attention to legal considerations. Production legal, while sometimes overlooked, plays a large role in shaping the overall picture of a production, and plays a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth execution of content creation. From securing the chain of title to navigating contractual obligations, production legal is essential for safeguarding the creative and financial...

Female-driven movies center around strong, multifaceted women, navigating the complexities of life, often breaking societal norms, and supporting each other in pursuit of their dreams, unraveling powerful narratives of strength, friendship, and self-discovery, that highlight and celebrate the diversity and complexity of women's stories. All-time classics like LITTLE WOMEN and HIDDEN FIGURES remind us of the importance of family and friendships, while globe-trotting adventures lik...

Hey, Creative Army! Every year thousands of filmmakers flock to Park City, UT for one of America's most well-known festivals celebrating independent cinema, Sundance! Some of the industry’s most legendary films and filmmakers have been born out of independent film. It's always an exciting time for creatives and film enthusiasts to congregate and celebrate new independent films and collaborate on the shifts in the industry. In Stage 32's continuing effort to contribute to diversity, equality,...

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 Hollywood Reporter, we see the directors from some of last year's most talked-about films discuss their visions, inspirations, and big takeaways from their recent work. The roundtable includes Ava DuVernay (ORIGIN), Blitz Bazawule (THE COLOR PURPLE), Bradley Cooper (MAEST...

Most of you will know me from previous blogs on this site, and most of the time those blogs tend towards contentious subject matter. If this is your first time reading me, welcome. My name is Tennyson E. Stead and I’m a writer and director who has worked in disciplines ranging from film finance to gaffing and grip. As a screenwriter, script doctor, and ghostwriter, I’ve written more than 50 screenplays and I’ve been paid for a sizable percentage of those. My directing and editing have won awa...

Alright, let me ask you a question. What's the hardest part of screenwriting? Is it building the plot? Crafting the theme? Maintaining story structure? In my opinion, it's developing characters. Without characters, there's no story. And everything else in the screenplay doesn't matter because the audience needs something to connect to. Knowing this, I put all my efforts into creating the best characters possible. I spent years reading books, watching YouTube videos, and scavenging the internet...

Four Practical Habits to Help Creatives Stay Grounded and Achieve Consistent Results. "It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward." - Chinese proverb As actors, we all have huge dreams and aspirations: one day winning an Oscar, being on a Broadway stage, getting into Marvel-ready shape, or getting that top-tier agent. For better or worse, we think big and relentlessly pursue our goals. We sprint towards them, stum...

Hey, Creative Army! Great news! Stage 32 and our wonderful Director of Education, Sam Sokolow, were recently featured in an IBC 365 article, “WHAT DO STREAMERS WANT? SITCOMS, POLICE DRAMA AND REALITY SHOWS”. This article spotlighted Stage 32’s hit expert panel at last month’s FOCUS London Conference; FROM REVOLUTION TO EVOLUTION: What The Streamers Are Looking For Today. It was a phenomenal conversation moderated by Stacey Carr, Entertainment Consultant at Stacey Carr Consulting, and featur...

Over the last 7 years in LA as a director and producer, I feel like I've seen so many sides of the filmmaking world. I've done backyard shorts with friends and family with guerilla shooting, I've done features for over a million dollars, I've directed a big studio episodic for TV, and I’ve even funded my own short docs. As everyone in the industry knows, this work can be intense. We often have long hours. We give 120% of our brain power dissecting scripts, making shot lists, and scouting locat...

Getting your foot in the TV and film industry is not, as we all know, an easy task. I’m from Scotland and write feel-good romances for HarperCollins imprint One More Chapter. Several months ago, I stumbled across Stage 32. As soon as I saw the array of talented authors and screenwriter members, not to mention the plethora of amazing production and development executives, I knew I had nothing to lose. I was immediately drawn to checking out the pitch sessions and decided to reserve a couple o...