Latest Blogs

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, showing the power of a united force in this industry, SAG-AFTRA Presi...

It’s true that the writing sample is the most important part of any query letter. However, you need to spend some time making sure that the query letter is solid as well. First impressions matter, and you can rub agents the wrong way if your query letter isn’t up to snuff. Here are the 10 biggest mistakes screenwriters make when querying. 1. Using A Generic Greeting If you are submitting a query letter, address the agent properly by name in your greeting. It’s unprofessional to use a...

My name is James Kicklighter, and I am a Stage 32 Thought Leader and a multi-award-winning Film Director and Producer. I have been fortunate to direct documentaries (The Sound of Identity), narrative films (Angel of Anywhere), and advertising across the country and around the world.   For the first time in my career, I am now working with representation! I'm managed by RAIN through a connection that I made at a Stage 32 in-person meetup, and my latest film, The American Question, is represente...

Hi, Stage 32ers! While you may have missed out on getting to attend Cannes in person, you certainly won’t miss out on the incredible insights that were shared there! At this year’s Cannes 2023, Stage 32 hosted a fantastic expert panel exploring the importance of representation, equity, and inclusion in film and television production. As well as, the impact of diverse storytelling on audiences, industry trends, and the business of filmmaking. Moderated by Martin I. Petrov (Festival Direc...

When I go out and do speaking engagements, one of the popular talks that I give ends with me asking the audience the rhetorical question, “If not you then who?” To use a term that I like to employ regularly, I’m challenging them to do a self-audit. It’s rather ironic that I’m a publicist and yet the point I’m making to the attendees of these various events is that if they don’t promote what they’re doing, who is going to do it for them? Yes, of course, they can hire someone like me, but you ge...

Hi, Stage 32ers! As many of you know, we had a massive celebration this year at Cannes, where we announced our 1 Million Member Milestone at our party in partnership with Variety! This is a milestone that means the world to me, Amanda, and the rest of our team here at Stage 32. When I started on the journey of creating Stage 32 12 years ago, I never could have imagined how this community would grow and become not just a network and support system for creatives all over the world, but for...

There's nothing quite like the adrenaline rush you get from watching an action or thriller story. Blockbuster franchise movies like TOP GUN: MAVERICK and FAST X explode at the box office while tense binge-worthy shows like YELLOWJACKETS and YOU keep us on the edge of our seats. Hollywood is always searching for the next big thrilling story -- and we want it to be YOURS! If you have an Action/Thriller story that needs to be told, now is the time to show us what you've got, because our goal is t...

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, we're looking at conversations on screen. These are some of the most challenging scenes to write, shoot, and edit in a way that's interesting. In this video from Cutting Concepts, they take a look at one of the best conversations in cinema with the opening scene of THE SOCIAL NETWORK, and how e...

Many times, when writing a script or a novel, you might consider the task of creating strong secondary characters for granted. That is, you have created a unique and interesting Sci-Fi world or main character that drives the action in your novel or screenplay. This drives the main character to overcome major obstacles and emotional challenges in order to achieve their goal by the end of the movie or novel. Their “Need” or “Desire” to achieve their goal is paramount to achieving a satisfactory...

I got my first internship in the animation business in 1998 and was hired full time as a production assistant for Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1999. I have worked relatively steadily in the animation industry ever since. One question I am often asked is, “How can I break into the animation industry?” Well, I’m not going to sugar coat it and say, “Just follow these simple steps, and you too can be living the dream in the magical world of animation!” The truth is, just like any endeavor, there...