Acting

ACT ONE: PANDEMIC, YOU SAY? Things were going great. We had just finished shooting our first horror feature film. I had spent the last four months working with the editor and now it was in the hands of our sound and colour experts when… calamity struck, in the shape of our old friend Covid-19. Allow me to explain. Under the banner of Vamoose Productions, our newly formed production company based in Manchester, England, we had just finished our first feature film, the realistic urban vampire...

Did anyone else sing “Network While You Work” to the tune of “Whistle While You Work”? Only film geeks, amiright? Or maybe it’s only Disney geeks? With less than three months left in 2020, it is so gratifying to hear so many projects are moving into production (utilizing COVID compliance safety precautions, of course). Major films and shows, local businesses, and of course the intrepid independent sets as well, all finding a way to move steadily forward. With more jobs, it also means it is tim...

Auditioning is stressful. There’s no getting around it. But that doesn’t mean auditioning is bad! Auditioning presents us actors with the type of stress that’s actually kind of good for us - it’s an invitation to think about the copy we’re presented more deeply to deliver a product that’s more effective. While it would be wonderful to be hired for every single project we audition for, that’s just not realistic. So when auditioning, we each call upon our unique strengths, coaching, training, an...

Through the struggle on the way towards the goal. Why some plans could end broken but “the Dream” must keep pulsating. I’m actually really happy to be asked from Stage 32 to write another article, trying to share something good and offering the opportunity to recognize, together, our common humanity and vulnerability as filmmakers. And maybe as human beings. Rather than pretending to be an expert in anything, or introducing myself in a way that doesn’t interest anybody in here, it’s importan...

“I say luck is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it.”  - Denzel Washington I knew an actor once who liked to utter that famous phrase by the Roman philosopher Seneca, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Such a well-known phrase that I titled my last Stage 32 blog after it. Funny thing was, when that actor got their opportunity, they were not prepared. And, they could have used a lot of luck. They were nervous and had a hard time following directi...

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, The Cinema Cartography has put together an awesome video about how important the role of editing is in the overall storytelling of a film. Editors and directors ultimately have the final word on what the audience gets to see - and that is powerful. This video uses examples from Inception, Rai...

Happy Saturday Stage 32! As many of you may know, I host an Instagram LIVE every week on @stage32online highlighting some amazing Stage 32 members from all over the world. Recently, it was my sincerest pleasure to talk to two POWERHOUSE actors & Stage 32 members. No matter where you live, or what stage of your acting career you are in, these two gentlemen have some amazing tips, insights, and inspiration for you! First up, I talk with LA-based actor and long-time audition reader Jon Snow (do...

In many countries, creative workers are organized in unions or guilds, who represent the collective interests of their members for labor-related matters in the audiovisual industry. In this article, we focus on a part of financial compensation in connection with film production, being the payment of residuals to members of the traditional US guilds. More specifically, we will look at the mechanism of calculation and payment of residuals to actors, directors, and screenwriters, from the angl...

Even if you're not in Hollywood, you can get a sense of the "business" by what professionals are talking about. What have Stage 32 members been talking about lately? The work. What work their doing, how to do the work, and getting back to the nitty gritty. It's exciting, but it's also a great time to show how much value you bring. Taking a few minutes to answer another's questions could be a great advantage to them and show what a fantastic asset you are!   It's true, the lounges are a great p...

Happy Friday Creative Army! As you all know, Stage 32 Screenings was born in March in the wake of the cancellation of SXSW. Our initiative has been covered by Deadline, Variety, CNN, and dozens more. We are currently screening over 150 features, shorts, and episodic pilots from SXSW, Tribeca, SeriesFest, Vail Film Festival, BFI: Flare London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival, and Telluride Mountainfilm Documentary Festival to our network of over 6,000 invited sales agents, distributors, managers, agents,...