Acting

For the past few years we've been doing a mid-year check in to see where all of you are at. What kind of projects are you working on?Have you been killing it with auditions?Where are you with writing? Networking? Pitching? Let's take a minute to do a mid-year check-in and see how - and what - you’re all doing thus far. Are you on track? Do you need a push? Did you change direction entirely?   Let's talk about it in the comments section below. And, of course, if there is the opportunity...

Though filmmaking and production are an art and a craft, they’re also a business, especially if the project is a commercial or industrial. So being as professional as possible in your written communications to talent is important and will further your working relationships. Your goals should be to make it as easy as possible for actors (and crew) to work with you and show them you know what you’re doing. 1) Ensure All Communications are Well-Written and Clear What you write and send into the...

Extra, extra! Read all about it!I wasn't always such a twisted and depraved soul. In many ways, it was the world of background acting that opened me up to the fun and fascinating film industry and all the sordid bits that entails. For those who are curious about what goes on behind the scenes or want to get involved, let this serve as an introduction (or perhaps an admonition) to those considering making the leap into the wild world of background acting. For the legions of people who know m...

Hi, Everyone! Welcome back to the Dear Bradley Vlog. Every month I'm going to be answering your most burning filmmaking questions. If you have one, please submit your questions in the comments below or via Instagram @Bradley_Gallo. Be very specific and I will personally answer your question the best I can. Some answers will come in long form and others in a lightening round (multiple questions with 15 second answers). Some of you will have the same question and so we will combine those. So ask...

As an artist, you live in a very unique world. You get to express the fullness of who you are. You have the opportunity to leave something meaningful behind that will impact generations. It’s a privilege to bring value to the world simply by expressing and living your passion. At the same time, you take on unique challenges. Your artistic life is filled with pressure, rejection, competition, and unknowns. You have to have courage, show up, and take risks... You also have to know when to say “...

When the book Van Gogh Blues was brought to my attention, I read it with fervor. I was still in my 30's and struggling to understand why creating, writing, and being artistic made me so damn sad sometimes. Not when I was in it, but when it seemed to reach an "endpoint." I allowed myself to accept that creativity and depression were linked, and carried on through my creative endeavors with as much positivity and freshness as possible. Of course, there are times I still struggle. Perhaps we...

The fireworks are over and it's a brand new day, but we still have lots to celebrate here at Stage 32, not the least of which are our regular blog post guest contributors. We are, in fact, grateful for every single post that has ever come our way, regular contributor or not. All of our contributors selflessly offer their time and expertise to all of you, so that our community can grow with inspiration and education. Without these posts, so many of us would still be browsing other sites seeki...

I had a professor who worked on the show Prison Break and I went to visit him on the set one year. I was on the call sheet! Intern. First day of the shoot, my professor, the director of the episode that week, asked for me to get him a “coffee.” All right. Coffee. Um...I don’t drink coffee. Nor did I at the time. My past experience with coffee was nil. Perhaps if I had thrown it down my gullet in high school, I could have elevated to a loftier university than Arizona State, but I digress. I...

Being a performer in the 21st Century is hard. In the 20th Century, we were taught to learn & think like soldiers & factory workers, not like innovative, self-determined entrepreneurial entertainment professionals. You can thank the 19th Century Prussian educational model for that. Shows like A Chorus Line taught us that us if we’re not a star, we’re a loser.This is simply not true. To make things even harder, the barrier for entry to the entertainment industry is lower than ever. As a...

Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street? Or at least some of its history on how the show challenged racism in the late 60's and early 70's? There's no question that the children's television show was a front runner when it came to diverse casting and cultural education. Author Anne Harrington digs into how it came to light. It took a group of men, unlike any other group of it's kind, to change the face of television.   “Episodes featured a strong black male role model (Gordon, a sch...