Acting

More women. More minorities. More diversity. These are the rumblings both on and off set at a television series being created near you. (Or not near you, but still being created.) According to a study completed by the Directors Guild of America, the number of women and minorities seeing employment in television creation has increased. Is there room for improvement? Always. But as it stands now, the DGA found that over the past nine seasons, 82 female directors accounted for 41% of first time...

We're looking forward to meeting and mingling with our Stage 32 members in and around the London area! Join us as we partner with the 26th Annual Raindance Film Festival for an exciting week of events. To start, we've arranged a huge perk for Stage 32 members - If you'd like to get full Raindance Film Festival passes you can get 20% off your badge price! Go to https://www.raindance.org/courses/raindance-film-festival-passes/ Use code: stage32pass Get 20%, just like that! Here's what t...

If you’re reading this, then chances are you need a new perspective on your acting career. Many of us subject ourselves to unhealthy expectations from this crazy business. We unknowingly compare our careers to 100-yard dashes or corporate ladders. We expect that one step leads to the next in a predictable, linear fashion. We think that if we’re motivated, we can get to that finish line (series regular, red carpet, etc.) in record time. Despite the countless books, teachers, and mentors out th...

Happy Sunday, everyone.  Time for another edition of Coffee & Content. First up, a look at developing characters with Aaron Sorkin.  Sorkin has created some of the most memorable and beloved characters of the last 20 years (tell me you don't know everything about every single West Wing character).  Whether working with fictional characters or those actually roaming the earth (The Social Network, Molly's Game) few writers are able to imbibe their characters with as much detail, nuance and defin...

Man, you guys brought the goods to the table.  I mean, you had me riled up and as passionate as I've been in a long time.  I'm grateful...seriously. Hundreds of you attended my live AMA (Ask Me Anything) last week.  What was supposed to be an hour of me answering your questions quickly turned into two hours of spirited, inspiring, and motivating craft and industry talk. From acting to screenwriting to filmmaking.  From film producing to film finance to attaching talent.  From making valuable...

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you have always got.” – Henry Ford Actors are incredible humans. Compared to most, actors are often more personable and open. They feel freer than most to access their feelings and emotions. These incredibly brave souls tend to be more in touch with their inner child. They have courage. The majority of them are sensitive and more vulnerable than the average person, yet they dive into a profession where they subject themselves...

Poster for Othello: A Woman's story Constantin Stanislavski once said: "There are no small parts, only small actors.” I always used to read this as the consolation prize catch phrase for wannabe actors, until I realized that reading it this way was making me a wannabe actor. Luckily for me, I was recently cast in a supporting role – which I initially hated. That made me grow both as an actress and as a human. (Here you go, big empathic phrases!) A few months back I auditioned for Othello:...

Okay, by now most of us have heard about the pictures of actor Geoffrey Owens working at Trader Joe's that went viral. Many people attempted to shame Owens, completely misunderstanding that an actors life isn't just "one level" or one status, nor is the job a money-making-machine. There are many levels of acting (and writing and filmmaking), some of which require the creative to work other jobs outside of what viewers see on TV. Yet the general public doesn't understand that. Your side job...

Over the past few years, we here at Stage 32 have been thrilled to be recognized throughout the industry as the leaders in online film craft and business education. This past spring, we joined forces with Cannes to help provide education throughout the festival. November will be our 3rd straight year as the official education partner of AFM. And last month, we joined forces with one of the most prestigious, and one of the few Oscar qualifying short film festivals in the land, Hollyshorts, as not...

I don't know if you're on Twitter at all, but if you are, you may have seen the #shareyourrejections campaign that flew through the Twittersphere recently. The posts look something like this: I loved it. I loved it so much, I captured some of the very best rejections from filmmakers, screenwriters, actors, and authors with the intention to share them here. You'll recognize some of the names. At the very least, hearing how these creatives were given "the hand" only to come out on top, you'...