Advice

Happy Sunday Creative Army! I've got my coffee in hand and your weekly dose of content coming in hot - grab your coffee of choice and let's dive right in. First up, the folks over at Film Riot have a fascinating video about how music is one of the main ways to convey tone/genre in your film. By using examples from Mad Max: Fury Road, Reservoir Dogs, and more - you will see the effect that different styles of music can have on the experience your audience will have, no matter what is happenin...

When one is starting out on the journey in acting, the conventional wisdom for decades has been to choose between New York or Los Angeles. East Coast or West Coast. Broadway or Hollywood. In the last 20 years, other cities have competed for films as a production hub: Vancouver, Toronto, New Orleans, Chicago. In the last 5 years alone, Atlanta has become the busiest production center in the country. There are pros and cons of living in each one of these locations; and one might feel forced to m...

As writers, we often hear the phrase, “kill your darlings.” But, that phrase is often in the context of cutting out writing or scenes that don’t work, slow down a piece, or are utterly unnecessary. Recently though, I’ve found myself taking it another way. I’m one of those people who work on multiple projects at once, and two of the things I’m working on had a similar thing happen. I cut an entire character from both. This can be more painful than cutting scenes or entire plot points. In bo...

The power of story: You are either moving forward or you're dying back. Halfway through my senior year of college my husband died in his sleep. There were no warning signs of illness. He went to bed with a few sniffles. Later, I was told by our family doctor who read the coroner's report, "C" went into a coma and never woke up. All my worlds ended that day. You're asked to upend your grief to complete every minute task almost immediately after the death. Unbeknown to you, it's not the time...

Hello Stage 32 Creative Army! We are thrilled to announce yet another Stage 32 resource that you can use to learn and grow as a creative or professional in the entertainment industry - the Stage 32 Glossary! No matter what hat(s) you wear in the entertainment industry, there are a host of entertainment industry-specific terms and phrases you may come across in your career. To best prepare yourself for your entertainment journey, you should take some time to familiarize yourself with these te...

One of my favorite books of the last few years is Delia Owens’ Where the Crawdads Sing, a stunning and lyrical coming-of-age story and murder mystery set in the marshes of North Carolina. It’s a gripping, evocative, uniquely told tale--the stuff of great novels. But will it be the stuff of great movies when it arrives in theaters this summer? There’s a part of me that can’t wait to see the film version of this bestselling book and another part that wonders if it will--if it can--live up to th...

"Write what you know." It's a well-worn saying. We've all heard it, and understand the wisdom therein. But as you struggle for success in the screenwriting world, it's often more tempting to try to write something high concept, something that will sell, something that will land you representation. As writers, we've both found some success -- Jamie wrote and starred in a solo show which ran off-broadway, Josh has sold a feature and TV pilot -- but we're more familiar with disappointment. While...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! First of all, 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 every corner of 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. Now, grab some fresh coffee and let's dive into this week's conte...

Well, hello, there! My name is Karen Ross, but please, call me Kay. I wanted to formally introduce myself: I am an actress, writer, producer, director, and all-around free spirit. I currently host a weekly event on Clubhouse called "The Victory Round" to help creatives build their confidence by celebrating their achievements, big or small. Among other many things, I love martial arts, instrumental film soundtracks, the Bard, tea time, and am deeply obsessed with trying new restaurants. I can’t w...

There is no Business like Show Business. And possibly that is true, as there is no place, other than politics, that a good or bad reputation can travel faster than a supersonic jet. You have to treat your reputation as your most prized possession in Hollywood. There seems to be a misunderstanding about what reputation truly means. A solid reputation is built on professionalism but even more so on how good a human being you are on a solid ground of authenticity and I, for one, quote more than...