Advice

A few years back there was a lively debate right here on Stage 32 about whether short films could make money, then shifted to if there they were even worthwhile.... Actually, it's not a matter of debate or opinion, it's an etched- in- stone- fact short films can make money. I've had 3 short films make money. There are countless other examples of shorts that made money, quite a bit of money actually, like the short by Peter Sollet 5 Feet High & Rising which became Raising Victor Vargas. In the...

Happy Thursday Stage 32 community! I hope you are having a beautiful and creative week! Recently, our fearless leader and CEO Richard "RB" Botto joined Ryan Alford as a guest on The Radcast - a top 25 Marketing Podcast in the US! The Radcast features top business leaders and creative geniuses behind some of the world's biggest brands and we are thrilled that RB was a guest with Ryan.  We all know that the entertainment industry is tribal and in this must-listen chat, RB talks about all thi...

I am a Distributor turned Filmmaker. I have a finance degree and a law degree and I spent the first 22 years of my film career in Distribution. Then I got the bug to become creative. I have since made and successfully self distributed 7 feature films, 3 of which are presently airing on Netflix worldwide (FULL OUT / FULL OUT 2 - YOU GOT THIS! / KISS & CRY). In my first Stage 32 blog, I talked about the importance of “creating awareness” for your indie movie. If people don’t know about your f...

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 in to this week's pipi...

Happy Screenplay Saturday Stage 32! I hope you are all enjoying Introduce Yourself Weekend so far! If you haven't had a chance yet, be sure to pop over to the Introduce Yourself Lounge and say hello - you never know who you might meet! Now, for this weeks #ScreenplaySaturday, I wanted to share an article from Deadline Hollywood about the Emmy-winning show Mare of Easttown. This article shares the Emmy-nominated finale script "Sacrement" written by the shows creator, Brad Ingelsby. Give it a...

How do you know when you’re ready to write a screenplay? Have you studied enough; do you know enough? Do you need to know more? First, a little about me so you know why I’m writing this. Like many, I’ve always wanted to write. Instead, and who knows why—I made other random life choices. As it turns out, most of those choices have resulted in the number one thing I’d dreamed of doing since I was a sixth grader—writing. But of course, I didn’t do that either. Not until I hung up the day job...

I wanted to share some of my experiences that can hopefully help other indie filmmakers in the Transmedia world. While I was developing my project entitled “Black Salt”.     #1 The Comic Book When I started the project through my company Ratti Entertainment LLC, my goal was to do the Black Salt comic book first and then leverage one transmedia product line to help me get to the next piece. The franchise includes, but is not limited to, the following: Black Salt collectible items, al...

I'm thrilled to announce today that for the 6th straight year, Stage 32 and the American Film Market have joined forces to bring new opportunities and access to attendees of America's largest film market.   Stage 32 is proud to continue to be the official Networking and Education partner of the AFM and this year is extra special. For the second year in a row, the AFM has gone virtual.   So what does that mean for you?   More access and opportunity at the AFM no matter where you live in t...

Defining Moments I remember the first play I submitted to a theatre in Toronto. The dramaturge called me in to “talk”. He was merciless, heartless, and yet that meeting was a gift. It made me face the truth and it awakened my Voice. “Predictable”, “one dimensional” “hackneyed” “cliché upon cliché” “worse and worse”, were just some of the comments the dramaturge wrote in the margins of my beloved script. He savaged my labor of love, attacking not only my work but my dreams. He would politely...

Hello Team 32! First and foremost, THANK YOU to Stage 32, their dedicated staff, and all the producers, managers, and agents for taking time out of your busy schedules to help guide and shepherd me on my long journey as a writer. Your help, insight, and knowledge have been invaluable in my career. Stage 32 has provided me with a direct avenue and channel to get my work out there and read by the top producers, managers, and agents in LA and NYC. I have garnered incomparable knowledge and form...