Advice

So you’re working on your first action packed short, feature or pilot with martial arts, bullet hits, and smashed walls? Or maybe it’s a horror with gory falls and feints? Or it’s a car crash in a serious drama? Or maybe even is simply just pushed by a passing pedestrian and stumbles to the ground? For my last project, “I Miss Us,” I entered the domain of stunts and I was equally excited and terrified. My previous productions had mostly been room drama’s, sci-fi’s, or projects heavily dealing...

My mentor, the late Sam Christensen, was a treasure trove of trivia from the TV/Film industry, especially when it came to old Hollywood. He told a story once about how the original Hollywood stars were made, and while fascinating by itself, it brings up a very important issue facing actors today.     From The Annals of MGM Many decades ago, Sam was a Casting Director, and when he first came to work on the MGM lot, he was assigned a secretary, Beverly, who had been working at MGM since s...

My father tells me a story of when he realised I was “creative”. When I was a toddler one day I decided the neighbours freshly planted new flower bed was in the wrong spot and I needed to replant them elsewhere. I can only imagine my father’s conversation with the neighbours. One; letting them know what I had done and two; trying to explain to them how I did it so quickly, probably covering up how he wasn’t paying attention in the process. I tell my father I knew exactly where those flowers need...

When I was first starting out as a writer, I spent most of my prewriting time on plotting. I initially approached planning out my fiction like we’re all taught to approach essay writing: it’s all about the outline. So that’s where I’d always start: with plot. Please don’t misunderstand me. Story structure is vitally important, and I’ll advocate for taking the time to craft an airtight plot all day long. But, as we know from our Aristotle, character is the engine of plot. (If Aristotle’s Poetic...

Good morning Stage 32 Creative Crew! It’s Monday and we’re revved and ready to enter this final week of May with not one - but two success stories courtesy of writer connections made through Stage 32. This double dose comes to us from Sarah J. Cornelius the Production and Development Executive at Whitewater Films. If you are unfamiliar with Sarah, she is the powerhouse executive for veteran producer Rick Rosenthal, the Oscar and Emmy-nominated Director & Producer and CEO of Whitewater Films....

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, our friends over at StudioBinder recently released part three in their series about the four types of endings: Bitter, Semi-Sweet, sweet, and Bittersweet. In this video, they dive into the semi-sweet ending and how your characters wants and needs definite their character arc along the way. They i...

Happy Saturday Stage 32! As many of you may know, I host an Instagram LIVE every week on @stage32 highlighting some amazing Stage 32 members from all over the world. We cover everything from how to sell a TV movie, how to ace self-tape auditions, how to research your way to the top of the entertainment industry and more. Recently, I had the supreme pleasure of chatting with two powerhouse Stage 32 members that have been working hard to make magic happen in their entertainment careers in 2021 -...

One of the questions screenplay newbies writers face is where to start and how to do it. This is quite normal for beginners and those who are just entering this industry. You can read hundreds of books, watch many tutorials, but never start writing your screenplay. It often happens because you only get basic guidelines, but when it comes to writing, you realize that you have not received any practical skills. If it sounds familiar to you and you cannot get off the ground, then this article w...

There is still a big misconception about animation and its potential use in production. From opening titles, info graphics, dreamy segments, sequences taking place in a different timeline, to whole animated documentaries. Animation is your ally in virtually any production. How to choose a versatile studio and why this practice is not going away any time soon. I have to admit; it took me a while to finally get to say I work in animation without people having a blank stare on their faces in...

Print communication isn’t dead, but challenges exist for book and comic book authors, as well as newspaper and magazine journalists, to get their messages across to readers who have so many high-tech options to receive information and entertainment. Filmmakers and visual communicators can utilize print media as tools; and create additional products to bring their works to an expanded audience. We’ll use tips and past successes to show you how.     A LITTLE HISTORY AND THEORY Anyone inv...