Advice

Black Creek originated as a writing exercise during quarantine. Now, it’s an independent TV pilot with network actors, Sundance Fellows, and a cutting-edge health and safety solutions company attached. Michael Goitanich and Connor Pannell, the Canadian/American co-production duo behind Black Creek, discuss what they learned throughout production, virtual post-production, and their plans for distribution. This article focuses on what we learned during production, to learn how we handled pre-pro...

As you may recall back in February, long-time Stage 32 member, blog contributor, webinar teacher, and international film & distribution aficionado, David Zannoni began a series of blogs and vlogs to keep you up-to-date on the business of film across the globe. Today, David is sharing some amazing insights into the world of international co-productions in his exclusive Stage 32 vlog. David will answer the following questions:  What is an International Co-Production? What are the benefits...

Don't give up on your dreams, it is never too late. With that being said and because I have been in the business so dang long (40+ years), Stage 32 has asked me to share some of my experiences. Hope you enjoy them. In my early years, I was a mess. Didn’t really know what I wanted to do, so I had many jobs, did a few years in the military, and a few years in business, administrative, sales, and management. During this time, I also spent 10 years as an actor in the theater doing mostly comedy...

One of the things I’ve noticed as I’ve created books and scripts is that no matter what the project is or what your role in the project is, you leave a piece of yourself in everything. We can’t help it. Any undertaking leaves a piece of us, a signature of sorts. With filmmaking, projects come and go and sometimes, you have to walk away. Sometimes, it’s before the project sees the light of day. And to be honest, that’s when it can be the hardest. Today, I’m going to share my experience and...

Good morning Stage 32 Creative Crew! I hope you had a fulfilling weekend and carved out some time to introduce yourself to the Stage 32 community during “Introduce Yourself Weekend” while enjoying the remaining days of summer. If you did not get a chance to say “Hello” yet, there is still time! Can you believe in this whirlwind year, we have blazed right through summer and it has been incredibly busy for members of our Stage 32 community, even while the industry is going through a disrupting per...

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 fres...

Happy Saturday Stage 32! Since March, we have all been adjusting to the "new normal" of social distancing, Zoom meetings, and finally learning how to bake bread. While production rules continue to come into focus around the world, the development side of entertainment has been nonstop. Hollywood has hunkered down in their home offices and producers, agents, actors, and development executives have been reading/optioning more projects than ever (so much free time not having to commute in LA traf...

Hey, Stage 32-ers! It's been said that this business is a marathon, not a sprint. Nothing quite highlights the need to reserve your energy like a pandemic, but sometimes keeping occupied during downtime is the best way is to step back and absorb. You may not know this, but I first signed up for Stage 32's Writer's Room about a year ago because they hosted weekly webinars every Wednesday at 4pm PST. Jason Mirch has fostered a fantastic group of dedicated writers with these webinars, and we just...

The world is changing quickly and the phrase “new normal” is being bandied about with abandon. Even though filming is limited (at best), development continues to move forward and that means producers are busier than ever. In the entertainment industry, scripts continue to be optioned, projects continue to get developed, talent continues to find representation, and production is slowly starting to resume in LA and more so all over the world. So what does producing look like in this "new normal"?...

Happy Tuesday Stage 32!   As you may recall, last month we launched a Vlog Series featuring animation industry veteran, Frank Gladstone. Frank has worked for some of the biggest names in animation (Disney, Warner Bros, and DreamWorks, to name a few!) in his 45+ years in the industry. Frank is also currently the Executive Director for The International Animated Film Society (ASIFA - Hollywood) which hosts the world-famous Annie Awards honoring animators from all over the world. Last month, he a...