Advice

I always just assumed that I would get an email one day asking about some old footage I had of Lin-Manuel Miranda busking in the streets of Scotland. I knew I had the footage on a drive (even some of the old tapes on my desk now) and at some point, there would be a biographer or documentarian who would realize that I am the person to ask about this old footage. Lin, after all, had become quite literally become one of the most famous people in the world and I had some pretty magical moments captu...

A NOVEL IDEA It was back in 2010 when I was first approached about publishing a novel. I was a lighter shade of Latina actress who had met the frustration of waiting for casting directors and agents to notice me, and see me as Latina enough...so I decided to write my own stage play. It was my autobiographical, coming of age story, that would show people once and for all who I was, instead of waiting for them to see and find a place for me. My one-woman stage play (Brownsville Bred) took the fe...

In these strange, uncertain, and truly and worrying times, as the writer, producer, and director of the independent feature film Killing Lionel I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on my journey as a film-maker and hopefully offer some insight and perhaps some advice. Before I proceed, I’d like to add that everything I write here is based on the experiences of the last six years of my life. Before this time period, I was an amateur filmmaker, with a handy-cam and a dream! As it is with a...

In 2018, that script I started six years earlier would be named as the Grand Prize Winner in Stage 32’s third annual feature screenwriting competition. A few weeks later and I’m in Los Angeles for the first time — well, not counting layovers at LAX, because who really wants to count those, am I right? Every day, I was in meetings with filmmakers behind movies like Ready or Not and Swiss Army Man. And to top off the week, Stage 32 had set me up with a meeting at Verve Talent & Literary Agenc...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! I hope you are having a great Memorial Day Weekend so far. This fine Sunday morning, I invite you to take in some film content while you sip your daily dark roast. Let's dive in, shall we? First up, let's talk about plot twists. Ever since Darth Vadar told Luke "I am your Father", filmmakers and screenwriters have been entranced with the art of perfecting the plot twist. In this first video, The Closer Look uses Rian Johnson's Knives Out to illustrate how to maste...

It’s not so difficult to come up with an idea worthy of becoming a film, and the competition is not so great. According to statistics, an average of about 700 new films are made in America and Canada each year. One of these films may be based on your idea too. In this article, we decided to tell how to create an outstanding story plot lines that can be easily directed.   1. Decide on the Genre and Watch the World-Famous Movies in This Area So, before you start creating something of your...

In the Summer of 2005, I was a freelance Associate Producer working in New York, just getting my start in the business. In many ways it’s tempting to look back upon those days now and say that I didn’t know anything. We do that to our younger selves and the nostalgic stories we tell. But the truth is, although I had very little experience and very little understanding of how to actually create content, I knew what I liked. I knew what I thought was good storytelling, and I had a lot of confidenc...

Hello! My name is Jon Kohan and I’m a screenwriter from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. When you think of Pennsylvania you don’t really think Hollywood. In the history of my hometown, there have only been two major Hollywood movies filmed in the city; Slap Shot (1977) and All the Right Moves (1983). A lot of us have dreams that in order for us to see them to fruition, we must make a literal move. In the case of filmmaking, if you want to make movies you have to go where movies are made. The obvio...

Happy Wednesday Stage 32! We hope this blog finds you healthy, happy, safe, and creative. Over the last two months in quarantine, we have been working tirelessly to make Stage 32 your online home to stay connected with over 650,000 film, tv, and new media creatives from across the globe - no hand sanitizer or face masks required. Stage 32 is committed to bringing you entertainment, education, and community from the comfort and safety of your own home.  Now, we are excited to host another f...

Welcome To The Family. How to cast a winning team for your film. Casting isn't just about finding great actors, it's about recruiting a team who will deliver your vision. Here are some key ideas to help you recruit your ensemble.   Actress Sian Youngerman as ‘Amelia’ in a still from my 2017 experimental indie feature ‘The Madness of Tellaralette Seville’.   Read Between the Lines Ensemble casting is a magical part of filmmaking. No other medium seals the chemistry of a group of p...