Advice

Happy Wednesday Stage 32! Here's hoping you are staying connected and creative here on Stage 32. With everything that is going on in the world, it is more important than ever to do just that. If you haven't already, take a look at our fearless leader and CEO Richard "RB" Botto's letter about community in the time of COVID-19. We are honored to provide you with a virtual way to connect with over 600,000 film, tv, and digital creatives from all over the world - no hand sanitizer required. Spea...

Hello Creative Army! More exciting news to share. As you know, a couple of weeks back, we announced and launched Stage 32 Screenings to help filmmakers who were impacted by the cancellation of SXSW get their films seen to a concentrated audience of decision-makers here on Stage 32. The response has been overwhelming. To date, we have received over 100 pieces of entertainment and business media coverage all over the globe (even China!) for our groundbreaking initiative. We’re thrilled to...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! I hope this message finds you healthy and safe. Whether you are in mandated or self-imposed quarantine, there is no better time to connect, learn, and grow with your fellow 600,000 Stage 32 members from across the globe. I hope you were able to wrangle up some coffee because your weekly dose of content is coming in hot.  First up, let's break down how to edit comedy, shall we? There is no better case study for comedic films than the king of comedy himself, Mel Bro...

Happy Friday Creative Army!   Hoping you are all feeling well and staying safe!   As you know, it has been an insane couple of weeks here at Stage 32. Last Monday, we announced that we are screening all films affected by the SXSW cancellation on Stage 32 to our network of financiers, producers, development executives, distributors, and more. The media support has been overwhelming, and our initiative has since been covered by over 75 news outlets including Variety, CNN, Screen Daily, and m...

Small feature films are roads to much bigger projects. A positive, pro-active attitude will propel your work. Here is what you need to give your film a fighting chance against the competition.   Aim For Attention Successful projects happen when you adopt a realistic approach to their completion. Don’t think too big too soon. Storytelling as a filmmaker is a lifelong learning curve but a positive attitude is everything. A feature film carries the kudos and longevity that short-form content...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! For the last week, it has been non-stop here at Stage 32. Ever since we announced our screening initiative to help filmmakers affected by the SXSW cancellation, support from the media and the Stage 32 community has been constant and awe-inspiring. On behalf of my entire team here at Stage 32, we thank you for your epic support. We may have even shouted our thanks from a rooftop or two. The submissions are rolling in, and we are thrilled to be giving these displaced...

Happy International Women's Day Creative Army! Is your coffee ready? I'm about to bring you some white-hot content featuring some powerhouse female filmmakers on this very special International Women's Day edition of Coffee & Content.  We have had some amazing films led by female filmmakers in the last year. Little Women (Greta Gerwig), The Farewell (Lulu Wang), Booksmart (Olivia Wilde), A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Marielle Heller), and Hustlers (Lorene Scafaria) to name a few. Howe...

Call me J.C. - I will be offering blogs from time to time about the process of writing and promoting screenplays. I perhaps am no expert, but I started writing professionally 63 years ago…when I was 16. So, I’ve invested a lot of effort into the process. You name it, I’ve written it, and supported my wife and family well by it. The problem has always been that I’ve been so busy (because I wouldn’t dare to say no to a commercial client), that my creative writing (read Screenwriting) has alw...

We've all had that script or project that we have poured our hearts, souls, and time into. You do the Hollywood hustle networking game and finally, land that big pitch meeting. You passionately pitch your project and eagerly await the executive's praise. Instead, they ask you point blank "what else do you have?"  This question is a staple in any pitch meeting, so it is imperative to know how to answer it when the time comes. Stage 32 CEO Richard "RB" Botto and Director of Script Services Jason...

Despite our industry’s accountability for swathing Donald Trump in the vestments of television celebrity, despite the recent commencement of Harvey Weinstein’s necessary and historic criminal court proceedings... the biggest news coming out of Hollywood today has involved a handful of celebrated filmmakers and their very public commentary on the value of comic book movies, the social ethics of their contemporaries, and the overall state of cinematic craft. To be absolutely clear, I believe in th...