Advice

I couldn't pass this one up, people. Especially because we have to talk to others. I mean, you can try like hell to go through life making a living and not having conversations, but I feel like that really wouldn't work. I mean, have you ever tried to go through an entire day without saying a word to anyone? Okay, okay, you probably you have. Hell, that's me today. (It's a quiet day as I write this and the only living things around me are my two dogs, dead exhausted from the walk I took them...

Reclaim Your Worth. Reclaim Your Art. As an artist, you need a powerful, resilient, yet flexible and fluid sense of self-worth. Self-worth keeps you connected to your creative energy. When you feel in touch with your self-worth, you can make art that you believe in. You trust the value of what you create - its message, meaning, power, and purpose. A real trust in your creativity begins with accepting yourself and all that you are. Connected to yourself, you’re able to maintain a solid be...

Create High Value Conflicts The key reason most scripts/films fail is that they were not properly conceived. That is, when the central conflict of the film’s story was being created not enough thought was put into to finding the best dramatic ideas in it. However, by asking the right dramatic questions, writers, producers and directors can create central conflicts that are strong enough to be developed into first-rate stories. Following are ideas showing how to develop a strong central conflict...

For the past few weeks we’ve been featuring videos in our crowdSOURCING series hosted by Stage 32 CEO, Richard “RB” Botto. RB authored his best-selling book, Crowdsourcing For Filmmakers, Indie Film and the Power of the Crowd to light the way for indie filmmakers and other creatives looking to make their mark with independent projects. In the new video below, he talks about how to use crowdsourcing to build an audience. “Boots on the ground,” as he says, are needed to carry the message of your...

Good Morning, Stage 32! Happy Sunday to you. Hope it's off to a good start. Grab your cup, have a seat, and let's educate ourselves with some quick videos this morning. First up, as filmmakers, we sometimes have to capture a shot that covers a whole 'lotta ground. And what better way to do that than with a drone? Check out 20 Drove Tips to Fly Like a Pro Filmmaker. Next, how important is lighting in a low light situation? Our second video from our friends at Aputure know a thing or two ab...

Julie Andrews. Lionel Richie. Michael Bublé. Keith Urban. Meghan Trainor. Celine Dion. Adele. What do these artists have in common? Each and every one has had vocal cord microsurgery, a procedure that attempts to fix vocal burnout and other serious vocal chord injuries. This kind of vocal damage isn't unusual. As a matter of fact, it's said to be an epidemic in the performing arts. Philipp Schmidli/Getty Images   But is there a cure that doesn't require surgery? Some experts say there i...

Is your writing on the money? But there is no money in your pocket to pay for contest fees or pitching time? Do you want to get noticed? Score your first screenwriting credit? Then keep reading. I've been writing for six years. Entered my screenplays into contests. I even traveled to a pitching festival in Los Angeles. (I live in Holland.) But all of this costs money, money this screenwriter, working a part time job, did not always have. So how was I going to get noticed, then? I had to sit...

In our ever so wonderful and creative La La Land, there is a crowded little neighborhood called Development Hell. The real estate that sits there can potentially be worth millions, but the building phase is excruciating long. So long, actually, that the developers and architects behind it often give up altogether or turn it over and sell it back for scraps. This is the sad place where creativity and passion are replaced by stagnancy and frustration. If you've ever optioned a project, that...

Is the trend to query production companies instead of reps with a script? It's a question that many Stage 32 members have asked in the past in our lounges right here on the platform. Now Richard Botto and Jason Mirch handle the question for a writer during the free "Ask Me Anything" webinar hosted by both gentlemen. A hint on how they responded? Query letters are tough. And if you have attachments to your film, maybe a letter can help. But don't dive in with a blind letter. Click below to hear...

Welcome back to our ongoing crowdSOURCING series. In today’s video, join Stage 32’s very own Richard “RB” Botto as he talks about how the team of the feature documentary film, Mile…Mile and a Half, used crowdsourcing to help fund their film AND create an army of support that led to selling out film festival screenings and debuting at #2 on iTunes, right behind Jiro Dreams of Sushi (with all sorts of incredible successes in between). And they’re still crowdsourcing their audience today! Prepa...