Advice

You’re in the middle of working on the best pilot script you’ve ever written. It’s fresh and unique, and you couldn’t be more excited about it. You even did your homework before beginning – you did lots of research to see what similar shows were out there and you were reassured that there was nothing quite like your concept. Then a new show is announced or (worse) airs, only for you to discover that this is the very same idea you’ve been working on, just with a slightly different twist. You feel...

Good morning, Creative Army. Welcome to the last Coffee & Content of 2018. We've had some fun, haven't we? Hopefully we've learned a bit along the way. Let's finish strong, shall we? Brian Helgeland has written some remarkable screenplays including L.A. Confidential (one of my personal favorites). In another phenomenal entry of the BAFTA Guru Series, Helgeland discusses the craft, the business, and how to navigate the highs and lows as writer. Next up from This Guy Edits, a look at the e...

Leave 'em wanting more.Keep 'em guessing.Leave the door open so the audience walks through. The idea of writing a TV series with irresistible cliffhangers is one that may have some writers confused, especially when it comes to the execution. But Lucy V, Hay of Bang2Write feels that too many mysteries or unanswered questions could mislead the viewer. Don't give them up, she says. Just use them the right way.     "...this is the problem with a good 80% of the TV spec series I see: they...

You know all those things that filmmakers, screenwriters, and actors bemoan about here on Stage 32? Can’t raise the finances to make a movie. Can’t get distribution. Can’t get a break. 'Getting Grace', a film starting Daniel Roebuck, on a film scroll in a movie theater. Well, I know a guy who would disagree with you and is proving anything is possible. And not just any guy, but the man who played the second lead of Cliff Lewis on Matlock, Dr. Leslie Arzt on LOST, movies like The Fugitive,...

Never mind solutions: the challenge is where to begin with the problems. This post is for all of you newbies, like myself. This coming year I intend to make my fourth and (possibly) fifth feature. They are No Budget features, as I still have another year at University and am thus skint. Apologies for teaching people to suck eggs, when I am but an egg myself. But you never know. There may be an odd but useful nugget in here. Here are my suggested solutions for no budget film problems: 1) Ke...

A few years ago I was struggling with a major script problem. No matter how hard I wracked my brain I couldn’t find a solution. I felt helpless. At the same time, I didn’t want to let go of a project I cared about and spent so much time on. I then came across two approaches to screenplay writing which completely blew my mind, The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler and a simplified version called The Story Circle by Dan Harmon (Community, Rick & Morty). I thought, what do I have to lose?...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army. Hope you're all doing well and enjoying the holiday season. Let's get into the holiday spirit with the gift of giving...Here's some more Coffee & Content. First, from our friends at This Guy Edits, it's 3 Filmmaking Mistakes to Avoid. As usual, this one is comprehensive and insightful. Next up, writer, director, and producer Ryan Coogler talks film school and much more in this chill conversation with the Hollywood Reporter. Hope you enjoy the content and will...

"...filmmakers with dreams of Sundance should not view the network of festival programmers, nonprofit talent developers, producers, and yes, filmmakers (no recommendations mean more) as a hurdle. In reality, their tentacles spread far and deep searching for talent." It's hard to read the above excerpt and think that it can possibly be true. Of course getting into Sundance offers a series of hurdles. You have to have clout, right? Sure you do. But how do you measure it? And what does it all m...

Are you craving a successful career in Hollywood, but can’t seem to get your first big break? Are you struggling with rejection, discouragement, fear, doubt, or feelings of failure? I have good news for you. If you feel like you’ve hit rock bottom, continue to get rejection letters, or haven’t landed the role you’ve been dreaming of, making a different choice can truly change your life.   The Secret to My Success After taking a giant leap of faith by moving my family from Chicago where m...

We want strangers to care. Maybe not when we're out picking up milk or driving to work on any given day, no. We tend to be too wrapped up in our own selves during those times to care about what others are pondering. But when we're writing about milk or driving, we want complete strangers to be emotionally invested in our story. We want them to understand every move our characters make.     Erik Bork, best known for his work on HBO's Band of Brothers, is also a Stage 32 member and bl...