Advice

Greetings from sunny London.  It's been an inspiring last few days screening our 3rd Annual Short Film Program at the Raindance Film Festival and shining a light on the incredible filmmakers who won this year's competition.  More on that soon, but for now, let's get to the Coffee & Content. First up, last week's Goodfellas Script to Screen proved to be extremely popular, so I figured I'd double up this weekend with a look at Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher's work with The Social Network. Thin...

It wasn't that long ago that my writing partner and I got burned by a cinematographer. We didn't get burned bad, but it was enough to wake me up to the importance of release forms and contracts. If you were part of the lounge discussion a while back, it looked like this:   Dozens of you offered me sound advice, some of which we took after talking to a lawyer. The issue was resolved and we found an incredible DP who got the job done. My takeaway was simple: ALWAYS HAVE A SIGNED CONTRAC...

FADE IN. INT. RADIO STATION – DAY CHYRON: APRIL 6TH, 2018 A small gathering of radio personalities and sales people sit around a table enjoying pizza and tales of yesterday. They range from the sentimental (like helping lonely seniors during the holidays) to the absurd (like the time a DJ mispronounced the name Kuntz in front a mall filled with Black Friday Shoppers. ) A banner hangs saying “Good luck Keith.” Hugs are shared and Keith (30’s) has tears of joy with a smile of relief and hope...

Hey, guys! Alex and Trevor here, back with our regular Stage 32 segment: Ask us Anything. Our last question and video answer can be found HERE. Today's question is from Stage 32 Member, Tom Stohlgren: Great question, Tom! When a final draft is handed over, many people expect that to be the end of the road for creative input from a screenwriter, but in some cases, it is imperative to have the screenwriter a short distance away on set. Alex and Trevor discuss when a screenwriter should...

Tiegen Kosiak is an independent film, television, and digital producer. She is also the co-founder (aka “Crime Boss”) of The Young Hollywood Mafia, an entertainment networking group with 150+ members. Tiegen is currently producing the $3MM thriller titled Borrego, which she discovered in a Stage 32 pitch session in 2016. The project is incubating at a major studio with a high-level cast attachment. Tiegen got her start in the industry working in commercial production in Los Angeles and New Yor...

Some of you have seen the power of connecting right here on Stage 32.Some of you are still discovering that power. Here is one story of how Stage 32 connections are changing the way we move and connect with other creatives in the film industry. More Than a Hello When Stage 32 decided to become the networking partner for the first ever VIP Film and TV Summit in Washington D.C. on August 25th, 2018, we had no idea that our fast-growing social and education network was a big part of how event...

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my career as a screenwriter (on projects like HBO’s Band of Brothers) – and as a teacher and consultant to writers at all levels – it’s that projects tend to live or die based on their core idea or concept. That’s why I called my new book The Idea: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story for Screen, Stage or Fiction.     As a professional writer, my agents and managers have tried to talk me out of most of my ideas for series or screenplays, and they’ve...

Happy Sunday to all.  Let's jump right in. First, from the guys at Script to Screen, it's a look at the famous bar scene from Goodfellas.  Get your shine box and settle in. Next, from our friends at Apture, it's 4 Cinematic Lighting Setups for filmmakers. Finally, over the last 7 years, I've received hundreds (literally) of DM's, emails, etc, asking me for recommendations on books, movies, scripts to read, workout equipment, diet and supplement advice and other things I'd rather not mentio...

  If you’re a feature screenwriter like me, the following are probably your mantra: Economy with words. White space on the page. 120 pages or less. As mantras go, it’s not going to set the world on fire, but it works. It takes some getting used to. Writers, by their very nature, love words and often have a tendency to waffle on, using very long sentences to describe something that actually you could’ve described perfectly well in three words, but where’s the fun in that? You’ve probab...

If you’re reading this, then chances are you need a new perspective on your acting career. Many of us subject ourselves to unhealthy expectations from this crazy business. We unknowingly compare our careers to 100-yard dashes or corporate ladders. We expect that one step leads to the next in a predictable, linear fashion. We think that if we’re motivated, we can get to that finish line (series regular, red carpet, etc.) in record time. Despite the countless books, teachers, and mentors out th...