Advice

Over the course of nearly 7 years running Stage 32, I have received (literally) hundreds of DM's from creatives complaining about ageism, sexism and just about every other -ism.  The deck is stacked.  The game is rigged.  All that jazz. Anyone who has been around these parts for a while or knows me personally probably have a solid idea as to how I respond:  Content and talent wins the day. Positive energy defeats negative perception. Less excuses, more work. For some, this serves as a...

What's up, my creative friends?  Ready for some more killer content to push you through the remainder of the weekend and get you fired up for the week ahead?  Good.  Let's roll. For many filmmakers, Sidney Lumet's book, Making Movies, is a beloved treasure.  Today I bring you a fantastic (and rare) interview featuring Lumet speaking about his process.  This is one I have no doubt you'll bookmark for repeat viewings - and deservedly so. Next, one of the bigger laments we hear from our executi...

I was fortunate enough to be an integral part of the 90s Independent Film Movement (producing David O. Russell’s Spanking the Monkey, Scarlett Johansson’s breakout role in Manny and Lo, and IFC’s seminal independent film series Split Screen, etc.) and I really believe a new very exciting opportunity for independent film is on the horizon, and not many people are talking about it. There are many ways to raise money for films, for example - foreign sales, grants, studio system, friends/fami...

Why does the world love Ryan Reynolds? Because, at least to all of us, he seems to be unapologetically himself on social media, in interviews and on the red carpet with his stunning and talented wife Blake Lively. In a business that relies so heavily on your “image” it can sometimes seem incredibly frightening to show let your “True Colors Shine Through” (I hope that song is now stuck in everyone’s head!). And even though I can’t imagine the kind of pressure that puts on someone in front of the...

With so many distribution options available for filmmakers these days, it's inevitable that VOD, SVOD and AVOD are part of the discussions for your film. We sat down and talked with Zahida Kazar, the Director of Operations for Gravitas Ventures, who, once a film is acquired works with the filmmakers to deliver their films to places like Netflix, Amazon, iTunes, cable operators and more. Today, on our Stage 32 YouTube page we've posted a video where Zahida gives a great piece of advice to make su...

Happy Sunday, everyone.  Let's get after it. This week for Coffee & Content, another two videos designed to instruct, motivate and inspire. First up, it's How to Motivate Yourself to Write Every Day from Diane Callahan.  Whether you're writing screenplays, novels, short stories or even blogs, I think you'll find this one to be a kick in the ass. Next, from our friends at DSLRguide, it's 50 Tips for Filmmakers.  This one covers a ton of ground from the craft to the business.  Dig in and enj...

As creative artists one thing we often do is work tirelessly on our craft. One thing that sometimes get lost is the "business" of the business. Today, on our YouTube channel we released a video from Stage 32ers Sam Estes and Michael Hobe who are sound designers on films such as INCEPTION, THE DARK KNIGHT, INSIDE OUT and more. In this video Sam and Michael go over an important tip on how to get hired as a creative.  And, remember, if you haven't subscribed to our YouTube page, make sure you do...

  My husband (writer/director) and I (producer) recently read a post on Stage 32, that a US team shot their film in eight days (with an additional three days for rehearsals), with two main cast, few locations and the dramatic concept of topical storylines, that unfolded through video chat. This is a solid idea when shooting a feature on a micro budget, because it requires minimal angles and set-ups, which allows you to shoot more scenes of dialogue per day. Set ups take time, the more se...

Hello, creative army!  Miss me?  All apologies for the lack of Coffee & Content these past 2 Sundays.  Cannes was a wall to wall, all out affair - and a very productive one at that.  I'll be sharing some news from the fest and market soon.  We have some extremely exciting opportunities and initiatives in the works that will be of major interest to our incredibly talented members. Today, however, let's get back to consuming some quality content.  This past week, I had the pleasure - and I do me...

In publishing, you hear the word NO a lot. From your own critique partners and beta readers --"NO, this scene doesn't work." From agents -- "NO, this isn't right for me to represent." From editors and publishers -- "NO, we don't have room in our line for this." Sometimes, NO is a good thing. For example, when your scene could use a little more work or when you're career is heading down the wrong path that isn't right for you anyway. But sometimes, NO has nothing to do with your book and your t...