Advice

Tips on techniques I used on the feature film ON THE HORIZON. On The Horizon was a process that took four years. I’ve learned a lot in that period of time. For the past 12 years, I have been working on short films, music videos and now feature films. All my projects have always been done the same way, with barely any budget and no crew at all, but I was still successful. I won festivals around the world and secured funding for two feature films. I wanted to share with you some crucial tips on...

The February edition of On Stage With RB was our highest attended yet! Nearly 2200 viewed the webcast LIVE! Incredible! I was honored to have two incredible guests on the show - independent film producer, David Harris, and writer, actor, producer, David Paterson. Both provided an amazing amount of information and inspiration.   The entire webcast can be viewed here, but for the purpose of today's blog, we've broken down my interview with David Harris into 6 segments (as well as the entire in...

Many commercials and some re-enactment parts come to you with one simple instruction: 'No sides, all improvised'. For all those trained comedians, this is a huge relief and they can walk in excited to play with new scene partners. For the actors who are more comfortable with scripts…panic will start to set in. "Improv?! Do I have to be funny, what if my scene partner stinks at improv?" Here are five things you can focus on that will make your auditions memorable.  1: Focus on your partner. One...

Greetings Earthlings!   What a great reaction for the first article - thanks to everyone for reading and commenting!   February has been a busy month for camera announcements. And I suspect March will be as well leading into major events like WPPI and NAB.   Canon, Nikon, Sony, and even Pentax had major announcements. And interestingly, only one of them was mirrorless.   I don’t know… seems like the entire planet is talking ‘mirrorless this’ and ‘mirrorless that’ but yet I also recently...

I wrote my first book when I was five years old. Ok, 'book' may be a bit strong. What I wrote was five pages of a story, on notebook paper, front and back. I stapled this along the left-hand side and finished it with a nice masking tape binding. I even did a custom illustrated cover and a hand-lettered synopsis on the back. The finest in artisanal publishing. Of course, when I brought it to school the next day, my teacher and my fellow students laughed. “Real books aren’t written on noteboo...

Currently in this day and time, with modern computer technology, there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to purchasing and using a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). Using a DAW, also means the use of dedicated music software, in conjunction with a personal computer and a separate pro audio interface. Some people still prefer to center their music production around a hardware based DAW, which is an all in one box for sampling, sequencing and looping. Often hardware DAWs are usuall...

I always chuckle when I read a query letter from a writer saying they have included the first 10 pages of their screenplay because I’ll “be so hooked by the first 10 pages,” I will certainly request the whole thing. I laugh because it’s not the first 10 pages of a screenplay that concern the reader - it is everything from Page 30 to 75 that we focus on. Arguably, writing the first 10 pages of a screenplay is not terribly difficult to write. The writer is simply setting up his character and the...

In my career on various TV news and interview shows, I’ve visited more than 5,000 sets – movie, TV and web series. This is my advice for when you visit a set. I was there primarily as a journalist to interview the filmmakers and cast, but I think it applies to anyone who might find themselves on the set of someone else’s production.   1. THEIR PRODUCTION IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE This means that you shouldn’t interfere in any way with their shooting, their schedule or their plan...

Last week, President of the Stage 32 Happy Writers, was a guest on Pilar Alessandra's top ranked screenwriting podcast, On the Page. In this enjoyable 45 minute interview, Joey discussed: - The President he's related to - The origins and history of the Stage 32 Happy Writers - The number of Stage 32 Happy Writers Success Stories - 5 Things EVERY writer should avoid when pitching This is one informative and entertaining podcast. Our thanks to Pilar for having Joey as a gue...

As an artist and storyteller, I know all too well the struggles of making art. Your very first sketch is met with resounding confirmation: "I am wasting my time." Eventually that's partnered with "I am not good enough." If you somehow survive this double onslaught of internal doubt, you will meet the most vicious internal critic of them all:   "No one will care."   Let me tell you a story.   A little over three years ago one of the lowest points in my life occurred. I was laid off. T...