Advice

We’re all looking for a hero. This is especially true on a film set where all too often, chaos reigns, but not every superhero jumps around in spandex and underwear. Indeed, one hero carries a more unsuspecting symbol of hope. That hero is you—the 2nd AD! Your on-set weapon for combating chaos: the call sheet! but how can you get the most out of this secret weapon? Strap yourself in; we’re about to tell you how to take your set to the next level.                   1. Have a Centralized Plan—...

It was one of my (mostly) daily tips in the screenwriting lounge that spawned this post, but it was also mentioned that perhaps the community would be interested in things I’ve learned and could relay in regards to my experience. So, I put the two thoughts on the simmer burner of my brain and when I went to check the pot, I remembered that both my creative approach to projects and my personal approach to professional accomplishment, are one in the same and that is the most valuable tidbit I coul...

No Weekend Blog this week as RB attends to Stage 32 and personal business at the Sundance Film Festival. Should be noted, the Stage 32 panels have been incredibly well received. We'll be posting clips over the coming weeks! In the meantime, we wanted to bring you a recent interview RB did for the radio show Acting Up Radio hosted by Will Roberts. In this interview RB goes over when he was producing the Sundance Award-Winning film, Another Happy Day, how that helped spur the idea of Stage 32. H...

When I was invited to share with the masses my first thought was the Pet Shop Boy's 'What Have I Done To Deserve This'? I am one of those proverbial aspiring creatives with an insatiable hunger, looking for a foot in the door. So far, only small work on projects that aren't even a blip on an intergalactic map. Then it hit me like a kick to Rhonda Rousey's head. I've always had a certain mindset. A manner of thinking that everyone and I mean EVERYONE who wants to succeed in a creative industry wh...

I’ve been fortunate to have my work screened at some pretty amazing festivals. Thin Line in Texas. The London Underground Film Festival. And most recently at TRIFI in my home state of Washington. It’s not only a thrill to know people will be watching your work on the big screen. It’s also exciting to be in the audience with them. To do a Q&A afterward. To rub shoulders with other filmmakers. To visit a new city. The whole package. But sometimes your expectations don’t match your reality. The...

I’ve recently had the pleasure of working as Christopher Lennertz's scoring assistant for Universal Picture’s Ride Along 2 (coming out tomorrow - Friday, January 15th, 2016!). I’ve worked on many projects in this role since then, but being a scoring assistant on my first big studio film taught me many lessons.   1. Always Know What’s Happening/Get CC’d: Try to get yourself cc’d on as many email chains as possible. Sure it makes for a crowded inbox (Gmail filters/folders are a huge help!) bu...

The Only Rule is Success. Sounds easy, right? Not always, but it is something you can trust.   I was taught three things growing up:   1) You can be anything you want to be if you are willing to work for it. 2) You have a gift and talent, learn your skills. 3) The questions are what is interesting, the answers are all around you.   My life began on a beach in South Texas, with a family from a farm and a college town in Arkansas.  I always knew what I wanted - to get to LA, and...

When considering your options with a script you've written (or even one that you are producing) it's important to consider all avenues for its exposure to development, including contests and coverage. Today our Founder & CEO, RB, goes over why it is important that you know the keys to each. In this 5-minute clip (which is part of his Film Courage interview series), RB goes over the #1 one most important criteria to consider when entering a screenwriting contest. In addition, gives 3 pieces of...

One of the biggest challenges we face as artists is how to balance the creative and business demands that are required to have a successful career. Oftentimes, it is these difficulties that lead us down a path of 'getting a real job' or 'settling down' – and giving up on our dream, but, if you’re in this industry, you’re in it for a reason – because you HAVE to be. Living a life of comfort and stability is nice, but not if the cost is your dream. Speaking as one of you and having faced this chal...

Hark, Filmmakers! For I hath climb’d the Big Data Mountain and I returned with holy verses for when thouest plans to commit thyself to speak to the masses via crowdfunding and ye shall thee listen… ok I can’t keep this up. I’ll be honest – I liked the headline, but carrying on the tone will get tiresome for you and I. So here’s the skinny. In the past few months I’ve been studying a lot of crowdfunding campaigns by filmmakers. 47,809, in fact. I gathered data on all crowdfunding campaigns laun...