Advice

Sue Scott-Escudero: My question is - What is the main thing you are trying to accomplish with your films.. when you die, what kind of message or influence do you hope to leave to mankind here on Earth? Thank you. TS: When I was first starting out, I wanted to be able to make people feel like I had when I watched Gary Cooper, Marlon Brando, James Dean. As I matured, I realized something inside me was beckoning. Trevor Mayes: Hello Mr. Stamp. What's your secret to imbuing your characters w...

What if you could have the ear of someone with decades of experience in the film industry? A Golden Globe winner...An Academy Award nominee. What would you ask him? What knowledge would you hope to gain? Well, this is your chance. Actor extraordinaire, and one of my favorite performers of all time, Terence Stamp, has graciously agreed to a Q&A with Stage 32. And here's the rub: You get to ask the questions. With over 70 credits to his name in a career spanning 6 decades, Terence has...

Be resilient. If it's not already painfully obvious, you have to have thick skin. Perseverance is a very handy quality to have at this stage. I can tell you from experience it hurts to be rejected. And it really hurts to be rejected over and over; they add up and pile on and when there's nothing but bad news, you have to believe in your film, even when seemingly, others don't. Pig, for instance, has been a successful festival film by most measures, but we were rejected by eight festivals befo...

I don't consider myself a film festival expert, necessarily, compared to those who work or have worked for festivals, or those who write about them extensively or exclusively, or have written popular books about them, or teach courses on them, or whatever, but after attending countless film festivals for well over 20 years, often with films of my own, I've certainly accumulated a number of pointers with regard to developing a festival strategy for your independent film. The first rule is: develo...

Our CEO, Richard Botto, is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Indie Source Magazine. Our thanks to Indie Source Executive Editor and Stage 32 member Chris Parker for his generosity and for making this possible. To read the interview (starting on page 14) please click here. As always, RB is available for questions or remarks in the comments section below.

Jeanne Veillette Bowerman Butterflies swirl in your stomach. Your palms sweat. Despite an overwhelming sense of anxiety, the emotion churning is hope. Hope they like you. Hope they want to build a relationship with you. Hope you'll hit a home run. First date? Nope. I'm referring to pitching. But whether a date or a pitch meeting, a first impression will make or break you. Don't blow it. I've not only seen my share of writer roadkill on the sidelines of pitchfests, I've also listen...

When he's not enjoying a pint at his favorite local pub, Marc Savage runs a terrific site out of Ireland called Following The Nerd. He also hosts an equally brilliant podcast. Marc was gracious enough to have me as a guest on the show, and we discussed all things 32 including welcoming our 50,000th member to what the future has in store. My thanks goes out to him for his time and his generosity of spirit. Special thanks also to my friend, Scott Myers. Scott runs Go Into The Story, simply the...

Literary agent and Stage 32 member, Babz Bitela, hosts an outstanding podcast for screenwriters called Babz Buzz. As entertaining as it is informative, Babz's show is a must listen for screenwriters of all proficiencies. Whether it's tips on honing your craft, breaking down the beat points of successful scripts, or discussing what's selling and why, no one has their finger on the pulse of the screenwriting community like Babz. On her most recent podcast, Babz was kind enough to not only spea...

If you're a screenwriter, I highly recommend bookmarking the Selling Your Screenplay blog. Head honcho, Ashley Scott Meyers, has written over 20 screenplays, nearly all of them optioned or sold. I've been a reader for years and I can tell you firsthand, his opinions and insight are invaluable. Ashley was kind enough to ask me to guest blog for SYS. Check it out here: The Power of Networking. As always, I'm open to questions and remarks in the comments section below. Enjoy! -- RB...

The hardest working woman in showbiz - and Stage 32 member - Jeanne Veillette Bowerman was kind enough to profile Stage 32 in her latest Balls of Steel column for Script Magazine. Hope you enjoy it. Please remember to leave any feedback or questions for us in the comments section below. I'm sure Jeanne would love to hear from you as well in the comments section at the bottom of her article. You can also visit Jeanne at her Stage 32 profile. Check out the article here: Balls of Steel:...