Advice

Most professions have special terms that get shortened to acronyms. This can make for better communication, particularly in high-pressure situations. Popular in texting are; LOL - laughing out loud, OMG - oh my g*d, IMHO - in my humble opinion, etc. Governments use acronyms: NASA, FBI, CIA, KGB, NSA (jokingly also known as the No Such Agency). The military has TDY – Temporary Duty (for us it’s going on location), AAR – After Action Review (the Production Report), BDA – Battle Damage Assessm...

Happy Thursday, Creative Army! As many of you know, one of my missions when I launched Stage 32 was to have the platform become the go-to destination for entertainment industry education around the world. Over the last 13 years, Stage 32 has been bringing relevant, actionable, and timely entertainment industry education to creatives and professionals around the world. Our webinars, classes, and labs have been, and remain, taught by world-class educators who are working in the business right...

I love love in all its forms. It is what makes you, me, us go round. As we are in the month of love, I want to write about just this topic. As creatives, I think many struggle with love in ways that are unique to our industry, especially when it comes to ourselves. We can take a lot of rejection over a prolonged period, so much so that we begin to believe that we and our work are, well, not so much – that is a harsh position to take with oneself. And as storytellers, especially writers, we sp...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? I have some content here for you that is sure to get the creative juices flowing, so grab your coffee, and let's dive in. First up, in this video from Vanity Fair, some of today's most well-known and critically-acclaimed stars answer viewers' burning questions. While entertaining, this video shows us both how unique and similar everyone's journey is to the top.  Next up, in this video from the Writers' Guild Foundation, y...

I believe in growth on both a personal and professional level. Next-level greatness is only accessible if we know how to do a regular check-in ourselves and take inventory of where and how our energy is spent. As Aristotle has said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act but a habit." Career longevity of 30 years brings gifts. I have applied myself on many levels, from branding to marketing, to selling to learning how to finance, network, create marketing materials, and be aut...

Script analysis is a crucial component of screenwriting that can make or break the success of a screenplay. By delving into the specifics of script analysis, we can better understand the key elements that contribute to a script's overall impact. In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the various elements that are looked at during script analysis, from character development and conflict and story chronology to dialogue and theme. By understanding these elements and how they work together,...

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” ~ Arthur Ashe “What happens when we go over time?” The room went quiet. The new sound operator repeated himself, “What happens when we go into overtime?” My crew smiled at me as I turned and replied, “We don’t.” I then continued answering and discussing other questions in the pre-pro meeting. Let me preface this by saying this was not a studio film. This was an indie feature, titled Caralique, which I was the director/producer of....

We all need a little help, every now and then. One of the greatest things about being a writer is that there are so many tools out there designed to help us. The problem is, people don’t know they exist. When you’re a writer, you have to be a Jack (or Jill) of many trades and learn not just about writing, but about editing, and the business itself. It’s all part of honing our craft. And while, at times, the task may seem daunting, I’ve discovered a lot of online resources that I’ve found to...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! First, congratulations to all of you who have already participated in our monthly Introduce Yourself Weekend! Thousands of connections have been made between entertainment creatives and professionals from around the globe. Whether you are a long-time member or brand new to Stage 32, take a moment to pop over to the Introduce Yourself Lounge and say hello before the end of the weekend. First up, in this video from Letterboxd, Oscar winners Martin Scorsese and Leon...

Humans are creatures of story. We have that innate desire to tell stories. Animation is one of the most useful means to tell stories. In what way? Take a look at beautiful, story-driven animated movies that you've probably seen on screen past and present. I'm sure a number of them have come to mind by now. Many of these animated movies, some we've treasured since we were kids. For some of us, we may have curated a list of the best animated movies and series we've watched. What makes us...