Advice

Every year, I do an end-of-the-year creative review while preparing to set my goals for the new year. It’s helpful for me to do a deep dive into my process, into my productivity, and into the areas where I am most excited to improve. I’ve talked about my year-end review process on the blog before (you can check out that post here if you’re interested in more detail). Today I want to talk about a topic connected to the year-end review that’s very near and dear to my heart: measuring success....

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. I know many of you just finished November Write Club and are asking yourself, "what's the next goal?" Should you move on to the next script? Get feedback and submit your project to contests? Sure! But have you thought about the possibility of producing your film yourself? To see if this is doable, you'll...

Have you ever felt stuck? Or wondered why you can't progress in certain areas of your life? Why do things you want desperately elude you? The answers to these questions might be hidden in your writing. Manifesting is all about sending out and receiving. But...as I have, you might have wondered why some things aren't coming to you. Things you want so dearly. How You Affirm Matters One reason for it not working might be down to how you are transmitting. If you send out: I WANT this to happe...

My love of wildlife and filmmaking began as a small child watching my father's homemade wildlife documentaries of Africa in the attic cinema of our London home. Neither of us could have imagined then that many decades later, indeed 17 years after my father left this mortal coil, my own wildlife documentaries would not only win awards all over the world, but they would be instrumental in helping to pass historic legislation in the United Kingdom that would mark the beginning of the end for the he...

You may have heard Kipling’s refrain, “East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet!” but perhaps you are unaware of how he concludes his "Ballad of East and West"? In that conclusion, Kipling flips his opening thought on its head and leaves us with the idea of a borderless world of universal values, heroic acts, and emotions. I am often reminded of the entrenchment of the first two lines when I look at Bollywood cinema versus Western cinema, but I have reason to believe that a c...

“Move to Montana” is not the advice you’ll get when you tell someone you want to break into the entertainment business. Especially if, like me, you were working at one of the biggest magazines in the country owned by a parent company that also ran TV and movie studios. At that job, I interacted with boldface names and their publicists all day and, as a writer, also interviewed Grammy, Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe winners. You’d think this would be the place to work if you were an aspiring scr...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! I hope those celebrating Thanksgiving had a nice long weekend of feasts, football, and parades, and I hope everyone all around the world had a nice relaxing weekend. I've got holiday gatherings on my mind, my coffee in hand, and your weekly dose of content coming in hot - grab your coffee of choice, and let's dive right in. From Thanksgiving through Christmas and the New Year, this time of year is all about gathering. And who doesn't love a great ensemble film? T...

It’s not uncommon to dream about becoming a screenwriter. You see your words and ideas come to life on TV and movie screens worldwide. That’s fascinating. Have fun with it, and never let go! However, Hollywood has changed in the past years, so screenwriters have to know how to promote themselves. If you don’t have an agent or a manager to help you out, then it might be difficult to establish yourself as a successful professional. You’ll have to do everything on your own. Likely, the digitalize...

Hey, Stage 32ers! I hope if you're not recovering from a Thanksgiving feast that, no matter where you are in the world, you're ready to relax and enjoy the weekend! The holidays are always a great time to look back and applaud the "wins" from the past year, and this community has had some pretty big ones. From booking gigs to signings to projects that are getting made, your passion for your craft and love for this community are what make every success on Stage 32 so incredibly special. Today...

I started to work in the independent film business in 2007. I have since, as an employee, consultant, representative, and executive producer worked for and with global service providers, production companies, individual filmmakers, sales agents, and others in this industry. And although knowledge, expertise, and affinity with the industry are certainly and undeniably important elements as well, I have learned that nothing has been of more importance to my career than building and managing my bus...