Advice

I've worked with a lot of big-name talent, developed movies from best-selling books from Stephen King to Ann Rule, and optioned and developed a few Opera Book Club picks including Songs In Ordinary Time, Jewel (won the Humanitas Award), and Midwives. I have worked with and developed projects for Warner Brothers, Sony/Tri-Star/Columbia, Mark Harmon's Wings Productions, and more over the past 30 years of my career. Over the years, I have worked with hundreds of screenwriters in all stages of the...

Hello, my fellow creatives. In this survival guide, I will be focusing on a checklist and things to keep in mind when shooting a documentary or good old fashion interviews. There are many ways to skin a cat, and it is up to you to test and refine what works so you can effectively handle any curve balls and do your job efficiently while keeping on schedule. Choosing The Right Space It goes without saying picking the right location for your documentary or interview is important. Does it make s...

Welcome back to TALKING BUSINESS: Insights from the Independent Film Industry, hosted by Stage 32 Thought Leader and Business Consultant, David Zannoni, from Freeway Entertainment and Zannoni Media. In TALKING BUSINESS, David brings you in-depth conversations on the behind-the-scenes of the filmmaking business with industry veterans. In today’s third episode, David speaks with Alex Balassa of Balassa Films, an award-winning Hungarian-Chilean producer, content creator, and director with a stron...

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, SUCCESSION may have ended, but we still haven't recovered from some o...

How do you interact on a Social Media Group? It is not an easy task these days. Whether it’s Facebook, Clubhouse, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Zoom- it has become easier to connect with other like-minded people across races, genders, time zones, and nations. The Covid-19 pandemic grew this way of communication even more. You may not know how or what to contribute to the conversation. Every actor or creative professional's reason for joining a social media group is different: networking, co...

Introduce Yourself Weekend is a great way to kick-start engagement every single month here on Stage 32, but that’s just the starting point! One of the biggest relationship builders in the industry is consistency. When you’re able to be consistent, you build inherent trust while also staying top of mind—and staying top of mind MATTERS. If you want to be successful in the entertainment business, you need your name to become synonymous with what you do. That way, when someone is looking for a sc...

Want to stand out and make connections fast on Stage 32? Introduce Yourself Weekend is one of the greatest ways to do that. On the third weekend of every month, all weekend long, members of Stage 32 are looking to connect with one another. Considering that Stage 32 is the largest online networking platform for Film and TV creatives and professionals—that’s pretty epic. Whether you’re looking to connect with industry executives, make industry friends, or simply practice getting your work out i...

Documentaries have been produced since 1922. They were always considered the educational part of moviemaking; not entertainment. That has all changed. We are in the Golden Age of Documentaries. Prominent directors are using the documentary format to tell their stories. My documentary "Homecoming: Veterans, Wives, Mothers" joined the ranks for consideration for the “Outstanding Short Form Non-Fiction” Daytime Emmy Award in 2021. I need to say this format is one I use when I think a topic merits...

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, we're looking at taking your project's visuals to the next level with framing in this video from In Depth Cine. There are certain framing styles that everyone is taught, and then there are the ones you mimic as you emulate the filmmakers you love and are trying to find your own style. But frami...

None of us live in a bubble. Neither does the creative process. In movies, the development of the story is usually the longest part of the process. It makes sense. Getting the plot and characters developed must happen before a single word is typed into your favorite scriptwriting software. Index cards may litter your floor or maybe you are one of the lucky ones who can see the entire story in your head – you are rare. At this stage, there is the fewest number of people involved as well and...