Advice

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 was up for a Daytime Emmy in 2021. I need to say this format is one I use when I think a topic merits the documentary style. Most of my work is producing and directing Emmy-nom...

Hello Creative Army! Read any of the trades right now and our industry is in a rapid state of change. The entire Stage 32 team is on the phone every day to keep their fingers on the pulse of what's happening. It's an exciting time for you as a content creator - whether you work in film, television, or digital - and it's equally exciting for content makers because the world has opened wide to international voices traveling beyond borders. We are seeing more and more diverse and international...

Once upon a time, script feedback was only available in one of two ways. Paid or unpaid. As a Stage 32 member, screenwriters can get quality written notes through Industry Standard Coverage or select a reader for Premium Development Notes from an Executive. Plus, members can always reach out through the Screenwriting Lounge to ask fellow screenwriters for a script exchange as a perk of the no-cost Stage 32 membership. But two years ago, one member saw an opportunity to improve as a screenwriter...

The Research Assistant is a relatively new position in the writers’ room, and a great opportunity to launch your career. In fact, I once took over for a Research Assistant who used the position to prove themself and was promoted to a Staff Writer role, so these can be a great way to get your foot in the door as a professional writer. A Research Assistant's job is essential for production as the information gathered allows the writers to not only be creative but also to depict accurate stories....

These days in Hollywood, Intellectual Property is king, particularly in television. It seems as if every other day, we hear about a show being sold or picked up based on a book, an article, a podcast, a true story, or another adaptation of some kind. Intellectual Property (aka IP) has always served as source material for television and film projects but has become increasingly important over the past decade with the explosion of the volume of content. Why is IP so central to developing and selli...

This year, I'm taking my project to the next level, and the first step was to have a table read. I was actually surprised by how simple it was to organize a zoom reading using 100% of the talent through Stage 32. I previously had used some of Stage 32's talent for a zoom reading of the fantasy script, THE CHOICE. This time I had moved on to a more complex reading of a sci-fi/fantasy script called THE LEPIDOPTERAN. The stakes were a little higher with this reading than others as my script is po...

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 getting inspired with this video from British Vogue, interviewing tons of household name actors on how they view the industry and their careers. I think one of the most important questions asked was when the person felt they had "made it." For many of them, they never feel like they have,...

When I first began writing I would sit in front of my computer and struggle to focus. I thought if I stared at that screen long enough that inspiration and creativity would eventually flow onto the page. Rarely did this happen. In fact, probably never. I could not focus for 2 minutes. Really, not even 10 seconds. I did not know it, but I suffered from PTSD and crippling anxiety. The craziest part is that I never considered WHY I had such incredible difficulty sitting still and writing. For me,...

I honestly believe the path to success is driven simply by action. It doesn’t matter how amazing/terrible you might be at something, without action, you won't experience any growth and you won't progress toward your goals. Your dreams will never be realized and you’ll go through life always wondering what could’ve been. It’s not enough to want something in this life. Nobody is going to give you anything, you have to be willing to fight for it and you have to do so through action. Ideas are a d...

People from all works of life live with stress, which has sometimes led to other more serious health issues. This is a personal account of how writing helped me cope with and manage stress. Corporate Background I worked as an accountant for several years in a company with offices in multiple countries and clients in different time zones. This was challenging enough in the best of times because of the fast-paced environment and the inherent pressures of the profession. But also at the worst of...