Composing

Happy Sunday, everyone.  And for those celebrating in the States, a Happy 4th of July weekend. For Coffee & Content this week, I'm sharing two terrific videos I'm sure you'll all find enormously entertaining and informative. First, it's the Personal Storytelling of INSIDE OUT.  I'm sure many of you are familiar with the painstaking process all Pixar scripts go through from concept to screen.  This video provides some more insight into why INSIDE OUT was Oscar nominated and works as well as i...

We see posts here on Stage 32 and elsewhere posing the age-old question of how critical it is to live in LA to be a successful screenwriter/filmmaker and the usual replies are that it is probably beneficial but not necessary. Kinda like if swimming in the ocean is your thing, you should probably live near one. But that overlooks a larger question: How do you define “successful”? If the Holy Grail is Hollywood, get your butt out there. But I’ve discovered other definitions and forms of success...

Times are changing for film, TV and web creators, and the SHAPE expo will explore how the convergence of technology and entertainment will impact your work. We are excited to open up a very unique opportunity for the Stage 32 community to purchase tickets for $25 ($100 normally) by using promo code ShapeOnStage at checkout, but hurry because space at the event is limited! Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty, The Hurt Locker) Spend your Friday night listening to Kathryn Bigelow, two-time Aca...

Whether you’re planning for a film shoot, product shoot, or casting call, every production project is different and comes with a various set of needs. While aesthetic is important, we know that budget, noise, and location are additional factors to keep in mind. Instead of scouring the web or driving around for hours, Peerspace has thousands of hidden gem locations to choose from all in one place and we’re adding new spaces daily. That’s why every month, we’ll share our best new spaces for you to...

Happy Sunday, everyone.  Hope you're all having a terrific weekend. For this edition of Coffee & Content, I've chosen one of the best videos I've seen lately on writing and developing compelling characters.  The main focus of the piece is on the first season of True Detective written by Nic Pizzolatto.  But the video also covers some weak examples from other films and television shows and offers some sage advice from Aaron Sorkin, John Truby and others. So whether you're a writer, actor, fil...

Happy Sunday to all.  Hope you are having a fun, relaxing and creative weekend. As you know, we've been selecting some of our favorite blogs written by members of the Stage 32 community and sharing them with the global audience of Medium.  We always ask our members to share the content we publish here on Stage 32, and by posting these articles on Medium, we're practicing what we preach. Today, we have 3 articles designed to inspire, motivate and educate.  I hope you enjoy.  And please do s...

When I was first approached to write a blog, an emotion I know all too well hit me - fear. After many hours of trying to figure out what am I going to write about and reflecting on my journey into this crazy business, I realized I can't be alone. No matter how successful or how green we are, fear comes knocking on everyone's door, even if no one talks about it. Regardless of what we do, the thought of putting our work out there for all to see, for all to judge, can be frankly....terrifying and t...

Keeping yourself prepared is one significant way to make sure that luck is on your side. Success in our business requires 120% effort every day, so you must always be preparing and working on your craft. Work hard on your dialects, monologues, auditioning and camera skills, so that when opportunity comes, you are ready. You will never know when opportunity will come knocking and when it does, if you’re not ready, it will fly on by. Opportunity will always award those who are prepared and read...

When most people think of radio drama, they probably envision a family from the 1940’s gathered around a massive console radio listening intently to the latest adventures of The Lone Ranger, Little Orphan Annie, or Captain Midnight. Today, that behemoth of a device has been replaced by a pair of earbuds and a smartphone. Whether you prefer podcasts, downloads, or streaming, the popularity of pocket-sized technology has resulted in a renaissance of what is now known as audio drama. That’s good ne...

Happy Sunday, everyone.  Hope you are all having a relaxing and creative weekend. Today I wanted to share a video showcasing filmmaker David Fincher.  It's no secret that Fincher uses CGI as a major tool in his creative arsenal.  But unlike most, Fincher uses the technique to enhance the storytelling, and does so with a quiet, but meticulous finesse. So sit back and prepare to be amazed.  I hope you enjoy the video and will share this blog with other creatives you feel might benefit from vie...