Distribution

Most of us got into writing because we love storytelling. We love the craft. The challenge. The connection to an audience. You know what we don’t love? The marketing. But when you write a book, you’re also starting a business. And no business can succeed without marketing. In my work as a ghostwriter and book coach, I’ve had to push myself to learn more about the marketing side so I can help my clients’ work stand out. And in that process, I’ve found six free tools that every author should h...

One of the most valuable things you can learn as a creative, whether you have spent years on set or have never stepped foot on one, is who actually does what on a film crew. It is the roadmap to how a production really works, and it is often the first step toward finding your own place on one. Most people, inside and outside of the industry, have familiarity with the primary "above the line" crew positions and the creative forces behind a project. Yet many of the "below the line" crew position...

You're here on a platform like Stage 32 because you have a passion and a dream. You want to be a professional in an industry that is historically difficult to break into and navigate correctly. You're here to learn and make real connections that are valuable and will help you move forward. You're here because you love the story you want to tell. You're a champion of yourself and your work, because you believe in it. You're not here to play at being a creative professional. You're here to do the...

An independent filmmaker today has enormous challenges. The biggest challenge is to find the money to get your film made. I have heard so many stories that have frustrated me over the years. Producers with no experience meeting a billionaire and getting a film made. Producers with tons of experience grinding it out to no avail. But that’s not what I want to talk about. And frankly, that’s not what you need to hear anymore. That catch-22 has jumped the shark. We got it. It’s hard, and there is no...

Happy Tuesday, Creative Army! There is a moment every year, somewhere in the middle of our Black-Tie Villa Party, when I step back from the crowd and just take it in. The music carrying out over the hills. Executives and first-time filmmakers laughing together. The lights of Cannes flickering far below. And every year, in that moment, the same thought hits me: it's incredible to see the culmination of so much hard work right before my eyes. I couldn't be prouder. Because this event was not a...

It's official, Stage 32 Community: July Filmmakers Club is back for our 3rd annual run, and I could not be more excited to kick this month off with you If this is your first time joining us, here's the quick version. July Filmmakers Club is your month-long creative accelerator, built to help you connect with fellow filmmakers, set clear intentions, and move your projects forward with real purpose, in partnership with Blackmagic Design. And this year, here's the rhythm you can count on every...

I worked out that Cannes 2026 was my 7th Cannes. My third in a row in my role as an agent, and then a bunch of times I went 20 years ago, when the Carlton was draped in banners, when I stayed on a yacht, did the MTV party, the Soho House party in the Castle, got in the Daily Mail for ending up in the pool at a villa party (buy me a drink and I’ll give you the column inches..) and much more. Those were the splashy days of Cannes, quite literally! The festival has changed and evolved, but the e...

How I Financed, Produced, Finished, and Delivered a Feature Film to the Global Marketplace in Just 210 Days Seven months ago, Key of Bones: Curse of the Ghost Pirate existed only as a screenplay. Two hundred and ten days later, it screened in Cannes. Whenever I say that, I think it's important to explain exactly what I mean. The film was not an Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival. Those films are selected by the festival itself and compete within the festival's official program...

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...

This year, I watched Cannes from my desk in Australia. While my colleagues were on the Croisette, I was refreshing updates, squinting at photos on someone’s Instagram story, and listening to voice notes from people who were three rosés deep on a terrace and absolutely thriving. If you have ever experienced the very specific ache of watching your entire community have the time of their lives in the South of France while you sit at home in a different time zone, you know exactly the flavour o...