Distribution

I am a Distributor turned Filmmaker. I have a finance degree and a law degree and I spent the first 22 years of my film career in Distribution. Then I got the bug to become creative. I have since made and successfully self distributed 7 feature films, 3 of which are presently airing on Netflix worldwide (FULL OUT / FULL OUT 2 - YOU GOT THIS! / KISS & CRY). I provide consulting services to hundreds of indie filmmakers and the initial conversation usually goes like this: Jeff to Filmmaker: “Yo...

I’ve made a lot of movies. I started off as a Runner and worked my way up. I worked on 13 movies as a 1st AC & 2nd AC and Director of Photography before I became an award-winning Director & Writer in my own right. Having gone from Runner to director I have experienced the whole gauntlet of film making from the biggest shoots (Harry Potter and James Bond) to tiny micro-budget one-man crew shoots. I have seen many ways to do things effectively and simply. There are 6 main areas of filmmaking for...

Happy Wednesday, Creative Army I am happy to report another win for the Stage 32 community! The most uniquely creative and talented community on Earth has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as an example of the power niche communities like Stage 32 wield, and how they're setting the stage for the future of social media. The pandemic has taken a huge toll on the mental health of creatives and professionals within our industry and studies have shown that broad based social media platforms like...

So...many...pitches… That’s the God’s honest truth about what often runs through my mind when I check my inboxes. On social, on email, and anywhere I can be hunted down, I get your pitches. Lots...and lots...of pitches. And the reality is- that’s a big part of my JOB! And while I may not be coming across as super enthusiastic at the moment, I am always excited to discover a concept that resonates with me, that’s unique, that is pitched well. The problem is, lots of these pitches that I sift thro...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? I have some epic content here for you that is sure to get the creative juices flowing, so grab your coffee and let's dive in. This week, I am thrilled to share a fascinating video from the Netflix Engineering team about how they take a movie from script to screen. This video gives a unique insight into how the promotions and engineering teams at Netflix help ferry their films from screenplay to streaming. They cover everythi...

Animation is one of the few genres that has continued during the pandemic in a relatively unharmed way. The fact that animation can to a large extent be produced entirely remotely, put it in the spotlight of the film and television production community when the world came to a halt during the first months of the pandemic. The ability to produce animation remotely, in combination with the availability of cross-border high-quality animation and talent, production incentives, and lower costs, has...

Happy Wednesday Creative Army! The revolution continues! As you've been hearing me preach for years now, the convergence between tech and entertainment is real and it's spectacular. And now, Entrepreneur Magazine has recognized Stage 32 as the leading social media/educational platform AND marketplace for film, TV, and digital content creators and professionals around the world in this awesome article: Why The Entertainment and Social Media Industries are Converging.The article speaks to how St...

I’ve certainly had an interesting career in regards to my writing. Began some thirty years ago and can’t seem to give it up, no matter what my sanity wishes at the time. I’ve written fiction, theatre and, of course, for film. All writers should try their hand at various formats; you never know when an opportunity might arise challenging your particular set of skills… I’ve had the ups and the downs… mostly downs. I’ve had at least four instances where my material was ready for production only...

Begin with the end in mind. Know your audience. Work with what you’ve got. We all know the adages, and swat them away to return to the creative deep dive in order to produce compelling characters, unique worlds, and relevant themes. Focusing on our role in order to complete our tasks is part of the creative process, but what if we’re missing part of the collaborative equation? What if the end isn’t just film or television? What if the audience you are trying to reach would enjoy your characters...

Howdy, Stage 32ers! My name is Keith Strausbaugh and my partner and sometimes-friend is Anthony Guidubaldi. Together, we write, produce, direct, and edit under the banner of Hot Tub Mimosas, a loveless marriage of comedy filmmaking. But we began as writers. In 2017, we won Stage 32’s 2nd Annual Comedy Screenplay Contest with a script called, Shore Break. It’s basically Caddyshack with Jet Skis. Or Dodgeball with Jet Skis. Or Out Cold with Jet Skis. Growing up, I worked at my uncle’s ramsha...