Distribution

Hey, Stage 32 Community! You've made a short film. You've put in your time, effort, blood, sweat, tears, and perhaps even some serious money into your project. Your goal isn't only to get your film seen but to get it seen around the world and by people who can make a difference in your career. Would being screened by an Oscar-qualifying film festival matter? How about having it screened for over 1,000 executives including managers, agents, producers, film financiers, and more? Look no furth...

Independent audiovisual projects generally have a so-called recoupment schedule. The recoupment schedule, often referred to as the waterfall, is the project’s payment schedule. It essentially describes how the revenues generated from international distribution are allocated and disbursed. Sometimes other revenue streams, like festival receipts, merchandising income, or surplus of tax credit proceeds are also included. Any audiovisual project, whether it is a feature film, a TV series, a web...

There’s a saying that we’ve all heard a thousand times over, “A picture is worth a thousand words”. This resonates with visual artists when ensuring that the visuals they convey will provoke the right tone and message to the many words and feelings that they will portray and intend for their story. Now this concept isn’t new to most of you and it’s just what good storytellers and filmmakers should be doing right?! I mean, what artist doesn’t put their heart and soul into infusing their vision...

We can all agree that it’s nigh impossible for a finished film to be even 90% close to the original screenplay. Budget and logistic constraints can be very limiting for the filmmaker and often the creative vision changes according to the ebbs and flow of the production. Locations are changed, dialogues are added, and sometimes even characters are edited out. As a result, when the filmmaker has finished post and is busy procuring deliverable material required by film festivals or the distributo...

The production of content, whether film, television or other media, is a complex and multifaceted process that requires careful attention to legal considerations. Production legal, while sometimes overlooked, plays a large role in shaping the overall picture of a production, and plays a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth execution of content creation. From securing the chain of title to navigating contractual obligations, production legal is essential for safeguarding the creative and financial...

Hey, Creative Army! Every year thousands of filmmakers flock to Park City, UT for one of America's most well-known festivals celebrating independent cinema, Sundance! Some of the industry’s most legendary films and filmmakers have been born out of independent film. It's always an exciting time for creatives and film enthusiasts to congregate and celebrate new independent films and collaborate on the shifts in the industry. In Stage 32's continuing effort to contribute to diversity, equality,...

First of all, let me introduce you to the existence of Independent Film Predators. They are less-than-legitimate indie film distributors that want to distribute your film and unfortunately, there's a bunch of 'em. In fact, I can vouch for their existence personally. 3 OF A KIND, my completed psychological thriller, premiered at the WorldFest Houston International Film Festival. It's a film we literally scraped and clawed financially to get done. We ultimately had to take out personal loans to...

Buzz. Trailers. Cast Interviews. Behind the Scenes Featurettes. Seeing A-list talent answer random yet strangely personal questions while playing with puppies. Producers have gone to great lengths to convince audiences to watch their finished films. But, is it worth it? Putting aside for a moment the nitty-gritty details of what it takes to market a film, the process of planning and executing a marketing strategy for a film or series takes just as much teamwork, strategy, and creativity as fil...

It has been a whirlwind since winning the Stage 32 Short Film Contest with the project I wrote and directed, BIENVENIDOS A LOS ANGELES. We’ve been lucky enough to have connected with major industry players and have taken significant steps forward to become a contender for Best Live Action Short Film in the 96th Academy Awards. Most recently, we have signed with Ouat Media, the renowned Toronto-based short film sales company known for three Oscar winners and 12 nominees. This film is very close...

Hey, Creative Army! We couldn’t be more thrilled to announce that for the 2nd year in a row, Stage 32 is an official partner of the UK’s international trade event, FOCUS. FOCUS is the only UK trade event where attendees can meet with content makers and facilitators from over 100 countries, attracting thousands of production professionals from across the creative screen industries – including film, TV, advertising, animation, and gaming. FOCUS offers filming solutions for all types of proje...