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Very early in my career as a storyteller, I adapted a few practices that relate back to lessons I learned from my yoga practice. This came about because I had a break-down/break-through moment during my second year in art school. The result of creating several projects with less-than-desirable results was devastating. I felt miserable. I put my whole self into every aspect of the work, and when it failed, I felt internally as if I had failed. Hence, began my search for something that would not f...

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, in this video essay by Thomas Flight, he’s analyzing Hollywood’s obsession with the theme of ambition, by taking a closer look at praised projects that are centered around this theme like The Bear, and contrasting it with its opposite, Wim Wenders and Takuma Takasaki’s film Perfect Days. So why...

We’ve all heard the stories. Paranormal Activity, a film with a budget slightly less than a used Honda, made $193 million worldwide and launched a profitable franchise. That film’s progenitor, The Blair Witch Project, had a $60K budget and turned out a $250 million box office haul. The most profitable films from 2010 to 2015 were all horror films. 10. The Last Exorcism ($68M gross vs. $1.8M production budget) 9. Annabelle ($257M vs. $6.5M) 8. Chernobyl Diaries ($37M vs. $1M) 7. Ins...

With the U.S. elections just days away, many of us, myself included, are feeling a heightened sense of anxiety and distraction. In the maelstrom of our current “now,” it is easy to lose sight of your creativity and pay more attention to the noise from the media than your own work. The political landscape, combined with a constant stream of updates on global events, can easily pull you away from your creative projects and affect your emotional wellbeing. While you cannot control external events,...

Hello, Stage 32 Community! I’m currently writing to you from the Austin Film Festival where I’m working to tell as many creatives as I can about Stage 32 and all the cool things happening here on the platform! If you’re attending AFF this year, be sure to stop by our table at registration and say hi to me and our Community Manager & Writer's Room Producer, Kay Ross. We’ll also be hosting our 11th Annual Rooftop Bash at the Speakeasy on Friday, October 25th, which you can RSVP to attend by cli...

Giving up. It’s a phase, I believe, that all good writers grapple with at some point. "It’s too hard." "I’m not good enough." "Maybe I should have been a banker." These are all thoughts that have crossed my mind (except the banker part) at one time or another throughout my many years as a writer. Thoughtful, calculating, creative, innovative, imaginative – all qualities that make a great writer - can harvest overthinking, and insecurity, and make us question our very worth as writers. Scree...

There are sooo many incredible Horror movies. It’s really hard to pick ten favorites. And my “10 Favorite Horror Movies” list changes a lot. I recently watched some movies that could be on this list one day. Here are my favorite Horror movies, why they’re my favorites, and one screenwriting tip from each movie. You can use some of these tips for other genres. And SPOILER ALERT- the below contains spoilers about the films!!! 10- THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS The People Under the Stairs is o...

The biggest risk was leaving everything known for the unknown, or maybe it was the less known in my specific case. Los Angeles became my city long before I moved here. In October 2009 when I desperately needed a direction, I volunteered at a film festival (in Texas!) and met filmmakers who changed the trajectory of my life to the present (many of whom are LA transplants themselves), everything has been leading me to the city of angels. I didn’t decide to leave Texas, the state I had been b...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! First, congratulations to all of you who have already participated in our monthly Introduce Yourself Weekend! Thousands of connections have been made between entertainment creatives and professionals from around the globe. Whether you are a long-time member or brand new to Stage 32, take a moment to pop over to the Introduce Yourself Lounge and say hello before the end of the weekend. First up, in this video from It Was A Sh*t Show, they’re sharing an in-depth vi...

In this survival guide, I'll be focusing on a checklist of things to keep in mind when shooting a horror film. It's no surprise that horror films cost less to produce and shoot. A good example is Jordan Peele’s Get Out. James Wan made his career with the SAW franchise. Horror films bring in lots of money at the box office and audiences flock to the screen to get their fright on! With that in mind, let's dive right into the belly of the beast. Costume & Make-up Design If there is one thing...