Filmmaking

“It’s good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” ~ Ernest Hemingway I love road trips! I love the idea of packing up the car and hitting the open road, not knowing what we’ll see or who we’ll meet along the way. I plan what I need to take, packing up any essentials. I then plan my destination, but what happens in between departure and arrival has a sense of fluidity! A Road Trip Down Memory Lane… My last road trip had three generations, my mu...

Previously here on Stage 32, you saw a blog from me titled, “Should People Be Interviewing You About Your Entertainment Career Yet?” There has been plenty of time since then to do what I like to call a self-audit, in this context to mean looking at the criteria I wrote about in there and deciding if you’re at a point where you should be an interviewee. How did you do? Good, I hope? I’m optimistic that as you read through that prior post, you were nodding and thinking, “Yes. Uh huh. I’ve done...

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" joins the ranks for consideration for the “Outstanding Short Form Non-Fiction” Daytime Emmy Award for 2021. I need to say this format is one I use when I think a topic merits...

I first came across Stage 32 in 2016 but did not really make use of it until early 2017 when I decided I needed to take my screenwriting to the next level. I had toiled for years writing scripts that never made it into any competitions and screenwriting labs. I was already an indie filmmaker with 3 micro-budget features which I wrote and directed. Although those films played at some festivals and got some awards, they never did much for my career. I was still working the day job trying to get...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! First of all, 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 every corner of 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. Now, grab some fresh coffee and let's dive in to this week's pipi...

No matter what role you play in the entertainment industry (actor/writer/producer/etc), rejection is part of the process. We all hear “no” constantly, but what do you do after? I will guide you through easy steps on how to handle a no, and how to take new chances. First, let me introduce myself. I am a young Danish girl, who wants to be a screenwriter. At the moment I am not writing anything new, I’m simply rewriting my finished scripts. Other than that I'm an active member here on Stage 3...

You may recall we experimented with this riff on a classic Stage 32 event a few months ago. The impact of the “Introduce Your FRIEND Weekend” has been astounding! I even received this very lovely “thank you” message from one of my new friends and previous networking buddy:     Thank you, Kimberly! Now that summer is here, productions are up and running, forward momentum is paramount! Pun intended. There is no better way to get energized than to grab a friend to help you meet new friends...

The total global output about screenwriting, whether from books, websites, podcasts, mentors, teachers, universities, workshops, or conferences, should be enough to guarantee that every film experience is a profound, transformative, numinous event of great entertainment value, or at least one of profound psychological significance. However, that is not the case. Interestingly, the greatest correlation is to the Western prejudice for methods and processes. If you only do something in a certain...

Happy Wednesday Stage 32 Community! Last week, we officially announced the winners of our 6th Annual Stage 32 Short Film Contest! Throughout the course of the contest, we welcome thousands of entries from filmmakers all over the world. We had films submitted from over 40 countries, and our 8 winning films hail from 5 different countries! Over the last 5 years, winners from our Short Film Contest have gone on to be signed (UTA, Echo Lake, Verve, and more), financed, and produced. One of our w...

Allow me to clarify, right upfront, that I did not go to film school. My education was in classical theater. I’m writing this article because there have been countless moments in my career where I’ve identified a problem that my film colleagues assured me was of no concern, only to discover I was right when the production fell apart in precisely the manner I had predicted. When this happens, I think it’s polite practice to let my colleagues simply chalk the problem up to bad luck… before I hau...