Filmmaking

I have been writing and publishing stories for more than 10 years, first as a novelist. I always wrote in a silo, never sharing my work until I had reworked it countless times. Heaven forbid someone sees my terrible first draft! After publishing two novels this way, I opened myself up to a trusted friend as my next story was more complexly layered. It all made sense in my head, but would my reader get the connections? By bouncing around ideas and sharing my drafts with this friend, I fixed plot...

Independent audiovisual projects generally have a so-called recoupment schedule. The recoupment schedule, often also 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 feature film, a TV series, a we...

Happy Tuesday Creative Army! For the past 10 years, it has been Stage 32's continued mission is to democratize the entertainment business for creatives and professionals all over the world. I am continuously humbled by the power of the Stage 32 community, and thrilled by the recent support our community is getting from the industry as a whole. In addition to our previous coverage in Forbes, The Wrap, Variety, CNN, Business Insider (check out the articles here and here), and more - I am honored...

Happy Monday Stage 32 Creative Crew! I’m sure you’ve heard our Founder and CEO Rich ‘RB” Botto talk about the Content Gold Rush that we are in the midst of right now. I’m going to put it in perspective for you right now. Last year at this time there were 188 meeting requests from industry professionals looking to connect with writers through Stage 32. That’s a phenomenal number. That’s an average of more than a meeting a day. This year, we are at 237 meeting requests as I write this. Did...

Happy Sunday & Happy Mother's Day! I've got my coffee in hand and your weekly dose of content coming in hot - grab your coffee of choice and let's dive right in. First up, since "May the 4th Be with You" was last week, I thought it would only be fitting to share some Star Wars content. Insider recently put together a fascinating behind the screens video covering the innovative virtual backgrounds that were used to film The Mandalorian. In this video, they talk about the technological and cre...

Did you know that Stage 32 has more than just screenwriters in its global community? There are tons of cinematographers, editors, animators, producers, and filmmakers, to name a few. Whether shorts or features, documentary or narrative, independent or studio productions, we’re all here! One of the best reflections from today’s guest is simply - you never know who you’re going to meet! What am I saying is - Derek Johnson comes with a slew of valuable nuggets of wisdom! Lifting up and amplifying...

My name is Tennyson E. Stead, and I’m a showperson with thirty years of stage experience, fifteen years in film development, and more than 40 screenplays under my belt as a writer. I’ve survived fraudster film producers, I’ve survived a crippling brain injury subequent to having an actor accidentally beat my head in with a prop sword, I’ve survived homelessness, starvation, and even employment as an Arclight Cinemas usher and concessionaire in order to make my dreams and plans in Hollywood a rea...

Hi guys, I thought it was time to make a film blog; seventy-odd productions ranging from lead, stunts and directing, to shooting in jungles, deserts and military bases and acting with Special Forces and the worlds best-known stunt team, the Jackie Chan team. I'm going to take you into the heart of filming, from my personal experience shooting on major film and TV, including working daily with stars and renown directors. This is part one of several; I'll discuss particular productions wit...

You’re a filmmaker, a writer, a director, maybe even an actor. You want to keep working, but the phone’s not ringing so… you decide to shoot a short film. Before you start down the rabbit hole you may want to ask a few questions. Why do I want to shoot a short film? What resources do I have at my disposal? What resources will I need to obtain? And the most impactful question: What’s it going to cost? Anyone who has ever taken on the challenge of shooting a short knows that there ar...

Thanks to the successes of instant classics like ZOOTOPIA, TOY STORY, THE LEGO MOVIE and SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, and daring TV satires such as RICK AND MORTY, BOJACK HORSEMAN, BIG MOUTH, and BOB’S BURGERS, the wonderful world of animation is more exciting, diverse, and in demand than ever! There is truly something for everyone when it comes to animated features and TV series & correspondingly, it is undoubtedly more in demand than ever before! Walt Disney said, "Animation can expl...