Filmmaking

I honestly believe the path to success is driven simply by action. It doesn’t matter how amazing/terrible you might be at something, without action, you won't experience any growth and you won't progress towards your goals. Your dreams will never be realized and you’ll go through life always wondering what could’ve been. It’s not enough to want something in this life. Nobody is going to give you anything, you have to be willing to fight for it and you have to do so through action. Ideas are a...

Although I wear many hats (literally) as a Creative, I am first and foremost an actor. A performer and storyteller in the oldest of traditions, interacting with crowds and using a loose script and structure that allows ample room for improvisation and a broad emotional spectrum. Almost two years ago, in my article on audition prep, I told the story of auditioning for a producer in full pirate regalia in a kitchen in Ohio. Little did we know that performing in kitchens, living rooms, and thr...

As character creators we have to have an understanding of why our characters feel and think what they do. I am going to explain in simple terms why human beings behave the way they do so you can have strong understanding of how to create believable compelling characters that stay true to who they are in their words and actions. Hopefully you don’t get too scared at how predictable people are because you’ll undoubtedly begin to use this information to psychoanalyze yourself and others. Human be...

You can absolutely do this. And convincing you of that fact is my main goal in writing this blog. I don't want to drag this down with too much personal information. Just know that I've lived in Pittsburgh my entire life, and when I started writing, I had no formal training, no industry contacts, and no idea how to even format a screenplay properly. If you can in any way relate to my original situation, please know that it's absolutely possible to succeed. Full disclosure: you're hearing this 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 caffeinated beverage of choice and let's get into it.  First up, Behind the Curtain interviews some of the best screenwriters in Hollywood about how to master the art of the outline. In this video, you will hear from Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Little Women), Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Pulp Fiction, Ingl...

Happy Saturday Stage 32! As many of you may know, I host an Instagram LIVE every week on @stage32online highlighting some amazing Stage 32 members from all over the world. We cover everything from how to shoot a short film 100% remotely to how to kick-start an acting career in Atlanta and everything in between. Recently, I had the supreme pleasure of chatting with two amazing international Stage 32 members and film composers.  First up, I had the supreme pleasure of chatting with Italian-bor...

As you may recall back in February, long-time Stage 32 member, blog contributor, webinar teacher, and international film & distribution aficionado, David Zannoni began a series of blogs and vlogs to keep you up-to-date on the business of film across the globe. Today, David is sharing some fascinating information about the world of film production in Italy and Spain in his exclusive Stage 32 vlog. You will learn about:  How projects are financed in Spain and Italy How to work with internat...

Happy Thursday Stage 32! Eight months into COVID, comedy television is once again finding its stride. Production is starting again on many shows, networks continue to develop new content, and writers are back to work breaking story and punching up jokes. Yet things haven’t exactly gone back to normal. Processes have shifted as networks do what they can to keep their cast and crew safe. Executives are taking meetings and hearing pitches for new shows over Zoom, writers’ rooms have become lar...

Happy Veteran’s Day, Stage 32 Community! Thanksgiving is almost here (for those of us in the U.S.), November Write Club is in full swing, and hopefully you’re making time for yourself and others! Others? Yes, finding safe ways to be social can be a huge boost to your creativity! So often, as we work on our projects, we can lose sight of who the story is serving. A good reminder of that can be to watch people interact in everyday situations. Otherwise, we lose touch with our audience, and event...

IMDb- Internet Movie Database, is the top search engine for Hollywood. The first place we go to validate someone’s credentials and experience is IMDb. Whether you are an actor, director, writer, producer, grip, makeup artist, cinematographer, or editor- more than likely you have a profile on the site with your resume. However, the main website only goes so far, and so deep. The membership component of IMDb Pro gives you access to more proprietary information that is not known to the general p...