Filmmaking

In the world of filmmaking, cinematography is the bread and butter of this incredibly visual medium. However, being a cinematographer requires a lot more than an eye for composing interesting shots that help tell a story.  From making shot lists in pre-production to technical lighting techniques on set - Studio Binder has put together an impressive and thorough guide for cinematographers at any level. No matter how many films you work on, no two sets are ever exactly quite alike - and this gui...

Trying to make it as a screenwriter is a tough choice to begin with. It's a long, drawn-out process that takes a long time before any significant results can be achieved. Sure, there are exceptions. Every once in awhile we hear about the “overnight success”, or the first-time writer who scores a sale or sees their script already set up for production. But for the rest of us, we slave and toil away. It continues to remain a marathon, not a sprint. And that also means there's going to be A L...

Last year, I had the devastating privilege of teaching television and film production to teenagers. Yes, oxymoron intended. Two things became clear early on: these students had no respect for the equipment because they were issued cameras like pacifiers, nor did they understand the value of their human resources due to the emphasis put squarely on technology above all. Guess what we did for the first week? We learned about networking. Man, were they mad. Then again, that could have been because...

Happy Holidays Stage 32 Family! We are wrapping up this year and I want to take this week and next week to look back at some of our biggest success stories of 2019. To give you an idea of the overall successes our members have enjoyed, keep in mind that there have been over 315 connections made between screenwriters and filmmakers community and industry professionals in the Stage 32 this year alone! That means over 315 opportunities for creatives all over the world to take the next big leap in t...

Happy Holidays Creative Army! This Sunday, the industry is starting to close up shop for the holidays here in Los Angeles. This time of year, the city is unusually empty - making it a perfect time to kick back with a nice hot cup of coffee and some fresh content.  First up, one of the biggest fears writers face is writing a boring script. The craft of screenwriting is incredibly personal, making a reader's potential yawn all the more gut-wrenching. Fortunately, the folks over at Film Courage...

With the Oscar nominations coming in hot at the top of 2020 - we are all thinking back on our favorite performances of 2019. Naturally, it is easy to pick out some long-time beloved A-list actors. After all, there was some stellar talent displayed from our Hollywood favs this year.  However, what about some of the unexpected names, faces, and performances to come out of 2019 films? Our friends over at IndieWire put together a list of some of the most note-worthy breakthrough performances of 20...

To IMDb or Not to IMDb? Indeed, that is the question, lately… here on Stage 32. Many experienced players on this site – myself included – are surprised that this is even a debate. How can having your credits listed on the actual, “Internet Movie Data Base,” be harmful to your career? Moreover, if it even helps you a little bit, in such a competitive business, how can you resist doing so? Obviously, there is a little sarcasm in the above paragraph. IMDb allows prospective investors, name a...

Roll Tape… And… Action! There’s no doubt about it—self-tape auditions are all the rage and certainly here to stay. And, with pilot season fast upon us, the timing is perfect for talking about what makes a self-audition submission likely to succeed. A quick Internet search will yield an abundance of self-tape how-to articles and videos, which is great, and I encourage you to watch and read them. But they mostly focus on the technical aspects of the process (cameras, lighting, sound, setup) and...

Stage 32 CEO Richard "RB" Botto offers a free webinar called 'Ask me Anything'. Quite often - a question that comes up, in one form or another, is "should I get an agent"? As entertainment professionals, our careers are built upon our teams. From agents and managers, to writing partners and cast mates - this industry is built on relationships.  In this week's episode of "Ask Me Anything", RB is going to answer a more specific version of this query. "If I have a producer for my project, should...

Good morning Stage 32 family! Can you believe that we are already halfway through December and cruising full steam ahead into the holidays and 2020?! First and foremost, I want to thank the LA-based members of our community who came out to our Annual Holiday Party last Thursday! For those members who are outside of LA, let not your heart be troubled. As we move into the new year, we are going to make it a goal to hold more meetups and events for members around the US and the world. Look for upda...