Filmmaking

Last night was a very special one around these parts as our good friend Michel Merkt captured the Golden Globe for producing Best Foreign Film winner, Elle. As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, Michel has not only been a staunch supporter of all we do here at Stage 32, but he has worked with and mentored so many 32'ers through the years.   Michel was kind enough to invite me to the premiere of Elle at the Cannes film festival last year. To be invited to be part of his tribe during this...

I am extremely proud to announce that two members of our global community are nominated for a total of 4 Golden Globes this evening. First up, it’s my dear friend, Michel Merkt. Michel is an enormously accomplished producer who had 8 films at Cannes this year including 4 in competition. Tonight Michel has 3 nominations. In the Best Foreign Film category, Michel is nominated for producing both Paul Verhoeven’s terrific film, ELLE and Maren Ade’s international hit dramedy, TONI ERDMANN, which ha...

In late 2013 I had started working on the script of my short film In Loving Memory. I had already made my first independent short film Disarray in 2012 at the age of 22 and had been working in the business with my father. He was an acclaimed Bengali filmmaker, Anjan Das, who I assisted in his last 3 international award winning features Achin Pakhi, Bedeni and Banshiwala. I was an Associate Director in my dad's last film Ajana Batas.   My father, Anjan Das, critically acclaimed filmmaker &...

In my screenplay, "Neon Cactus", the lead character states while leading a corporate discussion regarding creativity that sometimes the most creative thing a person can do is nothing - meaning, give creative forces, the muses, the furies and the fates the space to work and a chance to do their thing.  About three months ago, I was doing a daily patrol of the goings on with Stage32 and reached out to a few new folks, including Rutger Oosterhoff, from Blaricum, Netherlands. Blaricum sounds like...

The subject line of the email read "I’m so sorry”. It was from one of the Emmy-winning producers I had been working with for several years on my award-wining true crime drama, CONFESSIONS. After multiple rewrites and the involvement of two notable directors, the latest option was expiring and the project had hit a wall. I had been here before – a rocket ride to the one-yard line and the brink of a “go picture” that suddenly gets stalled. October, 2013. I met Joe Burke over a drink, a friend...

Some of the most intelligent and inspirational filmmaking has come to light recently through the incredible work of animators around the world. With recent hits such as Zootopia, Inside Out, Finding Dory, My Secret Life of Pets, My Life as a Zucchini and more winning over global audiences, there is no denying that animation is here to stay. Plus, there is no denying that genius animators are being found from all corners of the globe. With that in mind, we introduce the Stage 32 Animation Fello...

Have you ever wondered if you have more troubles in your life than other people? Or wonder if everyone else has an easier life than you? As a creative, I'm sure you have at some point or another. Well, cheer up. There is someone else who is always in the wrong place at the wrong time and has it harder than all of us. Yes, I am talking about none other than John McClane, the lead character of the Die Hard movie series. If you're not aware, there are five Die Hard movies: Die Hard (1988), Die...

We are beyond thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership between Stage 32, US/France-based Little W Productions, Scandinavian Locations and European Film Commission Network (EUFCN). These top Scandanavian co-production professionals are offering hands on guidance and direct contact to co-producers and finance opportunities for US-Europe productions through the Global Co-Production Match Making Program. A great example is the recent remarkable co-production success - the film Louder...

Last year, I presented a bunch of screenplays of recent movies available online for download. So many found the content beneficial, I decided to do it again this holiday season. As you know, one of the best ways to learn about screenwriting is to read good (and bad) screenplays. But, this exercise isn’t only for writers. Actors, filmmakers, producers and other film creatives can certainly gain insight and knowledge from reading screenplays as well.  Here are some critically acclaimed and res...

Since I dove into the world of 360 spherical video and VR, I’ve heard a wide range of opinions related to the future of this branch of visual entertainment. “It’s the future!” or “It’s a fad.” Honestly, I really don’t know what the future holds for this space. I just know it’s really cool. I’ve watched 360 videos where I’m seeing the same thing a skydiver, a scuba diver, a wingsuit diver, and dozens of other videos that adventurers have experienced. I’ve played multiple VR video games where I...