Filmmaking

No one likes to be manipulated—except when they do. And this is always true with entertainment and art. “Make me feel something” is the universal mandate for all content, across every genre, through all mediums. Music is a universal language that touches our deepest feelings to bring up powerful emotions. As in the very life of our bodies, its most basic elements are tension and release, just like breathing and heartbeats. No wonder it’s so powerful!     More Than A Feeling In visua...

Hey, Stage 32 Community! You've made a short film. You've put in your time, effort, blood, sweat, tears, and perhaps even some serious money into your project. Your goal isn't only to get your film seen but to get it seen around the world and by people who can make a difference in your career. Would being screened by an Oscar-qualifying film festival matter? How about having it screened for over 1,000 executives including managers, agents, producers, film financiers, and more? Look no furth...

Hey Stage 32ers!  The 96th annual Academy Awards are scheduled to air live on ABC on Sunday, March 10, from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay were announced on January 23. Check out the trailers for the nominated scripts below and email success@stage32.com with the subject line "OSCARS 2024" to receive your free PDF downloads. BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY NOMINEES ANATOMY OF A FALL THE HOLDOVERS MAESTRO...

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 coffee, and let's dive in. First up, in this video from Vanity Fair, some of today's most well-known and critically-acclaimed stars answer viewers' burning questions. While entertaining, this video shows us both how unique and similar everyone's journey is to the top.  Next up, in this video from the Writers' Guild Foundation, y...

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic and power in it. Begin it now.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe   Do you love what you’re doing? If you could change anything, from the tiniest wiggle to the largest adjustment, what would you do? Would you keep forging ahead for the dream du jour? Or would you modify, skew slightly left, and leave the beaten path entirely? What will it take for you to pursue your dream? As a child, I dreamed of being an artist. If I...

I believe in growth on both a personal and professional level. Next-level greatness is only accessible if we know how to do a regular check-in ourselves and take inventory of where and how our energy is spent. As Aristotle has said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act but a habit." Career longevity of 30 years brings gifts. I have applied myself on many levels, from branding to marketing, to selling to learning how to finance, network, create marketing materials, and be aut...

Happy Wednesday, Creative Army! As Deadline exclusively announced this weekend, we’ve officially selected the winner of our Empowering Women Script Competition in partnership with Catalyst Studios! Los Angeles filmmaker, Jacqueline Elyse Rosenthal has won for her fantastic feature film script, Backlog. A first-of-its-kind screenwriting contest for feature films with a focus on social impact, the Empowering Women Script Competition brought forth some mind-blowing submissions from talented voi...

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” ~ Arthur Ashe “What happens when we go over time?” The room went quiet. The new sound operator repeated himself, “What happens when we go into overtime?” My crew smiled at me as I turned and replied, “We don’t.” I then continued answering and discussing other questions in the pre-pro meeting. Let me preface this by saying this was not a studio film. This was an indie feature, titled Caralique, which I was the director/producer of....

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! First, 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 around 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. First up, in this video from Letterboxd, Oscar winners Martin Scorsese and Leon...

Humans are creatures of story. We have that innate desire to tell stories. Animation is one of the most useful means to tell stories. In what way? Take a look at beautiful, story-driven animated movies that you've probably seen on screen past and present. I'm sure a number of them have come to mind by now. Many of these animated movies, some we've treasured since we were kids. For some of us, we may have curated a list of the best animated movies and series we've watched. What makes us...