Filmmaking

Writer's block, the worst enemy of my creative mind, has been the talk of much contemplation and study in the realm of writing and psychology. The Breakout Principle, a concept that I use as a shift into mental focus to overcome obstacles, has emerged as a potential antidote to the paralyzing effects of writer's block. This method has served me well. At its center, writer's block is a psychological barrier and is internal, not external. It impedes the creative flow of ideas and words. It often...

Hey, Stage 32ers! I hope if you're not recovering from a Thanksgiving feast that, no matter where you are in the world, you're ready to relax and enjoy the weekend! The holidays are always a great time to look back and applaud the "wins" from the past year, and this community has had some pretty big ones. From booking gigs to signings to projects that are getting made, your passion for your craft and love for this community are what make every success on Stage 32 so incredibly special. Today...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? Hope those who celebrate had a great feast this past week with loved ones and that everyone has a fantastic start to the holiday season! 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, award-winning director and writer Taika Waititi sits down for an interview to discuss his recently released film, NEXT GOAL WINS. Waititi is a master at balan...

  I'm climbing up on my chair now so you will pay attention to what I'm about to say. Okay...I'm up here...waiting for you to listen. Ready? Don't Cast Less Than Great Actors In Your Film! It seems to me that casting is oftentimes a second thought to Indie filmmakers. Then guess what happens? We are subjected to films that are difficult to watch. Even if the script is great, bad actors can absolutely ruin your film. I have seen this occur time and time again. And so have you. D...

Happy Thanksgiving, Creative Army! On behalf of the entire Stage 32 team, I'd like to wish everyone a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. This year, we hit a milestone of over one million members in our growing, creative community, and we are beyond honored to provide each and every one of you a safe haven to connect, be inspired, and come together to make art. We are all extremely grateful for the members of this community and for the incredible relationships and friendships that have bloomed thi...

WARNING: Objects in mirror are closer than they appear, or is it that they may not be as close as they appear? I suppose it all depends on how they appear and how blind we’ve become to a message that’s under our noses every day; I’ll come back to this. The mission you have chosen to accept in this industry is one of delivering a perspective. Whether you are a writer, actor, director, producer, costumer, or gaffer. The projects you work on will all set out to deliver a perspective through the s...

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 Variety, you'll learn from Oscar-winning Directory...

My name is Tennyson, I’ve written more than 50 screenplays, I’ve helped produce some movies, I direct and edit, I’m a working script doctor, and I’ve been working on stage since I was 13 years old. For the last few years, I’ve been blogging for Stage 32… and this week, we’re going to talk in a little more detail about why I do that. EVERYBODY NEEDS HELP Showbusiness is, and has always been, a collaborative effort. Even a one-person show needs an audience to be complete, so there’s nobody i...

Welcome back to TALKING BUSINESS: Insights from the Independent Film Industry, hosted by Stage 32 Thought Leader and Business Consultant, David Zannoni, from Freeway Entertainment and Zannoni Media. In TALKING BUSINESS, David brings you in-depth conversations on the behind-the-scenes of the filmmaking business with industry veterans. In today’s fourth episode, David speaks with Octavio Marin, VP of Production & Operations for Santa Fe Studios and SF Film Services, LLC. Octavio oversees Santa F...

Hey, Creative Army! For the 8th year in a row, Stage 32 continued as the official Networking and Education partner of the American Film Market! It was a whirlwind few days, but we all had an absolute blast! We had the pleasure of catching up with so many of our members, educators, executives, and Thought Leaders who were present. This year was history in the making as Stage 32 was proud to coordinate the film market's first-ever Television panel, and to say it was a hit would be an understat...