Filmmaking

Let’s discuss a misconception about film publicity as it relates to your festival run—you do not need to wait until you’ve heard back from your top festival premiere choice to start conversations with a publicist. Being proactive and taking the time to choose your festival publicist early can be a game-changer for your film's journey through the festival circuit. Whether you’re crafting a feature film destined for Sundance or a short masterpiece targeting Tribeca, being proactive about your p...

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 Film Courage, they’re interviewing Marlin Darrah, one of the world's most traveled filmmakers with 44 years of award-winning production experience taking him to more than 140 countries worldwide and yielding more than 100 documentary, travel-adventure programs and dramatic fe...

"I’m the guy that does his job. You must be the other guy.” – Mark Wahlberg playing Dignam is The Departed. When I expressed interest in writing another blog here on Stage 32, there was one topic I had been looking to address for a while, but also one that is quite timely in light of what’s going on in the entertainment business: Professionalism. It’s the reason I led with Mr. Wahlberg’s quote from the Oscar-Winning Best Picture, The Departed. I’ve always related with it. Perhaps it’s j...

A client recently asked me about the value of submitting a short film to a local film festival. After my recent romp at the 20th Annual HollyShorts Film Festival here in Los Angeles, I had to dish on the deets! My not-so-short answer was the stuff of epic emails, and so, I figured best to expand on it as a blog! In fact, it's particularly timely because my epic proof-of-concept short film, "Sanctuary" (Instagram: @SanctuarytheShortFilm ) just announced its premiere at the 9th Annual Silicon Beac...

*This blog is co-written by Elizabeth Blake-Thomas and Isabella Blake-Thomas. Embarking on the journey of screenwriting demands more than just creativity—it requires foresight into what makes a script not only compelling on paper but also viable for the silver screen. At Mother and Daughter Entertainment, we understand the intricacies of transforming a script from concept to production-ready material. Whether you're driven by passion, personal exploration, or the ambition to see your story unf...

That’s a wrap! How can such a short sentence carry so much significance? With these words, we concluded eight intense days of filming for my short film, The Fat Lady - She Just Wanted to Be Called by Her Name on a sunny Sunday, August 4th. Now, as we enter the post-production phase, I’m focusing on the next steps, including submitting the film to festivals worldwide. Throughout this journey, a few people in the industry have told me how bold and ambitious this project is—and I have to agree...

Immersive has been a new buzzword on the last recent years. Its applications surely come in many forms, but in this article, I will focus on digital immersive experiences, since physical immersive is a whole different subject. There is no question that a lot of the public space has been equipped with some type of screens, and 5G internet has been the catalyst to change how we interact with digital content, at least in certain countries where it’s a reality. But to clearly communicate here, le...

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 Frame Voyager, they’re breaking down INSANE Produc...

Animation is one of the few genres that has continued since the 2020 pandemic in a relatively unharmed way. The fact that animation can to a large extent be produced entirely remotely, put it in the spotlight of the film and television production community when the world came to a halt during the first months of the pandemic. The ability to produce animation remotely, in combination with the availability of cross-border high-quality animation and talent, production incentives, and lower costs,...

Something I observe frequently is how often overlooked soft equity is in the finance plan. Counterintuitive, right? Why counterintuitive? In understanding film finance as a filmmaker and a producer, it can be explained relatively easily as this; soft equity is anything that doesn’t carry an obligation to be repaid or have the expectation of a recoupment attached. Hence I both preach and practice to seek out as many sources of soft financing as possible. Outside of tax credits or rebates (o...