Financing

I'll spare you the 394th Warner Bros. acquisition digest. I'm sure you've heard enough expert opinions. Instead, I want to take an optimistic view of the business and talk about what can really affect your day-to-day as an independent producer, creator, writer or content maker. While big conglomerates play Russian dolls with M&As, we're seeing smaller platforms targeting audience niches…and that's what excites me. With Tubi exceeding 100 million monthly active users and Angel Studios surpassin...

Happy Monday, Creative Army! Stage 32 Managing Director Amanda Toney and I had the honor of representing Stage 32 at the 43rd Torino Film Festival and Torino Film Industry in Torino, Italy. And let me tell you: Italy is not just open for business, they are hungry to create more opportunities for filmmakers around the world — and Stage 32 is right in the center of it. How This All Started This relationship began months ago at our Stage 32 Film Commission VIP event in Cannes. What started as...

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 Friday, Stage 32 Community! The day after Thanksgiving always feels like a quiet crossroads. The world slows down just enough for us to hear ourselves think. And in that quiet, I’ve been reflecting on something powerful that came up during this past week’s November Community Open House (if you missed it, click here and watch for free on demand), a moment that, to me, gets to the heart of what Stage 32 is really about. A new member asked me, very honestly, whether this platform was the...

Happy Tuesday, Creative Army! It’s that time of year again — the time when the business of film truly comes to life. Today marks the start of the 2025 American Film Market (AFM), and I couldn’t be more excited to celebrate what this event represents — not just for filmmakers, screenwriters, and producers around the world, but for Stage 32 as a community. This year is extra special for us because it marks Stage 32’s 10th year as the official Education Partner of AFM. That’s a decade of empo...

Happy Thursday, Creative Army! The countdown is on — next week, I’ll be heading to The American Film Market (AFM), and I can’t wait to reconnect with so many of you in Los Angeles. Every year, AFM brings together thousands of creatives from across the globe — filmmakers, producers, writers, executives, and financiers — all there for one reason: to make things happen. As the official education partner of The American Film Market, Stage 32 is proud to continue empowering filmmakers, producers,...

Happy Tuesday, Creative Army! Every November, the entire global film industry converges for The American Film Market (AFM) — the premier film acquisition, development, and networking event where more than $1 Billion in distribution and film financing deals are closed each year on completed films and those in every stage of development. More business-oriented than any other motion picture event, AFM is where thousands of professionals from all corners of the industry come together to develop,...

Happy FriYAY, Stage 32 Community! One of my favorite things about being Head of Community here at Stage 32 is connecting you with opportunities that don’t just inspire you creatively, but give you the tools to level up your career. And next week, we’ve got one you absolutely don’t want to miss. We’re teaming up with SAGindie to bring you an incredible FREE webcast: Short Films, Big Plans: Building Powerful Indie Shorts That Launch Careers Join Us Live Tuesday, October 22nd at 11:00 am PT...

Happy Friday, Stage 32ers! I’m excited to announce that FilmScape Chicago is partnering with Stage 32 Certification to offer our acclaimed Stage 32 Production Accounting Master Certification Course to train and elevate local talent, ensuring Chicago’s productions continue to thrive with the highest-caliber crews. “The most common question we get—whether through social media or in person—is, ‘How do I get started in this industry?’”, says FilmScape Chicago’s President, Ned McGregor. “Taking t...

We’ve all heard the stories. Paranormal Activity, a film with a budget slightly less than a used Honda, made $193 million worldwide and launched a profitable franchise. That film’s progenitor, The Blair Witch Project, had a $60K budget and turned out a $250 million box office haul. The most profitable films from 2010 to 2015 were all horror films. 10. The Last Exorcism ($68M gross vs. $1.8M production budget) 9. Annabelle ($257M vs. $6.5M) 8. Chernobyl Diaries ($37M vs. $1M) 7. Ins...