Financing

Following up from my previous blogs, “Finding Your Creative Tribe” and “Building Safe Spaces”, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the very individual process a professional creative must go through in order to be present for their “tribe” or be strong enough to lead a team. Especially since doing the work for yourself, BY yourself is essential. It is the foundation of everything else we create. Consider for a moment when you visit a doctor. It is certainly their job to help analyze what a...

Months ago, I wrote a piece for the Stage 32 blog called “5 Ways to Use IMDb to Research Your Way to the Top”. That is still the foundation of getting the most out of IMDb. However, since then, IMDb has added more resources to its Pro element or things we didn’t cover before. 1. TRAILERS If you are one of those people that get to the movie theater early to catch the latest trailers, and it's one of your favorite things about the movie going experience- I’m right along with you. However, wha...

Three Things in the Entertainment Industry You Shouldn’t Take Personally On Medium by Richard "RB" Botto It’s tough not to take things personally when you’re a creative. Writers, directors, actors, cinematographers and other film and TV creatives are emotionally invested in their work, while putting in a massive amount of time and effort in creating their art. This makes hearing negative feedback or a simple, but impactful “no” feel like a crushing setback. However, most interactions don’t...

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, our friends over at StudioBinder recently released a fascinating video about how Christopher Nolan shot the iconic spinning hallway scene in Inception. They dive into the cinematography, rotating set design, and stunts that went into creating such a unique and visually interesting scene - without...

Keeping in mind the old expression that “it takes ten years to become an overnight success,” as much as we all would love a shortcut, a golden ticket, a Fast Pass, the truth is that you DO have to put in the time and get the reps. BUT, the good news is that along the way you’re starting to build the foundation to eventually make a successful pitch from, to whoever it is that you’re trying to get in front of. I’m not only talking the talk, but walking the walk, having recently seen a culminatio...

On a daily business, often questions come up about calculation and payment of Residuals. If Residuals are not paid by the Distributor (often a studio or a major distribution company) and Residuals are not paid from the budget either, how does the Production Company comply with its Residual obligations? In independent film and TV, two parties are essential in the process of calculating and paying Residuals: the Collection Account Manager or CAM, and the Payroll House. In this article we w...

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 further. The most prestigious s...

We have many different names for the fear that comes along with creative pursuits. Sometimes we call it “Imposter Syndrome.” Sometimes we call it “Resistance” (because, I think, sometimes we hit writer’s block because we’re listening to fear). Sometimes we call it “The Inner Critic.” But no matter what we call it, the effect it has is the same: it’s Snow White’s poisoned apple, that creates a paralyzing slowness that congeals until it looks like death. Fear and I have a long-standing relations...

Hello Creative Army! Read any of the trades right now and our industry is in a rapid state of change. From streamers in the race for original content, to companies making acquisitions and, of course, the Great Content Gold Rush still in full force, it's a lot to keep up with. The entire Stage 32 team is on the phone every day to keep their fingers on the pulse of what's happening. It's exciting time for you as a content creator - whether you work in film, television or digital - and it's equ...

One of the best ways to help build a successful screenwriting career is by building a successful network. Thanks to Stage 32, networking doesn’t need to be intimidating or boring. But before we start cold-calling up the A-list, there’s a much easier group of people to contact first - our fellow screenwriters! If you’re still of the mindset that other screenwriters are your competition, let me disabuse you of that notion right now. Your fellow writers ARE your lateral network! Lateral netwo...