Financing

Several years ago I decided that I wanted to get a degree in film and television from the highly competitive film school at New York University. There was one major obstacle though... I was a high school drop out. What are the odds of my being accepted into this school and program? Not very good, but I decided (call it naivety, blind faith, insanity or whatnot) it was not only possible, but it was going to be my reality. I put one foot in front of the other, busted my butt as if it were life or...

My very good friend, composer and sound designer / mixer Scott Szabo said there are three kinds of work: Art, Craft and Rent. He's absolutely right. Art is the stuff you are proud to have your name on, and you showcase on a website or reel, promoting shamelessly on social media! Craft might, or might not, be something to hold out as an example, but it will call upon your advanced skills and challenge you. Rent ... well, you show up, do a great job, make the client happy, cash the check and get o...

Happy Wednesday Stage 32! Since 2011, the Stage 32 team has been working tirelessly to help you stay connected, creative, motivated, and informed. As always, we are committed to bringing you networking opportunities, education and mentoring from top-level industry executives and professionals, and access to decision-makers around the globe all from the comfort of your own home. Recently our efforts have been noticed by the media in a big way. We are incredibly proud and honored that Stage 32...

NETFLIX AND STAGE 32 INTRODUCE A NEW INITIATIVE TO HELP ASPIRING SERIES AND FILMMAKERS CREATE ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE GLOBAL MARKETPLACE Earlier this year, our two organizations teamed up for a workshop on Television Pitching that was attended by 100,000 aspiring creators in over 160 countries. We knew it would be a natural fit, but it was amazing to see the global impact of the workshop. That’s why we’ve decided to once again partner on the Creating Content for the Global Mark...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! I've got my coffee in hand and your weekly dose of content coming in hot - grab your coffee of choice and let's dive right in. First up, Focus Features has a great series called "Reel Destinations" about the locations that make our favorite movies come to life. In this episode, host Alicia Malone explores Soho, London - the backdrop for Last Night in Soho - with director/co-writer Edgar Wright and co-writer Kyrsty Wilson-Cairns. They talk about how they transition...

From the inception of the film industry in Los Angeles, it has been dominated by major power brokers namely, studios, distributors lawyers and or agencies. This traditional film business model has created an environment that is far from perfect. Many issues are clear and obvious including the many numerous legal, agent and financial middlemen; lack of transparency and trust; piracy; violations of intellectual property rights; inefficient and lengthy procedures for payment of funds and a general...

An average independent film project deals with a multitude of contracts. Agreements are entered into by the production during all the stages of film’s “life cycle”. In this article we will mention a couple of the most important agreements that the producer should take into consideration during development, production, and distribution. Also, we will look at financing, residual obligations, and agreements which are fundamental to make sure that the film is completed successfully and that rev...

Happy Wednesday Creative Army! As you know, Stage 32's continued mission is to democratize the entertainment business and the industry is taking notice in a big way. We are incredibly proud and honored that Stage 32 has been featured recently in Forbes Magazine, Business Insider, Inc. Magazine, and now we are thrilled to be featured in Benzinga.  Money, money, money, money. Raising financing for films and other creative projects is always a challenge. That’s why we were thrilled that over 26...

I wrote my first book at the age of nine, a pastiche inspired by Ben and Me, a favorite book about Ben Franklin and his sentient mouse companion. I can still recall the joy I had in simply putting words to paper, words that would conjure images in my mind as I wrote them. And that is the way I continue to write today, as if the story were a movie in my head, scenes rewound and replayed as I re-read and tweak them. I once read somewhere that not everyone visualizes what they read, that for some p...

Independent filmmakers: the most important rules of marketing are to start early and keep focused on your target audience and how to monetize those consumers. What is the point of making a movie and no one knowing about it? – Marketing is the key. Marketing is a very important element in the world of film. In fact, studios are marketing machines and focus a great deal of time on marketing. Independent filmmakers should learn from the majors as they truly understand marketing. Although the wo...