Financing

1. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? As a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic, theaters around the world were forced to close their doors. Independent and arthouse theaters, in particular, have been deeply affected by these closures. Working in concert with a handful of independent distributors and platforms, the “Virtual Theatrical” model was born as a way for these independent theaters to showcase new theatrical content, connect with their local patrons, and generate revenue.     2. WHAT IS I...

As I am in the midst of editing my proof-of-concept short, Orpheus Star, with my editor, I look back on the journey to get to this point. It took over a year to get to the point where I could shoot my proof-of-concept short based on my feature. I had started off the year before spending four months and almost three thousand dollars preparing for a crowdfunding campaign. That alone had given me my first important lesson: 1. Your Supporters & Champions Aren’t Necessarily Your Co-Producers I had...

Happy Wednesday, Creative Army!   Over the last few months, the entire team here at Stage 32 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 safety of your own home.   Since the beginning of the quarantine mandates brought about by the spread...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! I've got my coffee and hand and your weekly dose of content coming in hot - grab your coffee of choice and let's dive right in.  First up, The Hollywood Reporter recently hosted a roundtable discussion featuring executives from the entertainment industry's top companies. This video features Jennifer Salke (Amazon), Scott Stuber (Netflix) Donna Langley (Universal), Jim Gianopulos (Paramount), Tom Rothman (Sony), Alan Horn (Disney), and Toby Emmerich (Warner Brother...

Director Aaron Falvey tells the story of producing and directing his award-winning 2019 short film Death Round Every Bend, and how he got his first feature film Northspur, shot in November 2019. Aaron shares the initiatives he took to get both projects off the ground, and learning the most valuable lesson any director, writer or ‘creative’ could… it’s producers that make a film happen, and you can become your own!   Justin Eade (Left) and Aaron Falvey (Right) make a strong team.   An...

Hello, Creative Army! As you know, back in March, we announced and launched Stage 32 Screenings to help filmmakers who were impacted by the cancellation of their live screenings at such festivals as SXSW, Tribeca and Telluride Mountainfilm Documentary get their films seen to a concentrated audience including thousands of distributors, sales agents, producers, financiers, development execs and more decision-makers here on Stage 32.  Since the official launch of Stage 32 Screenings was announc...

As you may recall back in February, long-time Stage 32 member, blog contributor, webinar teacher, and international film & distribution aficionado, David Zannoni began a series of blogs and vlogs to keep you up-to-date on the business of film across the globe. Today, David is sharing some amazing insights into the world of distribution for independent filmmakers in his exclusive Stage 32 vlog.  What you will learn from David: How do you define "independent film" distribution, specificall...

In these strange, uncertain, and truly and worrying times, as the writer, producer, and director of the independent feature film Killing Lionel I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on my journey as a film-maker and hopefully offer some insight and perhaps some advice. Before I proceed, I’d like to add that everything I write here is based on the experiences of the last six years of my life. Before this time period, I was an amateur filmmaker, with a handy-cam and a dream! As it is with a...

In 2014 I screened my first short film The Window in front of an audience at the London Independent Film Festival where it played to a full house. We won the audience award for 'Best Short Film' and I had my first taste of success as a filmmaker. Standing there with my trophy in hand, I stared blindly at a room full of blurred shapes and flashing lights who I knew to be my friends and fellow artists. I can't see the faces watching me, but I can feel their smiles. Do I feel disabled or cursed in...

Over the years, film production has been attributed to creativity and this is something that has been identified by film producers, historians, and even critics. For instance, Jean-Paul Furstenberg who was a director at the American Film Institute about 2 decades ago noted that it was the producers and the creative people that really founded the industry. As a matter of fact, if people like Adolph Zukor, Louis B.Mayer, Carl Laemmle, Ole Olsen, Leon Gaumont, Charles Pathe, or the Warner brothers...