Financing

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...

For many years the second most needed element for any movie or project to be successful, outside of a Studio deal, was the Sales Agent. There have been many theories and speculations on the process of getting a sales agent on board of a film or series or project. A lot of it was answered broadly the necessity of a finance plan, talent attachments, and a good script. However, in today's world, which has ALL the power is the Territorial Distributor. Having an A-List sales agent means very lit...

What's up, Stage 32 Creative Army? All over the world, we are all navigating the "new normal" that these uncertain times have thrust upon us. Between quarantine, social distancing, set closures and more, the future of the entertainment industry is uncertain at best... but there is a lot of good that is happening right now. Last week, I had the chance to sit down with my brother from another mother, Alex Ferrari at Indie Film Hustle for what I think is my 7,643rd podcast appearance. As always,...

Happy Wednesday Stage 32 Creative Army! 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. Originally, David was going to be reporting live from Film Festivals and Markets all over the world throughout the year - but alas, COVID-19 has put us all in the same stay at home boat. So today...

  See the latest news on Stage 32 Screenings from DEADLINE Here!     Stage 32 Joins Forces with Fintage House on Stage 32 Screenings As you know, last month, we launched Stage 32 Screenings. This new platform was designed to help displaced filmmakers impacted by cancelled and postponed film festivals around the world screen privately to our network of industry executives and professionals. The goal, to get these films and their filmmakers the attention and success they deserve. Today, w...

How I Made a Feature Film for Under £7,500 (or $8,600 for you American folks!)  Boy #5 is a horror feature film set and shot in Manchester, England. The feature marks the debut of first-time director Eric Ian Steele, an award-winning screenwriter and novelist who is the writer of the thriller feature film The Student currently on Netflix USA. THE HORROR BEGINS – DEVELOPING A MICRO BUDGET SCREENPLAY Blame Werner Herzog. Everything was going well until he appeared on the horizon like a magne...