Financing

Almost ten years ago I embarked on the creation of my web series. At the time, however, I had no idea that that was what I was doing. I began making videos, having no idea that they would eventually lead to the web series that is the major part of my professional identity, the “Velveteen Lounge Kitsch-en.” The show, where I play two characters (with more in the works) that make many, many cocktails, has spawned a cottage industry. That industry includes not just our regular, thrice-weekly videos...

So you got yourself a face to face meeting with a decision maker. This is epic. Could be a game changer, you think. This is your “one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted in one moment” like in the the Eminem song. It's your personal anthem that plays on rotation on Spotify as you sit in the lobby of the office of the producer you most want to meet who could make your script or book into a movie. Or the sales agent or distributor that finance your project your project. Or...

Dear Stage 32ers and Fellow Peers, I’m a DP/Filmmaker/Aspiring Director based in LA. I am here today to shed light on something that is not discussed often. Lenses and sensor size. Am I a lens whore? Yes! Do I obsess about color and image quality? Yes! To be a cinematographer means having a healthy dose of obsession. Your job, first and foremost, is to serve the director’s vision and storyline. Also, to provide ‘eyegasm’ and entertainment to the audience. (I just made the eyegasm word up but...

*An important new development with What Lies Ahead: We will now be premiering March 1st in theaters in L.A. and New York. March 5th will still be VOD, DVD, and (we just learned recently) REDBOX! For the past few weeks, we've taken you on the road with the creators of the feature film, 'What Lies Ahead' starring Rumer Wilson and Emma Dumont. Today we continue with Part 3, where the creators take us behind the scenes of a shoot that came to life beautifully with very little rehearsal time. 'What...

We see lots of writers here on Stage 32 with pilot ideas, completed scripts, even polished indie TV products, just waiting to be born again. It's no secret that things in the industry are changing for indie creators, and this year at Sundance, it was proven once again. "Filmmakers converge on the 10-day festival, hoping it will make their dreams come true. However, Jaffe, [a filmmaker] marks a new kind of talent: He made a pilot, not a movie, and he’s part of a 2019 TV class that saw big ga...

Since I was 12-years-old, I have always wanted to be in the entertainment business. I wanted to launch the next great entertainment company and have been pursing this ambition at great personal cost. To date, I haven't yet achieved my vision. But that's okay. Today I want to share my journey, as I suspect many of you can relate and substitute your own name for mine. A Let Down Disguised as an Encouraging Gift 2018 was a particularly hard and painful year. Once again, I found myself without a...

It's that time of year again! Time for you to decide who will take a golden statuette home at this years Oscars. Every year we host a contest where you, our loyal Stage 32 members, get to chime in on who you think the winners will be. And you can start choosing your picks right now, as the 7th Annual Stage 32 Oscars Contest is now live!| Oscar winners from 2016 - 2018 Whomever has the most right answers wins. So if you think you've got what it takes, join the party and submit your choices. O...

Last week we started you on the journey with Part 1 of this series. This week in Part 2, we take you into the production, where the three creators of ‘What Lies Ahead’ talk money, strategy, and family as they drove the backroads of Kentucky in preparation of shooting their film. As a reminder, What Lies Ahead was put together with no less than a dozen Stage 32'ers including writer, William Viglione, director Rob Gardner and on the producing team, Joe Burke, Stage 32 Managing Director, Amanda Ton...

Every Tuesday for the next five weeks we're going to take you on the journey of the feature film, What Lies Ahead, starring Rumer Willis and Emma Dumont. This film is the result of blood, sweat and tears from an incredible group of Stage 32 members. It was written by William Viglione and directed by Rob Gardner. The feature is produced by William, Rob, and producing partner, Joe Burke and co-produced by our very own CEO, Richard "RB" Botto, and Managing Director, Amanda Toney. Stage 32 Script...

Imagine being invited to be part of a writing team for a European television show. Or having a producer ask you to rewrite an old script.Also imagine a different producer ask you to tackle a script to bring their story vision to life.Or having a television star and his manager ask you to shape their thin story idea into a feature script. Just imagine.Now imagine doing this without being paid upfront.These are all ventures that I’ve put my sweat, blood, and creativity into with varying degrees...