Inspirational

So you’ve finally caught on that the easiest script to get made is horror. It’s global, it’s cheap and it’s the most-made genre with independent investors. What do you need to know? 1) Low Budget If You Are Not Established There are so many genius horror movies that take place in a house or a hotel or in the woods. Why? Because you only need one location. Monsters are tricky, but ghosts that you never really have to see (Paranormal Activity) are cheap. The cheaper your budget, the more likely...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? Whether you’ve been writing, filming, editing, or simply dreaming up your next big idea, I’ve got some inspiring content to fuel your passion and keep you moving forward. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in. This week’s video essay from Film Stack is an inspiring one; it’s called “When an Actress Stopped Playing It Safe”. Few actresses have risked as much for their careers as Charlize Theron. She broke out in the lat...

There are sooo many incredible Horror movies. It’s really hard to pick ten favorites. And my “10 Favorite Horror Movies” list changes a lot. I recently watched some movies that could be on this list one day. Here are my favorite Horror movies, why they’re my favorites, and one screenwriting tip from each movie. You can use some of these tips for other genres. And SPOILER ALERT- the below contains spoilers about the films!!! 10- THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS The People Under the Stairs is o...

Happy Friday, Stage 32ers! I’m excited to announce that FilmScape Chicago is partnering with Stage 32 Certification to offer our acclaimed Stage 32 Production Accounting Master Certification Course to train and elevate local talent, ensuring Chicago’s productions continue to thrive with the highest-caliber crews. “The most common question we get—whether through social media or in person—is, ‘How do I get started in this industry?’”, says FilmScape Chicago’s President, Ned McGregor. “Taking t...

I had lunch with a producer on Friday who's worked on major sci-fi franchises for studios like WB and Netflix. Their big takeaway? Whoever has the audience has the leverage. Theaters used to have it. Netflix has it now. But YouTube? YouTube has more leverage than anyone. Here's the shift: it's not enough to own content anymore. You have to own the distribution or the channel. More and more production companies are financing, producing, and distributing their own content to reach audiences di...

We’ve all heard the stories. Paranormal Activity, a film with a budget slightly less than a used Honda, made $193 million worldwide and launched a profitable franchise. That film’s progenitor, The Blair Witch Project, had a $60K budget and turned out a $250 million box office haul. The most profitable films from 2010 to 2015 were all horror films. 10. The Last Exorcism ($68M gross vs. $1.8M production budget) 9. Annabelle ($257M vs. $6.5M) 8. Chernobyl Diaries ($37M vs. $1M) 7. Ins...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? Whether you’ve been writing, filming, editing, or simply dreaming up your next big idea, I’ve got some inspiring content to fuel your passion and keep you moving forward. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in. This week, I want to share a fascinating video essay from Frame Voyager: The 80s Film That Took Research Too Far. In 1983, WarGames hit theaters. On the surface, it was a teenage hacker thriller starring Matthew Br...

Writing a novel is a daunting task. There are so many things to consider before committing even a single word to that intimidating blank screen. What is the main line of action? How many subplots do I have? Who is the main character? Who are the supporting characters? What is the theme? The tone? The setting? How many settings? When does it take place? Why am I doing this? How stupid was I to think I could do this?! How in the holy hell am I going to get 90,000 words out of this stupid time trav...

Happy FriYAY, Stage 32 Community! One of my favorite things about being Head of Community here at Stage 32 is to help bring opportunities directly to you that can spark connections, elevate your craft, and help you feel less alone in the sometimes overwhelming world of creativity. Today, I want to share one of those opportunities with you: an incredible free webcast event that Stage 32 is hosting next Wednesday, October 8th!  We’re teaming up with Film-Raderie, a nonprofit dedicated to devel...

Once again, let me start off by saying that I am NOT an expert at any of this. I've only been doing this acting/filmmaking thing for five years. I've retired twice and don't really have to work anymore, but I do drive Uber to get out of the house on occasion when I'm not making something. Having said that, I’m not opposed to learning from others. But please do not come at me with “I know the best way to do this” and then crap all over everything I’ve done, only to avail yourself as the savio...