Inspirational

One of the biggest challenges we face as artists is how to balance the creative and business demands that are required to have a successful career. Oftentimes, it is these difficulties that lead us down a path of 'getting a real job' or 'settling down' – and giving up on our dream, but, if you’re in this industry, you’re in it for a reason – because you HAVE to be. Living a life of comfort and stability is nice, but not if the cost is your dream. Speaking as one of you and having faced this chal...

Hark, Filmmakers! For I hath climb’d the Big Data Mountain and I returned with holy verses for when thouest plans to commit thyself to speak to the masses via crowdfunding and ye shall thee listen… ok I can’t keep this up. I’ll be honest – I liked the headline, but carrying on the tone will get tiresome for you and I. So here’s the skinny. In the past few months I’ve been studying a lot of crowdfunding campaigns by filmmakers. 47,809, in fact. I gathered data on all crowdfunding campaigns laun...

The next time you watch a telecast of a major awards show, complete with celebrities, red carpets, adoring fans and the press, consider the small army of artists, technical experts and creative crafts people it takes to initiate, develop and produce the productions that are nominated or honored. No matter what part of the entertainment industry we’re talking about - film, theatre, music, dance, writing, performing, etc. – it literally takes a village comprised of skilled professionals to make...

With such a vast library of great films to look to as paradigms, you’d think it would be easy to make a great movie. We’re in the age of reboots, adaptations and (dare I say) rip offs, all of which offer a great foundation for us to work from. So why is it that a lot of these fall short? It’s really quite simple. YOU’RE RIPPING OFF THE WRONG THING!! OK, so obviously I should elaborate on this. I’m a person who likes to explain things via analogies. So in this particular case, I’ll use four o...

Our Fearless Leader was a guest on the extremely popular indiefilm podcast, Indie Film Hustle, hosted by filmmaker (and Stage 32 member) Alex Ferrari.  This was one lively show.  RB and Alex covered a ton of ground on a variety of indie film topics.  We ask that you not only listen, but spread the love by sharing the show on social media!  Thanks in advance! Here's a description of the show from the man himself, Alex Ferrari: Blueprint to Make it in the Film Business with Stage 32 Have you...

I was 8 years old, knowing I wanted to be an actor, but I was 909 miles away from Hollywood. This was... brutal. Obviously, I had no control over anything. I would beg my parents to take me to “where they make movies.” My parents moved from Los Angeles to Idaho for a calmer life and they told me I was free to move to California in 10 years after I graduated from high School, which I did.    In Idaho, I was 909 miles away from where I wanted to be...Hollywood   When I was 8, my dad said...

An actor walks into an audition and says to him or herself, “If I don’t get this part, that’s it. I am giving up acting.” The list of successful actors that have thought of quitting is long. The path is filled with rejection. You have to know that. Every time you put yourself out there, know that it may be "no" for now, but your big "yes" could be just around the corner. Today, I'm going to go over some famous faces that almost gave up, and, if they had, we'd miss out on some of the best ch...

Last time, I gave you important introductory pointers on how to conduct interviews. Most importantly, I talked about researching your subjects, holding a conversation and not an interrogation, keeping eye contact and making your interviewees feel comfortable. Here are a few more tips that have helped me over the years. PUBLICISTS CAN BE YOUR FRIENDS You’ll run into several kinds of publicists if you’re interviewing celebrities. First, there will be the studio, network or set publicists for t...

After three weeks of maintaining progress, staying motivated, working through setbacks and pushing forward, Stage 32 Write Club participants have reached the precipice, the climax, the final battle of our November writing exercise. The end is right around the corner. The final week: How are you doing? Has your project changed or grown? Any last hurdles to jump over? Or will you coast through to the finish? Will your month’s achievements get you one step closer to an overall goal? Please do s...

Leonard Lowe is a man, who as a teenager, became comatose for decades with no hope of any cure. When Dr. Malcolm Sayer gets permission to try a possible chemical cure, Leonard awakens. The result is an adult man who only knew life as a teenager discovering the delights of life. Countless times over the years, I’ve coached people who have “left” the business. I put quotes around ‘left’ because some have literally left for various reasons (illness, relocation, family matters, caring for a family...