Inspirational

A look into the work method of Dutch independent director/producer Joshua van ’t Hoff, who has a knack for shooting award-winning films. Indie filmmakers are in my book, much like the cosplay superheroes at Comic Cons. They create magic for others on a shoestring budget by sheer determination. I talked to Joshua van ’t Hoff of Apostrof Cinema, who has sixteen wins and ten nominations under his belt so far, to learn how he achieved that. Funding This Indie filmmaker's everyday alter ego has...

An Intro From Geoff Hall: It’s amazing who you can meet during the Stage32 November Write Club. I met Sandra Isabel Correia and we have been talking to each other ever since. In one of our conversations, Sandra talked about the ‘soft skills’ of business needed by the screenwriter, if they are to see their projects move into production. Along the way, we also discussed the writer as an introvert (Sandra’s perceptions – below - are amazing and worth spending a moment with, just to take it in)....

Scriptwriting is a thrilling ‘Act Two’ for me, after years of writing fiction. Now, with help from Stage32, I am proud to be signed on by Tammy Hunt, Manager and Co-Founder of Sandstone Artists. On my zig-zag journey to this point, I’ve learned a few things that might be useful to fellow aspiring scriptwriters, especially those who also write fiction. First, some BACKSTORY While I’ve loved movies all my life (my Mom threw parties on Oscar nights) and while my first writings were scripts (a ‘s...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! First, congratulations to all of you who have already participated in our monthly Introduce Yourself Weekend! Thousands of connections have been made between entertainment creatives and professionals from around the globe. Whether you are a long-time member or brand new to Stage 32, take a moment to pop over to the Introduce Yourself Lounge and say hello before the end of the weekend. First up, in this installment of "Directors On Directors" from Variety, Oscar-w...

Buzz. Trailers. Cast Interviews. Behind the Scenes Featurettes. Seeing A-list talent answer random yet strangely personal questions while playing with puppies. Producers have gone to great lengths to convince audiences to watch their finished films. But, is it worth it? Putting aside for a moment the nitty-gritty details of what it takes to market a film, the process of planning and executing a marketing strategy for a film or series takes just as much teamwork, strategy, and creativity as fil...

Hey, Creative Army! We had another fantastic mention in a recent Inc. Magazine article, "Lead With What Your Clients Need", featuring Stage 32 Certification as a prime example of how you can identify a need and then work to create a solution. This truly means so much to me. Stage 32 Certification is a culmination of so much passion and hard work. When I initially had the idea to create an alternative to traditional film school, I didn't quite know what that would look like. So we buckled dow...

When I was a tiny baby screenwriter with no experience, no credits, no hope, no foot in any door, and no connections in the industry, I thought that landing a gig where I would be paid to write was almost impossible to achieve. Until, one day, a producer reached out to me and said… “I have two costumes and a barn. Can you write me something?” That sentence led to a series of events that have now culminated in my first TV show being greenlit. Was it magic? No. It was work. Here’s how it...

Hey, Creative Army! It's been such an exciting time here at Stage 32! Forbes recently spotlighted Stage 32's new Certification program, "Stage 32 Providing A Credible Alternative to Film School"! This is a fantastic read, especially if you’re interested in learning more about how you can build a brand or story that genuinely resonates with an audience. An Excerpt From Forbes: In 2020 Google took action to disrupt the college degree. College can leave students anywhere from $100,000 to...

It has been a whirlwind since winning the Stage 32 Short Film Contest with the project I wrote and directed, BIENVENIDOS A LOS ANGELES. We’ve been lucky enough to have connected with major industry players and have taken significant steps forward to become a contender for Best Live Action Short Film in the 96th Academy Awards. Most recently, we have signed with Ouat Media, the renowned Toronto-based short film sales company known for three Oscar winners and 12 nominees. This film is very close...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? I have some content here for you that is sure to get the creative juices flowing, so grab your coffee, and let's dive in. We're looking at two classic and well-known filmmaking styles this week. Spielberg and Lumet. First up, in this video from StudioBinder, you get a breakdown of what makes Spielberg's work so visually recognizable - which comes down to cinematographer, Janusz Kaminski. This video gets into the lighting, c...