Inspirational

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. First up, in this video from The Hollywood Reporter, we see the directors from some of last year's most talked-about films discuss their visions, inspirations, and big takeaways from their recent work. The roundtable includes Ava DuVernay (ORIGIN), Blitz Bazawule (THE COLOR PURPLE), Bradley Cooper (MAEST...

Four Practical Habits to Help Creatives Stay Grounded and Achieve Consistent Results. "It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward." - Chinese proverb As actors, we all have huge dreams and aspirations: one day winning an Oscar, being on a Broadway stage, getting into Marvel-ready shape, or getting that top-tier agent. For better or worse, we think big and relentlessly pursue our goals. We sprint towards them, stum...

Hey, Creative Army! Great news! Stage 32 and our wonderful Director of Education, Sam Sokolow, were recently featured in an IBC 365 article, “WHAT DO STREAMERS WANT? SITCOMS, POLICE DRAMA AND REALITY SHOWS”. This article spotlighted Stage 32’s hit expert panel at last month’s FOCUS London Conference; FROM REVOLUTION TO EVOLUTION: What The Streamers Are Looking For Today. It was a phenomenal conversation moderated by Stacey Carr, Entertainment Consultant at Stacey Carr Consulting, and featur...

Over the last 7 years in LA as a director and producer, I feel like I've seen so many sides of the filmmaking world. I've done backyard shorts with friends and family with guerilla shooting, I've done features for over a million dollars, I've directed a big studio episodic for TV, and I’ve even funded my own short docs. As everyone in the industry knows, this work can be intense. We often have long hours. We give 120% of our brain power dissecting scripts, making shot lists, and scouting locat...

Getting your foot in the TV and film industry is not, as we all know, an easy task. I’m from Scotland and write feel-good romances for HarperCollins imprint One More Chapter. Several months ago, I stumbled across Stage 32. As soon as I saw the array of talented authors and screenwriter members, not to mention the plethora of amazing production and development executives, I knew I had nothing to lose. I was immediately drawn to checking out the pitch sessions and decided to reserve a couple o...

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. First up, in this interview with Sofia Coppola from BFI, the filmmaker takes a look back on her filmmaking journey. Not only the many critically acclaimed and award-winning films she's made over the years but also the impact her upbringing has had on her perspective and the stories she tells. Next up,...

Yep. MAGPIE FUNERAL, my newest film, was almost dead on arrival. But hey, what independent film can’t say that? Here are three crazy stories about MAGPIE FUNERAL, now streaming on TubiTV, Amazon Video, YouTube, and Google Play. Story One: TIMING IS EVERYTHING. John T. Sweeney, Magpie Funeral’s producer, insisted that the production must start in mid-October of that year. I had the following January in mind. But John persisted. He explained it was imperative principal photography commenced...

Festive season greetings! While this is a joyous time of year, it can be challenging for many. If you or someone you care about ever feel a bit blue, I have something special for you. All this past month, I have been sharing a Happiness Wellbeing Advent Calendar filled with daily self-care inspiration on my social media. I thought it might brighten your first days for the coming year. I have included all twenty-five self-care advent calendar tips. Consider keeping this blog elsewhere to revisi...

Happy New Year, Creative Army! Hope you all had a terrific holiday season and are now ready to launch into 2024. Those of you who have been around the site for a while know that on New Year's Day, we utilize the Stage 32 Blog to discuss and share our plans for the coming year. So... What are you looking to accomplish in 2024? What are your creative goals? What skills are you looking to learn? What fears are you looking to overcome? What strategies are you planning on implementing...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far and are ready to celebrate the new year? 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. First up, in this video from Nerdwriter1, you'll compare and contrast two classic films from the holiday season: SHOP AROUND THE CORNER and YOU'VE GOT MAIL. By looking a these films side by side, we can see how filming techniques have evolved over decades. But just...