Inspirational

I've long since been on a writing hiatus. Call it treating myself. Call it writer's block. Call it what you will. What's important is that I am taking a mental health break on my own terms. This is necessary every now and then. Yes, it can be seen as lazy. Yes, it can be seen as a lack of creative energy. What I call it is: essential. There was a time in which my output was off the charts. Quite possibly unhealthy levels of writing. Of course, I write because I enjoy it. But, I had reached a cer...

2022 was a big year for many people, but for me, it was the year that brought me the ultimate reward I could ever dream of: Selection in the Student Academy Awards!   From the early days of my university college education, I have always been inclined to make movies that reflect both: the world and the imagination I grew up with. So I decided to pursue my career in film-making and look for opportunities where I could get my work in front of people. While I would ultimately win an award from my...

I don’t know about you, but my inbox these days is flooded with newsletters with headlines like “Do this before you set goals for 2023!” or “Jumpstart Your 2023!” Personally, I love this time of year as a chance to do a year-in-review assessment coupled with goal-setting for the new year. But this year, I’m taking a different look at things. In October, I offered a session at the DFW Writers’ Conference on Next Level Career Planning for creatives. When I asked for audience feedback on the type...

My travels as an author, screenwriter, and feature magazine article writer have allowed me to visit some very exotic places all over the world, and it all started in The Bronx. I attended a Hollywood film school and graduated with honors. I also have a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and I am a Six Sigma Master Black Belt. I guess you could say it was a unique education. But I learned a lot of things that they don’t teach in film school. And I’m still learning. Screenwriting can be a lonely...

Creatives like us often have the hardest time celebrating themselves. As I was looking back over posts from the past year, I was overwhelmed not just with the successes on the platform – but with how many of the successes came from you. You didn’t just sit back and wait for success to find you. You went out and created it for yourselves. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the successes highlighted below. Job Listings For starters, this is not a platform for just screenwriters. Many of yo...

On behalf of the entire Stage 32 family, I'd like to wish you all a happy, healthy, and loving Christmas and remainder of the holiday season. While the holidays are a time of celebration, I hope everyone will take a moment to reflect on the many blessings life has offered and afforded all of us. We personally feel blessed to have had so many of you enter and enrich our lives. The Stage 32 community has grown to nearly 1,000,000 members from around the globe, and we are beyond honored to provid...

FOMO: (Fear of Missing Out) – that anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on social media. Have you ever found yourself scrolling your Instagram or Twitter or Facebook for hours, lingering on those posts where mega deals are entered into by your fellow Artists? Or as they go LIVE on their Social to show off being on set on a film or tv show? Are you feeling dejected when friends, your fellow artists, or even total stran...

Last time on “Six Degrees of Stage 32”, we discussed the relationships that begin from in-person networking events. Speaking from experience, my creative partner and I recently wrapped up our most challenging proof-of-concept short film yet - “Sanctuary,” the Short Film. Where did we meet? A Stage 32 in-person networking event in Los Angeles, CA! Click here to read more about how we met in Part 1 of “Six Degrees of Stage 32”. While not everyone is so fortunate to attend film festivals, win mento...

A few years back, there was a lively debate right here on Stage 32 about whether short films could make money, then shifted to if there they were even worthwhile... Actually, it's not a matter of debate or opinion; it's an etched-in-stone fact that short films can make money. I've had three short films make money. There are countless other examples of shorts that made money, quite a bit of money actually, like the short by Peter Sollet 5 Feet High & Rising, which became Raising Victor Vargas....

Okay, you are a licensed Stunt Performer. What now? Firstly, I used to say to myself, "Now that you have the license to act as a human crash dummy, don't be a dummy!" What it means is to look after yourself. Because the most challenging work, the most difficult part, is just beginning. After your initial grading, you will become a stunt action personnel (again, this may vary from country to country). What it means is that you are pretty much a trainee. You can be onset and work; however, you...