Inspirational

In March, my daughter passed on a free trial membership to a platform called "Stage 32 Writer's Room." I wasn't looking for anything like this because, frankly, I didn't even know it existed. I've spent my entire adult life in education and the medical field, so all of this was new to me. Where I Started: Before Stage32 In 2023, I was exhausted: traveling cross-country to help care for my dad with dementia, while still working full-time and homeschooling our son. It was emotionally and physic...

Hollywood’s Unicorn Problem: Are Dev Execs Getting Squeezed Out? The traditional development pipeline is broken, and the latest wave of layoffs proves it. After talking with execs, former execs, and producers at every level, one trend is undeniable: Hollywood is betting on individual unicorns over development infrastructure. Studios and top production companies are cutting development teams and walking away from costly overhead, instead leaning on smaller, filmmaker- or talent-driven shops. I...

Welcome back to TALKING BUSINESS: Insights from the Independent Film Industry, hosted by Stage 32 Certification International Liaison, Thought Leader, and Business Consultant David Zannoni, of Freeway Entertainment and Zannoni Media. In TALKING BUSINESS, I sit down with top professionals from across the entertainment industry to uncover the business behind the art—from film financing and deal structuring to distribution strategy and international co-productions. Whether you’re a producer, inve...

As recently announced in Variety, the producers behind The Night and Parallel - have opened their doors exclusively to our community and we're excited to announce we've partnered with Mammoth Pictures - who will develop and package the winning script of our 12th Annual Search for New Blood horror screenwriting contest! The Rarity of Direct Producer Access With a mission to produce genre projects for a global audience, Mammoth Pictures have been making a name for themselves as horror/thriller...

So...many...pitches… That’s the God’s honest truth about what often runs through my mind when I check my inboxes. On social, on email, and anywhere I can be hunted down, I get your pitches. Lots...and lots...of pitches. And the reality is- that’s a big part of my JOB! And while I may not be coming across as super enthusiastic at the moment, I am always excited to discover a concept that resonates with me, that’s unique, that's pitched well. The problem is, lots of these pitches that I sift throu...

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. Let’s start with this brilliant video essay from FilmStack: When An Actor Was More Than Just Funny- Ben Stiller In the 2000s, Ben Stiller was everywhere. That was the golden age of the studio comedy, when the Frat...

14 years ago, Stage 32 started with one big idea: to bring creatives from around the world together in one place, regardless of background, access, or experience, and give them the resources, community, education, and tools to take control of their careers. Today, that idea has grown into something extraordinary: a global platform with over 1.3 million members, a true creative army sharing stories, building projects, forging partnerships, and changing what it means to break in. And I’m here...

This is the second in a series of blogs about the making of my passion project “Stories”. If you missed the first one, you can click here to catch up! 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 o...

If you’re a world-builder, someone who spends time thinking through the rules, history, architecture, politics, fashion, lore, and lineage of your universe, you’re already on the edge of something massive. But what if I told you that you don’t have to limit that creativity to just one screenplay, one novel, or one limited series? What if there’s an entire professional lane designed to take the stories you love building and stretch them across mediums in a way that deepens the experience, builds...

Happy Monday, Creative Army! For the past decade, it’s been one of the greatest honors of my career to watch the Stage 32 Short Film Program evolve into one of the premier discovery showcases for emerging filmmakers around the globe. This year, I’m proud to announce that we are celebrating the 10th Anniversary of our Stage 32 Short Film Program with a worldwide premiere at the 2025 HollyShorts Film Festival, one of the most prestigious Oscar-qualifying fests in the world. This program has al...