Inspirational

It’s hard to believe that this fall, it’ll already be two years since we were in Ireland, shooting John Patrick Shanley’s romantic comedy WILD MOUNTAIN THYME. For so many people involved in the shoot, it would be the last time they’d be on a set before COVID-19 struck. When WMT was released on PVOD and in theaters last December, everyone involved with the project was, naturally, overjoyed. Here was the opportunity – finally! – after months in lockdown, for audiences to delight in Emily Blunt,...

Hello everyone! I know this must sound like a promotional blog, or a congratulatory blog, or a persuasive blog! Actually, it is none of these! It is just an account of what Stage 32 has done for me at this moment in time. So, please give me a moment for some backstory... My name is Selma Karayalçın and I’m a forty-nine-year-old woman going on twenty-one who lives on the island of Aphrodite that is called Cyprus. If you don’t know where that is, it is a tiny dot on the map in the eastern Me...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! First of all, congratulations to all of you who have already participated in our monthly Introduce Your Fail Weekend! This is an exciting spin on our monthly Introduce Yourself Weekend that takes place the third weekend of every month in the Introduce Yourself Lounge. Thousands of people from all over the world have shared their entertainment industry fails/rejections/fears and it has been wildly inspiring.  Stage 32 is a safe and supportive space built to help ou...

Happy Screenplay Saturday Stage 32! I hope you all had a beautiful and creative week. I was catching up on the trades this week (following the very sage wisdom of our founder and CEO Richard "RB" Botto: Always read the trades and know what is going on in the business of entertainment!) and I came across an article from Deadline Hollywood about the pilot script of Marvel/Disney+'s WandaVision. This episode is a fascinating introduction to a series unlike anything else in the Marvel universe....

Happy Friday Stage 32 Tribe! As you may know, the third weekend of every month we host "Introduce Yourself Weekend" in the Introduce Yourself Lounge. Every month, thousands of members join our online networking extravaganza, meeting and connecting with creatives and professionals from all over the world.  This month, we have an exciting spin on our regular Introduce Yourself Weekend with our first ever Introduce Your FAIL Weekend. No matter what hat(s) you wear in the entertainment industry,...

Being a creator means being ready for rejection. The industry does away with those who can not handle it. Sometimes, we get so passionate about a project, we pursue the greatest of opportunities without a second thought. Or sometimes, we pass on experiences that turned out to be major successes. You will go through this at some point in your career. How do we move on from that? How do we do away with regret and hurt? What do we do when that amazing moment is gone?     Stay Hungry...

Individualism. It’s the single most important element I have learned about life and the people I work with. No two people are the same. No two actors are the same. I believe directing actors entails: Knowing yourself Learning about each of your actors and what they need Training yourself to listen and assess everyone as an individual I began directing actors in 1974 when I made my first picture, INDEPENDENCE DAY. For the first ten years of my career I only directed independent films wh...

Preciously few screenwriters strike gold with their first scripts, such as those written by Sylvester Stallone (Rocky), Kevin Smith (Clerks), Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich), Kimberly Smith (Boys Don’t Cry), and Matt Damon and Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting) among a dozen other gifted writers. Most screenwriters take a circuitous route to “getting their first feature film produced.” I thought it would be instructive to share the story of my journey in hopes of gathering diverse stories...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! I've got my coffee in hand and your weekly dose of content coming in hot - grab your coffee of choice and let's dive right in. First up, Outstanding Screenplays has compiled ten screenwriting tips from writer/director Jon Favreau (The Mandalorian, Iron Man, Chef). Jon's advice covers everything from struggling through your first draft to finding a relatable element to the hero that you are writing, and much more.  Next up, Indy Mogul has a great video about how...

“CINEMA IS A MATTER OF WHAT’S IN THE FRAME AND WHAT’S OUT.” - Martin Scorsese The point of view of our creations starts with our personal worldview. How do you approach new contacts? Old teammates? Scripts, projects, edits? Here at Stage 32, we welcome. We invite and encourage. We may even suggest or request, all to set the stage for positive, productive relationships. Opening up a frame into "you" or "your craft" is an invitation to start an authentic conversation. If you have a lengthy...