Networking

The 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival is running from May 16th- 27th, 2023 in Cannes, France, who's ready?  Stage 32 is thrilled to host an incredible lineup of panels this year taking place at the FilmUSA Pavilion (if you missed our blog announcing the panels, click here). During the day we'll bringing the most innovate panels talking about the shifts in the entertainment industry, and by night, we have some great events in store. If you're planning on attending Cannes this year, be su...

The industry is rapidly changing, but no matter what your skill set or goals, one thing always remains true in entertainment: it's all about 'who you know'. At the center of everything that Stage 32 does is our global community. As you know, this platform is free to join and connect with people at various stages of their careers. No matter what is happening in the world, you can still join in this community and connect with others, so that you have allies that you can turn to for support and c...

The Cannes Film Festival in France is right around the corner! As you all know Stage 32 has worked directly with and has had an official presence at the Cannes Film Festival Marche du Film for the last 8 years. From education initiatives, partnerships, and parties, Stage 32 always has our finger on the pulse of the world's biggest film festival and market. Also, for the last 8 years Stage 32 has been an official education partner of the Cannes Marche du Film. We're excited today to announce...

I’ve had a love affair with writing for as long as I can remember, but my journey wasn’t always on a straight road. Being a screenwriter who after a 27-year hiatus from writing returned to his craft with a renewed passion and dedication, I had written a series of whimsical short stories that were well-received by readers. However, life and its responsibilities took center stage, and I put my writing on hold to focus on other things. During my hiatus, I lived life with no regrets. I gained a we...

Do you have a screenplay that didn’t get into a competition? A film without distribution? An idea that you just don’t know how to make a move on? I have been in all these positions and more than once. So how do we move forward as artists when the world seemingly continues to push back on us? This is the big question and I hope to provide some insight based on my real-world experience. How I work hard to "fail up" as a filmmaker. For anyone who has read my previous blog posts, you’ll know that...

Networking is too often associated with adjectives such as uncomfortable, artificial, or intimidating. However, there are concrete ways to change your mindset and navigate these situations effectively so it goes back to what it was originally intended for: creating and solidifying meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships, in your industry and beyond. 1. Think About Your Purpose As a film producer, I have always wanted to work with people from all over the world to make authentic...

Hi, Stage 32ers! Over the last few months, Stage 32 has raised the bar to invest in YOU by expanding our incredible team with passionate and enthusiastic individuals. Each and every one of us on the Stage 32 staff believes deeply in our mission to provide global networking opportunities, world-class entertainment industry education, and a marketplace connecting content creators with decision-makers, to the members of this great community. We want to connect with each of you to hear about you...

Hey, Stage 32ers! I hope you're all making great progress on your creative projects this week! This weekend is Introduce Yourself Weekend here at Stage 32. To celebrate, we have an in-person meet-up for those in Los Angeles (click here to RSVP) and some advice on how to come out of your shell to connect with our worldwide community from our CEO Richard 'RB' Botto in the vlog below.  If you would like more great industry and career advice, as well as inside access to what's happening behin...

Hello Stage 32ers! My name is James J. Papa. I met veteran film writer/director/producer, Julia Verdin of Rough Diamond Management through a consult call on Stage 32. As a result, I ended up co-writing the socially conscious project No Address with her. It is about the homeless in California. This is my story! How Julia & I Connected We connected through Stage 32’s one-hour script consults. I strongly recommend this to any writer who feels their script is ready, and polished, and wants to t...

Before lockdown, it seemed easier to break into Film and TV. Once in, it seemed easier to get your next job. You just had to be a hard-working and dependable human pinball. But in this post-pandemic WFH world, how can you be a human pinball, creating and networking and getting your work in front of as many people as you can, when there are no other people around you, for you to bounce off? It was easy to be a pinball when I was starting out. My first job was as a production assistant on PBS...