Networking

How do you know when you’re ready to write a screenplay? Have you studied enough; do you know enough? Do you need to know more? First, a little about me so you know why I’m writing this. Like many, I’ve always wanted to write. Instead, and who knows why—I made other random life choices. As it turns out, most of those choices have resulted in the number one thing I’d dreamed of doing since I was a sixth grader—writing. But of course, I didn’t do that either. Not until I hung up the day job...

I wanted to share some of my experiences that can hopefully help other indie filmmakers in the Transmedia world. While I was developing my project entitled “Black Salt”.     #1 The Comic Book When I started the project through my company Ratti Entertainment LLC, my goal was to do the Black Salt comic book first and then leverage one transmedia product line to help me get to the next piece. The franchise includes, but is not limited to, the following: Black Salt collectible items, al...

I'm thrilled to announce today that for the 6th straight year, Stage 32 and the American Film Market have joined forces to bring new opportunities and access to attendees of America's largest film market.   Stage 32 is proud to continue to be the official Networking and Education partner of the AFM and this year is extra special. For the second year in a row, the AFM has gone virtual.   So what does that mean for you?   More access and opportunity at the AFM no matter where you live in t...

Hello Team 32! First and foremost, THANK YOU to Stage 32, their dedicated staff, and all the producers, managers, and agents for taking time out of your busy schedules to help guide and shepherd me on my long journey as a writer. Your help, insight, and knowledge have been invaluable in my career. Stage 32 has provided me with a direct avenue and channel to get my work out there and read by the top producers, managers, and agents in LA and NYC. I have garnered incomparable knowledge and form...

When should you first start talking to distributors to sell your film? Unless you’re an industry veteran, I bet you’ll be surprised to find out the answer. In this article, I’m covering Stage 32’s Film Finance Summit 2021 - the distribution portion. In the first portion of this article, we go over where distributors look for films, when to talk to them, and what’s in demand. In the second portion, I share wisdom from the panelists about backing into your budget, what films are going to theate...

Happy Wednesday Stage 32! I hope you are having a beautiful and creative week! Recently, our fearless leader and CEO Richard "RB" Botto joined John Abbas on his podcast "Mentor Nation" to speak about networking, mindset, and building relationships. No matter what hat you wear in the entertainment industry, whether you are in front of or behind the camera, networking is an essential tool in the entertainment industry. In this podcast, RB shares how to find, nurture, and cultivate lasting re...

Will blockchain technology create a paradigm shift in the business practices of the film industry? The film industry on many occasions been fundamentally changed by technology over the years.………. from film; to video; to broadcast; to cable; VHS; DVD; broadband, streaming etc. Will blockchain and the distributed ledger technology be that next force for significant change? Is blockchain is a total paradigm shift? Blockchain technology can provide innovative opportunities to address issues...

Happy Motivation Monday Stage 32! I hope you are having a beautiful and creative week so far. As many of you know, in the past 10 years we have had some pretty epic Stage 32 success stories. From Ireland-based screenwriter Ronika Merl optioning her first script to Pennsylvania-based screenwriter Joseph Downey taking his feature Chick Fight (which went on to star Malin Akerman, Bella Thorne, and Alec Baldwin) from pitch to post through Stage 32, we have celebrated some amazing wins within our...

Most people making TV and film want to know what types of shows financiers and buyers are investing in right now. Here you go... I came up with this list based on what financiers and distributors said during the Stage 32 Film Finance Summit. Note that most of them are focused on independent films, but a few people did TV and studio films. I’ve listed the biographies of each person mentioned in this article at the bottom of this article.     Types of Shows Financiers and Distributors W...

You see excitement sparking in the producer’s eyes. They tell you your concept is unique, highly marketable, and fills a void in a profitable genre… Then the big question comes - the most important question you get asked in any pitch - “why are YOU the one to tell this story?” You respond, “I chose to write this paranoid-spy-thriller as my vehicle to immerse an audience in the experience of what it’s like living with an anxiety disorder, like my own CPTSD.” They had been leaning in up til...