Networking

“I say luck is when an opportunity comes along and you’re prepared for it.”  - Denzel Washington I knew an actor once who liked to utter that famous phrase by the Roman philosopher Seneca, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Such a well-known phrase that I titled my last Stage 32 blog after it. Funny thing was, when that actor got their opportunity, they were not prepared. And, they could have used a lot of luck. They were nervous and had a hard time following directi...

Pulitzer Prize-winner Carl Sandburg said, "The impact of television on our culture is...indescribable.There’s a certain sense in which it is nearly as important as the invention of printing.” Television continues to experience its Golden Age as a multitude of new streamers and premium networks emerge, while existing networks continue to take greater creative and commercial risks with exciting original ideas. Across all platforms, formats and genres, content creators for television are on the...

Happy Saturday Stage 32! As many of you may know, I host an Instagram LIVE every week on @stage32online highlighting some amazing Stage 32 members from all over the world. Recently, it was my sincerest pleasure to talk to two POWERHOUSE actors & Stage 32 members. No matter where you live, or what stage of your acting career you are in, these two gentlemen have some amazing tips, insights, and inspiration for you! First up, I talk with LA-based actor and long-time audition reader Jon Snow (do...

In many countries, creative workers are organized in unions or guilds, who represent the collective interests of their members for labor-related matters in the audiovisual industry. In this article, we focus on a part of financial compensation in connection with film production, being the payment of residuals to members of the traditional US guilds. More specifically, we will look at the mechanism of calculation and payment of residuals to actors, directors, and screenwriters, from the angl...

Hey, Stage 32-ers! Autumn is here, productions (COVID-safe, of course) are picking up steam, and we are all trying to regain a sense of time. How best to spend your free time, how much energy to put into work time, and why social time is still so essential. I am reminded of an inspirational quote, “bloom where you are planted”. The question is, where do you see yourself blooming? Do you require a small group or a big class? What are your next steps to seeing your project to fruition? Can you d...

I had been thinking like me; I needed to think like them... I became a member of Stage 32 in 2015. Having come from launching a successful ad agency in the Midwest and working with corporate giants like Borden, Chase Banks, and Wendy's International, along with writing my own column for the city business newspaper, hosting a radio show, and producing/writing three on-air network affiliate shows, including one for the local ABC affiliate, Fox affiliate, and another in the hopper over at the NBC...

Even if you're not in Hollywood, you can get a sense of the "business" by what professionals are talking about. What have Stage 32 members been talking about lately? The work. What work their doing, how to do the work, and getting back to the nitty gritty. It's exciting, but it's also a great time to show how much value you bring. Taking a few minutes to answer another's questions could be a great advantage to them and show what a fantastic asset you are!   It's true, the lounges are a great p...

Happy Friday Creative Army! As you all know, Stage 32 Screenings was born in March in the wake of the cancellation of SXSW. Our initiative has been covered by Deadline, Variety, CNN, and dozens more. We are currently screening over 150 features, shorts, and episodic pilots from SXSW, Tribeca, SeriesFest, Vail Film Festival, BFI: Flare London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival, and Telluride Mountainfilm Documentary Festival to our network of over 6,000 invited sales agents, distributors, managers, agents,...

Many films come together through the collaboration of several producers. Such collaboration can be between producers from the same country or region, or between filmmakers from different countries. A specific form of collaboration is the co-production. A big part of non-US films in fact consists of co-productions, especially if the film is produced for international markets. Often this is noticeable as the story takes place across two or more countries, because several languages are spoken, or...

Happy Wednesday Stage 32!   Back in July, we launched a Vlog Series featuring long-time animation industry veteran, Frank Gladstone. Frank has worked for some of the biggest names in animation (Disney, Warner Bros, and DreamWorks, to name a few!) in his 45+ years in the industry. Frank is also currently the Executive Director for The International Animated Film Society (ASIFA - Hollywood) which hosts the world-famous Annie Awards honoring animators from all over the world. Last month, he answe...