Networking

Hello, Creative Army! As you know, back in March, we announced and launched Stage 32 Screenings to help filmmakers who were impacted by the cancellation of their live screenings at such festivals as SXSW, Tribeca and Telluride Mountainfilm Documentary get their films seen to a concentrated audience including thousands of distributors, sales agents, producers, financiers, development execs and more decision-makers here on Stage 32.  Since the official launch of Stage 32 Screenings was announc...

As you may recall back in February, long-time Stage 32 member, blog contributor, webinar teacher, and international film & distribution aficionado, David Zannoni began a series of blogs and vlogs to keep you up-to-date on the business of film across the globe. Today, David is sharing some amazing insights into the world of distribution for independent filmmakers in his exclusive Stage 32 vlog.  What you will learn from David: How do you define "independent film" distribution, specificall...

I get it—you became a filmmaker, or a writer, or an actor because you love movies and television. You weren’t planning to launch a business. But if you hope to build a career in the film industry as a writer, filmmaker, or even actor, then you need to think like an entrepreneur. Otherwise, all you’ll have is an expensive hobby. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but that’s likely not quite what you were hoping for. So, take a deep breath and admit it. You’re an entrepreneur. Especially...

Don't ever give up... That's it... Blog done. Okay, so you want to know where that comes from... Well, I started writing my screenplay two years ago. It's called The Postcard and it is based on the true story of my Great Grandparents. I have wanted to tell this story since my Father told me all about it when I was 11 years old. I've written poems and songs about it, I've tried writing it as a novel over the years, but for some reason, I just could not keep it going and totally gave up.  ...

I always just assumed that I would get an email one day asking about some old footage I had of Lin-Manuel Miranda busking in the streets of Scotland. I knew I had the footage on a drive (even some of the old tapes on my desk now) and at some point, there would be a biographer or documentarian who would realize that I am the person to ask about this old footage. Lin, after all, had become quite literally become one of the most famous people in the world and I had some pretty magical moments captu...

In these strange, uncertain, and truly and worrying times, as the writer, producer, and director of the independent feature film Killing Lionel I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on my journey as a film-maker and hopefully offer some insight and perhaps some advice. Before I proceed, I’d like to add that everything I write here is based on the experiences of the last six years of my life. Before this time period, I was an amateur filmmaker, with a handy-cam and a dream! As it is with a...

In 2014 I screened my first short film The Window in front of an audience at the London Independent Film Festival where it played to a full house. We won the audience award for 'Best Short Film' and I had my first taste of success as a filmmaker. Standing there with my trophy in hand, I stared blindly at a room full of blurred shapes and flashing lights who I knew to be my friends and fellow artists. I can't see the faces watching me, but I can feel their smiles. Do I feel disabled or cursed in...

In 2018, that script I started six years earlier would be named as the Grand Prize Winner in Stage 32’s third annual feature screenwriting competition. A few weeks later and I’m in Los Angeles for the first time — well, not counting layovers at LAX, because who really wants to count those, am I right? Every day, I was in meetings with filmmakers behind movies like Ready or Not and Swiss Army Man. And to top off the week, Stage 32 had set me up with a meeting at Verve Talent & Literary Agenc...

In the Summer of 2005, I was a freelance Associate Producer working in New York, just getting my start in the business. In many ways it’s tempting to look back upon those days now and say that I didn’t know anything. We do that to our younger selves and the nostalgic stories we tell. But the truth is, although I had very little experience and very little understanding of how to actually create content, I knew what I liked. I knew what I thought was good storytelling, and I had a lot of confidenc...

Hello! My name is Jon Kohan and I’m a screenwriter from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. When you think of Pennsylvania you don’t really think Hollywood. In the history of my hometown, there have only been two major Hollywood movies filmed in the city; Slap Shot (1977) and All the Right Moves (1983). A lot of us have dreams that in order for us to see them to fruition, we must make a literal move. In the case of filmmaking, if you want to make movies you have to go where movies are made. The obvio...