Producing

Television is a lot like food. Really! The packaging piques our interest by showing us what’s inside: ads, posters, etc. We might buy it because a friend told us how much they loved it, or maybe we saw it prominently featured at the front of the store (Netflix’s Top 10). We order it off a menu – think the home page of HBO Max or the evening lineup on CBS. Each restaurant’s menu is different - each platform has its own brand. And we expect to be served what we think we are buying: a bag of M&M’s...

In 2020, I had the privilege of cutting a horror/thriller film titled The Boy Behind the Door. It was the directorial debut of David Charbonier & Justin Powell, and it was also my first feature-length project as an editor. The film was part of the Official Selection at Fantastic Fest in 2020 and received some genuine critical acclaim during its run. It then sold to Shudder and became available for streaming in 2021. The whole post-production process took over 2 years of diligent work and I lea...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? Whether you’ve been writing, filming, editing, or simply dreaming up your next big idea, I’ve got some inspiring content to fuel your passion and keep you moving forward. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in. This week’s featured video essay comes from Frame Voyager, and it’s an absolute ride through the world of one of the most iconic action franchises in film history—Mission: Impossible. The original Mission: Impossib...

There is one foolproof method to getting your start in Hollywood as a professional screenwriter, and it works virtually every single time. It’s as simple as this: write one exceptional spec screenplay. That is literally all you have to do. Once that feat is accomplished, practically everything else you desire will begin to unfold. No longer will you have to send out endless query letters to unresponsive agents and managers. They will start coming to you. I know it sounds too good to be true,...

Hey, Stage 32 Community! Are you feeling lost on Stage 32? Whether you’ve just joined the platform or you’ve been here for a while wondering how to make the most of everything Stage 32 has to offer, you’re not alone. With so many resources, opportunities, and community spaces to explore, it can feel a little overwhelming at first. That’s exactly why I’m inviting you to join me for a special Free Stage 32 Community Open House this Friday! Register for free by clicking HERE! As Head of C...

Hi, Stage 32 Creatives! Since becoming a Stage 32 member, I’ve noticed a common gap between screenwriters and producers. Today, I want to help you bridge that gap. In my "first life" as a businesswoman in the fashion world, I accomplished many successes. But the secret behind those achievements went far beyond the product line itself. A great product is never enough on its own, it needs an identity, a story, a brand. What was the real secret? I built a well-crafted fashion brand: high-qu...

Happy May! This month, I want to explore how love helps you remain steady, especially during tougher days. The days when doubt creeps in, energy runs low, or your direction feels unclear. These are the moments when love can transform from a feeling into a form of resilience. We know that love is not always simple or easy. It may not come with clear answers or appear in the ways we expect. Sometimes, it means showing kindness to yourself. At times, it means choosing to support someone else. T...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? Whether you’ve been writing, filming, editing, or simply dreaming up your next big idea, I’ve got some inspiring content to fuel your passion and keep you moving forward. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in. This week’s featured video essay comes from our friends at StudioBinder- How to Write the Main Conflict of the Story: The Engine of a Narrative. If you’re building a narrative and you haven’t deeply explored your sto...

Something I observe frequently is how often overlooked soft equity is in the finance plan. Counterintuitive, right? Why counterintuitive? In understanding film finance as a filmmaker and a producer, it can be explained relatively easily as this; soft equity is anything that doesn’t carry an obligation to be repaid or have the expectation of a recoupment attached. Hence I both preach and practice to seek out as many sources of soft financing as possible. Outside of tax credits or rebates (o...

The cultural zeitgeist speaks in this day and age about the isolation, alienation and despair of young people. We have watched the horrors of this in TV series like Adolescence. In the North-East of England, the region has the highest suicide-rate in the country. This is the consequence of the economic policies of the 1980s. We are a region which has not recovered from the asset-stripping of major industries, leaving many like myself with the label of ‘redundant’. Imagine that word next to you...