Producing

Howdy, my film familia! In today's blog, I offer you a DP survival guide where I will be sharing my experience and things to remember when shooting music festivals or concerts. Once upon a time, as a young strapping lad, I was taking various shooting assignments to further my operating skills. Shooting music events or music videos has its own rewards. It is fun and will challenge you in every way. I learned a helluva lot for sure. Shooting music events and music videos are totally different....

I’m always eager to find helpful insights for navigating life. Stoicism has been experiencing a resurgence of late, thanks in part to books like A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy and to Ryan Holiday, whose books and Daily Stoic emails have made the ancient precepts relevant for contemporary thinkers. Stoicism is a philosophy about finding happiness in the “now” moment. It’s about controlling your emotions and the thoughts you think to maximize your life experience. It’s a...

Imagine you have pitched a twenty-five-word book logline to a publisher that not only lands you a four-book contract but also attracts interest from nine movie production companies in one week. Let that sink in. How would you feel? On top of the world? Like all your dreams have come true? As if you’ve been sprinkled with pixie dust and all your worries are over? Well, it happened to me, and while I did feel those things, my central emotion was panic. Why? Because the cinematic catnip I’d us...

Following up on my previous blogs, “Finding Your Creative Tribe” and “Building Safe Spaces”, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the very individual process a professional creative must go through in order to be present for their “tribe” or be strong enough to lead a team. Especially since doing the work for yourself, BY yourself is essential. It is the foundation of everything else we create. Consider for a moment when you visit a doctor. It is certainly their job to help analyze what ail...

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...

I remember seeing the van speeding toward my vehicle. When it struck, the impact sent a shudder through my nerves. Fortunately, I had enough sense to lean away from the window, so my head didn’t smash through the glass but only slammed into it with a mild “thud”. I was left with a bump on my head instead of a concussion, or worse. The car, sadly, did not fare as well: it was a write-off. Later, I learned that a piece of the engine had been propelled through the bodywork and had missed me by i...

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...

Making a film is a 'Big idea" that tends to overwhelm and can be an endless challenge to try and set sail. Where does one begin? This is your dream, after all, and here are a few methods that will help inspire your creative life. Understand That Writing Is Everything For as long as I can remember, if I wanted to create something, it would not be discovered without reading about it. In fact, reading is a prerequisite to writing. I think that what you read changes your thoughts and then your so...

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...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! First, congratulations to all of you who have already participated in our monthly Introduce Yourself Weekend! Thousands of connections have been made between entertainment creatives and professionals from around the globe. Whether you are a long-time member or brand new to Stage 32, take a moment to pop over to the Introduce Yourself Lounge and say hello before the end of the weekend. First up this week, we have a video from StudioBinder on writing subtext. I see...