Producing

So, you’ve written your pilot script and pitch deck and have gotten your submission email in the best shape you can. The next step: Sending it to an Acquisitions Executive. But who is this person, and why is it worth spending some time to consider who they are? Some will tell you that an Acquisitions Executive is a person who relishes every opportunity to say “no,” but happily, this is not the case. These executives are always hunting for the next script/deck/pitch to WOW them. But once they’v...

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. As you're networking with the Stage 32 community, you'll meet people from all d...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! I've got my coffee in hand and your weekly dose of content coming in hot - grab your coffee of choice, and let's dive right in. When you're creating your film or television series, costume design is crucial to your story. It helps the audience understand the character, adds to the world, contributes to the tone, and can even elevate the plot. It doesn't just exist in period films but even in some of the biggest contemporary-set releases, such as DO REVENGE, NOPE,...

We had two buildings when I started working at Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1999. There was the Northside building up near the Burbank Airport and the Southside building across the street from the lot off the 134 Freeway. It's commonly referred to as the "Hat Building" because of the giant iconic wizard's hat from The Sorcerer's Apprentice on the west end. The original Disney Animation building still stands in the middle of the Disney lot, but now it's mainly production offices. It has a lon...

Some folks say making a movie is like a marmite; you either love it or hate it. The desire to get into filmmaking started a long time before I made my first short docu-drama HUSH in 2003, which got screened at Cannes Film Festival and picked up an award at the UK's BFM International Film Festival. As a child, I was a lover of films and stayed up till the early morning hours, staring at my dad's action movies, watching the works of Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, and Clint Eastwood on the VHS play...

I'm thrilled to announce today the World of Film International Festival in Glasgow, Scotland, has teamed up with Stage 32 as the Official Education Partner. The festival has just begun and goes through November 6th, featuring projects from all over the world. The creators featured in this festival truly embody the collaborative and global ideals that we live by here at Stage 32. Nowhere can you see this better than with NYC-based filmmaker, writer, and producer Stefano Da Frè, who will be at...

When and where does one decide to make their first movie? In my case, it was a decision made two months ago, on September 2022. Clearly, the most obvious place to make the project (a short about a New Cinema) is the city of Los Angeles. After this decision, I told myself, So far, so good. I've got it made. I've got a lot going for me! You see, for one thing, there was Stage 32. Since joining the community four months ago, I had made productive and unique connections and written a blog abou...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! I've got my coffee in hand and your weekly dose of content coming in hot - grab your coffee of choice, and let's dive right in. I have been having a fantastic time here at the Austin Film Festival, especially this weekend at our 9th Annual Rooftop Bash, where I met with hundreds of our Stage 32 members (both new and long-time members). The conversations I've been having with executives on how high demand is for great material and the stories from creatives here a...

The American Film Market is fast approaching! In just a few weeks, thousands of entertainment executives and creatives from around the world will land in Santa Monica, CA, to network, pitch, and buy projects. It's an incredible chance for Stage 32 members to make in-person connections and get their projects off the ground.  This year, Stage 32 continues its partnership with AFM as the official Education Partner of the Market. Not only that, but if you attend this year's American Film Market, w...

My first opportunity to produce was actually a bit of an accident. I was still pursuing my childhood dream of acting, and I wanted to audition for the rare opportunity to be in a feature film in Cincinnati, OH (starring one of my childhood heroes-- Wonder Woman, no less.) At that time, it was like a unicorn opportunity, so I offered to volunteer my time in the production office leading up to auditions. Little did I know that this would be the beginning of the end of my acting career and the st...