Screenwriting

Hello, Creative Army. A few weeks back, I hosted another content packed AMA (Ask Me Anything).  The members of the Stage 32 community who attended live brought their A-game.  We went for 2 plus hours and covered about 2 dozen questions on film, television and digital related subjects.  And now the entire show is available for you to watch On Demand.   Here's just some of what we discussed: - How to raise financing for features - How to find financiers - How to find finishing funds fo...

You've seen Richard "RB" Botto's free webinar, "Ask Me Anything," right? Sometimes he handles questions on his own and sometimes he teams up with Jason Mirch, Stage 32's Director or Script Services. In this clip from his FREE webinar, RB teams up with Them That Follow film producer, Bradley Gallo. (Bradley does a monthly vlog on Stage 32 called Dear Bradley. It's a must see!) In this short video, Bradley and RB answer the question: How Do You Get Yourself Out of a Creative Rut? Click the l...

Happy Monday Stage 32 Family! It is not only the beginning of a brand new week, but it is the beginning of a brand new month! November is going to be a busy one for us! Ladies and gentlemen, let's be clear, in November we're kicking it into high gear to finish this year off strong. If you are not already aware, we are right at the beginning of the November Write Club Challenge which kicked off on Friday. If you have not already, set your writing goal for the month of November, then head over to...

One day during the summer after I walked my dogs for 3 miles to the ice cream stand (the walking part is crucial to justify the eating of ice cream), I dragged their tired little stump legs (they're dachshunds) up the ramp and proceeded to place my order: "Baby twist with chocolate sprinkles, please," I said. The nice lady on the other side of the window drew this on the order sheet: I figured she was outright ignoring me, daydreaming of an art class or something. But I continued with m...

NOVEMBER WRITE CLUB CHALLENGE PRIZES! Hey everyone! Thank you again for participating in the November Write Club Challenge! I so enjoyed going on this journey with you and I hope that you will continue the momentum throughout the holiday season and into the New Year! We sincerely appreciate everyone who contributed to the club - both in your efforts in writing and generous motivation and encouragement of others.  I would like to single out some writers who were truly an inspiration this year,...

Why you, why now? Why are YOU the one to write and sell the next big series, and why now? As Stage 32 Founder and CEO Richard "RB" Botto prepares to answer the question, "Where Can I Find Indie Producers Who Can Help Develop a Series?" with Stage 32's Director of Script Services Jason Mirch, RB stresses the importance of asking yourself: Why me, why now? Take a listen at the duo's feedback from RB's FREE webinar, "Ask Me Anything." The answer may move you to the next step with your serie...

If you’re a creative, then you already know that a large majority of us tend to be introverted. But if we allow that to stop us from crowdSOURCING and networking, we’ll never gain the competitive advantage that we need to push our project out to the masses. In this next video in the crowdsourcing video series hosted by Stage 32 CEO Richard “RB” Botto, the #1 best-selling author of Crowdsourcing For Filmmakers: Indie Film and the Power of the Crowd, reminds us that giving selflessly and offerin...

Happy Monday everyone! As I am sure you know by now the 26th Annual Austin Film Festival kicked off last week and Stage 32 was in the middle of it all. Stage 32 has always had a presence at the festival and this year we expanded our relationship and became official partners with AFF. Our leader Rich Botto and I spoke on filmmaking panels, we screened our 4th Annual Short Film Program, we hosted our 7th Annual Rooftop Bash at the Handlebar and I was fortunate enough to personally conduct intervie...

Are you ready to walk “into the room” and pitch to a decision-maker such as an agent, financier, producer, distributor or studio executive? Here are the top ten pitching tips to help you in a high-stakes situation. There are 5 Do’s and 5 Don’ts:   1) Do prepare for the five stages of the meeting. In Stage 1, you build rapport and warm up the room. In Stage 2, you ask questions and listen to show respect. In Stage 3, you deliver the prepared component of your pitch. In Stage 4, you d...

 In the five years I have been on Stage 32, I have read many threads and conversed with at least a dozen playwrights making the transition to screenwriting, in whole or in part. This is not surprising given the growing opportunities in the filmmaking and television industries and the shrinking budgets and opportunities in the theatre. In the past 20 years, I have written over twenty produced plays and musicals (I’m currently revising my 21st), for a variety of ages and audiences. Although, by...