Screenwriting

You know all those things that filmmakers, screenwriters, and actors bemoan about here on Stage 32? Can’t raise the finances to make a movie. Can’t get distribution. Can’t get a break. 'Getting Grace', a film starting Daniel Roebuck, on a film scroll in a movie theater. Well, I know a guy who would disagree with you and is proving anything is possible. And not just any guy, but the man who played the second lead of Cliff Lewis on Matlock, Dr. Leslie Arzt on LOST, movies like The Fugitive,...

Never mind solutions: the challenge is where to begin with the problems. This post is for all of you newbies, like myself. This coming year I intend to make my fourth and (possibly) fifth feature. They are No Budget features, as I still have another year at University and am thus skint. Apologies for teaching people to suck eggs, when I am but an egg myself. But you never know. There may be an odd but useful nugget in here. Here are my suggested solutions for no budget film problems: 1) Ke...

A few years ago I was struggling with a major script problem. No matter how hard I wracked my brain I couldn’t find a solution. I felt helpless. At the same time, I didn’t want to let go of a project I cared about and spent so much time on. I then came across two approaches to screenplay writing which completely blew my mind, The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler and a simplified version called The Story Circle by Dan Harmon (Community, Rick & Morty). I thought, what do I have to lose?...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army. Hope you're all doing well and enjoying the holiday season. Let's get into the holiday spirit with the gift of giving...Here's some more Coffee & Content. First, from our friends at This Guy Edits, it's 3 Filmmaking Mistakes to Avoid. As usual, this one is comprehensive and insightful. Next up, writer, director, and producer Ryan Coogler talks film school and much more in this chill conversation with the Hollywood Reporter. Hope you enjoy the content and will...

"...filmmakers with dreams of Sundance should not view the network of festival programmers, nonprofit talent developers, producers, and yes, filmmakers (no recommendations mean more) as a hurdle. In reality, their tentacles spread far and deep searching for talent." It's hard to read the above excerpt and think that it can possibly be true. Of course getting into Sundance offers a series of hurdles. You have to have clout, right? Sure you do. But how do you measure it? And what does it all m...

We want strangers to care. Maybe not when we're out picking up milk or driving to work on any given day, no. We tend to be too wrapped up in our own selves during those times to care about what others are pondering. But when we're writing about milk or driving, we want complete strangers to be emotionally invested in our story. We want them to understand every move our characters make.     Erik Bork, best known for his work on HBO's Band of Brothers, is also a Stage 32 member and bl...

With more streaming services emerging and nontraditional content showing up at festivals and on various platforms on the Internet, filmmakers want to know the skinny on where things are going with digital media. Ka Wai Ho, a former studio manager at Studio Crackle and Lionsgate, caught up with Stage 32 at the Hollyshorts Film Festival to offer advice on how one can begin creating content for a digital platform.   Click Here For Ka Wai's Advice!       Remember, if you haven't subscrib...

Ever feel like giving up?   Like this guy here…   Of course you do. If you’re a writer, an actor, a filmmaker or an artist of any kind, you probably felt like giving up at least four times in the last month. Maybe you’re thinking about it RIGHT NOW. Apart from the fact that if you’re anything like me, giving up never really sticks because eventually that urge, that unscratchable itch to create something, comes crawling back with its tail between its legs and a puppy-eyed expression on...

Good day, Creative Army! Let's get after it... First up today, from the good people at Indy Mogul, we have Advanced Screenplay Formatting Tips. If there's one thing we see knock down a screenplay time and time again, it's poor formatting. Let's take it to the next level, shall we? The second video today is by request. Many of you have written in over the last few months asking for some information on shooting documentaries. Ask and you shall receive. Our second video is 7 Fundamental Steps t...

Creativity drives good storytelling. Creativity can weave tales that force us to question our own morality or open our eyes to new possibilities. It’s the magical ingredient that transforms a set of mundane facts into a believable and moving narrative. Good writers can use this creative superpower to hook their reader and share their unique vision. But even the best writers struggle to find their creativity sometimes. As a young writer, I found myself sitting at a blank screen, uninspired and...