Screenwriting

On behalf of the entire Stage 32 team, I'd like to wish you all a very Happy New Year!    So what are your goals for the year? Have you laid them out? Broken them down? Arranged them in a sensible fashion which will make the journey fun and rewarding as opposed to filled with pressure and anxiety? I'd love to hear what you're looking to attain in the coming 12 months. Further, for those willing, I'd also love if you'd share your strategies designed to set yourself up for success. Let's...

Hey guys.  Welcome to the weekend. Is there anything better on a cold winter's morning than curling up with a hot cup of coffee and a good screenplay?  If you answered "Yes", too bad, that's all I have for you.  For the rest of you, I'm happy to provide you with links to NINE screenplays hoping to get some recognition this awards season. As always, I welcome remarks and discussion in the Comments section below.  But more importantly, this is the season of giving, so hit the freakin' share bu...

I reached out to Tiffany Boyle from Ramo Law, whom I met through Stage 32 and worked with on some other projects, I recalled her saying she knew of an animation distributor, so I asked her if she’d send the pitch package to them, she did and they came back with something along the lines of, it wasn’t the type of material they were looking for at the moment. But she did know of another entertainment company that may be interested. She sent it off, and voila´ we are now in agreement to get it goin...

  Happy Sunday, everyone. Taking a quick break from speaking and mentoring at the Seattle Film Summit to bring you some insightful and useful content to go with your coffee. First up, Steven Spielberg shares his 10 Rules for Success. Next, the legendary Joe Eszterhas shares his thoughts on screenwriting.  Never a dull moment when Joe is involved. As always, all I ask is that you pay it forward and share this content through your social media (or other) channels. Sit back, enjoy, and...

Our fearless leader, RB, spent some time with Stage 32er Dave Bullis on his uber-popular filmmaking podcast recently. On the podcast, RB and Dave discuss a wide variety of topics including:     1. Why RB thinks it's never been a better time to be a content creator   2. How do you get studios attention?   3. What does star power mean now?   4. With so much content being created and competition, how do you find your tribe (aka audience)?   5. The power of community from film to you...

Getting yourself out there can be hard to do, especially if you are new to the industry. When I first started creating and working in my field, I kept a lot of my work to myself and only showed it when asked. I unfortunately adopted the 'only speak when you are spoken to' mentality. I was very introverted. Networking, to me, was a monster I wasn't quite ready to face and that showed to my potential clients. I wasn't closing deals or getting placements. I knew I had skill and that my music was...

Happy first Sunday of December, everyone.  Today I have two videos for you that I think you'll enjoy quite a bit.  First up, what makes a great villain?  The video essay Crash of Ideologies - Crafting the Perfect Villain explores the relationship between some of film's most memorable heroes and villains. Second, a terrific video from Film Courage featuring one of our favorite Stage 32 educators, James Kicklighter.  James, a writer, director and mentor to many a filmmaker, explains the first...

Happy Sunday, everyone.  To all those celebrating, I hope you had a fantastic holiday weekend. A little cloudy and cool where I am today.  Seems like a perfect time for an Italian dark roast and some film related content. First up, from our friends at Film Riot, I have a look on how to add depth your filmmaking (and storytelling) through visual subtext.  Next, tips, tricks and advice from some successful screenwriters who have had films play at Sundance.  And as a bonus today, I am addin...

On behalf of the Stage 32 team, I'd like to wish all celebrating a very Happy Thanksgiving.  We are all extremely grateful for the members of this community and for the incredible relationships and friendships that have bloomed over the years.  Truly, we feel blessed. As I've mentioned in past Thanksgiving blogs, I like to use the end of each Turkey Day for some quiet reflecting on the year thus far.  What was I hoping to accomplish?  What can still be done with the month remaining?  I find th...

Hey guys. Happy Sunday. Today, two more videos for you to enjoy with your morning java. First up, it's a look at how the Coen Brothers used very specific framing techniques to define character relationships in Fargo. I love this one...I think you will as well Next up, I have a brilliant look at editing in storytelling. This video is a piece of art unto itself that will no doubt invite repeat viewings. As always, all I ask in return is that you pay it forward and share this content through...