Screenwriting

A person’s environment will invariably shape their personality to determine their voice and how they use it to interact with the wider world. For some, escaping from this inherent trap becomes a driving force until it utterly consumes every aspect of their existence. They avoid committing to anything locally for fear of being tied to their environment for life. Rather than finding ways to become part of their community, they actively seek to burn all bridges. This in itself initiates the...

Welcome to the first weekend of 2015, everyone, and a very Happy New Year to you all. Due to travel and time constraints, there is no Weekend Blog this week. Instead, I thought it would be a great time to discuss and share our plans and goals for the coming year. Some of what I am planning on accomplishing in 2015 includes writing 2 scripts, completing my crowdsourcing book for Focal Press, dipping my toes back into acting, filming a short and implementing a myriad of Stage 32 initiatives....

Welcome to 2015. This is it. This is YOUR year. You are going to achieve all you've ever wanted to do creatively and Stage 32 is here to help. The New Year is a time for setting goals, getting a fresh start and achieving all that you've wanted in film, television or theater.   This month we are bringing you the best possible webinars with top teachers on all aspects of the business including:   Navigating your Film into a Major Film Festival taught by Amanda Johnson Zetterstrom from A...

The end of year is always special because it’s a time to reflect on your last 12 months of accomplishments. 2014 was an incredible year for Stage 32: Some Stage 32 milestones: We reached over 325,000 members from every country on the planet! We added a ton of new site features including a major redesign, the addition of JOBS, Stage 32 Next Level Classes and so much more. We launched the On Stage with RB broadcast – a free online broadcast once a month bringing in special industry guests a...

We are pleased to announce that our own founder and CEO, RB, was a guest on Pilar Alessandra's podcast, On the Page. Pilar is the founder of Page Writer's Studio in Sherman Oaks, CA and also the author of The Coffee Break Screenwriter. Over the 45 minute broadcast Pilar and RB talked about writing, the industry and touched on some of the best indie films out right now, including Boyhood, A Girl Who Walks Home Alone at Night, Nightcrawler and Whiplash. It's a fun, educational and funny podcast...

When we launched our screenwriting contest series, our goal wasn't just to give away some shiny prizes, it was to make sure our winners were given access to some of the top decision makers in Hollywood - the managers, agents and producers who could make a difference in their career.   The Stage 32 | The Blood List Search for New Blood Screenwriting Contest garnered major attention around Hollywood first with coverage in trade publications such as Deadline Hollywood, The Hollywood Reporter, and...

I have a secret. I write screenplays. There, I said it. It feels good to get that out in the open.   If you live across the pond in the States, that sentiment might seem strange. After all, coffee shops are chock full of people hammering away at their latest screenplay. Even the barista and unbeknownst to him his cat Twinkles are all working on the next spec to crack Hollywood.   Over here in Ireland, it’s a little different. Divulging that you write screenplays in not something you do in po...

"When it comes to art, you're either in, or not in. If you're half in, you're not in." -- Richard "RB" Botto Our thanks to Duane Barnhart from The Door Post Project for having our Founder and CEO, Richard "RB" Botto, on his highly popular podcast featuring entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry. For an hour Duane and RB discussed RB's background from New York to LA, how he got into the entertainment business, and the evolution of Stage 32.  They went over breaking into the busines...

I read all the Stage 32 member comments that Shaun O'banion’s two blogs How I Got Started  Part 1 and Part 2 generated and much to my surprise, you’d think they were cheering for a super formula for success. I had the feeling I was reading about the “Irrepressible Ricky” of the Ozzie and Harriet Show of many eons past. At that point in time, we had a “ballsy young lad” whose dreams of success were just one stratagem or ruse away from being the artful dodger who cons his folks out of the car keys...

The Stage 32 | The Blood List Search for New Blood Screenwriting Contest brought out some of the most impressive undiscovered voices in the suspense/thriller/horror genres. The competition was fierce (the judges specifically and repeatedly mentioning how difficult the trimming down process was)  and, unltimately, we discovered some amazing new writers as a result. True to tradition, The Blood List was announced on Halloween, October 31, with the addition of the 6 Stage 32 New Blood winners....