Tips

I had a long conversation recently with a friend about branding. And as creatives, we often underestimate that. She’s an actress, but she approaches her career like a business, as we all should. And it got me thinking about how the exact same is applicable to us as writers. We want to be seen, we want to be found, we want to be known as writers. But beyond that, we want to be known as the specific type of writer we are. It doesn’t do me any good to try to be found by people who make slashe...

Over the past couple of decades, we have seen all the legacy studios—Warner Bros, Fox, Universal, MGM, and Paramount—gobbled up by giant media conglomerates like so many dots on the Pac-Man screen. The new, more vertical configuration of the current media industry can make it more daunting and confusing than ever for an amateur screenwriter looking for a way to get started on a professional career. There is still one tried-and-true strategy for breaking into the business that works extremely...

International territories are the financial backbone of most projects these days, so it's no surprise that comedies have been struggling to get greenlit. After all, comedy is incredibly regional. Unless we're talking action comedies or slapstick, which translate universally (where's our next Mr. Bean?). But here's what's interesting: studios have recently started greenlighting high-concept comedies again, and streamers like Netflix are doubling down on sitcoms and half-hours. So you have to wo...

As the Film Commissioner of Zagreb, I am thrilled to announce our new partnership with Stage 32 Certification. This is a collaboration that highlights a significant moment for our city’s vibrant film production community. Zagreb has long been recognized for its creative spirit, stunning locations, and talented crews, and now, with Stage 32 Certification, we are taking a bold step forward in empowering our local talent to further compete and thrive on the global stage. Here's why Stage 32 Certi...

Writing a stage play is a challenge because of the unique nature of the theatre – all of the dynamics of having a real live audience and a limited space in which to tell a story must be taken into account. Writing for the screen is no less of a challenge, but logically the approach must differ due to the medium by which the end product will be presented – the screen - varying greatly from its older cousin, the stage. Writers must appreciate and embrace the uniqueness of these mediums in order to...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? Whether you’ve been writing, filming, editing, or simply dreaming up your next big idea, I’ve got some inspiring content to fuel your passion and keep you moving forward. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in. First up, this incredible video essay from Frame Voyager: They Built an Entire World Inside a Studio. In 2004, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events committed almost entirely to practical sets at a time whe...

Can’t Find The Time? You Got To Make The Time! You have it all down. You have the story, plot points, and you may have even started the script. But you just can’t find the time to finish it. Like many of us, life just gets in the way…whether it’s work, family, or friends. What do you do when you can’t find the time to finish your screenplay? Well, here’s the good news: everyone gets a fresh batch of 24 hours to use every day. With a little planning and a lot of discipline, you can steadily c...

An Emmy-nominated VFX supervisor and a sound designer at Universal have recently both come to me expressing their frustration about the business. They wanted to know if everyone was feeling the squeeze or if post-production was just getting the short end of the stick? Both asked me for advice: Is there a segment of the business that's safe? The answer: yes and no. No one's safe. Ever. In any business. But I'm finding more and more that the business is welcoming hyper-specialization. Hence th...

I recently sat down with my friend Simona Muresan, co-founder and programming director of the Hollywood Florida Film Festival (HFFF). She was in the middle of prepping the festival’s 9th edition, wrangling over 90 films, sponsors, and an elevated jury lineup, but carved out time to chat about what it really takes to grow a local film festival into something meaningful. What followed offered valuable insights not only into how to scale a festival, but also into how filmmakers can better positio...

Happy Wednesday, Stage 32 Creative Army! I am thrilled to share some exciting news that was just featured in the Tampa Bay Business Journal: Stage 32 has partnered with Film Tampa Bay to bring our Production Assistant Master Certification Program to the region! With more filming opportunities, grants and regional incentives coming to the state of Florida, Tampa Bay wants to ensure they have top trained talent that can work on film and television productions in the area. With the help of Stag...