Tips

Hello, Stage 32 Creatives! I'm Sandra Isabel Correia. Today, I want to share my unexpected journey on Stage 32. This vibrant community for filmmakers, screenwriters, and creatives has been more transformative than I ever anticipated. My Background I spent part of my childhood in a theater owned by my father in the 1970s and 1980s in a village in southern Portugal. I remember choosing films with him for the theater, and they are still vividly in my mind: Bud Spencer and Terence Hill, Bru...

Whenever I’m asked to critique or fix a script, the first thing I want to know is: what’s the theme? Not the story, not the plot- the theme. The theme in a movie is its underlying central idea or message, explored through story, character, imagery, music, and design. Theme is the foundation, the beating heart, the thing that makes your story about something instead of about nothing. Without theme, ninety minutes of a bunch of people muttering about their problems is just ninety minutes of a bu...

As a writer, I wanted to improve my storytelling and gain more experience. When I reached out to one of Stage 32’s great leaders, K. Ross, asking, "What can I do to improve my writing?" her advice was simple and clear- make a film. Of course, like many writers, I didn’t have millions of dollars to make a blockbuster film. Heck, I didn’t even have hundreds! So, I had to get creative. I joined a 48-Hour Film Festival Group to kick-start my filmmaking journey. Step 1: Find a Crew The closes...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! First, congratulations to all of you who have already participated in our monthly Introduce Yourself Weekend! Thousands of connections have been made between entertainment creatives and professionals from around the globe. Whether you are a long-time member or brand new to Stage 32, take a moment to pop over to the Introduce Yourself Lounge and say hello before the end of the weekend. Crime stories have long been one of the most popular genres in the world, and f...

Sometimes, someone comes along who suddenly propels you into an inspirational state that you never felt before. I worked with someone called, Shibu Thomas, who wrote a screenplay and asked me if I would become script consultant and editor. I read the script and edited it for him, but the story was so intriguing and so clever, I was happy to continue to help him work on it. He then made pitches to producers and received great feedback, he had very good written critiques from professionals in...

Happy Valentine’s Day, Stage 32 Community! Romantic comedies have always held a special place in cinema. From the golden era of When Harry Met Sally and Pretty Woman to modern hits like Crazy Rich Asians and Palm Springs, the rom-com genre has evolved to reflect the changing dynamics of love, relationships, and storytelling. But what makes a romantic comedy successful in today’s market? How have audience expectations shifted over the years? And most importantly, how can screenwriters craft c...

Hello, Dear Readers! Some of you may remember me from back in the day when I was writing semi-monthly Stage 32 blogs in an emotionally confusing effort to both inform and subvert the discourse that’s always underway in this community. For those who don’t know me, my credentials include the decade I worked as a development executive in the trenches of indie Hollywood, as well as ten years spent serving clients on every strata of Hollywood’s power structure as a script doctor and script consult...

My wife, Carolina, and I made a film, Expressway to Your Skull. It's not even close to the first film I've made, not even the first film my wife and I made together, but it ended up being the most challenging film to cross the finish line and the one we are most proud of. I want to share some of this story with you here and hope you can take something positive from our experience. THREE DAYS IN. I had accumulated seven days of vacation time at work, so I scheduled and budgeted a seven-day...

Hey friends! The ONLY Romantic Comedy Screenplay Contest in the World is Back! Ever dreamt of seeing your romantic comedy script come to life on the big screen or streaming on flat-screens in living rooms across the country? This is your chance to turn that dream into reality! Our Grand Prize Winner will win a Career Accelerator prize package valued at $5,000 that includes script & career development, writer branding and an education package and will be flown to LA to meet industry professio...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? I have some content here for you that is sure to get the creative juices flowing, so grab your coffee, and let's dive in. We’ve all heard the saying, “there are no small parts, only small actors.” But what does that really mean? When we take a closer look at some of our favorite films and TV shows, we can see that minor characters—those with just a few lines, or even just a brief presence—can leave an unforgettable impact o...