Tips

Because every blog is someone’s first blog, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tennyson E. Stead, and I’m a regular contributor here on Stage 32. I’m a screenwriter with more than 50 screenplays under my belt, I’m a director, I’m a producer, I’m an old-school theater guy and I’m a cutting edge transmedia creator. My biggest credit to date is for writing a dark future gladiator tentpole called Atlas: Uprising for Emagine Content, and I’ve got a sci-fi heist movie in development called Quant...

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. First up, it may seem like common sense to some, but we're looking at film slates, or "clapperboards" in this video from StudioBinder. You'll dig into the history of their use, all the information they carry, and their importance. This simple little object carries a great deal of importance on a film set...

When I was first starting out as a writer, I spent most of my prewriting time on plotting. I initially approached planning out my fiction like we’re all taught to approach essay writing: it’s all about the outline. So that’s where I’d always start: with plot. Please don’t misunderstand me. Story structure is vitally important, and I’ll advocate for taking the time to craft an airtight plot all day long. But, as we know from Aristotle, character is the engine of plot. (If Aristotle’s Poetics is...

I've worked with a lot of big-name talent, developed movies from best-selling books from Stephen King to Ann Rule, and optioned and developed a few Opera Book Club picks including Songs In Ordinary Time, Jewel (won the Humanitas Award), and Midwives. I have worked with and developed projects for Warner Brothers, Sony/Tri-Star/Columbia, Mark Harmon's Wings Productions, and more over the past 30 years of my career. Over the years, I have worked with hundreds of screenwriters in all stages of the...

Hello, my fellow creatives. In this survival guide, I will be focusing on a checklist and things to keep in mind when shooting a documentary or good old fashion interviews. There are many ways to skin a cat, and it is up to you to test and refine what works so you can effectively handle any curve balls and do your job efficiently while keeping on schedule. Choosing The Right Space It goes without saying picking the right location for your documentary or interview is important. Does it make s...

Welcome back to TALKING BUSINESS: Insights from the Independent Film Industry, hosted by Stage 32 Thought Leader and Business Consultant, David Zannoni, from Freeway Entertainment and Zannoni Media. In TALKING BUSINESS, David brings you in-depth conversations on the behind-the-scenes of the filmmaking business with industry veterans. In today’s third episode, David speaks with Alex Balassa of Balassa Films, an award-winning Hungarian-Chilean producer, content creator, and director with a stron...

I’ve always told myself to never give up, keep writing and reaching out to producers, etc. If you work hard at it, one day something great will happen. Well, it’s taken many years to get to this moment, but I’ve finally sold a script - a short horror film that is currently in pre-production. And it’s all because of a connection that I made on Stage 32. About seven months ago, I was reading through the various posts on Stage 32 and saw that a producer from NJ was looking to collaborate with oth...

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. First up, SUCCESSION may have ended, but we still haven't recovered from some o...

How do you interact on a Social Media Group? It is not an easy task these days. Whether it’s Facebook, Clubhouse, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Zoom- it has become easier to connect with other like-minded people across races, genders, time zones, and nations. The Covid-19 pandemic grew this way of communication even more. You may not know how or what to contribute to the conversation. Every actor or creative professional's reason for joining a social media group is different: networking, co...

Introduce Yourself Weekend is a great way to kick-start engagement every single month here on Stage 32, but that’s just the starting point! One of the biggest relationship builders in the industry is consistency. When you’re able to be consistent, you build inherent trust while also staying top of mind—and staying top of mind MATTERS. If you want to be successful in the entertainment business, you need your name to become synonymous with what you do. That way, when someone is looking for a sc...