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What keeps you from writing a new screenplay, TV pilot, or pitch? Or finishing the one you started last year? Or composing those dreaded query letters? You might be waiting to find the time to write. Have a million reasons to procrastinate. Feel intimidated by the words FADE IN. Or find writing alone uninspiring and, well, lonely. I was experiencing most of the above in January 2021, when I discovered Amy McGuire's "Friday Study Hall" and Louisa Burton's "Sunday Writers' Cafe" Zo...

As we head into the last two months of the year, you might feel the pressure of trying to complete those 2022 goals before the year runs out. Sometimes the pressure is good: in fact, I’d argue that this is at least part of the reason why NaNoWriMo and Stage 32's November Write Club are such popular challenges. It’s not unlike signing up for a 5K race to give yourself a deadline for starting those healthy habits you’ve committed to building. But sometimes, the pressure of a deadline can cause Res...

We had two buildings when I started working at Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1999. There was the Northside building up near the Burbank Airport and the Southside building across the street from the lot off the 134 Freeway. It's commonly referred to as the "Hat Building" because of the giant iconic wizard's hat from The Sorcerer's Apprentice on the west end. The original Disney Animation building still stands in the middle of the Disney lot, but now it's mainly production offices. It has a lon...

The last 3 to 6 months, whether you’ve been watching television, scrolling through social media on the internet, or receiving junk mail - you’ve noticed the spike in political commercials touting issues and candidates. From primaries happening almost every Tuesday through early voting and the general election, we are now in the Midterm election cycle. On the national scale, you are voting for your congressperson - your senator or the house of representatives. On the state level, you have...

Some folks say making a movie is like a marmite; you either love it or hate it. The desire to get into filmmaking started a long time before I made my first short docu-drama HUSH in 2003, which got screened at Cannes Film Festival and picked up an award at the UK's BFM International Film Festival. As a child, I was a lover of films and stayed up till the early morning hours, staring at my dad's action movies, watching the works of Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, and Clint Eastwood on the VHS play...

I’m lucky. I like to pitch. My father was a traveling salesman and used to talk about his work at the dinner table. I understand the art of the sale. Because of this and what my sister calls our familial blind confidence, I have no fear of getting up in front of people to talk. I like sales. And I write screenplays. That’s how I came to land at Stage 32 Script Services where they offer opportunities to speak with industry executives. You pay for time and expertise, essentially. Would you like...

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 kicked off our 8th Annual November Write Club this past week (and gave out some great prizes on Instagram Live). So many people have already announced their goals for the month, and I'm incredibly inspired by the wealth of creativity and, even more importantly, the support that this community shares w...

“Sellout!” It may only be seven letters, but the criticism is arguably the worst a creative can receive. The fear of becoming one has haunted artists for some time. Defined as “a person who compromises his or her personal values, integrity, talent, or the like, for money or personal advancement,” some argue that it even plagued Shakespeare. What’s interesting is that it’s an egregious insult lobbed at the creative industries disproportionately more than any other. Few of us would accuse a...

I'm thrilled to announce today the World of Film International Festival in Glasgow, Scotland, has teamed up with Stage 32 as the Official Education Partner. The festival has just begun and goes through November 6th, featuring projects from all over the world. The creators featured in this festival truly embody the collaborative and global ideals that we live by here at Stage 32. Nowhere can you see this better than with NYC-based filmmaker, writer, and producer Stefano Da Frè, who will be at...

Hey Stage 32ers! We have a fantastic industry creative here, Ryan Little, to share with you just a few of the tips he wishes he'd known when he was first starting out as a director.  As always, we want to make sure that our ever-growing Stage 32 community has access to as many valuable resources as possible through the blog, and that's just what Ryan has brought us today! Ryan Little is a director, producer, and cinematographer with over 20 years of experience in the industry. His first fe...