Happy Tuesday, Creative Army!

There are moments in this journey where you pause, take a breath, and truly feel the weight and meaning of the work you’re doing. Seeing Stage 32 Certification spotlighted by IndieWire is absolutely one of those moments for me.

This feature is especially meaningful because it represents a partnership I’ve had the privilege of helping bring to life, and it highlights exactly why we built Stage 32 Certification in the first place, to create real, tangible opportunities for creatives around the world to work, grow, and build sustainable careers.

You can read the full IndieWire article by clicking here!

Why This Matters

The IndieWire piece focuses on our new statewide partnership with Film Florida, designed to help build a ready, trained, and certified below-the-line workforce in anticipation of expanded production incentives in the coming years.

What excites me most is that this is not hypothetical or aspirational. This is already happening.

Together with Film Florida and local partners like Film Tampa Bay, we’re creating a pipeline that prepares production assistants, production coordinators, line producers, assistant directors, production accountants, location managers, script supervisors, and post-production professionals to step directly into real productions when the work arrives.

That’s the heart of Stage 32 Certification. We don’t just talk about opportunity, we help build the infrastructure that makes opportunity possible.

Watching Certification Grow Has Been Incredibly Personal

Stage 32 Certification is something I care deeply about, not just professionally, but personally.

I’ve spent years working closely with film commissions, educators, industry leaders, and creatives across the globe. Everywhere I go, I hear the same challenge:

Productions want to come, but there aren’t enough trained people ready to hire.

Certification was our CEO, RB Botto's, answer to that problem.

Seeing this program grow from an idea into something that’s now supporting over 50 film commissions worldwide, and being recognized by outlets like IndieWire and Forbes, is incredibly rewarding. It means the work is resonating. It means it’s needed. And most importantly, it means it’s making a difference.

Florida Is Just One Example of What’s Possible

As IndieWire outlines, Florida already has over $30 million in cumulative local incentives, a strong commercial and TV movie footprint, and a growing independent production scene. With the potential for expanded statewide incentives, the need for a trained crew base becomes even more critical.

Our first program in the Tampa Bay region, focused on production assistants, has already proven that when you invest in training and connect people directly to hiring pipelines, momentum follows.

Graduates of the program are now listed in the Stage 32 Certification Portal, where productions, commissions, and companies can find and hire them, not just locally, but across the state and beyond.

That’s what success looks like to me.

The People Behind the Program

One thing I never want to overlook is the people who make this possible.

Our Certification courses are taught by industry professionals who are actively working on major films and television series, people like Brad Carpenter, Leslie Coverse, Shalonda Ware, Korey Pollard, Miranda Carnessal, and so many others who generously share their real-world expertise with our community.

And of course, none of this would happen without the tireless work of our internal team, especially our fearless leader, RB Botto, and Sam Sokolow, who leads Certification with an incredible combination of precision, passion, and care.

You can read the full IndieWire article by clicking here!

What This Means for You

Whether you’re based in Florida, elsewhere in the U.S., or anywhere around the world, this IndieWire spotlight is a reminder of something important:

The industry is global.

Opportunities are expanding beyond traditional hubs.

Training is becoming the currency of access.

Stage 32 Certification exists to help you be ready when opportunity knocks, wherever that may be.

I couldn’t be more proud of this partnership, this program, and the community that continues to believe in learning, collaboration, and lifting each other up.

Thank you for being part of this journey. I’m excited for what’s ahead, and I can’t wait to continue building the future of creative careers together.

Get Certified. Get To Work. Start By Clicking Here!

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