Hey, Stage 32 Community!

It’s been a busy July! Our Stage 32 Education Team has been hard at work to bring in some incredible education opportunities and resources for this fantastic community.

Over the next month, you'll have the chance to learn from knowledgeable industry executives, Emmy-winning filmmakers, best-selling authors, acclaimed producers, financiers, script coordinators, distributors, attorneys, and representatives. Impressive creative professionals who have worked on such projects as THE EXPERIMENT starring Adrian Brody and Forrest Whittaker, JEANNE DU BARRY starring Johnny Depp, EMILY THE CRIMINAL starring Aubrey Plaza, LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE, GRIDIRON GANG starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, ARRIVAL, BIRD BOX, LIGHTS OUT, and many others.

Don’t wait for all of the spots to fill up! Below is a comprehensive list of the upcoming Stage 32 Education Schedule currently available to you all!

Webinars

How To Finance And Produce Your Under $5 Million Feature Film In Today’s Marketplace

Starting: August 1, 2023

In this exclusive webinar, you will learn the optimal way to finance a film under $5 million and generate a profit. You will learn the finance, production, and distribution options available for low-budget films today, how to secure and structure the various finance sources, and how to optimize distribution agreements. You will learn what genre, and what types of stories, to focus on in this budget range, and what genres tend to be easier to sell.

Instructor: Jeanette Milio has worked on three continents across all budget ranges and has firsthand knowledge and experience to give you on under $5 million film projects. She has worked on over 500 hours of film and television content in the US, Europe, Dubai, and South Africa, with a combined total production value of over $250 million. She produced the Netflix Original THE EXPERIMENT starring Adrian Brody and Forrest Whittaker and has worked with ABC/Disney, USA, Showtime, TLC, CW, Discovery, Lionsgate, Paramount, and more.

What Makes Your Film Attractive To An Acquisitions Executive

Starting: August 4, 2023

In this exclusive webinar, you'll learn what kinds of movies, and what elements in those movies, buyers are looking for when they are shopping to acquire the rights to a new film for distribution. While filmmaking is usually considered a risky bet for an investor, there are certain elements that you can have in your story and in your production that can help ensure your film is a success creatively and financially.

Instructor: Tony Piantedosi, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions at Vertical Entertainment. Vertical Entertainment recently acquired distribution rights to JEANNE DU BARRY, which stars Johnny Depp and was the opening film at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Vertical is also the company behind films such as the critically acclaimed EMILY THE CRIMINAL starring Aubrey Plaza, SHE CAME TO ME starring Peter Dinklage and Anne Hathaway, which was the opening film at the Berlin Film Festival, THE POD GENERATION starring Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor that was the opening film at the Sundance Film Festival, and countless more films!

TV Animation 101: How a Hit Animated Show Gets Made

Starting: August 8, 2023

Join us in this exclusive webinar, to learn how a hit animation show gets made! In the current landscape, there are more ways than ever to make an animated show. But with each method – from hand-drawn flat animation to computer-generated 3D graphics – comes a toolbox of techniques and drawbacks that need to be explored to be mastered.

Instructor: Brandon Gale is an experienced script coordinator, who brings his expertise in animation – from his experience on films like LYLE, LYLE, CROCODILE for Sony Pictures or shows like MARVEL’S HIT MONKEY – and provides you with a comprehensive overview of TV animation development and production.

How To Win Your Next Negotiation In The Entertainment Industry

Starting: August 10, 2023

In this exclusive webinar, you will learn the key concepts and techniques of negotiation, such as Cognitive Biases, Fallacies, and Heuristics. It's the rare project that moves forward without deals getting negotiated and closed. Knowing how to properly negotiate deals is as vital skill for every person working in the film and television industry as being able to write, act, direct, or produce.

Instructor: Thomas Crowell, an entertainment and intellectual property attorney, and partner at LaneCrowell, LLP. Thomas’s clients have made deals with Sony, Starz, TLC, Elsevier Publishing, Discovery Communications, Focal Press, Smithsonian Network, WE: The Women's Entertainment Network, The Science Technology Network, and IDW Publishing, and their work can be seen in the pages of Marvel and DC Comics.

Classes

The Art of Closing Investor Deals For Your Independent Film

Starting: August 6, 2023

Over 4 interactive sessions, Shane will teach you his secrets to raising money to help get your projects made and give you essential tips to maintain a lasting relationship with your investors. You will learn how to target potential investors for your project, how to forge a lasting relationship with them, the dos and don’ts on how to approach business conversations with your potential investor, how to effectively present your business plan, and most importantly, how to close the deal.

Instructor: Multi–Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and best-selling author Shane Stanley. Shane is the founder of Visual Arts Entertainment, a film and television production company based in Los Angeles, and is best known for producing the #1 Box Office hit, GRIDIRON GANG starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for Sony Pictures and directing several Music Videos that landed in the Top 20 on VH1. Shane’s recent projects include MISTRUST starring Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actress, Jane Seymour, the surprise smash-hit action film DOUBLE THREAT starring Dawn Olivieri and Danielle C. Ryan, and NIGHT TRAIN starring Danielle C. Ryan and Diora Baird, among many others**.**

How To Produce, Finance, And Distribute Your Under $5mm Feature Film In Today’s Marketplace

Starting: Aug 15, 2023

In this exclusive and interactive 4-part class, you will learn every step of the process to make a successful feature film for under $5 million from the inception of your idea through production and all the way to generating profits via distribution. From learning how to pick the right script to understand the proper distribution options to learning how to structure your finance sources to optimize your returns, you will walk away from this class with all the tools and know-how to successfully make a feature film for under $5 million.

Instructor: Jeanette B. Milio, bio above.

Labs

Screenwriting Lab: Write a Comedy TV Pilot in 6 Weeks - From Concept To Completed Script

Starting: August 5, 2023

In this exclusive 6-part lab, you will write a TV comedy pilot script that stands out, can get you representation, that can lead to meetings with decision-makers, and/or help you land a coveted seat in a comedy writer’s room. Spencer will be working directly with you in a virtual class setting and in one-on-one sessions to mentor you as you write your market-ready comedy pilot script. Spencer will guide you through picking a concept, creating engaging characters, perfecting your structure, constructing an outline, and, finally, writing your pilot.

Instructor: Spencer Robinson is a literary and talent manager at Art/Work Entertainment who's been in the industry for over twenty years. Spencer's writing clients work in both features and television on broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms. He currently has a client writing on two Netflix series and another client who just sold a show to Amazon. He also reps a writer who currently has a project at Jason Bateman's Aggregate Films, which has a deal at Netflix. His on-camera clients have been in films with directors Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Clint Eastwood, Gore Verbinski, and more. In the TV world, his clients have been regular cast members on shows for Netflix, The CW, Cinemax, CBS, NBC, FX, Starz, Nickelodeon, EPIX, and TBS, to name a few.

8-Part Screenwriting Lab: Breaking Story For 1-Hour TV Dramas With An Interactive Mock Writers' Room

Starting: August 5, 2023

Over the course of this intimate 8-week workshop, Kate will delve into the craft of the network one-hour drama and then lead the class through a mock writers' room for the hit ABC SERIES THE ROOKIE: FEDS. Students will gain experience pitching A, B, and C story ideas for THE ROOKIE: FEDS, breaking the episode on a virtual whiteboard as a group, and then practice pitching acts to the showrunner.

Instructor: Kate Sargeant is an accomplished television writer with especially deep experience in network procedural dramas, working on over 100 episodes of network TV on shows like CASTLE, CSI: CYBER, NCIS: NOLA, and BLINDSPOT. Most recently, Kate served as a Supervising Producer on a one-hour drama for TBS entitled OBLITERATED. Kate started her career as an actress at the age of eleven, starring as “Emily” in the cult classic film 3 NINJAS, directed by Jon Turteltaub. In addition, Kate created two original comedy series. The first one she wrote, directed, and produced called YOU CAN’T DO THAT ON THE INTERNET about our obsession with social media. The second series, VIRTUALLY SINGLE, is currently streaming on YouTube and is about a newly divorced single mom dipping her toe in the treacherous online dating pool for the first time in a decade.

Screenwriting Lab: Write Your 1 Hour Pilot for A Major Streamer in 10 Weeks

Starting: August 6, 2023

In this exclusive 10-part screenwriting lab, you’ll work one-on-one with top Hollywood manager Charlie Osowik to craft your pilot script over 10 interactive sessions. Professional screenwriters work with managers like Charlie to develop their ideas, pitch concepts, and get feedback on drafts. This relationship ultimately leads to a stronger script that executives are more likely to get excited about, and that is the exact process you’ll be going through in this lab.

Instructor: Charlie Osowik is a literary manager who built a successful international sales career at FilmNation, Sierra/Affinity, Voltage, and MGM, so he knows what buyers are looking for. Since establishing his own company, he’s had numerous writers staffed (like on the HBO Max series DOOM PATROL and DEAD BOY DETECTIVES) and helped them develop and sell original material (DUST).

8-Part Pitching Lab: Create Your 5, 10 & 20-Minute Verbal Pitch For Your Film Or TV Show

Starting: August 8, 2023

In this exclusive 8-part pitching lab, you will create and polish your 5-minute, 10-minute, and 20-minute pitch for your feature film or television project with expert guidance from an industry leader. You’ll work with Robin and your fellow writers to workshop and hone your pitch to get it ready to present to producers, executives, and financiers. You’ll practice your pitches multiple times in class to receive feedback and will work one-on-one with Robin to hone each version of your pitch.

Instructor: Robin Galloway, a literary manager and development executive at Gramercy Park Entertainment. In addition to management, Robin has also worked in production for Sony, FOX, and TNT and was a consulting buyer for Film Movement, an award-winning distributor of independent and international films. For over a decade, Robin has worked with writers to develop pitches that have often led to commercial success.

Screenwriting Lab: Develop And Outline Your Science-Fiction Feature Film Script In 8 Weeks

Starting: August 10, 2023

In this exclusive 8-week screenwriting lab, you will develop your sci-fi story idea while working directly with a top literary manager to craft a professional outline for your sci-fi feature film. You will work in a virtual classroom setting and in one-on-one Zooms with David as he guides you through developing, structuring, and writing your own sci-fi feature film screenplay outline. You will work closely with David on drafting the right concept, building engaging character descriptions, and ultimately writing your screenplay's professional outline.

Instructor: David Chien is a literary manager at Art/Work Entertainment whose clients include the writers of ARRIVAL, BIRD BOX, LIGHTS OUT, and THE THING. Art/Work also has clients who work for Netflix, The CW, Cinemax, CBS, NBC, FX, Starz, Nickelodeon, EPIX, and TBS, just to name a few. For over ten years David has helped countless writers improve their scripts, get staffed on series, and pitch and sell their scripts to major executives.

5-Part Producing Lab: Get Your Feature Film Project Ready to Go to Market

Starting: August 12, 2023

In this exclusive 5-part lab, you’ll work in an intimate virtual class setting and in a one-on-one Zoom meeting with an industry veteran to learn how the pros get a project market-ready and attractive to co-producers, financiers, talent, distributors, and more. You will learn exactly what steps you need to take to get next to get your project ready to go into production!

Instructor: Aimee Schoof, the co-founder of Intrinsic Value Films. Aimee has produced over 35 feature films, with many premiering at Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, Toronto, Venice, and more. Intrinsic Value Films develops, produces, and sells independent films for worldwide distribution, and Aimee is here to show you how they get it done

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