Acting

Through 14 years of working in the entertainment industry, I’ve learned that there will be many ups and downs in a dream pursuit. There will be obstacles, and good days, and opportunities, and rejections. The High Achiever (a.k.a. you!), needs a game plan through it all. The High Achiever needs to handle all of these moments intentionally and carefully, in a way that effectively keeps them on the path to success. That’s why I developed the 10 Pillars of the High Achiever. Here are the 10 pillars...

Happy Tuesday Stage 32-ers! Over the past 10 years, we here at Stage 32 have been thrilled to be recognized throughout the industry as the leaders in online film craft and business education. We are honored to be partnered with some of the most prestigious film festivals and markets in the world including the American Film Market, Cannes Film Festival and the Marché du film, and Raindance Film Festival in London, to name a few. Now, for the 7th year in a row, we are thrilled to be joining fo...

Let's set the records straight for parents of young, and specifically, young adult actors (~16-24) in the entertainment industry. While there is a lot of content about sexual predators in the Industry, there’s very little about other types of abusive, manipulative and predatory behaviors involving young actors. In an unnatural arena where profit, investment, careers and social status rely on our kids more than ever, we, as parents, need to remain vigilantly aware that while “magic” exists in...

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, In Depth Cine shares a deep dive into how writer/director Taika Waititi shoots films at 3 very different budget levels. Specifically, they break down the budgets and aesthetics of Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2.5 Million), JoJo Rabbit (14 Million), and Thor: Ragnarok (180 Million). Next up, Varie...

“You cannot have a victory without a battle.” - Kawan Glover, Author, Screenwriter, and Victory Coach My fellow creatives, it’s time to celebrate! Complete a screenplay draft? Great! Win a contest? Fantastic! Secure financing for your film? Phenomenal! But what else is worth celebrating? Must we wait for the accolades to feel good about our work? Recognizing our efforts, whether personal or professional, creative or pragmatic, is an essential step on the journey to be our best selves. Per...

Recently, the nominations for the 74th primetime Emmy Awards were announced. Shows like Squid Game, Stranger Things, Succession, Ted Lasso, and Abbott Elementary led the nominees. But how does one get nominated for an Emmy? Who votes on it? Who submits me for it? In the era of streaming and prestige television, there are literally hundreds of performances each season vying for 5-8 slots for the best of the year. Like any awards season campaign, chances for getting nominated for something are...

THE PROBLEM Starting in 2002, for the past 20 years to the present, during the evenings and weekends, I have been feverishly writing, adapting, and pitching a number of feature picture screenplays with no success in getting the projects greenlit or optioned neither by buyers, agents nor producers. Meanwhile, all this time my day job has been in relatively non-creative realm of high-tech. Does this story sound familiar? Every writer/filmmaker I've run into experiences a closed and ineffic...

If you’ve been pursuing your Hollywood dreams longer than 60 seconds, then you probably know all about rejection. It’s part of the path. It’s something completely unavoidable as long as you’re taking risks and putting yourself out there. Some rejections aren’t so bad. Others totally suck. When a rejection hits deep, it’s common to retreat and hold yourself back from trying again. Whether you get dropped by an agent, your script is rejected from every festival, or you haven’t booked a job i...

In an industry where gatekeepers run the show, finding creative ways to get your work out there is not only a necessity, but a glorious way to take control of your career. No matter what hat(s) you were in the entertainment industry, launching your own YouTube channel is a fantastic way to flex your creative muscles - without needing permission from anyone. Sick of waiting to get cast in your dream role? Launch your own YouTube channel where you perform monologues weekly. Tired of not g...

We flock to the entertainment industry for feelings. Whether we're creating it or consuming it, emotions drive us there. We are full of creativity and expression - and I love it. Feelings are our fuel. Call it passion, a need to inspire others, a desire to uplift, a yearning to connect, or even to receive validation. We are following or looking for a feeling when we act, write, direct, or go to the movies. And we rely heavily on our gut. It can dictate how to react in a scene, which word to w...