Acting

When my friend and creative collaborator Caroline Slaughter first pitched me her concept for the short film LAMB in late 2017 at the start of the #metoo movement, my first response was “Hell Yeah!” (actual response censored) and my second was “Here is a chance to create change”. LAMB is about an eager and trusting filmmaker who follows a female assistant from a hotel lobby to a secluded room for “a meeting” with the assistant’s boss... Were these female assistants who led Hollywood’s lambs to...

Of all the species on Earth, humans have a unique ability when it comes to communication. We have the gift of stringing together words and phrases into complex ideas that eventually become stories. And we’ve used stories throughout our history as a way to educate, inspire, entertain, and yes, even save lives. The problem, as I see it, is that society can easily undermine the importance of stories and those whose chosen profession is to create them. If you’re willing to join me on a journey of st...

‘Before the Dawn’ is a dramatic feature film about a young high school teacher who falls for a troubled student and then struggles with the choice of either giving in to her desires or doing the right thing. The film has won a number of awards on the festival circuit and was awarded the ReFrame Stamp by Women in Film and the Sundance Institute for its gender parity both in front of and behind the camera. It is now available on Amazon Prime, Tubi, Roku, YouTube Movies, and Google Play.    ...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! Here's hoping you had a happy, healthy, and creative week. What is your coffee of choice today? I'm rocking Counter Culture's Big Trouble roast this morning. Let's dive in, shall we? First up, the folks over at The Discarded Image have compiled a top-notch list of directors, and how they have worked with actors throughout their careers. This video essay dives into the work of Alfred Hitchcock, Paul Thomas Anderson, Stanley Kubrick, David Fincher, Clint Eastwood, a...

The Big Picture The funny thing about coming up with a web series is that sometimes it’s better to not try and create a web series. What do we mean by that? Well, if you’re looking for a big picture to start from, chances are you won’t be satisfied with anything less than a big idea. The saying goes “Write what you know.” That’s true -- we had a lot of ideas that weren’t related, so we started making short films in our apartment, using just us as the cast and crew. A few of our early films co...

Happy Wednesday Stage 32 Community! Last week, our fearless leader Richard "RB" Botto hosted one of his signature "Ask Me Anything" webinars focusing on the "new normal" that is the entertainment industry during COVID-19. We were beyond jazzed to virtually host thousands of Stage 32 members tuning in from every corner of the world, culminating in an invigorating two hours of inspirational and no-bs shop talk from RB.   In this Ask Me Anything, RB answered questions from Stage 32 members, bot...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! First of all, thank you again for an absolutely amazing Ask Me Anything session this past Wednesday. I got to spend time with over 5,000 of you from all over the world, and it was a true honor to answer your questions on all things craft and business. In case you missed it live, worry not, you can watch for free on-demand here. Now, who is ready for some piping hot content with their Sunday morning cold brew? Let's jump right in.  First up, the folks over at Film...

Stage 32 hosts online forums, called Lounges to encourage like-minded professionals to communicate and collaborate. As I've become more familiar with these lounges as the new Stage32 Community Manager, the more I liken them to V.I.P. Filmmakers' Lounges hosted at film festivals. These are the exclusive rooms where creators can step away from the pomp and press to find other professionals… and a stiff drink. These are the "networking opportunities" that so many in the industry scramble to attain....

Happy Friday Creative Army! As you all know, Stage 32 Screenings has taken the entertainment industry by storm. Our initiative has been covered by Deadline, Variety, CNN, and dozens more. We are currently screening over 100 features, shorts, and episodic pilots from SXSW, Tribeca, BFI: Flare London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival, and Telluride Mountainfilm Documentary Festival to our network of over 6,000 invited sales agents, distributors, managers, agents, producers, development execs, financiers and...

Well, hello, there! My name is Karen Ross, but please, call me Kay. I recently took over as the Community Manager here at Stage 32 (but don't worry, Amanda is my Jedi Master, and RB lays down the wisdom like Yoda – I’m humbled to be their padawan). I am so excited to get to know our creative community even better through this new opportunity! I wanted to formally introduce myself - I am an actress, writer, producer, and all-around free spirit. Among other many things, I love martial arts, ins...