Cinematography

A few years ago,  I had the devastating privilege of teaching television and film production to teenagers. Yes, oxymoron intended. Two things became clear early on: these students had no respect for the equipment because they were issued cameras like pacifiers, nor did they understand the value of their human resources due to the emphasis put squarely on technology above all. Guess what we did for the first week? We learned about networking. Man, were they mad. Then again, that could have been b...

Happy Wednesday Creative Army! Stage 32's continued mission is to democratize the entertainment business and the industry is taking notice in a big way. We are incredibly proud and honored that Stage 32 has been featured recently in Forbes Magazine, Business Insider, Inc. Magazine, and now, for the second time, Hackernoon.  As many of you have likely heard, we are partnering with Netflix (again!) to bring even more education to entertainment creatives and professionals from around the globe...

Anyone else finding themselves looking at the calendar these days going, “It’s what month already? How?” Don’t get me wrong – I love this time of year. It feels good to be finishing something – and it especially feels good to think about the new beginning right on the other side of it. If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you’ve probably noticed that I love talking about process. I love systems that make it easier for me to achieve the goals I set for myself, and I’m constantly evalua...

Before I taught film and television production to teenagers, before I developed a comprehensive internship program within a production company, and before I shepherded freshman theatre technicians through grueling lighting hangs and late-night set strikes, I myself was mentored. I owe a great debt of gratitude to my first mentor; my mother. She is an expert in adult education and a retired computer specialist, so it may be no surprise to learn she was incredibly methodical when training me. Don'...

If you’re anything like me, you have an inexplicable need to tell stories. It’s what excites you, what’s always in the back of your mind while you’re seeming to be living your life when actually you’re assembling and reassembling story fragments due to a flood of inspiration that unexpectedly assaults your imagination. Nobody dedicates their lives to becoming a filmmaker because it’s easy. It is a life that sounds torturous to an outsider -- and it is to an extent -- but it’s also wonderful a...

Several years ago I decided that I wanted to get a degree in film and television from the highly competitive film school at New York University. There was one major obstacle though... I was a high school drop out. What are the odds of my being accepted into this school and program? Not very good, but I decided (call it naivety, blind faith, insanity or whatnot) it was not only possible, but it was going to be my reality. I put one foot in front of the other, busted my butt as if it were life or...

My very good friend, composer and sound designer / mixer Scott Szabo said there are three kinds of work: Art, Craft and Rent. He's absolutely right. Art is the stuff you are proud to have your name on, and you showcase on a website or reel, promoting shamelessly on social media! Craft might, or might not, be something to hold out as an example, but it will call upon your advanced skills and challenge you. Rent ... well, you show up, do a great job, make the client happy, cash the check and get o...

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, our friends over at StudioBinder put together a great video about all the scene transitions you can use in when cutting together your film. Specifically, this video shows nine types of edition transitions: fade, dissolve, match cut, iris, wipe, passing, whip pan, smash cut, and the J-cut. You wil...

When I started I didn’t have directing and producing experience, never went to film school. The only time I came close to a film set as a filmmaker, had been as an extra in a short film once or twice and acted in 2 or 3 NGO short films as well, until I got a chance in 2016 to work as a line producer on a film set. That was about all the experience I had in filmmaking, except writing all the stories I wanted to one day do when I gain enough experience. When I started writing The White Line sto...

NETFLIX AND STAGE 32 INTRODUCE A NEW INITIATIVE TO HELP ASPIRING SERIES AND FILMMAKERS CREATE ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE GLOBAL MARKETPLACE Earlier this year, our two organizations teamed up for a workshop on Television Pitching that was attended by 100,000 aspiring creators in over 160 countries. We knew it would be a natural fit, but it was amazing to see the global impact of the workshop. That’s why we’ve decided to once again partner on the Creating Content for the Global Mark...