Cinematography

Happy Sunday Creative Army! First of all, congratulations to all of you who have already participated in our monthly Introduce Yourself Weekend! Thousands of connections have been made between entertainment creatives and professionals from every corner of the globe. Whether you are a long-time member, or brand new to Stage 32, take a moment to pop over to the Introduce Yourself Lounge and say hello before the end of the weekend. Now, grab some fresh coffee and let's dive in to this week's pipi...

Stage 32's community is more than a safe space for creatives to find support and encouragement. It is the breeding ground for valuable insight and potential partnerships. This is entirely based on our collective agreement to add value in every endeavor. To each of you who have posted your victories, offered congratulations, or been an unwavering cheerleader in the Stage 32 Lounges, thank you. To those who have shared your hopes, goals, fears, and failures, you are seen and appreciated. To everyo...

I’ve made a lot of movies. I started off as a Runner and worked my way up. I worked on 13 movies as a 1st AC & 2nd AC and Director of Photography before I became an award-winning Director & Writer in my own right. Having gone from Runner to director I have experienced the whole gauntlet of film making from the biggest shoots (Harry Potter and James Bond) to tiny micro-budget one-man crew shoots. I have seen many ways to do things effectively and simply. There are 6 main areas of filmmaking for...

Happy Wednesday, Creative Army I am happy to report another win for the Stage 32 community! The most uniquely creative and talented community on Earth has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as an example of the power niche communities like Stage 32 wield, and how they're setting the stage for the future of social media. The pandemic has taken a huge toll on the mental health of creatives and professionals within our industry and studies have shown that broad based social media platforms like...

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.” ~ William Shakespeare “Luna” is my 1969 VW bus. She was a well-thought-out, long-time purchase. A transformative place that serves as a traveling home, an office workspace, a holiday destination, and right now at this very minute, my own coffee shop! Luna gives me so much love and joy that I dare not take her for gra...

Let’s go back to basics! If you are thinking or overthinking about producing your first short film, you are not alone. These are the 8 things that were around my head when deciding to go for it. 1. Is Making a Short Worthwhile? I hate to reply to this with another question, but you have to ask yourself first: Why do I want to do it? Maybe you want to be an actor and it can be a way to get material for your reel, get credits and exposure. Same with a director or DP. If you are a screenwrite...

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 have a great video covering the three types of satire every storyteller should know. In this video, they break down the three types of satire: Juvenalian, Horatian, and Menippean. You will see examples from Jojo Rabbit, Borat, The Dictator, American Beauty, Tropic...

Begin with the end in mind. Know your audience. Work with what you’ve got. We all know the adages, and swat them away to return to the creative deep dive in order to produce compelling characters, unique worlds, and relevant themes. Focusing on our role in order to complete our tasks is part of the creative process, but what if we’re missing part of the collaborative equation? What if the end isn’t just film or television? What if the audience you are trying to reach would enjoy your characters...

Have you ever worked on a stage play? One of the first things you do in rehearsal is figure out where everyone is supposed to stand. Nobody remembers their lines as everyone is holding scripts. They walk from this mark to another mark, trying to make the actions interesting and motivated. That’s called blocking. According to Wikipedia, "blocking is the precise staging of actors to facilitate the performance of a play, ballet, film or opera".     In filmmaking, that can be done in th...

Howdy, Stage 32ers! My name is Keith Strausbaugh and my partner and sometimes-friend is Anthony Guidubaldi. Together, we write, produce, direct, and edit under the banner of Hot Tub Mimosas, a loveless marriage of comedy filmmaking. But we began as writers. In 2017, we won Stage 32’s 2nd Annual Comedy Screenplay Contest with a script called, Shore Break. It’s basically Caddyshack with Jet Skis. Or Dodgeball with Jet Skis. Or Out Cold with Jet Skis. Growing up, I worked at my uncle’s ramsha...