Cinematography

What does it take to become a director or assistant director on the set of some of the biggest Hollywood features out there? Stage 32 caught up with Joel Nishimine at Filmcon. Joel Nishimine has been an AD on films like The Last Exorcism and The Curse of Chucky. Right now he’s working as an AD on Living Among Us (2018). So he knows horror. But he also knows getting on set as a crew member isn’t so horrible, so long as you take the actions necessary to put yourself in front of people. When...

The music world has traveled light years from the early days of music videos when MTV and VH1 cornered the market. Multiple cameras, complicated graphics, and big hair were what pulled us into a Motley Crue video. No doubt, some serious cash flow was also part of the equation. Okay, maybe the big hair pulled me in, too. Regardless, getting home from school to watch MTV in an attempt to catch my favorite video and record it became a mission like no other. I wanted to be Pat Benatar mixed with...

Happy Sunday, everyone.  Hope you're all well rested and ready for some quality content. In this edition of Coffee & Content, we begin with the comedy of the Coen Brothers.  For my money, no filmmakers have embraced a wider range of comedy over the last 30 years than the Coens.  Sometimes darkly funny, other times broadly humorous, the Coens manage to mine laughs out of just about any scenario.  How do they get it done?  Our first video deconstructs the ins and outs of what makes it all come t...

Well, we are now officially past the mid point of 2018. Incredible. Wasn’t it just yesterday we were all discussing our goals for the year? I thought now would be a good time to do a mid-year check-in and see how you’re all doing thus far. Are you on track? Do you need a push? Did you change direction entirely?  Let's talk about it in the Comments section below. And, of course, if there is the opportunity to assist another member of the community toward accomplishing his or her goals, be sur...

I was fortunate enough to be an integral part of the 90s Independent Film Movement (producing David O. Russell’s Spanking the Monkey, Scarlett Johansson’s breakout role in Manny and Lo, and IFC’s seminal independent film series Split Screen, etc.) and I really believe a new very exciting opportunity for independent film is on the horizon, and not many people are talking about it. There are many ways to raise money for films, for example - foreign sales, grants, studio system, friends/fami...

Networking is so important and as you know, we talk about it all the time on Stage 32. I was at a networking event and ran into a Stage 32er, Ben Merserve, who's a talented DP that shoots on RED. His girlfriend is a screenwriter and is very active on Stage 32 and introduced him to the community. He, admittedly, was apprehensive to jump into the community, but when he did, he had some great success! And, his biggest piece of advice, of course, is that you have to put in the work.  Today on our...

Happy Sunday, everyone.  Let's get after it. This week for Coffee & Content, another two videos designed to instruct, motivate and inspire. First up, it's How to Motivate Yourself to Write Every Day from Diane Callahan.  Whether you're writing screenplays, novels, short stories or even blogs, I think you'll find this one to be a kick in the ass. Next, from our friends at DSLRguide, it's 50 Tips for Filmmakers.  This one covers a ton of ground from the craft to the business.  Dig in and enj...

As creative artists one thing we often do is work tirelessly on our craft. One thing that sometimes get lost is the "business" of the business. Today, on our YouTube channel we released a video from Stage 32ers Sam Estes and Michael Hobe who are sound designers on films such as INCEPTION, THE DARK KNIGHT, INSIDE OUT and more. In this video Sam and Michael go over an important tip on how to get hired as a creative.  And, remember, if you haven't subscribed to our YouTube page, make sure you do...

Recently during the 2018 Film Con Hollywood at the LA Convention Center we spent time with Stage 32er and panelist Jennifer Winberg, who is a Digital Specialist from MXM, an entertainment industry marketing & advertising agency. Jennifer has had a storied career in digital and has worked with Lionsgate, SONY, FOX, Gravitas Ventures and more. Today we've posted a video from Jennifer on our YouTube page as she gives advice on how to break into entertainment. Click here to hear Jennifer's advice!...

Where does your career end and your personal life begin? Where does your digital world end and your real world begin?     As a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (EMMYS), I’m currently invited to a lot of For Your Consideration screenings and events around Hollywood. At a recent FYC screening for WESTWORLD, Jonathan Nolan, the co-creator of the show, had some very insightful words about the dangers of “people becoming brands” via social media. He cautioned that he see...