Cinematography

Hello, creative army! You've all heard me preach about the importance of relationships as it relates to accelerating your path toward success.  In my humble opinion, the daily work you put into your craft should be matched by the time and effort you put into building and nurturing relationships.  I'm not alone in this thinking.  Just yesterday, I was having lunch with my screenwriting manager, a guy who has been around and seen it all.  When I asked him the biggest mistake creatives make in th...

Hey guys. A quick reminder that Film Con Hollywood (hosted by Stage 32 and the LA Acting Studio) takes place this Saturday at the LA Convention Center. The buzz is high, the stage is set and we’re fired up to bring you a full day of keynotes, panels, workshops, networking, pitching, screenings and more.   Whether you’re an actor, screenwriter, filmmaker, producer, content creator, film financier or are looking to further your career in the film, television or content creation business you wi...

Hello, my fellow creatives.  Happy Sunday. Hope you are all enjoying and participating in what has been a very lively Introduce Yourself Weekend! Today for Coffee & Content, I'm bringing you some voices with years of experience talking directing and screenwriting. First up, legendary director, Ridley Scott waxes poetic on the craft of directing.  As usual, no pulled punches from Sir Ridley.  Nothing more for you to do with this one than pour yourself a full cuppa and kick back. Next, fro...

Lights, camera, action! Eager to show the world your talent? We want to see you bring your film to life! Until April 15, up-and-coming creators can submit their undiscovered short films to the 4th edition of the AT&T Film Awards.   The AT&T Film Awards Short Film Competition: The AT&T Film Awards is accepting original short films of any genre that run up to ten minutes in length. Submissions will be accepted through April 15, 2018, or until 1,500 entries have been submitted – whichever...

It's the moment you have all been waiting for! It's time to announce the Stage 32 6th Annual Oscars Contest winners! We thank everyone who participated.With more entries than ever this year, we had a grand total of 22 winners! First up, we have a 6-way tie with 12 correct for 3rd place and a 4-way tie with 20 correct for 2nd place. And finally, with a BIG congratulations to our top prize winners, we have a 6-way tie for 1st place with 21 correct! Our thanks to all who entered and congratulatio...

Greetings from rainy Los Angeles, and Happy Sunday.  Coffee is brewed, let's get to the content. One of the most inspiring dudes I've met over the last few months is filmmaker, Matt Alonzo.  Not only is Matt a ridiculously talented guy who handles just about everything - shooting, lighting, editing - but he also aims to educate and motivate wherever he goes.  The idea of giving back and paying it forward is part of his DNA.  An example of this?  This week, Matt will be teaching filmmaking to o...

The way we communicate has changed more in the past two decades, than it has since Gutenburg invented his printing press in 1440. But now Gutenburg's been replaced by Zuckerburg, and we're no longer analogue creatures. We're carefully curated digital representations, information junkies – constantly in the loop, all wired up to The Matrix. You may regard our new digital reality a dystopian wasteland – a bleak place punctuated by selfies, pornography and neon virtue-signallers. A lonely dimensi...

I know, I know...A little late with the coffee and the content this morning.  I have a good excuse.  I spent a good part of the last few days prepping for my seminar - Crowdsourcing and a Screenwriter's Journey - which I presented to an incredible group of passionate and committed screenwriters yesterday at the Scriptwriters Network.  It was an inspirational and rewarding day I won't soon forget. The video for this event will be available in a couple of months and I'm excited to share it with...

Hey guys. We're thrilled to announce the finalists of our 3rd Annual Short Film Contest. It was another record breaking year for entries and as usually is the case, more entries meant there were so many fantastic films to choose from. We have some true visionaries in our midst! The competition for the finals was fierce and our many of our judges took it upon themselves to watch certain films over and over knowing that every point mattered. One judge was so moved by a certain film he passed it o...

Happy Sunday, everyone.  And for those celebrating in America, I hope you're having a fun, relaxing and creative holiday weekend. For this edition of Coffee & Content, I have 2 more videos designed to motivate and inspire. First up, a cool vid from the helpful minds over at Creative North - 5 Huge Filmmaking Mistakes to Avoid in 2 Minutes.  Well, the video runs almost 4 minutes, but it's still more than worth your time. Next up, how about Stephen King sharing some writing tips?  Good by yo...