Cinematography

I am extremely proud to announce that two members of our global community are nominated for a total of 4 Golden Globes this evening. First up, it’s my dear friend, Michel Merkt. Michel is an enormously accomplished producer who had 8 films at Cannes this year including 4 in competition. Tonight Michel has 3 nominations. In the Best Foreign Film category, Michel is nominated for producing both Paul Verhoeven’s terrific film, ELLE and Maren Ade’s international hit dramedy, TONI ERDMANN, which ha...

In late 2013 I had started working on the script of my short film In Loving Memory. I had already made my first independent short film Disarray in 2012 at the age of 22 and had been working in the business with my father. He was an acclaimed Bengali filmmaker, Anjan Das, who I assisted in his last 3 international award winning features Achin Pakhi, Bedeni and Banshiwala. I was an Associate Director in my dad's last film Ajana Batas.   My father, Anjan Das, critically acclaimed filmmaker &...

The subject line of the email read "I’m so sorry”. It was from one of the Emmy-winning producers I had been working with for several years on my award-wining true crime drama, CONFESSIONS. After multiple rewrites and the involvement of two notable directors, the latest option was expiring and the project had hit a wall. I had been here before – a rocket ride to the one-yard line and the brink of a “go picture” that suddenly gets stalled. October, 2013. I met Joe Burke over a drink, a friend...

Last year, I presented a bunch of screenplays of recent movies available online for download. So many found the content beneficial, I decided to do it again this holiday season. As you know, one of the best ways to learn about screenwriting is to read good (and bad) screenplays. But, this exercise isn’t only for writers. Actors, filmmakers, producers and other film creatives can certainly gain insight and knowledge from reading screenplays as well.  Here are some critically acclaimed and res...

Since I dove into the world of 360 spherical video and VR, I’ve heard a wide range of opinions related to the future of this branch of visual entertainment. “It’s the future!” or “It’s a fad.” Honestly, I really don’t know what the future holds for this space. I just know it’s really cool. I’ve watched 360 videos where I’m seeing the same thing a skydiver, a scuba diver, a wingsuit diver, and dozens of other videos that adventurers have experienced. I’ve played multiple VR video games where I...

On behalf of the entire Stage 32 team, I'd like to wish all celebrating a very Happy Thanksgiving. We're extremely grateful to be connected to all of you and are most thankful for all the inspiration and love you bring to this platform every day.   While today is all about spending time with family and friends and counting life's blessings, I always take a few minutes every Thanksgiving evening to reflect and take stock of my creative goals. With 5 weeks left in the year, I find this the per...

Do you often intend to check your emails quickly before your day starts and end up sitting with them for longer than you wanted? Do you feel stressed from the massive amount of disorganization in your inbox and are spending more time organizing them than actually working on your goals? You are not alone. Email technology is amazing, I love it, however as much as it can empower us, it can overwhelm us. Staying in control of your emails allows you to save time and focus on other areas of your li...

As a film composer, it isn't hard to recognize that one of the hardest parts in creating a film or video project is finding or creating the right music. When I see filmmakers who don’t have access to a composer sifting through stock music lists, something always ends up getting comprised — whether it’s time, creative control, budget, etc. I love working with filmmakers, especially when the music is an artistic pillar of their project -- when the process of creation and collaboration that goes...

On my way back from the Cannes Film Festival this year – the film I directed, Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond, an 80min-documentary film, was an Official Selection (at Cannes Classics) – I was wondering if I could gather some tips (let’s say five) for those who haven’t already made the step to grab a camera and shoot, for those (like me) who have no budget just passion, for those who are dreaming of having one day a film in Cannes. Yes, you can.  TIP N°1 – BE INVENTIVE When you work...

Hopefully you are enjoying a productive Sunday and working on your creative pursuits! I love seeing our community in our Next Level educational webinars and classes and it thrills me to be able to provide you tools to help your craft or help you navigate the industry. Some of you may not know about all the incredible education resources we have on Stage 32, including a 2 year archive of our monthly "On Stage With RB" webcasts. If you're not familiar with our "On Stage With RB" webcast, our fea...