Cinematography

No weekend News and Notes blog this weekend because I'm out of town...However... As we approach the final stretch of 2016 I thought it might be a good time to reflect a little on the creative goals we set for the year. Need a refresher on the goals you set? Here is where we all checked in to start this year. How are you doing? Making progress? Lagging behind? Changing direction entirely? Let's talk about it in the Comments section below. And, of course, if there is the opportunity to assist...

2016 has been a very interesting year so far. We are just over half way through and we're bound to have some more tidbits coming our way. So what things might you have missed? Nikon? Well, it appears that Nikon is getting out of the professional video arena blog They ended up pulling out of NAB at the last minute. Financial troubles abound for Nikon and we may even see reductions in other areas. Many may argue that they have never had a very large presence in the first place, but they we...

Many mediamakers know they need a lawyer out the gate and yet initially they are often fearful of employing a lawyer as they fear they can't afford it. That is why I am frequently asked: "When should a mediamaker engage an entertainment attorney?" As a general rule, this should be done when the client is entering into a contractual relationship with another person or entity, such as two co-producers, two writing collaborators, a producer and a writer, a producer and a director, etc. It is a so...

I can’t believe I graduated college two years ago, it feels like it’s been forever. I’ve spent the bulk of my two years applying to different gigs, sending out pitches, entering competitions, and trying to make some money in the film industry (not retail). When I was applying to gigs, I began wondering what’s the right rate to charge with my experience on set. How much should I sell a script for? What should I charge a client to write a script? I had so many questions that I wished my colleagu...

Recently I had the great pleasure to interview writer and director Leena Yadav by phone. In our no holds barred conversation, we covered not only the challenging themes of this film, including conditioning and gender roles, patriarchy, and abuse, but also the challenges of raising money (just over 2.5 million) for this -- as Yadav stated, -- “absolutely independent” film. Thought-provoking and honest, ‘Parched’ tackles these tough and timely topics unapologetically. The cinematography (shot b...

Hey Everyone! Today we have a GREAT interview with our CEO, RB, with Forest Day Jr, from the video podcast, Rolling Tape. Whether you are new to the site or if you've been with us forever, you will really enjoy watching RB talk about Stage 32, what the site means to him and how it can benefit members. You can view the podcast below... RB explains what Stage 32 is all about and how he came up with the idea, as well as the importance of regular connecting and networking. RB gives examples...

I’ve done it, you’ve done it, everyone’s done it: as you watch a movie or TV show you find yourself screaming “not that again!” or “he wouldn’t do that!” or “that makes no sense!” So now I’m going to list my pet peeves – those things I just can’t stand seeing over and over again in shows or movies. Or those things that just leap out as contrivances that just don’t work. I also reached out to colleagues in the entertainment industry for their ideas. I’d like this blog post to be interactive:...

STAGE 32 NEWS Live From Cannes - Talking Stage 32 Member Success & Cannes News - We wanted to share a Cannes update. So far we have met hundreds of Stage 32 members from all around the world, 32 which have films screening here at Cannes, and that are competing, which has been so inspiring!  Listen to RB's update from the Variety party in Cannes and get the news on amazing things going on here! 10 Reasons To Release Your Feature As A Web Series - You can now shoot a movie on a phone. You can e...

Stage 32 Founder & CEO Richard Botto broadcasts live from a 2016 Cannes Film Festival film after-party and talks about VR, Arri cameras, financing, Stage 32 success stories and brings you inside a Cannes Film Festival party.   Like this blog post? Please share it on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, email etc) by using social media buttons at the top of the blog. Or post to your personal blog and anywhere else you feel appropriate. Thank you. As always, we welcome thoughts an...

As a woman, I'm sometimes asked why I picked a male dominated business to be in. My response is always the same, “Besides nursing and teaching (with the exception of university, then the workplace mostly consists of males), most professions are already male dominated.” They stop and think about it and then say, “You’re right.” Any woman that wants to have a professional career of her own must always compete among the men. So I have had to learn to adjust myself, to not only compete against them,...