Composing

These days there’s a pretty interesting battle raging between composers scoring films, and filmmakers using prerecorded tracks in their projects. Both can work, and either one can be cheaper, or easier to use. As a composer who makes tracks for music libraries, and scores films, I can give you some ideas about when and why you might use one versus the other.     1. Hiring a Composer Hiring a composer can be cheap or expensive, depending on their experience, business and artistic skil...

Friends, family, project collaborators, social media connections—I’m sure your network is abundant. But in all likelihood, you’re missing out on a mastermind group—a creative support network of individuals who guide each other through professional challenges. Mastermind groups are well known in the business community, yet rarely used by filmmakers, writers, actors, and other artists. Personally, I think it’s time creatives start leveraging this idea for themselves.     What is a Mast...

First of all, they don’t come from other people’s movies! IN THE BEGINNING Let’s start at the top. Back when most of the really enduring film scores were written, directors were expected to have cross-training in a wide range of entertainment disciplines. Moreover, composers were expected to be masters of music theory. Today, the tight focus of a film school education on the tools we need to get working has eroded the vocabulary and habits that come with a classical performance education. W...

We’ve all heard the myth about the starving artist. This is the myth that artists need to suffer for their art if they want respect as an artist. This crazy myth has been around for over 150 years and unfortunately many artists today still believe it. The myth started in 19th century Paris with a group of artists who lived passionately for their art, but also lived in poverty. The artists were nicknamed “the water drinkers” because they couldn’t afford to drink wine. Writer Henry Murger wrote...

Happy Wednesday Stage 32 Community! Last week, our fearless leader Richard "RB" Botto hosted one of his signature "Ask Me Anything" webinars focusing on the "new normal" that is the entertainment industry during COVID-19. We were beyond jazzed to virtually host thousands of Stage 32 members tuning in from every corner of the world, culminating in an invigorating two hours of inspirational and no-bs shop talk from RB.   In this Ask Me Anything, RB answered questions from Stage 32 members, bot...

No one likes to be manipulated—except when they do. And this is always true with entertainment and art. “Make me feel something” is the universal mandate for all content, across every genre, through all mediums. Music is a universal language that touches our deepest feelings to bring up powerful emotions. As in the very life of our bodies, its most basic elements are tension and release, just like breathing and heartbeats. No wonder it’s so powerful!     More Than a Feeling In visua...

Stage 32 hosts online forums, called Lounges to encourage like-minded professionals to communicate and collaborate. As I've become more familiar with these lounges as the new Stage32 Community Manager, the more I liken them to V.I.P. Filmmakers' Lounges hosted at film festivals. These are the exclusive rooms where creators can step away from the pomp and press to find other professionals… and a stiff drink. These are the "networking opportunities" that so many in the industry scramble to attain....

Well, hello, there! My name is Karen Ross, but please, call me Kay. I recently took over as the Community Manager here at Stage 32 (but don't worry, Amanda is my Jedi Master, and RB lays down the wisdom like Yoda – I’m humbled to be their padawan). I am so excited to get to know our creative community even better through this new opportunity! I wanted to formally introduce myself - I am an actress, writer, producer, and all-around free spirit. Among other many things, I love martial arts, ins...

Happy Wednesday, Creative Army!   Over the last few months, the entire team here at Stage 32 has been working tirelessly to help you stay connected, creative, motivated, and informed. As always, we are committed to bringing you networking opportunities, education and mentoring from top-level industry executives and professionals, and access to decision-makers around the globe all from the safety of your own home.   Since the beginning of the quarantine mandates brought about by the spread...

I get it—you became a filmmaker, or a writer, or an actor because you love movies and television. You weren’t planning to launch a business. But if you hope to build a career in the film industry as a writer, filmmaker, or even actor, then you need to think like an entrepreneur. Otherwise, all you’ll have is an expensive hobby. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but that’s likely not quite what you were hoping for. So, take a deep breath and admit it. You’re an entrepreneur. Especially...