Composing

This article’s a little different than my previous ones. And, in some ways, it’s the most important. It’s less structured and more conversational. I’m not using headings, because it’s all of a piece. It’s an open letter, fully from the heart, to an amazing community with so much to give. I appreciate the opportunity given to me by Taylor and the amazing leaders at Stage 32 to share my thoughts in this way during these Times of Crisis. These Unprecedented Times. Times that don’t exist in a...

Hey, guys. Hoping you are all staying safe, healthy and (relatively) sane. With thousands of new creatives and professionals joining Stage 32 over the last week, traffic, interactions, and network requests at an all-time high, and with all of us stuck at home for the foreseeable future, I thought this would be the perfect time to throw down a content challenge. For the next 30 days, and hopefully beyond, I’m challenging you to start new posts and contribute to existing posts within the Sta...

Happy Friday Creative Army!   Hoping you are all feeling well and staying safe!   As you know, it has been an insane couple of weeks here at Stage 32. Last Monday, we announced that we are screening all films affected by the SXSW cancellation on Stage 32 to our network of financiers, producers, development executives, distributors, and more. The media support has been overwhelming, and our initiative has since been covered by over 75 news outlets including Variety, CNN, Screen Daily, and m...

Hello Creative Army! We really need your help in spreading the word! As you have likely heard by now, the 2020 SXSW festival was canceled due to concerns about the health and safety of attendees and the Coronavirus. As filmmakers, producers, screenwriters, and actors ourselves, all of us at Stage 32 are devastated for everyone impacted by the cancellation of SXSW.  Over the last few days, we have heard from hundreds of Stage 32 members who played a part in the films impacted by the cancell...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! Here's hoping you have had a productive and creative weekend so far. I've got a full pot of coffee and some piping hot content coming your way. First up, we all know that music can be a powerful way to drive story. In our first piece of content from Studio Binder, they discuss how filmmakers use "needle drops", or bits of popular music at strategic moments, to create impactful, memorable moments. From the toe-tapping 80's throwback soundtrack of Guardians of the G...

When you think of great original soundtracks - the best of the best, you probably think of Final Fantasy, Zelda, Skyrim, and even Sonic. Video game music is a genre in itself. It went from 8-bit synthy beeps and bobs to orchestra epic arrangements. The genre has impacted and inspired so many, myself included. I will admit that growing up, I wasn’t into the greats like Final Fantasy or Zelda. I was more into really obscure games such as Spyro, Twisted Metal, Crazy Taxi and such. It is games lik...

Back in October, I sat in my chair and started a journey that really put a lot of things perspective. It was an adventure I never really thought much about. I love music - it’s in my blood. So, when I stumbled on the 21 Days of VGM challenge a while ago, I thought “Oh, I got this.” Making music every day isn’t so bad. Easy. However, I got a rude awakening. It seems simple right? Sit down, get some notation paper or open your DAW and make about 16 bars of music every day and to be honest, it wa...

Happy First Sunday of 2020! I hope everyone had a wonderful start to the New Year and is now ready to get to work and make some magic in 2020. I've got a hot cup of coffee and am ready to bring you some fresh content this Sunday.  2019 was a huge year for film and television. Among all the amazing stories told this past year, one epic tale also came to a close: Game of Thrones. While the series may be over, the theme song still plays on in our heads. Take a journey with the mind behind the m...

Happy New Year, everyone. Hope you all had a terrific holiday season and are now ready to launch into 2020. Those of you who have been around the site for a while know that on New Year's Day we utilize the Stage 32 Blog to discuss and share our plans for the coming year. So, what are you looking to accomplish in 2020? What are your creative goals? What skills are you looking to learn? What fears are you looking to overcome? What strategies are you planning on implementing toward reaching your...

Music can be an incredibly powerful emotional catalyst in a film. A well-placed song has the power to add that perfect little zest to our emotional response to certain scenes. When it comes to music in movies, John Williams is the Granddaddy of all film composition. From the unforgettable Indiana Jones theme to high-octane space chase music in Star Wars, John Williams has personally shaped the way we connect music to movies.  Classic FM took a page of sheet music out of John Williams' epic c...