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“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” ~ Arthur Ashe “What happens when we go over time?” The room went quiet. The new sound operator repeated himself, “What happens when we go into overtime?” My crew smiled at me as I turned and replied, “We don’t.” I then continued answering and discussing other questions in the pre-pro meeting. Let me preface this by saying this was not a studio film. This was an indie feature, titled Caralique, that I was the director/producer of. C...

I wanted to share my journey as a black filmmaker for Black History Month. Part 1 I started developing my Black Salt franchise over 10 years ago because I was tired of seeing how they depicted black men in TV and film. I create a black hero who was strong, disciplined and people could look up to. I loved martial arts, so I wanted my hero to have mastered Shaolin Kung Fu and be an Interpol agent, where he traveled around the world with great adventures, defeating the bad guys and standing...

Happy “Valentimes,” Stage 32! My name is Tennyson, I’ve written more than 50 screenplays, I’ve helped produce some movies, I direct and edit, I’m a working script doctor, and I’ve been working on stage since I was 13 years old. For the last few years, I’ve been blogging for Stage 32 more or less monthly… and this week, we’re going to talk in a little more detail about why I do that. EVERYBODY NEEDS HELP Showbusiness is, and has always been, a collaborative effort. Even a one-person show ne...

Swish!  How I’m Making the Most of My Stage 32 Experience. There’s a basketball court near my house. My girlfriend and I pass it on our routine walks around the neighborhood. One day not too long ago, we walked by it and joked that we should get a basketball and play against each other. We like a bit of a competition, and we’re always looking for new games to play against each other. The holidays were approaching, so, I put a basketball under the Christmas tree for her. You might be thinking...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? I have some content here for you that is sure to get the creative juices flowing, so grab your coffee and let's dive in. First up, the folks over at StudioBinder have a great series about the art of opening scenes. In this video, they cover six more ways to begin a film: tragedy, direct address, newsreel, crime, day in the life, and setting. You will see examples from Children of Men, Stranger than Fiction, Zodiac, Arrival,...

You volunteered for service in the military, and then decided it was time to pursue your dreams in La La Land. And guess what? Hollywood is recruiting you! They know you have a story to tell, and they can’t wait to hear it. I always knew I wanted a career in entertainment, and as an Officer in the Army I was selected to be a principal actor in a theatrical commercial for the National Guard, directed by Antione Fuqua (Training Day). After this experience, I packed my bags and moved to LA to be...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! I've got my coffee in hand and your weekly dose of content coming in hot - grab your coffee of choice and let's dive right in. First up, Film Riot shares a great video about 9 VFX (visual effects) terms you should know as a film creative, no matter what role you play in production. They cover compositing, keying, rotoscoping, and assets to name a few. Better yet, they show you helpful before and after examples from The Lord of the Rings, Guardians of the Galaxy, A...

Like many, I’m reasonably new to screenwriting. I taught college courses in writing and Goth Lit for 15 years, and when I made the switch to screenwriting, I thought, “It’s writing. How hard could it be? Look at all the stuff that gets made.” I embarked on a journey to learn all I could about writing scripts, something I’d dreamed of doing for nigh-on 30 years. I wrote a couple of sitcoms I thought were awesome and sent them to some managers who accepted unsolicited scripts. I was turned dow...

Since 1976, February has been the official home of the annual Black History Month. A few days into February 2022, I wanted to share a few ways you can help support Black filmmakers, artists, and creatives.  5 Ways to Support Black artists this Black History Month Share Black artists stories and contact information on platforms you have access to. If there are zoom industry meetings/panels you are invited to and they are not diverse contact the host or moderator and suggest a Black artist...

I was born and raised in sunny Los Angeles, CA. From a young age, my dream was to be a writer. Videos games, movies, TV, novels. My passion was always to tell stories. I wanted to be an actor as well, but I never really put any work into that as a youth. My efforts went towards writing. Today, at 32 years old, I am a produced screenwriter and actor. But the funny thing is I don’t live in LA and have never done a single project related to anything having to do with Hollywood. You Don’t As...