Distribution

Hello, Creative Army! As you know, back in March, we announced and launched Stage 32 Screenings to help filmmakers who were impacted by the cancellation of their live screenings at such festivals as SXSW, Tribeca and Telluride Mountainfilm Documentary get their films seen to a concentrated audience including thousands of distributors, sales agents, producers, financiers, development execs and more decision-makers here on Stage 32.  Since the official launch of Stage 32 Screenings was announc...

As you may recall back in February, long-time Stage 32 member, blog contributor, webinar teacher, and international film & distribution aficionado, David Zannoni began a series of blogs and vlogs to keep you up-to-date on the business of film across the globe. Today, David is sharing some amazing insights into the world of distribution for independent filmmakers in his exclusive Stage 32 vlog.  What you will learn from David: How do you define "independent film" distribution, specificall...

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...

I always just assumed that I would get an email one day asking about some old footage I had of Lin-Manuel Miranda busking in the streets of Scotland. I knew I had the footage on a drive (even some of the old tapes on my desk now) and at some point, there would be a biographer or documentarian who would realize that I am the person to ask about this old footage. Lin, after all, had become quite literally become one of the most famous people in the world and I had some pretty magical moments captu...

In these strange, uncertain, and truly and worrying times, as the writer, producer, and director of the independent feature film Killing Lionel I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on my journey as a film-maker and hopefully offer some insight and perhaps some advice. Before I proceed, I’d like to add that everything I write here is based on the experiences of the last six years of my life. Before this time period, I was an amateur filmmaker, with a handy-cam and a dream! As it is with a...

In 2014 I screened my first short film The Window in front of an audience at the London Independent Film Festival where it played to a full house. We won the audience award for 'Best Short Film' and I had my first taste of success as a filmmaker. Standing there with my trophy in hand, I stared blindly at a room full of blurred shapes and flashing lights who I knew to be my friends and fellow artists. I can't see the faces watching me, but I can feel their smiles. Do I feel disabled or cursed in...

In the Summer of 2005, I was a freelance Associate Producer working in New York, just getting my start in the business. In many ways it’s tempting to look back upon those days now and say that I didn’t know anything. We do that to our younger selves and the nostalgic stories we tell. But the truth is, although I had very little experience and very little understanding of how to actually create content, I knew what I liked. I knew what I thought was good storytelling, and I had a lot of confidenc...

Happy Wednesday Stage 32! We hope this blog finds you healthy, happy, safe, and creative. Over the last two months in quarantine, we have been working tirelessly to make Stage 32 your online home to stay connected with over 650,000 film, tv, and new media creatives from across the globe - no hand sanitizer or face masks required. Stage 32 is committed to bringing you entertainment, education, and community from the comfort and safety of your own home.  Now, we are excited to host another f...

Happy Friday Stage 32! As you all know, Stage 32 Screenings has taken the industry by storm. Our initiative has been covered by Deadline, Variety, CNN, and more. We are currently screening over 100 features, shorts, and episodic pilots from SXSW, Tribeca, and Telluride Mountainfilm Documentary Festival to our network of producers, financiers, development executives, distributors, and more. We are ecstatic to report that two feature films from our Stage 32 Screenings initiative have already bee...

For many years the second most needed element for any movie or project to be successful, outside of a Studio deal, was the Sales Agent. There have been many theories and speculations on the process of getting a sales agent on board of a film or series or project. A lot of it was answered broadly the necessity of a finance plan, talent attachments, and a good script. However, in today's world, which has ALL the power is the Territorial Distributor. Having an A-List sales agent means very lit...