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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 2018, that script I started six years earlier would be named as the Grand Prize Winner in Stage 32’s third annual feature screenwriting competition. A few weeks later and I’m in Los Angeles for the first time — well, not counting layovers at LAX, because who really wants to count those, am I right? Every day, I was in meetings with filmmakers behind movies like Ready or Not and Swiss Army Man. And to top off the week, Stage 32 had set me up with a meeting at Verve Talent & Literary Agenc...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! I hope you are having a great Memorial Day Weekend so far. This fine Sunday morning, I invite you to take in some film content while you sip your daily dark roast. Let's dive in, shall we? First up, let's talk about plot twists. Ever since Darth Vadar told Luke "I am your Father", filmmakers and screenwriters have been entranced with the art of perfecting the plot twist. In this first video, The Closer Look uses Rian Johnson's Knives Out to illustrate how to maste...

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...

Hello! My name is Jon Kohan and I’m a screenwriter from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. When you think of Pennsylvania you don’t really think Hollywood. In the history of my hometown, there have only been two major Hollywood movies filmed in the city; Slap Shot (1977) and All the Right Moves (1983). A lot of us have dreams that in order for us to see them to fruition, we must make a literal move. In the case of filmmaking, if you want to make movies you have to go where movies are made. The obvio...

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 Sunday Creative Army! Here's hoping you had a happy, healthy, and creative week. With everything going on right now, it is important to focus on things you can control - like soaking up new information and learning a new facet of the entertainment industry. So, are you ready for your weekly dose of content? I've got my coffee in hand and some piping hot content coming your way.  First up, the folks over at Indy Mogul sat down with cinematographer/director Justin Jones to talk about the...

Over the years, film production has been attributed to creativity and this is something that has been identified by film producers, historians, and even critics. For instance, Jean-Paul Furstenberg who was a director at the American Film Institute about 2 decades ago noted that it was the producers and the creative people that really founded the industry. As a matter of fact, if people like Adolph Zukor, Louis B.Mayer, Carl Laemmle, Ole Olsen, Leon Gaumont, Charles Pathe, or the Warner brothers...

CHYRON: 18 MONTHS EARLIER We’re focused on a computer screen. An email is opened. It’s Stage 32. It says, BLOG UPDATE: 5 Lessons Learned From an Aspiring Screenwriter. By Keith Hannigan. INT. LIVING ROOM – DAY The one reading it is KEITH HANNIGAN. His face red, his mouth agape. He looks like what would happen if the Sun were turned on by a Full Moon. In this case, the Full Moon is his blog. He instantly shares it anywhere it can be shared. When he’s done, he pauses. Closes his computer...

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...