Filmmaking

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Let’s kick things off with a huge shoutout to everyone who has already jumped into this month’s Introduce Yourself Weekend. Thousands of creatives from around the world are connecting, sharing their stories, and building relationships that will lead to collaborations, opportunities, and lifelong friendships. If you haven’t yet made your introduction, you’ve still got time! Head over to the Introduce Yourself Lounge before the weekend wraps. Be bold. Introduce you...

We can all agree that it’s nigh impossible for a finished film to be even 90% close to the original screenplay. Budget and logistic constraints can be very limiting for the filmmaker, and often the creative vision changes according to the ebbs and flows of the production. Locations are changed, dialogues are added, and sometimes even characters are edited out. As a result, when the filmmaker has finished post and is busy procuring deliverable material required by film festivals or the distribu...

Happy FriYAY, Stage 32 Community! One of my favorite things about being Head of Community here at Stage 32 is connecting you with opportunities that don’t just inspire you creatively, but give you the tools to level up your career. And next week, we’ve got one you absolutely don’t want to miss. We’re teaming up with SAGindie to bring you an incredible FREE webcast: Short Films, Big Plans: Building Powerful Indie Shorts That Launch Careers Join Us Live Tuesday, October 22nd at 11:00 am PT...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? Whether you’ve been writing, filming, editing, or simply dreaming up your next big idea, I’ve got some inspiring content to fuel your passion and keep you moving forward. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in. This week’s video essay from Film Stack is an inspiring one; it’s called “When an Actress Stopped Playing It Safe”. Few actresses have risked as much for their careers as Charlize Theron. She broke out in the lat...

Happy Friday, Stage 32ers! I’m excited to announce that FilmScape Chicago is partnering with Stage 32 Certification to offer our acclaimed Stage 32 Production Accounting Master Certification Course to train and elevate local talent, ensuring Chicago’s productions continue to thrive with the highest-caliber crews. “The most common question we get—whether through social media or in person—is, ‘How do I get started in this industry?’”, says FilmScape Chicago’s President, Ned McGregor. “Taking t...

Happy Thursday, Creative Army! Every year, the American Film Market (AFM) transforms Los Angeles into the beating heart of the global film industry, where thousands of producers, distributors, financiers, and creatives come together to make deals, launch projects, and build partnerships that define the year ahead. Whether you’re attending AFM for the first time or returning with new projects to pitch, understanding how to navigate this event strategically can make all the difference. That’s...

We’ve all heard the stories. Paranormal Activity, a film with a budget slightly less than a used Honda, made $193 million worldwide and launched a profitable franchise. That film’s progenitor, The Blair Witch Project, had a $60K budget and turned out a $250 million box office haul. The most profitable films from 2010 to 2015 were all horror films. 10. The Last Exorcism ($68M gross vs. $1.8M production budget) 9. Annabelle ($257M vs. $6.5M) 8. Chernobyl Diaries ($37M vs. $1M) 7. Ins...

There is a particular silence that every independent creator knows. It is the silence of a sent folder after a week of no replies. It is the quiet dread of a theatre with more empty seats than occupied ones. It is the crushing stillness of a streaming analytics page, where the view count flatlines after a brief flicker of interest from friends and family. This silence is not bad luck. It is the sound of a dream colliding with the brutal mathematics of a new creative economy. The Old Dream and...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? Whether you’ve been writing, filming, editing, or simply dreaming up your next big idea, I’ve got some inspiring content to fuel your passion and keep you moving forward. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in. This week, I want to share a fascinating video essay from Frame Voyager: The 80s Film That Took Research Too Far. In 1983, WarGames hit theaters. On the surface, it was a teenage hacker thriller starring Matthew Br...

Happy FriYAY, Stage 32 Community! One of my favorite things about being Head of Community here at Stage 32 is to help bring opportunities directly to you that can spark connections, elevate your craft, and help you feel less alone in the sometimes overwhelming world of creativity. Today, I want to share one of those opportunities with you: an incredible free webcast event that Stage 32 is hosting next Wednesday, October 8th!  We’re teaming up with Film-Raderie, a nonprofit dedicated to devel...