Filmmaking

As creators, we are essentially entrepreneurs. Even if we hold a job of sorts, we still work as contractors and freelancers. Some of us even manage a production company or other small business. And to make it work... We've been told to work hard. We've been told to continue the grind.And we've been told not to waste a single minute as we reach for the stars. Alexis Ohaniaof Reddit While this is true to a fault, for some, these statements can be misinterpreted as working endlessly and with...

I’ve been in this industry for several years and in that time, I’ve seen dozens of talented people give up because success didn’t come when they wanted it to. It didn’t come in an expected time frame and therefore, they left town. Maybe they spent some time at an agency before they packed it in. Maybe in that time they booked a few commercials. But they got tired because nothing else ever came beyond those commercials. And when they got tired, they gave up and drifted away. It sounds brutal,...

Happy Sunday, everyone.  Hope you're all enjoying Introduce Yourself Weekend. Coming to you live from the Seattle Film Summit where Stage 32 is serving as the education partner.  It's been an inspiring few days of speaking and mentoring.  Also been fantastic to meet so many Stage 32 members in person. You might think all this would prevent me from bringing you Coffee & Content.  You'd be dead wrong!  Let's get to it. First, from Art and Story, a deep dive into text, subtext, and context. ...

I recently attended a panel discussion on writer’s rooms and wanted to share some of the insights offered by the panelists who are two prominent showrunners from network and cable: A streaming network executive, and a production company executive. The questions they answered were: - What do showrunners look for when they hire writers? - What is the process for hiring? - How are rooms different in network vs. cable and streaming? - What if you create a show and the studio wants to bring in an e...

When a writer wants to know the best way to pitch his or her project to Netflix or Amazon, it's important that they recognize something before they even entertain the notion: Know thy people around you, first. During his free webinar, "Ask Me Anything," RB answered this question frankly and thoroughly. If you think your show has the legs to get a meeting with Netflix, there are three key questions you need to ask yourself first: 1) Why you?2) Why now?3) What value are you bringing? Cli...

"Finding out that the rights were available was a small victory in our minds. Yet, we still had to prove ourselves to gain Ron’s blessing. After all, to him, we were just a couple of young, idealistic strangers with a Hollywood pipe dream. We had no track record." Ron Stallworth was a police officer in the 1970's who managed to weasel his way into the good graces of the Ku Klux Klan undercover, convincing them he was white supremacist. Later, he wrote a memoir about his experiences, which cau...

Happy Sunday to all.  Hope you're enjoying your weekend.  How about some coffee and complimentary content? First up, for a screenwriter, handling exposition can be a bitch.  In this new video essay from the good people at Fandor, we'll take a look at how some very talented screenwriters managed this very difficult task with cool, calm and creativity. Next, a look at one of my favorite directors, David Fincher, and, namely, how he hijacks your eyes.  Short and sweet, fantastic stuff from the...

Most filmmakers, creatives, and writers involved in the filmmaking industry don't take the time to sit down and write out a thorough business plan. It's a harsh truth that could cause issues. From creating an outline showing how money will be allocated to make the film, to building out what it takes to pay your team, distribution costs, marketing, and every other line item that needs to be considered, business plans are often overlooked for various reasons, including the fact that they can som...

Writing a screenplay can seem pretty intimidating. When have you ever written a 100+ pages of anything, right? But before I go on, let me just say that the info I'm about to offer are tips and strategies that helped me most. Everyone is different and there is no “right” way to write a screenplay.   Thing One and Thing Two from book” The Cat in the Hat” by Dr. Seuss.   Now, before you start, remember to always keep TWO BIG THINGS IN MIND: 1) Screenwriting portrayed in movies and TV is rid...

During his free online webinar, “Ask Me Anything,” Richard “RB” Botto cut right to the chase when he was asked, "How Do I Make Connections in the Film Industry When I Don’t Live in L.A.?” His answer will open your eyes to the reality of what networking is all about, both online and off. In an industry where everyone stands up and says, “Look at me! Look at my script!” he pulls back the curtain on what gets screenwriters noticed, what doesn’t, and what you need to do to show up with authenticit...