Filmmaking

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, in this interview with Tom Hiddleston and the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the actor breaks down his experience working on the MCU series LOKI and nearly 15 years playing the titular character. Very few actors get the space to live in a character's evolution for this long, or to essentially be the cap...

It has been a whirlwind since winning the Stage 32 Short Film Contest with the project I wrote and directed, BIENVENIDOS A LOS ANGELES. We’ve been lucky enough to have connected with major industry players and have taken significant steps forward to become a contender for Best Live Action Short Film in the 96th Academy Awards. Most recently, we have signed with Ouat Media, the renowned Toronto-based short film sales company known for three Oscar winners and 12 nominees. This film is very close...

Welcome to the next installment of The Filmmaker Files, where we break down the director’s relationship with various crew members to help first-time directors better understand how to communicate effectively. I’m James Kicklighter, a Stage 32 Thought Leader and multi-award-winning director and producer of The Sound of Identity, Angel of Anywhere, and the upcoming 2024 film, The American Question.   Today’s guest is my composer of over 10 years, Nicolás Repetto, an Argentinian-American televis...

During my filmmaking career, I've run the gambit on all different sides of production. Back in Baltimore, I worked with skeleton crews writing, directing, and doing sound on my own productions. Since moving to Los Angeles I've found a lot of work on set sound mixing, and I wanted to give some easy, actionable steps that can help all filmmakers, at every budget level, get the best sound possible. My sound kit from “Sexy Dex.” 1) Knowing The Tools Most sound mixers start with what we call a “...

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. We're looking at two classic and well-known filmmaking styles this week. Spielberg and Lumet. First up, in this video from StudioBinder, you get a breakdown of what makes Spielberg's work so visually recognizable - which comes down to cinematographer, Janusz Kaminski. This video gets into the lighting, c...

Hey, Creative Army! We couldn’t be more thrilled to announce that for the 2nd year in a row, Stage 32 is an official partner of the UK’s international trade event, FOCUS. FOCUS is the only UK trade event where attendees can meet with content makers and facilitators from over 100 countries, attracting thousands of production professionals from across the creative screen industries – including film, TV, advertising, animation, and gaming. FOCUS offers filming solutions for all types of proje...

Hi, Stage 32 Community! Our Stage 32 Team has been working diligently to bring in as many new resources and opportunities as possible to enrich your experience here in our community! At Stage 32 you have direct access to industry professionals who’ve overseen the makeup department, written, produced, financed, developed, distributed, consulted on, and represented acclaimed projects like YELLOWJACKETS, WANDA VISION, AGATHA: COVEN OF CHAOS, THE COVENANT, MOON KNIGHT, FIRST MAN, BLADE RUNNER...

Hey, Stage 32 Community! Who is ready to finish 2023 strong!? Throughout November, our Stage 32 Education Team has been hard at work to bring in some incredible education opportunities and resources for this fantastic community. This December, you'll have the chance to learn from knowledgeable industry executives, finance professionals, renowned makeup artists, story consultants, award-winning filmmakers, NYT best-selling authors, acclaimed producers, actors, screenwriters, distributors, att...

Writer's block, the worst enemy of my creative mind, has been the talk of much contemplation and study in the realm of writing and psychology. The Breakout Principle, a concept that I use as a shift into mental focus to overcome obstacles, has emerged as a potential antidote to the paralyzing effects of writer's block. This method has served me well. At its center, writer's block is a psychological barrier and is internal, not external. It impedes the creative flow of ideas and words. It often...

Hey, Stage 32ers! I hope if you're not recovering from a Thanksgiving feast that, no matter where you are in the world, you're ready to relax and enjoy the weekend! The holidays are always a great time to look back and applaud the "wins" from the past year, and this community has had some pretty big ones. From booking gigs to signings to projects that are getting made, your passion for your craft and love for this community are what make every success on Stage 32 so incredibly special. Today...