Inspirational

Happy Saturday Stage 32! I hope you all had a beautiful and creative week. I was catching up on the trades this week (following the very sage wisdom of our founder and CEO Richard "RB" Botto: Always read the trades and know what is going on in the business of entertainment!) and I came across an article from Deadline Hollywood about Sofia Coppola's most recent movie On the Rocks.  17 years after her Oscar-nomination for Best Original Screenplay for Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola joined f...

What are 17 actors (average age 62) supposed to do during a worldwide pandemic when staying at home is required or advised and film/TV production shuts down and then only partially resumes? Create their own content. Several years ago, Sandy Gulliver established a Facebook group for members to support each other and arrange social get-togethers by sharing information about their shows/films/events or those they wanted to attend. In the summer of 2020, Sandy arranged Zoom meetings so people cou...

It must be the storyteller in me, but I love endings and beginnings. December and January are my two favorite months of the year, in part because of the way they invite us to pause and reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re headed. I’m a planner and a goal-setter by nature and by practice, and I thought I’d share with you how I design my creative year by approaching it like a story. As I’m sure you’ve all discovered, there’s a long-standing divide in the writing world between those who wr...

The night before the winner of the 5th Annual Comedy Writing Contest was announced, I turned to my husband and said: “Do you think I’ll win?” He took a deep breath, looked at me with all the love in the world and said: “No.” Boy, did he feel like a jerk when I got the email. Like a lot of writers, it was a bit of a circuitous path for me to get here. I think it was 7th grade that I started to write my first novel. It was about a plucky thirteen-year-old girl who was pretty, but didn’t know it,...

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, Netflix recently released a video about the making of The Queen's Gambit. Since its release, The Queen's Gambit has been viewed by over 62 million people. Chess set sales have gone up 90% in the US with chess books sales rising a staggering 600% according to Variety since The Queen's Gambit came...

Happiest of New Years, Stage 32-ers! I hope you all are taking it easy after the holiday excitement, but I also hope you’ve set your sights on conquering your creative journey! Crawling. Striding. Dancing. However you find yourself in the New Year, I hope you’ve had quality time with loved ones, time to reflect on the past year, and found inspiration for how to move forward this year. Wait… how DO we move forward? The creative journey and the professional journey are not too dissimilar -...

Long-time Stage 32 member, blog contributor, webinar teacher, and international film & distribution aficionado, David Zannoni has series of exclusive Stage 32 blogs and vlogs to keep you up-to-date on the business of film across the globe. Today, David gives an overview of the entertainment business in 2020, and lets you know what you expect in 2021 in his exclusive Stage 32 vlog. You will learn about: How theaters and studios are dealing with pandemic movie theater closures The massive a...

Happy New Year, Stage 32! Each in our own way, I suspect this new year brings us all our share of hard-won conclusions, new beginnings, and fresh perspectives. To invite you into my own New Year’s celebrations, I’m going to reveal some personal details: NEVER A DULL MOMENT Back in 2013, as many of you will recall, I was struck in the head with a sword on the set of a sci-fi webseries. My crippling brain injury lasted the better part of a decade. In many ways, it changed the course of my life...

Hesitation is the death of progression.  Twelve years ago, I was walking through the halls at Lawrence Technological University when I came upon a flyer for a student group that put on play productions. With no experience and a lot of curiosity, I quietly stepped into their Thursday night meeting nervous as hell. In fact, nervousness is an understatement as I was scared shitless. Thinking back, this small and simple decision would set the foundation and help shape my life for the next decade...

Over the last year, the entire Stage 32 team has been working tirelessly to help you stay connected, creative, motivated, and informed. As always, we are committed to bringing you networking opportunities, education and mentoring from top-level industry executives and professionals, and access to decision-makers around the globe all from the comfort of your own home.   2020 was not without its faults, but there has never been a better time to take stock of your career and get ready to step o...