Inspirational

Good morning Stage 32 Creative Crew! Welcome back to another week of creativity and productivity! We’re kicking off the week with a big dose of motivation to get you fired up for the week. But before we dive into this week’s story, did you hear what producer Bradley Gallo of Amasia Entertainment predicted during last week’s Executive Hour exclusively in the Writers' Room? He said that he is reading and developing more than ever because there are rumblings in the industry that productions coul...

The Evolution of the Creative process "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes; Art is knowing which ones to keep." -Scott Adams We’ve all heard or referenced the Heraclitus quote, “The only constant in life is change.” I have long held the belief that creativity, like so much in life, changes as well. Writing, I’ve concluded is an evolutionary process. It was a fascinating observation once I realized this was true. I would love to say this was a “road to Damascus” revelation of my...

Hello hello hello to all of you beautiful humans in the Stage 32 Hive! You might be reading this and wondering, “Which voice in my head is doing the talking?” I can assure you it’s all eight of them. But do not worry, they are social distancing. Everyone is FINE. I am honored and privileged to be writing you during this uncertain time, but I am certain of this: The platform for creative thought is open and thriving. Like many of you, all of my projects entering production were suspended inde...

I chose to work from home over twenty years ago, for a number of reasons. I’m not only a writer; I’m also a licensed acupuncturist. The busy and crowded waiting room and space I couldn’t make comfortable for my patients just didn’t ring my bell. The hectic pace didn’t work for me either. Most of my patients were better served by a calm and relaxed environment. They liked the sanctuary and quiet space for an hour that could be part of their treatment. So I continued working at home. The commut...

Happy Wednesday Stage 32 Creative Army! As you may recall back in February, long-time Stage 32 member, blog contributor, webinar teacher, and international film & distribution aficionado, David Zannoni began a series of blogs and vlogs to keep you up-to-date on the business of film across the globe. Originally, David was going to be reporting live from Film Festivals and Markets all over the world throughout the year - but alas, COVID-19 has put us all in the same stay at home boat. So today...

Good morning Stage 32 Creatives! Believe it or not, it’s time to kick off another week of creative endeavors. There is no better way to start than to highlight a member of our community who took the bull by the horns, financed and produced his own film and who just signed a shopping agreement with a producer after getting feedback on his pitch deck through a Stage 32 Mentoring Session! Stage 32 member, Antoine Allen is a screenwriter, director and producer. Antoine began his career in the mus...

My name is Matthew Godbey and I’ve been an actor and producer in Hollywood for almost twenty-five years. Over the course of my career, I have had to deal with a multitude of personalities – some bad, most good, but no one in all my years was ever nicer than Henry Winkler. A few years ago, I was on the CBS Studio lot working on a sit-com. While taking a break from rehearsal, standing outside the stage just looking down at my feet, lost in thought, a man approached and said hello. I looked up to...

How I Made a Feature Film for Under £7,500 (or $8,600 for you American folks!)  Boy #5 is a horror feature film set and shot in Manchester, England. The feature marks the debut of first-time director Eric Ian Steele, an award-winning screenwriter and novelist who is the writer of the thriller feature film The Student currently on Netflix USA. THE HORROR BEGINS – DEVELOPING A MICRO BUDGET SCREENPLAY Blame Werner Herzog. Everything was going well until he appeared on the horizon like a magne...

If you are thinking of writing a script that becomes a movie, you need to think like a film studio and distributor if you want to sell the concept. Whether you are going to pitch the idea to a major studio or finance the movie yourself, you need a winning idea that will capture audiences if you want the movie to succeed. That means right from the start you will need to think like a film studio even before you write your script. What follows are some tips that will help you turn your idea into...

How do we snap out of this "whiff of death" stage? That seems to be where we are right now, as the protagonists in our own movies. Everything was “fun and games” until a huge plot twist came out of nowhere. The “bad guys” showed up, potentially lethal, impartial, invisible and moving fast around the globe, hitting us with the “whiff of death”. But all a protagonist needs is a fresh idea to act as a catalyst and propel them to a successful ending. So let’s go find it. The Hidden Gift Luna Love...