Inspirational

Happy Sunday, everyone. Back from the cold of Sundance and into the rain of L.A. Not complaining, mind you, just stating fact. A huge congratulations to all the Stage 32 educators and members who not only had films at Sundance, but were involved in some of the biggest sales up there this year. We'll be updating you on what went on with the Stage 32 family soon. For now, let's warm up with another edition of Coffee & Content. First up, it's on YouTube, but it's just audio. It's also 13 minute...

Greetings from Sundance. It's cold up here! Time to keep warm and informed with a Sundance special version of Coffee & Content. Today, I have two videos from our friends at ScreenPrism. First up, a slew of screenwriters who have had their work screen at Sundance offer their advice on writing, festivals and navigating the business. Next, we turn our attention to directors who have had their films play at Sundance and their advice on techniques, tips and tricks when directing an indiefilm....

Fiona Faith Ross isn't afraid to tell it like it is. A screenwriter based in the UK, she's had her share of learning curves, all of which have lead to some pretty powerful realizations in her writing career. But this one, taken straight from her own site, gives many a writer good reason to consider format. Of her post, she says: "In my writer's life, I've about covered everything: corporate stuff, magazine articles, technical journals, copywriting, web content, and fiction. You name it; I've...

If you're an actor, you know what it's like to audition, audition, and audition again, only to sit and wait by the phone. During Richard Botto's "Ask Me Anything," a free webinar where he answers your most burning questions, one actor asked his thoughts on why she wasn't booking jobs, despite the fact that she goes on every audition possible. Without knowing her or knowing what kinds of auditions she was going after, Richard knew exactly what the issue was. Click the link below to learn why...

What makes a great TV show become so great? Writers will tell you it's the writers. Directors will tell you it's the directors. Actors will tell you it's the actors. And sometimes all the creatives come together to say it was a work that came to fruition thanks to all the players involved. As for The Office, creator Michael Schur will tell you it was all of that, plus a little bit of luck, and one happy accident - that brought the show to life. To learn just what that accident was, click...

Happy Sunday to all. Also. hope you're enjoying and participating in the first Introduce Yourself Weekend of 2019.  Lay the groundwork toward connections that matter! Let's get to the coffee and content... Storytelling, either on the page or in the room, is an art. What makes a good story? Can it be distilled down in a manageable and comprehensive way? Story Greenlight gave it a run and the result is our first video for today, 3 Easy Tips for GREAT Storytelling. Next, I had the pleasure of...

Over and over again, we read, study, or watch videos of different perspectives on the craft of writing. We may hear the same thing as we watch a video or read a post, or we may glean something new.     In the following article, four Hollywood writers share a nugget of knowledge that helped improve their writing. And they go a little something like this:"The object and the craft of effective action is to create a scenario that must end well yet seemingly cannot. Use luck, so long as it's...

I’ve finally optioned a feature script. It’s taken six years to get to this point and it’s been tough. Really tough. How does it feel? It feels amazing. It’s a whole new level of validation. It feels like the start of something rather than living in purgatory. But I don’t want to make this about myself. I know many of you are finding it tough too, so I wanted to put something together explaining how I think I got here, and what really matters when it comes to screenwriting. I want to do this...

With 9,417 Miles between them, Stage32 was the bridge that facilitated the connection between two global filmmakers. In June of 2016 while managing my Stage32 account, I received a message from a filmmaker in the Republic of Zimbabwe, a landlocked country located in southern Africa. His name was Marc Anthony Greenland (director, actor, screenwriter, and producer) who expressed an interest in expanding his industry network to include like-minded people. Initially my thought was that there is...

Welcome to the weekend, everyone. Let's jump right into another edition of Coffee & Content, shall we? First up, this one is a couple of years old, but filled with timeless information. From Variety, it's 7 Tips From Screenwriters. Next up, from the good people at Quandary Productions, here are 10 tips designed to help you improve all aspects of your cinematography. As always, I ask you to take the time to share this content with those you think could benefit from viewing. Embrace your s...