Inspirational

Getting yourself out there can be hard to do, especially if you are new to the industry. When I first started creating and working in my field, I kept a lot of my work to myself and only showed it when asked. I unfortunately adopted the 'only speak when you are spoken to' mentality. I was very introverted. Networking, to me, was a monster I wasn't quite ready to face and that showed to my potential clients. I wasn't closing deals or getting placements. I knew I had skill and that my music was...

You know when you’re a filmmaker and you move to Los Angeles away from all of the resources you’ve worked tirelessly to secure? A fresh start? No? Oh... Me neither...   Just kidding.   Earlier this year, I moved to Los Angeles with my best friend and co-collaborator, Courtney Birk, from Baltimore, Maryland. A 2700 mile drive to further pursue my film career. Being in a brand new city, I was at a loss for cast, crew, and locations. After finally getting settled (beyond finding a survival...

One of the biggest challenges filmmakers and screenwriters face is to keep their creative energy fresh and high, while working on projects that ask years of endurance and at times don't feel creative. What often drove us toward filmmaking - the excitement of creating stories - can quickly become the thing we connect with the less as we work toward building our careers: handling deadlines, finding an agent, raising money, applying to festivals, answering casting calls and the 100 other tasks...

Happy Sunday, everyone.  Let's brew some dark roast and enjoy some content.  How about it? My first video today comes from Teppo Haapoja who lends some thoughts on how to up your storytelling game by grabbing all the shots you need to assure you're not getting caught short in the editing room. Next, I have an oldie but a goodie.  It's a fantastic TEDx talk from visual artist, actor, writer and director Taika Waititi called The Art of Creativity.  Consume, bookmark, revisit. As always, my o...

I received an amazing testimonial recently that really humbled me and gave me such a feeling of success and achievement, that I really feel as though I have 'made it'. There's a saying that says something like... 'Everyone is famous among those they know' and I really do honestly feel like that right now, the testimonial really lifted me and made me feel as though I must be doing something right and I'm so chuffed with it, my head really is too big to get through the door and I am unashamedly sh...

We're excited to announce that our fearless leader has been featured on The Huffington Post with an in-depth interview from journalist Yitzi Weiner. In the interview RB talks about his background in the industry, his recent book that has just been published, Crowdsourcing For Filmmakers: Indie Film and The Power Of the Crowd, building a brand and an audience, the Stage 32 platform, the importance of community for all creatives and best practices toward achieving your goals.  This is a heavy dose...

If I hate networking, how could I give you advice? I now consider myself really good at networking but I didn't used to be. I used to really hate it. It made me nervous and uncomfortable to know that I was going to have to meet new people in a full room. I didn't know how to approach a stranger and start a conversation. I wasn't good at breaking the ice and keeping a conversation going. I wasn't sure that the other people in the room would want to talk to me. I dreaded it. It took me a while, ac...

Music has always been a part of me. When I was kid, I used to get in trouble at school for banging beats on the desk, or playing rudiments with my pencil instead of taking notes. I recited every line from Nas' Illmatic and soaked in all the RPG scores/themes. My love for writing came from Soap Operas, oddly enough. I would sit in my 7th grade Literature class and writing write scripts to improve different storylines and scenes. However, despite my love for music and screenwriting, it wasn't unti...

Today we are living in a consumer data driven society. Digital technology has enabled hi-tech companies Netflix and Amazon to revolutionise the movie industry in two main ways: Firstly, by streaming movies and television programs online across a variety of digital devices, smart televisions, laptop, tablet and smartphone. Secondly, using audience data driven content to meet consumer expectations (StarTribune 2016). This also enables Amazon and Netflix to target the most frequent moviegoer...

Is it just me, or does it feel like Hollywood is set up to make you fail? Obstacle, after obstacle... Rejection, after rejection... It's *almost* not even worth trying. and I can say 'almost' because those of us who still believe in the magic of our dreams, have a passion so strong that we are going to go for it, despite all of the hardships we hear about. If you are one of those people, like me, I want you to really listen to what I'm about to tell you. Because you could be doi...