Inspirational

"When it comes to art, you're either in, or not in. If you're half in, you're not in." -- Richard "RB" Botto Our thanks to Duane Barnhart from The Door Post Project for having our Founder and CEO, Richard "RB" Botto, on his highly popular podcast featuring entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry. For an hour Duane and RB discussed RB's background from New York to LA, how he got into the entertainment business, and the evolution of Stage 32.  They went over breaking into the busines...

I read all the Stage 32 member comments that Shaun O'banion’s two blogs How I Got Started  Part 1 and Part 2 generated and much to my surprise, you’d think they were cheering for a super formula for success. I had the feeling I was reading about the “Irrepressible Ricky” of the Ozzie and Harriet Show of many eons past. At that point in time, we had a “ballsy young lad” whose dreams of success were just one stratagem or ruse away from being the artful dodger who cons his folks out of the car keys...

Whether you're new to the site, a lurker, or a fairly active participant in the Stage 32 community, the question often arises as to how best to navigate the waters of all that is Stage 32. After coming off a mind blowing week at the Austin Film Festival, as I processed all (that I remember) happening – somewhere between laundry, writing, catching up on correspondence and making sure that the pop-up zombie's fog was coming out of his mouth and not his armpit – it occurred to me just how much this...

The Hire I had been hanging around the Universal lot for months, hoping I could find a way onto one of the massive soundstages to get myself a job.   I was terrified of getting kicked off the lot again and thought that if I tried to enter the stage, it would certainly happen. If only I knew then what I know now... (for the uninitiated: if you look like you belong, nobody will question you).   Anyway. There were signs on every door to the stage which read:     It's funny now to think th...

The Sneak I had been living with my Dad on and off for a few years (whenever my Mom didn't move me back with her) and he lived only a couple of blocks from Universal Studios. I remember buying my first Universal Season Pass (when it only cost nine bucks!). I used to go up there every weekend and ride the tour. Sometime later, I heard the story of how Spielberg had snuck into the lot and set himself up in an office (true? guess we'll never really know) and found myself determined to pull off a s...

1,000 Stage 32 members from 36 countries joined our Founder and CEO, RB, for the October 2014 edition of On Stage with RB.  For almost 3 hours he went over site features, answered Stage 32 community member questions and brought on 2 special guests for exciting interviews – Mitchell Peck and David Rountree. 25 year producing veteran Mitchell Peck talked about the current state of the film industry as it relates to production and development. Mitchell also explained how he raised funding for an...

A career as an actor, for me, has been like riding a roller coaster.  I’ve done my fair share of student films, low to no budget indies, and the like. While I’ve been thankful for each and every one of these opportunities, it is so incredibly satisfying to see a progression and evolution to my work as well.    Highlights of this year include seeing the release of two feature films I appear in and learning that A Crime to Remember – a show I had the lead in for the pilot episode - won an Emmy i...

One lesson I learned very early on:   You can’t drive yourself forward in the industry with the fuel of your own ego reveling in the cool projects you’re working on.    Many projects you take on may seem silly or downright horrible, but they still demand your disciplined work.  I come in to the studio and squeeze my brain over a shot not for the prestige of the project, but for the pride of making great imagery.   Over the years, my technical skills broadened and I learned the nuances of...

Despite the fact that my job as a visual effects artist is anything but glamorous, I was asked to write about my experience of building a career that has lasted over two decades. I’ll work to avoid being self-indulgent and try and extrapolate out some bits of wisdom relevant to anyone working to sustain a career through a creative endeavor.   As is the case for essentially all visual effects artists of my generation, I spent my childhood constantly drawing, building models, obsessing over Star...

It’s an exciting week for filmmakers under the age of 18 who submitted their trailers to the Stage 32 and U + Trailer Film Festival. After receiving over 150 entries, we have chosen the top 10 trailers. We were simply amazed at the talent that poured in from the next generation of filmmakers. The top 10 contestants will be judged by a panel of celebrities and industry professionals including: Nicola Pearcey (Managing Director, Lionsgate UK), William Romeo (American Gladiator), Kierston Warein...