Inspirational

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! I've got my coffee in hand and your weekly dose of content coming in hot - grab your coffee of choice, and let's dive right in. Today, we're digging into acting. There are so many processes and theories on acting, but the job is about more than what you do on set. It's about finding opportunities, preparing, networking, and delivering.  First, we're learning from one of the GOATS, Christian Bale, as he looks back at his most notable roles in a video from GQ. Fe...

It’s a fact of writing that projects need multiple drafts. But that’s not what I’m talking about in this article. Instead, sometimes you might need to completely take apart a project, throwing out every previous draft and starting over. Sounds extreme? It is. But it’s something I recently experienced. To properly explain this, I have to give you some background on the project in question. I’ve been working on the sequel to my third book since 2017. At the time, I was ambitious that I wo...

I’ve been meaning to post my Stage 32 success stories for a while, but I’ve been busy with, well, working on the jobs I’ve gotten through Stage 32. I’ve had jobs where I wrote feature scripts, rewrote scripts, gave feedback on scripts, co-wrote short scripts, and more. I’ve also made pitch decks for writers and directors, and recently, I was hired to make three pitch decks for a writer and now friend, Andy Carpenter. One, Two, Three During the spring of this year, Andy contacted me about maki...

I have been trying to find places to write since I was in diapers. In the picture below, I'm trying to get up the stairs and back to my bedroom to get to the crayons and construction paper. Apparently, I've been trying to get to pencil and paper since the very beginning.  Once I finally had full access to pen, paper, and even computer labs, a new mission came to be. Finding an inspiring spot to write. I made my way to every library within a 20-mile radius. I tried the crook of every tre...

Greetings! My name is Katherine Arifin. I’m 28 years old. I live in Jakarta, Indonesia. Have you ever been to Indonesia? If you haven't and are planning a trip, you should absolutely contact me here on Stage 32.  Have you ever heard of Komodo dragons? Well, there is an island called Komodo Island and it is where you can find my small hometown. I always dreamed of moving to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, to work and live. The idea of going anywhere else seemed unrealistic, so moving to Jaka...

“Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs We all crave feedback. We want it from our partners, parents, co-workers, and teachers. Need I even mention social media? We want our parents to be proud of us, our bosses to appreciate us, and our partners to love us. We pay therapists to listen in...

The film industry is a unique business. Writers, producers, directors, and performers can truly focus and dedicate their time and resources to their passion. However, at the same time, filmmakers often experience frustration, stress, anxiety, anger, failure, overwhelm, burnout, and resentment as they deal with the daily challenges and complexities that characterize filmmaking. The film industry, for most people, is a high-demanding, labor-intensive, financially unstable, prestige-driven, and h...

There are two types of value, intrinsic and perceived. The Black Audience is intrinsically valuable. But the Industry’s perception is still lagging. When I started out a few decades ago, folks would ask me, "What's your major?" When I would answer, "Radio, TV & Film," the retort would invariably be, "Oh, you're going to learn how to fix TVs." "I'm going to make TV programs and produce films," I protested. There would be a blank look on the person's face. "Can you make money doing that?"...

We are entering the last quarter of 2022. It's never too late to take stock of what has been accomplished and amplify all the right actions or course adjustments to finish the year with a bang. I believe in growth on both a personal and professional level. Next-level greatness is only accessible if we know how to do a regular check-in ourselves and take inventory of where and how our energy is spent. As Aristotle has said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act but a habit."...

There is a saying, where there’s a will, there’s a way. That sums up my belief and experience so far in this journey. I am Jeelan, living with my family in the suburbs of San Francisco, California. All of us are here on Stage 32 because of one common thing that unites us, our love for Movies. To me, movies are not only a passion but devotion. As far as I can remember, movies provide me joy, stirs my imagination, and gives me the escapism I require. At a minimum, one movie a day is my mileage,...