Inspirational

Imagine the scene. A film composer sits in the cinema. The adverts are rolling, the popcorn is flowing, the trailers are, well, trailering- then suddenly a familiar sound hits the composer’s ears. “Did I write this track?... No…. Hmm. What sounds familiar?... Something in there rings a bell…. Oh! The piano/strings/synths/drums. The composer is using X library!” Whilst there is a seemingly infinite number of libraries available for composers to use, there’s actually a very small pool of commonl...

Most readers purchase novels by their favorite authors for the new and exciting plot. They want to follow their favorite policeman / CIA agent in their latest attempt to thwart the villain and save humanity. They marvel at the intricate twists and turns of the plot. In a mystery, the readers attempt to catch the clues that the author planted along the way. They want to be surprised at how the story concludes but also satisfaction in that they discovered the clues only to be revealed and explaine...

"Power is a place as well as a verb. It is inside the information tent.” -Lynda Obst The quote above is from the book Hello, He Lied, a must-read book on producing.The book is written by a trailblazer who did it all and saw it all, Lynda Obst. Being a female producer in Hollywood isn't easy. When I decided to expand my horizons and became a film producer, I felt I was ahead of the game because I knew what it took to finance a movie as worldwide sales agent and distributors’ rep. How hard cou...

Happy Sunday Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? I have some content here for you that is sure to get the creative juices flowing, so grab your coffee and let's dive in. First up, the Stranger Things official YouTube channel recently released an awesome behind the scenes look at season four of Netflix's Stranger Things. This videos follows cast members Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo, and more around on a "day in the life" look at a typical day on the se...

I wrote this blog to give writers some encouragement on something I've noticed when working with clients, who don't seem to understand the feedback responses from producers after they have submitted their scripts for consideration. It's happened quite a few times now, where people have entered their scripts to The Writers' Room, also to producers outside of Stage 32 and they have come back to me saying they've had feedback and that the producer they sent their work to hates the script. I hav...

If you’ve been pursuing your Hollywood dreams longer than 60 seconds, then you probably know all about rejection. It’s part of the path. It’s something completely unavoidable as long as you’re taking risks and putting yourself out there. Some rejections aren’t so bad. Others totally suck. When a rejection hits deep, it’s common to retreat and hold yourself back from trying again. Whether you get dropped by an agent, your script is rejected from every festival, or you haven’t booked a job i...

In an industry where gatekeepers run the show, finding creative ways to get your work out there is not only a necessity, but a glorious way to take control of your career. No matter what hat(s) you were in the entertainment industry, launching your own YouTube channel is a fantastic way to flex your creative muscles - without needing permission from anyone. Sick of waiting to get cast in your dream role? Launch your own YouTube channel where you perform monologues weekly. Tired of not g...

We flock to the entertainment industry for feelings. Whether we're creating it or consuming it, emotions drive us there. We are full of creativity and expression - and I love it. Feelings are our fuel. Call it passion, a need to inspire others, a desire to uplift, a yearning to connect, or even to receive validation. We are following or looking for a feeling when we act, write, direct, or go to the movies. And we rely heavily on our gut. It can dictate how to react in a scene, which word to w...

Isn´t it funny how executives and studios are so quick to shoot you down unless you've got talent attached? Yet, it's the talent that are sometimes the ones that are holding you up? I graduated from a pretty intensive practical filmmaker course in 2008 at the Met Film School, which still ran rings around my University experience in Screenwriting & Cinematography barely 5 years later. Unfortunately, both never opened the door to a job for me despite my best efforts. I only ever wanted to wri...

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. First up, the folks over at StudioBinder recently shared an in depth video about the cinematography of HBO's Euphoria. This video covers how Euphoria cinematographer Marcell Rev uses lighting, camera movement, and long takes to capture the shows stylized "emotional realism".  Next up, Luc Forsyth shares a helpful video sharing six filmma...