Inspirational

Happy Sunday Creative Army! First of all, congratulations to all of you who have already participated in our monthly Introduce Yourself Weekend! Thousands of connections have been made between entertainment creatives and professionals from every corner of the globe. Whether you are a long-time member, or brand new to Stage 32, take a moment to pop over to the Introduce Yourself Lounge and say hello before the end of the weekend. Now, grab some fresh coffee and let's dive into this week's conte...

Before I taught film and television production to teenagers, before I developed a comprehensive internship program within a production company, and before I shepherded freshman theatre technicians through grueling lighting hangs and late-night set strikes, I myself was mentored. I owe a great debt of gratitude to my first mentor; my mother. She is an expert in adult education and a retired computer specialist, so it may be no surprise to learn she was incredibly methodical when training me. Don'...

If you’re anything like me, you have an inexplicable need to tell stories. It’s what excites you, what’s always in the back of your mind while you’re seeming to be living your life when actually you’re assembling and reassembling story fragments due to a flood of inspiration that unexpectedly assaults your imagination. Nobody dedicates their lives to becoming a filmmaker because it’s easy. It is a life that sounds torturous to an outsider -- and it is to an extent -- but it’s also wonderful a...

Several years ago I decided that I wanted to get a degree in film and television from the highly competitive film school at New York University. There was one major obstacle though... I was a high school drop out. What are the odds of my being accepted into this school and program? Not very good, but I decided (call it naivety, blind faith, insanity or whatnot) it was not only possible, but it was going to be my reality. I put one foot in front of the other, busted my butt as if it were life or...

My very good friend, composer and sound designer / mixer Scott Szabo said there are three kinds of work: Art, Craft and Rent. He's absolutely right. Art is the stuff you are proud to have your name on, and you showcase on a website or reel, promoting shamelessly on social media! Craft might, or might not, be something to hold out as an example, but it will call upon your advanced skills and challenge you. Rent ... well, you show up, do a great job, make the client happy, cash the check and get o...

  In July of 2018, almost a year after my third and final brain surgery, I sat alone at my desk to start my memoir. I was excited to begin the process. I had a riveting story to tell, and no one was going to stop me. I planned to get up early every morning and write continuously for two hours. I had to be up each day before the sun, my tea hot, and fingers well lubricated between the joints. For weeks I kept this nonstop pace, some days writing for five-hour stretches, until one day, I ju...

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, our friends over at StudioBinder put together a great video about all the scene transitions you can use in when cutting together your film. Specifically, this video shows nine types of edition transitions: fade, dissolve, match cut, iris, wipe, passing, whip pan, smash cut, and the J-cut. You wil...

Being a creative professional is more complicated than most people think. Whether you’re a writer, actor, or producer, your productivity levels are directly proportional to your organizational skills. Becoming an organized individual isn’t just about working in clean environments or managing time properly. It is also about organizing your thoughts, emotions, and actions in such a way that nothing and no one can stop you from reaching your objectives. In today’s post, I’m sharing 20 ideas tha...

Every great story has five basic elements. These elements allow novelists and screenwriters to grab their reader’s attention and create a worthwhile story. They are connected like building blocks and they carry their respective loads to keep your story balanced. In this post, we are going to share with you the main screenwriting theories that help writers systematize their goals, structure, and techniques when writing a script. Let’s get started! 5 Key Elements of a Great Story Every gr...

When I started I didn’t have directing and producing experience, never went to film school. The only time I came close to a film set as a filmmaker, had been as an extra in a short film once or twice and acted in 2 or 3 NGO short films as well, until I got a chance in 2016 to work as a line producer on a film set. That was about all the experience I had in filmmaking, except writing all the stories I wanted to one day do when I gain enough experience. When I started writing The White Line sto...