Networking

Happy Thursday, Creative Army! The countdown is on — next week, I’ll be heading to The American Film Market (AFM), and I can’t wait to reconnect with so many of you in Los Angeles. Every year, AFM brings together thousands of creatives from across the globe — filmmakers, producers, writers, executives, and financiers — all there for one reason: to make things happen. As the official education partner of The American Film Market, Stage 32 is proud to continue empowering filmmakers, producers,...

Happy Tuesday, Creative Army! Every November, the entire global film industry converges for The American Film Market (AFM) — the premier film acquisition, development, and networking event where more than $1 Billion in distribution and film financing deals are closed each year on completed films and those in every stage of development. More business-oriented than any other motion picture event, AFM is where thousands of professionals from all corners of the industry come together to develop,...

As recently announced in Deadline, Mark Wheeler's management company has opened their doors exclusively to our community and we're excited to announce we've partnered with Pathfinder Media- who will develop and package the winning script of our Film & TV Comedy screenwriting contest! Direct Manager Access Mark Wheeler is a global entertainment executive and franchise builder with over 15 years of experience across comics, video games, film, and television. As co-founder of Pathfinder Media, h...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Let’s kick things off with a huge shoutout to everyone who has already jumped into this month’s Introduce Yourself Weekend. Thousands of creatives from around the world are connecting, sharing their stories, and building relationships that will lead to collaborations, opportunities, and lifelong friendships. If you haven’t yet made your introduction, you’ve still got time! Head over to the Introduce Yourself Lounge before the weekend wraps. Be bold. Introduce you...

Happy FriYAY, Stage 32 Community! One of my favorite things about being Head of Community here at Stage 32 is connecting you with opportunities that don’t just inspire you creatively, but give you the tools to level up your career. And next week, we’ve got one you absolutely don’t want to miss. We’re teaming up with SAGindie to bring you an incredible FREE webcast: Short Films, Big Plans: Building Powerful Indie Shorts That Launch Careers Join Us Live Tuesday, October 22nd at 11:00 am PT...

Hey, Stage 32 Community! We’re just one week away from the start of the 2025 Austin Film Festival — one of my favorite times of the year! The Austin Film Festival 2025 kicks off on Thursday, October 23rd, and Stage 32 will be in attendance until Sunday, October 26th. For over 30 years, Austin Film Festival (AFF) has championed the art and craft of storytelling, celebrating writers and filmmakers across every medium: film, television, plays, podcasts, and digital series. It’s one of the most...

Happy Thursday, Creative Army! Every year, the American Film Market (AFM) transforms Los Angeles into the beating heart of the global film industry, where thousands of producers, distributors, financiers, and creatives come together to make deals, launch projects, and build partnerships that define the year ahead. Whether you’re attending AFM for the first time or returning with new projects to pitch, understanding how to navigate this event strategically can make all the difference. That’s...

I had lunch with a producer on Friday who's worked on major sci-fi franchises for studios like WB and Netflix. Their big takeaway? Whoever has the audience has the leverage. Theaters used to have it. Netflix has it now. But YouTube? YouTube has more leverage than anyone. Here's the shift: it's not enough to own content anymore. You have to own the distribution or the channel. More and more production companies are financing, producing, and distributing their own content to reach audiences di...

Happy FriYAY, Stage 32 Community! One of my favorite things about being Head of Community here at Stage 32 is to help bring opportunities directly to you that can spark connections, elevate your craft, and help you feel less alone in the sometimes overwhelming world of creativity. Today, I want to share one of those opportunities with you: an incredible free webcast event that Stage 32 is hosting next Wednesday, October 8th!  We’re teaming up with Film-Raderie, a nonprofit dedicated to devel...

Let’s face it, the creative process is daunting when asked to do it under a time constraint. And then to deliver it to someone else and wait for their response before moving forward? And how many times do we have to endure that before the final delivery!?! Holy WOW… being a professional creative is ROUGH! For all the ways that our industry is difficult, there are at least four things that can support each of us during the highs and lows of it all: Preparation Community Process Continuin...