Screenwriting

Happy Wednesday, Stage 32 Creative Army! I am thrilled to share some exciting news that was just featured in the Tampa Bay Business Journal: Stage 32 has partnered with Film Tampa Bay to bring our Production Assistant Master Certification Program to the region! With more filming opportunities, grants and regional incentives coming to the state of Florida, Tampa Bay wants to ensure they have top trained talent that can work on film and television productions in the area. With the help of Stag...

As a ghostwriter, I’ve discovered that one of the best ways to grow as a creative professional is not always through your own words – it’s through the words you write for someone else. When many people think about ghostwriting, they might focus first (and perhaps exclusively) on the paycheck that comes with it. Let’s make no mistake: ghostwriting can be a lucrative addition to your business model. But the benefits of working as a ghostwriter extend far beyond the financial. Before we get into...

As creatives, we carry more than our scripts, edits, or pitches. We carry experiences—collaborations that went sideways, rejections that stung, betrayals that cut deep. These can live inside us longer than we realize. What often goes unsaid is this: forgiveness is not about forgetting what happened. It is about changing your relationship to what happened so it no longer dictates your future work. The Difference Between Forgiving and Forgetting One of the most persistent myths is that forgiven...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? Whether you’ve been writing, filming, editing, or simply dreaming up your next big idea, I’ve got some inspiring content to fuel your passion and keep you moving forward. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in. Let’s start with this brilliant video essay from Panavision: Oona Menges, BSC on cinematography, collaborating, and Ruby Speaking. Oona Menges has had a decades-long career as a cinematographer, and throughout it s...

Writing dialogue is more than just studying how other people speak. It helps to move your story forward and gives a voice to what you’ve put down on paper. Here are some tips to make this voice as strong as possible. 1) Do Your Research An upper-class woman in Victorian England is going to have a very different life from a teenage boy in 2010. Know who your character is and how they navigate life based on their occupation and social status. Find out as much as you can about the career th...

I’m proud to share how my Stage 32 Certification equipped me with the skills to produce and release Paradise Falls: A Christmas Story, a film that has set a historic record for Central American cinema. The certification gave me essential knowledge, from project management to international distribution, that helped me navigate the complexities of a global release with confidence. Thanks to those tools, Paradise Falls: A Christmas Story achieved an unprecedented milestone: premiering in 11 count...

The Proof is in The Proof of Concept - or is it? For the past few years, I've been advising thousands of writers, actors, and creators (probably 5,000+) NOT to shoot proof of concepts for their projects. They rarely communicate what the final product would actually look like, and more often than not, poor production quality works against them. A proof of concept needs to WOW an executive, producer, or financier to really move the needle. But a bad proof of concept can tilt the scale of doubt th...

The creative spirit of Limpopo, South Africa, has always been undeniable, and today, our region’s filmmakers are poised for an even brighter future. I am thrilled to share that the Made in Limpopo Film Hub Screenwriting Workshop has partnered with Stage 32 Certification to offer a transformative opportunity: the winner of our workshop will receive a free Stage 32 Certification course, which is an unparalleled pathway to professional development and industry recognition. We are thrilled that Stag...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? Whether you’ve been writing, filming, editing, or simply dreaming up your next big idea, I’ve got some inspiring content to fuel your passion and keep you moving forward. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in. Let’s start with this insightful roundtable by Panavision, where a group of world-class DPs share the tools, routines, and instincts they rely on throughout the filmmaking process. From essential items like viewfinde...

The Stage 32 Representation Pitchfest (August 30-31) Could Change Everything This is it, writers! This weekend presents one of the most INCREDIBLE opportunities of the year. The Stage 32 Representation Pitchfest on August 27th, 30th, and 31st, where you'll have direct access to 10 managers and agents who are actively hunting for new material and prospective clients. Why This Weekend Matters Forget the endless query letters and cold submissions that disappear into the void. These industry pro...