Screenwriting

Happy May! This month, I want to explore how love helps you remain steady, especially during tougher days. The days when doubt creeps in, energy runs low, or your direction feels unclear. These are the moments when love can transform from a feeling into a form of resilience. We know that love is not always simple or easy. It may not come with clear answers or appear in the ways we expect. Sometimes, it means showing kindness to yourself. At times, it means choosing to support someone else. T...

No one covets rejection. Not personally, not professionally. Even when we try to wrap it all up in a pretty bow and look for the “bright side” the cold, hard truth is that rejection sucks. Period. That said, if all we ever did were focus on the crap, we’d never get to taste the cream (Sorry, I thought hard about a more appetizing metaphor but just couldn’t come up with one). Recently, an article in Writer’s Digest on rejection caught my eye, and it brought up an experience I’d like to share wi...

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. This week’s featured video essay comes from our friends at StudioBinder- How to Write the Main Conflict of the Story: The Engine of a Narrative. If you’re building a narrative and you haven’t deeply explored your sto...

Something I observe frequently is how often overlooked soft equity is in the finance plan. Counterintuitive, right? Why counterintuitive? In understanding film finance as a filmmaker and a producer, it can be explained relatively easily as this; soft equity is anything that doesn’t carry an obligation to be repaid or have the expectation of a recoupment attached. Hence I both preach and practice to seek out as many sources of soft financing as possible. Outside of tax credits or rebates (o...

The cultural zeitgeist speaks in this day and age about the isolation, alienation and despair of young people. We have watched the horrors of this in TV series like Adolescence. In the North-East of England, the region has the highest suicide-rate in the country. This is the consequence of the economic policies of the 1980s. We are a region which has not recovered from the asset-stripping of major industries, leaving many like myself with the label of ‘redundant’. Imagine that word next to you...

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 and say hello before the weekend wraps. Be bold....

Community. It's the foundation of Stage 32's success and longevity. Creatives and professionals showing up for each other in little ways over time so that we are all better for it; it's a beautiful thing. It is also the heart of the Stage 32 Writers' Room. Perhaps that's why I've been a member for almost six (6) years - and counting!   Not heard of Stage 32's Writers' Room? It's designed to allow dedicated writers and multi-hyphenates to shorten their path to success through elevated resources...

And...we're off! The 2025 Cannes Film Festival is in full swing, and Stage 32 is all over the Croisette! For those of you who weren't able to make it to France this year, we want to make sure that you, too, are part of the action. Stop what you're doing right now, pick up your phone, and go follow our fearless leader, Richard "RB" Botto, and Managing Director Amanda Toney: Instagram @stage32 @rbwalksintoabar X @stage32 @rbwalksintoabar Facebook @stage32   We are LIV...

At the time of this writing, the diss track 'Not Like Us' performed by hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar, is still chillin' (with arms folded) at the top of the charts. Since its debut weeks ago, the song has been streamed over 120 million times on Spotify alone. So, unless you've been living under a rock or completely detached from the genre, it is nearly impossible to escape the four-and-a-half-minute triumph. From quirky renditions by social media influencers and celebrities to old white guys t...

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. First up, I’m sharing a fascinating video essay from Vox: Why Your Favorite Movies Fake Their Locations. We all know movie magic shows up in the acting, the visuals, and the sound design, but there’s another trick th...