Tips

Hello Stage 32! As you know, it has been a wild week here on Stage 32. Last Friday, due to Coronavirus concerns, SXSW was officially canceled. Since then, hundreds of filmmakers who were eagerly awaiting recognition, exposure, and opportunities found themselves scrambling for recourse. On Monday, we announced that we were offering a solution to help the filmmakers that were displaced by the cancellation. The support and media coverage has been overwhelming and awe-inspiring as the indie film...

Hello Stage 32! As you have likely heard by now, Stage 32 is screening the films affected by the recent SXSW cancellation (more info here, here, & here). The response has been magnificent, and we here at Stage 32 are in awe of the boundless support the entire world has for independent film. When we first made the announcement on Monday, Variety, Screen Daily, IMDb, and Broadway World were quick to share our message. Since then, we have had over 50 publications, blogs, and fellow entertainmen...

Hello and Happy Wednesday Stage 32! WOW. What an endlessly epic few days it has been here at Stage 32. For those of you who may not have heard the news, Stage 32 is screening films affected by the SXSW cancellation (kindly find all the info here). Since the announcement on Monday, support has been constant and ever-growing. So far, we have had over 25 pieces of media coverage published from outlets like Variety, CNN, and more.  I know I speak for everyone at Stage 32 when I offer a resoundin...

Hey guys. It’s been a wild 96 hours or so around these parts. Since conceiving the idea of assisting the filmmakers impacted by the cancellation of SXSW by screening their films here on Stage 32, we’ve been working non-stop. (If you missed yesterday’s announcement, click here.) It’s been an adrenaline-fueled period of logistical planning, development, programming, graphic design, PR writing, working with the press, interviews, and about 100 other things I’m likely forgetting. We’ve been fueled...

Good morning, Stage 32 Creative Crew! It’s a brand new week and we are excited to kick it off with some huge news! We are excited to announce that author and screenwriter Greg Mania has officially signed with Cohn/Torgan Management for literary representation! As you probably remember, Greg was the winner of our 4th Annual Comedy Writing Contest with his original pilot, “Mania”. As part of his winning the contest, in October, Stage 32 sent Greg on about a dozen meetings with literary managers...

Happy International Women's Day Creative Army! Is your coffee ready? I'm about to bring you some white-hot content featuring some powerhouse female filmmakers on this very special International Women's Day edition of Coffee & Content.  We have had some amazing films led by female filmmakers in the last year. Little Women (Greta Gerwig), The Farewell (Lulu Wang), Booksmart (Olivia Wilde), A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Marielle Heller), and Hustlers (Lorene Scafaria) to name a few. Howe...

Call me J.C. - I will be offering blogs from time to time about the process of writing and promoting screenplays. I perhaps am no expert, but I started writing professionally 63 years ago…when I was 16. So, I’ve invested a lot of effort into the process. You name it, I’ve written it, and supported my wife and family well by it. The problem has always been that I’ve been so busy (because I wouldn’t dare to say no to a commercial client), that my creative writing (read Screenwriting) has alw...

We've all had that script or project that we have poured our hearts, souls, and time into. You do the Hollywood hustle networking game and finally, land that big pitch meeting. You passionately pitch your project and eagerly await the executive's praise. Instead, they ask you point blank "what else do you have?"  This question is a staple in any pitch meeting, so it is imperative to know how to answer it when the time comes. Stage 32 CEO Richard "RB" Botto and Director of Script Services Jason...

Despite our industry’s accountability for swathing Donald Trump in the vestments of television celebrity, despite the recent commencement of Harvey Weinstein’s necessary and historic criminal court proceedings... the biggest news coming out of Hollywood today has involved a handful of celebrated filmmakers and their very public commentary on the value of comic book movies, the social ethics of their contemporaries, and the overall state of cinematic craft. To be absolutely clear, I believe in th...

When I first started writing screenplays, I was a former newspaper journalist with five novels and two novellas under my belt, all traditionally published.I thought screenwriting would be a piece of cake. Wrong answer. It was more like ignorance soufflé with a side order of "What the hell am I doing?" I quickly learned that screenplays are as different from novels as novels are from newspapers. So, as most people with a PC or a Mac would do, I began searching the internet as well as perusing...