Tips

Good day, Creative Army! Let's get after it... First up today, from the good people at Indy Mogul, we have Advanced Screenplay Formatting Tips. If there's one thing we see knock down a screenplay time and time again, it's poor formatting. Let's take it to the next level, shall we? The second video today is by request. Many of you have written in over the last few months asking for some information on shooting documentaries. Ask and you shall receive. Our second video is 7 Fundamental Steps t...

Creativity drives good storytelling. Creativity can weave tales that force us to question our own morality or open our eyes to new possibilities. It’s the magical ingredient that transforms a set of mundane facts into a believable and moving narrative. Good writers can use this creative superpower to hook their reader and share their unique vision. But even the best writers struggle to find their creativity sometimes. As a young writer, I found myself sitting at a blank screen, uninspired and...

The dream of a writer is to get his or her script in front of the right people. To pitch it with perfection to the very network that we know would swoon over our story. But how do we writer's get into those rooms? How do we find our way to the table to share our brilliant story? Richard "RB" Botto, our fearless leader and CEO at Stage 32, dives into three ways we can get in front of managers and agents. Here's a hint: 1) Only enter contests that get you into rooms.2) Go to events as often as...

There is no one way to break into writing for TV. Or feature films. We know this. What we don't know, are the unique stories behind the writer's who have made it to Hollywood. Each writer's path is different. But one thing is for sure; They didn't get there without a strong desire for their work and a willingness to bust their butts.   Ben Cory Jones is the Showrunner and Executive Producer of the upcoming BET comedy series, Boomerang. Rebecca Norris, a Stage 32 member, producer, and scr...

Happy Sunday to all.  Let's hit the ground running today with some strong coffee and even stronger content. First up this time around, from our friends at Variety, some of the hottest screenwriters in the business offer their advice on how to break in and stay in the industry. Next, acclaimed New York acting coach, John Windsor-Cunningham, offers his advice on how to grab the auditioner's or audience's attention with the very first line you say. As always, I ask that you take a moment to s...

In the spirit of having fun, I thought I would pull out an oldie but a goodie blog post from the vault of my own archives. I wrote it after I had a conversation with another writer about the different things people say to us or ask us when we tell them what we do. (He's a screenwriter as well.) I mean, this is a normal question, right? You start yapping with someone and sooner or later they ask, "So what do you do for a living?" When I tell people I'm an actor and writer, they're not sure...

You need greenbacks.Cash.Money. Just a bit more to help you get your production off the ground. Our friends at No Film School compiled a list of grants you just may qualify for. Most of them are for documentaries, but keep digging. You just might find what you need. For the Full List Click Here: A Massive List of Winter 2019 Grants All Filmmakers Should Know About   Like this blog post? Please share it on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, email etc) by using social media...

Let me start with a disclaimer. Any advice I give is worth just what you pay for it. What do I know? I drive a 15-year old pickup and my last royalty check was twelve dollars. But during a tumultuous advertising career I won more than 200 awards. I have enough chrome and lucite to make a couple of Buicks, some of which were even meaningful. Like the one for a literacy campaign. That award got me a presidential citation. (Maybe Carter or Lyndon or one of those.) I wasn't big on politics. Nor am...

Happy Sunday, everyone.  Welcome to December. Let's get warm with a steaming cup of java and some red hot content. First up today, something a little different.  As many of you know, and some may not, having a qualified script supervisor on set is a must.  There are just some things that can't be saved in post and if you don't have the coverage or continuity, you're screwed.  Here, courtesy of Vanity Fair, Martin Scorsese's long-time script supervisor, Martha Pinson, lays down the knowledge...

There is nothing like auditioning. The range of emotions an actor feels stepping into a room full of decision-makers is considerable and often damaging to the quality of the audition itself. One way to keep those emotions and the mistakes they cause in check is to know how to work on a script in a hurry. And I will let you in on a secret: Good readers make better auditioners, whether you get the sides a week, a day, or ten minutes before the audition. So, if you don’t read aloud, it’s tim...