Tips

It happened. You lost it. Your passion and motivation are gone. We've all been there. Whether you have writer's block or are in an acting slump, it seems hard to get through it. I've been there too and I want to share the lessons I've learned because of it. Creators create and when that fire withers away, it can be life changing and painful. For me, it was devastating and debilitating. I couldn't cope. It took me ten years to find my footing, after losing everything. I left a great University an...

The very best way to learn the art of directing is from those who have learned from the very best. David Rountree, an award-winning feature film director (108 Stitches, CUT!) stopped by the Stage 32 offices to share some sound advice. From sound to crew to how to scout locations, he's got the goods.   David Rountree is the President of Psyco Rock Productions and is a director, producer, screenwriter, and actor based in Los Angeles. He is listed in Hollywood Reporter and IMDb as a Top 10 Up-a...

Some of our guest bloggers and their blog posts come from the depths of our lounge threads. They pose a question or statement, and before long, our members are locked in a heated debate about the question. That happened with Cheryl Allen's post, Goin' Guerilla. Here's what she asked: The responses were hot and cold.Up and down.For and against. If you review the thread, as well as my thread looking for some of you who've shot guerilla, you'll see that the term guerilla is defined and u...

Greetings from sunny London.  It's been an inspiring last few days screening our 3rd Annual Short Film Program at the Raindance Film Festival and shining a light on the incredible filmmakers who won this year's competition.  More on that soon, but for now, let's get to the Coffee & Content. First up, last week's Goodfellas Script to Screen proved to be extremely popular, so I figured I'd double up this weekend with a look at Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher's work with The Social Network. Thin...

It wasn't that long ago that my writing partner and I got burned by a cinematographer. We didn't get burned bad, but it was enough to wake me up to the importance of release forms and contracts. If you were part of the lounge discussion a while back, it looked like this:   Dozens of you offered me sound advice, some of which we took after talking to a lawyer. The issue was resolved and we found an incredible DP who got the job done. My takeaway was simple: ALWAYS HAVE A SIGNED CONTRAC...

FADE IN. INT. RADIO STATION – DAY CHYRON: APRIL 6TH, 2018 A small gathering of radio personalities and sales people sit around a table enjoying pizza and tales of yesterday. They range from the sentimental (like helping lonely seniors during the holidays) to the absurd (like the time a DJ mispronounced the name Kuntz in front a mall filled with Black Friday Shoppers. ) A banner hangs saying “Good luck Keith.” Hugs are shared and Keith (30’s) has tears of joy with a smile of relief and hope...

Hey, guys! Alex and Trevor here, back with our regular Stage 32 segment: Ask us Anything. Our last question and video answer can be found HERE. Today's question is from Stage 32 Member, Tom Stohlgren: Great question, Tom! When a final draft is handed over, many people expect that to be the end of the road for creative input from a screenwriter, but in some cases, it is imperative to have the screenwriter a short distance away on set. Alex and Trevor discuss when a screenwriter should...

Tiegen Kosiak is an independent film, television, and digital producer. She is also the co-founder (aka “Crime Boss”) of The Young Hollywood Mafia, an entertainment networking group with 150+ members. Tiegen is currently producing the $3MM thriller titled Borrego, which she discovered in a Stage 32 pitch session in 2016. The project is incubating at a major studio with a high-level cast attachment. Tiegen got her start in the industry working in commercial production in Los Angeles and New Yor...

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my career as a screenwriter (on projects like HBO’s Band of Brothers) – and as a teacher and consultant to writers at all levels – it’s that projects tend to live or die based on their core idea or concept. That’s why I called my new book The Idea: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story for Screen, Stage or Fiction.     As a professional writer, my agents and managers have tried to talk me out of most of my ideas for series or screenplays, and they’ve...

Happy Sunday to all.  Let's jump right in. First, from the guys at Script to Screen, it's a look at the famous bar scene from Goodfellas.  Get your shine box and settle in. Next, from our friends at Apture, it's 4 Cinematic Lighting Setups for filmmakers. Finally, over the last 7 years, I've received hundreds (literally) of DM's, emails, etc, asking me for recommendations on books, movies, scripts to read, workout equipment, diet and supplement advice and other things I'd rather not mentio...