Tips

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” This is what indie filmmaker and actress Sonja O'Hara kept in the back of her mind as she navigated the choppy waters of getting repped. After meaningful encounters and interest in her original series at ITVFest in Vermont put her on top of the world, she floated on cloud nine, quite certain that THIS would be her moment. It wasn’t. Despite encouragement from HBO’s VP of Talent Development Kelly Edwards, Sonja found herself riding...

If you are an actor working to build your reel or a filmmaker looking to hone your craft, working on improv based short films can be a great way to experiment with the short film form and begin building a body of work. I first got the opportunity to collaborate with improv actors about twoyears ago, and since then I’ve produced over a dozen improv based short films. When you are first starting out as a filmmaker, it can be difficult to pull together the resources needed to find a full cast and c...

Hey, guys! Alex and Trevor here with a Stage 32 segment we'd like to offer you regularly: Ask us Anything. Nicole Punday asked a question about directing in the Filmmaking/Directing Lounge a few weeks back, so we grabbed our phone and shot a short video to answer her question. Nicole posted: This is a very interesting question that we think a lot of people have, especially when starting out. It can be very intimidating to hop on a set in any position because you think there is an en...

To begin, My name is Mu-Shaka Benson. I’m an actor from Upstate New York and, like many others, I started my acting journey in my 30’s. When I began to pursue acting I heard an array of comments ranging from “don’t quit your day job” to “aren’t you too old for that?” It was a struggle to deal with in the beginning because a lot of those comments came from precisely the same people who you’d want to have your back. My family, my friends and loved ones. But my dream of acting, which had come upo...

Welcome to Sunday, everyone. And another edition of Coffee & Content. From our friends at IndyMogul, and for all those making or thinking about producing/filming a short film, it's the appropriately titled 7 Things to Know About Making Short Films! Next up, it's 5 Tips for Acting brought to you by the good peeps at Film Riot. There you have it...Short and sweet. A quick word of thanks to all who have taken the time in recent weeks to share and comment on this content.  While I get much s...

Hello, my fellow creatives! When I'm not working on a script or acting my little heart out on set, I'm actually ghostwriting books and blog posts for fellow creative entrepreneurs. Mostly it's books, because the authors are busy running their own business and don't want their clients to know that a secret-agent-guru-ghostwriter was behind the scenes penning their work of art. But I digress, which is often the case. Inevitably, at some point during the process, the author will ask me, "Shou...

Happy Sunday, guys!  Hope you're having a great weekend.  It's been an inspiring one around these parts with another lively edition of Introduce Yourself weekend.  If you haven't posted or contributed, you're missing out on what's been a July record for new connections made here on Stage 32.  Join the biggest online networking party here. For Coffee and Content this week, I have two items I think you'll find inspiring and motivating.  First up, I often receive letters, private messages or simp...

First of all, you should know that the Stage 32 Blog wouldn’t exist without any of you. It’s true. Every day we crank out content that serves creatives in every corner of this industry. At least we try. If we’re missing the mark on something, that’s where you come in. What do you want to know?What do you need to know? What stories or advice do you crave? Every day we reach out to writers, directors, actors, casting directors, voice actors, teachers, authors, illustrators, designers, DPs,...

What does it really take to break into voice acting? Can just anyone do it? If you’re an actor, voice acting already comes easier to you than most people. That said, even actors have a bit of a learning curve when it comes to working exclusively with their voice. Discover 6 things you’ll need to do before getting into voice-over to set yourself up for success. 1 - Explore Your Voice The first couple things you’ll do as a new voice actor is, get to know your voice and read as much as you can. T...

Happy Sunday, everyone.  Hope you're all well rested and ready for some quality content. In this edition of Coffee & Content, we begin with the comedy of the Coen Brothers.  For my money, no filmmakers have embraced a wider range of comedy over the last 30 years than the Coens.  Sometimes darkly funny, other times broadly humorous, the Coens manage to mine laughs out of just about any scenario.  How do they get it done?  Our first video deconstructs the ins and outs of what makes it all come t...