Tips

Most of you have no doubt heard one of the sayings along the lines of, 'an overnight success 10 years in the making,' or 'you have to put in 10,000 hours of practice before you are truly ready.' And even if you haven't, if you are in this business (or any creative endeavor) you certainly know the emotional roller coaster of waiting for your work to get noticed in some way, shape or form. So what do you do to pass the time in between those 10 years or 10,000 hours? There are two avenues and b...

If you're a writer, director, actor or producer, I have good news for you. Science fiction can put you on the map! First off, a definition. By science fiction, I'm also including fantasy and a certain kind of horror, that with a magical or mystical element. And here's my definition of science fiction vs. fantasy: science fiction is any fantasy story where the fantastic element is given a technological or pseudo-technological reason. Of course, there are many other possible definitions. My fa...

Part of the challenge of building a crowd in support of a film project is understanding what inspires and moves the individuals within. If you’ve been thorough with your planning and honest with yourself in identifying the true scope of your target audience, your crowd will inevitably consist of people with varying interests and passions. For first time filmmakers — or those launching any content project for the first time — a common mistake is the belief that those interests and passions will b...

Hey guys. Happy Sunday. Today, two more videos for you to enjoy with your morning java. First up, it's a look at how the Coen Brothers used very specific framing techniques to define character relationships in Fargo. I love this one...I think you will as well Next up, I have a brilliant look at editing in storytelling. This video is a piece of art unto itself that will no doubt invite repeat viewings. As always, all I ask in return is that you pay it forward and share this content through...

One of the biggest challenges filmmakers and screenwriters face is to keep their creative energy fresh and high, while working on projects that ask years of endurance and at times don't feel creative. What often drove us toward filmmaking - the excitement of creating stories - can quickly become the thing we connect with the less as we work toward building our careers: handling deadlines, finding an agent, raising money, applying to festivals, answering casting calls and the 100 other tasks...

We want to give a huge shout out to Ron Newcomb for having our fearless leader, RB, as a guest on the Film Trooper podcast. This is an inspirational and motivating podcast filled with a ton of advice and information to help you as a creative. RB talks about how many filmmakers get wrapped up in how to "crowdfund". Most filmmakers are too focused on having people give them money to help make their movie. Most filmmakers don't stop and ask, "What can I give back to the people I'm asking money from...

Sorry I missed you guys last week! It's been a whirlwind these last few weeks attending and speaking at iTVFest, Austin and now AFM. It's also been enormously rewarding. Never gets old meeting so many inspiring and talented Stage 32 members. Further, it's been fascinating to hear the tales and strategies of various creatives and executives as it relates to this ever-changing landscape of writing, filmmaking and distribution. I hope to share more in the coming weeks. In the meantime, how about we...

"I'm not good enough to attend a film or television festival. I don't have shit. All I have is a half written screenplay and another stupid idea about intergalactic robots that survive on small children and peanut butter." That's what you're saying about your stuff right now, I just know it. You're thinking: 'I'm not good enough'. You believe what you have is crap. Therefore, because you think it's crap, you stay home and eat Cheetos. Or pizza. Or peanut butter. (Don't eat small children, p...

We're excited to announce that our fearless leader has been featured on The Huffington Post with an in-depth interview from journalist Yitzi Weiner. In the interview RB talks about his background in the industry, his recent book that has just been published, Crowdsourcing For Filmmakers: Indie Film and The Power Of the Crowd, building a brand and an audience, the Stage 32 platform, the importance of community for all creatives and best practices toward achieving your goals.  This is a heavy dose...

So here you are - on location for your first film you're about to direct. Day one of maybe twenty. You're holding four to eight pages of the script in your hand that must be successfully 'in the can' by the end of the day. You have ten hours to accomplish this AND you need to repeat this feat for the next 19 days or so.     Ready? Scary, huh, but it doesn't have to be. There is an opportunity to create greatness with your actors and crew today and every day of the production. Seriousl...