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You’re a filmmaker, a writer, a director, maybe even an actor. You want to keep working, but the phone’s not ringing so… you decide to shoot a short film. Before you start down the rabbit hole you may want to ask a few questions. Why do I want to shoot a short film? What resources do I have at my disposal? What resources will I need to obtain? And the most impactful question: What’s it going to cost? Anyone who has ever taken on the challenge of shooting a short knows that there ar...

What's the goal of your story? The answer sounds easy enough. A goal is simply what your character wants/ needs to accomplish by the end of the script. Despite the simple definition of a character goal, it's one of the most complex aspects of the story. Why? I have no idea; maybe it's because the goal makes or breaks the story. Because the goal keeps people intrigued and wondering what will happen next. Regardless of the importance of goals in a story, we all know one thing: a character's goal m...

On behalf of the entire Stage 32 family, I'd like to wish you all a happy, healthy, and loving Christmas and the remainder of the holiday season. While the holidays are a time of celebration, I hope everyone will take a moment to reflect on the many blessings life has offered and afforded all of us. We personally feel blessed to have had so many of you enter and enrich our lives. The Stage 32 community has grown to over 1,000,000 members from around the globe, and we are beyond honored to prov...

Back in March through April of this year, I took on the daunting task of writing my first horror script. The title is “ABOLITION”. The story was inspired by none other than friends from the Writer’s Room right here at Stage 32! I was conflicted with the idea of writing a biopic about an abolitionist or a haunted house horror movie. When I posted these thoughts on Stage32, a fellow writer suggested combining the two. What a stupid idea (ha, ha...) Right? Wait…wait a minute… A slavery horror...

I started acting a little later than most of my fellow thespians. I’d always been a creative person: writing, drawing, and playing music, but acting was something I feared. “Who am I to act?” “Who would possibly be entertained by my performance?” So, out of fear, I never tried acting. That was, until my 30s. My career in the toy industry had stalled and I was feeling less connected to myself. I was getting sick a lot, and I was having trouble finding direction or inspiration. In other words, I w...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! First, congratulations to all of you who have already participated in our monthly Introduce Yourself Weekend! Thousands of connections have been made between entertainment creatives and professionals from around the globe. Whether you are a long-time member or brand new to Stage 32, take a moment to pop over to the Introduce Yourself Lounge and say hello before the end of the weekend. First up, in this video by In Depth Cine, he’s analyzing how different director...

For many filmmakers, the film festival acceptance is one of their biggest dreams realized – even now as more people share and stream content from their homes than ever before, the allure of the festival hasn’t dampened. Not for me at least, and I imagine many of you too. The feeling of going up to the theatre, seeing your name and your film in the program, and most of all – seeing your work play in front of a real live audience. Not to mention networking with your fellow filmmakers and maybe eve...

In an industry dominated by blockbuster franchises, it’s easy to forget that nearly 94% of films are produced independently. These films bring raw creativity to the screen—unfiltered, diverse, and often deeply personal. Behind every independent film, there’s a story not just of artistic ambition but of resilience, resourcefulness, and sometimes sheer survival. This article explores why so many filmmakers choose the independent path, how they sustain themselves amidst challenges, and why big stud...

During my filmmaking career, I've run the gambit on all different sides of production. Back in Baltimore, I worked with skeleton crews writing, directing, and doing sound on my own productions. Since moving to Los Angeles I've found a lot of work on set sound mixing, and I wanted to give some easy, actionable steps that can help all filmmakers, at every budget level, get the best sound possible. My sound kit from “Sexy Dex.” 1) Knowing The Tools Most sound mixers start with what we call a “...

Writer's block, the worst enemy of my creative mind, has been the talk of much contemplation and study in the realm of writing and psychology. The Breakout Principle, a concept that I use as a shift into mental focus to overcome obstacles, has emerged as a potential antidote to the paralyzing effects of writer's block. This method has served me well. At its center, writer's block is a psychological barrier and is internal, not external. It impedes the creative flow of ideas and words. It often...