Happy Thursday, Stage 32 Community!

I hope that the last month has been joyful and productive for you all! Our Stage 32 Education Team has certainly been hard at work to bring incredible education opportunities and resources to this fantastic community.

This July, you'll have the chance to learn from knowledgeable industry executives, award-winning screenwriters, producers, directors, showrunners, actors, consultants, dialect/voice coaches, authors, script coordinators, VFX artists, attorneys, financiers, and representatives. Impressive creative professionals who have worked on or represented such projects as FLIGHT, THE HELP, THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, CONTAGION, CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR, GHOST RIDER 2, MIDNIGHT SUN, THE GOOD PLACE, PARKS AND RECREATION, MASTER OF NONE, THIS IS US, THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS, N.C.I.S, BLACK-ISH, SCHOOLED, THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT, CASTLE, CSI: CYBER, NCIS: NOLA, BLINDSPOT, and many others.

Don’t wait for all of the spots to fill up! Below is an exciting list of upcoming Stage 32 Education that is already available for you to register for!

Webinars

How to Create the Perfect Shot List for Your Film

Starting: Tuesday, July 2nd

Instructor: Shane Stanley

In this webinar you will learn how to piece the essentials together needed to tell your story, how to leave out time and budget-constraining setups you won’t need, and to ensure you're given the additional time to explore and get those specialty shots or gems that can help add a nice touch to your project, but also allow you to establish a style and feel to the piece you can be proud of which will alleviate on-set pressure and allow the creative juices to easily flow. You will walk away knowing how to properly and confidently create a professional shot list for your film. Shot lists, although not distributed throughout the entire crew, will be something your cinematographer, assistant directors, gaffers, and various parts of your production design team and bond company will review. So, it’s imperative it looks as good as possible and represents not only your strategy but essentially how you plan to capture everything, shot-by-shot.

Guiding you through this webinar is multi-Emmy Award-Winning Producer and Director Shane Stanley. Shane has worked on countless projects and received his first Emmy nomination at just 16 years old. His directorial debut screened at Cannes and Shane’s work can be seen on multiple streaming sites. In addition to his Emmy Awards, Shane has received 11 Telly Awards, 2 CINE Golden Eagles Awards, 5 Aurora Awards, 4 WorldFest Remi Awards, and 28 International Film Festival Awards.

How to Understand How Dialects Work and Reduce Your Own Accent

Starting: Tuesday, July 9th

Instructor: Jon Sperry

Stage 32 is thrilled to be able to help with this webinar from one of our most popular instructors! One of the essential qualities of being a great actor is the ability to transform. If you’re a foreign actor and want to work in the American market, being able to act with an American accent will dramatically increase your opportunities as an actor. And even just reducing your accent will make you more castable, and prepare you to do other foreign accents more easily and convincingly. There are several reasons you might want to learn to reduce your accent or to perform in a requested dialect. Maybe you are an actor who wants to be able to expand the type of roles you could reasonably be cast in. Or perhaps you are a director or producer who wants to learn how to communicate more clearly to your actors and crew. Or you might not even be in "the biz," and are a CEO who wants to reduce their accent to be more understood when you speak.

Leading you on this journey of accent reduction is one of the top dialect and voice coaches in America, Jon Sperry. His star-studded list of former clients and students includes some of the finest actors on screen and stage from all over the globe, including many Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated actors including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Russell Crowe, Melanie Griffith, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Liam Neeson, Zoe Saldana, Juliette Lewis, Geena Davis, and Harvey Keitel just to name a few.

The Secret to Cracking Your Script's First Act

Starting: Thursday, July 11th

Instructor: Jason Mirch

In this webinar you will learn how to build a strong narrative foundation while creating characters your audience will care about. You only get one chance to make a first impression. And if you’re not hooking your reader within the first 10 pages of your script, it will end up in the “Pass” pile (and realistically a seasoned executive knows within the two pages if the writer is capable). But writing a strong first act is much more than simply hooking a reader with your first 10 pages. You are building the foundation for your entire narrative and planting seeds that will grow over time. You must make sure that you’re establishing your North Star or Dramatic Question, establishing a tone, theme, and characters, while initiating a story with a strong engine to move forward. A script can start strong and then falter. But if it doesn’t start strong in the first place, there is nowhere for your story to go.

PLUS! You will receive the following handouts:

• Sample logline
• Sample query letter
• Sample script

Taking you through this webinar will be Creative Producer & Executive at FearWorks, Jason Mirch. Jason Mirch is a feature film, television, branded entertainment, and digital content producer and executive with over 15 years of experience. Most recently, he produced a 3D animated feature film starring Jacob Tremblay, Christopher Lloyd, Mel Brooks, Kenan Thompson, and Carol Kane. Mirch was the Head of feature and television development at Image Nation, a finance and production company based in Abu Dhabi, UAE. There, he supervised Image Nation's contributions in the development of FLIGHT, THE HELP, THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, CONTAGION, CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR, GHOST RIDER 2, MIDNIGHT SUN, and 100 FOOT JOURNEY.​ Prior to his work at Image Nation, Mirch was Co-Head of Development at Zadan/Meron Productions (CHICAGO, FOOTLOOSE, THE BUCKET LIST) where he was actively involved in developing a slate of feature film projects for New Line, Paramount, Summit Ent., and CBS/Paramount. He also developed and sold television projects and mini-series to CBS, NBC, Fox, ABC, and Lifetime.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Working as a Script Coordinator

Starting: Tuesday, July 16th

Instructor: Tyler Straessle

In this exclusive webinar, you will learn what it's like in the Writers' Room and why Final Draft is such an important software for you and your production. You'll learn the step-by-step instructions on how to proof and distribute a script, and you will also learn how to break in as a Script Coordinator. You will walk away from this webinar feeling confident in the fundamentals of Script Coordination and how to make yourself invaluable to Showrunners and Producers! A script coordinator is the glue that holds a production together. Script Coordinators are responsible for proofreading scripts, tracking story changes and revisions, formatting, and distributing to every department on the show. Being on top of changes from draft to draft and spotting script errors is key, as each department depends on the Script Coordinator to send them the most recent draft to track any changes made to props, wardrobe, casting, locations, etc. The Script Coordinator also tracks story continuity to ensure that names and references to past scripts are correct, and will also send the script to the legal team to ensure that there aren’t any copyright or permissions issues that may require additional changes, and communicate with the showrunner and producers about any issues that may arise.

PLUS! You will receive a downloadable shooting draft script of THE GOOD PLACE starring Ted Danson and Kristen Bell!

To help you understand the complexities of the Script Supervisor role is one of the best in the business, Tyler Straessle. Tyler has worked as a Script Coordinator and Writers' Assistant for a variety of hit shows including THE GOOD PLACE, PARKS AND RECREATION, MASTER OF NONE, Judd Apatow’s LOVE and DEVIOUS MAIDS.

Introduction to Adobe After Effects: From Vision to Visuals

Starting: Tuesday, July 23rd

Instructor: Levi Borland

In today's digital age, where visual storytelling reigns supreme, the ability to create captivating motion graphics and animations is a valuable skill set sought after by employers across industries. Whether pursuing a career in graphic design, marketing, filmmaking, or multimedia production, mastering After Effects opens doors to a myriad of opportunities and allows you to stand out in a competitive job market. By equipping you with the knowledge and expertise to navigate After Effects effectively, we not only prepare you for success in you're chosen fields but also empower you to unleash your creativity and leave a lasting impact in the digital landscape. Navigating the realm of Adobe After Effects can often feel like a daunting journey, riddled with challenges and potential missteps. Novices may find themselves overwhelmed by the multitude of features and tools, unsure of where to begin or how to harness its full potential. From grappling with complex timelines to mastering intricate keyframe animations, the learning curve can be steep. Yet, despite these hurdles, proficiency in Adobe After Effects is increasingly vital for students across various fields.

Guiding you in this webinar is Levi Borland, the owner of FoodFiteVFX, a cutting-edge visual effects production company specializing in film and television projects. With a distinguished career spanning over two decades, Levi harnesses the power of Adobe After Effects to bring creative visions to life, and he is going to start you on your journey to do the same. He is the creator of STOCK3D which introduces the concept of 3D rotatable stock footage. He is also an award-winning filmmaker. Before venturing into the world of visual effects, Levi channeled his passion for film into owning and operating a movie theater, further solidifying his deep connection to the cinematic experience.

Actors: How to Master the Art of Self Tape

Starting: Tuesday, July 30th

Instructor: Kym Jackson

Since the pandemic, film and TV auditions have gone almost completely virtual (at least for the first round), which means for you as an actor today, self-tapes make the world go around. They are the main way for you to show what you can do with a role, to book work, and for casting offices and filmmakers to get to know you. There are right and wrong ways to execute each element of your self-tape. Some issues can be so bad that casting may not be able to share your tape with production, and may not have time to give notes for you to do it again. Most aren’t ‘deal breakers’ - they just make us look a little worse, and don’t really help us ‘shine’. But a well-made self-tape can make a huge difference in how casting views both your talent and your professionalism. When you make simple mistakes on your self-tape you are signaling one of two things to a casting director, either you don't know better, or you don't care enough to fix it. Either can be disastrous for how casting views you not only for this audition but for future auditions with their office.

PLUS! You will receive A Self Tape Setup Map!

Your instructor for this webinar is Actress Kym Jackson (THIS IS US, THE SECRETS SHE KEEPS, N.C.I.S), who literally wrote the book on being an actor in LA, The Hollywood Survival Guide For Actors. Kym will walk you through self-tape equipment and technical setup, then share performance tips, before moving on to editing methods and finally exporting and uploading your self-tape auditions. She will show you how to execute each stage of self-taping in a way that supports and enhances your performance, so you can avoid mistakes that distract from it.

Classes

4-Part Class: Your Step By Step Feature Film Legal Guide - From Production Formation to Distribution

Starting: Monday, July 8th

Instructor: Sean Pope

In this exclusive virtual class, Sean is going to walk you through, step by step, everything you need to consider legally for your feature film. He'll start by making sure that you understand that your film's corporation is set up correctly, which is the framework for getting to the finish line. He will take you through legal nuances as it relates to your film financing, as well as what you need to know in pre-production to plan for clearances. You will learn the documents you will need for physical production like crew agreements, as well as what to consider in post-production including copyrights, trademarks, and delivery. Finally, you will learn what to look out for when you make a film distribution deal. Best of all? In addition to each class Zoom session, Sean will be available for you by email during the 4 class sessions to answer any questions you may have.

PLUS! receive these exclusive legal handouts:

• Equity Term Sheet and Sample Waterfall Template
• Materials Release and Crew Agreement Template
• Composer Agreement and Credit Statement Template
• Delivery Schedule Template

Sean Pope is a top entertainment attorney and partner at Ramo Law who has worked on over 100 film and TV projects. He has worked with greats like Liam Neeson on THE HONEST THIEF, as well as represented clients that have won multiple Emmys and has clients who have premiered all over the world, including the Tribeca Film Festival. Sean has seen firsthand what it takes to get a project from concept to completion. And, on the other side, he's seen pitfalls that have prevented a project from getting to the finish line. He knows what it takes to get a film made.

4-Part Comedy Class: How to Write Jokes + Participate In a Mock Punch Up Room

Starting: Wednesday, July 10th

Instructor: Vijal Patel

In this special 4-part virtual workshop, Vijal will teach you how to craft effective jokes for any TV comedy. He’ll break down where good jokes come from and the elements needed to make a joke work. Then, Vijal will lead a TV comedy punch-up room, similar to how real TV comedies run them. Everyone who signs up will be able to participate in this room and work with the group to add jokes and pitch. Vijal will provide feedback and analysis of all of the joke pitches. Best of all? You'll have access to Vijal via email during the class to ask any craft or career questions that you have about your own project or career! If you’re interested in breaking into TV comedy, it’s so important that you know how to craft great jokes and work in a room. This workshop is the perfect way to help you get there.

PLUS! You'll receive the following to help you with your comedy writing:

• 1-short script scene for punch-up
• Universal checklist of “5 easy tools/techniques” to write jokes

To guide you on how to do this is Emmy and Peabody-nominated Comedy screenwriter and producer Vijal Patel. Vijal has worked on hit shows such as BLACK-ISH, SCHOOLED and THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT. He is also a Stand-up Comedian who works with comedy greats like Whitney Cummings. Vijal is known throughout the industry as one of the funniest guys to work with and his jokes are routinely found in scripts all around town. He is very familiar with punching up TV scripts, finding ways to make them funnier, and is frequently asked back to writers' rooms for his ability to collaborate.

Labs

Screenwriting Lab: Write a Drama TV Pilot in 8 Weeks - From Concept to Completed Script

Starting: Saturday, July 20th

Instructor: Spencer Robinson

In this 8-week screenwriting lab, Spencer will be working directly with you in a virtual class setting and in one-on-one sessions to mentor you as you write your market-ready dramatic pilot script. Spencer will guide you through picking a concept, creating engaging characters, perfecting your structure, constructing an outline, and, writing your pilot. Over 6 interactive sessions, you will put pen to paper and write the drama TV pilot that until now has only been bouncing around in your head. If you have a concept you are ready to write or even a completed pilot that needs a professional polish, Spencer will help you craft, hone, and sharpen your material. You will leave this lab with a completed television drama pilot script vetted by an industry professional that you can share with the marketplace to help move your career forward!

Guiding you through writing your dramatic TV pilot is Spencer Robinson. Spencer is a literary and talent manager at Art/Work Entertainment who's been in the industry for over twenty years. Spencer's writing clients work in both features and television on broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms. He currently has a client writing on two Netflix series and another client who just sold a show to Amazon. He also reps a writer who currently has a project at Jason Bateman's Aggregate Films, which has a deal at Netflix. His on-camera clients have been in films with directors Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Clint Eastwood, Gore Verbinski, and more. In the TV world, his clients have been regular cast members on shows for Netflix, The CW, Cinemax, CBS, NBC, FX, Starz, Nickelodeon, EPIX, and TBS, to name a few. Spencer has taught numerous webinars, classes, and writing labs for Stage 32 and remains one of our most popular and sought-after educators.

Advanced Guide to Film Finance and Profitability- 6 Week Intensive with Business Pitch Workshop

Starting: Sunday, July 21st

Instructor: Jeanette B. Millio

If you're considering producing your next (or first) project but are struggling to find the money or to understand the legal and financial steps that are necessary to take, this class is perfect for you. Not only will you learn the entire film finance process and gain tips and strategies you can directly apply to your project, but you will also receive a variety of resources to help you on your way, PLUS work one-on-one with accomplished producer and financier Jeanette Milio, one of our most popular instructors! During this intensive, advanced, and interactive 6-week lab, Jeanette will offer a deep exploration into the optimal way to finance your film so that you always make a profit. Along the way, you'll be able to stay in touch with Jeanette via email throughout the six-week class. Jeanette will even conclude the class with an invaluable practice business pitch workshop where everyone can pitch to the class as if they were pitching to a potential investor and get personalized notes and suggestions afterward.

Jeanette will ALSO provide in-depth case studies of recent projects, as well as exclusive and valuable handouts that you can take with you for your own project, including:

• Sample Business Plans
• Sample Budgets
• Sales Estimate Sheets
• Investor Pitch Decks
• Sales Agency Agreement
• Collection Account Management Agreements
• Pay or Play Offer Template
• Sample Option Agreement

Jeanette Milio has been involved in the production of 500 plus hours of content of film and television for over twenty-five years across three continents, pulling in a total production value of over $250 million with Academy Award® winning talent in front of and behind the camera. Throughout her career, Jeanette was involved in financing over 45 film and television projects for HBO, Showtime, ABC, USA Network, Disney, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros., and others. Jeanette also managed a media fund for Far East National Bank, which funded 40 film and television projects, which led to her structuring her own media fund that financed theatrical features with a production volume of $60 million. Jeanette’s decades of working and finding success in the film industry have given her a unique and unrivaled perspective on how to finance film content and make a profit.

8-Part Screenwriting Lab: Breaking Story For 1-Hour TV Dramas With An Interactive Mock Writers' Room

Starting: Wednesday, July 31st

Instructor: Kate Sargeant

Over the course of this intimate eight-week interactive virtual lab, Kate will delve into the craft of the network procedural hour drama and then lead the class through a mock CSI: CYBER writers' room, where students will gain experience pitching A, B, and C story ideas, breaking the episode on a virtual whiteboard as a group, and then practice pitching acts to the showrunner. What better way to learn than to break the PILOT of a new CSI spinoff? Not only will you experience what it’s like to work in a writers’ room – but you will also have hands-on experience breaking the pilot of a TV show. Through both Kate’s lessons and her leading of the writers’ room, you will gain direct, practical, and real-world experience that you can take with you as you pursue your own television career. This lab will consist of eight sessions, each roughly two hours in duration. Sessions will vary between presentation-style lessons and interactive mock writers' room sessions where all students will have the opportunity to participate. You will have access to Kate by email throughout the duration of the lab to ask any craft or career questions. Plus, to stay motivated and inspired, you will have access to a private, dedicated Stage 32 Lounge where you can communicate with your fellow classmates throughout the process.

Kate Sargeant is an accomplished television writer with especially deep experience in network procedural dramas, working on over 100 episodes of network TV on shows like CASTLE, CSI: CYBER, NCIS: NOLA and BLINDSPOT. Most recently, Kate served as a Supervising Producer on a one-hour drama for NETFLIX entitled OBLITERATED. Kate started her career as an actress at the age of eleven, starring as “Emily” in the cult classic film 3 NINJAS, directed by Jon Turteltaub. In addition, Kate created two original comedy series. The first one she wrote, directed, and produced called YOU CAN’T DO THAT ON THE INTERNET about our obsession with social media. The second series, VIRTUALLY SINGLE, is currently streaming on YouTube and is about a newly divorced single mom dipping her toe in the treacherous online dating pool for the first time in a decade.

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