Featured

Writing a script is challenging in many ways. After you overcome the stress of facing the first draft review and all the reviews after that and then you see the job done it is, without a doubt, a very satisfying achievement. During the process, we can make mistakes (yes, even writers make mistakes) with the way we tell the story. This is why we must keep reading and or talking about script techniques. Today I want to talk specifically about three things we must not do when we are writing a horro...

Today, I had an inspiring conversation with a talented writer who is passionately navigating the journey from script to screen. Over the past few years, she has shown remarkable dedication, and as a consultant, I've been fortunate to witness her progress. Yet, the reality of filmmaking is that it truly takes a village to bring a project to life. Depending on the size and scope of the project, various roadmaps can lead you to that coveted finish line: a completed film. My Journey Into Film Fina...

Happy Thursday, Creative Army! As many of you already know, Stage 32 Certification has been bringing new film commissions, institutes, colleges, streamers, and other organizations into the mix. This week we’re welcoming the St. Pete-Clearwater Film Commission to Stage 32 Certification! The St. Pete-Clearwater Film Commission and Stage 32 are excited to partner to bring Certification opportunities to creative professionals in the St. Pete-Clearwater, FL area. This is their chance to get certi...

Hello There, Stage 32 Community! Summer has turned to Fall, time for sweater weather, foliage and all things pumpkin spice! And of course it is also time for end of the month celebration of our phenomenal members here at Stage 32, in particular their recent successes! We love to take this opportunity to shine the spotlight on just some of the incredible writers and creatives in the Stage 32 family and share their stories of success with everyone! We know how much time, effort and dedication y...

Let me start by saying that I’m very proud of my film. It’s called Rematch. It took a lot of time and elbow grease to finish, but it’s done and it’s out there. And that counts for something. That being said, I don’t have any delusions about what I made. The short film landscape is incredibly competitive. I don’t know how accurate it is, but I read that as many as 12,000 short films are produced each year. I assume the source of this number is festival submissions, which means the true number is...

We pour our hearts and souls into the scripts we write, our creative work, spending hours and hours alone looking at a keyboard and words on a screen, wondering what to write next. We start asking ourselves if our work is good enough. Then, the floodgates open. What if no one buys my project? What if I only have one script in me? Then, you think the unsayable, "I hate my script." If this is you, you are not alone, my creative friend. Rejection, writer's block, and self-doubt can really take a to...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Have you had a creative weekend so far? I have some content here for you that is sure to get the creative juices flowing, so grab your coffee, and let's dive in. First up, in this video essay by Elliot Roberts, he’s comparing the approach of two different feature film biopics- 'Steve Jobs' by Aaron Sorkin and Danny Boyle, starring Michael Fassbender, and ‘Jobs’ by Joshua Michael Stern and Matt Whiteley, starring Ashton Kutcher. You can learn a lot by comparing tw...

I’ve talked about research before, offering some general tips on how to approach the process effectively. But when I asked in the Stage 32 lounges recently what writing problem you’d solve if you could wave a magic wand, one of the responses was “going down the rabbit hole” on research. I’d break this concern down into two parts: Letting research swallow up too much time in the creative process. Getting sidetracked into very interesting but potentially not very useful topics (which bring...

Happy Friday, Stage 32 Community! Our Stage 32 Team has been working diligently to bring in as many new resources and opportunities as possible to enrich your experience here in our community! At Stage 32 you have direct access to award-winning industry executives and professionals who’ve written, produced, developed, and represented acclaimed projects such as PLAYING WITH FIRE, BODYCAM, SPELL, LOVE & MONSTERS, AM I OKAY?, BORDERLANDS, DRAFT DAY, FLIGHT, AIR, THE INSTIGATORS, JOHN WICK, SI...

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 October, you'll have the chance to learn from knowledgeable industry executives, award-winning writers, producers, consultants, authors, podcast hosts, and representatives. Impressive creative professionals who have worked on or represen...