Tips

In a land not so far away, in a time not so long ago, the veil to the film world was a mighty feat to cross. I'm not saying it still isn’t tough to get out there and become a financially stable filmmaker. However, we hold the power now. What started as a simple picture of myself that I shared on Instagram, one taken while I was filming a Docuseries using the RED Epic and Cooke Anamorphic, turned into a wild adventure called social media. That one picture launched me into so many opportunities....

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 from In Depth Cine, they’re breaking down the two most...

I started to work in the independent film business in 2007. I have since, as an employee, consultant, representative, and executive producer worked for and with global service providers, production companies, individual filmmakers, sales agents, and others in this industry. And although knowledge, expertise, and affinity with the industry are certainly and undeniably important elements as well, I have learned that nothing has been of more importance to my career than building and managing my bus...

Have you ever wondered how movies and TV manage all of the moving parts and logistics before, during, and after production? Or how the production manages to always get the right information into the right people’s hands at the right time? Moreover, once a production is rolling, who handles all of the logistics and plane tickets and the movement of actors from one place to another? And who ensures that when the smoke clears, all of the paperwork is in order and the project has been delivered in a...

Happy Thursday, Creative Army! While you may have missed out on getting to attend Cannes in person, you certainly won’t miss out on the incredible insights that were shared there! At this year’s Cannes 2024, Stage 32 hosted a fantastic expert panel exploring how last year's strikes rocked the industry and changed the overall production landscape.  Moderated by Martin I. Petrov (Festival Director of World of Film International Glasgow), our distinguished panelists Jack Sheehan (President, A...

So you want to create your own content for social media, what do you need? Your phone. The end. Now that’s probably the shortest blog ever, so I’ll elaborate. Your smartphone is an incredibly powerful tool, and if you have nothing else in your arsenal, your phone can do just about anything. There are three important aspects needed to create good content. You need to be clearly seen, clearly heard, and clearly understood. 1- Be Clearly Seen (Video, Lighting) If you’re an actor, you’ve...

Before we do anything else, let’s get the trite, buzz-wordy - and largely inaccurate - piece of non-advice out of the way first: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” It’s pithy and sounds so wise. And you’ve heard it so often that it basically just folds into any conversation you ever have about how to build your network. It’s also one of those nothing phrases that people say without really digging into it deeper. The first major problem with it is that it’s not who you know, but i...

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 inspirational video from Crimson Engine, he presents an interesting question- What if one person could be an entire film crew? When you create outside of the larger Hollywood system and take a chance on yourself, it’s possible to just pick up a camera and create. These days it’s easier...

When my friend and creative collaborator Caroline Slaughter first pitched me her concept for the short film LAMB in late 2017 at the start of the #metoo movement, my first response was “Hell Yeah!” (actual response censored) and my second was “Here is a chance to create change”. LAMB is about an eager and trusting filmmaker who follows a female assistant from a hotel lobby to a secluded room for “a meeting” with the assistant’s boss... Were these female assistants who led Hollywood’s lambs to...

The entertainment industry and the public relations business both thrive on relationships and traffic in social currency. It’s one of the many reasons a platform such as Stage 32 exists—it’s a wonderful place to network and share creative ideas and experiences. The mass adoption of Artificial intelligence isn’t likely to change the importance of relationships. Instead, my belief is that it will make growing important and authentic relationships significantly more valuable. We’re already seeing t...