Filmmaking / Directing

The place to discuss, share content and offer advice and tips on all things filmmaking and the craft of directing. From pre-production to on set practices to navigating the industry and beyond, this is your forum

Maurice Vaughan
Stage 32’s Community Wrap-Up/November Write Club Prize Giveaway (Week 1)

Head of Stage 32's Community, Ashley Smith, & Community Manager/Writers’ Room Producer, Kay Ross, will announce the November Write Club Week 1 Prize Winners Live today! Tune in with the @Stage32 or @Stage32Scripts Instagram accounts at 10:00 am PT/ 1:00 pm ET to keep up to date on all the exciting t...

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Stage 32 Certification update

Hi everyone - quick Stage 32 Certification update. Many exciting things happening and more to come.

Never hesitate to email me directly at edu@stage32.com if I can answer any questions, make any recommendations, or offer...

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Billy Kwack

Awesome Sam

Maxwell Moore

Great work!

Geoff Hall

Sam Sokolow it's wonderful to hear this, Sam. It's great to be a part of an exciting community.

Maurice Vaughan
REMINDER – It’s November Write Club!

November Write Club is a month-long challenge where you set a goal for yourself, then utilize Stage 32 to get the support and resources you need to achieve that goal! Your goal doesn't have to be a writing goal. It can be any creative goal. Part of NWC is holding other members accountable/cheering t...

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Paul Molnar
Exceling with multiple skills. 

In today's industry, it is often questioned how someone can excel in multiple roles, such as acting, producing, and writing. Some may even feel pressured by unwritten rules that discourage pursuing more than one career. However, I firmly believe that life is too short to limit oneself. If you posses...

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Maurice Vaughan

Great advice, Paul Molnar! I write scripts, but I also know how to design script posters and pitch decks, so I use them to help pitch my scripts. And there was a time when I was trying to produce the...

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Sam Sokolow

I agree completely, Paul Molnar. Its always a personal choice but there is never a need to limit your creative potential. I hughly recommend Thomas Michael's Stage 32 webinar called "Writer-Director-P...

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Maurice Vaughan
REMINDER – It’s November Write Club!

November Write Club is a month-long challenge where you set a goal for yourself, then utilize Stage 32 to get the support and resources you need to achieve that goal! Your goal doesn't have to be a writing goal. It can be any creative goal. Part of NWC is holding other members accountable/cheering t...

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Hollywood Banks On Thanksgiving

There are several huge releases coming out around Thanksgiving. I can't wait to see GLADIATOR 2 - no way I can resists a Ridley Scott movie with Denzel Washington. I also worked with Cynthia Erivo on GENIUS: ARETHA so WICKED is a must. Are you gonna get to a theater for a movie on Thanksgiving weeke...

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Maurice Vaughan

Gladiator II, Sam Sokolow. I saw the first one in theaters. Going to see Gladiator is one of my top theater experiences!

Brian Mortensen

“Daruma” is a small Indy film with an amazing cast. Worth a look, saw an advance screening and it’s something the Hollywood machine would not touch, it’s that good.

Sam Sokolow

Brian Mortensen will definitoy check it out.

Maurice Vaughan
Celebrate the October 2024 Stage 32 Community’s Successes

Stage 32 members had a lot of success in October! Congratulations! Check out today’s blog to read the success stories and celebrate with everyone in the comments. www.stage32.com/blog/celebrate-the-october-2024-stage-32-communitys-succ......

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Maurice Vaughan
AMA with Michael Clarkson

For the first week of November Write Club, Michael Clarkson, Screenwriter, Producer, & Director (The Haunting of Bly Manor, See, The Wheel of Time, Red Rose, Upholstergeist), is hosting an all-day Ask Me Anything in the Screenwriting Lounge! And it’s FREE!

The AMA will be focused on sharing advice,...

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Kenneth Michael Daniels
Fantastic openings to a film

Which films do you think make the best use of their early goings, and what makes them better than average?

Gattaca's opening credits are a masterclass in making the best use of that often underleveraged screen time. That it is a directorial debut is nothing short of amazing, and few remember, if they Expand post

Kenneth Michael Daniels

Mike Boas It's quite a coincidence that of all the films you could have mentioned that you chose that one as I wrote a post about it maybe a day before this post, having only just seen it for the firs...

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Daniel Silvas

The first 10 minutes of "UP" tears me up every time.

Vincent Turner

Star Wars hands down

Rebecca James

The first seconds of Gladiator and of course Promethius! - Thanks Ridley!

Rutger Oosterhoff

"Children of Men".

All before minute 15:

Our protagonist Theo is witness and part of a clear theme, a clear GRIMM tone, clear, all around, world wide missery, clear stakes; which leads to an 'explosion...

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Maurice Vaughan
TOMORROW – November Write Club Writing Sprint

In celebration of November Write Club, Stage 32’s Community Manager, Karen “Kay” Ross, will be hosting a writing sprint on Zoom every Wednesday at 12:00 pm PT/3:00 pm ET!

Kay will post a writing prompt in a Writers’ Room Lounge post before the sprint each week. If you’re not a Writers’ Room member ye...

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Film Grants

hi guys! what feature film grant programs would you recommend to submit to? Just submitted to ScreenCraft Film Fund. What else is good out there?

Sam Sokolow

Hi Mariia Rudenko - your film sounds great. I recommend Rick Davis' Stage 32 Webinar on tapping into Donor Advised Funds, which can be great for social impact projects. Rick is a fountain of knowledge...

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Mariia Rudenko

thanks a lot Stephen Folker ! Will look for it in Spain where I reside now.

Mariia Rudenko

thanks a lot for the tip Sam Sokolow ! Will check it out. I also already bought How to Finance & Produce an Independent Film Between $250K-$2M

Mike Boas

I've had my eye on the Filmmakers Collaborative. Not a grant, but a 501c3 that allows a pass-through for tax deductible donations. Requires a $200 membership fee. https://filmmakerscollab.org/fiscalsp...

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Stephen Folker

Mariia Rudenko how much are you trying to raise?

Maurice Vaughan
TODAY – November Write Club LIVE Q&A (Week 1)

Michael Clarkson, Screenwriter, Producer, & Director (The Haunting of Bly Manor, See, The Wheel of Time, Red Rose, Upholstergeist), is having a FREE Q&A on Instagram at 12:00 pm PT/3:00 pm ET!

Go to Instagram now to make sure you’re following the @stage32 and @stage32scripts accounts so you’re ready...

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Maurice Vaughan

The Q&A is going on now!

Maurice Vaughan

Here's the Q&A recording if you missed the live event or if you want to watch it again: https://www.instagram.com/stage32/reel/DCAPSSsyxkO/?hl=en...

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