As Managing Director for Stage 32, Amanda oversees operations and partnerships for the global business. She has curated over 1,500 hours of online education created exclusively for Stage 32, and works with hundreds of entertainment industry executives from around the world to serve as educators and mentors. She has spearheaded partnerships with such prestigious organizations as the Cannes Film Festival Marché du Film, American Film Market, SXSW, Austin Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival, Hollyshorts Film Festival, PGA, WGA and DGA, as well as brands such as AT&T, Peerspace, Pond5, Mandy, Bondit Media Capital and her personal favorite partnership, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, which is the official vodka of Stage 32.As a film producer, Amanda has worked on the psychological thriller What Lies Ahead starring Rumer Willis and Emma Dumont, Metaphorms, a Hungarian film, which premiered at the Raindance Film Festival and Dolphin Girl which premiered at the Oscar qualifying Hollyshorts Film Festival. She has also helped incubate Chick Fight, starring Malin Akerman, Alec Baldwin and Bella Thorne and 10-31 which is being produced by Eli Roth and Orion Pictures. She is an Executive Producer on Vagic with Amy Baer at Gidden Media, as well as My Clone's an A*Hole with National Lampoon. As a television producer, she recently sold an unscripted show to a major US network.Amanda has spoken all over the world at the Cannes Film Festival (France), Hollyshorts Film Festival (US), Raindance Film Festival (UK), Hamburg Film Fest (Germany), Trinidad & Tobago Film Commission (Trinidad), Fest Festival (Portugal) and Harvard (US) on the business of the entertainment industry. Carmen Cabana - Filmmaker & Cinematographer MS. MARVEL, NARCOS, VIDA Carmen Cabana is a cinematographer of Afro-Hispanic descent raised in Colombia and Venezuela. Her TV work includes Marvel & Disney Plus Ms. Marvel; Hulu's new series High Fidelity starring Zoe Kravitz; Lionsgate/Starz LatinX hit show Vida, Netflix's Narcos Season 2, Amazon's pilot Los Angeles, HBO Access pilot Sterling and TNT/Refinery 29 short French Fries directed by Janine Sherman Barrois. Her film work includes 25 independent features including Blumhouse/Amazon's: Nocturne starring Sydney Sweeney.She has been recognized in magazines like Variety as one of the most promising filmmakers ("10 Cinematographers to Watch List" Nov/2020) and "Below the Line report Up Next" (Aug/2016). In the magazine American Cinematographer as a "Rising Star in Cinematography" (AC May/2010) and (AC Feb/2017); ICG Magazine (Oct/2018) covered Vida S1.Carmen's years of experience and ability for understanding story, capturing emotion and visual dynamism has catapulted her towards the top choices for female cinematographers. Quickly to adapt and collaborate with locals, Carmen has filmed features in 16 US states and in Mexico, Cuba and Colombia.She teaches cinematography workshops around the world as well as empowerment talks. Her past appearances include: The 8th and 9th Annual Masters in Motion Film Conference (Austin-Texas 2018 and 2019); HBO Access Mentorship Program (2018), Arri and Film Independent Project Involve: Cinematography workshop (2017), UCLA: Summer speaker sessions (2020); NAMIC: "Latino Creatives in Entertainment" (2018); HRTS Women of the West: "Diversity on Television Panel" (2018); Women Empowerment Panel-DTLA Film Festival: "Seen and Heard" (2018); STAGE 32: "Women in Entertainment Panel"; Rule the Set "Cinematography for episodic TV" (2016); ENFOCUS Cinematography workshop (2016 in Costa Rica) , Erman Baradi's Industry Panel (2019); LITEPANEL's workshop (Vegas); LITEPANEL and ADORAMA "Gemini" workshop" (New York).Carmen is an ADFC and Imago member; a Film Independent Project Involve Fellow (2010), a Sundance Director's Lab Crew Participant (2008) and a member of the Friends of the ASC. Robyn Watson - Director, WarnerMedia Distribution Board President Women in Film & Television, Atlanta (WIFTA) Robyn Watson is director of communications for WarnerMedia Distribution, based in Atlanta. Previous to that, Robyn was the principal owner of Watson Media Ventures (WMV), an entertainment consulting firm that advised on film, television, digital media productions and entertainment events. Prior to WMV, she spent over 17 years as a corporate communications executive at Verizon and Time Warner Cable. Robyn has been involved in the Women In Film organization for over 10 years having served on the board of directors for New York Women In Film & Television (NYWIFT) and Women In Film and Television Atlanta (WIFTA). She is also on the board of Women In Film & Television International (WIFTI) where she serves on the Knowledge, Advocacy and Activism Committee. Robyn graduated from Emory University and holds a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Benedictine University. Kristi Shuton - Creative Talent Development & Inclusion, Walt Disney Television A long-time Walt Disney Television cast member, Kristi Shuton has spent time working in various positions at ESPN and ABC, joining the Creative Talent Development & Inclusion (CTDI) team in 2006. In her current role as Manager, Shuton partners with network/studio programming and casting executives to connect professionals at all levels to opportunities at WDT and beyond. She also helps guide the WDT Writing and Directing Programs, contributing to identifying and cultivating talent, providing creative guidance and professional development. Shuton's extensive knowledge of diversity trends positions her as a key contributor, engaging with the creative community, diverse national partners and advocacy groups, as well as entertainment industry guilds. She has served as a panelist at the annual Comic-Con International: San Diego as well as various film and comedy festivals. A Colorado native, Shuton is an avid supporter/volunteer for the Adopt the Arts Organization and mentoring creative young minds thru volunteering at school campuses and workshops. Additionally, she also serves on a non-profit Board of Directors with Hollywood music producers in support of efforts to end human trafficking. She received her Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Cal State Northridge. Moderated by Catherine Delaloye - Founder & Executive Director, Female Voices Rock Film Festival Catherine Delaloye is a director, producer, and writer, who is passionate about social impact and dedicates her work to empowering diverse voices. Her credits include WHERE TO NOW?, THE WITCHES OF BUSHWICK, THAT PART, and the upcoming feature film SLEEPAWAY CAMP, starring Antoni Porowski (QUEER EYE). Growing up between Europe and the US, Catherine has a global perspective that she uniquely brings to each film and project she is a part of. This, along with her avid attention-to-detail, valuable direction, and impressive verbosity, has gained recognition in the film community. Her projects have been awarded with various honors including more recently winning the Grand Jury Prize at Barnstorm Screenwriting Contest for her script Noah & Camille. She's also won the International Honolulu Film Festival Screenplay Award and the International Los Angeles Film Festival Screenplay Award for her script THE DOLLMAKER. Catherine founded Female Voices Rock, an organization that aims to increase the female presence in the film and TV industry. Through her organization, Catherine has raised over 200K for various film projects, creating a substantial platform for underrepresented filmmakers in the industry. The annual Female Voices Rock Film Festival has grown to be rated amongst the “Top 100 Film Festivals in the World” in just two years since its inception. Full Bio »
In Stage 32's continued effort to shine the light on women in the entertainment industry we have partnered with Female Voices Rock for a thrilling virtual event. On March 8, International Women's Day, some of the industry's top leaders who are dedicated to empowering women will be coming together to host an inspiring webcast celebrating women in entertainment.
The panel features five powerhouse female voices of entertainment, including:
After our live panel, join us for an exciting networking happy hour! We will break off into smaller groups and meet and toast your fellow female filmmakers, actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, production designers, and entertainment creatives & professionals from all over the world.
This is a global event and we encourage you to join us! Take our #internationalwomensday challenge on social media!
Amanda Toney
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A: If you received a confirmation that your webinar is on Go to Webinar, you will receive an email from Go to Webinar with further instructions for participating in the live webinar. You can also access your webinar link in your purchase history located under settings in the top right-hand corner of your Stage 32 profile.
If you received a confirmation that your webinar is on Zoom, you will receive a separate email from Zoom with further instructions for participating in the live webinar. Your login link will not be in your Stage 32 profile. If you did not receive your link via Zoom please email support@stage32.com.
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A: You will be able to watch your webinar on demand as many times as you’d like inside your Stage 32 profile. The recording is processed and posted between 24-48 hours after the webinar concludes. You can follow the instructions below.
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Q: What is the format of a webinar?
A: Stage 32 Next Level Webinars are typically 90-minute educational broadcasts that take place online using a designated software program from Stage 32. Your webinar will be taught by a working industry professional with in-depth teaching on a topic. If you are able to attend live you will be able to ask your Stage 32 Educator questions during Q&A.
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A: If you cannot attend a live webinar or purchase an on demand webinar, you will have access to the entire recorded broadcast, including the Q&A.
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A: Yes! Like all Stage 32 education, after the purchase of a live or on demand webinar, you will have on-demand access to the recording.
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A: If the webinar you take included handouts you can find them as downloads underneath your on demand video. You must be logged into your Stage 32 profile to view the video and get the handouts by clicking settings in the top right hand corner, then clicking purchase history.
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It is an honor and a privilege to bring you the worldwide premiere of the 5th Annual Stage 32 Short Film Program on Stage 32! Our seven winning filmmakers hail from all over the world, and we could not be more excited to share their undeniable talents with you. We were proud to screen these films in the 2020 Oscar-qualifying Hollyshorts Film Festival and the Raindance Film Festival in London. And, we're even more proud to showcase the international premiere to all of the development executives, agents, managers and agents that work with us. Since 2016, the Stage 32 Short Film Contest has served as an unparalleled incubator for finding talented filmmakers and helping them forge connections that make their careers blossom. Our past finalists have gone on to be signed by Paradigm, APA, Gersh, Verve, Echo Lake, Circle of Confusion and more! Congratulations to all the 5th Annual Short Film Contest winners, we cannot wait to see where your talents take you.
Writing action isn't easy! It takes nuance and skill. We’ll break down the action on the page for the heavy-hitting JOHN WICK, the action-comedy THE NICE GUYS, and the slow-building action of HELL OR HIGH WATER.
The producer of NatGeo's limited series GENIUS will teach you how you can get your own limited series off the ground. Includes a case study of a pitch document that helped sell a limited series. Over the last several years, the limited series has become one of the most exciting, competitive, and acclaimed formats in the entertainment industry. Series like PAINKILLER, THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT, CHERNOBYL, and DAISY JONES & THE SIX have become global phenomena and greatly boosted the careers of the creatives behind them. It’s no surprise that buyers and big names on all sides of the camera are hungry for binge-worthy event programming like these limited series and are looking for the next hit to make. If you have your own idea for a limited series, there’s no better time than now to get it in front of executives and decisionmakers looking for this content. But how does one develop the material and package it together to increase the probability of a sale or production order? Sam Sokolow is a two-time Emmy-nominated producer, perhaps best known for his work in developing and producing the Emmy nominated limited series GENIUS for National Geographic Channel, one of the first prestige limited series to find a wide audience. The 4th season of GENIUS - GENIUS MLK/X, which depicts the lives of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X - premieres on Nat Geo on February 1st 2024 and drops on Disney+ and Hulu the next day. Over his career, Sam has executive produced 19 original TV series and set up dozens of television and film projects at major studio and distributors in Hollywood and is well-versed at finding success developing, pitching, and selling his projects. Exclusively for Stage 32, Sam will teach you how to develop, pitch, and sell limited series to a streamer or network by first learning how to identify source material, packaging talent into your project, and identifying the buyers. He’ll also show you how to build the pitch, approach the buyers, and even share what the deals look like. Sam will even share examples of the emails and finders fees he used to package his projects. Plus! Sam will walk you through a real pitch deck he used for a limited series he worked on, so you can see how he put all the pieces together to ultimately pitch and sell the project. You won’t want to miss out on this detailed on-demand webinar!
Founded in 2011 by Richard "RB" Botto, Stage 32 is the world's largest online platform connecting and educating film, TV and new media creatives and professionals worldwide. Stage 32 works with over five hundred industry professionals and executives who provide education, instruction and professional opportunities for members of the platform. Stage 32 currently has over 1,200 hours of exclusive film, television and digital craft and business education in its library. Stage 32 members use the platform daily to build their network, take online webinars, classes and labs, find work and cast and crew their projects. Stage 32 members range from students to Emmy, BAFTA and Academy Award Winners. We work tirelessly to ensure that you know that Stage 32 is your online home to stay connected with over 600,000 creatives and professionals from across the globe. Now, we are excited to present a virtual panel featuring some of the top minds in the Stage 32 community to discuss the current state of animation, as the industry adapts to a new development and production landscape after the COVID-19 pandemic. In this panel discussion you will hear the point of view of top animation minds including Mike Mitchell (THE LEGO MOVIE: 2, TROLLS, THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SPONGE OUT OF WATER), Conrad Vernon (THE ADDAMS FAMILY, SAUSAGE PARTY, SHREK) and Harland Williams (Disney's PUPPY DOG PALS, Netflix's SKYLANDERS ACADEMY), all moderated by producer, and Stage 32 Managing Director, Amanda Toney. Stage 32 is proud to be putting the "social" in #SocialDistancing. Please share this event on your social media and tag @stage32 on Twitter and @stage32online on Instagram.
You can join Daniel Kendrick, Manager and Development Executive at Chatrone (Golden Globe nominated animation feature film The Book of Life, with animated clients for SpongeBob SquarePants, The Lego Movie, Robot Chicken, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) as he deconstructs PIXAR's Oscar-nominated script, Inside Out! As the second highest grossing PIXAR film ever made and Oscar nominee, what makes Inside Out resonate so deeply with audiences across the world? PIXAR, the world’s premiere animation studio, has yet again managed to produce a smash hit that makes everyone laugh and cry all the way from children to grown adults. Join your host, Daniel Kendrick as he delves deep to deconstruct the Inside Out script as part of the popular Stage 32 Next Level Education "Deconstructing the Script" series! You will learn the storytelling strategies and techniques PIXAR employs to produce hit after hit award-winning animated features. Daniel will go over the methods by which PIXAR tweaks traditional story structure to compose an enthralling character piece. You will understand the plot points and characterization that makes the fictional inhabitants of a mind in this script so appealing and endearing. You will also understand the visual and poetic appeal of Inside Out and its characters’ journeys. You will walk away with a solid understanding of all the elements that make Inside Out a successful script including: protagonist, plotlines, characters, dialogue & visuals, set ups & pay offs, animation and overall development. To find out more, click the "What You Will Learn" tab above!
Learn how you can keep the stakes high at all times in your screenplays from the Emmy-nominated writers of the critically acclaimed series THE HANDMAID'S TALE PLUS! You'll receive a downloadable copy of the pilot script for THE HANDMAID'S TALE! Do you ever wonder why you are so drawn to your favorite series and films? What is it about the story that hooks you and keeps you glued to the screen? What makes you fear for your favorite characters while hoping they accomplish their goals and defeat their foes? While there are a number of facets that make a story compelling - nuanced characters, solid world building, and sound story structure to name a few - there is one fundamental aspect of storytelling that keeps audiences engaged: maintaining high stakes. If you’ve ever heard the term “raise the stakes” you’re familiar with the notion of putting your characters in situations that provide the greatest risk if they do not accomplish their goal. While obvious examples of high stakes can be seen in most action films (i.e. defusing the bomb, saving the planet, winning the war), high stakes don’t need to be existential or life threatening; rather, the stakes are as big as their meaning to the characters. While the stakes can vary from story to story, it is critical that you, the writer, maintain high stakes for your characters no matter what you are writing. However, how can you create high stakes and maintain them throughout the course of your story? How can your characters face their stakes in a way that is meaningful and doesn’t feel cheap to the audience? How can you milk the conflict for as long as possible to draw out the tension? Here to answer all these questions and teach how to keep the stakes high in your writing are John Herrera and Nina Fiore, Emmy-nominated writers and producers on Hulu’s critically acclaimed series THE HANDMAID’S TALE. John and Nina are instrumental in keeping audiences engaged in the show and are excited to share their screenwriting knowledge with the Stage 32 community. John and Nina have also written on BLOOM, a new show for Netflix that will be coming soon - and on USA’s THE PURGE, Syfy’s NIGHTFLYERS, BLOOD DRIVE, ALPHAS, and EUREKA. PLUS! You will receive a copy of the pilot script for THE HANDMAID'S TALE. If you’re a screenwriter looking to tell an engaging story that will keep your audience begging for more, this webinar is a must!