I’ve been meaning to post my Stage 32 success stories for a while, but I’ve been busy with, well, working on the jobs I’ve gotten through Stage 32. I’ve had jobs where I wrote feature scripts, rewrote scripts, gave feedback on scripts, co-wrote short scripts, and more. I’ve also made pitch decks for writers and directors, and recently, I was hired to make three pitch decks for a writer and now friend, Andy Carpenter.

One, Two, Three

During the spring of this year, Andy contacted me about making a pitch deck for his script TOW. He was so impressed with the pitch deck that he hired me to make a pitch deck for his script KEEPER. Then he hired me for a third pitch deck! It was for his script LINGER.

I’ve been rehired before after doing a great job on a project, but a third hire? A three-peat? I was surprised (but glad)!

How I Got The Jobs

The biggest thing that got me the first job was being active on Stage 32. If I wasn’t active on this platform, Andy might’ve never seen me, and I wouldn’t have been hired to make his pitch deck.

The second biggest thing that got me the first job was having pitch deck samples. I sent Andy some of my own pitch decks as samples. Producers, directors, production companies, etc. want to see what you can do before hiring you. My advice: Keep samples on hand. Samples like short scripts, feature scripts, Director Reels, Acting Reels, Composing Reels, and short films.

What got me the second and third jobs was making a great product (pitch deck) for the first job. Do great on a job, and you might get rehired (or a "hat trick").

You Can Get Work on Stage 32

I tell people this all the time: Be active. That’s how you get jobs on Stage 32. Be active in the Lounges, the Blogs, the Job Section, the Writers’ Room, and the Browse Section (they’re near the top of the platform). Make posts, ask questions, and comment on people’s posts. Post your scripts in the Logline Section of your page. Post your videos in the Video Section of your page.

I also tell people this all the time: Build relationships. And really, if you’re active on Stage 32, it’s going to lead to building relationships, so Be Active and Build Relationships go hand in hand.

Speaking of relationships, I can’t forget to say this: Maintain relationships. After you build relationships, maintain them, which means sending “thank you” notes (postal mail and email), stay in contact with those people, check on them to see how they’re doing, support their projects, hang out with them (in person or virtually), and so on. You can build a thousand relationships in the film industry, but if you don’t maintain them, they won’t do you any good. Not that you’re only building relationships in the industry for what you can get out of people. You should want to maintain your industry relationships just because those people are your friends.

Here are some other things you can do to get jobs on Stage 32:

1.) Build Up Your Craft: The better you are as a writer, director, actor, animator, etc., the more jobs you’ll get hired for.

2.) Act Professional: When you interact with people on Stage 32, act professionally. If they see you’re unprofessional, they might not hire you.

3.) Make Sure You Have a Profile Picture and a Bio on Your Page: When a producer, director, etc. looks to hire someone, they want to see who that person is (profile picture), and they want to know about that person (bio).

4.) Be Persistent: You can be a great writer, actor, director, etc., and do everything I mentioned in this blog, but it’s still hard to get jobs sometimes, so you need persistence. Keep trying, keep applying.

A Great Conclusion!

Andy optioned his scripts TOW and KEEPER! Double congratulations, Andy! You can check out Andy’s projects on his Stage 32 page.

I hope this blog helps you take the plunge and start seeing the opportunities available to connect and get work on Stage 32, and I’m looking forward to hearing YOUR success stories!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Emily at emily@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

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