Happy Sunday, Creative Army!

I hope your weekend has been a creative one so far. Whether you have been writing, filming, editing, or sketching out the next spark of an idea, I have something today that will give you a boost. So grab your coffee, and let's dive in.

This week's featured video comes from Panavision: Peter Deming ASC on David Lynch, Horror, and Comedy.

Peter Deming has shot Mulholland Drive, Evil Dead II, Scream, and Austin Powers. And the first thing out of his mouth is that he is still learning. He says we all think there will come a time when we know everything, and that time never arrives. Decades into a career most people in this industry would trade for, he is still studying, still asking other people how they work.

Deming's path was not a straight line and it was not glamorous. He moved up to first AC and says flatly that he did not have the first assistant gene at all. He spent a year as an operator where his longest job was three days, shooting educational films with subject matter he found boring, because it let him learn exposure and printing. Nobody was watching any of that. He did it anyway.

Robert Townsend found him through a director he knew from AFI, which turned into Hollywood Shuffle. And Sam Raimi found him because he had shot a small low-budget indie in Michigan, where Raimi is from. Deming still does not know exactly what caught his eye. He has never asked. One of the most respected cinematographers working today got Evil Dead II because he took a tiny movie in the right place and somebody noticed.

Watch the whole thing, especially the stretch on David Lynch. Deming describes how the more they worked together, the less they needed to say to each other. That is what a real partnership looks like after years of earned trust.

I bring all of that up for a reason. I have been getting a ton of questions about the potential Paramount and Warner Bros. merger, and I want to give you my honest read. A few months back I said we were not even in the bottom of the first inning. We are still not through the third. We are in the posturing, threats, and personal agendas phase, and that is going to continue for a while.

Look at what has been in the news. Ellison threatening to move out of California. You have nine million experts who will give you a million reasons he will never do it, and nine million more who will tell you exactly why he will. Nobody knows what he is going to do. Nobody knows whether he is bluffing. There is talk of both Paramount and Warner Bros. putting out 15 films a year, with a willingness to put it in writing. Some people hear that and get excited, especially about a 45-day theatrical window, which is worth its own conversation. Others hear it and say eight will be good and seven will be sub-million-dollar filler to hit the quota.

Half glass full, half glass empty. And anybody who tells you they know exactly how this will play out is not being straight with you.

So what does it mean for you as a creative? Nothing. Keep writing. Keep making your films. Keep coming up with new ideas.

I am serious about this. Too many of you are burning real energy on things completely outside your control, and that energy has to come from somewhere. Every hour spent refreshing the trades over a merger that will not resolve for months is an hour you did not spend on your pages. Write what you want to write, for who you want to write it for. Then hone in on your targets and take action.

Which brings me back to Deming. He did not build that career by correctly predicting where the industry was heading. He built it by learning exposure on educational films nobody remembers, by taking a small movie in Michigan, and by being good enough that when the call came, he was ready for it. The industry reorganized around him several times. He kept shooting.

That is the only strategy that has ever worked. Control the work. Control who you are building relationships with. Control whether you are ready when the phone rings. Everything else is somebody else's chess game.

Now I want to hear from you. What is the one thing in your career you can actually control this week, and what are you going to do about it? Finish the draft, make the call, book the session, shoot the scene? Name it in the comments.

As always, here at Stage 32, we love sharing stories and knowledge with our fellow film fans. Know someone who would love this content? Share it with them. You can keep up with all of our videos by subscribing to the Stage 32 YouTube Channel. For more inspirational, educational, and motivational content on all things entertainment industry, follow me on Instagram and X @rbwalksintoabar.

Wishing you a very happy, healthy, and creative Sunday.

Cheers,

RB

Panavision | Peter Deming ASC on David Lynch, Horror, and Comedy

RBWalksIntoABar | What's Happening with the Paramount Merger?

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