Hello, Stage32 Creative Community!

I hope you’re all doing well in these challenging but exciting creative times. Today, I’d like to talk about networking and how it can change the game for filmmakers. I’m a communicator, but sometimes I’m not! I don’t typically define myself as either an extrovert or an introvert. It depends on the situation, the people around me and, honestly, sometimes simply the day.

So, how did I learn to find a balance between those two sides of myself?

Before I share my strategy, I want to tell you about an experience from many years ago that completely changed the way I think about networking.

Many years ago, I was at a fashion show with a booth promoting my cork fashion accessories brand. It was the final day, I was exhausted, and my desire to network or connect with anyone was practically zero. A woman came to the booth. I assumed she was simply another curious visitor. She started asking questions about the products, the company and me. I remember thinking that I didn’t particularly want to talk and secretly hoping she would move on. Then she asked to see our bestselling product: a cork umbrella.

I opened the umbrella and explained the product, still assuming the conversation probably wasn’t going anywhere. I was polite, but I wasn’t present. Then she took out her card and introduced herself. She was the First Lady of Portugal’s assistant. She told me they wanted to invite my brand to a reception at the Presidency three months later. You can imagine my face! Suddenly, my exhaustion disappeared. My energy returned, and I was completely engaged in the conversation. Six months later, I was in Norway with Portugal’s President and First Lady, showcasing some of the finest Portuguese products. I never forgot the lesson.

You never know who is standing in front of you.

Be kind. Stay curious. Listen actively. Most importantly, don’t make assumptions about the person you’re speaking with. You never know where one genuine conversation might lead.

Become Your Own Story

After that experience, I developed a simple strategy: I created my own story and learned how to become my own calling card. That story became my 30-second elevator pitch. It tells someone the essentials: who I am, what matters to me, what I do and where I’m hoping to go. At the time, my pitch was about my business career. When I moved into filmmaking, I created a new one. And as my career has evolved, so has my pitch. That is important. Your 30-second story shouldn’t be something you write once and keep forever. It should grow with you. Today, mine sounds something like this:

My 30-second elevator pitch

“Hi, I’m Sandra Isabel, a Portuguese screenwriter, director and executive producer. I came to filmmaking after an international career as an entrepreneur and today I tell female-led stories about autonomy, consent, visibility, love and emotional transformation. I wrote and directed my first short film, The Misstep, and I’m currently developing my feature romantic drama Soul Mated alongside other film and vertical projects. I love connecting with people who believe stories can entertain us and still leave something behind. That’s a little about me. I’d love to hear about you.”

The purpose isn’t to recite your CV. It’s to give someone enough of your story to understand who you are and, hopefully, become curious enough to continue the conversation. And notice the last sentence. “I’d love to hear about you.”

Networking is a conversation, not an audition.

How to Create Your Own Pitch in 30 Seconds

1) Identify Your Key Points

Who You Are: Start with your name and a brief description of what you do.

Your Identity: What defines you creatively and professionally? What makes your perspective yours?

Your Goals: What are you working towards right now? What kind of people or opportunities would you genuinely like to connect with?

2) Craft a Compelling Narrative

Opening Line: Start simply and confidently. You don’t need a dramatic sales pitch to be interesting.

Core Message: Give a concise picture of your background, creative identity and current direction.

Closing Statement: Leave room for the other person. Ask about them. Invite a conversation rather than delivering a monologue.

3) Practice and Refine

Rehearse Regularly: Practice until your introduction feels natural rather than memorized. Try recording yourself and watching it back. You’ll quickly notice what sounds like you and what doesn’t.

Seek Feedback: Try your pitch with friends, colleagues or mentors and ask them what they remember afterwards. That can tell you a lot.

Adjust as Needed: Your pitch should change depending on the situation and audience. And as your career changes, update it. The person you are introducing today may be very different from the person you were introducing a year ago.

Example of a 30-Second Pitch

“Hi, I’m Alex, a filmmaker with a background in documentary production. My storytelling journey began with a love of capturing real-life stories, and I’ve since moved into fiction. I’m currently developing a short film exploring identity and resilience, and I’d love to connect with other filmmakers interested in emotionally driven storytelling. That’s what I’m working on now. What about you?”

A simple introduction like this can serve several purposes:

Starting Conversations: It breaks the ice and makes it easier to engage with someone new.

Introducing Yourself: It gives people a concise and memorable sense of who you are.

Clarifying Your Goals: It helps you articulate what you are doing and what you hope to achieve.

Having your story ready means you don’t have to search for the right words when an unexpected opportunity appears. Because, as I learned many years ago, you never know who might be listening.

Essential Traits and Skills for Success

Networking effectively as a filmmaker isn’t about collecting contacts. It’s about developing the skills that help us build genuine relationships.

Here are some that experience has taught me matter most.

1) Communication Skills

Self-Connection: Meaningful relationships with others begin with understanding yourself. Know what matters to you and what you want to communicate.

Clarity: Learn to express your ideas simply and clearly.

Asking Questions: Thoughtful questions create conversations and help us understand the person in front of us.

Active Listening: Don’t simply wait for your turn to speak. Pay attention. Genuine interest creates trust.

2) Confidence

Self-Assuredness: Become comfortable introducing yourself and talking about your work.

Assertiveness: Share your ideas and opinions confidently without becoming aggressive or dismissive of someone else’s perspective.

3) Empathy

Understanding: Try to understand other people’s experiences and perspectives.

Compassion: Treat people as people first and professional contacts second.

4) Authenticity

Genuineness: Be yourself. Trying to become the person you think someone wants to meet rarely creates a meaningful connection.

Honesty: Trust grows through honesty and transparency.

5) Adaptability

Flexibility: Different situations and personalities require different ways of communicating.

Openness: Be open to ideas, experiences and people you didn’t expect.

6) Persistence

Resilience: Rejection and setbacks are part of every creative career.

Determination: Keep showing up. Not every conversation will lead somewhere, and it doesn’t need to.

7) Professionalism

Etiquette: Respect other people’s time, work and boundaries.

Reliability: If you say you’re going to do something, follow through.

8) Creativity

Innovation: Think creatively about how you meet and connect with others.

Inspiration: Your own creativity can be one of the most powerful ways to start a conversation.

9) Organization

Planning: Prepare for events and interactions when preparation will help you feel more confident.

Follow-Up: A first conversation is only a beginning. Stay in touch when there is a genuine reason to do so.

10) Cultural Awareness

Sensitivity: Be respectful of different cultures, experiences and perspectives.

Inclusivity: The creative industries are strengthened when different voices are welcomed into the conversation.

Put It Into Action Today: The Creative Army Drive Is Live

If you've been looking for the perfect moment to put everything into practice, now is your time. Stage 32's September Creative Army Drive is underway, and Week 1 is open through the end of day tomorrow. Then Week 2 launches first thing on Monday!

The mission this week is simple: share Stage 32 with one of your favorite creative communities. A social post, a message in your group chat, a mention in a forum or a Discord, your newsletter, your acting class, the bulletin board at your community theater. Wherever your creative people gather, that's where the call goes.

Then head to the Creative Army post in the Producing Lounge and tell us where you shared it. Every member who completes the mission gets a free Stage 32 Webinar of their choice, sent directly by Ashley with a personal thank-you.

And here's the part I love about this one. Every creative you bring in makes this community stronger for all of us: more collaborators, more conversations, more people who understand what you're building. That's not a favor you're doing for Stage 32. That's you investing in your own network.

There are five weekly missions running through the end of September, and members who complete three or more are in the running for the Grand Prize, a free Career Development Call with an executive of your choice.

See you in the Lounge. Click here to join now!

One Last Thought

Stop worrying so much about whether you are an introvert or an extrovert. Instead, learn to understand your own social battery, your boundaries and the situations in which you feel most comfortable connecting with others. Then challenge yourself occasionally.

Say hello. Ask the question. Join the conversation.

You don’t need to work the entire room. Sometimes you only need to meet one person. I learned that lesson standing beside a cork umbrella many years ago. And I’ve never forgotten it.

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 Ashley at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

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