Latest Blogs

I know you treat reading the trades as part of your job, so I'm sure you saw the news on Deadline this morning!   Read more here We're thrilled to be partnering and joining forces with National Lampoon to find the next great comedy writer.  National Lampoon is, of course, one of the most iconic names in comedy and the new ownership of Co-CEO's Raj Singh, and Kevin Frakes and award winning producer, Robert Barnum, are ready to take the brand to new heights.  The National Lampoon crew is com...

  My husband (writer/director) and I (producer) recently read a post on Stage 32, that a US team shot their film in eight days (with an additional three days for rehearsals), with two main cast, few locations and the dramatic concept of topical storylines, that unfolded through video chat. This is a solid idea when shooting a feature on a micro budget, because it requires minimal angles and set-ups, which allows you to shoot more scenes of dialogue per day. Set ups take time, the more se...

Hello, creative army!  Miss me?  All apologies for the lack of Coffee & Content these past 2 Sundays.  Cannes was a wall to wall, all out affair - and a very productive one at that.  I'll be sharing some news from the fest and market soon.  We have some extremely exciting opportunities and initiatives in the works that will be of major interest to our incredibly talented members. Today, however, let's get back to consuming some quality content.  This past week, I had the pleasure - and I do me...

I first began putting short films online in 2002, very shortly after graduating high school. It was a simpler time, before YouTube existed and individual, low-quality mpg or wmv files had to be uploaded to your very own website for people to, get this, right click and save to their computers! It was also a time when, if you told someone your goal was to be a filmmaker and that you made movies of your own, they would give you a very impressed, “Wow, really?” reaction, and be amazed that you could...

In 1993, nothing inspired me more than Mariah Carey’s hit song, “Hero,” which was about finding the hero within yourself even if there were no heroes around you. I was 12-years-old and I had started writing screenplays two years earlier at the age of 10. I was a kid and doubted that people took me seriously when I called myself a writer. I never knew that Mariah Carey would be even more of an inspiration to me than she was through that song. In the latest issue of People magazine (April 23, 20...

In publishing, you hear the word NO a lot. From your own critique partners and beta readers --"NO, this scene doesn't work." From agents -- "NO, this isn't right for me to represent." From editors and publishers -- "NO, we don't have room in our line for this." Sometimes, NO is a good thing. For example, when your scene could use a little more work or when you're career is heading down the wrong path that isn't right for you anyway. But sometimes, NO has nothing to do with your book and your t...

I have resented the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” from as early as I can remember, which lands me in my sixth grade play wearing a tennis outfit, surrounded by classmates dressed up as doctors, lawyers, teachers and other professions that were sure to evoke prideful smiles from their parents, beaming at them from the audience. How the hell was I supposed to know? I was twelve. I liked tennis. I was good at it. And, having just returned to California after living in England...

So you’ve finally caught on that the easiest script to get made is horror. It’s global, it’s cheap and it’s the most made genre with independent investors. So what do you need to know?   1) Low Budget If You Are Not Established There are so many genius horror movies that take place in a house or a hotel or in the woods. Why? Because you only need one location. Monsters are tricky, but ghosts that you never really have to see (Paranormal Activity) are cheap. The cheaper your budget, the...

Recently during the 2018 Film Con Hollywood at the LA Convention Center we spent time with Stage 32er and panelist Jennifer Winberg, who is a Digital Specialist from MXM, an entertainment industry marketing & advertising agency. Jennifer has had a storied career in digital and has worked with Lionsgate, SONY, FOX, Gravitas Ventures and more. Today we've posted a video from Jennifer on our YouTube page as she gives advice on how to break into entertainment. Click here to hear Jennifer's advice!...

Where does your career end and your personal life begin? Where does your digital world end and your real world begin?     As a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (EMMYS), I’m currently invited to a lot of For Your Consideration screenings and events around Hollywood. At a recent FYC screening for WESTWORLD, Jonathan Nolan, the co-creator of the show, had some very insightful words about the dangers of “people becoming brands” via social media. He cautioned that he see...