Happy Thursday, Creative Army!

There is a moment that happens at every festival, market, and summit I have ever attended. Someone leans in, lowers their voice a little, and says some version of the same thing: "We have the incentives. We have the locations. We just do not have enough trained people on the ground to crew the productions when they come."

I have heard it in Los Angeles. I have heard it in Cannes. I have heard it from commissioners representing regions on nearly every continent. It is the quiet problem underneath all the loud conversations about tax credits and rebates, and it is the reason I am so proud to share something that has been a long time in the making.

Stage 32 has officially partnered with the Association of Film Commissioners International!

A Moment in Cannes I Will Not Forget

We announced this partnership during Cannes 2026, and the response was beyond anything I could have hoped for.

The Hollywood Reporter covered the announcement, framing it around exactly the challenge we built this partnership to solve: a shortage of trained below-the-line crew in emerging and competitive markets. Seeing our mission spotlighted in the trades, during the busiest week of the year on the Croisette, was one of the proudest moments of my career.

But I want to be honest with you about what that moment actually represented. A headline takes a few seconds to read. This partnership took months of conversations, phone calls across time zones, relationship-building, and a shared belief that we could fix something real. So before I tell you what it does, let me tell you why it matters.

And the belief behind it did not start with me. Stage 32 Certification was RB Botto's brainchild. He saw the same problem playing out in regions all over the world, productions ready to roll, incentives in place, and not enough trained professionals on the ground to make it happen, and rather than just naming the problem, he built the answer. Certification grew directly out of his conviction that talent exists everywhere and that the only thing standing between a passionate creative and a real career is access to the right training. That mission is what inspires me to do this work, and it is what drives me to bring partnerships like this one to life.

Click here to read the full article!

And if you want to put this partnership to work for your own projects right away, stick around to the end of this post. We are kicking things off with a free webcast, and I will tell you exactly how to grab your seat.

The Problem Nobody Talks About at the Podium

Here is the part that does not make the keynote speeches. Right now, more regions than ever are investing in tax incentives to attract production. That is genuinely exciting. It means opportunity is spreading far beyond the traditional hubs, into places that have never had a real shot at hosting major film and television work.

But incentives alone do not make a production possible. When a film lands in a region, it needs people. It needs production accountants who understand the books. It needs assistant directors who can run a set. It needs line producers, location managers, coordinators, and post-production professionals who can step in on day one and operate at an international standard.

When those people are not there, one of two things happens. The production brings its crew in from elsewhere, which means the local economy loses out on the jobs the incentive was supposed to create. Or the production looks at the gap, gets nervous, and chooses a different region entirely.

As AFCI executive director Claire Brooks put it, "The ability to support projects on the ground is becoming a key differentiator between markets. Strengthening local crew capacity allows jurisdictions to more fully realize the benefits of their incentive programs and support productions with greater consistency and confidence."

That is the heart of it. The incentive gets a production interested. The crew is what actually keeps it there.

Why AFCI, and Why Now

If you do not work directly with film commissions, you might not realize just how central AFCI is to the way the global industry functions. AFCI represents the backbone of global production infrastructure. Its members are the people on the ground in their regions making production possible, the ones who answer the phone when a studio is scouting, who know every location and every local resource, who fight to bring jobs and projects to their communities.

What they have built is an extraordinary global network. Our role is to support that network by helping their members strengthen both their crews and their operations. As I shared when the news broke, "AFCI represents the backbone of global production infrastructure. They're the ones on the ground making production possible in every region. What they've built is an incredible global network, and our role is to support that by helping their members strengthen both their crews and their operations. When film commissions are set up to succeed, the entire ecosystem benefits, from studios all the way to local crews."

"Partnering with them allows us to bring that level of education directly to our members and help close the gaps that are holding regions back," Claire said of the collaboration.

This is not theoretical for us. Stage 32 has already worked with more than 50 film commissions and organizations worldwide, with programs in Saudi Arabia, Croatia, South Africa, Uganda, Poland, and so many other regions, all focused on building local crews that can support incoming productions at an international standard. This partnership takes everything we have learned doing that work and makes it available across AFCI's entire global membership.

The program rolled out globally beginning in June, with training, certification access, and ongoing education initiatives available to AFCI's members. And it includes something I am especially excited about: a brand new course built specifically for the global filmmaking community, "Understanding What a Film Commission is, What They Do, and How They Benefit Productions," taught by Marjorie Galas, AFCI's senior director of membership and programming. We are not just training crews. We are helping the people who lead these regions build the systems that sustain them.

What Stage 32 Certification Actually Is

If you are reading about Stage 32 Certification for the first time, here is what you need to know.

Certification is our answer to the exact problem I described above. It is affordable, accessible, fully online training that prepares people for real, verifiable jobs in film and television, taught by working professionals who are actively doing these jobs at the highest levels of the industry. We are talking about educators like Mike Fantasia (Top Gun: Maverick), Miranda Carnessale (Barbie), producer Brad Carpenter (The Diplomat), and Paramount Studios' Shalonda Ware, among many others. These are not academics teaching theory. They are the people hiring crews and running productions right now, sharing exactly what the job requires.

There are two types of Stage 32 Certification.

Master Certifications: These are a group of courses that make up a master's knowledge of a particular discipline. You will need to take all of the courses in a Master Certification track and pass a test in each course in order to be Master Certified.

Current Master Certifications Include:

• Production Accounting Master Certification
• TV Production Management Master Certification
• Feature Film Production Management Master Certification
• Line Producing Master Certification
• Producer Key Legal Agreements Master Certification
• Script Supervising Master Certification
• Location Management Master Certification
• Production Coordinator Master Certification
• Production Assistant Master Certification
• Assistant Director Master Certification
• Post-Production Supervision Master Certification

Individual Certifications: These are individual courses that focus on a particular skill set, in which you will watch the course and then be tested at the end to receive your certificate.

Current Individual Certifications Include:

• Budget Creation
• Production Scheduling
• Call Sheets
• Production Accounting 101
• Payroll Accounting and Management for Film & TV
• Cost Reporting
• US Tax Incentive Management
• Script Supervision 101
• Script Supervision: Script Timing & Page Breakdown
• Script Supervision: Continuity Breakdown
• Script Supervision: Script Notes & Lined Script Pages
• Script Supervision: On Set Continuity
• Script Supervision: Progress Reports & Work Flow
• Production Wrap Deliverables
• Final Delivery Elements Of A TV Show
• Final Delivery Elements Of A Feature Film
• Option/Purchase/Shopping Agreements
• Feature Film Financing Agreements
• Investor Agreements
• International Co-Production Agreements
• Crew Agreements
• Talent Agreements
• Distribution & Sales Agency Agreements
• Fundamentals Of Location Management
• Location Scouting
• Location Management: Budgeting & Scheduling
• Location Management: Contracts, Risk Management & Negotiating
• The Fundamentals of Production Coordinating
• Production Coordinator: Logistics
• Fundamentals Of Production Assisting
• Production Assistant: On Set Protocols
• Production Assistant: Paperwork & Department Interaction
• Fundamentals Of Assistant Directing
• Assistant Director Scheduling
• First Assistant Director On Set Protocols
• Key 2nd Assistant Director Protocols & Call Sheets
• 2nd 2nd Assistant Director Protocols
• Fundamentals of Post-Production Supervision
• Post-Production Supervisor Protocols for a TV Series
• Post-Production Supervisor Protocols for a Feature Film
• Post-Production Supervisor Scheduling & Budgeting
• Post-Production Coordinator & Production Assistant Protocols

What Happens After You Get Certified?

Once you complete a Stage 32 Certification, you will:

Be included in a global database searchable by industry professionals, film commissions, and studios. Receive a certification badge on your Stage 32 profile, which is visible to over 1.5 million members worldwide. Gain credentials to display on your social media, resume, and LinkedIn profile. Be recognized as a qualified industry professional, making it easier for you to get hired and advance your career.

Why This One Is Personal

I have spent years of my career building partnerships, and I can tell you that the ones that last are the ones rooted in a shared belief rather than a transaction. This is one of those.

Everywhere I go, I hear the same challenge from commissioners and producers alike: productions want to come, but there are not enough trained people ready to hire. Watching this program grow from those conversations into a global partnership with the very organization that represents film commissions worldwide is something I will be proud of for a long time.

The conversation around production incentives is important. The conversation around workforce development is essential. If regions want production to grow, they have to invest in education, training, and certification. That is exactly what this partnership is built to do.

So whether you are a creative looking to build a sustainable career on set, a commissioner working to strengthen your region, or simply someone who believes that talent exists everywhere and only opportunity is unevenly distributed, this is for you. The walls that used to keep people out of this industry are coming down, one trained professional at a time. And we are just getting started.

Your First Step Is Free: Join Us for a Live Webcast

If this partnership has you wondering how film commissions could help your own projects, I have the perfect place to start, and it will not cost you a thing.

We are hosting a free Stage 32 webcast, Understanding What a Film Commission Is, What They Do, and How They Benefit Productions, taught by Marjorie Galas, Senior Director of Membership and Programming at AFCI.

Here is the truth most producers never hear. There is a free resource available to you almost anywhere in the world that can save you time, money, and a significant amount of logistical headache, and chances are you have never used it. Film commissions exist in cities, regions, states, and countries across the globe, and their entire purpose is to support productions like yours. Most creatives either do not know they exist, assume they only matter when a tax incentive is involved, or simply do not know what to ask for. The result is that productions move forward without ever tapping into location directories, permitting assistance, local government connections, and community resources that are sitting there, ready to use, at no cost.

In this session, Marjorie will give you a clear picture of what a film commission actually is, how it is structured, and the full range of services it provides, from location scouting and permitting support to visa assistance and community connections. You will learn when to reach out, what to ask, and how to use AFCI's global directory to find the right commission for your project, wherever you are filming. By the time you are done, you will understand why a film commission should be your first call, before you lock your location and before you roll camera.

This session is for you if you are:

A producer or filmmaker at any stage of your career. A content creator developing projects for film, TV, or streaming. A production coordinator or line producer managing logistics. A screenwriter or director looking to take a project into production. A student or emerging creative breaking into the industry.

Click here to register for free!

If you know a producer, a filmmaker, or an emerging creative who could use this, share it with them. This is exactly the kind of knowledge that changes how someone approaches their next production, and it is free for everyone, so send it to someone who needs it.

That is how this partnership becomes real for you. Not a headline, but a free seat at a session that can change how you make your next project. The walls that used to keep people out of this industry are coming down, one trained professional at a time. Come be one of them.

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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