Inspirational

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 shar...

Happy Friday, Creative Community! Welcome to the first edition of On Location. Every month, I want to give you something the trades mostly do not: a clear look at where production is physically happening around the world, what is driving the movement, and what it means for the people who actually make things. Crew, ADs, production staff, location managers, actors, and the producers hiring all of them. Because the industry conversation tends to fixate on what is selling. This series is abou...

Hey everyone, Sam Rivera here, your Dev Services Coordinator. If you've been following The Industry Pulse, you know we're all about cutting through the noise to find the real signal. And right now, the signal is loud and clear: the traditional path to making movies isn't the only path anymore. I've been watching this wave build from my seat at Stage 32, where I work with writers and filmmakers every day who are trying to find their footing in a changing industry. What's happening right now isn...

When we start writing screenplays, it’s easy to become obsessed with the destination. The meeting. The manager. The producer who loves our script. The competition placement. The option. The words: “We want to make your film.” Those things are the dream. They’re the reason many of us keep putting ourselves through the strange combination of rejection, rewrites, self-doubt and ridiculous hours that comes with trying to build a career in film. But recently, I found myself asking a different q...

Happy Monday, Creative Community! Look at what this community just did together. Through the July Filmmakers Club, we shared our work, took on weekly challenges, learned directly from executives in AMAs, and celebrated each other's wins. Then all through August, we dug into crowdsourcing: how the biggest success stories of the year came from creatives who built their crowds first, and how a crowd that believes in you becomes the engine that carries your career. Two months of the same lesso...

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 StudioBinder: Why Some Cheap Movies Look Expensive. Every filmmaker in this community has had the thought at some point: my film would look better if I had more money. Sometimes that is true....

When planning an independent production, regional film incentives are frequently discussed as a cornerstone of the financial plan. However, the language surrounding these programs often obscures how they actually operate. In an ethical filmmaking ecosystem, an incentive is not an emotional tool used to accelerate a deal or create a false sense of security. It is a strict, rule-based government mechanism designed to stimulate regional job growth. To be ethical and transparent, a production mus...

Hi, Everyone! I'm Laura, the Marketing Coordinator here at Stage 32 supporting Development Services, which means my job is all about connecting this incredible global community of 1.5+ million creatives with the executives, services, contests, and opportunities that can move your careers forward.Before joining the Stage 32 team, I was Content Manager at FX Networks with The Walt Disney Company, where I supported the launches of new and returning shows including SHŌGUN and THE BEAR through webs...

You’ve got a script. You’ve got funding. Now you’re ready to start selecting locations. If this is your first time taking this step, here are some helpful tips to get you started. Assess your Needs If you have your production team in place including a location manager, cinematographer and production designer, these individuals should be (and will want to be) included in this step. However, if you are starting this process prior to securing a team (or if you have limited funds and are consolid...

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 FilmStack: When an Actor Didn’t Need to Be a Movie Star - Ethan Hawke. Ethan Hawke had every opportunity to become exactly what Hollywood wanted him to be, and he kept declining. Dead Poets S...