Networking

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Hope your July 4th weekend has been full of laughter, fireworks, and just enough peace to let those creative gears turn. Whether you’ve been writing, filming, editing, or dreaming up your next big idea, I’ve got something for you today that blends entertainment, education, and a little bit of “how not to do it.” So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in. This week’s featured video comes from the team at It Was A Sh*t Show, a brilliantly irreverent and informative se...

Happy Friday, Stage 32 Community! There’s a lot of mystery surrounding the word “development.” It’s one of those industry terms that gets tossed around constantly, but when you ask five different people what it means, you’ll probably get five different answers. That’s why this week, inspired by a recent conversation in the Writer’s Room Lounge, I want to pull back the curtain a bit. In honor of July Filmmakers Club, we’re getting real about what filmmaking actually looks like, the good, the...

Before we do anything else, let’s get the trite, buzz-wordy - and largely inaccurate - piece of non-advice out of the way first: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” It’s pithy and sounds so wise. And you’ve heard it so often that it basically just folds into any conversation you ever have about how to build your network. It’s also one of those nothing phrases that people say without really digging into it deeper. The first major problem with it is that it’s not who you know, but i...

Networking is too often associated with adjectives such as uncomfortable, artificial, or intimidating. However, there are concrete ways to change your mindset and navigate these situations effectively so it goes back to what it was originally intended for: creating and solidifying meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships, in your industry and beyond. 1) Think About Your Purpose As a film producer, I have always wanted to work with people from all over the world to make authentic fi...

Greetings, Stage 32 Creatives! The nights are long, the screams are louder, and the opportunities are blood-curdling good. Stage 32’s SUMMER HORROR PITCHFEST is here! I’m Geoffroy Faugerolas, your new Director of Development Services, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to invite you to what may be our most electrifying pitch event to date. Over the course of 3 thrilling days, we’re bringing you 19 powerhouse executives who are all actively seeking horror and thriller content for film and telev...

It’s true that the writing sample is the most important part of any query letter. However, you need to spend some time making sure that the query letter is solid as well. First impressions matter, and you can rub agents the wrong way if your query letter isn’t up to snuff. Here are the 10 biggest mistakes screenwriters make when querying. 1. Using A Generic Greeting If you are submitting a query letter, address the agent properly by name in your greeting. It’s unprofessional to use a...

Happy Thursday, Creative Army! As you probably saw from my posts, I like to compare festivals and markets not against one another, but year over year. We had a fantastic Cannes last year, but there was still much apprehension in the air. Residue from COVID and the strikes, although even then, the international perspective remained optimistic. This year, the vibe was overwhelmingly positive, and we’ve returned to business as usual. The general feeling toward any negativity is that it’s all he...

Whether you are making Hollywood blockbusters, indie darlings, or passion projects in your back yard marketing your film on social media is incredibly beneficial. However, you may not be sure where to start. This article hopes to give you a guide, offering tips and advice on using social media as a creative. Create a Plan Work out what you want to share and when you want to share your posts. Take time to work out your target audience and post at the best times for them in order to get the m...

I got my first internship in the animation business in 1998 and was hired full time as a production assistant for Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1999. I have worked relatively steadily in the animation industry ever since. One question I am often asked is, “How can I break into the animation industry?” Well, I’m not going to sugar coat it and say, “Just follow these simple steps, and you too can be living the dream in the magical world of animation!” The truth is, just like any endeavor, there...

I have been writing and publishing stories for more than 10 years, first as a novelist. I always wrote in a silo, never sharing my work until I had reworked it countless times. Heaven forbid someone sees my terrible first draft! After publishing two novels this way, I opened myself up to a trusted friend as my next story was more complexly layered. It all made sense in my head, but would my reader get the connections? By bouncing around ideas and sharing my drafts with this friend, I fixed plot...