Stage 32 2-Part Lab: Elevate Your Acting Reel
Other education that may be of interest to you:
Actors: How to Find Opportunities and Build Your Career Through Fiction Podcasts
Learn the craft and business of voiceover acting for fiction podcasts from an acclaimed voiceover actor who has worked on successful podcasts such as THE BRIGHT SESSIONS, THE COLLEGE TAPES, THE BIG LOOP and more! It’s no secret that finding work and success as a working actor is difficult. Competition is fierce and jobs can be difficult to come by, especially if you’re just starting out or haven’t found your breakout role yet. However there’s more than one route to success, and more opportunities than you might expect to find work and build your career. One opportunity that continues to grow is fiction podcasts. Over 100 million Americans listen to podcasts on at monthly basis (if not more!), which includes hundreds of fiction podcasts like HOMECOMING, THE BRIGHT SESSIONS, THE LEFT RIGHT GAME and many more. These podcasts not only boasted devoted fanbases, but also engaged film and TV execs, producers and agents who are hungry for this type of content. By entering the fiction podcast space as an actor, you might not only find interesting, rewarding, and lucrative roles to play over a period of episodes or seasons, but also a career track to continue to find new roles and opportunities that can take you to film and TV work as well. The world of fiction podcasts is still very new and continues to change on an all-too-regular basis. That means despite there being ample opportunity for actors in this space, finding roles and your ‘in’ is a lot less straightforward than it is for film and TV. Actors that are successful in podcasts understand the podcast community, how to engage with fans and creators, and also how to use their voice to deliver great performances for the medium at hand. It’s certainly different than more traditional acting processes, but it’s not actually as hard as you might think, especially with the right expertise and guidance. There are few actors more prolific or recognizable in the world of fiction podcasts today than Briggon Snow. Perhaps best known for voicing Caleb Michaels in the cult hit podcast THE BRIGHT SESSIONS and its spinoff THE COLLEGE TAPES, Briggon has performed on over ten popular fiction podcasts like THE BIG LOOP and IN STRANGER WOODS and lends his voice to audiobooks including THE INFINITE NOISE and FIRST, BECOME ASHES. Briggon’s experience has allowed him to become a fixture and highly in-demand in the fiction podcast space and he has built an ongoing career from this success. He also has been able to transfer his experience to the world of TV, playing roles on shows like SEAL TEAM (CBS), GAME SHAKERS (Nickelodeon) and MASTERS OF SEX (Showtime). Briggon knows better than most what it means to be an actor for podcasts and is going to share his expertise exclusively with the Stage 32 community. In this exclusive Stage 32 on-demand webinar, Briggon will break down how you can find opportunities in fiction podcasts as an actor, hone your craft for this medium, and build a career in this audio space. He’ll outline what exactly makes a good podcast or voice actor and lay out how you can make a living with your voice. He’ll explain how to find casting opportunities specifically for fiction podcasts and will also give you tips to improve your auditions. Briggon will then show you techniques and craft tips to help you perform on podcasts, including the biggest technical and performance do’s and don’ts. He’ll also discuss how to make the most of both remote recording and recording in person with your cast and crew and will give you advice on the actual equipment you should invest in for your own home studio or auditions. Finally, Briggon will discuss how to best leverage your work in podcasts to find more VO work and jobs in other mediums like TV and film. If you’re trying to find your foothold and build your career as an actor, you don’t want to leave any stone unturned. Breaking in through podcasts is a huge opportunity you shouldn’t ignore, and there’s no one better than Briggon to break it down for you.
Horror Screenwriting 101
Learn the fundamental elements you need to incorporate into your horror feature film screenplay to make it attractive to producers, studios, financiers, streamers, and talent from Sean Keller, a screenwriter who has worked with Blumhouse, Hulu, Lionsgate, and more! Plus! You'll receive the scripts for ALL THAT WE DESTROY and John Carpenter's L.A. GOTHIC! Every Horror film you’ve ever seen starts out as a well-crafted and structured screenplay. This means people are going to have to read your script and decide whether or not it’s worth the time and money to turn it into a movie. You may have tons of great horror set pieces you can’t wait to terrify audiences with but unless your screenplay is compelling and maintains the reader’s interest, your script may never progress into a movie on the screen. The first priority of any writer, horror or otherwise, is storytelling. Before you make a great horror film, you’ll need a well-crafted horror screenplay. Horror movies are not just about terrifying the audience - most importantly they are about telling a story. The story is what makes us care about the characters and the hell they are about to go through. You could have the most original scares imaginable, but if we don’t care about the story and characters then we won’t care about what happens during your horror set pieces. Without elements of structure, character development, tone, and theme a producer may stop reading your screenplay, making it highly unlikely they’ll be interested in making your film. In this exclusive Stage 32 on-demand webinar, you will learn the fundamentals of how to develop and write (or rewrite) your horror feature film screenplay so that it can get the attention of producers, studios, and reps. Teaching you everything you need to know about writing your horror script is Sean Keller, a professional screenwriter and script doctor who has worked for Blumhouse, ABC, Lionsgate, as well as numerous independent production companies. Sean began working in the entertainment industry as an actor (Roger in 1st National Tour of RENT) before turning to screenwriting and his first love, horror. Sean has written for legendary horror directors Dario Argento (GIALLO) , John Carpenter (THE WARD) and Chelsea Stardust (ALL THAT WE DESTROY) and stars such as Nicolas Cage, Danny Glover, and Adrien Brody. Through his own experiences writing and producing horror films as well as fixing other writers’ scripts and teaching screenwriting and production to countless students and aspiring filmmakers, Sean has a keen sense of what makes a script successful in the horror genre and will be sharing what he knows exclusively with the Stage 32 community. Sean will walk you through everything you need to know to make your horror screenplay attractive to producers, investors, distributors, and talent including the current trends in the horror genre and market, how the business of horror writing works, how to best develop the characters in your horror screenplay, how to properly structure your horror feature film screenplay for maximum effect, and so much more. ***Sean will also teach you what you can do after completing your script to get your movie made and further your career as a screenwriter.*** PLUS! You'll receive exclusive handouts to help on your horror writing journey. Downloads include the scripts for: ALL THAT WE DESTROY (Blumhouse/Hulu) John Carpenter's un-produced film L.A. GOTHIC
How to Become a Professional Screenwriter 101
How to Become a Professional Screenwriter 101 The key to packaging yourself as a screenwriter and preparing you for a career in entertainment is all about finding the right people, building relationships, and knowing where your voice fits into the marketplace. Industry veteran, Michael Schulman (THE AVIATOR, SIXTH SENSE) will show you how to navigate your career, from getting your foot in the door and beyond. So you believe you’re ready to launch your screenwriting career. Now what? Most writers hunt for representation in the hopes that they will sell their scripts. But what if you can find the right people to produce with on your own? In this Stage 32 exclusive webinar, industry veteran Michael Schulman will show you how to make yourself and your script an appealing package, and find the right producers to build relationships with. Michael’s extensive career includes time working at William Morris, ICM, and CAA, as well as three studios, including Netflix. His experience makes him uniquely aware of what both producers and representatives are looking for in a writer and their scripts. This gives you fantastic access to years of insight from someone involved with some of the most successful films, including THE AVIATOR, ALI, THE SIXTH SENSE, GROUNDHOG DAY, and many more. Believe it or not, accessing real industry pros is not as difficult as it looks. Michael will help you write to your strengths, determine what exactly your script needs, know how to choose the right producers for your package, and also know how to reach out to them. From there, you’ll learn how to prepare to meet with both producers and representatives, even establishing follow-up steps to keep the conversation going with them. By the end of the webinar, you’ll understand the producer’s mindset of how to look at and market your scripts, viewing yourself as a package that can kickstart your career.
Stage 32 Presents: COVID-19 - A Conversation with Industry Professionals of the Current State of the Entertainment Industry
Founded in 2011 by Richard "RB" Botto, Stage 32 is the world's largest online platform connecting and educating film, TV and new media creatives and professionals worldwide. Stage 32 works with over five hundred industry professionals and executives who provide education, instruction and professional opportunities for members of the platform. Stage 32 currently has over 1,200 hours of exclusive film, television and digital craft and business education in its library. Stage 32 members use the platform daily to build their network, take online webinars, classes and labs, find work and cast and crew their projects. Stage 32 members range from students to Emmy, BAFTA and Academy Award Winners. Over the last few weeks, we have been working tirelessly to ensure that you know that Stage 32 is your online home to stay connected with over 600,000 creatives and professionals from across the globe. Now, we are looking forward to bringing you another virtual event to help you stay up-to-date about the state of the entertainment industry featuring some of the top professionals in the business. In this special event webcast we presented a virtual panel featuring some of the top minds in the Stage 32 community to discuss the current state of the entertainment industry as we are all faced with the COVID-19 pandemic. Our Stage 32 Managing Director, Amanda Toney, hosted this incredible lineup, where you will hear the point of view of a production company (Andrew Fried of Boardwalk Pictures), a lender (Viviana Zarragoitia of Three Point Capital), lender counsel (Carolyn Hunt of Barnes & Thornburg LLP), a talent representative (Tracy Christian of TCA Management), all moderated by producer and production company counsel (Elsa Ramo of Ramo Law PC). Stage 32 is proud to be putting the "social" in #SocialDistancing. Please share this event on your social media and tag @stage32 on Twitter and @stage32online on Instagram.
How to Develop, Pitch and Sell an Animated Series for a Streamer or Network
This webinar has a 100% Satisfaction Rating! Animated television is currently experiencing a boom like we’ve never seen before. Since it’s possible for the bulk of the work to be completed from home, animation has been flourishing as more players are turning to this format. New shows like SOLAR OPPOSITES on Hulu, CLOSE ENOUGH on HBO Max, FINAL SPACE on TBS and BLOOD OF ZEUS on Netflix are hugely popular, and this is just the beginning. Scores of upcoming animated shows are in the pipeline and just around the corner. Considering this appetite, it doesn’t look like this trend is fading any time soon. And more interest in animation means there are more opportunities for your own project to get noticed and get picked up. The opportunities may be extra plentiful right now, but you still need to do your homework and understand the animated TV industry and what they’re looking for if you want to be noticed. This means nailing down a great concept, a fantastic pitch deck, and a strategic and effective pitch. And all of these elements don’t need to just be good; they all need to lend themselves to the format and industry that is animated TV. But if you can ace all of these elements, you may have just found your way in and the piece of material that will fire you off the launch pad. Brad Graeber is the CEO and co-founder of Powerhouse Animation Studios, recognized as a leading producer of action animation for its work on Netflix original series like CASTLEVANIA and SEIS MANOS, as well as a multitude of video game cinemas, trailers, and commercials. Through Powerhouse, he has also produced several shows in the children’s space including Nickelodeon's THE ADVENTURES OF KID DANGER and Disney's IT'S A SMALL WORLD: THE ANIMATED SERIES. Based in Austin, TX, Brad is currently overseeing the highly anticipated upcoming Netflix series MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: REVELATION, based on the HE-MAN cartoons from the 1980s and produced by Kevin Smith. Few people know better than Brad what it takes to turn an idea into a successful animated show, and he’s going to share his knowledge with the Stage 32 community. In this exclusive Stage 32 on-demand webinar, Brad will draw from his deep experience in the world of animated TV to break down how to best develop your animated series and pitch and sell it to a streamer or other network. He’ll first teach you what animated TV looks like today, what networks are looking for and where we’re headed. Next he’ll dive into what you should do to get your own animated series market-ready. He’ll address the three questions you NEED to answer before you try to sell your show, and will give you for shaping your character descriptions, plot outlines, structural elements and unique viewpoint. Brad will also talk about how to get the meeting with an interested network or studio. Next Brad will go into crafting your pitch documents including an effective pitch deck and accompanying artwork. He will also go through the 8 biggest mistakes he sees writers make when putting together their animated shows and give you tips on how you can avoid these pitfalls. Brad will even share the pitch deck he used for his original series SEIS MANOS that got it picked up by Netflix and will break down the process of developing the show and getting the streaming giant on board. If you are working on an animated show, you’re going to want to hear what Brad has to say! Testimonials for Brad's Teaching and Stage 32 Education “Brad is fantastic. There is so much to consider in the animation world and this webinar taught me how to succeed in that journey." -- Mark R. "I was blown away by Brad's attention to detail throughout the class." -- Kayla M. "I couldn't recommend enough anything that Brad teaches. He's so knowledgable and is a great resource for your career. Thanks, Stage 32." -- Amanda L.
Creating the Best Festival Strategy for Your Film
With so many platforms and distributors in need of new content, it’s never been a better time for independent filmmakers to take their projects to a festival. However, submitting is only one step in the process of selling your film. You will learn the best strategies to raise your film’s chances of landing a film festival spot while debunking the myths and advice that actually work against your goals. You’ve heard countless stories of up-and-coming directors and producers who launched careers using an independent film on the festival circuit, but how did they do it? Getting into a festival is more than simply submitting. Each festival has a specific program style and schedule they’re filling, making the linear “one-size-fits-all” method a waste of your unique film’s potential. Save your budget and time with this Stage 32 exclusive webinar that shows you the steps successful filmmakers use to be accepted and even win big on the festival circuit. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how film festivals operate to then understand how to assess your film so it’s programmable. This session shows you how to create an actionable plan, including budgeting, deliverables, knowing which plans are right for your film, looking for patterns in responses to your film, and more. And who better to show you how it’s done than the “Film Festival Doctor,” Dr. Rebekah Louisa Smith, who has helped thousands of filmmakers secure film festival screenings, win awards, and receive positive recognition within the film industry. Rebekah’s company has won over 1,000 awards for their clients, including an Oscar nomination, while supporting 850 creatives worldwide. Rebekah provides you with high-level information that she’s learned over her many years while working with creatives like you. She’ll show you how to assess your film and build a strategy that works for it instead of spending money on festivals that won’t help you get ahead. At the same time, she’ll show you all the bad advice that many promote, but you should avoid, to raise your submission success rate. In addition to this invaluable information, you’ll have a chance to ask Rebekah any questions about creating a film festival strategy and how you can use her knowledge to your benefit. You’ll leave this webinar with both a plan and the confidence to take your film to the next level as you hit the festival circuit. PRAISE FOR REBEKAH'S TEACHINGS: "Rebekah Smith seems knowledgeable. Would have liked her to write out some of the sites or companies that she recommended." -Carlton S.
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