Coffee & Content - Ridley Scott on Directing & 10 Important Lessons on the Craft of Screenwriting

Hello, my fellow creatives.  Happy Sunday. Hope you are all enjoying and participating in what has been a very lively Introduce Yourself Weekend! Today for Coffee & Content, I'm bringing you some voices with years of experience talking directing and screenwriting. First up, legendary director, Ridley Scott waxes poetic on the craft of directing.  As usual, no pulled punches from Sir Ridley.  Nothing more for you to do with this one than pour yourself a full cuppa and kick back. Next, from our friends at Film Courage, a compilation piece featuring some screenwriters with some road beneath and behind 'em.  This one is called 10 Important Lessons on the Craft of Screenwriting.  Grab something to write on for this one - many takeaways to be had. As always, I ask you first and foremost to share.  Pay it forward.  It feels good.  And you can do so by hitting those cool share buttons in the upper right side of this page or by simply emailing the link to those you feel might benefit from the content. And, as you know, you're on a social media and networking platform!  And the easiest way to stand out is by being visible and expressing an opinion!  You can do both by leaving your thoughts in the comments section below. Enjoy the content and the coffee! Cheers! RB     Ridley Scott on Directing 10 Important Lessons on the Craft of Screenwriting   Like this blog post? Please share it on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, email etc) by using social media buttons at the top of the blog. Or post to your personal blog and anywhere else you feel appropriate. Thank you. As always, we welcome thoughts and remarks on ANY of the content above in the Comments section below...  Read More

Optioning My TV Series & Signing a Shopping Agreement From Outside of L.A.

I’m sure many people in this industry outside of Los Angeles wonder a lot about whether or not they should move to the West Coast to make their dreams come true. While I can continue to complain about the fact that my commute to work takes almost 2 hours and things spontaneously combust into flames over here, I completely get it. When you think about L.A., the images of red carpets, talented celebrities, and studios as far as they eye can see come vividly, and it basically is the reality of it. Just talking to people in line at the Burbank Costco or in “da club”, I’ve talked to 10x more actors and writers than I ever did in Minnesota. Even though there are so many physical opportunities here in terms of people and productions, the fact that you have to be in California to have an entertainment career is outdated. With the emergence of avenues like YouTube and Stage 32, people have been able to find success in this industry within their own homes. Take our very own Stage 32er Brent Kado for example. Even with moving to Chicago, Brent was able to maintain his industry contacts through the Stage 32 site, and has even optioned his series and signed a shopping agreement with Indigo Films with the help of WEtv after receiving constructive advice through our Stage 32 pitching feedback services! INDIGO FILMS is an independent television production company with a long-standing reputation for developing and producing exceptional programming across a wide variety of genres. Networks produced for include Investigation Discovery, Nat Geo WILD, Travel Channel and LMN. The project pitch is now in its second round of executive reviews at Amazon! Let's give Brent a huge congratulations in the comments section below!       If there’s anything to take away here, before you decide to quit your job and abandon your old life in the pursuit of your dreams, try everything you can locally. Set a foundation for you to feel like you’re ready to take the next step. Even if you know you’d sacrifice a lot to make your dreams work, remember that there are thousands that are willing to do just as much if not more than you. It’s so important to work smart in this industry, and there’s a lot of opportunities you can commit to through your computer screen. Head over to our YouTube page to watch him talk about his success, how he did it, and advice he has to other writers. And, while you're there, don't forget to subscribe so you always get our latest updates!    CLICK HERE TO WATCH BRENT'S SUCCESS STORY     And, while you're there, don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube page to get the latest updates on our videos as they're released!       About Joseph Dinh: I am currently a Psychology student at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, and have recently finished my internship with Zaza Productions. I write and act, with an emphasis on comedy. I'd love to collaborate with other people and work on projects together, so hit me up if you need help or just want someone to work with! Feel free to check out my work on my reel. Like this blog post? Please share it on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, email etc) by using social media buttons at the top of the blog. Or post to your personal blog and anywhere else you feel appropriate. Thank you. As always, we welcome thoughts and remarks on ANY of the content above in the Comments section below...Read More