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

Stage 32 + Hollyshorts Short Film Program - Q&A With Filmmakers [Video]

This weekend we premiered the 2nd Annual Stage 32 Short Film Program in Los Angeles at the 2017 Hollyshorts Film Festival. In one word, it was inspiring. We had the pleasure of showcasing a program of 7 films representing 4 different countries - all with varying creativity. The audience included Stage 32 members and executives from Lionsgate, Samaco Films, Whitewater Films, Kodak, Legion M, CAA and more who all told us how blown away they were with the talent here in the Stage 32 community. After the screening we brought the filmmakers up on stage to discuss their projects lead by our very own CEO Richard "RB" Botto. We wanted to share the Q&A which included (L-R): “Six Letter Word” directed by Lisanne Sartor (US)  “Monsters” directed by Steve Desmond (US) “Must Escape” directed by Vadyam Shapran (Ukraine)  "The Light in the Afternoon" directed by David Steiner (France), represented by Mathilde Chartier (France)    Enjoy!                  Congratulations again To The 2017 Stage 32 Short Film Program Filmmakers: “Must Escape” directed by Vadyam Shapran (Ukraine) – A man discovers he’s the protagonist in a cliché, short student film and struggles to get out of it. “Sisters” directed by Taylor Shortall (US) – Part exercise of passion, and part love letter, "Sisters" is a fragment of some lost, tragic opera. “Monsters” directed by Steve Desmond (US) – Jenn lives in an underground bunker with her family, protected from the monsters that now ravage the world. This is the day that she goes outside… “Eliza” directed by Mikko Lopponen (Finland) – When a vicious drug gang discovers they’ve been infiltrated by an undercover cop, they move in killing him and leaving his wife stranded – little did they know that they just signed their own death warrants. “Dryad” directed by Thomas Vernay Cumulus (France) – The wind blows and lightning approaches ominously, while a knight escorts a damsel through the woods. He can sense the end is near. "The Light in the Afternoon" directed by David Steiner (France) - He had no family, no father, no model. No one had told him life was just... that. When he ran into her after 7 years, she suggested it. “Six Letter Word” directed by Lisanne Sartor (US) – An unlikely mother is forced to come to terms her young son’s autism after an unexpected encounter with one her johns.       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