This week, I challenged myself to finally get something off my watch list.
I’ve talked in past posts, and even in a recent blog I wrote (https://www.stage32.com/blog/the-skill-that-will-change-your-career-trai...), about how important it is to watch a wide range of films and series. Mixing up genres, storytellers, formats, and tones helps sharpen your instincts and gives you a better understanding of what works, what doesn’t, and why.
But like most people… I had a few things sitting on my list that I just kept pushing off. So this week, I decided to stop overthinking it and just commit.
Starting at the end of last week and continuing through the weekend and evenings this week, I finally tackled Downton Abbey… all seasons and all three movies, which, in my opinion, were a bit unnecessary, but we made it through.
And honestly, I really enjoyed the experience. Beyond just checking it off the list, it felt good to fully immerse myself in a story I hadn’t made time for before. It was also a great reminder of how much you can learn just by sitting with something outside your usual rotation and letting it unfold.
What about you? What are you doing lately to challenge yourself, personally or professionally?
And what have you been watching recently that you really enjoyed?
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I agree with you, the Downton Abbey movies were kinda unnecessary though I love the series as a whole.
I’ve been slowly catching up on stuff so as you know I recently watched Up, and also Wall•E, A Bug’s Life, Fantastic Mr Fox, and as of last night, It’s a Wonderful Life, all for the first time. Today I’m hoping to watch either Lilo and Stitch or Mary Poppins, also for the first time lol. Still wondering if I wanna watch 2001: A Space Odyssey (boyfriend says yes). I tried watching The Lobster since Lunar Window was compared to it a couple times and I genuinely don’t see it xD
On the subject of Lunar Window, I got my feedback notes and tomorrow is its second table read. I’ve also finally figured out how I want to sprinkle on some of its original premise (ie, Cass basically being like Princess Kaguya with impossible standards for John) for intrigue, and figuring out how the hell I should cinch anywhere from 5 to 10 pages of it xD all this on my brain that’s slightly less maxed out than before… fun times lol
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Personally I have been working on myself to slow down, relax, and clear my thoughts. I find it is a good way for me to reconnect and recalibrate my flow of thoughts when things get chaotic.
Currently I'm watching all the seasons of Yellowstone.
Early in the year I finished reading Pierce Brown's Red Rising, Golden Son, and Morningstar.
Now I am currently reading Atomic Habits by James Clear.
I also enjoy reading a variety of screenplays. Might sound silly but I'm reading a screenplay from an old episode of Batman the animated series. The screenplay I read before that was Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. Really enjoyed that one.
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Hi! Last week, I listened to and watched clips on YouTube made using neural networks. I really liked one rock band and it gave me inspiration.
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Ashley Renée Smith, That’s a great reminder honestly.
I’ve been trying to do something similar — watching things outside what I usually gravitate toward, just to see how different styles handle character and pacing.
Recently, I’ve been going back to more character-driven films to understand how they build emotional shifts without relying too much on plot.
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I'm looking for directors whose movies I have never watched and exploring different genres to widen the range of influences that might lead my writing in more stimulating directions. I agree with your opinion on Downton Abbey's movies, but it was still delightful to spend a little bit more time with those characters. About the commitment in writing... well. It's really hard right now, because the bottleneck is tightening here in Italy. It's always the same circle of people getting hired, and the channels for breaking into the industry are more restricted than ever. Still, the desire to push my writing beyond borders remains, as does the desire to write. So thanks for sharing.
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Thank you for the email Ashley, it's great that you are reaching out to everyone and sharing your creative growth. Mine is both in acting and in writing.
As a writer I run a meetup for the Denver Screenwriter's Club. I handle the topics discussed before we go into reading scripts, etc...and we have had a few very active screenwriters there. I'm finding my input/interaction within the topics and the script feedbacks getting to a level that I can put some imposter syndromes behind me.
As a playwright I have been invited by an ensemble theater to have my first full length play table-read online. I'm happy to share the information of the event once I'm sent the go ahead. It will be May 17th, 8 pm, Eastern Time.
As an actor I have a challenge coming up for May. It's call Self Tape May. The actor Audrey Moore has put it on for many years. The challenge is to do 16 total auditions (actual and/or practice) in the month of May. I've ignored this for a few years, I feel, due to the number 16. LOL. The idea is to practice your craft after all, yet, I wasn't that committed. So into the pool my toe goes. We are to upload our May auditions on our instagram pages. We'll be wearing a certain common household object, to be announced May 1, so we're not just adding old auditions. - I'm gathering sides that support my casting today.
All these things we do in these collaborative fields are so... mentoring, giving, healing, socializing, energizing. Growth, right?
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I just finished Behind Her Eyes (great start, great finish but the 20% of the end before the very end not so much a fan of) and Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen (strong recommendation although it was almost too young for me).
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Okay, so Downton Abbey is one of my absolute favorite period shows. The movies were meh. The last one felt like it was just a final goodbye for the fans. I saw it in theater and was disappointed by it. But still pleased to finish the set, if that makes sense.
Last week was all about settling back in. I have been watching MONARCH (I absolutely love Godzilla anything) and I've been really impressed with it so far.
This week's challenge is just getting some words on the page.
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I love this! Watching the next season of hacks, matlock, rooster. All great - I try to set a weekly schedule to track shows. If I am reading for something, I be sure to watch that as well, or something that the write has worked on!
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I like this approach a lot, Ashley — especially the idea of stepping outside your usual rotation. I’ve found that some of the most valuable insights come from studying projects that operate in a completely different tone or pace than what we naturally gravitate toward.
Lately, I’ve been focusing more intentionally on structure and tension — not just what happens, but how long a story allows something to breathe before it moves. That’s been shifting how I approach my own thriller work quite a bit.
Appreciate you sharing this — it’s a good reminder to stay intentional with what we watch.
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It’s always good to refresh creativity and learn from different creators Ashley Renée Smith!. Recently, I’ve been watching From and Dorohedoro, and for my disaster‑horror film I checked out a movie called Thrash to study some of the on‑camera similarities I’m aiming for.