On Demand Webinar - Available for immediate viewing and unlimited access.
On Demand Webinar - Available for immediate viewing and unlimited access.
As a literary manager Nicholas Bogner has run the literary branch of Affirmative Entertainment for the last fifteen years. Under his stewardship, he has had numerous movies made including Wedding Season for Netflix announced in Deadline, Infinite Storm for Sony, announced in Variety, Come Play for Amblin and Focus Features and has sold television pilots to just about all of the majors from network to streamers. In addition, many of his writers have been staffed at various levels of successful shows over the years including a supernatural thriller sold to Paramount, announced on Deadline. Previously, Bogner served as Vice President of Original Programming for TNT. In this capacity, he was responsible for the development of all long form – including two-hour movies, backdoor pilots, mini-series - for the network’s TNT Originals franchise. Bogner worked on several high-profile projects including Steven Spielberg’s twelve-hour mini Into The West as well as Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot. Beyond these projects, Bogner shepherded over 15 movies into production. Prior to assuming his position at TNT, Bogner spent four years at Cruise-Wagner Productions (Tom Cruise and Paul Wagner), where he spearheaded the acquisition of material, supervised writers and collaborated with directors and talent on such films as Mission Impossible: 2, Without Limits, Vanilla Sky, and The Others, which he’s credited with finding and supervising. Bogner began his career at the Agency for Performing Arts (APA) before becoming a story editor for Michael Douglas at 20th Century Fox. Bogner has two produced credits as a screenwriter, The Little Death and No Strings Attached. He also produced Soccer Mom starring Emily Osment and Missi Pyle for Starz and Anchor Bay. Most recently, he produced A Nice Girl Like You (based on a non-fiction book by Ayn Carrillo- Gailey) which stars Lucy Hale. Full Bio »

Learn how to turn your short film into intellectual property (IP) that you can then develop and make as a feature film from esteemed literary manager Nicholas Bogner of Affirmative Entertainment, whose client's short films have gotten feature films deals with major companies like Steven Spielberg's AMBLIN PARTNERS!
PLUS! You'll receive the scripts for the short film LARRY and the feature film based off the short, COME PLAY, that was produced by Amblin.
Intellectual Property (IP), such as books, toys, comic books, graphic novels, short stories, etc., are a bedrock of film and television development. This year's biggest films, including BARBIE and OPPENHEIMER, are based on pre-existing IP. The reality of the current film and television marketplace is that it is increasingly difficult to sell your project if it is not based on any IP. And that's why making a short film that can then be used as IP that you develop into a feature film has become a proven avenue to success.
There is an absolute obsession in the marketplace to have material based on pre-existing IP as a way to mitigate the risk of the investment in the project. If there’s already been an audience for the book, short film, article, etc., then film and television buyers feel at ease that there will be a built in audience for their large investment into the film. While original films and series do get made, it is particularly challenging for new and emerging writers and filmmakers to get their project sold if it is not based on IP. However, there is a way for you to create your own IP without having to spend big bucks to buy the rights to a book or a person’s life, and that is to make your own short film! One notable example of a short film leading to a feature film is Damien Chazelle's WHIPLASH, which became the Academy Award winning feature film of the same name and launched Damien Chazelle's career (he went on to write and direct LA LA LAND, FIRST MAN, and BABYLON).
In this exclusive Stage 32 Webinar, you will learn how you can use your short film as IP to help sell your feature film or television project. You could be sitting on a gold mine with your short film, and we’re going to help you figure out how to leverage it to make your larger project. Teaching you everything you need to know about how to use your short film as IP for a feature film or television project is literary manager Nicholas Bogner of Affirmative Entertainment. Former VP of Original Programming at TNT and head of development at CRUISE/WAGNER, Nicholas’ clients have had immense success making shorts and creating their own IP.
In an information packed 90 minutes, Nicholas will share how he guided his client Jacob Chase to success through his short film. Jacob made the short LARRY, which was then sold in a bidding war to Steven Spielberg’s company, AMBLIN PARTNERS. Jacob’s concept was subsequently made into a feature film for Amblin and Focus Films with the new title of COME PLAY. Subsequently, Jacob made a short film titled MR. BLUR, which sold to BLUMHOUSE, and is currently being adapted into a feature film. Many of Nicholas’ other clients have also made shorts which has led to representation and future projects.
You will walk away from this webinar with the skills and industry insight you need to use your short film as IP to leverage a feature film or television series deal.
PLUS! You’ll receive exclusive handouts to help you create IP out of your short film. Downloads include:

Nicholas Bogner
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Learn to be great at pitching in the Room. Writers pitch for 5 minutes (timed) and Nicholas and the Stage 32 team will break the pitch down and offer constructive, supportive feedback in order to graft your pitch to its best version. This is a safe environment, and all are welcome to join!
Stage 32 is proud to continue our partnership with Raindance Film Festival for the 5th year in a row, and while we may not be able to all come together in London to celebrate so many amazing and talented filmmakers, we're thrilled to partner with Raindance to highlight global talent virtually and from the comfort and safety of our own homes. Even in its virtual format, Raindance continues to showcase and champion the best new films from all over the world, and included in this year's incredible program is a collection of remarkable short films. Stage 32 is bringing together some of the world's top up and coming short filmmakers whose most recent films are playing Raindance. Included in this conversation will be Arjan Brentjes, whose animated short film SAD BEAUTY is playing at Raindance, along with almost 30 other film festivals this year alone. Also featured will be London-based director and cinematographer Molly Manning Walker whose debut short film GOOD THANKS, YOU? will be playing this year's Raindance in addition BFI London, Bilbao, and Palm Springs Film Festivals. Rounding out the panel, is Will Niava, an Ivorian-Ghanaian film director based in Montréal, Canada, whose film ZOO won Stage 32's 5th Annual Short Film Contest and is currently selected at over 40 international film festivals. In this FREE Stage 32 webinar, Arjan, Molly, and Will will take part in an exclusive Q&A moderated by our very own Stage 32 Managing Director Amanda Toney to discuss the state of short filmmaking today and how they put together their most recent projects.
Learn directly from Producer Michael Wormser, whose online distribution projects have reached over 30 million viewers! Never has there been a more opportune time than now for filmmakers to directly reach a global audience. YouTube has not only provided the mechanics to do so, but also provides the bandwidth, platform, and global audience - all at the low low cost of FREE hundred dollars! Yes, that's right, FREE. Thousands of people across the world are using this platform to earn a living telling their stories, creating content based on their vision and their voice… Now it’s your turn to help carry your message to the masses. Many people create wonderful YouTube channels that go unseen. Stage 32 is here to help make sure that doesn't happen to you! In this Stage 32 Next Level Webinar, your host Michael Wormser will teach you how you can harness YouTube to create your own network of content for your film and build a massive fan base. Michael will show you brick by brick how you can turn your film into tangible content, culminating that into a functioning channel, and ultimately helping you get to your target goals and have your film reach an audience of millions of viewers. Your host Michael Wormser operates Level 10 Films, a film and digital production company. Prior to that he served as Head of Production at Maker Studios, Executive Producer at BlackboxTV and recently partnered with YouTuber/Actor Joey Graceffa to produce the hit web series Storytellers, which has received over 6 Million views to date. Michael also produced the YouTube Movie Smiley, starring Shane Dawson and Toby Turner, that currently boasts over 30 Million trailer views, and the Hulu series Tease for Fox Television Studios.
It’s impossible to find an actor, writer, producer, or director who doesn’t have a favorite sketch they have been quoting since they were a kid. And with the recent explosion of short-form content, sketch comedy is more popular and relevant than ever before. Maybe you’re an actor looking to produce your own short-form content but have no idea how to translate your idea to the page. Maybe you’re a comedy writing machine but your sketches feel disorganized or too scattered. With more and more execs/reps wanting to see your work and click a link, sketch comedy isn’t just fun anymore, it can be a functional calling card. And having your sketches hit the mark is essential to making sure those people know your comedy voice is strong, unique, and one worth watching. Since sketch is so accessible, many people dive headfirst into writing/producing sketches without learning the language, tools, and structure. And that’s the reason why 99% of sketches are, let’s be honest, pretty cringey. But with a clear understanding of what a sketch is and what are the engines that drive the comedy, you can learn actual tools/methods to take a simple funny thought and turn it into a tight, streamlined sketch. You have a comedic POV within you; but without the structure, rules, and techniques to hone and streamline an idea into a tight, digestible sketch those ideas spiral out of control. Conversely, you have a great ideas but no conception of how to take that vague thought to finished comedic product. The solution to both these seemingly opposite comedy ailments is the same – structure and technique. Jeff Galante is an actor/comedian/writer is based out of the Groundlings Theater where he is a regular performer and a senior teacher. He created several network comedy pilots including STUNTED (NBC) and THINK TANK (A&E), which was exec. produced by Chris Moore (AMERICAN PIE, GOOD WILL HUNTING). Jeff is currently developing a slate of feature projects including a horror comedy with Jack Quaid and Joe Dante, a rom com with Damon Wayans Jr. and Davis Entertainment, and a dramedy with Andy Fickman. Jeff has consulted on SMALLFOOT (Warner Bros.), contributed material to SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, and was an actor/writer on Wanda Sykes’ USA sketch comedy pilot WHAT HAPPENED WAS. He recently won the Stage32 Feature Script Competition and has been a finalist/semi-finalist in competitions including the Nicholl Fellowship, Austin Film Festival, and the Universal Emerging Writers Fellowship. As an actor, Jeff has appeared on such shows as 2 BROKE GIRLS (CBS), IDIOTSITTER (Comedy Central) and DISASTER DATE (MTV). He has performed live at Standup NBC, San Francisco Sketchfest, Chicago Sketchfest, and was a cast member/writer on NATIONAL LAMPOON’S revival of Lemmings alongside the boys from WORKAHOLICS. He is also a highly sought-after comedy teacher/director for networks like G4 and SMOSH. In this enlightening on-demand webinar, Jeff will equip you with all the tools you'll need define sketch comedy and identify the different types of the craft. He will deep dive into the various engines of comedy using sketch examples. He will also explain characters and how to make them memorable. He is including a guided brainstorming session in which he will use tools and techniques to get a jumpstart with a clear sketch idea.
In this Stage 32 Next Level Webinar, host Joe Russo will take writers behind the scenes of 2 horror films and 1 horror pilot. This webinar will be an honest, unapologetic look at the successes and struggles during the development process for each case study so you can you learn what to mimic and what to avoid for your own project. You Will Leave the Webinar With: An understanding of how each film and TV project came to be. An understanding of the different strategies used to package each project and how they were introduced to decision makers. A comprehensive look into the notes process so you can learn what went right and, more importantly, what went wrong. Clear advice on how to apply these lessons to your own script or project. Learn directly from Joe Russo, producer who has helped steer writers' projects through the development process to land on The Young and Hungry List, Hit List and The Black List and sell to the Major Studios and Networks. Joe’s extensive production background includes working on productions for FOX, SyFy, A/E, Lionsgate Films and Universal Studios!
Learn how to make a profitable film under $10MM from a producer who's worked with NETFLIX and LIONSGATE Some of the most profitable and most award winning films in recent years have been movies made for a budget between $5MM-$10MM. Feature films like The Big Sick, Moonlight, and the megahit Get Out were all made for less than $10MM but grossed 10 or even 20 times their initial investment. So how do you position your film and make the best use of your $5MM-$10MM budget for profitablity and success? In this exclusive Stage 32 on-demand webinar, an industry expert will show you the finance, production, and distribution options for your mid-budget film. The market has been hot for this budget level of films, and it's on innovative filmmakers like yourself to fill in the void and bring your unique perspective to audiences. Providing her experience and insight in finance and producing is Jeanette Milio. She has worked on over 45 films and television programs for companies like Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, HBO, Showtime, and many more. Her projects have also starred Academy Award-winning performers, including Halle Berry, Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker, and Mickey Rourke. She's also a member of the Producer's Guild of America, Women in Film, and the Cannes Film Festival Producer's Network and structured her own media fund in 2009 that financed theatrical features with a production volume of $60 million. Jeanette's providing her vast experience for your benefit and will answer any questions from those who attend the live webinar. You'll also have access to the recording for future viewings to ensure that you don't miss any information that can benefit your production. You'll also walk away with these exclusive handouts from Jeanette: Excel Finance Plan Template Sample CAMA (revenue/profit) agreement Sample story rights agreement (option) Sample talent offers for director and cast (pay-or-play) PRAISE FOR JEANETTE'S TEACHINGS: "Jeanette is dynamite. Her knowledge level on financing is spectacular!" - Anne R. "Outstanding with real information." -Jamie J. "She is fantastic. I feel like it should be a two-part event." -Talaya G. "Jeanette was terrific, very informative, receptive to questions, and spoke from experience." -Gio S.