Happy Sunday, Creative Army!

I hope your weekend has been a creative one so far. Whether you have been writing, filming, editing, or sketching out the next spark of an idea, I have something today that will give you a boost. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in.

This week's featured video comes from Panavision: How Director Boots Riley Brought I LOVE BOOSTERS from Big Idea to the Big Screen

Boots Riley wanted to make a movie that could not play small. Something loud and funny and packed with color, the kind of thing that fills a theater with a rowdy crowd having the time of their lives. And when he set out to build it, here is what he had in his hands: chicken-scratch notes in a notebook and stick-figure storyboards. That was it. He took those into rooms and asked people to build it with him. His production designer says on camera that he thought Boots was nuts. Then he went and built the miniatures and matte paintings anyway. His cinematographer started deliberately flaring lenses and pushing color into the blacks. And when the lenses she wanted did not exist, Panavision pulled glass from the 1950s off a shelf and built her new ones from scratch.

I have been saying for years that this business is not built alone, and this video is the proof. Every single thing that ends up on that screen exists because somebody heard Boots out and then went further with it than he asked. That is what a real collaborator does. They do not just execute your idea. They raise it. Here is the hard part, and I know it because I hear it from you every day. Those rooms are difficult to find. If you are not in Los Angeles, if you do not already have the relationships, where do you actually go? Where do you take the scribbles? Who is going to tell you the truth about your pages and then help you make them better?

That is the exact question we built the Writers' Room to answer. And since I get asked about it constantly, let me tell you what is actually going on in there. Every week in the Writers’ Room we host webcasts that put you in front of executives. We post Open Writing Assignments you can submit to for free, usually around six of them every two weeks, which allow you to submit your scripts to real producers, reps, and executives without that pesky “no unsolicited materials” blockade.

On Mondays and Thursdays, we run live Script Workshops over Zoom, where you refine your material with feedback and support from people who want you to get better. Our own John Mezes, alongside Noel Thompson, who is fantastic, runs a pitch practice over Zoom every Thursday, and I mean it when I say it is one of the most engaging, educational, and uplifting environments you can possibly be in. You listen to other creatives pitch in a safe and supportive space, usually four to five minutes each, and then the feedback comes from John, from Noel, and from the executives, managers, and agents they bring in. I have jumped in to give feedback myself more than once. I love doing it. Then on Wednesdays, we bring professionals into the space to connect with you over Zoom for Q&As, pitch tanks, and script breakdowns. It is a chance to learn directly from working professionals across every corner of this industry.

I will say it plainly. There is nothing else like the Writers' Room anywhere.

This Wednesday, August 12th, I am hosting my State of the Industry Ask Me Anything, live over Zoom. This is the one where I open the floor and you ask me whatever you want about where this industry is heading, what is selling, what is changing, and what it means for your career. No script, no filter, just an honest conversation with our community.

The event lives inside the Writers' Room, but I want all of you there. So we are giving you your first month on us.

Click here to get your free month and join me on Wednesday.

If you cannot make it live, come anyway. The recording will be waiting for you, along with the full library of past webcasts, and you have the entire month to sit in on the Script Workshops, the pitch practice, the Wednesday sessions with industry pros, and every Open Writing Assignment we post. Use all of it. That is what it is there for.

Boots Riley walked into rooms with stick figures and came out with a movie made for the big screen. Every one of you has something worth building. You just need the room. Click here and come find yours.

Now I want to hear from you. Who is the collaborator who changed your work? Maybe it was the person who saw what you were reaching for before you could explain it, or the one who told you the hard truth you needed. And if you are still looking for those people, tell me what kind of collaborator you need most right now.

As always, here at Stage 32, we love sharing stories and knowledge with our fellow film fans. Know someone who would love this content? Share it with them. You can keep up with all of our videos by subscribing to the Stage 32 YouTube Channel. For more inspirational, educational, and motivational content on all things entertainment industry, follow me on Instagram and X @rbwalksintoabar.

Wishing you a very happy, healthy, and creative Sunday.

Cheers,

RB

Panavision | How Director Boots Riley Brought I LOVE BOOSTERS from Big Idea to the Big Screen

RBWalksIntoABar | What is the Stage 32 Writers’ Room?

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