Advice

Hey, Stage 32 Community! You’ve spent months (maybe years) perfecting your screenplay. You’ve revised, proofread, and maybe even gotten feedback from a few friends. But when it comes time to get someone in the industry to actually read your script? Crickets. The truth is, getting your screenplay into the hands of the right people is one of the hardest parts of this business. But there are often some common mistakes that hold great scripts back. Let’s break down three of them, and how you can...

I remember seeing the van speeding toward my vehicle. When it struck, the impact sent a shudder through my nerves. Fortunately, I had enough sense to lean away from the window, so my head didn’t smash through the glass but only slammed into it with a mild “thud”. I was left with a bump on my head instead of a concussion, or worse. The car, sadly, did not fare as well: it was a write-off. Later, I learned that a piece of the engine had been propelled through the bodywork and had missed me by i...

The Cannes Film Festival is almost here, Creative Army! In just a few short weeks, the global film community will once again gather on the Croisette for one of the most important, electric, and opportunity-filled events in our industry, the Cannes Film Festival and the Marché du Film. And this year marks something special for us at Stage 32. We are proud to be returning for our 12th year as the official Education Partner of the Cannes Marché du Film. For over a decade, we have worked side...

Remember when it seemed like every TV writer in town had an overall or first-look deal with a studio? Lucrative deal announcements dropped every week like clockwork. Your worth was measured by the size of your deal and the prestige of the logo above your name. Today, we're watching behemoths like Bad Robot, Higher Ground and Monkeypaw navigate bruising renegotiations, lay off staff, and reckon with a simple, uncomfortable truth: one movie and a TV show a year cannot sustain 40 employees and lu...

The Myth of Push-Button Filmmaking It took me roughly nine months to make a two-minute film using tools that are supposedly instantaneous. When people talk about AI-assisted filmmaking right now, the conversation usually breaks in one of two directions: the tools are treated either like magic or like contamination. Neither framing has been especially useful to me. What interested me was something more practical: could one independent creator, working on a limited budget and without studio i...

Let me paint you a picture. It's May 2025. I'm standing in a room in the South of France wearing sequins and what can only be described as a bridal party sash, clutching a microphone, about to pitch a drag queen horror film to some of the world's most discerning genre enthusiasts. The rosé at the after-party is ice-cold. My hands are not. And above all else I am stressed because as Australians, we're still collectively butchering the pronunciation of Cannes, but that's fine. Everything is fine...

Happy Sunday, Creative Army! Let’s kick things off with a huge shoutout to everyone who has already jumped into this month’s Introduce Yourself Weekend. Thousands of creatives from around the world are connecting, sharing their stories, and building relationships that can lead to collaborations, opportunities, and lifelong friendships. If you haven’t made your introduction yet, you still have time. Head over to the Introduce Yourself Lounge before the weekend wraps. Be bold. Introduce yourse...

Hello, Stage32 Creative Community! I hope you are all good at these challenging times of creativity. Today, I'd like to talk about networking and how it can change the game for screenwriters. I am a communicator, but occasionally, I am not! I am not typically extroverted or introverted. It all depends on how I feel about the situation and the day. What did I do to achieve a balance between my two sides? Before I share it with you, I'd like to talk to you about something that became the ho...

As an independent producer, I'm always planning my next project. With a stack of screenplays (many of which are my own), and no Mr. Moneytree waiting to spread his love, it can be challenging. This is why I've taken the Robert Rodriguez approach when it comes to filmmaking. For those of you unfamiliar, Robert Rodriguez's first feature film, El Mariachi, had no crew. And almost no budget. At a meager 7k, he was the writer, director, cinematographer, location scout, sound, and editor. With inflati...

Every writer hits roadblocks. It's not a question of if so much as a question of when, and more importantly, how you push through them. Recently, we asked the Stage 32 community a simple question: What's holding you back right now? The responses flooded in. Writers from 40+ countries shared their struggles. Many familiar, some personal, all valid. What became clear is that the obstacles writers face aren't just about craft. They're about access, resources, confidence, and navigating an indus...