Producing

Ray Fontenault thank you for raising the call to your Facebook friends!

Your webinar code is in your inbox. Enjoy picking one out!

James Wunderlich Nextdoor is a room I never would have thought of, and now I'm wondering why not. Nearly four thousand neighbors, most of whom probably have no idea a community like this exists. That's exactly the kind of corner of the creative world this event was meant to find.

And thank you for the endorsement you wrote. It means a lot. Your webinar code is in your inbox. Thank you for helping build this!

Hi, @Ashley! I posted about Stage 32 on Twitter/X.

Hi Ashley! shared on my Instagram Story.

Hi there!! I just tweeted my gratitude post for Stage32—-so thankful for the networking and pitching opportunities!!! Timika

If women have stronger access to financing, meaningful industry relationships, development support, and decision-makers from the beginning, I believe we’d naturally see that reflected in production, distribution, and eventually in those festival lineups.

It’s encouraging to see conversations like this moving beyond simply pointing out the numbers and focusing on what can actually be done to change the pipeline. Thanks again for engaging with my perspective, and I’m glad to be part of the conversation.

Sandra Isabel can you DM so we can have much discussion over.

Krenda Alice, that’s such a good question. For me, I think one of the hardest barriers to break is TRUST because financing, relationships, and opportunities often grow from that.

Before filmmaking, I built my career pioneering female entrepreneurship in Portugal, in an industry that was largely male-dominated at the time. That journey took me to the US and China, led me to establish my own company overseas, and eventually led me to opening the first Portuguese fashion flagship in SoHo, New York.

Looking back, I realize how much that experience shaped the way I now approach my work as an executive producer. I learned very early that having a strong idea is only the beginning. You also have to build credibility around it, understand the business, create the right relationships, and sometimes walk into rooms where nobody is expecting you to be the person leading the project.

There’s also something RB often says that really resonates with me: "Your life, your rules, and the only permission you truly need is your own." I carried that mindset long before filmmaking, and I still do.

Money is obviously a huge barrier, but I think what often comes before the money is access: access to the people who can champion the project, to meaningful relationships, and to the level of trust that makes someone willing to take a risk on you.

And from my own experience, both in my previous career and now in film, I’ve learned that when you have a strong project with the right package around it, money is not always the first problem to solve. What matters first is building trust step by step through the work itself, through community, through consistency, and by surrounding the project with people who genuinely believe in it.

That applies whether you’re female or male. We need to network, go out there, meet people, build relationships, and create opportunities rather than wait for access to appear.

That’s also why I value producing relationships so much. A strong project needs more than financing; it needs champions :))

Absolutely, Clarke Keaton, happy to continue the conversation. I’ll DM you. And thank you again for adding such a thoughtful perspective to the discussion.

You are welcome Sandra Isabel:)

I agree with the comments, @Sandra. Making sure women have an equal opportunity to get their projects financed, produced, etc. should be the goal, lasting change has to mean creating access throughout the whole pipeline, needing to network, and other things. And maybe looking for investors in unusual places.

There's a large concentration of money resources, tools and people pointed at the entertainment industry in LA. That remains true but it is also becoming true of many other cities and states who have wisely invested in the industry. This has been happing for decades and is accelerating at an amazing rate. The mass consolidation of studios due to the lack of antitrust law enforcement alongside adaptation of Generative AI to replace artists and administrators is causing far less work, an exodus of talent and knowledgeable people and will very likely lead to a crash in my opinion, or a complete redefinition of the product the big studios sell. This is the age of the independent and a time where audiences who are interested in human made media with less story regurgitation will find affinity with smaller companies that will fil the gaps and snap up the talent who are being discarded at an unprecedented rate. Big Hollywood still has a lot of many, perhaps too much to fail, but I doubt it will ever be what it was unless the big CEOs can turn this huge ships and publicly traded companies around in a way that maintains quarterly profits for their short term minded shareholders in accordance with their contracts and corporate rules, and also keeps the roots the art that made them into monoliths as the foundation. For the rest of us, let's get to work. There are plenty of places, wonderful, welcoming and very sustainable places to make movies and other media and we must work well in tight teams to make this industry into a better version of itself at a time where the very soul of art and the industries that keep it in the hearts and minds of those who need the inspiration of that art is at stake.

The entertainment industry has been too shaken by circumstances which underly stability, and shifts in the ratios of media extensions & entanglement with “the new media,” that it is not in a fit capacity to self-identify. Los Angeles has not changed in course, (that is to say, the sort of social, geographical, and resource accommodations it provides for in it’s own idiom of a dynamic complex system), it has not been so severely phased as “the industry” at large. The industry has become not unlike a cloud. It has to re-solidify, and re-identify. When it does, it is not difficult to recognize that it has a home here.

Wow, everyone, thank you so much for the insight! Opinions seem mixed in certain things, but overall it sounds like the growth of technology and shifting desires among audiences compared to Hollywood is definitely forcing a shift that is causing LA to be decentralized when it comes to entertainment. I also wonder about networking, if anyone wants to chime in on that - and not "give me a job" networking, just meeting other people in your industry in general.

Since LA isn't entirely the "need to be" city for those who work in film, animation and entertainment anymore, how does everyone choose to grow their creative communities? Through projects? Online platforms like Stage 32? Something else? Now I'm starting to become curious about how that element of human connection is to be maintained as the business expands, especially digitally.

Hi, @Myranda. I treat networking like building relationships/getting to know people/making friends. I don't bring up my project or ask for a script read/job.

You could search for producers, directors, executives, etc. in the Browse Members section and network with them (www.stage32.com/people). The person ends up asking. Stage 32 also has free in-person Meetups (www.stage32.com/meetups).

I live in North Carolina, and I use Stage 32 and Twitter/X to network. The platform I've had most of my success on is Stage 32.

I think the shift is a good thing. Everything being concentrated to LA, forces people to move geographies which ends up driving up the price of housing and an inadvertently driving up to price of wages and by extension, the productions.

When it is spread out, more people gain opportunities globally, and economies remain a bit more stable and competitive, giving people options.

Hi Emil Soliman

I think the three-country setting could actually become one of the project’s strongest assets if it is handled strategically. When each location is essential to the character’s journey, the international element can add both creative depth and potential production opportunities.

From a producer’s perspective, I’d say the screenplay and the clarity of the story should come first, followed by a realistic production strategy showing why each country is necessary. From there, exploring local film commissions, co-production structures, incentives, and the right international partners could make the complexity much more manageable.

I’d be very interested to hear more about the project and how you’re currently approaching the screenplay and production side.

Hi Mary,

Thank you for such a thoughtful and insightful perspective. I completely agree that the three-country setting can become one of the project’s greatest strengths rather than simply a production complication, provided that each location is essential to the character’s journey and to the story itself.

That is exactly why I’m taking my time with the screenplay. My priority at this stage is to develop the strongest possible version of the story — creatively, emotionally and commercially — before moving too deeply into the production strategy.

Because the project is ambitious in both scale and story, I want the screenplay to be strong enough to make producers see the potential immediately. Once the script reaches that level, I can then look seriously at the production side: why each country is necessary, the right co-production structure, incentives, film commissions and, most importantly, the right international partners.

I’m currently focused on getting the story and screenplay exactly where they need to be. When the material is ready, I’d be very happy to share more with you and hear your perspective from a producer’s point of view.

Thank you again, Mary. I’m very glad we connected, and I appreciate your interest in Beyond the Five Senses.

Best,

Emil

Hi Shadow, thank you so much for this incredibly sharp perspective. You hit the nail on the head regarding the copyright and revenue bottleneck for AI music.That exact legal hurdle is actually why I structured the underlying mechanics of Beat the Machine the way I did. The format is designed to solve that value issue by focusing on the "Topline Battle" (Round 2). When our independent human singers write and record their own original vocal hooks over the tracks, that human vocal performance creates an immediate, legally protectable copyright.The show uses AI as the high-concept antagonist or "grid" to challenge the artist, but the ultimate commercial asset and revenue model is the real, human-authored music we discover and protect through the process.I really appreciate you pointing out the copyright angle—it confirms exactly why a hybrid human-machine format is so necessary right now!

Tonyeka Smith I see where you are going. However, relying on overlay of live vocal clips would, IMO (as an entertainment attorney) not likely qualify to make the underlying AI music copyright-friendly; copyright would attract to the original vocal recordings alone. The Library of Congress might, but might not (because they have discretion in this case), allow registration for the specific mix of live voice with the AI tracks, but that does not mean the AI tracks themselves are protected. Even if they do allow registration, one challenge with AI is that registration is only prima facie proof of copyright and in theory it is easier to challenge and harder to enforce, at least until this issue is settled by the courts. To ensure the AI tracks can claim copyright, a human must substantially alter those tracks. For that reason, I don't see a reasonable producer doing this - insurance would be extremely expensive or impossible, and copyright would be expensive to enforce.

Hi Shadow, thank you for the legal breakdown. Your point about the E&O insurance and the prima facie vulnerability of AI registration is exactly why traditional network television packaging is struggling heavily with these concepts right now.That specific corporate distribution wall is exactly why the idea is to deliberately bypass the traditional network route and positioning Beat the Machine purely as an agile, independent digital project for a joint web channel (like YouTube).By building directly for a digital platform, the commercial engine shifts away from music synchronization/copyright licensing and focuses entirely on direct video ad revenue, tech sponsorships, and public engagement around the "Human vs. Machine" debate. The show's ultimate asset becomes the discoverability platform would be built for the independent singers, rather than the ownership of the AI backing tracks.Your expertise on this is invaluable—thank you truly for helping me sharpen the business definition of this project!

Have you already developed the idea beyond the basic concept for example, the format, episode structure and how the human vs. AI challenge would actually work?

Hi Zoltán, Yes,, I have fully developed the concept into a structured production bible; mapping out the exact episode mechanics, structural pacing, and format rules.The show utilizes a weekly "reset" tournament structure called The Showdown Model. It breaks the episode down into precise timed segments, including a blind "Interrogation Process" where a panel uses strategic trapping questions to separate the (human) talent from the (AI) process behind a high-definition LED mesh curtain. It also includes an educational "Technical Breakdown" segment to reveal the prompt-crafting mechanics if a machine track wins.I manage the complete formatting blueprints under my portfolio archive at VisionisIPMedia@gmail.com. If you're interested, I would be more than happy to share our 1-page format deck summary or discuss the episodic layout further.

Hey Kent, this is Leonardo from the Stage 32 team. I just wanted to let you know I moved your post from Screenwriting to Producing, as it fits much better there. Let me know if you have any questions, and all the best to you!

What a great questions Kent! I most often see a lot of telling instead of showing, an unclear, weak, or late inciting incident, and a second act that gets lost in the sauce.

If I had one piece of advice for writers I'd suggest laying out WHO you're going to follow, WHAT happened to them to kick off their adventure and WHAT their subsequent goal is, and WHY they must take action/what obstacles will they face in achieving their goal. Take these answers and make sure all story decisions circle back to them. This will help anchor your story right away from the first act/inciting incident and provide a map forward into your second act.

Sandra Isabel Sorry for the late response, Thank you, really enjoyed this discussion! I'd love to hear more about Seeing Rachel sometime, curious what drew you to it as a director.

Thank you Krenda Alice, but for Seeing Rachel, I am the executive producer, and we are in the development stage.

Sandra Isabel Ah, thank you for the clarification, Development stage is such an exciting (and demanding) phase. Wishing you the best as Seeing Rachel moves forward.

I would say neither matter more, but one matters first. I think the script should come before the package, however the package should not be too far behind. There are people who got noticed or achieved a deal before the script was written just with the package. However, you run the risk of getting that deal and then the script is nowhere near ready and then you might ruin your reputation.

I say script first, so that if that green light comes after you present the package, you have the script ready and waiting to be developed further. The stronger the start, the better.

It’s chickens and trash cans, if you don’t have the package they don’t read the script.

Great post, Jackie! Indie filmmaking runs on stacking multiple funding sources — including free resources, in-kind support, donations, crowdfunding/crowd sourcing, tax credits/incentives, rebates, grants, equity, brand sponsorships/integration, presales, etc.

One free resource that's often overlooked: your local/regional film office. They can help with locations, permits, local crew, studio space, equipment rental, tax incentive guidelines and so much more — all at no cost. And yes…independent filmmakers are welcome (the services are not just for Hollywood blockbusters)!

For more information, check out:

Hey y'all! So excited to share stories today from ten years ago making shorts for nothing, to going all the way to Sundance! It's been a kooky ride - let me help you avoid some of the mistakes that I made, and let me give you some tips that will make your crew feel advocated for every step of the way. See you soon!

Thank you, Amber Neukum for being with us today. I’m so excited to be hosting today’s webinar with Amber Neukum. As a writer‑director and exec, this session feels like a true calling; short films are where we grow, experiment, and prove we can deliver. Amber’s journey from zero‑budget shorts to Sundance is pure inspiration, and her practical wisdom is exactly what filmmakers need. Let’s dive in and make this an unforgettable session!