In The News

This Stage 32 Blog comes from Martin Gooch, a director and screenwriter based in London, England. 

Festivals are a great way to say thank you to everyone who helped, impress your investors and meet as many people as you can. I met some of my very best friends at film festivals and it’s nice to hang out with like-minded people and talk about movies.

Having had numerous shorts and four feature films on the festival circuit, I have been to festivals all over the world. Here are 32 tips to make it a more pleasurable experience and hopefully more successful. These are all based on my actual experiences of things that actually happened. It’s all true.

The world is slightly different now we are in the covid-era but I think most of these Tips still apply, and hopefully festivals will come back fully in the future.

This Stage 32 Blog comes from Martin Gooch, a director and screenwriter based in London, England. 

So you’ve got your screenplay, it’s been through development, you are 100% sure it’s in the best shape it can possibly be in, you’ve had read throughs with actors, and spent months in pre-production getting your vision across to all your Heads of Department, Cast and crew. All the kit, locations, props, wardrobe, accommodation, permits, legal stuff and catering has been sourced and you are ready to go! These are my tips for on-set, physical production and for post-production. 

This Stage 32 Blog comes from Martin Gooch, a director and screenwriter based in London, England. 

“I’ve made a lot of movies. I started off as a Runner and worked my way up. I worked on 13 movies as a 1st AC & 2nd AC and Director of Photography before I became an award-winning Director & Writer in my own right. Having gone from Runner to director I have experienced the whole gauntlet of film making from the biggest shoots (Harry Potter and James Bond) to tiny micro-budget one-man crew shoots. I have seen many ways to do things effectively and simply.

“Here are some tips to help smooth along your next production. These are my observations from more than 1,000 days on set and 29 years in the industry! Hopefully, they will make your film making journey more fun and more productive.

“…these are 32 tips I hope are of use.”

Four Maine counties currently have a HIGH level of community transmission; ten Maine counties currently have a SUBSTANTIAL level of community transmission; and two Maine counties currently have a MODERATE level of community transmission.

The State of Maine will follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (U.S. CDC) updated face covering guidance, which recommends that all people, regardless of vaccination status, wear face coverings in indoor, public settings in areas with “substantial” or “high” levels of community transmission.

Check on the U.S. CDC website for updates of transmission levels by county. The U.S. CDC determines level of community transmission based on the number of cases in the last seven days per 100,000 people and the percentage of tests in the last seven days that have a positive result.

Consistent with Maine’s recent approach to COVID-19-related policy and the expiration of the State of Civil Emergency, these changes are recommendations, not requirements.

Join the Department of Economic and Community Development in a regional discussion to share input on potential business and nonprofit support programs.

Commissioner Heather Johnson, Carlos Mello from the Finance Authority of Maine, DECD staff, and region-specific organizations will host eight virtual input sessions as a chance for us to receive feedback directly from business owners, nonprofit executives, and community leaders. This is an opportunity for you to share how we can best help you as we move forward in our economic recovery. Sessions will be held via zoom. If you are not able to join a session in your region, please feel free to attend another session. 

Use the link below to register for a session. When you register, you will receive an email with the link and passcode for your session.