Stage32 is a social network that was born in the USA a year and a half ago, and that is quickly growing at an international level.

Its main goal is to unite artists from around the globe who are eager to make artistic and audiovisual projects, primarily in the fields of film and theater.

The foundations of Stage 32's work are mainly contacts and cooperation.

 



Richard Botto, Stage32 Director and Co-Founder (RB), was delighted to accept the invitation from Momento a Momento to be interviewed about their social network and how this can be a collaborative tool for artists throughout the world. This interview was also carried out in collaboration with Melissa Smith (MS) who leads his own production company while having a photography studio in Atlanta, Georgia. in September 2012 Melissa had already done a similar interview with Richard and we contacted with her to use a part of her interview.
Cesar Bandera (CB)



MS: How did Stage 32 come about?

RB: The embryonic idea for the site came to be while we were at the American Film Market a few years back. AFM is a sort of dog and pony show where screenwriters, filmmakers, and producers from all over the world travel to Santa Monica (California) to pitch their ideas for projects and completed films. For many, this is a Hail Mary pass of sorts – a lottery ticket play, if you will. All this time is spent preparing for this 7-10 day chance to sell your product, or, in many cases, yourself. Many leave dejected. They spend the next 51 weeks preparing for the next show.
We felt there had to be a better way. A way for all creatives to be connected 24/7/365. That was the nugget of the idea, and it has, of course, evolved into something much more expansive.



​MS: What were the initial thoughts, ideas, and concerns?



RB: To be truthful, there was only one: Would people take to the site? As creatives ourselves, other social networking sites just weren’t cutting it. Facebook is too family and friends oriented. To me, it takes you away from your career focus. It’s a distraction. Great for downtime, but not for primetime. LinkedIn, while perhaps helpful for certain professionals, doesn’t really lend itself in a beneficial manner to the creative community, especially when it comes to the group postings. There’s simply too much spamming and self promotion. I’ve made a positive connection or two on LinkedIn, but they have been few and far between. Any time I tried to open a dialogue in a certain group, the posting would get drowned out by spam. I found that frustrating.

But, let’s face it, those networks, along with a few others, have a fervent following. So the concern was that many would not see the need for another social network.

What we found was that almost all creatives shared our frustration. They were clamoring for a focused social network - A place where opportunities presented themselves daily, and yet where they could also spend some downtime just connecting and communicating with others. I receive letters all the time from members telling me they’ve dropped their other social network accounts and are now exclusively on Stage 32. We’ve often been called Facebook meets LinkedIn for creatives. I find a hard time finding fault with that assessment.



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CB: How many users are currently and what is the growth forecasts?

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RB: We currently have over 80,000 creatives from 180+ countries. About 53% of our members are from the US. Territories which have seen tremendous growth over the last six months include the UK, Canada, Australia, India, and Africa to name a few. As for a growth forecast, the sky is the limit. We’d love to see every film, television, and theater creative on the planet take their destiny into their own hands and use Stage 32 as a tool. It’s free, it’s proven, and for those willing to put in the time, it’s an invaluable asset toward making connections that matter.







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CB: Could you mention a succes story where Stage32 had been playing an significant role in its realization?

RB: Well, we also have a section of the Stage 32 Lounge called “Success Stories”. Many of our members have taken to that area to post about collaborations they are undertaking with other Stage 32 members or just connections they’ve made which have changed their career path for the better.
As for a singular success story, it’s tough to isolate only one without doing disservice to the others. We’ve had over 20 filmmakers that we are aware of who are in production or have produced full-length feature films where at least 75% of the cast and crew were Stage 32 members. There have been hundreds of shorts filmed. A few plays where everyone from the playwright to the set designers to the actors all met on 32. But then there are the individual stories as well. The filmmaker in Chicago who was in post and spent a year searching for the right person to score his film and finally found his guy on Stage 32…From Denmark!

Or the actress in London who was just about to give up on her Hollywood dreams until she met a producer from Los Angeles on the site who viewed her reel and flew her out to test for a role, which she won. Or the screenwriter from Perth who connected with a NY literary manager and how has his scrpit in development. These stories happen every day and are shining examples of not only the power of the network, but the reward of persistence.

CB: In Spain it is common to new actors, even if they have talent, experimenting dificulties to access to castings or auditions. It is usually reserved for the four "named" talents. Given your experience and the large number of people who you know in the audiovisiual industry, what would you recommend to a Spanish actor who wants to gain visibility and be eligible for a role anywhere in the world?

RB: Work. Network. Again, that may sound glib, but it’s not. You need to put as much time into marketing yourself as you do honing your craft. You need to be active, outward, and present. You need to make an impression. One that lasts. You need to have desire in spades. You need to realize that no matter how hard you’re working, someone, somewhere is working harder than you. This is not a clichéd way of thinking. This is reality. Yes, a certain amount of luck plays into things, but I believe there’s two kinds of luck: The luck you make and the luck that finds you because you put yourself in the right position. Opportunity is everywhere. The desire to seize opportunity is present in many, the will rests only in a few.

MS: What other things have you worked on before this, and what do you hope for it to be like five years from now?

RB: I was the founder of RAZOR Magazine, and during its six year run, I served as publisher for four years, editor for two. More recently, I worked as an associate producer on Sam Levinson’s first film, ANOTHER HAPPY DAY, starring Demi Moore, Ellen Barkin, Thomas Hayden Church, and Kate Bosworth.
As for the future, I have a screenplay in development and another being considered by a major production company. I’m also in the process of outlining a novel, which I plan on breaking ground on in a month or two. And, of course, just taking Stage 32 higher and higher. Changing people’s lives, we hope, for the better.​



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Richard Botto is the co-founder and CEO of Stage32. Also is the co-founder and Executive Director of Fair Warning Productions. Before the launch of Stage 32, Botto was the founder, director and editor of Razor, a national magazine (U.S.) aimed at men and your lifestyle, with 1.5 million readers in its peak . He has been broadcaster ESPN Sports Radio and Fox Sports affiliates and often appears as a guest on Variety of Programs Sports and Entertainment.

Mr. Botto is also Producer and writer. Was associate producer on the first film of Sam Levinson, "Another Happy Day" which premiered at Sundance and featured stars as Ellen Barkin, Demi Moore, Thomas Haden Church and Kate Bosworth. His latest screenplay, "The End Game" was one of 10 finalists recently in the Creative World Awards and another is currently in development.



We greatly appreciate Richard Botto´s generosity in taking the time to answer our questions about his social network. We also thank Melissa Smith  for sharing some of their work with us.

To read the full interview with Melissa, go to MediaProductionwithMelissa

INTERVIEW

by César Bandera

Interview with Richard Botto



Stage 32: A social network for artists