Stage 32.com lights up entertainment industry

There is now a highly developed online social platform that gives people involved in the entertainment industry their very own, specialized place to network and collaborate. Stage32.com, founded by Curt Blakeney and Richard “RB” Botto, was designed for aspiring and established actors, directors, screenwriters, producers, crew, agents, technical and production support, and other industry members. It is an all-encompassing social network of like-minded individuals who have joined forces to promote creative growth in the film, television and theater industries.

The site fosters and facilitates collaboration between members using tried-and-true social networking concepts in “real time.” It features individual chat rooms, entertainment industry news, member updates in a status feed, private messaging, instant messaging, project listing, jobs listings, and forums. It gives members the ability to upload photos, videos, and projects, and also “follow” other projects to get updates and potentially turn ideas into production reality.

“On the flight back from the American Film Market (AFM) in Los Angeles, RB and I fleshed out the idea for Stage 32,” said Curt Blakeney, co-founder of Stage32.com. “In the bar of the Loews Santa Monica Hotel, we witnessed so many projects being discussed and so many filmmakers with completed films begging to be heard. We thought it would be great to create a virtual meeting place so that people could discuss film and theater projects and connect year round, anywhere in the world. Stage 32 is a social network uniquely populated with the most creative people on Earth.”

Unofficially launched on July 23, 2011, the site went through a “proof of concept” phase with early adapters. Within weeks, membership quickly grew to 20,000 members globally in more than 120 countries. With Stage 32, industry personnel have an online place to call home.

“Excelling at your craft is only half the battle,” Botto said. “Networking is just as important, and we’re helping to accelerate that process.”

Whether someone is looking to fund a film, cast talent in a project, join classes, find a director, get advice or discuss key industry issues in the chat area, Stage 32 is designed to connect everyone within the industry. Best of all, Stage 32 is free to join and can easily be linked to an individual’s Facebook account, giving the user easy access to their existing contacts and colleagues.

“Stage 32 has allowed me to present my past and current film projects to a diverse and qualified forum of entertainment professionals,” said Writer/Director/Producer Angelo Bell. “As a result of posting my current film project on Stage 32, I've been contacted by numerous people (talent and crew) who appreciate the concept and are interested in helping me bring it to fruition.”

“With Stage 32, I have an all-access pass to television and movie professionals as well as media members,” said publicist Lynette Carrington of Carrington Entertainment. “I can find great places to book my clients for print, radio and podcast interviews and I can also see what films are currently casting. Stage 32 has been an extraordinarily valuable tool in helping me do my job. Plus, it is always great to meet others that understand this challenging industry.”

Stage 32 can be found online at www.Stage32.com. It can also be accessed via Facebook at www.facebook.com/stage32 or twitter at @stage32online. Relevant for both newcomers and seasoned entertainment professionals, Stage 32 is the no-nonsense, professional place to get serious about taking a dream and making it a reality.

Steve McQueen's widow celebrates the life of the 'King of Cool'

Steve McQueen’s widow and his biographer are coming to Palm Springs in February to promote a blockbuster new book about the superstar, and to celebrate the life of the ‘King of Cool’.

Barbara McQueen and author Marshall Terrill will appear 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011, at Melvyn’s Restaurant at the Ingleside Inn, 200 W. Ramon Road, Palm Springs. The two will make a presentation, answer questions and sign copies of Terrill’s new biography Steve McQueen: The Life and Legend of a Hollywood Icon and McQueen’s 2006 photo book Steve McQueen: The Last Mile.

“For years I’ve been hearing about the magic of Melvyn’s Restaurant and the Ingleside Inn,” said McQueen, who will kick off the inn’s 2011 Speaker Series. “I’m happy to share my stories about Steve while spending quality time in the desert.”
For decades, Steve McQueen has captured our hearts and imaginations. Now, the star’s preeminent biographer reveals the true life of the man in his 624-page epic book. Featuring hundreds of interviews and exhaustive research, Terrill reveals new details about the star’s life from his harrowing and painful childhood, throughout his incredible career, to his courageous final days. Scrupulously researched and beautifully written, Steve McQueen: The Life and Legend of a Hollywood Icon is an indispensible resource of a beloved star.

Author Marshall Terrill is a film, sports and music writer and the author of more than a dozen books, including best-selling biographies of Steve McQueen, Elvis Presley and Pete Maravich. He is also the co-author of Palm Springs a la Carte with Mel Haber. Three of his books are in development to be made into movies.

Barbara Minty McQueen is the widow of the famous actor and met McQueen in 1977. They remained married until his Nov. 7, 1980 death. She resides in Ketchum, Idaho.

Tickets are $65, which includes a three-course dinner as well as tax and tip. Reservations are required. To RSVP, call (760) 325-0046 or visit www.inglesideinn.com.

Book Soup hosts Robert Relyea on Sept. 10

Movie executive was assistant director on Jailhouse Rock

Producer Robert E. Relyea, a fifty-year veteran of the movie industry and assistant director on Elvis Presley's most iconic film, Jailhouse Rock, will appear at a world famous book store on the Sunset Strip this month to promote his new action-packed autobiography.

The two-hour signing will take place 7 p.m. Wednesday, September 10 at Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood. Relyea will be signing copies of Not So Quiet On The Set: My Life In Movies During Hollywood’s Macho Era, which promises to become a must read for anyone who yearns to know the “real” stories about the movies.

Co-authored by son Craig Relyea, Not So Quiet On The Set provides a fascinating behind-the-scenes, first person look into Hollywood’s movie-making landscape during the turbulent pre-and post-Kennedy years in America. The book also chronicles Relyea’s relationship with Elvis Presley on the set of Jailhouse Rock and Kid Gallahad.

Tidbits include:

• When Relyea rushed Presley from the MGM soundstage to Cedars-Sinai Hospital because the singer had swallowed a tooth cap.

• A behind-the-scenes look at the famous dance sequence that became Presley's most enduring image on celluloid.

• How Presley won over the film's veteran cast and crew with his polite manners and sincerity.

• Relyea's take on Presley's romance with co-star Judy Tyler, who died in a tragic automobile accident shortly after Jailhouse Rock was finished.

• Having fun with Presley and the Memphis Mafia on the set of Kid Gallahad.

The 348-page work includes candid photos of Relyea on the sets of epic films and presents rare insights into the mechanics and politics of film making, defining a dynamic period in motion picture history. A unique collaboration between father and son, Not So Quiet On The Set not only illustrates how the movie industry really works, but also provides a revealing portrait of Hollywood’s loss of innocence.

For more information, go to www.booksoup.com or www.NotSoQuietOnTheSet.com.