Richard “RB” Botto of Stage 32: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker

An Interview With Edward Sylvan

Make sure you’re listening to the right people — We live in a world full of “experts,” but it takes a lot of time and experience to truly claim that title. Just because someone talks about a topic frequently on social media doesn’t mean they know what they are doing. Look at the results of their life. Sometimes the quietest people who fly under the radar are the ones putting in the hours and seeing the most success.

As a part of our series called “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Became A Filmmaker”, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Richard “RB” Botto.

Richard “RB” Botto is the CEO of Stage 32, the world’s largest global social network and training platform for the entertainment industry. Leveling the playing field for film, television and digital content creators and professionals worldwide, Stage 32 provides networking and training opportunities as well as direct access beyond the gatekeepers. Launched in 2011, the Stage 32 community has grown to more than 800,000 entertainment creatives and professionals. In addition, Stage 32 has curated the world’s largest educational library with over 1,500 hours of webinars and classes designed to help all film, television and digital content creators and pros hone their craft and navigate the industry. RB is also a producer whose films have played at dozens of festivals including a Sundance-award-winning feature. He is the executive producer on projects with Gidden Media and National Lampoon. As a writer, RB works on active writing assignments and has two features and a TV pilot in development. As an actor, his latest film “On the Corner of Ego and Desire” premiered at the Raindance Film Festival. Additionally, RB’s #1 best-selling book “Crowdsourcing For Filmmakers: Indie Film and the Power of the Crowd,” published by Routledge under the American Film Market Presents banner, is available on Amazon and Audible where it has garnered over 100 5-star reviews.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit of the ‘backstory’ of how you grew up?

I was interested in the arts from a very young age, especially theater and film. It wasn’t just about the movies and plays themselves, but the business behind it. I was fascinated by the industry and the way it worked. Even though I loved theater and film, I went on to pursue a pharmacy degree.

Even though my degree wasn’t in the arts, I still took writing and acting classes. I also performed in various plays and shows on campus. I thought going after the arts wasn’t practical, and I needed to get a degree in something that would guarantee me a job. But I had one professor who was always complimentary of my writing and creative pursuits. He was the one who convinced me to leave pharmacy school and pursue what I really loved. This led me to pursue small theater roles around New York City and was the beginning of my story with this industry.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

When I stopped pursuing pharmacy, I had to get various jobs to pay the bills. I ended up starting RAZOR Magazine, a national men’s lifestyle magazine that competed against GQ and Esquire, among others. Through this experience, I met a plethora of stars, agents, and publicists in the entertainment industry. Even though I was running a magazine, I never lost my love for the arts. But just because I was well-connected didn’t mean I was going to become a breakout star. Most people knew me as a magazine publisher, but through this experience, I sort of got an experiential degree in how entertainment works. When I decided to move on from the magazine, I finally had the confidence to pursue what I always loved — acting, screenwriting, and producing.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your filmmaking career?

When I first broke into the business, a producer friend of mine told me to “expect the unexpected” and that “rejection comes to your face, but opportunities arise out of nowhere if you position yourself correctly.” I never took much stock in it until one day I received a call on my cell from Stephen Furst. Stephen was most famous for playing Flounder in ANIMAL HOUSE, but went on to forge a very successful producing career.

When I picked up the call, I thought the voice sounded oddly familiar, but I had never met Stephen before. So when he introduced himself there was a long pause before I finally asked, “Flounder?” and he got a big kick out of that. The long story short is that another producer friend had slipped him one of my scripts, and he loved it. He asked to meet, and we hit it off famously. (I should note, he was wearing an ANIMAL HOUSE t-shirt.) He ended up optioning the script and we almost got the thing made. Sadly, Stephen passed away before we could see it through. This certainly fell into the “expect the unexpected” realm, and it was a most welcome and rewarding circumstance, especially getting to know Stephen during the journey.

Who are some of the most interesting people you have interacted with? What was that like? Do you have any stories?

I’ve had the opportunity to interact with incredible people in this industry from all over the world, famous or otherwise. We had some Stage 32 members come up with a script draft, and after we helped perfect it, it was picked up, produced, and distributed. It’s now a film called Chick Fight with Malin Akerman, Bella Thorne, and Alec Baldwin.

We have a new partnership with Black Boy Writes/Black Girl Writes, where we’re looking to identify the world’s most talented Black screenwriters and mentor them with the help of Mike Gauyo, writer of Netflix’s original hit series “Ginny and Georgia” and the Emmy-nominated, “Insecure” created by actress, writer, producer and outspoken diversity advocate Issa Rae. We’ve also partnered with the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (one of the biggest film festivals in Northern Europe) to bring specialized training to filmmakers who are eager to compete in the current content gold rush.

We also have members who have worked on incredible projects like Orange Is The New Black, Chef’s Table, Cheer, Shrek 2, Good Will Hunting, Black-Ish, and more. It really is an unparalleled pool of talent, and we count ourselves lucky that our platform provides a space for them to connect.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

In many ways, I have to credit my father. He started out working in pharmaceutical advertising for one of the biggest firms in the world, but he always had an entrepreneurial mindset and work ethic. Eventually, he broke off and started his own firm. He won major accounts and years later ended up cashing out in a big way. I had a front row seat to his journey — the highs, the lows, and everything in between. He handled all of it with grace and style. It was a masterclass for me, and the lessons I learned along the way inform everything I’ve done both as an entrepreneur and in my creative career.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“To be successful, you have to be visible.” Many people assume I’m an extrovert because I’m in this industry, but I have a strong introverted side. I’ve taught myself over the years that while it can be uncomfortable to put yourself out there time and time again, it’s always worth it. I have to spend my time building relationships and networking instead of receding from the spotlight. That can be difficult for a lot of different personality types, even some extroverts. Don’t be afraid of putting yourself out there and taking risks. It will always pay off in the end.

I am very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

If you aren’t allowing everyone a seat at the table, or a space in which to share their ideas, you do not have access to the best of the best. The entertainment industry needs to lead the way in diversity and inclusion efforts worldwide, and in the past, this has not been the case. There are so many beautiful films and television shows, like Parasite, that are changing the way we view entertainment in America. It is imperative to have access to a diverse network of talent to continue producing and creating incredible works of art.

Our mission is to “democratize the entertainment industry.” You can’t do that if you’re only seeing and hearing from one point of view.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

Right now, we are working with Netflix to source talent from all over the world for local language content. Shows like Narcos demonstrated to American audiences and executives that content doesn’t need to be in their primary language to be worth watching. This opens doors for creatives all around the world to connect with a broader audience. We’re aiming to give incredible opportunities for filmmakers, screenwriters, and more to create content in their own language and get connected with some really big players in the industry.

Another initiative I’m really passionate about is how mental health affects our industry. This was obviously a huge issue in 2020. So many people have had a difficult time being creative when they feel overwhelmed or isolated. Stage 32’s membership soared during the pandemic, and we broke our personal records month over month for the number of people attending classes and training. We helped people get off the sofa and into a creative mindset. We are uniquely positioned to help creatives all over the world connect online. We give them an outlet to develop amazing content or have access to educational resources. Mental health is an ongoing issue, and one that all of us at Stage 32 are passionate about solving. If we can shine a light in people’s lives and bring some sort of positive contribution and sense of community, I think we are achieving our goal.

Which aspect of your work makes you most proud? Can you explain or give a story?

I’m proud of Stage 32’s incredible library of resources that are changing the game for emerging talent. Since we launched in 2011, we’ve grown to a community of over 800,000 people and have curated the world’s largest educational library with over 1,500 hours of webinars, classes, and more. All of this exists so that film, television, and digital content creators can have access to resources and better hone their craft. We’ve been able to connect emerging talents to incredible opportunities in the industry, and partner with streaming platforms like Netflix to host workshops and connect them with talent.

One of our most exciting opportunities right now is working with Netflix to develop more regional-specific content. People from over 180 countries signed up for the Netflix seminar, which is a huge indicator of how connected and global the industry is becoming. Christopher Mack, Director of Creative Talent Investment & Development for Netflix, led a virtual seminar with us last month. We are excited to continue partnering with their team in order to truly change the industry through our global reach.

Ok super. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

• Make sure you’re listening to the right people — We live in a world full of “experts,” but it takes a lot of time and experience to truly claim that title. Just because someone talks about a topic frequently on social media doesn’t mean they know what they are doing. Look at the results of their life. Sometimes the quietest people who fly under the radar are the ones putting in the hours and seeing the most success.
• Do your homework — Make sure you know what information is true and what is false. There’s a lot of incorrect information floating around right now. It takes only a few minutes to do some dedicated research and find out the facts. Make sure you’re researching the ins and outs of your chosen profession or industry and consulting real experts.
• Surround yourself with people who will push you toward where you want to be — It is imperative to surround yourself with like-minded people who are passionate about pursuing their goals. When you’re around the right people, you ultimately become a better person. Make sure your crowd is actually doing what they say they are going to do, not just Tweeting about it. Cut out all of the negative voices and focus on what is positive and possible.
• Be confident — This is way easier said than done, but at times, it’s best to adopt a “fake it til you make it” mentality. Your attitude and the way you present yourself affect your life. Make sure you’re projecting confidence and are surrounded by encouraging people. When you become more confident, you’ll stop hiding and start taking more risks. That’s the only real way to succeed.
• Be curious — Learning doesn’t stop when you finish school. You have to keep learning and be a student of life and your profession to stay competitive. I personally love learning, and I think that’s been a huge help to me in my career. I’m always looking for educational resources, books, and influential voices to help grow my knowledge base so I can get to the next level.

When you create a film, which stakeholders have the greatest impact on the artistic and cinematic choices you make? Is it the viewers, the critics, the financiers, or your own personal artistic vision? Can you share a story with us or give an example of what you mean?

It’s really all of the above. Every person involved in a project is a vital part of taking that project to the finish line. They are all necessary and have value. You aren’t going to be able to start the project without financiers, you won’t be able to film it without cinematographers and videographers, and you won’t be able to convey your message without the right people in the right roles. It’s easy to think it’s all about the main star of the film, but really, the person behind the camera or directing the shoot has equal value.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I would keep doing what I am doing — democratizing the entertainment industry. We are in a content gold rush right now, with a record amount of films and television shows being released in 2022 and beyond. There are so many opportunities for different creatives to have their voices heard. I really want Stage 32 to be a one-stop shop for network executives and creatives to get connected and see what projects they can pursue together.

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this. :-)

I count myself lucky to have interacted with so much incredible talent during my career and as founder of Stage 32. Of course, I’d love to meet with some of the people who inspire me — and with iconic directors like Martin Scorcese — but I think up-and-coming talent is equally as important. I’d love to meet someone in Belgium who has an incredible idea for a film but doesn’t have the connections or the funding. I’d love to meet the next Oscar-award-winning actor in Peru who is just waiting for their breakthrough role. I want to meet all of these people from all over the world and give them the connections and opportunities they need to be successful. These are the people who aren’t famous yet — but they will be. These are the people that inspire me, that I’d love to meet with and help see their vision come to life.

How can our readers further follow you online?

You can follow Stage 32 on social media and check out our website to access our resources.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!