Xytech After Dark

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan to talk about the year that was 2022!  They start by talking the insanely eventual year for Xytech Systems and how the company grew under new ownership in 2022 (8:06). Then we look at our industry in 2022 and major changes and challenges facing the streaming industry (20:28).  From there Gregg and Greg share their favorite films, TV, Music, and Books for 2022 (38:55).  Happy Holidays from everyone at Xytech Systems!  Here's to a great 2023!!

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan to talk about the latest study on how many streaming services people utilize vs linear TV and just how many apps do "we" subscribe to (3:13)?  Next, they discuss a story about how the demand for 'production space' in Los Angeles has never been hotter and shows no signs of slowing (30:46), in the Halloween spirit, Gregg reviews his experience with the dedicated horror streaming service, Shudder (37:30), and Greg Dolan talks about the success that was IBC and what to look forward to at the NAB East Show next week (44:36)!https://www.xytechsystems.com/

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by May Chan, Showrunner & Head Writer of the new AppleTV+ series “Surfside Girls” (out now!).  Gregg and May discuss what it means to be a “Showrunner” in the world of episodic television (2:02), from ‘aspiring writer' to ‘working writer', how does one ‘break' into the industry (10:15), what is was like seeing something she wrote on the screen for first time (16:15), winning a WGA award (20:44), thoughts on “weekly release” vs “series drops” strategies  (29:37), ignoring ‘trolls' on the internet (33:53), adapting books for television and much more (36:45)! https://tv.apple.com/us/show/surfside-girls/umc.cmc.4371g2xacdr0wfs071dm3q30xhttps://www.xytechsystems.com

After a 2-month ‘summer break', the XAD Podcast is BACK!  Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan for a special “Summer Mailbag” show. They start-off the show sharing their admiration for the late great Vin Scully (2:10).  Next, they crack open the mailbag to discuss recent stories about how VFX houses are dealing with a global capacity crisis to keep up with demand (11:06), streamers are beginning to report stalled subscriber growth and is this cause for panic? (32:15), and lastly, how can we stop the remake the of the classic 80's ‘tough-guy' movie, Roadhouse (49:32)???https://www.xytechsystems.com

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan who start-off with a tangent around ‘milestone birthdays' and how to understand them (2:21). Then they move to encouraging news around recent theatrical box office numbers and whether this is simply the “Top Gun Effect” or signs of something bigger for the industry (13:40).  Using the films Ambulance and Top Gun as examples, does a film simply debuting in a theater add to the anticipation prior to landing on a streamer (29:44)?  Finally, they discuss the latest in “Virtual Product Placement” technology from Amazon, how it will effect the home-viewing experience (45:19). 

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by special guests, Matt Waldock and Greg Dolan, to talk about the week that was at NAB.  They discuss what it felt like to back at NAB (5:01), the impact of starting on Sunday & changing  halls (15:44), what to expect at NAB 2023 (36:00). Then Matt rolls through his various NAB observations about the Telsa Tunnel (49:39),  meeting people you've only seen on Zoom calls (51:39), US & English fashion terminology (54:33), and overwhelming American dinner menus (58:17). Lastly, they HAD to talk about the latest Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees (1:02:27)!  Thanks for listening!

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan to talk about the return of the National Association of Broadcasters Convention (aka NAB) happening April 24th through April 28th at the Las Vegas Convention Center (Xytech Booth = North Hall #6314).  They dive to why NAB is so important to the industry (and Xytech), what to expect this year, and what makes a successful trade show.  Lastly, they thank a very important person to Xytech and the Xytech After Dark Podcast (43:02).   For more info: https://www.xytechsystems.com/nab/

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan to talk about the return of ‘industry events' and the sense that the M&E industry, as we know and love it, is slowly ‘coming back' after a long 2+ years (3:45), Greg talks about his first trip to London in since 2020 (4:54), Gregg has run out of ways to defend the Oscars and the puzzling decisions made for this year's broadcast and is a TV shows about films crucial to the overall industry (19:25)?  Lastly, they discuss ideas for the “Software Hall of Fame” (57:59) and a quick update on the Xytech After Dark Book Club (1:00:20).

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan to discuss their trip to last week's HPA Tech Retreat in Palm Springs and their thoughts on a new book about the history of HBO.  They start off with a quick discussion around the recent SAG Awards Show and ‘awards season' leading up The Oscars next month (3:10), followed by their experiences attending last week's HPA tech Retreat (10:20), what it means for future industry events and trade shows (26:10).  Then they take a deep dive into the new book by James Andrew Miller, “Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers”, about the history of HBO from its early cable days, the pivot to original content, and ultimately, their battles in the current streaming wars (29:47). 

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan to celebrate the return of the ‘XAD Slow Speed Newswire'!  They started off with brief celebration of the XAD Podcast 2-year birthday!  Then they discuss NBC's announcement of the Winter Olympics being broadcast entirely in 4k.  What does this mean for broadcasters and why isn't 4k a ‘bigger deal' to consumers (4:45)?  Next they look at the final season of Ozark being released in 2-parts.  What does this mean for NETFLIX's original release strategy and is ‘drop it all at once' going away (21:56)?  Lastly, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees were announced right before recording and Gregg & Greg just couldn't help themselves…again (41:55).  Thanks for listening!

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan to talk about the BREAKING NEWS: Xytech has been acquired by Banneker Partners!  They talk about the press release earlier in the day, how the acquisition came about, and what it means for the company and their customers going forward.  Exciting times ahead! Xytech's Press Release on the acquisition:https://www.xytechsystems.com/xytech-acquired-by-banneker-partners-leading-software-focused-private-equity-firm/

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan look back at the ‘blur' that was 2021 to discuss their highlights (and some lowlights) of the year.  They start by discussing the key differences between 2020 and 2021 and how the M&E industry adapted and evolved (1:55), then they walk through their favorite “things” of 2021 (17:37), and lastly, they discuss what to expect and look forward to in 2022 (1:19:09)! Happy Holidays from everyone at Xytech and Xytech After Dark!

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan to talk about Xytech's recent decision to withdraw from the upcoming IBC Trade Show in Amsterdam, what this means for future trade shows in the near future, the date shift to December, possible alternatives and social media's reaction to the show moving forward.  Then Gregg and Greg lighten the mood a bit by cracking open the mailbag to answer listener questions around ‘400 Films', Yellowstone's ratings bonanza, and ‘turkey talk'. Xytech's Press Release on IBC:https://www.xytechsystems.com/media-alert-xytech-announces-it-will-not-attend-ibc-due-to-surge-in-covid-19-cases-in-the-netherlands/

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan to celebrate Gregg's insane accomplishment (???) of watching 400 films in 2021 (and did it 2 months early).  They start-off talking about the origins of the “quest” and ‘why 400 films?' (3:38), how movies were found and selected (11:03), a deep dive into the various Letterboxd ‘Stats' like ‘total hours watched' and ‘new releases' vs ‘classics'  & more (20:28), what Gregg learned from all this (29:07).  Then they hand out “The Sandy” awards to the various highlights of the quest including ‘best streaming platform' (39:00).  Lastly, Gregg reveals the movies he hand-picked for films #399 and #400 and why they are STILL awesome (01:14:46).   https://letterboxd.com/greggsand/https://letterboxd.com/greggsand/films/diary/

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan to talk about the slow, but promising, return of Movie Theaters and the ‘Box Office'.  Gregg starts with an apology to Albuquerque (2:00) before pivoting to what constitutes a “hit” in today's box office numbers  and which demographics are buying tickets (4:04), what is a 4DX theater (12:41), Gregg and Greg's own experience No Time To Die in 4DX (15:33), has 3D been profitable (34:00), lastly, they dive into a very HEAVY SPOILER discussion of the latest Bond film and their relationship with the Bond Franchise (41:42).

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Production Costumer, Kia Mallon, to talk about the world of sets, wardrobe, actors, unions, and long days on set.  We begin discussing the role of Costume of the set and what a ‘typical day' looks like (4:11), how one ‘breaks' into the biz (13:18), how one finds the ‘next gig' (16:58), we walk through Kia's IMDB to talk about some of the crazier moments on various sets (27:11), Van Damme's missing mustache (32:32), and lastly, we discuss the looming IATSE Strike and why it's important re-evaluate relationship between the studios and the crews (42:34). https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1895290/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan to talk about the ‘breaking news' that NAB has been cancelled for 2021.  First Gregg and Greg talk about the XAD “NAB Preview” Podcast they recorded last week but never released (1:40), the news that NAB has now been cancelled (4:00), the timeline of events over the last 6 months that lead up to the cancellation (7:56), will companies will re-evaluate their relationship to trade shows (24:45), what this means for IBC, CES, and other shows (37:38), what Xytech is planning as an alternative to NAB (55:40), and, on a totally different note, a few thoughts on the passing Norm Macdonald (01:04:20).

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Josh Morgan from Momentum Productions to talk about his amazing 10+ year career streaming production gear reviews on YouTube and Instagram racking up millions of ‘views' and building an audience.  First off, Gregg and Josh talk about how he initially got into production, and eventually, YouTube (5:17), when it started to feel like he could make a living on YouTube (12:20), being critical of gear and how those companies react (18:29), the ever-changing relationship with ‘fans' (and trolls) (22:33), how other platforms like Instagram and Tik-Tok have altered the landscape (26:04), the anxiety that goes with releasing new videos and watching view-counts (33:16), and lastly, what advice Josh would give to anyone wanting to jump into the crazy world of YouTube and streaming today (55:43).https://www.instagram.com/momentum_productions/https://www.youtube.com/user/MrJMMedia

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan to discuss the latest stories impacting the M&E industry.  But first, they discuss how they spent their summer vacations (1:40), their thoughts on the season 2 of Ted Lasso (11:31), Gregg's thoughts on who should be the next Bond (13:18), and Gregg shares some feedback from the previous XAD episode ‘Land of Gold' (16:35).  Next they tap into the “Medium-Speed Newswire” to talk about NAB's latest announcement on the upcoming show's safety protocols (19:23), Discovery's David Zaslav slams The Nielsen Ratings claiming the system is broken (30:16).  NETFLIX and Hulu announce plans to dive into (disrupt?) the already-crowded gaming industry (49:50). 

Gregg Sandheinrich is ecstatic to be joined by AT&T and Tribeca's Untold Stories Program winning producing team, Pallavi and Keertana Sastry, to talk about their upcoming film Land of Gold.  They begin the podcast talking about the $1,000,000 prize and what makes the Untold Stories program so special (4:39), the premise of Land of Gold and why they are so passionate about it (8:45), getting rejected by other competitions (17:53), the stress and emotional rollercoaster of the live awards ceremony (24:50), what happens now?? (38:19), the premiere on HBO Max and working the film festival circuit (01:01:05), Pallavi on producing AND starring in the film (01:05:15), and are all of the discussions around equality and inclusiveness in Hollywood actually resulting in change?  (01:10:24) www.landofgoldfilm.comhttps://about.att.com/story/2021/untold_stories_winner.html

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan to discuss the mysterious world of Tubi & lesser-known streaming apps.  But first, they talk about “what we're watching” followed by Gregg's “shocking” reveal that he's never been a farmer (6:17), take a slight detour into the recent KISS biography airing on A&E and what people want from a music documentary (9:59). Then they take a deep-dive into the vast ocean of free streaming platforms (17:13), how Tubi works and what makes it so appealing to movie buffs (17:55), what is the ‘end game' for all of these free streaming apps (24:00), is launching a streaming service in 2021 like opening in records store in 2001 (31:05)? Lastly, they discuss the new wave of pandemic-themed-content being woven into Films and TV and what's the audience's willingness to go on these journeys (42:40)?

Gregg Sandheinrich is thrilled to be joined by Visual Data's film restoration expert, Theo Gluck, to discuss the joys and challenges of restoring and preserving some of the most legendary titles in the history of cinema for The Walt Disney Studios (3:51).  They discuss ‘where to begin' when bringing a classic film back to life (8:31), the great lengths studios can go through to track down materials (12:29), what's it like to bring the original director into the restoration process (15:25), how directors reckon with content that hasn't aged well ‘culturally' (22:30), how the explosion of streaming services effect the world of restoration (33:28), the ‘dilemma' of shooting digitally (52:33), and the ‘weird' state of cinema in the 2020's (1:00:58). The Letterboxd List of all films discussed in today's ep:https://letterboxd.com/greggsand/list/xytech-after-dark-ep-21-film-restoration/

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by eSports experts, Josh Rizzo and Taylor Zeller, to talk about eSports’ place in the Media and Entertainment industry (3:54), why it feels under-represented (8:19), eSports’ “boxing problem” (28:07), are the games “too complicated” for casual fans? (37:54), why no “superstars” have emerged (51:16), and can eSports grow without traditional TV Networks? (1:02:50).  Lastly, Gregg has some VERY special guests on the pod (Gregg’s daughters!!) to chime-in on last week’s pod topic “what the heck does Dad do for a living????” (1:15:30) Josh’s presentation on eSports can be found here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6NiC2tfshs

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan talk about after 14 months of working from home, does our family have a better understanding of what we do for a living? (5:08) Then they ponder the ripple-effects of a bad awards show on the M&E industry while Gregg offers-up some half-baked ways to fix it (9:53).  As LA moves into the ‘yellow tier’, we discuss re-opening the Xytech LA office (34:26).  Lastly, they marvel at the undeniable power the XAD Podcast wields in the M&E Industry and the magical appearance of a “pause button”!! (54:39)  

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan, live from Florida, to talk about the official closing of Xytech’s acquisition of ScheduALL and what that means for both companies going forward (:45).  Then they discuss the overall sensation of things “opening up” (9:40) followed by the ‘good, the bad, and the ugly’ of Gregg’s “Movie Project” to watch 400 films this year (13:18) which leads them to discuss ‘Who are the losers in the great streaming war of 2021?’ (30:10).  Lastly, the guys celebrate the one-year anniversary of the XAD Podcast (44:41)!!  Thanks for everyone who’s listened over the last year!  It’s been fun! (Gregg’s Letterbxd profile can be found here:  https://letterboxd.com/greggsand/)

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Joachim “JZ” Zell from the Hollywood Professional Association to talk about this year’s HPA Tech Retreat (March 15th thru the 24th). Gregg and JZ talk about what makes the HPA and the Tech Retreat so unique (3:50), how last year’s event was enormously significant as COVID was about to change to everything (12:05), what is a “Supersession?” (14:50), the pivot to making the Tech Retreat “virtual” (26:58), enlisting the Mongolian Army(!) (30:38), and how to join the Hollywood Beer Alliance (58:24).

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan for an ‘EMERGENCY POD’ to discuss Xytech’s newly announced acquisition of ScheduALL(!!), how the deal came together, and what it means for the company and our clients (:40). Afterwards they briefly discuss some recent developments with the Xytech After Dark podcast (17:54), what we can expect from the Golden Globes this weekend (24:50), and our anticipation of the Paramount+ streaming service launch next week (29:37). Thanks for listening!

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan for a return of the Mailbag! Before diving into the mailbag, Gregg and Greg talk about the marketing around WandaVision (2:00), Gregg’s crazy goal to watch 400 movies in 2021 (5:50). They transition to an interesting LA Times’ story explaining the concept of “Streaming Churn” and what the Studios are doing to prevent it(11:05). Then they crack open the 2021 Mailbag to talk about the lack of ‘buzz’ coming from Virtual CES and what it means for future shows this year (41:17). Lastly, they field a question asking ‘if there should a “Post Production Hall of Fame”, what does it look like, and who gets in????’ (55:50)

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by the President of Testronic Labs, Jason Gish, to talk about the ever shifting world of Quality Control for the movie and television industry. Gregg and Jason discuss ‘what is QC?’ (4:00), the challenges and innovations of QC in the pandemic (9:30), the content “explosion” of streaming platforms (20:39), how Game of Thrones changed home viewing (32:28), the effect of Reddit and ‘super fans’ on the QC biz (34:41), missing Trade Shows (37:00), and the future state of the industry post-pandemic (46:10). https://www.testroniclabs.com/

Gregg Sandheinrich is joined by Greg Dolan to dive into the ‘year that was….2020’ and talk about their ‘Top Things of 2020’ (let’s focus on the positive!). Gregg starts the show by apologizing for the previous show (1:30). Then they jump into the big ‘streaming wars’ news last week and how it impacts the industry (4:22) followed by their ‘Top of 2020’ lists covering TV, Movies, Music, Podcasts, and more (16:52). Happy Holidays from the XAD Team!!

Gregg Sandheinrich and Greg Dolan get SERIOUSLY distracted on the way to talking about implementation methodologies (eh, it’s the holidays!). Gregg starts the show by asking Greg for an ‘employee review’ live on air (:39), followed by how they prepare for Thanksgiving (12:20), then Gregg takes a major detour into HBO’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame broadcast, the mystery behind how acts are nominated (23:00), and Hall of Fame “snubs” (45:02). Lastly, we apologize for running out of time to discuss the “actual” topic (1:03:35) and send out a big ‘congrats’ to the HPA Awards Ceremony (1:07:10). Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Xytech After Dark!

*episode correction* Ah, Fall is in the air and it’s time for Xytech’s Gregg Sandheinrich and Greg Dolan to crack open the listener mailbag!! Gregg and Greg talk about “first jobs” (1:55), what to expect on Halloween night (8:08), how to make ‘virtual trade shows’ more interesting (14:26), favorite Quibi memories (24:55), the pandemic’s effect on Xytech’s business model (37:51), their top 5 favorite horror films (45:44), and finally, where is the XAD ‘tape stock’ episode (1:06:30)???

Given the current state of…”everything”, being a college grad about to enter the world of film and television seems incredibly daunting, but is it??? Xytech’s Gregg Sandheinrich sits down with (soon-to-be) college graduate Connor Sandheinrich(!) to talk about being a U of Kansas Film/Media student months away from graduation. They talk about choosing Film & Media as a major (1:38), the classroom vs ‘hands-on’ experience (6:54), the impact of social media apps like TikTok & Instagram on college curriculums (18:40), the school’s reaction & rebound from COVID (31:39), what to expect from the job market in the ‘current climate’ (46:45), and what’s it like having the last name “Sandheinrich” (1:05:39). https://www.connorsandheinrich.com/

Part 2 of our highly-flawed walk down memory lane! Xytech’s Gregg Sandheinrich and Greg Dolan talk a long nostalgic stroll through software’s evolution from 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s and how it impacted the industry (and their lives). In today’s episode: Y2k PANIC (3:48), Xytech’s early office tools (10:43), AOL Messenger (16:18), this new thing called a “text message” (23:30), screening sharing (25:40), XE’s Powerbuilder (29:55), Filemaker running wild (35:00), why being nostalgic is dangerous in the tech world (44:49). Whew, we made it! Thanks for hanging!

Our first ‘multi-part pod’! Xytech’s Gregg Sandheinrich and Greg Dolan talk a long nostalgic stroll through software’s evolution from 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s and how it impacted the industry (and their lives). In today’s episode: why it’s easy to be nostalgic right now (8:40), the first PC’s (15:44), early programming languages (19:20), building biz systems in the 90’s (24:19), the ‘Y2k Bug’ (29:03), Lotus Notes & early email apps (36:07), pagers and cell phones (43:46), and early post-prod software (50:28). Stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon!

Xytech’s Gregg Sandheinrich sits down with Greg Dolan, and Xytech’s own, Tanmay Goel to talk about why there hasn’t been any new Xytech podcasts lately (2:05), what’ve been doing to keep busy outside of work (7:18), what will we ultimately remember from this era “one day” (22:40), impressions of the HBO Max and Peacock launches (28:42), the return of live sports (36:33), and how Xytech’s consulting team made the pivot to the new landscape (46:19).

Xytech’s Gregg Sandheinrich sits down with Greg Dolan, Darrell Gardner, and Matt Waldock to talk about Xytech’s recent vNAB Webinar Series. In a ridiculous ‘4-way pod’, the team talks about much prep goes into a ‘virtual trade show’ (2:41), why we “Do it Live!” (17:16), how to keep calm under pressure (20:44), dealing with technical hiccups (43:19) and lastly, what’s the appropriate pronunciation of “Basil”?? (1:08:00)

Xytech’s Gregg Sandheinrich sits down with Visual Data Media Services’ SVP of Operations, Steve Spear, to talk about the initial challenges in shifting post production from the facility to the home (7:02), the need to secure the facility itself (10:55), the impact on making client deadlines (20:09), what happens when restrictions are lifted (28:00), and how COVID will push new post technologies forward (42:04).

Xytech’s Gregg Sandheinrich and Greg Dolan crack open listener emails (for better or worse) to talk about what we look for in a good podcast (2:50), IBC’s very uncertain future (8:44), Xytech’s ‘Lessons Learned’ from COVID (16:24), great steaks in Vegas (23:00), where we went wrong in “movies” podcast (27:24), cooking beans (31:28), and what else we’re digging right now (33:08).

Xytech’s Gregg Sandheinrich and Greg Dolan talk briefly about the transition to working remotely (:29) followed by the ‘official launch’ of the pod and how “THE WORLD” reacted (4:30)! Next, Gregg & Greg take a deep dive into the best (and worst) ‘Software Movies’ (8:14). Lastly, they talk about ‘NAB-alternatives’ and future trade shows (50:11).

Xytech’s Gregg Sandheinrich and Greg Dolan discuss what trade show’s like NAB and IBC mean to us (1:40) followed by NAB’s, not so surprising, cancelation(9:56). What does this mean for IBC (16:46)? Lastly, Gregg and Greg discuss COVID-19’s effect on Xytech‘s ‘day-today’ operations and what it means for our clients (20:25). Xytech

Xytech’s Gregg Sandheinrich and Greg Dolan discuss ‘Demo Anxiety’ and trying to stay cool under pressure (:30) before jumping into their thoughts on this year’s 2020 HPA Tech Retreat (10:30). Then Gregg Sandheinrich sits down with special guest HPA President, Seth Hallen, to discuss ‘all things HPA’ past, present, and future (29:17)! Lastly, Gregg & Greg do a little of bit Xytech ‘housekeeping’ (58:44).Xytech Website HPA Website

It’s the official “Teaser” episode of the ‘Xytech After Dark Podcast’, hosted by Gregg Sandheinrich and Greg Dolan. Gregg and Greg attempt to explain exactly “what is this podcast?” followed by an attempt to explain exactly what the podcast “isn’t” (3:39 mark).Xytech Website