Podcast appearances and mentions of Jeffrey Katzenberg

They thought they were making a movie that would save the environment and destroy extractive industries. Instead, they made a generation of millennials horny as hell for cartoon trees. FernGully: The Last Rainforest is a fascinating mid-budget animated film that presents a mighty counterweight to the Disney behemoth of the early 1990s: Modest in scope, budget-level pop songs, and an anti-capitalist message Disney would never allow (unless James Cameron does it). And it's not a great movie, but it's very good, and the animation is extremely impressive. And everyone jokes that Avatar lifts the story of FernGully…. But man, it really seems like Avatar has seen FernGully. Or maybe it's just that there are so few anti-capitalist movies made by Hollywood studios that the few that exist all seem to resemble each other. Also: Seriously you guys, there is some legitimately horny stuff going on in this movie. Avatar also seems inspired by that part. Next week: Charlie's Angels (2000) Bonus video: Matt reviews the 1980s Yugoslavian animated film The Elm-Chanted Forest. Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pzK6CiMUMxM  Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! https://patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:02:23 — Welcome to “season three” of Load Bearing Beams 00:05:50 — Opening thoughts on FernGully 00:21:32 — History segment: Producer Wayne Young and his wife Diana steward the FernGully project; animation lifer Bill Kroyer directs; Robin Williams's hiring creates a feud with Disney and Jeffrey Katzenberg 00:39:27 — Movie discussion 01:17:42 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: "FernGully at 25: How an Upstart Disney Rival Created a Millennial Silent Spring" by Chantel Tattoli | Vanity Fair (2017) - https://bit.ly/4m3oZj9  "Ferngully an enchantment" by Jamie Portman | The Calgary Herald (1992) - https://bit.ly/3JKjxnM  "Robin Williams's Change of Life" by Jesse Kornbluth | New York Magazine (1993) - https://bit.ly/4gbu8UQ  “Technological Threat” (Bill Kroyer's 1988 animated short) - https://youtu.be/t-IbidkpD74    Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Your Ambition” - https://youtu.be/ZHudVTCkrQY  “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM  “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg  “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ    Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9  Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9  Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

In this week's episode, I take a look back at the movies and streaming shows I watched in Summer 2025. This coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Ghost in the Serpent, Book #1 in the Ghost Armor series, (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store: FALLSERPENT50 The coupon code is valid through September 15, 2025 (please note the shorter expiration date). So if you need a new audiobook this fall, we've got you covered! TRANSCRIPT 00:00:00 Introduction and Writing Updates Hello, everyone. Welcome to Episode 267 of The Pulp Writer Show. My name is Jonathan Moeller. Today is September 5, 2025 and today I'm doing a review roundup of the movies and streaming shows I saw in Summer 2025. Before we do that, we will have Coupon of the Week and a progress update on my current writing and audiobook projects. First up, this week's coupon code will get you 50% off the audiobook of Ghost in the Serpent, Book One in the Ghost Armor series (as excellently narrated by Hollis McCarthy) at my Payhip store. That is FALLSERPENT50. This coupon code will be valid through September 15th, 2025 (exactly one week). So if you need a new audiobook to listen to as we head into fall, we have got you covered. Now for an update on my current writing and audiobook projects. I am pleased to report that the rough draft of Blade of Flames, which will be the first book in my new Blades of Ruin epic fantasy series is finished. The rough draft came at about 90,000 words long, which was what I was aiming for. Next up, I will be writing a short story set as sort of a bonus in that plot line called Thunder Hammer and that will be the backstory of one of the characters in Blade of Flames. And when Blade of Flames comes out (which will hopefully be later this September), newsletter subscribers will get a free ebook copy of Thunder Hammer. So this is an excellent time to subscribe to my newsletter. I am also 8,000 words into Cloak of Worlds. At long last, I am coming back to the Cloak Mage series after nearly a year's absence. Longtime listeners will know the reason was that I had five unfinished series and I wanted to spend the summer of 2025 finishing the unfinished ones and focusing up so I will only have three ongoing series at any given time. I'm hoping Blade of Flames will come out before the end of September and Cloak of Worlds before the end of October, and after that I will be able to return to the Rivah series at long last. In audiobook news, recording is finished on Shield of Power. That will be excellently narrated by Brad Wills and hopefully once it gets through processing and quality assurance and everything, it should be showing up on the various audiobook stores before too much longer. Hollis McCarthy is about halfway through the recording of Ghost in the Siege, which was, as you know, the last book in the Ghost Armor series that just came out. And if all goes well, the audiobook should be coming out probably in October once everything is done with recording and quality assurance and all that. So that is where I'm at with my current writing and audiobook projects. 00:02:34 Main Topic: Summer 2025 Movie/TV Roundup So without further ado, let's head into our main topic. The end of summer is nigh, which means this time for my summer movie review roundup. As is usual for the summer, I saw a lot of movies, so this will be one of the longer episodes. For some reason I ended up watching a bunch of westerns. As always, the movies are ranked from least favorite to most favorite. The grades of course are totally subjective and based on nothing more than my own opinions, impressions, and interpretations. Now on to the movies. First up is the Austin Powers trilogy, the three movies of which came out in 1997, 1999, and 2002. The Austin Powers movies came out just as the Internet really got going in terms of mass adoption, which is likewise why so many Austin Powers and Dr. Evil memes are embedded in online culture. Despite that, I had never really seen any of them all the way through. They've been on in the background on TBS or whatever quite a bit when I visited people, but I've never seen them all. But I happened upon a DVD of the trilogy for $0.25 (USD), so I decided for 25 cents I would give it a go. I would say the movies were funny, albeit not particularly good. Obviously the Austin Powers movies are a parody of the James Bond movies. The movies kind of watch like an extended series of Saturday Night Live skits, only loosely connected, like the skit is what if Dr. Evil had a son named Scott who wasn't impressed with him or another skit was what if a British agent from the ‘60s arrives in the ‘90s and experiences culture clash? What if Dr. Evil didn't understand the concept of inflation and demanded only a million dollars from the United Nations? What if Dr. Evil was actually Austin's brother and they went to school together at Spy Academy? Michael Caine was pretty great as Austin's father. Overall, funny but fairly incoherent. Overall grade: C- Next up is Horrible Bosses, a very dark and very raunchy comedy from about 14 years ago. It came out in 2011. Interestingly, this movie reflects what I think is one of the major crises of the contemporary era, frequent failures of leadership at all levels of society. In the movie Nick, Dale, and Kurt are lifelong friends living in LA and all three of them have truly horrible bosses in their place of employment, ranging from a sociopathic finance director, the company founder's cokehead son, and a boorish dentist with a tendency to sexual harassment. At the bar, they fantasize about killing their horrible bosses and then mutually decide to do something about it. Obviously, they'd all be prime suspects in the murder of their own bosses, but if they killed each other's bosses, that would allow them to establish airtight alibis. However, since Nick, Dale and Kurt are not as bright as they think they are, it all goes hilariously wrong very quickly. Bob Hope has a hilarious cameo. If the best “crude comedies” I've seen are Anchorman, Zoolander, Tropic Thunder, and Dodgeball, and the worst one was MacGruber, I'd say Horrible Bosses lands about in the middle. Overall grade: C Next up is Cowboys and Aliens, which came out in 2011. Now I almost saw this in 2011 when it came out, but I was too busy to go to the theater in July of 2011, so I finally saw it here in 2025 and I would say this was almost a great movie, like the performances were great, the concept was great, the scenery was great, the special effects were great, and the story was packed full of really interesting ideas, but somehow they just didn't coalesce. I'm not entirely sure why. I think upon reflection, it was that the movie is just too overcrowded with too many characters and too many subplots. Anyway, Daniel Craig portrays a man who wakes up with no memory in the Old West, with a mysterious bracelet locked around his wrist. He makes his way to the town of Atonement, and promptly gets arrested because he is apparently a notorious outlaw (which he doesn't remember). While he is locked in jail, space aliens attack the town. The aliens, for unknown reasons, abduct many of the townspeople, and Daniel Craig's character, who is named Jake even if he doesn't remember it, must lead the town's effort to recover their abducted citizens. Harrison's Ford has an excellent performance as this awful cattle baron who nonetheless has virtues of courage and fortitude that you can't help but admire. An excellent performance. That said, the movie was just too packed, and I thought it would work better as a novel. After I watched the movie, it turned out that it was indeed based off a graphic novel. Novels and graphic novels allow for a far more complex story than a movie, and I don't think this movie quite managed to handle the transition from a graphic novel to a film. Overall grade: C Next up is Heads of State, which came out in 2025. This was kind of a stupid movie. However, the fundamental question of any movie, shouted to the audience by Russell Crow in Gladiator is, “are you not entertained?!?” I was thoroughly entertained watching this, so entertained I actually watched it twice. Not everything has to be Shakespeare or a profound meditation on the unresolvable conflicts inherent within human nature. Anyway, John Cena plays Will Derringer, newly elected President of the United States. Idris Elba plays Sam Clark, who has now been the UK Prime Minister for the last six years. Derringer was an action star who parleyed his celebrity into elected office (in the same way Arnold Schwarzenegger did), while Clarke is an army veteran who worked his way up through the UK's political system. Needless to say, the cheerful Derringer and the grim Clarke take an immediate dislike to each other. However, they'll have to team up when Air Force One is shot down, stranding them in eastern Europe. They'll have to make their way home while evading their enemies to unravel the conspiracy that threatens world peace. So half action thriller, half buddy road trip comedy. The premise really doesn't work if you think about it too much for more than thirty seconds, but the movie was funny and I enjoyed it. Jack Quaid really stole his scenes as a crazy but hyper-competent CIA officer. Overall grade: C+ Next up, Captain America: Brave New World, which came out in 2025 and I think this movie ended up on the good side of middling. You can definitely tell it went through a lot of reshoots and retooling, and I suspect the various film industry strikes hit it like a freight train. But we ended up with a reasonably solid superhero thriller. Sam Wilson is now Captain America. He's not superhuman the way Steve Rogers was and doesn't have magic powers or anything, so he kind of fights like the Mandalorian – a very capable fighter who relies on excellent armor. Meanwhile, in the grand American political tradition of failing upward, Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, who spent years persecuting The Hulk and whose meddling caused the Avengers to disband right before Thanos attacked, has now been elected President. To Wilson's surprise, Ross reaches out and wants him to restart the Avengers. But Ross (as we know) did a lot of shady black ops stuff for years, and one of his projects is coming back to haunt him. Wilson finds himself in the middle of a shadowy conspiracy, and it's up to him to figure out what's going on before it's too late. I was amused that lifelong government apparatchik Ross wanted to restart the Avengers, because when the Avengers had their biggest victory in Avengers: Endgame, they were essentially unsanctioned vigilantes bankrolled by a rogue tech billionaire. Overall grade: B- Next up is Ironheart, which came out in 2025. I'd say Ironheart was about 40% very weird and 60% quite good. It's sort of like the modern version of Dr. Faustus. The show got some flak on the Internet from the crossfire between the usual culture war people, but the key to understanding it is to realize that Riri Williams AKA Ironheart is in fact an antihero who's tottering on the edge of becoming a full-blown supervillain. Like Tony Stark, she's a once-in-a-generation scientific talent, but while she doesn't have Stark's alcohol problems, she's emotionally unstable, immature, ruthless, indifferent to collateral damage and consequences, and suffering from severe PTSD after her best friend and stepfather were killed in a drive-by shooting. This volatile mix gets her thrown out of MIT after her experiments cause too much destruction, and she has to go home to Chicago. To get the funds to keep working on her Iron Man armor, she turns to crime, and falls in with a gang of high-end thieves led by a mysterious figure named Hood. It turns out that Hood has actual magic powers, which both disturbs and fascinates Riri. However, Hood got his magic in a pact with a mysterious dark force. When a job goes bad, Riri gains the enmity of Hood and has to go on the run. It also turns out Hood's dark master has become very interested in Riri, which might be a lot more dangerous for everyone in the long run. Overall, I'd say this is about in the same vein as Agatha All Along, an interesting show constructed around a very morally questionable protagonist. Overall grade: B Next up is A Minecraft movie, which came out in 2024. I have to admit, I've never actually played Minecraft, so I know very little about the game and its ecosystem, only what I've generally absorbed by glancing at the news. That said, I think the movie held together quite well, and wasn't deserving of the general disdain it got in the press. (No doubt the $950 million box office compensated for any hurt feelings.) One of the many downsides of rapid technological change in the last fifty years is that the Boomers and Gen X and the Millennials and Gen Z and Gen Alpha have had such radically different formative experiences in childhood that it's harder to relate to each other. Growing up in the 1980s was a wildly different experience than growing up in the 2010s, and growing up in the 2010s was an even more wildly different experience than growing up in the 1960s. Smartphones and social media were dominant in 2020, barely starting in 2010, and implausible science fiction in 2000 and earlier, and so it was like the different generations grew up on different planets, because in some sense they actually did. (A five-year-old relative of mine just started school, and the descriptions of his school compared to what I remember of school really do sound like different planets entirely.) The Minecraft game and A Minecraft Movie might be one of those generation-locked experiences. Anyway, this has gotten very deep digression for what was essentially a portal-based LitRPG movie. A group of people experiencing various life difficulties in a rural Idaho town get sucked into the Minecraft world through a magic portal. There they must combine forces and learn to work together to master the Minecraft world to save it from an evil sorceress. As always, the fundamental question of any movie is the one that Russell Crowe's character shouted to the audience in Gladiator back in 2000. “Are you not entertained?” I admit I was entertained when watching A Minecraft Movie since it was funny and I recognized a lot of the video game mechanics, even though I've never actually played Minecraft. Like, Castlevania II had a night/day cycle the way Minecraft does, and Castlevania II was forty years ago. But that was another digression! I did enjoy A Minecraft Movie. It was kind of crazy, but it committed to the craziness and maintained a consistent creative vision, and I was entertained. Though I did think it was impressive how Jack Black's agent managed to insist that he sing several different times. Overall grade: B Next up is Back to School, which came out in 1986 and this is one of the better ‘80s comedies I've seen. Rodney Dangerfield plays Thornton Melon, who never went to college and is the wealthy owner of a chain of plus-sized clothing stores. His son Jason is attending Great Lakes University, and after Thornton's unfaithful gold-digging wife leaves him (Thornton is mostly relieved by this development), he decides to go visit his son. He quickly discovers that Jason is flailing at college, and decides to enroll to help out his son. Wacky adventures ensue! I quite enjoyed this. The fictional “Great Lakes University” was largely shot at UW-Madison in Wisconsin, which I found amusing because I spent a lot of time at UW-Madison several decades ago as a temporary IT employee. I liked seeing the characters walk past a place where I'd eat lunch outside when the day was nice, that kind of thing. Also, I'm very familiar with how the sausage gets made in higher ed. There's a scene where the dean is asking why Thornton is qualified to enter college, and then it cuts to the dean cheerfully overseeing the groundbreaking of the new Thornton Melon Hall which Thornton just donated, and I laughed so hard I almost hurt myself, because that is exactly how higher ed works. The movie had some pointless nudity, but it was only a few seconds and no doubt gets cut in network broadcasts. Overall grade: B Next up is Whiskey Galore, which came out in 1949 and this is a comedy set in Scotland during World War II. The villagers living on an isolated island have no whiskey due to wartime rationing. However, when a government ship carrying 50,000 cases of whiskey runs aground near the island, wacky hijinks ensue. I have to admit the first half of the movie was very slow and deliberate, gradually setting up all the pieces for later. Then, once the shipwreck happens, things pick up and the movie gets much funnier. Definitely worth watching both as a good comedy movie and an artifact of its time. A modicum of historical knowledge is required – if you don't know what the Home Guard is, you might have to do some Googling to understand the context of some of the scenes. Regrettably, the version I watched did not have captioning, so I had to pay really close attention to understand what the characters were saying, because some of the accents were very strong. Overall grade: B Next up is Happy Gilmore 2, which came out in 2025. This was dumb and overstuffed with celebrity cameos but thoroughly hilarious and I say this even though it uses one of my least favorite story tropes, namely “hero of previous movie is now a middle age loser.” However, the movie leads into it for comedy. When Happy Gilmore accidentally kills his wife with a line drive, he spirals into alcoholism and despair. But his five children still love him, and when his talented daughter needs tuition for school, Happy attempts to shake off his despair and go back to golf to win the money. But Happy soon stumbles onto a sinister conspiracy led by an evil CEO to transform the game of golf into his own personal profit center. Happy must team up with his old nemesis Shooter McGavin to save golf itself from the evil CEO. Amusingly, as I've said before, the best Adam Sandler movies are almost medieval. In medieval fables, it was common for a clever peasant to outwit pompous lords, corrupt priests, and greedy merchants. The best Adam Sandler protagonist remains an everyman who outwits the modern equivalent of pompous lords and corrupt priests, in this case an evil CEO. Overall grade: B+ Next up is Superman, which came out in 2025 and I thought this was pretty good and very funny at times. I think it caught the essential nature of Superman. Like, Superman should be a Lawful Good character. If he was a Dungeons and Dragons character, he would be a paladin. People on the Internet tend to take the characterization of superheroes seriously to perhaps an unhealthy degree, but it seems the best characterization of Superman is as an earnest, slightly dorky Boy Scout who goes around doing good deeds. The contrast of that good-hearted earnestness with his godlike abilities that would allow him to easily conquer and rule the world is what makes for an interesting character. I also appreciated how the movie dispensed with the overused trope of the Origin Story and just got down to business. In this movie, Lex Luthor is obsessed with destroying Superman and is willing to use both super-advanced technology and engineered geopolitical conflict to do it. Superman, because he's essentially a decent person, doesn't comprehend just how depraved Luthor is, and how far Luthor is willing to go out of petty spite. (Ironically, a billionaire willing to destroy the world out of petty spite is alas, quite realistic). Guy Gardener (“Jerkish Green Lantern”) and the extremely competent and the extremely exasperated Mr. Terrific definitely stole all their scenes. The director of the movie, James Gunn, was quite famously fired from Disney in 2018 for offensive jokes he had made on Twitter back when he was an edgy young filmmaker with an alcohol problem. I suppose Mr. Gunn can rest content knowing that Superman made more money than any Marvel movie released this year. Overall grade: A-   Next up is Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, which came out in 1988. This was a very strange movie, but nonetheless, one with an ambitious premise, strong performances, and a strong artistic vision. It's set in post WWII Los Angeles, and “toons” (basically cartoon characters) live and work alongside humans. Private eye Eddie Valiant hates toons since one of them killed his brother five years ago. However, he's hired by the head of a studio who's having trouble with one of his toon actors, Roger Rabbit. Roger's worried his wife Jessica is having an affair, and Valiant obtains pictures of Jessica playing patty cake (not a euphemism, they actually were playing patty cake) with another man. Roger has an emotional breakdown, and soon the other man winds up dead, and Roger insists he's innocent. Valiant and Roger find themselves sucked into a dangerous conspiracy overseen by a ruthless mastermind. This movie was such an interesting cultural artifact. It perfectly follows the structure of a ‘40s film noir movie, but with cartoons, and the dissonance between film noir and the cheerfulness of the toons was embraced and used as a frequently source of comedy. In fact, when the grim and dour Valiant uses the toons' comedy techniques as a tactical improvisation in a moment of mortal peril, it's both hilarious and awesome. Christopher Lloyd's performance as the villainous Judge Doom was amazing. (I don't think it's a spoiler to say that he's villainous, because his character is named Judge Doom and he's literally wearing a black hat.) Like, his performance perfectly captures something monstrous that is trying very hard to pretend to be human and not quite getting it right. And the amount of work it must have taken to make this movie staggers the mind. Nowadays, having live actors interact with cartoon characters is expensive, but not unduly so. It's a frequent technique. You see it all the time in commercials when a housewife is smiling at an animated roll of paper towels or something, and Marvel's essentially been doing it for years. But this was 1988! Computer animation was still a ways off. They had to shoot the movie on analog film, and then hand-draw all the animation and successfully match it to the live film. It wouldn't have worked without the performance of Bob Hoskins as Eddie Valiant, who plays everything perfectly straight in the same way Michael Caine did in A Muppet Christmas Carol. So kind of a strange movie, but definitely worth watching. And it has both Disney and Warner Brothers animated characters in the same movie, which is something we will never, ever see again. Overall grade: A Next up is K-Pop Demon Hunters, which came out in 2025. Like Who framed Roger Rabbit?, this is a very strange movie, but nonetheless with a clear and focused artistic vision. It is a cultural artifact that provides a fascinating look into a world of which I have no knowledge or interest, namely K-pop bands and their dueling fandoms. Anyway, the plot is that for millennia, female Korean musicians have used the magic of their voices to keep the demons locked away in a demon world. The current incarnation is a three-woman K-Pop group called Huntrix, and they are on the verge of sealing away the demons forever. Naturally, the Demon King doesn't like this, so one of his cleverer minions comes up with a plan. They'll start a Demon K-Pop Boy Band! Disguised as humans, the demon K-Pop group will win away Huntrix's fans, allowing them to breach the barrier and devour the world. However, one of the Huntrix musicians is half-demon, and she starts falling for the lead demon in the boy band, who is handsome and of course has a dark and troubled past. Essentially a musical K-drama follows. I have to admit I know practically nothing about K-Pop groups and their dueling fandoms, other than the fact that they exist. However, this was an interesting movie to watch. The animation was excellent, it did have a focused vision, and there were some funny bits. Overall grade: A Next up is Clarkson's Farm Season Four, which came out in 2025. A long time ago in the ‘90s, I watched the episode of Frasier where Frasier and Niles attempt to open a restaurant and it all goes horribly (yet hilariously) wrong. At the time, I had no money, but I promised myself that I would never invest in a restaurant. Nothing I have seen or learned in the subsequent thirty years has ever changed that decision. Season 4 of Clarkson's Farm is basically Jeremy Clarkson, like Frasier and Niles, attempting to open a restaurant, specifically a British pub. On paper it's a good idea, since Clarkson can provide the pub with food produced from his own farm and other local farmers. However, it's an enormous logistical nightmare, and Clarkson must deal with miles of red tape, contractors, and a ballooning budget, all while trying to keep his farm from going under. An excellent and entertaining documentary into the difficulties of both the farming life and food service. I still don't want to own a restaurant! Overall grade: A Next up is Tombstone, which came out in 1993. The Western genre of fiction is interesting because it's limited to such a very specific period of time and geographical region. Like the “Wild West” period that characterizes the Western genre really only lasted as a historical period from about 1865 to roughly 1890. The Western genre was at its most popular in movies from the 1940s and the 1960s, and I wonder if it declined because cultural and demographic changes made it unpopular to romanticize the Old West the way someone like Walt Disney did at Disneyland with “Frontierland.” Of course, the genre lives on in different forms in grittier Western movies, neo-Westerns like Yellowstone and Longmire, and a lot of the genre's conventions apply really well to science fiction. Everyone talks about Firefly being the first Space Western, but The Mandalorian was much more successful and was basically a Western in space (albeit with occasional visits from Space Wizards). Anyway! After that long-winded introduction, let's talk about Tombstone. When Val Kilmer died earlier this year, the news articles mentioned Tombstone as among his best work, so I decided to give it a watch. The plot centers around Wyatt Earp, played by Kurt Russell, who has decided to give up his career in law enforcement and move to Tombstone, Arizona, a silver mining boomtown, in hopes of making his fortune. However, Tombstone is mostly controlled by the Cowboys outlaw gang, and Earp is inevitably drawn into conflict with them. With the help of his brothers and Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer's character), Earp sets out to bring some law and order to Tombstone, whether the Cowboys like it or not. Holliday is in the process of dying from tuberculosis, which makes him a formidable fighter since he knows getting shot will be a less painful and protracted death than the one his illness will bring him. Kilmer plays him as a dissolute, scheming warrior-poet who nonetheless is a very loyal friend. Definitely a classic of the Western genre, and so worth watching. Overall grade: A Next up is Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning, the eighth Mission Impossible movie. Of the eight movies, I think the sixth one was the best one, but this one comes in at a close second. It continues on from Dead Reckoning. Ethan Hunt now possesses the key that will unlock the source code of the Entity, the malicious AI (think ChatGPT, but even more obviously evil) that is actively maneuvering the world's nuclear powers into destroying each other so the Entity can rule the remnants of humanity. Unfortunately, the Entity's source code is sitting in a wrecked Russian nuclear sub at the bottom of the Bering Sea. Even more unfortunately, the Entity knows that Hunt has the key and is trying to stop him, even as the Entity's former minion and Hunt's bitter enemy Gabriel seeks to seize control of the Entity for himself. A sense of apocalyptic doom hangs over the movie, which works well to build tension. Once again, the world is doomed, unless Ethan Hunt and his allies can save the day. The tension works extremely well during the movie's underwater sequence, and the final airborne duel between Hunt and Gabriel. I don't know if they're going to make any more Mission Impossible movies after this (they are insanely expensive), but if this is the end, it is a satisfying conclusion for the character of Ethan Hunt and the Impossible Mission Force. Overall grade: A Next up is Deep Cover, which came out in 2025. This is described as a comedy thriller, and I didn't know what to expect when I watched it, but I really enjoyed it. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Kat, a struggling comedy improv teacher living in London. Her best students are Marlon (played by Orlando Bloom), a dedicated character actor who wants to portray gritty realism but keeps getting cast in tacky commercials, and Hugh (played by Nick Mohammed), an awkward IT worker with no social skills whatsoever. One day, the three of them are recruited by Detective Sergeant Billings (played by Sean Bean) of the Metropolitan Police. The Met wants to use improv comedians to do undercover work for minor busts with drug dealers. Since it plays 200 pounds a pop, the trio agrees. Of course, things rapidly spiral out of control, because Kat, Marlon, and Hugh are actually a lot better at improv than they think, and soon they find themselves negotiating with the chief criminals of the London underworld. What follows is a movie that is both very tense and very funny. Kat, Marlon, and Hugh are in way over their heads, and will have to do the best improv of their lives to escape a very grisly fate. Whether Sean Bean dies or not (as is tradition), you will just have to watch the movie and find out. Overall grade: A Next up is Puss in Boots: The Final Wish, which came out in 2022. I don't personally know much about the history of Disney as a corporation, and I don't much care, but I do have several relatives who are very interested in the history of the Disney corporation, and therefore I have picked up some by osmosis. Apparently Disney CEO Michael Eisner forcing out Jeffrey Katzenberg in the 1990s was a very serious mistake, because Katzenberg went on to co-found DreamWorks, which has been Disney's consistent rival for animation for the last thirty years. That's like “CIA Regime Change Blowback” levels of creating your own enemy. Anyway, historical ironies aside, Puss in Boots: The Final Wish was a funny and surprisingly thoughtful animated movie. Puss in Boots is a legendary outlaw and folk hero, but he has used up eight of his nine lives. An ominous bounty hunter who looks like a humanoid wolf begins pursuing him, and the Wolf is able to shrug off the best of Puss In Boots' attacks. Panicked, Puss hides in a retirement home for elderly cats, but then hears rumors of the magical Last Wish. Hoping to use it to get his lives back, Puss In Boots sets off on the quest. It was amusing how Little Jack Horner and Goldilocks and the Three Bears were rival criminal gangs seeking the Last Wish. Overall grade: A Next up is Chicken People, which came out in 2016. A good documentary film gives you a glimpse into an alien world that you would otherwise never visit. In this example, I have absolutely no interest in competitive chicken breeding and will only raise chickens in my backyard if society ever collapses to the level that it becomes necessary for survival. That said, this was a very interesting look into the work of competitive chicken breeding. Apparently, there is an official “American Standard of Perfection” for individual chicken breeds, and the winner of the yearly chicken competition gets the title “Super Grand Champion.” Not Grand Champion, Super Grand Champion! That looks impressive on a resume. It is interesting how chicken breeding is in some sense an elaborate Skinner Box – like you can deliberately set out to breed chickens with the desirable traits on the American Standard of Perfection, but until the chickens are hatched and grow up, you don't know how they're going to turn out, so you need to try again and again and again… Overall grade: A Next up is The Mask of Zoro, which came out in 1998. I saw this in the theatre when it came out 27 years ago, but that was 27 years ago, and I don't have much of a memory of it, save that I liked it. So when I had the chance to watch it again, I did! Anthony Hopkins plays Diego de la Vega, who has the secret identity of Zorro in the final days before Mexico breaks away from the Spanish Empire. With Mexico on the verge of getting its independence, Diego decides to hang up his sword and mask and focus on his beloved wife and daughter. Unfortunately, the military governor Don Montero realizes Diego is Zorro, so has him arrested, kills his wife, and steals his baby daughter to raise as his own. Twenty years later, a bandit named Alejandro loses his brother and best friends to a brutal cavalry commander. It turns out that Montero is returning to California from Spain, and plans to seize control of California as an independent republic (which, of course, will be ruled by him). In the chaos, Diego escapes from prison and encounters a drunken Alejandro, and stops him from a futile attack upon the cavalry commander. He then proposes a pact – Diego will train Alejandro as the next Zorro, and together they can take vengeance upon the men who wronged them. This was a good movie. It was good to see that my taste in movies 27 years ago wasn't terrible. It manages to cram an entire epic plot into only 2 hours and 20 minutes. In some ways it was like a throwback to a ‘40s movie but with modern (for the ‘90s) production values, and some very good swordfights. Overall grade: A Next up is Wick is Pain, which came out in 2025. I've seen all four John Wick movies and enjoyed them thoroughly, though I've never gotten around to any of the spinoffs. Wick is Pain is a documentary about how John Wick went from a doomed indie movie with a $6.5 million hole in its budget to one of the most popular action series of the last few decades. Apparently Keanu Reeves made an offhand joke about how “Wick is pain” and that became the mantra of the cast and crew, because making an action movie that intense really was a painful experience. Definitely worth watching if you enjoyed the John Wick movies or moviemaking in general. Overall grade: A The last movie I saw this summer was Game Night, which came out in 2016. It was a hilarious, if occasionally dark comedy action thriller. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams play Max and Annie Davis, a married couple who are very competitive and enjoy playing games of all kinds. Jason has an unresolved conflict with his brother Brooks, and one night Brooks invites them over for game night, which Max resents. Halfway through the evening, Brooks is kidnapped, with Max and Annie assume is part of the game. However, Brooks really is involved in something shady. Hilarity ensues, and it's up to Max and Annie to rescue Brooks and stay alive in the process. This was really funny, though a bit dark in places. That said, Max and Annie have a loving and supportive marriage, so it was nice to see something like that portrayed on the screen. Though this also leads to some hilarity, like when Annie accidentally shoots Max in the arm. No spoilers, but the punchline to that particular sequence was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. Overall grade: A So no A+ movie this time around, but I still saw a bunch of solid movies I enjoyed. One final note, I have to admit, I've really come to respect Adam Sandler as an entertainer, even if his movies and comedy are not always to my taste. He makes what he wants, makes a lot of money, ensures that his friends get paid, and then occasionally takes on a serious role in someone else's movie when he wants to flex some acting muscles. I am not surprised that nearly everyone who's in the original Happy Gilmore who was still alive wanted to come back for Happy Gilmore 2. So that is it for this week. Thank you for listening to The Pulp Writer Show. I hope you found the show enjoyable and perhaps a guide to some good movies to watch. A reminder that you can listen to all the back episodes at https://thepulpwritershow.com. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review on your podcasting platform of choice. Stay safe and stay healthy and see you all next week.  

We head to Fort Worth, Texas—a city that's quickly becoming a key player in the film world. We sit down with Taylor Hardy, Commissioner at the Fort Worth Film Commission and Director of Video Content at Visit Fort Worth, to explore how this once-overlooked city has transformed into a go-to destination for major productions like 1883, Lawmen: Bass Reeves, and even music videos from artists like Kendrick Lamar.Taylor shares how it all started. Back in 2015, Fort Worth didn't even have a film office. Fast forward to today, and it's hosting large-scale productions and attracting top-tier talent. Taylor walks us through that journey—from scouting locations herself as an intern to building a film-friendly culture rooted in community, collaboration, and a can-do attitude.Taylor highlights the city's hands-on approach—from helping with scouting and permits to offering hotel rebates and travel support. She also touches on the city's new training initiative, the Fort Worth Film Collaborative, which helps locals jump into film work by applying existing skills to the production world. With over 200 students already enrolled, it's a clear sign of the city's investment in long-term industry growth.Taylor also breaks down the state's revamped film incentive program and shares how Fort Worth helps productions access these benefits while also offering additional support through local programs and community outreach.Whether you're a producer looking for a new filming location, a filmmaker navigating state incentives, or someone building out a local crew, this episode is a must-listen.About WrapbookWrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place.Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team.For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay.Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more.Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital.Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

Send Kevin a Text MessageIn this episode of Don't Kill the Messenger, host Kevin Goetz sits down with Dick Cook, the former Chairman of Walt Disney Studios known as "the filmmaker's Chairman." From his humble start as a Disneyland train operator to running one of Hollywood's most successful studios, Dick shares how his Bakersfield roots and team-oriented leadership helped deliver some of Disney's most loved and profitable films, including Finding Nemo, The Lion King, National Treasure, and Pirates of the Caribbean.From Bakersfield to Disneyland (01:42) Dick shares how a 17-year-old with railroad experience landed a job operating Disney's steam train and monorail, setting the stage for an extraordinary career journey.Small-Town Values in Hollywood (06:10) Growing up in Oildale, California, Dick explains how losing his father at 12 and his mother's dedication to baseball helped shape his character.The Disruption Era (12:38) Dick discusses joining Disney during the home video and pay television revolution, when many thought it would kill the theatrical business.Learning from Legends (17:25) Dick shares insights from working with Disney visionaries like Jeffrey Katzenberg, Michael Eisner, and Card Walker.Convincing Eisner on Pirates (20:43) The inside story of how Dick had to sell Michael Eisner on Pirates of the Caribbean, an expensive pirate movie with an arthouse actor that became a massive franchise.The Team Philosophy (32:33) Dick emphasizes how success came from building loyal teams and treating the movie business as "a game" - serious work that he genuinely loved doing with people he cared about.Green-Lighting Lessons (35:54) Dick walks through his decision-making process for approving films, from budget considerations to the ancillary market.Remembering The Alamo (37:37) A candid discussion about one of his biggest missteps, how killing the protagonist at the end of the second act doomed The Alamo, and why pre-green-light audience testing might have caught the flaw.Friday Night Phone Calls (40:44) Dick recalls the excitement of Splash's surprising opening weekend success, when hand-calculated box office numbers seemed too good to believe.Dick demonstrates how humility, small-town decency, and collaborative leadership can drive Hollywood success while maintaining his integrity.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review and share it with others. We look forward to bringing you more behind-the-scenes revelations next time on Don't Kill the Messenger.Host: Kevin GoetzGuest: Dick CookProducer: Kari CampanoWriters: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman, and Kari CampanoAudio Engineer: Gary Forbes (DG Entertainment)For more information about Dick Cook:Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_CookIMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1693424/bio/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dick-cook-0958774aFor more information about Kevin Goetz:Website: www.KevinGoetz360.comAudienceology Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Audience-ology/Kevin-Goetz/9781982186678How to Score in Hollywood: https://www.amazon.com/How-Score-Hollywood-Secrets-Business/dp/198218986X/Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Substack

We dive into the gritty and electrifying world of independent horror filmmaking with director and producer Joe Begos. Known for his visually arresting style and commitment to practical, in-camera effects, Joe shares the unfiltered story of how he built a career outside the traditional studio system.Joe walks us through his unconventional path, from early childhood fascination with horror to the decision to skip film school and make movies the hard way. He recounts the experience of making his first feature on credit cards and pure hustle to create a film that landed on a major festival stage and launched his career. That same DIY ethos carried through to his next projects, where he refined his skills not just as a director, but as a producer, cinematographer, and even editor, learning every part of the process.Throughout the conversation, Joe opens up about the evolving challenges of staying independent while growing as an artist. From raising money and managing crew to navigating creative control and working within tight budgets, he offers an honest look at what it takes to keep your vision intact in a collaborative—and often unpredictable—industry. He shares how each film pushed him to learn something new, and how embracing limitations often led to his most creative breakthroughs.We also explore Joe's latest film, Jimmy and Stiggs, a deeply personal project built almost entirely in his apartment over four years. What began as a response to the creative paralysis of the pandemic became a full-fledged feature, and now slated for a wide theatrical release through a major new distribution label. Join us for a raw and inspiring conversation where we explore what it truly means to stay creative and resourceful throughout the ups and downs of production.About WrapbookWrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place.Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team.For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay.Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more.Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital.Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

We explore the evolving landscape of interactive storytelling with Elliot Wolf, executive producer of Prime Video's On Call and co-founder of Wolf Games. With a strong background in television and a deep appreciation for narrative craft, Elliot shares how he's bringing storytelling into new territory with Public Eye, an upcoming AI-assisted daily murder mystery game. Designed to offer players a fresh case every day, Public Eye blends traditional storytelling with new technology, allowing users to step into the role of detective and work through immersive investigations.Elliot walks us through the creative and technical process behind the game's development, including how AI tools help generate dynamic content while preserving story structure and character consistency. He explains how Public Eye maintains a balance between player choice and narrative coherence, and how personalization can make interactive experiences more engaging.The conversation also highlights how generative AI is influencing creative workflows, especially in areas like writing, design, and game development. Rather than replacing human input, Elliot emphasizes how AI can support creators by enhancing productivity and enabling new formats. He also shares his thoughts on how these developments could complement more traditional media, potentially offering new ways for audiences to engage with stories and characters between major content releases.Whether you're interested in gaming, storytelling, or the future of entertainment, this is an episode you wouldn't want to miss.About WrapbookWrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place.Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team.For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay.Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more.Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital.Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

S5:E7 Unplugged and Unscripted: Retail Club's AI-First Event Revolution w/ Krystina GustafsonWhat happens when you blend cutting-edge innovation, authentic community, and the brightest minds in retail? You get RetailClub—the AI-first retail event redefining how industry leaders connect, collaborate, and shape the future.In this episode of The Retail Razor Show, hosts Ricardo Belmar and Casey Golden sit down with Krystina Gustafson, co-founder and Chief Content Officer at Retail Club and one of the visionary forces behind RetailClub. Krystina shares the inspiration behind this exclusive retail conference, how it fosters meaningful connections among AI changemakers, and why RetailClub is more than just another event—it's a movement.

1000: From Hollywood mogul to venture capital visionary, Jeffrey Katzenberg's story is one of bold bets, iconic storytelling, and relentless reinvention. In this milestone 1000th episode of Technovation, host Peter High welcomes Katzenberg to reflect on a remarkable career spanning five decades across film, animation, and now AI-driven venture investing. As the founding partner of WndrCo, Katzenberg backs transformative companies like Netomi (conversational AI), Writer (enterprise GenAI), Alembic (causal AI), and Aura (consumer digital safety). But long before that, he shaped global pop culture as President of Paramount Pictures, Chairman of Walt Disney Studios, and Co-Founder of DreamWorks SKG and DreamWorks Animation. In this wide-ranging and candid conversation, Katzenberg shares: Why the best ideas are risky and why failure is essential to success How DreamWorks was launched just 8 days after being fired from Disney Leadership lessons from icons like Barry Diller and David Geffen The real story behind building Hollywood's most beloved franchises Why AI is both “prose” and “poetry” and what that means for creativity How WndrCo is scaling category-defining businesses across tech This episode explores 50 years of transformation, from The Lion King to Shrek, from studio boardrooms to Silicon Valley pitch rooms. A must-listen for anyone interested in creativity, leadership, and what it takes to build at scale.

We explore how technology is transforming filmmaking workflows with John Trefry, CEO of 4WT Media. John shares how his early experiences building content teams at tech startups like Mahalo and DocStock shaped his unique approach to production—one that merges creative storytelling with the operational efficiencies of the tech world.The conversation dives deep into how modern tools are being used to streamline tasks across different stages of production. John outlines how these technologies are not just hype—they're solving real problems and saving time, especially for independent filmmakers. He also shares practical use cases, like using AI to generate pitch materials or evaluate new software, and why being early to adopt these tools can be a game-changer for content creators.We cover everything from film financing to the shifting dynamics of indie film sales and festival runs. And in a forward-looking close, John imagines a future where storytelling could become a personalized, immersive experience—without losing the human heart behind the work.Whether you're a filmmaker curious about AI, or a producer looking to future-proof your workflow, this episode is a must-listen.About WrapbookWrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place.Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team.For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay.Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more.Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital.Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

We sit down with Emmy-winning TV producer Clara Plestis, whose work as an executive at Smart Dog Media, helped redefine what family-friendly television can be. Clara has been instrumental in shaping formats that blend high-concept experimentation with broad appeal, from AI-powered dating shows to variety competitions. Her work demonstrates that entertainment aimed at mass audiences doesn't have to be safe or predictable—it can be surprising, ambitious, and culturally resonant.Clara walks us through the creative decisions behind Song vs. Dance, a Japanese-American co-production that combines performance, gaming, and visual flair into a highly original competition format. She also opens up about the bold choices behind Love by AI, a provocative dating experiment that hands matchmaking—and even the date experience itself—over to artificial intelligence. Through these shows, Clara reveals what it really takes to push fresh concepts through the development process: a deep understanding of global markets, strong format discipline, and the confidence to take calculated risks.Join us for a deep dive into Clara's process and what she sees on the horizon for television development.About WrapbookWrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place.Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team.For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay.Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more.Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital.Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

Modern Wisdom: Read the notes at at podcastnotes.org. Don't forget to subscribe for free to our newsletter, the top 10 ideas of the week, every Monday --------- Jeffrey Katzenberg is a media mogul, film producer, and co-founder of DreamWorks. Hari Ravichandran is a serial entrepreneur, founder, and CEO of Aura. From bringing joy to millions of childhoods through beloved Disney films to now addressing the digital challenges facing today's youth, Jeffrey Katzenberg has partnered with Hari Ravichandran to lead a new revolution focused on safeguarding the mental health and online safety of the next generation. At the heart of it all is this vital question: how do we keep children safe online? Expect to learn what Jeffery Katzenberg is up to and the current state of modern media and film, how to reinvent yourself at pivotal moments, how to get better at dealing with change and disappointment, what the data says about kids, online safety & how parents can better protect their kids online, the big problems with mental health of the younger generation & how to best address their growing issues, and much more… Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT's most popular Flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get a 20% discount on Nomatic's amazing luggage at https://nomatic.com/modernwisdom Get the best bloodwork analysis in America at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Timestamps: (00:00) What Jeffrey Does & What Makes a Good Story? (10:51) What Drives Jeffrey & Hari? (16:40) What's The State Of Modern Cinema? (23:04) Jeffrey & Hari on the Star Wars Universe, Gaming, & Dealing With Change (38:05) What Technology Is Doing To Younger Kids? (46:45) The Data Behind Keeping Kids Safe Online (1:00:01) Should We Ban Social Media For Anyone Under 16? (1:07:24) Why Parents Are the Key to Digital Safety (1:14:09) The Impact Of Wearable Devices & Celebrity Endorsements On Aura (1:23:24) How Early Screen Habits Affect Lifelong Patterns (1:32:51) The Hidden Costs Of Fame & How To Learn From Your Failures (1:41:32) The Trends Associated With Bullying & What Parents Can Do About It (1:51:38) Chris' Thoughts On Adolescence (1:58:50) Learn More About Jeffrey, Hari, & Aura.com Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59 #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

W sit down with Hugh Calveley, founder of Flow Capture (formerly Moxion), to discuss how a personal frustration on set evolved into a powerful cloud-based collaboration platform. From his early days as part of a film crew in New Zealand to building a production tool trusted by industry giants like Amazon Studios, Hugh shares the hard lessons of introducing new technology to an industry known for its time-honored methods–until a bold leap of faith from producer Barrie Osborne helped launch his platform onto major studio productions.We dive into the design and engineering choices that make Flow Capture stand out— microservices and real-time parallel processing that enabled lightning-fast workflows and personalized viewing formats.He also debunks myths around cloud security, arguing that centralized, enterprise-grade encryption is far safer than scattered, poorly protected assets.Looking ahead, Hugh paints an inspiring picture of AI's role in production—from intelligently breaking down scripts to unlocking vast archives of reusable footage—he offers a glimpse into a future where production is faster, smarter, and more creative than ever before.To learn more about Flow Capture, visit: https://www.autodesk.com/ca-en/products/flow-capture/overviewAbout WrapbookWrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place.Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team.For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay.Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more.Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital.Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

Jeffrey Katzenberg is a media mogul, film producer, and co-founder of DreamWorks. Hari Ravichandran is a serial entrepreneur, founder, and CEO of Aura. From bringing joy to millions of childhoods through beloved Disney films to now addressing the digital challenges facing today's youth, Jeffrey Katzenberg has partnered with Hari Ravichandran to lead a new revolution focused on safeguarding the mental health and online safety of the next generation. At the heart of it all is this vital question: how do we keep children safe online? Expect to learn what Jeffery Katzenberg is up to and the current state of modern media and film, how to reinvent yourself at pivotal moments, how to get better at dealing with change and disappointment, what the data says about kids, online safety & how parents can better protect their kids online, the big problems with mental health of the younger generation & how to best address their growing issues, and much more… Sponsors: See discounts for all the products I use and recommend: https://chriswillx.com/deals Get a Free Sample Pack of LMNT's most popular Flavours with your first purchase at https://drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom Get 35% off your first subscription on the best supplements from Momentous at https://livemomentous.com/modernwisdom Get a 20% discount on Nomatic's amazing luggage at https://nomatic.com/modernwisdom Get the best bloodwork analysis in America at https://functionhealth.com/modernwisdom Timestamps: (00:00) What Jeffrey Does & What Makes a Good Story? (10:51) What Drives Jeffrey & Hari? (16:40) What's The State Of Modern Cinema? (23:04) Jeffrey & Hari on the Star Wars Universe, Gaming, & Dealing With Change (38:05) What Technology Is Doing To Younger Kids? (46:45) The Data Behind Keeping Kids Safe Online (1:00:01) Should We Ban Social Media For Anyone Under 16? (1:07:24) Why Parents Are the Key to Digital Safety (1:14:09) The Impact Of Wearable Devices & Celebrity Endorsements On Aura (1:23:24) How Early Screen Habits Affect Lifelong Patterns (1:32:51) The Hidden Costs Of Fame & How To Learn From Your Failures (1:41:32) The Trends Associated With Bullying & What Parents Can Do About It (1:51:38) Chris' Thoughts On Adolescence (1:58:50) Learn More About Jeffrey, Hari, & Aura.com Extra Stuff: Get my free reading list of 100 books to read before you die: https://chriswillx.com/books Try my productivity energy drink Neutonic: https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom Episodes You Might Enjoy: #577 - David Goggins - This Is How To Master Your Life: https://tinyurl.com/43hv6y59 #712 - Dr Jordan Peterson - How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs: https://tinyurl.com/2rtz7avf #700 - Dr Andrew Huberman - The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain: https://tinyurl.com/3ccn5vkp - Get In Touch: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact - Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We dive into the evolving world of content distribution and indie streaming with Bonnie Bruderer, founder and CEO of Binge Networks. A leader in the OTT space, Bonnie shares her unconventional path from corporate marketing and motivational coaching to launching a global streaming platform that champions independent filmmakers.She discusses how her early experiences producing her own talk show led to the realization that distribution was the true bottleneck for content creators. That insight sparked the creation of Binge Networks, which now helps thousands of filmmakers and producers distribute and monetize their work across platforms like Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and dozens more.Bonnie unpacks common misconceptions about monetization, the realities of today's streaming economics, and the importance of creators retaining control over their rights. She also reflects on how coaching shaped her leadership style, why adaptability has been crucial to her success, and offers practical advice to filmmakers seeking long-term sustainability in a competitive landscape.Tune in for an inspiring conversation with a media entrepreneur who's building the future of streaming, one creator at a time.About WrapbookWrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place.Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team.For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay.Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more.Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital.Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

We explore the world of script collaboration with Emmy-winning technologist and CEO of Scripto, Josh Kline. He shares how his early work with Digital Dailies revolutionized how directors review footage, and how those lessons now inform his work modernizing script collaboration. He explains the deep limitations of traditional formats like PDFs and highlights how platforms like Scripto bring real-time version control, security, and inter-operability into the writer's room. From late-night TV to feature films, Josh talks about the collaborative demands of different production environments and how cloud-based workflows are streamlining everything from on-the-fly rewrites to executive approvals.Josh also reflects on the growing role of automation and AI in the production process, emphasizing that while tools can accelerate workflows, human judgment remains irreplaceable.About WrapbookWrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place.Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team.For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay.Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more.Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital.Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

 Plus, you can now wear Meta's Llama model in Oakley frames. Starring Tom Merritt, Huyen Tue Dao, and Andy Beach.Show notes can be found here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We explore how artificial intelligence is transforming post-production workflows with Lucas Igel, CEO and founder of Kino AI. A former MIT student and indie documentarian, Lucas shares how his early experiences editing his documentary exposed him to the inefficiencies of traditional editing and inspired the creation of Kino.In our conversation, Lucas explains how Kino's search mirrors the creative process while balancing precision and serendipity. He shares insights from building a high-performance, on-premise system shaped by his time at SpaceX and JPL, where security and speed were non-negotiable.We also dive into the creative implications of AI-assisted editing. Lucas discusses how Kino empowers filmmakers, not by replacing their judgment, but by removing bottlenecks and making space for daring storytelling. He addresses concerns about homogenization and AI ethics, advocating for tools that amplify taste.Join us on this episode for a compelling discussion about the future of editing, the role of AI as collaborator, and how thoughtful technology can expand access to cinematic expression.About WrapbookWrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place.Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team.For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay.Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more.Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital.Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

Jeffrey Katzenburg, Co-Founder of DreamWorks SKG discusses the future of AI video advertising alongside Creatify CEO and Co-Founder Yinan Na. They are both joined by Bloomberg's Romaine Bostick, Alix Steel and Scarlet Fu.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I wasn't sure I'd be able to finish the Jake Tapper/Alex Thompson book, Original Sin. I downloaded the audiobook, narrated by Tapper, to listen to as I drive across the country from California to Ohio to see my daughter for her birthday. Out my window, I see the same running commentary of the real America I witnessed years ago, which changed my mind about Trump and MAGA. When you see Trump's name arising in unexpected places in nearly every state, from Arizona (“Viva Trump”) to Nebraska to Iowa to New York, you know something significant has shifted in this country.It felt like a secret cry for help among forgotten and abandoned Americans. I see it even now:I was not encouraged by the book's first chapter, which describes a world where the Democratic Party isn't corrupt, where they don't hand-pick candidates and then force everyone to “Vote Blue No Matter Who,” where identity politics don't rule the day, and where the democratic process is allowed to play out. What a load of garbage. To quote Deep Throat in All the President's Men, “Oh, but it's touching.” Just imagine Gavin Newsom attempting to challenge Kamala Harris. She might be the world's worst candidate, but all points lead back to her; you have to start there, whether they had a primary or not. They knew that, which is why they skipped the foreplay and went straight to a first-ever installed candidate for president. So I didn't think listening to an entire audiobook shaped by a false premise and awash in false media narratives would be a good use of my time. Maybe I'd listen to, I don't know, the new Mark Twain biography.As Victor Davis Hanson points out, Jake Tapper is an unreliable narrator because there would be no Biden cover-up if the media had done its job:Had Original Sin been written by Tom Wolfe, Gore Vidal, or even Walter Kirn and Matt Taibbi, it would have been the searing indictment of a deep state plot foiled by Mr. McGoo, told with bemused irony. But it is dead serious, for better or worse.But I must say, in the end, I'm glad I stuck with it. It might not be the definitive account of the rise and fall of a once-mighty empire I would have wanted, but it is a surprisingly revealing look behind the curtain all the same.Could it really be that Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg were brought in to “direct” Joe Biden with better light, sound, and acting coaching? Yes. Could it be that Rob Reiner and Jane Fonda broke down in hysterics at some mansion in the Hollywood Hills after the debate? Yes. If the aim was to scapegoat Joe Biden, they failed. He comes off as the most sympathetic, a victim of a massive machine of creeps that chewed him up and spit him out. Do they legitimately believe we would sympathize with some fat cat in Hollywood who threatens never to write another check unless they push Biden out? We're supposed to care about what the donors think? Tapper seems to have emerged from the grim experience with a bit of a perspective shift. At least now, he's able to talk about the problems the Democrats have in a way he hasn't in the past ten years. The value of Original Sin, at least for someone like me who fled the party in disgust in 2020 after watching them use their power to take our elections away from the people and decide their outcome, isn't so much that there are any new revelations. But it's a book written from the inside, with access to over 200 voices anxious to be heard. That meant following the events as they unfolded in real time, and let me tell you, there is pleasure in that. I found it cathartic, not just because the Democrats had it coming, and got everything they deserved, but for the sheer joy of witnessing the most most powerful people in the world have their asses handed to them by the very democracy they claimed they wanted to protect. That George Clooney, Steven Spielberg, and Jeffrey Katzenberg were so heavily involved in the politics of the Democrats makes it all look like the Wizard of Oz, pulling back the curtain and exposing the ugly truth. Hollywood might make this into a series for HBO or Netflix, but since the co-founder and chairman of Netflix, Reed Hastings, was one of the fat cats who threatened to withhold funds unless the Democrats got rid of Biden, I'm guessing we won't get the whole story. But if they wanted to tell it like it really happened, it would make one hell of a tale.The Story That Writes ItselfHollywood doesn't have the guts to tell the whole story. They can't because they're part of it. They're way too cozy with the Democrats, and if they really wanted to tell the truth, they'd have to admit, as with Michael Corleone, they are part of the same hypocrisy. At best, they could cobble together something that paints Trump as the ultimate evil that vain and selfish Joe and Jill Biden allowed to take back power. The real story is how they built a powerful coalition and had no choice but to turn to corruption to preserve that power. This would make a great long-form series.Episode One—The “hope and change” candidate lights up the world and chooses an “old white guy” to be his Veep, just as JFK did with LBJ, a cynical ploy to make his youth and inexperience (and, in this case, skin color) more palatable for a nervous electorate. Episode Two - The “hope and change” guy doesn't like the “old white guy” as the successor of his powerful coalition, which now includes all of culture, all corporations, all institutions, all media, and all social media. Why go backwards? The “old white guy” with a stutter who just lost his beloved son to brain cancer was no longer useful to the “hope and change” guy. No one thinks much of it as he's kicked to the curb and embarrassed as not electable enough, not desirable enough, and past his sell-by date. So, the “hope and change” guy picks the “Wall Street Sweetheart,” the former First Lady and Secretary of State, to become the “first woman POTUS.” With the help of a grassroots populist movement and an “Old Socialist” challenging the “Wall Street Sweetheart,” the party is fractured, and Trump wins. Episode Three - The establishment and the Obama coalition decide that Trump should not be allowed to rule, forget democracy! Who needs it? No “old white guy” was supposed to win, least of all that guy. Millions pour into the streets in an orgy of self pity, imagined oppression, fragility, privilege and narcissism — mass hysteria takes hold, cancel culture grips the left. Hundreds lose their jobs as they desperately try to undo the election results and get rid of Trump. They impeach him, they frame him, they smear him, they attack him. The OG “old white guy” waiting in the wings isn't looking so bad. An easy, lateral move. An establishment pick. One “old white guy” for another.Episode Four - 2020 is its own whole episode. It has to be. It was the year the Democrats sold their souls to the Devil to cling to power. They spent $1 billion with a “well-funded cabal” of elites to fund and amplify the racial protests, change election laws, $400 million to collect ballots, and trot in experts to lie about everything from the laptop to COVID to the protests. They censored Americans on social media, and the FBI forced censorship of the laptop. The country sinks. Media credibility is destroyed. Large swaths of the electorate abandon the Democrats. But the “old white guy” wins. So finally, he gets his dream at long last, to be president of the United States. Episode Five - The “old white guy” is finally the savior he always dreamed he'd be. He became a blank check for Black Americans, trans Americans, and especially women of color. He would finish what the “hope and change” guy started. Are we topless at the White House?But the “old white guy” bungles the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and his approval ratings tank. Americans don't see a nice old grandpa anymore. They see George Spahn, who just moved the Manson Family into the White House, and now they're running the country.Now what? He goes after Trump and MAGA, calling them fascists, extremists, and a danger to society. If the “old white guy” can't have the presidency, then no one will.The “old white guy” isn't so nice anymore. Trump is indicted four times, convicted, and takes a mug shot that goes viral. They've sold their soul to the Devil, after all, they're not going to give up power so easily. Episode Six - The final battle. Trump teases and torments the “old white guy” and forces him to debate. Trump mocks him mercilessly at his rallies for not knowing where he is. For Trump, beating him will be a cake walk for anyone not sucked into the false reality pushed by the legacy media.Trump and Biden debate rematch. The “old white guy” crashes and burns so hard it nearly sets Rob Reiner's hair on fire. “He just lost the election,” Dana Bash scribbles on a note to Jake Tapper. What now for the empire that was never the resistance?Trump survives an assassination attempt at Butler the following month. His entire campaign is transformed. Elon Musk joins his dream team. This was our last best hope for America. We wanted out. We wanted something new. We wanted to be set free:But inside the Bubble, it's Original Sin. It's denial. It's a legacy press that lies to the monarchs, lies to their voters, sending them cascading into yet more hysteria. Please make the bad orange man go away! For the sake of democracy! Please give us our utopia back! Jane Fonda, Steven Spielberg, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, David Simon, Jon Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and Rob Reiner are losing their minds. It's a dystopia full of aging, frustrated aristocrats who can't keep democracy down. We're about to lose our democracy, they cry. Biden will lose us our democracy, they insist. How can this be happening? Get rid of the “old white guy.” GET RID OF HIM! For the sake of democracy! “We need a new nominee,” says George Clooney. Who's we? What happened to democracy? Now, the duly elected nominee, aka “the old white guy,” must step aside to save democracy? Yes, that is where the Democrats arrived in their pitiful last gasp to salvage and preserve their power. They cynically install the “woman of color” because they know all points lead to Kamala Harris. Their flock will fall in line as they always have. Push him out, push the “old white guy” out in a palace coup worthy of a fading, useless, self-serving monarchy on the brink of collapse. Trump wins again. We see the “old white guy” grinning in the oval office and having the last laugh. They used him. They lied to him. They flattered him. Then, they kicked him out, all because they were exposed and couldn't hide the truth anymore.As the scene fades to black, we see a close-up on Jake Tapper lying in bed, working it all out. Holy s**t, he thinks. Someone has to tell this story. He picks up the phone, “Alex? Hi, it's Jake. I was wondering if we might talk.” I mean, come on. It's Ishtar Part Two. It writes itself.Do I think you should read Original Sin? Absolutely. It might not be the whole truth. It might be spin for the Democrats to regroup and recover. It might be reputation laundering for the media. But for me, it was an early Christmas present, if only for the delicious pleasure of watching them squirm as their corrupt plot to cling to power unravels. I can't think of anything more satisfying than that. Original Sin proves two things: the Democrats are creeps and they got exactly what they deserved.Somewhere in Iowa, 8pm.// This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sashastone.substack.com/subscribe

Logan sits down with Jeffrey Katzenberg, Hollywood legend and co-founder of DreamWorks, and Sujay Jaswa, former CFO of Dropbox - together, the duo behind WndrCo. They talk about building enduring companies, bridging tech and media, and what makes a great CEO partnership. The conversation also touches on storytelling as a business superpower and lessons from scaling at different stages. Whether you're a founder or a media nerd, there's something here for you. (00:00) Intro (04:26) The Genesis of the Partnership (13:06) Building and Investing in Companies (20:27) The Team and Their Roles (26:52) Decision-Making Process (33:25) Balancing Dreams and Skepticism (35:06) The Dynamics of Partnerships (37:25) Transitioning to Tech (38:45) Cultural Differences in Industries (41:26) The Value of Failure and Success (44:37) Excitement in Emerging Technologies (48:23) The Venture Capital Game (56:42) The Dropbox Talent Network (01:01:20) AI's Impact on Media and Creativity (01:06:18) Transitioning to CG Animation at DreamWorks (01:08:39) Embracing Change in the Intelligence Revolution (01:11:52) The Role of AI in Enhancing Productivity (01:14:11) Building a Consumer Cybersecurity Business (01:23:49) The Mission to Protect Children Online (01:35:17) Reflections on Partnership and Innovation Executive Producer: Rashad Assir Producer: Leah Clapper Mixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky Check out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA

Goldie Hawn grew up in the D.C. area, so it's only right for our D.C. Onscreen series to look at her starring role in 1984's Protocol! Join in as we discuss theme restaurants, a weirdly deep cast, Reagan assassination parody, and the death of Skype. Plus: Who thought any of this Ohtar stuff worked? How did Sunny Davis get shot in the butt? Why does Chris Sarandon totally disappear from the movie? And, most importantly, which quadrant of D.C. does Sunny live in? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Chances Are (1989)---------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:Roger Ebert's 2.5-star review"Making of Protocol is a Hit on the Streets" (Washington Post)"Goldie Hawn Surprised by Arab Protests" (UPI)"Goldie Hawn, Wacky Like a Fox" (Washington Post)Read about Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg's failed theme restaurant

In this special episode of On Production, we welcome back film finance expert Will French to unpack a headline-grabbing development in the film world. Following a recent social media post from President Trump proposing a 100% tariff on foreign-made films, Will offers an in-depth look at the potential impact and consequences for the domestic and global film industries.With decades of experience pioneering U.S. film tax credits and structuring finance for major productions, Will brings unique insight into the complex economics at play—from international labor costs and incentives to making the case on tax reforms that can truly bring production back to domestic soil. He explains the history of how production has shifted overseas in pursuit of more competitive tax rebates and lower costs, and how a tariff might—or might not—stem that tide.About WrapbookWrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place.Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team.For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay.Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more.Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital.Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

We're continuing our journey on the open road this month with a classic Disney movie released three decades ago. In this film, a father and son come to terms with the circle of life while realizing the importance of being prepared to face the challenges of a road trip. Far from meaning “no worries” for the son (who wants to feel the love tonight with his crush), the efforts of the father (who just can't wait to be king of the road) to reconnect with his son lead to a veritable stampede of sight gags, one-liners, and comedies-of-error. No, it's not The Lion King! Based on the Disney Afternoon cartoon series Goof Troop, produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg, and featuring the voice talents of Bill Farmer, Jason Marsden, Jim Cummings, Kellie Martin, and Rob Paulsen, it was a massive flop on release and was critically panned. But in the thirty years since, it has gone on to become a cult classic, with a direct-to-video sequel in the year 2000, multiple pop-culture references (including in Donald Glover's Atlanta), and a documentary, Not Just a Goof, released just this month. Ladies and goofs, it's A Goofy Movie! But will we be seeing it “I 2 I”?   For more geeky podcasts visit GonnaGeek.com   You can find us on iTunes under ''Legends Podcast''. Please subscribe and give us a positive review. You can also follow us on Twitter @LegendsPodcast or even better, send us an e-mail: LegendsPodcastS@gmail.com   You can write to Rum Daddy directly: rumdaddylegends@gmail.com   You can find all our contact information here on the Network page of GonnaGeek.com Our complete archive is always available at www.legendspodcast.com, www.legendspodcast.libsyn.com Music: Title Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

We sit down with Jijo Reed, Emmy Award-winning producer and founder of Sugar Studios, a full-service post-production house. With a career spanning over 60 feature films, Jijo talks about how his background as a drummer informs his approach to editing, and how Sugar's in-house team fosters trust, speed, and synergy. We also explore how emerging technologies like AI are streamlining workflows—while Jijo emphasizes that true storytelling still depends on human intuition and collaboration.Join us to hear about the nuts and bolts of post-production and what it truly means to finish a project strong.About WrapbookWrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place.Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team.For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay.Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more.Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital.Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

Emily Best, founder and CEO of Seed&Spark, shares how her journey from theater to filmmaking led to launching one of the most successful crowdfunding platforms for independent creators. We dive into what makes Seed&Spark stand out, why audience-building is essential, and how creators can build sustainable careers outside the Hollywood system. Emily also gives us a glimpse into the future of film distribution and why democratizing storytelling means more than just access—it's about collective power.About WrapbookWrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place.Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team.For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay.Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more.Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital.Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

Dreamworks Co-Founder Jeffrey Katzenberg and Aura founder Hari Ravichandran discuss explain how Aura’s new AI-powered tools will help parents protect their kids online. They speak with Bloomberg's Matt Miller.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We sit down with Cary Woodworth, an actor-turned-producer and the founder of Legacy Pictures and Maverick, who has built a career navigating the complexities of global content creation and international co-productions.In this conversation, Cary shares his experiences managing productions across continents. He discusses the leadership skills required to balance creative passion with the logistical realities of production, the differences between Hollywood and the Chinese film industry, and even offers his unique insights on AI's growing influence on the rise of storytelling formats emerging from Asia.If you're interested to know what it takes to succeed in an increasingly global industry, this episode is for you!About WrapbookWrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place.Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team.For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay.Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more.Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital.Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

On The Speed of Culture Podcast, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Founder and Managing Partner at WndrCo, and Justin Wexler, General Partner at WndrCo, explore the transformative power of AI in work, storytelling, and venture investment. They discuss how AI is reshaping productivity and creativity, why technology is an enabler—not a replacement—for storytelling, and how vision, execution, and exceeding expectations fuel success across industries.Follow Suzy on Twitter: @AskSuzyBizFollow Jeffrey Katzenberg on LinkedInFollow Justin Wexler on LinkedInSubscribe to The Speed of Culture on your favorite podcast platform.And if you have a question or suggestions for the show, send us an email at suzy@suzy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We sit down with executive producer Kristen V. Carter as she shares how she balances creativity, leadership, and social impact in the media. From producing music specials on PBS and docuseries on HBO Max to working with Kevin Hart and Ava DuVernay, Kristen has built a career rooted in authenticity and purpose.Kristen discusses how she navigates high-stakes productions, makes tough calls on projects that don't align with her mission, and champions Black Joy in storytelling. She also dives into her work with Trust Your Magic and Who You Know, two platforms dedicated to mentorship and networking for creatives of color.If you're looking for insights on building a meaningful and sustainable creative career, this episode is for you.About WrapbookWrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place.Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team.For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay.Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more.Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital.Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

We explore West Virginia's emerging film industry with David and Megan from the West Virginia Development Office and Film Office. These industry leaders discuss how the state is positioning itself as an attractive destination for filmmakers through comprehensive support programs and competitive incentives. The conversation dives into the state's tax incentive program and their extensive location database. David and Megan highlight the state's unique geographic versatility, strong workforce development initiatives, and collaborative relationships with neighboring film hubs. They also discuss their hands-on approach to supporting productions of all sizes, from major features to independent films. Join us for an enlightening discussion about the unexpected opportunities and resources available to filmmakers in the Mountain State, where traditional hospitality meets modern film infrastructure. About Wrapbook Wrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place. Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team. For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay. Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more. Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital. Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor discuss: A behind-the-scenes look at Disney's Hercules, from the creation of Hades to Jeffrey Katzenberg's surprising influence on the character. The passing of legendary filmmakers David Lynch and Robert Verrall, celebrating their lasting impact on cinema and animation. Box office highlights, including Moana 2 crossing the billion-dollar milestone and Mufasa: The Lion King's continued success. Exciting new releases, including trailers for Pixar's Win or Lose and DreamWorks' Dog Man. Join Jim and Drew for insights, stories, and industry updates that celebrate animation's rich history and exciting future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor discuss: A behind-the-scenes look at Disney's Hercules, from the creation of Hades to Jeffrey Katzenberg's surprising influence on the character. The passing of legendary filmmakers David Lynch and Robert Verrall, celebrating their lasting impact on cinema and animation. Box office highlights, including Moana 2 crossing the billion-dollar milestone and Mufasa: The Lion King's continued success. Exciting new releases, including trailers for Pixar's Win or Lose and DreamWorks' Dog Man. Join Jim and Drew for insights, stories, and industry updates that celebrate animation's rich history and exciting future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We sit down with Marc Iserlis, Head of Film at Republic, who shares how their platform is transforming entertainment financing by enabling everyday fans to become legitimate investors in film projects. With his background in traditional film financing and current role pioneering crowd investing, Marc offers valuable insights into this new approach to funding creative projects. The discussion explores Republic's successful launches, including the Pressman Film slate raising $1.85 million and Skybound Entertainment's remarkable $18 million campaign. Marc details how the platform differs from traditional crowdfunding by offering actual equity stakes to unaccredited investors, while also creating built-in audiences for projects. He explains the platform's unique ability to provide both initial investment opportunities and secondary market trading through blockchain technology. Join us for an enlightening conversation about the future of film financing and how Republic is creating new pathways for fans to invest in the entertainment they love. About Wrapbook Wrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place. Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team. For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay. Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more. Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital. Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

Today's podcast is with Gregory Kennedy, VP of Marketing at Alembic Technologies, which provides AI-powered marketing analytics for C-suite executives. We talk about how Alembic is applying mathematics and AI, developed for identifying causes, treatments, and mortality during the pandemic, to tracing the results of marketing initiatives across the board, what that means for marketers and how they ended up with a series of backers, that include NVIDIA's Jensen Huang, DreamWorks founder Jeffrey Katzenberg and former 49-ers Quarterback Joe Montana. This interview follows on from my recent interview – Broken funnels, flywheels and human messaging – Key insights from HubSpot executives at GROW Europe 2024 – and is number 524 in the series of interviews with authors and business leaders who are doing great things, providing valuable insights, helping businesses innovate and delivering great service and experience to both their customers and their employees.

We sit down with Tony Gapastione, founder of Bravemaker, a nonprofit film arts organization dedicated to fostering community dialogue through film. A former actor turned filmmaker, Tony shares how a personal loss led him to create an organization focused on mentoring diverse voices and supporting meaningful storytelling. Tony discusses Bravemaker's impact on local communities through monthly film screenings, educational programs, and their annual film festival in Redwood City. He shares his journey in producing his own feature film and details the challenges of running a nonprofit arts organization in today's climate. Join us on this episode to learn about how storytelling, community, and social impact intersect in contemporary filmmaking. About Wrapbook Wrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place. Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team. For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay. Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more. Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital. Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

Send us a textThe Dark Truth Behind Disney's Hunchback reveals fascinating untold stories from director Gary Trousdale about the groundbreaking 1996 animated film. In this candid interview, Trousdale shares how the project came together, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's clever casting tactics and the creative freedom the team gained after his departure from Disney.Gary Trousdale is an American animator, film director, screenwriter and storyboard artist. He is best known for directing films such as Beauty and the Beast, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. He frequently works with Kirk Wise and Don Hahn. http://twitter.com/dreamingkingdomhttp://instagram.com/kingdomofdreamspodcasthttp://facebook.com/kingdomofdreamspodcast Watch the feature films that I have directedCitizen of Moria - https://rb.gy/azpsuIn Search of My Sister - https://rb.gy/1ke21Official Website - www.jawadmir.com

On this Halloween special of On Production, we sit down with Stephen Follows, a film industry data researcher, to discuss his latest project, HorrorMovieReport.com. Stephen dives into the current surge in horror film production, exploring the factors driving this unprecedented boom and the evolving landscape of the genre. The episode covers a wide range of topics, including the dominance of American horror films, the rise of Asian horror cinema, and the increasing prevalence of aquatic monsters in horror movies. Stephen also shares insights on the profitability of horror films, the impact of digital tools on the genre, and effective strategies for maximizing audience engagement. About Wrapbook Wrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place. Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team. For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay. Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more. Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital. Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

We speak with Herman Phillips, an innovative film producer and the creator of Cinapse, a groundbreaking production management software. Herman shares insights from his journey in the film industry and explains how his experiences on major sets like The Mandalorian inspired him to develop technology that revolutionizes production workflows. Herman discusses the challenges faced by production teams using outdated scheduling methods and how Cinapse addresses these issues. He highlights key features of the software, including real-time collaboration, episodic scheduling logic, and upcoming functionalities like unit day breaks and automated schedule comparisons. Herman also touches on Cinapse's adoption by major studios and its expansion into the European market. Tune in for a deep dive into the future of film production technology and how Cinapse is transforming the industry's approach to scheduling and management. About Wrapbook Wrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place. Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team. For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay. Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more. Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital. Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

We speak with Shari Marshik, founding partner and executive director of the Upper Midwest Film Office. Shari shares insights on the evolving landscape of regional film production and the impact of community-based projects in northern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. Shari also takes us through the region's competitive incentives, its diverse locations, and the film office's role in facilitating connections between productions and local resources, fostering a supportive environment for both established and emerging talent in the industry. About Wrapbook Wrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place. Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team. For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay. Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry's top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more. Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg's WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital. Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor take you behind the scenes of Disney's beloved Hocus Pocus and its unexpected connection to Steven Spielberg. Discover the untold story of how the Halloween classic was pitched, nearly lost, and ultimately stolen away from Spielberg. Tune in as we explore:   The Spielberg-Kirschner Drama: How did the An American Tail creator's decision to pitch Hocus Pocusto Disney instead of Spielberg create tension in Hollywood? Disney's Billion-Dollar Halloween Gamble: What convinced Jeffrey Katzenberg to greenlight Hocus Pocus after an unconventional pitch? South Park Hiatus: Why Trey Parker and Matt Stone are putting South Park on pause until 2025 and how the Paramount-Skydance merger affects its future. The Wild Robot World Premiere: DreamWorks' adaptation of The Wild Robot hits the Toronto International Film Festival, and Jim & Drew dive into the excitement leading up to its wide release, including a sneak peek at The Art of DreamWorks The Wild Robot. The Animated Opener of Joker: Folie à Deux: Learn how Sylvain Chomet brings a Looney Tunes-style sequence to life for the Joker sequel's Venice Film Festival debut.  Join Jim and Drew for an inside look at one of Halloween's most iconic films, plus the latest in animation news and commentary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Fine Tooning, Jim Hill and Drew Taylor take you behind the scenes of Disney's beloved Hocus Pocus and its unexpected connection to Steven Spielberg. Discover the untold story of how the Halloween classic was pitched, nearly lost, and ultimately stolen away from Spielberg. Tune in as we explore:   The Spielberg-Kirschner Drama: How did the An American Tail creator's decision to pitch Hocus Pocusto Disney instead of Spielberg create tension in Hollywood? Disney's Billion-Dollar Halloween Gamble: What convinced Jeffrey Katzenberg to greenlight Hocus Pocus after an unconventional pitch? South Park Hiatus: Why Trey Parker and Matt Stone are putting South Park on pause until 2025 and how the Paramount-Skydance merger affects its future. The Wild Robot World Premiere: DreamWorks' adaptation of The Wild Robot hits the Toronto International Film Festival, and Jim & Drew dive into the excitement leading up to its wide release, including a sneak peek at The Art of DreamWorks The Wild Robot. The Animated Opener of Joker: Folie à Deux: Learn how Sylvain Chomet brings a Looney Tunes-style sequence to life for the Joker sequel's Venice Film Festival debut.  Join Jim and Drew for an inside look at one of Halloween's most iconic films, plus the latest in animation news and commentary. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode #205 features animator/director/author, Stephen Anderson (Meet the Robinsons, Winnie the Pooh, The Emperor's New Groove) talking about his new book, Disney In-Between, spanning the transformative era from Walt Disney's 1966 passing to the studio's triumphant resurgence in the vibrant mid-80s, under the visionary stewardship of Roy E. Disney, Michael Eisner, Frank Wells, and Jeffrey Katzenberg. Dave and Aljon also chat up the latest pop culture and streaming news, including the latest Disney Park travel deal! Skull Rock Podcast is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Old Mill Press, ⁠publishing beautifully crafted books that illuminate our world.” Visit theoldmillpress.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and listeners like you. Follow us ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Skull Rock Podcast | Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aljon Go (@aljongo) • Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- Aljon's pop-culture podcasts - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dining at Disney Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Sorcerer Radio - All Disney Music, All Day Long ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SRSounds.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - E-mail: aljon@skullrockpodcast.com || ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dave Bossert (@dave_bossert) • Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- dave@skullrockpodcast.com. For behind-the-scenes stories and articles visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠davidbossert.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Shop using our Amazon affiliate ⁠HERE⁠. The Skull Rock Podcast is on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Best Disney Podcasts You Must Follow (feedspot.com)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. LISTEN to Dave's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"Tunes Behind the Toons" segment on Sirius/XM's Disney Hits channel 133⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. SHOW LINKS - Dave & Aljon LIVE ⁠Animation Ya'll Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN ⁠February 21 - 23 2025 | ⁠The Time Machine screening - Flights of Fantasy Film Festival (sci-fi.biz)⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/skullrockpodcast/support

In a special episode of the 'Cast, director/writer/storyboard artist Stephen Anderson returns to discuss his must-own new book DISNEY IN-BETWEEN, a fascinating fly-on-the-wall retrospective of the 20-year stretch at Walt Disney Studios when artists and production heads struggled to find their feet in the wake of Walt's death. Stephen recounts his painstaking research and in-depth interviews with the many luminaries who experienced such a transitional period at Disney firsthand, and gives us a new appreciation of the live-action and animated films that defined it.

Secrecy around movies is paramount. In early 1978, the announcement for Star Trek: The Motion Picture had not yet been officially made, but one person close to the production had leaked insider information about the production. Studio executive Jeffrey Katzenberg stepped in with a politely worded, but unambiguous, memo to stop the leaks at their source. Document and additional references: Star Trek II memo - January 19, 1978 The Trek Files Season 12 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

Secrecy around movies is paramount. In early 1978, the announcement for Star Trek: The Motion Picture had not yet been officially made, but one person close to the production had leaked insider information about the production. Studio executive Jeffrey Katzenberg stepped in with a politely worded, but unambiguous, memo to stop the leaks at their source. Document and additional references: Star Trek II memo - January 19, 1978 The Trek Files Season 12 on Memory Alpha All episodes and documents: The Trek Files on Memory Alpha Visit the Trekland site for behind-the-scenes access and exclusive merchandise.

Season Six begins!  We take a trip to a tumultuous time in the history of the Walt Disney Company and the birth of Touchstone Pictures.We are joined by the Medfield College Players, who present the thrilling radio drama "Who's Touchin' My Stones." Follow us @medfieldfilm on social media.

If you're assuming we will be covering the media's response to the attempted assassination, Biden's re-election bid, and the RNC, you'd be correct. However, if you're considering plastic surgery or $1000 sneakers, we have you completely covered this week. We have much to catch up on, wretches. Join us. Time Stamps: 3:15 Front Page 57:01 Style Section 1:04:33 Obsessions 1:11:24 Reader Mail 1:12:46 Favorite Items The Atlantic: Evan Vucci's Trump Image Is a Legendary American Photograph   WaPo: Trump allies immediately blame Biden, Democrats for spurring rally shooting Real Clear Markets: Is It Beyond the Pale To Ask If the Trump Shooter Was Simply Crazy? Semafor: Top Democratic strategist pushed reporters to consider 'staged' shooting  Mediaite: Joe Scarborough Addresses Morning Joe Getting Pulled Off MSNBC: 'We Were Very Surprised. We Were Very Disappointed'  Mediaite: Joe Scarborough Goes OFF on NBC Colleague Lester Holt's Biden Interview: 'Talk About Phony Moral Relativism!'  Mediaite: Oliver Darcy Calls Out CNN For Airing 'Lie-Filled' RNC Speeches With 'Little-To-No' Push Back  The Atlantic: Trump Is Planning for a Landslide Win   NYT: Usha Vance and the Iconography of the Trump Women Puck News: Biden's Saturday Zoom Call With House Dems Goes Off the Rails  Semafor: Donors' cash is drying up, Jeffrey Katzenberg warns Biden in private meeting NYT: Biden Called ‘More Receptive' to Hearing Pleas to Step Aside NYT: How Hamas Is Fighting in Gaza: Tunnels, Traps and Ambushes NYT: Rescued Hostage Describes Months of Uncertainty and Terror in Gaza  Wall Street: Wall Street Journal fires Hong Kong reporter who headed embattled press club  WSJ: Is This $1,100 Shoe the Next Men's Status Sneaker? Obsessions:  NYT: How Yale Propelled J.D. Vance's Career The Dispatch: ‘Ordinary Americans' Can Be Wrong, Too Reader Mail:  WaPo: The short answer on office shorts: No Favorite Items:  Poynter: Technology has fundamentally changed how reporters cover political conventions — for the better The Daily Beast: Ex-CIA Analyst Worked for South Korea in Exchange for Louis Vuitton Handbag: Prosecutors 

Sign up for TSL Workshops!: https://tslworkshops.circle.so Get Chris' Book!: https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Journey-Mythic-Structure-3rd/dp/193290736X Though Chris Vogler is generally credited with introducing the FRAMEWORK of The Hero's Journey into modern Hollywood discourse, it almost didn't happen. When someone else plagiarized his memo and trafficked it to Jeffrey Katzenberg trying to take credit for it, Chris faced a crossroads. Find out HOW he managed that, and became an essential creative pillar behind the development of THE LION KING.

Andrew, Carl, and Tom discuss Donald Trump's meeting on capitol hill yesterday with GOP senators and representatives and the possibility that Trump is taking a more pragmatic approach in 2024 than in previous elections. They also chat about how voters should evaluate viral videos showing what are portrayed as Biden's age-related gaffes, the recent polls that say Biden is doing surprisingly well among older voters, and today's New York Times profile by Peter Baker of Hollywood producer Jeffrey Katzenberg who the author calls “Biden's secret weapon.” Plus, they discuss a USA TODAY interview with Robert F. Kennedy who claims he'll be on the ballot in all 50 states. And lastly, Carl Cannon talks with RCP contributor Peter Berkowitz about the changing US policy toward Israel.

Jeffrey Katzenberg led The Walt Disney Studios, he founded DreamWorks, he made Shrek, and now he's doubling down on tech and cybersecurity investing at WndrCo. Katzenberg and Sujay Jaswa, his co-founder at WndrCo, discuss their $460m raise and their bets on AI's impact across tech and entertainment. Plus, the Hollywood mogul comments on the potential Paramount-Skydance merger and his faith in Bob Iger. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo has returned from Ukraine and joins Andrew Ross Sorkin at the CNBC CEO Council Summit in Washington, DC. Deputy Sec. Adeyemo discusses the Russian war machine, inflation pressures for American consumers, and the Biden administration's message to China. Today's other headlines include Intel's newest chip and the latest meme stock mania.  Jeffrey Katzenberg & Sujay Jaswa - 16:47Wally Adeyemo - 31:50 In this episode: Wally Adeyemo, @wallyadeyemoJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick,@BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin,@andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer,@Kramer_Katie