Podcasts about la film festival

In this epic episode, I'm joined by my good friend and tech mastermind Tim Laycock—a creative force who has spent the last decade building and scaling digital platforms used by millions of people globally. From launching startups to leading product development for major companies, Tim's work in tech is all about creating meaningful, user-focused experiences that solve real problems.These days, he's still deep in the world of tech startups, while also pouring his energy into a new passion project—Parea—a bold initiative that blends adventure, challenge, and deep human connection in the great outdoors.We dive deep into Tim's story—his upbringing, his entrepreneurial mindset, and where he sees the future of technology heading. But the real adventure begins when we talk about Parea, which is designed to take high-performing individuals out of their comfort zones and into nature for transformative experiences.Earlier this year, I joined Tim and a group of six founders on the third Parea expedition in the backcountry of New Zealand. We were helicopter dropped into remote wilderness, with a few local guides and the goal to survive off the land, disconnect from our devices, and reconnect with ourselves and each other.Even more exciting—our trip was documented and just won Best Adventure Film at the LA Film Festival. It was raw, challenging, deeply human—and it's the heartbeat of what Parea is all about: pushing yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally, while building genuine connection through shared struggle in nature.What We Cover in This Episode:✅ Tim's journey building platforms used by millions ✅ What he's learned from a decade in the tech world ✅ Balancing tech startup life with launching Parea ✅ Behind the scenes of our survival trip in NZ ✅ Why nature, discomfort, and camaraderie are essential for growthWatch the award winning documentary here - https://youtu.be/6us_K-MRvIcLearn more about PAREA - www.joinparea.com/applyPAREA INSTAGRAM - www.instagram.com/joinparea/Follow Tim - www.instagram.com/timothyxjamesTodays episode is brought to you by Ampd Bros E-Bikes!

"If I can't stop thinking about it, I got to start writing it no matter what." - Dan Ramm Dan Ramm is a prolific Emmy-nominated author, screenwriter, and producer with a wealth of experience in the entertainment industry. His writing credentials span across multiple successful TV shows, including "Criminal Minds" and "Hollywood Weapons." Dan has garnered multiple accolades, such as five Telly Awards and the Best Documentary award at the LA Film Festival 2023. His work extends to award-winning documentaries and influential drama series. His latest endeavor is his fiction novel, "Long Branch," which showcases his talent in storytelling beyond the screen. Episode Summary: In this insightful episode of Oh My Health, There's Hope, your host, Jana Short, engages in a dynamic conversation with Dan Ramm, a multifaceted writer and producer with a diverse portfolio in the entertainment industry. They delve deep into Dan's journey from a construction worker to an Emmy-nominated screenwriter, highlighting the transformative power of following one's passions and stepping out of comfort zones. Throughout this episode, listeners learn about the intricacies of character development and the important role it plays in storytelling, both in television scripts and Dan's new fiction novel, "Long Branch." Dan shares rich insights from his career, revealing how a serendipitous meeting with actor Joe Montaigne led to his breakthrough in writing. SEO keywords such as "Emmy-nominated producer," "novel Long Branch," and "storytelling" enrich the narrative of this episode, showcasing Dan's creative journey and the impact of perseverance and seizing opportunities. Key Takeaways: Dan Ramm transitioned from construction work to a celebrated career in writing and producing through a chance encounter with Joe Montaigne. Character development is crucial in storytelling, as it allows audiences to connect with the narrative on a personal level. Writing "Long Branch" was Dan's way of exploring new creative boundaries outside of his comfort zone in screenwriting. Dan emphasizes the importance of persistence and believing in one's potential despite the challenges or uncertainties faced. Personal anecdotes highlight Dan's experience with imposter syndrome and how he overcame it to pursue his creative career. Don't forget to check out his book Long Branch: Never let the truth stand in the way of a good story. Resources: www.DanRammBooks.com IG: @‌DanRammAuthor X: @‌DanRammAuthor Get in touch with Jana and listen to more Podcasts: https://www.janashort.com/ Show Music ‘Hold On' by Amy Gerhartz: https://www.amygerhartz.com/music. Get the Best Holistic Life Magazine Subscription! One of the fastest-growing independent magazines centered around holistic living. https://bestholisticlife.info/Subscription Grab your gift today: https://www.janashort.com/becoming-the-next-influencers-download-offer/ Connect with Jana Short: https://www.janashort.com/contact/  

Send us a textDisney's Out of My Mind will be released on Disney+ tomorrow, and I had the opportunity to interview the director, Amber Sealey, on today's podcast. The film is about a sixth grader, Melody Brooks, who has cerebral palsy, is nonverbal, and uses a wheelchair. As Melody navigates the ups and downs of being in the classroom, she eventually shows that what she has to say is more important than how she says it.Amber Sealey is an award-winning filmmaker whose most recent film, Out of My Mind (Disney/ Participant/Big Beach), premiered at Sundance 2024 to multiple standing ovations. Based on the best-selling YA novel of the same name, it stars Rosemarie DeWitt, Luke Kirby, and Judith Light, with Jennifer Aniston voicing the lead's inner life.Projects she has in development include two of her original scripts — the comedy feature COMING OF AGE and the romantic comedy BODICE RIPPER. Her feature NO MAN OF GOD (SpectreVision/Company X/XYZ Films/RLJ Entertainment), starring Elijah Wood and Luke Kirby, was theatrically released in 2021 to rave reviews.She has been supported by Sundance, Film Independent, and Women in Film. She is a fellow of the AFI Directing Workshop for Women and has written scripts for Duplass Brothers/Donut Productions. She was selected for Ryan Murphy's Half Initiative, the NBCUniversal Directors Initiative, the WeForShe DirectHer program, Film Independent's Directing Lab, and their Fast Track program.Her short film, HOW DOES IT START, world premiered at Sundance and (among other awards) won Best Narrative Short at Sarasota FF, and is being turned into a feature film. Her feature NO LIGHT & NO LAND ANYWHERE was theatrically released by Factory 25 and won a Special Jury Award at the LA Film Festival. Her second feature, HOW TO CHEAT, won Best Performance at LAFF, and won both Best Narrative and Best Acting at BendFilm. Her first film, A PLUS D, was released by IndiePix.Sealey has a BA in Theatre Arts and Modern Dance from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an MA from The Central School of Speech and Drama in London. She studied Shakespeare at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London.She was born in England and lives in Los Angeles with her family.Be sure to check out the movie Friday!Follow me on social media at @offthecrutch, or e-mail me at offthecrutch@gmail.com

New York comedian Modi was voted one of the top 10 comedians in New York City by The Hollywood Reporter and has been featured on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, and E! Entertainment. Modi has received rave reviews in The New York Times, Time Out NY and The New York Post. Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Modi emigrated with his family to the United States at the age of seven. Equipped with a sharp wit and a knack for reading an audience, Modi has gone on to become a successful fixture in New York's vibrant comedy scene, often doing bits that incorporate his heritage, and he is a hit with diverse Jewish audiences as well as fans of all backgrounds and beliefs. Now a regular performer at the New York and Los Angeles comedy clubs, Modi also headlines around the country and across the globe. ​ Modi has played himself on HBO's Crashing and Netflix's When Jews Were Funny. He's also appeared in several feature films and played leading roles in two: Waiting for Woody Allen, which won the LA Film Festival, and Stand Up, a feature-length film. In 2018, Mayor Bill De Blasio declared June 26th 'Mordechi Modi Rosenfeld Day' in the city of New York for his accomplishments and contributions to the artistic community .For tickets to see Modi live at The London Palladium and all other shows, visit - https://www.modilive.com .Modi is our guest in episode 441 of My Time Capsule and chats to Michael Fenton Stevens about the five things he'd like to put in a time capsule; four he'd like to preserve and one he'd like to bury and never have to think about again .Follow Modi on Twitter: @MODI_COMEDIAN & Instagram @modi_live . Follow My Time Capsule on Instagram: @mytimecapsulepodcast & Twitter & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter: @fentonstevens & Instagram @mikefentonstevens .Produced and edited by John Fenton-Stevens for Cast Off Productions .Music by Pass The Peas Music .Artwork by matthewboxall.com .This podcast is proud to be associated with the charity Viva! Providing theatrical opportunities for hundreds of young people . Get bonus episodes and ad-free listening by becoming a team member with Acast+! Your support will help us to keep making My Time Capsule. Join our team now! https://plus.acast.com/s/mytimecapsule. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE 120: Segun Akinola is a British-Nigerian composer for film and television who has strengthened many projects with his musical acumen. He is most known for his music in the three series of Doctor Who starring the first female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker. A BAFTA Breakthrough Brit 2017, Segun's other work includes scoring Sundance 2019 favourite and World Soundtrack Award nominee The Last Tree, BAFTA-nominated director Ursula Macfarlane's (Untouchable) feature The Lost Sons, Apple TV+ feature 9/11: Inside The President's War Room, ITV drama Stephen which was executive-produced by Paul Greengrass, multimedia feature A Moving Image, BBC's landmark series Black and British: A Forgotten History and more. His work has screened at acclaimed festivals like Sundance, the BFI London Film Festival, SXSW Film Festival, LA Film Festival, BlackStar Film Festival and many others. He has recently scored Milli Vanilli biopic Girl You Know It's True from Academy Award-winning producers Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann (The Lives of Others), the BBC's Agatha Christie adaptation Murder Is Easy and a documentary series for producer Richard Brown (True Detective). segunakinola.comContact us: makingsoundpodcast.comFollow on Instagram: @makingsoundpodcastFollow on Threads: @jannkloseJoin our Facebook GroupPlease support the show with a donation, thank you for listening!

Dan Ramm is an Emmy nominated producer and award-winning Television writer/producer with dozens of credits, including Criminal Minds. He has multiple awards for writing and producing, including 5 Telly Awards, Best Doc at LA Film Festival 2023 among others. His latest endeavor is a fiction novel called Long Branch. Dan and Papamutes talk about his debut novel, and how his writing career all started with a chance meeting with legendary actor Joe Mantegna. photos; courtesy of danrammListen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Castro, Google Podcasts or wherever you stream your podcasts.

Garry interviews Dan Ramm to discuss his new novel. Dan Ramm is an author, writer, and Emmy nominated producer.Dan has dozens of credits, including Criminal Minds, Gun Stories (now in season 14, Hollywood Weapons; Fact or Fiction (In season 6), and Booger Bottom USA. He has multiple awards for writing and producing, including 5 Telly Awards, Winner of Best Doc at LA Film Festival 2023 and Impact DOC Award Winner 2023 for Women in Aviation. He's a producer of the Emmy Winning documentary: Palm Springs Air Museums 25th Silver Anniversary Celebration. As well as the recipient of multiple inner-network awards. His latest endeavor is a fiction novel called Long Branch. The story of a down and out actor who returns to his hometown of Long Branch Georgia only to find himself in the midst of a conspiracy involving very influential people who will stop at nothing to keep the past buried.

Editor - Jessica Baclesse REZ BALL editor, Jessica Baclesse says she got the job for the film through a chance encounter with a not-so-stranger across a crowded room.  Random or not, Jess already had plenty of editing experience under her belt, including time logged cutting a big sports movie with Michael B. Jordan's directorial debut, CREED III (2023). REZ BALL was directed by Sydney Freeland and co-written by Freeland and Sterlin Harjo (RESERVATION DOGS).  It tells the story of the Chuska Warriors, a Native American high school basketball team from New Mexico who, after losing their star player, must band together to keep their quest for a state championship alive. Jessica Baclesse Jessica Baclesse is an award-winning film editor working in features, television and commercials. In addition to editing Creed III with Tyler Nelson, she was an additional editor on Marvel's 2021 television series Loki, directed by Kate Herron, and a pre-production editor on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Baclesse's work on Nike's 2020 You Can't Stop Us received an Emmy for Outstanding Commercial, a Cannes Grand Prix Lion and an AICP Award for Best Editing Montage.  Jess has also edited global commercial campaigns, including Instagram's Get Into What You Love, which was nominated for a Webby Award for Best Use of Video or Moving Image in Advertising. Baclesse received her MFA in Film from Columbia University and has edited many critically renowned narrative shorts that have been featured at festivals such as Slamdance, LA Film Festival, and Palm Springs International Film Festival. Editing Rez Ball In our discussion with REZ BALL editor Jessica Baclesse, we talk about: The importance of understanding geographical isolation Following the "How to..." from Hoosiers Letting the kids lead you to the story LeBron James, technical advisor Going to "sheep camp" The Credits Visit Extreme Music for all your production audio needs See the latest new features in Avid Media Composer Subscribe to The Rough Cut podcast and never miss an episode Visit The Rough Cut on YouTube

Modi Rosenfeld is a stand-up comedian and actor. He was voted one of the top 10 comedians in New York City by The Hollywood Reporter. He is one of the comedy circuit's most sought after performers. Featured on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, and E! Entertainment, Modi has received rave reviews in The New York Times, Time Out NY and The New York Post. Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Modi emigrated with his family to the United States at the age of seven and was raised on Long Island. After graduating from Boston University, he worked as an investment banker until his first open-mic night made him realize that stand-up was his true calling. Equipped with a sharp wit and a knack for reading his audience, Modi has gone on to become a successful fixture in New York's comedy scene, often doing bits that incorporate his heritage. He is a hit with audiences of all backgrounds and beliefs. He is now a regular performer at the New York and Los Angeles comedy clubs but has also become well known across the US and also across the globe. He is currently touring so check out the links below if you'd like to see him.  Modi has played himself on HBO's Crashing and Netflix's When Jews Were Funny. He's also appeared in several feature films and played leading roles in two: Waiting for Woody Allen, which won the LA Film Festival, and Stand Up, a feature-length film. In 2018, Mayor Bill De Blasio declared June 26th 'Mordechi Modi Rosenfeld Day' in the city of New York for his accomplishments and contributions to the artistic community. Modi has a brand new comedy special - Know Your Audience which is hilarious (links in episode notes below) and he also hosts the popular Podcast, and Here's Modi. We chat about Moshiach energy, great relationships, his brand-new comedy special, why June 26th is a special day, the right fit, leaving room for a miracle, shifting away from negativity, Wayne Dyer plus plenty more! The video footage of this entire chat is now out as well (one day after release)! So check them out on YouTube under Michael Kahan Check Modi out on: Website: https://www.modilive.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modi_live/?hl=en Tickets to shows: https://www.modilive.com/shows Comedy album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPF3GkKuPVc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Modicomedian/

With some artists the creative spark doesn't stop just because the guitar gets put down. That's Annie Williams. Anyone who knows her would say the same. From her self-built straw bale house to her hand-sewn performance costumes to her deeply personal songs, the muse follows her everywhere she goes, and does its best to keep up. She just released her debut album, Visitor, seven years and one lifetime in the making. Produced with Bill Reynolds of Band of Horses, it's at once playful and fresh and, like Annie, pretty damn original. The cover of the record is a photograph of the artist jumping through a ring of fire on her motorcycle. The fire was real, the ring was homemade.The Morse Code is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.In this thought-provoking conversation we talk about some of the more notable moments in a career nosing into its twentieth year, like, say, her arrival in Nashville. She was living in Wyoming and a touring christian hip hop group saw her play and invited her to roll with them back to Tennessee. I mean of course.We discuss how her decision to break away from her small business designing handmade bags dovetailed unexpectedly with her first publishing deal, and how that led to sync licenses on several TV shows. And you might be hard pressed to get her to admit it, but Annie is an actor, and a good one. She was approached to star in the film A Funeral for Lightning directed by Emily Kai Bock, which premiered at TIFF and went on to win the Grand Jury Award for Best Short Film at the LA Film Festival. Like many of her opportunities, it was gifted, not sought.There's a word for people like Annie Williams and that word is autodidact. She teaches herself to do things and then she does those things at her own speed in a sort of secret dance with the world around her. Its an orchestration of energy, at once mysterious and inevitable.There's so much I won't tell you about, so you can discover it yourself. I guess I should say she plays an unreleased song live in the studio.  Emily. Listen:I hope you take a moment to listen to or watch episode #141 of the Morse Code Podcast. It's a good one. Find Annie:Website: https://annie-williams.com/IG: https://www.instagram.com/anniewilliams___The Morse Code is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to The Morse Code at korby.substack.com/subscribe

Comedian Modi Interview | The Brett Allan Show "And Here's Modi" GET TO KNOW OUR GUEST! https://www.modilive.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@ModiLive Voted one of the top 10 comedians in New York City by The Hollywood Reporter, Modi is one of the comedy circuit's most sought after performers. Featured on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, and E! Entertainment, Modi has received rave reviews in The New York Times, Time Out NY and The New York Post. Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Modi emigrated with his family to the United States at the age of seven and was raised on Long Island. After graduating from Boston University, he worked as an investment banker until his first open-mic night made him realize that stand-up was his true calling. Equipped with a sharp wit and a knack for reading an audience, Modi has gone on to become a successful fixture in New York's vibrant comedy scene, often doing bits that incorporate his heritage, and he is a hit with diverse Jewish audiences as well as fans of all backgrounds and beliefs. Now a regular performer at the New York and Los Angeles comedy clubs, Modi also headlines around the country and across the globe.  ​Modi has played himself on HBO's Crashing and Netflix's When Jews Were Funny. He's also appeared in several feature films and played leading roles in two: Waiting for Woody Allen, which won the LA Film Festival, and Stand Up, a feature-length film. In 2018, Mayor Bill De Blasio declared June 26th 'Mordechi Modi Rosenfeld Day' in the city of New York for his accomplishments and contributions to the artistic community. Connect with us on our website for more amazing conversations! www.brettallanshow.com Have you got some feedback? Let us know! openmicguest@gmail.com Support the show! https://thebrettallanshow.creator-spring.com/listing/the-brett-allan-show-swag Follow us on social media! Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thebrettallanshow Instagram https://www.instagram.com/brettallanshow/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@TheBrettAllanShow/videos LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-allan-009458168/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Topic: Comedy & Philanthropy   Guest: Modi Rosenfeld   Bio:    Voted one of the top 10 comedians in New York City by The Hollywood Reporter, Modi is one of the comedy circuit's most sought after performers. Featured on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, and E! Entertainment, Modi has received rave reviews in The New York Times, Time Out NY and The New York Post. Born in Tel Aviv, Israel, Modi emigrated with his family to the United States at the age of seven and was raised on Long Island. After graduating from Boston University, he worked as an investment banker until his first open-mic night made him realize that stand-up was his true calling. Equipped with a sharp wit and a knack for reading an audience, Modi has gone on to become a successful fixture in New York's vibrant comedy scene, often doing bits that incorporate his heritage, and he is a hit with diverse Jewish audiences as well as fans of all backgrounds and beliefs. Now a regular performer at the New York and Los Angeles comedy clubs, Modi also headlines around the country and across the globe.    Modi has played himself on HBO's Crashing and Netflix's When Jews Were Funny. He's also appeared in several feature films and played leading roles in two: Waiting for Woody Allen, which won the LA Film Festival, and Stand Up, a feature-length film. In 2018, Mayor Bill De Blasio declared June 26th 'Mordechi Modi Rosenfeld Day' in the city of New York for his accomplishments and contributions to the artistic community.   In this riveting episode we learn how to enjoy the art of giving back.   Thank you to the Jewish Future Promise for arranging this episode. https://jewishfuturepromise.org/

In this episode, Julie and Jeffrey discuss her journey from immigrating from Greece at a young age to growing up in Brooklyn and New Jersey, her unexpected path to becoming a producer, her impact on Jeff's production career, how taking care of the environment is a win-win for impact and business, and much more… Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/O4gwHSzyCSI Learn more: Host: Jeffrey M. Zucker Producer: Kait Grey Editor: Nick Case Recording date: 9/18/23 https://www.tandempictures.com/ https://www.instagram.com/tandempictures/ https://www.facebook.com/tandempictures https://www.linkedin.com/company/tandem-pictures/ Other resources: https://www.tandempictures.com/brand-content?wix-vod-video-id=c1c8e677ffc144c9955977e89f1d6931&wix-vod-comp-id=comp-julnk1ne https://www.producersunion.org/ https://www.earthangelsets.com/ https://www.motionpictures.org/2020/12/the-sustainable-production-alliance-celebrating-the-green-production-guides-10-year-anniversary/ https://www.bricfoundation.org/ https://www.green4ema.org/ Bio: JULIE CHRISTEAS is the founder and CEO of Tandem Pictures, since 2010. Her recent films include BLACK BEAR (Sundance 2020) starring Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott and Sarah Gadon, which was released last year by eOne/Momentum, and THE SURROGATE (SXSW 2020/Monument Releasing). She also executive produced the cult horror favorite THE EYES OF MY MOTHER (Sundance 2016/Magnet Releasing), MONOGAMY (Best NY Narrative, Tribeca Film Festival 2010), the feature doc DUKALE'S DREAM starring Hugh Jackman, and GHOST TEAM starring Jon Heder, David Krumholtz, Justin Long, Amy Sedaris and Melonie Diaz. Previously she produced BLOOD STRIPE (Jury Prize for Best Narrative Film, LA Film Festival 2016), WILDLIKE starring Bruce Greenwood and Brian Geraghty (HIFF), and THE SLEEPWALKER starring Christopher Abbott and Brady Corbet (Sundance 2014/IFC). Julie also produces original short-form content for some of the biggest brands in the world -- Amazon, Chase Bank, Ford Motors, Netflix, Cadillac and many more. Before Tandem, Julie was EVP across production and development at Renart Films. Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 12:47 - Importance of Giving Back 18:29 - Education 27:49 - Early Career 30:31 - Producers 40:13 - Tandem Pictures 46:27 - Representation in the Industry 49:54 - Sustainable Sets 58:35 - Profit Donations 1:00:27 - Black Bear & Nuked 1:05:28 - BRIC Foundation 1:07:40 - Barbie 1:14:02 -When Work Affected Change 1:18:04 - Ask Jeff a Question 1:20:30 - Snap Your Fingers

This supernatural horror film was directed by David F. Sandberg in his directorial debut and produced by James Wan. It is also based on the short film of the same name which was also directed by Sandberg. The film stars Teresa Palmer, Maria Bello, Billy Burke & Alexander DiPersia. In this film, a dark and mysterious entity has latched onto a woman and her 2 children. This entity can only be seen in the dark and it looks to destroy anyone and everyone in its path. This film was released in June of 2016 at the LA Film Festival and then hit theaters nationwide later that same month. Sandberg had received critical acclaim for the short film and also had his wife, Lotta Losten, return for the movie.

In this episode of the Musicbed Podcast, Drea provides a behind-the-scenes look at Sundance from a programming POV and what filmmakers need to know about submitting their films. Programmer/producer Drea Clark has been a fixture of the festival circuit for almost 20 years, serving at Sundance Film Festival, the LA Film Festival, Slamdance Film Festival, and more. She's also produced three features, music videos, web series, and a TV pilot directed by Charlie Day. Talking Points: The importance of original, consistent storytelling A-list talent isn't always an advantage Art is subjective and so is rejection Submit a short over a proof of concept No one's buying your excuses for bad sound A good programmer finds filmmakers to champion Show Notes: Slamdance Film Festival – https://slamdance.com/festival/ Sundance Film Festival – https://festival.sundance.org/ LA Film Festival – https://www.filmindependent.org/la-film-festival/ Bentonville Film Festival – https://bentonvillefilm.org/ Napoleon Dynamite (2004) – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0374900/ Damien Chazelle – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3227090/ Whiplash (2014) – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2582802/ Chanshi – https://festival.sundance.org/program/films/indie-episodic IndieGoGo – https://www.indiegogo.com/ Kickstarter – https://www.kickstarter.com/ Kim Yutani – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-yutani-aaba3520a Catalyst Films – https://www.catalyst-films.com/ Directors Lab – https://directorslab.com/home/ Ann Arbor Film Festival – https://www.aafilmfest.org/ Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013) – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2388637/ David Lowery – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1108007/ Ben Foster – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3244731/ Strawberry Mansion (2021) – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11398346/ Kentucker Audley – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2310589/ The Killing of Two Lovers (2020) – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10702148/ Film Independent Spirit Awards – https://www.filmindependent.org/spirit-awards/ Aftersun (2022) – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19770238/ Stan Brakhage – https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0104132/ Brought to you by Musicbed, the filmmaking industry's music licensing platform of choice. Learn more: ⁠⁠musicbed.com⁠⁠. About Musicbed:Musicbed is the leading sync licensing platform for authentic music from relevant artists. We're a one-stop licensing agency representing a curated roster of authentic artists, bands, and composers for film, TV, and advertising. From leading composers to tour-tested bands, and rising singer/songwriters, we believe music brings emotion and has the power to amplify your story.

McKenzie is a filmmaker, actor, and poet based in Chicago. Driven by a revolutionary sensibility, her work uses rich imagery and a deeply personal lens to explore the lives, relationships, and dreams of those who experience marginalization based on their identities, frequently returning to themes around longing and ambition, with her storytelling rooted in sensuality, everyday magic, and the beauty of the ordinary.She was recently named IFA Chicago's inaugural Breakthrough Voice Award recipient, and is a 2021 Sundance Screenwriters and Directors Lab Fellow with her next feature A Real One, currently in late development. She is also the writer, producer, and lead actor of Olympia, which premiered at the 2018 LA Film Festival and won the Audience Award at the 2019 Bentonville Film Festival. She recently made her stage directing debut with ALAIYO by Micah Ariel Watson at Definition Theatre.As an actor, her on-camera credits include recurring and guest star roles on the FOX series The Big Leap, ABC's Will Trent, CBS's The Red Line, and others. Onstage she has worked with Steppenwolf and Goodman Theatres, The Second City, Woolly Mammoth, Definition Theatre, and others.

On our second Director's Cut, hailing from the Southside of Chicago, Writer and Director Daniel Willis joins Will Gates and Arthur Agee to share his Hoop Dreams origin story. His short films and television projects have screened at festivals including Urbanworld Film Festival, The Global Impact Film Festival, The LA Film Festival, The Chicago International Television Festival and many others. Daniel's latest short film, Wednesday, was a finalist in the HBO Short Film Competition and was licensed by HBO. Daniel's TV directing credits include, Freeform/Hulu's Cruel Summer, ABC's The Rookie and Grey's Anatomy, NBC's The Blacklist, Chicago Fire and Chicago Med and Big Shot on Disney+. On the writing front, Daniel recently served as Writer/Producer for the Lena Waithe produced comedy series: Twenties. Sit back and enjoy Daniel's journey as he drops a few gems for any up and coming aspiring filmmakers. Listen & Subscribe now on all your podcast platforms.An Unlearning Network ProductionHosted by Will Gates and Arthur AgeeProduced by Matt HoffarWritten by Matt Hoffar, Will Gates and Arthur AgeeEditing by: Matt Savagewww.unlearningnetwork.com

Today I have a special guest on the show, Philip Wang Of WongFu Productions. If you’re Asian, you probably know exactly who Philip is and he’s one of the OG YouTubers on the Internet. The WongFu YouTube channel has over 3.2 million subscribers with billions of views. WongFu’s films have been featured in a number of international film festivals like the LA Film Festival, the San Diego Film Festival, and the Cannes Film Festival. In this episode, you’ll learn exactly how he grew his channel into a media empire. What You’ll Learn How Philip Wang and his partners started their […] The post 435: From 0 to 3.2M Subs On YouTube: How Philip Wang Grew WongFu Productions appeared first on MyWifeQuitHerJob.com.

Are you a Black filmmaker in Los Angeles wanting to raise your creative voice amid the cacophony? Join us on October 28 to 29 in the first-ever Black Horror Film Festival, produced by Tsalta Baptiste. Learn more at https://blackhorrorfilmfestival.com (https://blackhorrorfilmfestival.com)

Christine Ng is a cinematographer and a graduate from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. In this episode, Sheena and Christine discuss the communal nature of working in cinematography and working behind the scenes. They also emphasize the importance of mentorship (especially female mentorship in a male-dominated field). Additionally, they discuss the importance of pursuing one's creative side as a person-of-color, and having to navigate the professional realm as a minority.  Ng was born in Hong Kong and raised in New York City. Her work has screened at festivals worldwide including SXSW, Palm Springs, Outfest, LA Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, NY Film Festival and many more. Her most recent work can be seen on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and Showtime. Learn more about her work and style at christineng.com!  

Mary Clay Boland is a two time Emmy award winning casting Director.  Boland started her career at Circle Repertory Theater where she had the honor to work with many brilliant playwrights and actors. Circle Rep was the perfect atmosphere to hone Mary Clay's casting instincts and enable her to witness the best acting has to offer. Transitioning to television Boland became the Casting Associate at Walken/Jaffe Casting where she was the Casting Associate on the first two seasons of the Emmy award winning show The Sopranos as well as the feature films But I'm a Cheerleader, The Legend of Wiry Spindell, First Look and many other films over a three year period.  Boland then moved on to the casting department of Warner Brothers Studios television where she worked on casting over 40 pilots including Everwood, Smallville, Gilmore Girls, George Lopez, and Without a Trace. While at Warner Brothers, Boland also cast the first two seasons of Third Watch, NBC and Witch Blade. In addition to that Boland was also responsible for the New York casting of their existing LA based shows ER, THE WEST WING, and FRIENDS. Throughout her career, Boland has also served as the Casting Director for many independent films that have played heavily on the festival circuit. Such films as MARCONI BROS. starring Dan Fogler, BEST THIEF IN THE WORLD starring Mary Louise Parker, CONFESS starring Melissa Leo, and many more. Mary Clay worked as the Casting Director for CBS' AS THE WORLD TURNS for 8 years and won two Day Time Emmys for Outstanding achievement in casting a drama series.   Boland went on to open her own company where she cast the first season of the Adult Swim series YOUR PRETTY FACE IS GOING TO HELL. She also cast a Warner Bros. Web series FINDING CODY starring Cody Simpson. She cast the film FOUR which won best ensemble cast at the LA Film Festival. For the last eight years Mary Clay has focused on motherhood while also keeping her foot immersed in the Louisville Film community. She has resided on the board of the Louisville Film Society. She was appointed by the mayor to be on the Louisville Film Commission. On the commission she acted as a liaison between New York and Los Angeles film productions that wished to shoot in KY and take advantage of their state tax film incentives. She taught media and film studies as a guest lecturer for the Governor's School of the Arts and has also led multiple workshops on auditioning technique.  Boland heads the casting department for MCM Creative and is a member of the Casting Society of America and served on their New York Board for four years. She is also a member of the Academy for film and Television and IFP and Women in Film and Television. https://www.mcmcreativeproductions.com/casting Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this exciting episode, we talk to Editor/Assistant Editor Victoria C. Page whose post-production credits include Hightown (STARZ), Proven Innocent (20th Century Fox), Station 19 (ABC) and Shots Fired (Fox). Victoria also worked on A Wrinkle in Time, the Walt Disney Motion Pictures feature directed by Ava DuVernay that grossed over a hundred million dollars at the box office. Victoria received a Project: Involve Fellowship as part of Film Independent's Artist Development, is an associate of American Cinema Editors (ACE) and has had films premiere at the Pan African Film Festival, LA Shorts Festival and the LA Film Festival. Originally from New Orleans, LA, Victoria moved to Los Angeles in 2010 for the sole purpose of wanting to become an editor. Her early experiences include assistant editing for reality TV, scripted TV, several comedy specials, features and short films. More recently she became an editor for season 2 of Hightown but then decided upon a major career switch and is on the post-executive tract at Paramount Studios as a daily supervisor for Paramount Pictures Feature Post. With her wealth of knowledge and experience she talks about what she's learned along the way, some often held misconceptions when it comes to editing, how to handle creative critiques, how to network and why it's so crucial. Stay tuned for more episodes of Post In Black's third season as we continue to amplify the stories and experiences of Black professionals working in post-production. Look out for new episodes every second and fourth Wednesday. Host: David Hunter Jr. | Executive Producers: Daniel K. Hunter, David Hunter Jr, Tatiana M. Johnson | Producers: Eric Johnson, Aurelia Belfield | Editor: PreShus Lee Assistant Editor: Andrea Vargas Moreno | Audio Post/Re-recording Mixer: Aaron Fyler Theme Song: "Sanctuary" by Chvrles Produced by Made for More Entertainment in association with Trailblazer Studios and SutchiLee Productions CONNECT WITH POST IN BLACK & MADE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT https://www.madeformoreent.com/IG: @PostInBlack & @MadeForMoreEnt Twitter: @PostInBlack & @MadeForMoreEnt FB: @PostInBlack & @MadeForMoreEntertainment SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXX9qvIHg44P60FMfoLz4xA --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/postinblack/support

Our latest episode reflects on how an EFM lifestyle can give you the freedom to pivot your journey, and how there is nothing "small" about any kind of small business or portable career. After weathering the challenges of the first few years of life as an EFM, Mustafa has a delightfully optimistic view on what those years taught him about life and business. What was my take home from this conversation?Don't be ashamed to be proud of what you are good at, and make money doing it!Mustafa is a communications and technology professional with over 16 years of experience in leadership roles focused on content creation, leading innovative media and technology interventions for programs supported by various US Government, non-profits, and private sector clients which include Stanford University, the ACLU, Vitalant, UNIDOS, Arizona State University, UNC-Chapel Hill, Last Mile Health, The Brooking Institute, The World Bank, UNICEF, USAID, and the US State Department. Mustafa is well sought out for his experience in developing effective media content on a range of issues which include: gender equity, education, and health in diverse and challenging contexts such as Pakistan, DR Congo, Lebanon, Ghana, Swaziland, Syria, Kenya, and the United States. At 26, Mustafa was the youngest head of department at the University of Lahore in Pakistan where he founded the School of Creative Arts. Mustafa also founded the first media technology park of Pakistan at the University called the Creative Village, with a vision to train the media professionals of tomorrow on real-world commercial projects. Mustafa is an Atlantic Fellow at George Washington University and has a Masters (MSc) in Media and Communications from the London School of Economics. Mustafa is a proud father of his 5-year-old daughter Breenie.Find his business at:www.frontiersanimation.comWatch the LA Film Festival awardee Super Vaccine Vato mentioned in this episode at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayt8GOe83BY&t=2sand like and follow the Creative Frontiers YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw1r97hVJ9p9WwA7JYQNKMw

We had a great conversation with Actress Irene Bedard on The Chris & Sandy Show. We talked about so many things from society, family, communication, acting, sacrifices, she told some great stories to a whole lot more. Irene Bedard is a Native American actor, director, producer and advocate . She was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska and is the daughter of Bruce Bedard and Carol Otton and the granddaughter of David and Irene Otton from the village of Koyuk. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theater from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. After university, she moved to New York City and was a founding member of the Native American Theater Ensemble, Chuka Lokoli. She has performed on stages including Circle in the Square, Ensemble Studio Theater, Cleveland Playhouse, and the prestigious Joseph Papp Public TheaterSoon after, she began a career in film and television and has over 100 credits including Lakota Woman for which she was nominated a Golden Globe, Grand Ave produced by Robert Redford, Into The West a Steven Spielberg miniseries, the cult classic Smoke Signals, the voice of Disney's Pocahontas, which she has most recently reprised in Wreck it Ralph 2. She can currently be seen in the Netflix Original series Longmire, Stephen King's series The Mist for Spike TV, the 444th President of the United States in the Ava Duvernay directed Jay Z Beyonce collaboration, and HBO's Westworld. Irene has received much critical acclaim for her performances and garnered numerous Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards from such organizations as the Emmy's, The First Americans In The Arts, American Indian Film Festival, NAMIC VISION AWARDS, Diversity Awards, LA Film Festival, and Sundance Audience Award. Irene is very honored to be inducted into the 2018 class of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Irene has been honored as an inductee into the Museum of Western Heritage and was the first Native American woman to be inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame, has received honorary degrees from Sitting Bull College and the Institute of the American Indian Arts, and the Alumni Award of Excellence from the University of the Arts. She has been Artist in Residence at Vox Box Arts Collective 501(c)(3) in Los Angeles for 20 years. Has co-chaired the Native American Collection of the Art Train and the American Indian College Funds Flame of Hope Gala. Irene has made appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tyra Banks Show, Bill Maher, and The Roseanne Barr Show. She has been photographed by Annie Leibovitz and has been featured in Mademoiselle, USA Today, Native Peoples, and was chosen as one of People Magazines 50 Most Beautiful People. She was a guest at the White House Correspondents Dinner during Bill Clinton's administration.She currently serves on the American Indian Enterprise and Business Council Board as the Delegate to the White House and U.N., as well as the Special Consul to the U.N. for the Cities of Peace and the World Indigenous Forum where she is currently working to form a Peace Treaty based on the Values formulated by Standing Rock. She served on the Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Artists National Diversity Committee, and also served on the National Task Force in support of VAWA for the National Congress of the American Indians, personally delivering 180,000 signatures to Sentaro Baynor's office during her attendance of the NIWRC (National Indian Women's Resource Center) field hearings throughout the United States. More recently, Irene is honored and humbled to be named Artist in Residence at Perseverance Theater, to follow with her mission and vision statement : To Heal through the Power and Art of Storytelling. She continues working on Grace…And, in the face of hatred, bigotry and outright lies…..

Aliee Chan is an actor and screenwriter from New Jersey who hasn't brushed her hair since 2003. She's known for creating and starring in the series Quirky Female Protagonist, which screened at the LA Film Festival and received critical acclaim from Huffington Post, IndieWire, and WUWM. She develops TV comedies @ CBS and Safe Space @ Lakeshore Entertainment. As an actor, Aliee has appeared on TV in New Girl, The Rookie, The Middle, and Real Life (Pilot, CBS) and was part of the ABC Showcase in 2018. She co-hosts the podcast Erin and Aliee Hate Everything alongside Erin Rye. Aliee has her BFA in Acting from Montclair State University where she had an illustrious career playing monkeys, terrorists, and everyone's mom (she's tall). @alieechan. Read Aliee's Deadline article here. Say hi! @dyingoflaughter_podcast / DyingOfLaughterPodcast@gmail.com Do you like this show? Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts is extremely appreciated...I read & cherish every single one! @_ChelsWhoElse_ | www.ChelsWhoElse.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

About Ryan: RYAN ELIZABETH CUNNINGHAM (she/her) is a queer writer/director and Emmy and Peabody award-winning producer who recently launched the development company Running Woman with the goal of telling stories that haven't been heard before.  She represented the TV projects THE FUGITIVE GAME (2018), TRANSMANIA (2019), and MARY (2020) in the IFP (now The Gotham) Project Forum. Ryan is very passionate about promoting equality, women's issues, LGBTQ+ stories, and neurodiversity in her work. She's EP/Director on the standup special ILANA GLAZER: THE PLANET IS BURNING (Amazon), the docuseries EXPECTING AMY (HBO Max), and an upcoming Pride special for Showtime.  Select TV producer credits include BROAD CITY and INSIDE AMY SCHUMER (Comedy Central), SEARCH PARTY and THE LAST O.G. (TBS); LOUIE (FX); STRANGERS (Facebook); THE SHIVERING TRUTH (Adult Swim); HORACE AND PETE (Hulu); THE ELECTRIC COMPANY (PBS), as well as several prominent stand-up specials for Netflix and HBO, including Executive Producing AMY SCHUMER GROWING for Netflix.  Film producing credits include Rachel Israel's feature KEEP THE CHANGE, starring the first leading cast of actors on the autism spectrum and winner of Best Narrative Feature at Tribeca Film Festival 2017; BECKS, winner of the LA Film Festival 2017; and the ill-fated I LOVE YOU, DADDY, directed by Louis C.K., which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.  She has also co-owned the NYC-based post house Running Man for the last decade. She lives in Brooklyn with her 10-year-old daughter who is on the autism spectrum and likes to build large art installations in various places around their apartment. Ryan is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design and co-chair of the RISD Fund, as well as working as an adjunct professor for the film department.  Focus on the job, not the ego. What did I learn? What can I take forward with me? Comedy is the ultimate puzzle. Qualities: Utter commitment Inside and outside of art Up your game: Time management Hire the right people Delegation Television is fast You need a team you can trust Actors creating your own work: Work in an outline form before you start scripting. Learn to pitch. A pitch makes them want to know more. Record yourself doing it and watch it back! The best actors LISTEN! If you're not open to notes, you're not going to have a strong performance. Be able to identify what's working, what's not working, and have suggestions to make it work better. Learn how to take critique.

Award-Nominated Actor, Turron Kofi Alleyne, has worked with some of Hollywood's most esteemed A-List directors, producers, and actors such as: Spike Lee, Jonathan Nolan, Mark Wahlberg, Zoe Saldana, Michael B. Jordan, Lawrence Fishburne, and others. He's been featured in Independent Films that have premiered at various prestigious Film Festivals which include: Sundance, ABFF, LA Film Festival, Vails Film Festival and more. He's currently featured as a Recurring Guest Star in the new ABC hit series “FOR LIFE” as Officer Calvin Newcombe. Turron also enjoys teaching acting where his students learn the difference between “performing” and “living truthfully” by guiding his students away from performing habits, into more organic real life responses that spur and change from moment to moment. He accomplishes this through improvisational games, methods and techniques rooted in the Sanford Meisner Technique. In addition, Turron is also a Writer, Director and Producer for the screen; as well as the stage. He is happily married with three beautiful children and he honors, thanks, and dedicates his life, ministries, and career to Jesus Christ. Reel: https://vimeo.com/587648635#at=0His film Defining Moments: https://www.definingmomentsmovie.com/I'm on Twitter: @RiseCEThePodTikTok: @RiseCareerExplorationFacebook: @RiseCareerExplorationInstagram:  @RiseCareerExplorationRise career exploration is financially supported by listeners like you. Every dollar helps towards future podcast episodes. Click on the link in the show notes or visit us at risecareer.org today. Thank you for your support, enjoy the show and remember, together we RISE. Donate: https://liberapay.com/Rise-Career-Exploration/donate Shop: https://teespring.com/stores/my-store-10434812 My books:HarlemPressLLC.com P.S. I easily get frustrated with tech. For whatever reason, I make a mess of things. But the Buzzsprout podcast platform has been super easy to create, upload and publish. And if "I" say it was easy, it's easy. The customer service is off the chain. I actually got emailed back the same day. Once, tech support went in to fix the problem and report to me that it's been taken care of. I'm a huge fan and that's the only reason I'm endorsing them. Sign up to share your ideas via podcast now: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1382848Support the show (https://liberapay.com/Rise-Career-Exploration/donate)

This interview features Sarah Penna, Senior Manager of Creator Launch at Patreon. We discuss how a trip to India inspired her media career, being one of the youngest YouTube MCN founders,  her $15 million exit to DreamWorks Animation, how she picks co-founders,  marrying a YouTuber-turned Hollywood filmmaker, founding a female-forward entertainment brand, and what's up next for Patreon. Subscribe to our newsletter. We explore the intersection of media, technology, and commerce: sign-up linkLearn more about our market research and executive advisory: RockWater websiteFollow The Come Up on Twitter: @TCUpodEmail us: tcupod@wearerockwater.com---EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: Chris Erwin:Hi, I'm Chris Erwin. Welcome to The Come Up, a podcast that interviews entrepreneurs and leaders. Sarah Penna:We had outgrown the office. We were in the National Lampoon office. It was so janky and eventually we moved the talent team to my dining room table. I would cook dinner for the talent team. We would take talent meetings in my living room, which was just so bizarre and unprofessional but worked. My house was kind of a YouTuber hotel. It was very wholesome and very duct tape and bubble gum feeling. We were just kind of figuring it out. Chris Erwin:This week's episode features Sarah Penna, senior manager of Creator Launch at Patreon. So, Sarah was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her father was a serial entrepreneur and her mother ran the family construction business. Sarah's first foray into media began while studying abroad in India, when she became the translator for a documentary film crew. So after college, she moved to California and immersed herself in LA's up-and-coming digital media scene, which included working with OG YouTuber Phil DeFranco. Sarah rapidly became a digital expert and started her own digital talent management company in 2010, which eventually became Big Frame and was sold to AwesomenessTV and its parent, DreamWorks Animation. Chris Erwin:Today, Sarah runs a team that helps Patreon develop and launch premium talent partnerships, and also advises Frolic Media, a female-forward entertainment brand she co-founded in 2018. Some highlights of our chat include how we first met during an awkward interview moment with a guitar, when having 10,000 subs made you a Top 100 YouTuber, how she picks co-founders, what it's like to marry a YouTuber turned Hollywood filmmaker, and what's up next for Patreon. Now, I've known Sarah for nearly 10 years. She was actually my gateway drug into all things digital entertainment and where it not for her founding Big Frame, I would not be where I am today, and I am forever grateful to her, which makes me super pumped to share her story. All right, let's get to it. Sarah, thank you for being on The Come Up podcast. Sarah Penna:Thanks for having me. Chris Erwin:We got a little bit of history here. So, we'll see how much of that we can get through in 90 minutes before your next thing. Sarah Penna:Yeah, it's a lot. It's a lot to pack in. Chris Erwin:As always, let's rewind a bit and let's talk about where you grew up. So, my understanding is that you grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah. Your family had some land in Wyoming. I think your dad was a bit of an entrepreneur, but tell us about your upbringing. Sarah Penna:Yeah. I had a pretty cool childhood. I grew up in Utah. My parents were total hippies, just big personalities, did not grow up in the predominant faith of Utah. So, it was a little bit of an outlier, and my parents own a construction company together. So, a little bit of foreshadowing into how I worked with my husband at one point, but I grew up with an older sister and a younger brother. We had a menagerie of animals all the time, like goats, and my dad kept bees at one point. We always had two or three dogs and a bunch of cats and an iguana and chinchillas. We just had this kind of crazy Bohemian, bizarre, Jewish, hippie not Mormon family. Sarah Penna:So, my parents owned this construction company and became relatively successful with that but my dad has curse, as I do, which is, always coming up with new ideas and deciding to act upon them. He had a Japanese restaurant and he had a furniture company and he had an emergency preparedness kit company, and I- Chris Erwin:Would he do all of these at the same time as the construction business or would it be like stops and starts and all of that? Sarah Penna:No. My mom held it down. She really was the mastermind behind the construction company. She did all of the office work and made sure ... she really ran the company and then my dad was kind of the face of it. He was out at the job sites and in the early days, was actually doing the building. So, I got to see my mom be in this, talk about a male-dominated industry. She would come home so mad because she would get a piece of mail that ... her name's Paula and they would always address Paul, because they couldn't believe that a woman was running a construction company. So, I got to see this powerful woman running this super successful business in basically a hundred percent male-dominated industry. Chris Erwin:Sarah, I've known you for over 10 years and we worked together intimately for at least three or four of them. I had no idea about your background. I just learned more about you in two minutes. It took a podcast and a 10-year relationship to get here. Sarah Penna:That's totally my bad. Chris Erwin:All good. So, okay. As a kid, when your father dabbled in all these new business adventures, was that really exciting for you guys? Maybe frustrating for your mother, but as kids you're like, "Oh, dad's up to some cool stuff again." Sarah Penna:Yeah, it was fun. I was 15 when he did the Japanese restaurant and I got to work in the restaurant and just, it was cool, and I didn't realize the stress and the financial burden that it was putting on my mom and kind of how frustrating it was for her but I see that now, looking back, and she handled it amazingly. She's an incredible woman. But I'm a very early riser, and as a kid, I would ... my dad is, too. He would get up at four or five in the morning and I would, too. He would just load me up in his construction truck and we'd go get pancakes and go milk the goats and go check on his construction sites. So, I got to see the inner workings of that. Then, I love going to the office and rifling through my mom's office supplies. Chris Erwin:Well, I got some important Post-it notes here, got a yellow legal pad, all the things. Sarah Penna:It was so fun as a kid. You're like, pens and Post-it notes, and the office supply closet was just like this heaven. Chris Erwin:My dad, he ran a psychology business and still does for 40 years and had his own office, and then every year he hosted a conference. One of my favorite things is that he would hire his children, me and my twin brother, and we'd have to lick 500 envelopes and put stamps on them. But we got to use all of these office gear, we thought it was the coolest thing ever. Then, after a few years, we're like, "I think we're getting sick from all of this stamp-licking." Sarah Penna:Yeah, probably. Chris Erwin:But separate story. Sarah Penna:That's really funny. Chris Erwin:So, a question, watching your father's entrepreneurial endeavors and also your mother, too, running the business, did you feel like, "Hey, when I grew up, I'm going to have my own business too." Sarah Penna:Honestly, no. So, I was an incredibly shy child. I was very quiet. My family likes to joke that they thought I was just going to buy a cabin in the woods and just frolic in daisy fields and that would basically be all I could handle. So, to the shock of everybody, of what I wound up doing with my career, so no, I was very directionless. I went to a very intense high school that was a college prep school. There was a lot of pressure to kind of figure out what you wanted to do. Frankly, I just didn't have any passions. I wasn't thinking, "Oh, I want to take over the family business or I want to be an entrepreneur." I didn't even have that language. Sarah Penna:So, in a way, that was great because what I wound up doing didn't exist when I was little. If I had said, "Oh, I want to be a lawyer or an actress or what ... " something that did exist, I don't know that I would've found the path that I did find. My parents never called themselves entrepreneurs. They were just, this is what we do and this is how we do it. Chris Erwin:Very interesting, Sarah. So, I'm going to put the puzzle pieces together here. Let's talk about another formative event growing up. You had also mentioned that you studied abroad in India, where you actually learned to speak fluent Nepalese. So, tell us about this transformative moment for you. Sarah Penna:Like I said, I was a very shy child. In college, I kind of blossomed, but maybe in the wrong ways. I partied a lot and just, again, was quite directionless. I was a literature major, which is just like the lazy ... No, I love being a literature major, but it is a non-major. It doesn't really set you up for business success. Originally, actually, I was going to travel. I was going to study abroad in Italy and I had this moment where I just looked at myself and said, "You need to push yourself right now. This is a moment." My college had an incredible study abroad program in Nepal. Sarah Penna:Long story short, they couldn't do it in Nepal. There were some civil unrest, so they moved it to India. I went to India and I lived in a place that didn't have running water, and I did my laundry for six months in a river. I got perspective that I never would've had. During that time I met up with a documentary film, I will say, crew in quotes, because it was just two white dudes traveling around not knowing what they were doing. They were in this tiny little village that I was staying. I was living in a monastery and because I spoke the language I could just hang out with the locals. It was very funny to them that this tiny, little white girl spoke fluent Nepalese. Chris Erwin:Did you take Nepalese in advance of going to India at all? Sarah Penna:No. Chris Erwin:So, you just picked it up in country. Sarah Penna:Yeah. Chris Erwin:Wow. Sarah Penna:Writing is very hard, but the language itself is very intuitive once you fit the pieces together. So, I would help them. Tourists would come. I lived in this monastery for a couple of weeks. Tourists would come and I would help them translate and negotiate and all this stuff. So, these guys came, they were filming. I was like, "I'll join up with you guys and translate for you and help you get interviews and that kind of stuff." Because if you speak the language, it just opens more doors. So, I wound up traveling with them, and one of them I wound up dating, but that's for another story. He was going to UCLA. I was graduating. He was going to UCLA grad school. Sarah Penna:I was graduating college and I wound up learning about documentary film and originally thought I wanted to go into documentary filmmaking. So, 2006 is when I was in India. Chris Erwin:Got it. Did you have an interest in media and the arts before you met this documentary film crew/attractive young man that you wanted to date? Sarah Penna:No, and I didn't have any connections and I didn't have any ... but, again, I was kind of, not in a disparaging way, but I was kind of an empty vessel, right? I had no idea what I was going to do and this thing really sparked me. I loved holding the camera. I loved seeing the story come together. I moved to Venice with him, and this is way too long of a story, so I'll just make it really short through a series of very wonderful coincidences, which involved me randomly picking a documentary film at the LA Film Festival and contacting the filmmaker. I got an internship at World of Wonder and that kind of started my trajectory in media. Chris Erwin:This was the first time you dated a documentary filmmaker. I look at this as a warm up for Joe. We'll get into that later. Sarah Penna:I only dated creative people, [inaudible 00:11:39]. Chris Erwin:Another podcast for your wild party days at Pitzer College. All right, so that led to your first work experience at World of Wonder. So, tell us about what that company was doing and what your role was there. Sarah Penna:World of Wonder in 2008 was probably the most amazing place to work, I have to say. It was constantly drag queens coming in the office, and parties. It was just a wild time. They were filming the first season of Million Dollar Listing, which I was an intern on. They were filming the first season of Tori and Dean: Inn Love, the Tori Spelling Show, which I was an assistant on. They were filming Porno Valley. They were filming ... I mean, it was just like a wild, wild time, incredible company. I loved it. I also recognized that reality TV wasn't really for me. While I was working there, I also was making short films and uploading them to these two new websites. One of them was called YouTube and one of them was called Current TV. Sarah Penna:Current TV was Al Gore's network based in San Francisco, where you would upload short documentaries and then the ones that got the most votes, they would ultimately put them onto their TV network. So, I had a couple documentaries get bought and put onto the TV network and ... Chris Erwin:Were you doing this independently or as part of World of Wonder? Sarah Penna:No, no, totally separately. Chris Erwin:Got it. Again, I had no idea that you did this. Sarah Penna:Yeah. Now, we're in 2007, the first documentary that got picked up was about me getting my medical marijuana license. Chris Erwin:Okay. Sarah Penna:It was a very new thing at that time, and so I documented the whole journey of what it was like to get a medical marijuana license and I smoked a joint on-screen. When I got hired there, it would play in the rotation, and one time Al Gore came to visit the office and they had the TVs up in the office playing Current, and my documentary came on with me smoking a joint and meeting Al Gore at the same time. It was very embarrassing. Chris Erwin:I'm famous/I'm super embarrassed. What a mix of emotions. Sarah Penna:Yes. Chris Erwin:So, Sarah, I have to ask, you're working at World of Wonder, you're working on these incredible programs that are probably being sold to network TV, right? Not digital outlets and streamers. What was the catalyst that you're like, "I want to put my content on YouTube and Current TV." How'd that come to be? Sarah Penna:I just felt something more compelling about it. It felt more free. It felt like, somebody like me coming from Utah with literally zero connections could make something and have it be put on TV within a couple of weeks. Then, on YouTube, you couldn't monetize at the time. It was very rudimentary. I don't know, I just fell in love with it. Chris Erwin:YouTube was founded in 2004 and then, was it bought by Google in 2006, if I remember correctly? Sarah Penna:I think that's right. Then, 2007 Time magazine made you, the cover and the Person of the Year was you, and it was a mirror. I was like, that to me was a moment where I said, "Okay, this is really a thing and I want to be involved in it." Chris Erwin:I think you start meeting some pretty important early personalities and movers and shakers within digital video. I think you met one of the founders of what eventually became Maker Studios, I think. Was it Danny Diamond or Danny Zappin? Is that the same person? Sarah Penna:That's the same person. His YouTube name was Danny Diamond. Chris Erwin:Got it. So, how'd you meet Danny? Sarah Penna:So, I was working at this very small web series production company which, yes, that was a thing in 2008. So, I got laid off right from Current because the financial crisis hit. They laid everyone off. They sold the network to Al Jazeera. I moved back to LA. I had been up in San Francisco, moved back to LA, started working at this web series production company, got introduced to Danny through some mutual friends. He said, "Look, I just got some money from YouTube and I'm filming this thing for this new channel that we're starting called The Station. Why don't you just come up and see what it's like?" So, I go up there and unbeknownst to me, it was every big YouTuber at the time. It was ShayCarl, and KassemG, and Shane Dawson, and Danny, and Lisa Nova, and everybody- Chris Erwin:OG names. Sarah Penna:Funnily enough, my future husband was supposed to be there, but I don't remember exactly what happened, but he wasn't there. Chris Erwin:Okay. So, you're doing this. Are you thinking to yourself, "Oh my God, I'm having so much fun. This is a crazy world." You're embarking on a very exciting career adventure. You're seeing this change in the media industry. Did you feel that at the time or was it more of, "This is fun. I'm meeting some cool people. Let's see where it goes." Sarah Penna:It was more the former. I really thought to myself, I want to be involved in this in some way, shape or form. I really don't know what this is. Chris Erwin:Yeah. Sarah Penna:Not to say that I'm a genius, but I just had something in my gut that said, you've got to be involved in this somehow. You have to make this happen. Chris Erwin:That instinct proved to be pretty powerful for you in starting Big Frame, which we'll get to in a little bit. So, you meet Phil DeFranco, a prominent OG YouTuber, and I think you become a producer for him and his team, right? Sarah Penna:Yeah. So, he hires me in November of 2009 and I worked for him. We launched a new channel, which was like a gaming channel for him. I did PR for him. I handled brand deals for him. I edited because I still knew how to edit at the time. A skill I'm very sad that I lost. That was just an amazing experience. He had split from Maker TV at that time and so, we were kind of running our own thing. I think Phil, to this day, is one of the most brilliant, genius content creators that's come out of the YouTube space. He's just continually reinvented himself and not, just kept doing what he did and stayed successful. So, that was a masterclass in how to run a successful YouTube channel. Chris Erwin:Got it. Also, through Phil DeFranco, you actually end up meeting your future husband, Joe. So, he actually showed up on time for production or maybe a first day that you guys had. How'd you first connect with him? Sarah Penna:Before Phil hired me, I got invited to a Halloween party at his house and Joe was there, and I had actually very embarrassingly seen Joe's videos before meeting him. I was producing a short film with a prominent YouTuber at that time named Olga Kay and we were just doing some fun. We actually crowdfunded it. We raised a couple thousand dollars and made this thing called Olga Kay's Circus. We wanted Joe in it because he had a lot of subscribers at the time. He had 10,000 subscribers, so he was in the Top 100 YouTubers. Chris Erwin:Oh, my God. Sarah Penna:Can you believe that 10,000 subscribers would get you there at that time? So, we wanted Joe in it and we wound up meeting at this Halloween party and then Phil connected us and match made us a little bit, and we went on our first date in January of 2010. Chris Erwin:Then, how soon were you married or engaged after that? Sarah Penna:So, we went on our first date in January 2010 and then we got engaged in September of the same year, and then we were married the next year. Chris Erwin:First date with Joe, January 2010. Engaged, September 2010. Married, 2011. Interesting timing because you launched your first company, Cloud Media, I think in 2010, and you're sharing production space with Joe. So, you're tripling down on the digital media space. You're literally married to a creator. You're sharing space together and you're founding your own media company. But tell us about what was the origins of Cloud Media. Sarah Penna:Yeah, so I basically, again, I didn't say, "Oh, I'm going to be an entrepreneur. I'm going to raise money." I didn't have a blueprint for that. I didn't know what I was doing, which I think you'll hear a lot of entrepreneurs say, that's kind of a blessing in a lot of ways. So, I did a very big brand deal for Joe. I was able to negotiate a high six-figure deal for him, and using the percentage that I took as his manager from that, I started what I called the Cloud Media. I bootstrapped that company for a year and a half and just operated it based off of the percentages that I was taking from brand deals that I was doing for influencers and YouTubers, whatever we called them at the time. Sarah Penna:My difference was I would start out by not doing contracts with them. We would just have a understanding, which is very common with management companies. Most managers don't have contracts, right? That's more for agents and Maker and Fullscreen at the time were insisting on contract, and Machinima. I was like, "Hey, you don't have to sign a contract with me. Let me just show you what I can do. This is my fee, and if you like it, then you can officially sign onboard and we can go from there." So, that worked really well for me. So, I started signing. I think by the time that we re-founded the company as Big Frame, I had about 30 clients. Chris Erwin:I remember, that was one of the things that attracted me to Big Frame. This is definitely the reputation in the space, is that you had built, Sarah, one of the most premium networks of YouTube creators that existed. Really high quality YouTubers that worked together, that worked with you, and there was really good camaraderie and trust and rapport amongst everybody, and it felt very special and different. So, it's clear that was based on these initial values of, I'm going to do good work and prove myself to you, and that's how we're going to develop a business relationship. Until I came in and then I was like, "Sarah, we need contracts." Sarah Penna:A big influence on those ... those are, me as a person, my core values. But DeStorm, who was my second client outside of Joe, who I just cold called and was living in New York, he really sort of guided me in how he wanted to be treated, how he felt business should be done. He really helped collaborate with me on some of those foundational core values that we carried throughout the duration of Big Frame really. Chris Erwin:So, speaking of that, you're literally learning from one of your clients. Were there any other mentors in the space as you're figuring ... this is the early days. We still say we're in the Wild West of the creator economy, that was the real Wild West of YouTube. So, probably, very few people to learn from. Did you have anyone that you would call on a regular basis and say, "Hey, let's just share notes." Sarah Penna:No, I didn't. Unfortunately, I think the space became quickly competitive. I would say at the beginning there was a little more collaboration between, let's say, like Danny and George Strompolos and myself. We would go up to YouTube and talk to them together as a group and what our needs were and share creator feedback. I think once money started pouring into the space we got a little more siloed, which is understandable, but no, I didn't. I was really out there in the woods like, "Okay, this is what we're doing now." Not really knowing what that was. Just saying, "Okay, this is how we're doing it. This is how our contracts are going to look." Chris Erwin:How old were you at this point? Sarah Penna:I was 26. Chris Erwin:So young. So, then, I think, well, as part of that dynamic, as the space got more competitive, George is launching Fullscreen, Danny is launching Maker, more venture capitals moving to the space. The Google Original Channels program launches, $200 million dedicated fund to help creators produce higher quality content for YouTube, which will then attract more advertisers and more revenue. So, I think at this point is when you eventually connect with Steve Raymond, the co-founder of Big Frame, which got its origins from Cloud Media, right? Sarah Penna:Exactly, through a mutual friend. I was on the hunt for a CEO. I recognized my limitations. I did want to raise money. I didn't know what that entailed. Frankly, I needed more of a grownup. I think my skillsets were really great on the creator side and the brand deal side but as the industry started growing up, I very quickly recognized I need someone who has a skillset that I just don't have. So, I met Steve and we hit it off, and we had a couple meetings, and he just jumped right on in. We decided to re-found the company. None of us liked the name because people thought it was like cloud computing and, which is fair, and it just made sense to start fresh. It also gave us an opportunity to have contracts with people and just structure it in a way that would allow us to raise money. So, yeah. Chris Erwin:Hey, listeners, this is Chris Erwin, your host of The Come Up. I have a quick ask for you. If you dig what we're putting down, if you like the show, if you like our guests, it would really mean a lot if you can give us a rating wherever you listen to our show. It helps other people discover our work and it also really supports what we do here. All right, that's it, everybody. Let's get back to the interview. I have to ask, I started the advisory firm five years ago that I have now. I started that with a co-founder and then quickly realized, "Hey, I have a certain vision and I'm going to build this in my unique way." So, restarted the advisory firm with me as the solo owner. Chris Erwin:I've realized bringing someone else into the mix that really gets the vision that I feel comfortable sharing this with is difficult for me. I just know my personality, and founder issues are always like the hardest things in any startup. How did you feel in terms of bringing Steve on? Did you feel comfortable? When you met him, you're like, "Hey, this guy gets it. We have shared values and sensibility." Were you able to develop a sense of trust with him pretty quickly or did that take a decent amount of time? Sarah Penna:I trusted him very quickly. Although, I sometimes felt like that scene in The Little Mermaid where she's like, closes her eyes and signs her voice away, I was like, "Am I doing that?" I definitely had that moment where I was like, "Am I letting somebody in I don't ... ?" We had three meetings before. I was like, "Here's a third of my company." We had another co-founder, that's it. We don't need to [inaudible 00:25:56] but basically, here's half of my company. I definitely had people who were like, "Don't think you should have done that." But to me, the value of Steve and the ability ... I did trust him. The main thing for him was, he was very clear that he didn't want to disrupt what I was doing. He was very impressed with the business that I had built on my own and he didn't want me to feel like he was coming in to change that. Sarah Penna:He invested some of his own money and valued the contracts that ... I was like, I don't have that money to invest, but he was like, we should value the money that's in the bank for Cloud Media and the value of the contracts or the agreements that you have with the talent. So, I was like, "Okay, that's really fair." He made it easy. That, for me, was important. I don't like complicated things. I don't like long dragged out negotiations, and I was ready to just get to work. So, he was someone who was like, "I know how to do this. I have the connections. I don't want to disrupt your work." He's a good guy, I could just tell, and we made it work. Chris Erwin:I love that. I know Steve very well. He was my boss for three or four years and learned an incredible amount from him. But I think you're right, Sarah, the thing that stands out about Steve was just a good guy, good moral compass, and he doesn't let great get in the way of good enough. He'll just say, "This is good. This is thoughtful. We've talked this through. Let's move forward." But like you said, he's very fair in how he wanted to value the company. I didn't know that, but it's totally on brand for him. So, curious, I joined in the summer of 2012, I was ... Sarah Penna:Oh, boy, what a summer that was. Chris Erwin:So, I went to business school after being a Wall Street banker for a few years. Then, I was in school in Chicago and I worked while I was there for Pritzker Capital, which was an early investor in the YouTube MCN ecosystem. They had invested in Big Frame. They invested in Awesomeness. We eventually joined forces, and that is how I met Steve first. I was talking to Rishi, Rishi or Matt McCall and they're like, "Yeah, when you fly out to LA for these meetings, we invested in this company called Big Frame. You should check them out." I was like, "I don't even understand this company's business model, but digital video that feels like the future. I'll take a meeting." Chris Erwin:I remember meeting Steve and we had lunch on the Promenade, and then I came in for my first interview. I walked into the office, this is on Sunset Boulevard in the old National Lampoon building. I walked in and I walked into a ... it feels like we were just working out of someone's semi-living/work space. I was like, is this a company? Is this like what West Coast work is like? Because I had grown up working on the East Coast. I walked into the back room and in the back room there's this little circular table. Steve's there. Grant Gibson's there. Jason [Szymanski 00:28:39] is there. Then, you're at your back desk. Chris Erwin:So, you're supposed to be part of this interview, your head's down on your computer. They're like, "Oh, that's Sarah over there." I looked over and I'm like, "Oh, I guess this is what founders do in digital media. They're just heads down in their computers. Maybe I'll eventually talk to her over time." That was my first introduction to Big Frame. So, I just say all of this as I was like, this is like a precursor to just wildness that ensued thereafter. We had just gotten the Google Original Channels funding, raised some venture funding on top of that, and then it was like, build these five different content verticals. I'm curious to hear from you, there are so many memories from back in the day, but as you think about some of the war stories from the trenches, what are some things that stand out? Sarah Penna:Oh, my God. Well, your interview definitely. Also, you failed to mention that we had two absolutely crazy wiener dogs running around the office as well. Yeah. I think we had outgrown the office. We were in the National Lampoon office. It was so janky and we ... eventually, we're on three different floors. We moved sales to an office down Sunset. We were sandwiched between a strip club and a Trader Joe's. Then, Joe and I were renting a house off of Sunset, like walking distance, and eventually, we moved the talent team to my dining room table. Joe at that time was putting two YouTube videos a week out on his MysteryGuitarMan channel, and he would stay up all night and then he would sleep until 2:00 PM and he'd come downstairs. Sarah Penna:It was like, Lisa, Byron, Megan, Rachel were at our dining room table, and Joe was rolling out of bed as one of our talent but also my husband. I would cook dinner for the talent team at my house. We would take talent meetings in my living room, which was just so bizarre and unprofessional, but worked. We would also throw these wild game nights, board game nights, so Settlers of Catan was very popular at that time. We would have 40 YouTubers in our house playing Settlers of Catan with multiple games going on. My house was like a YouTuber hotel. We had a guest bedroom. Jenna Marbles came and stayed. Lena came and stayed with us. DeStorm. It was very wholesome and very duct tape and bubble gum feeling. We were just kind of figuring it out. Chris Erwin:I remember that. I remember Steve explaining, "Oh, we're having a reorg." The reorg was like, "Okay, we're moving the talent team to Sarah's house across the street." Then, production goes upstairs into a semi-new office that we got. For us, at that size, that was like a big deal. Sarah Penna:It was. Yeah. Oh, man, when we moved to our Lindblade offices, was that like heaven on earth to have an actual office, but that was later. Another funny memory I had was when Max first started. He had come from a place where he was doing really, really big deals. I handed him off a brand deal opportunity for $1,500 and he went in the bathroom, which by the way was right next to everybody's desk and splashed cold water on his face. We had moved him from New York to LA and he was just like, "What am I doing?" Ultimately, Max, obviously, was an absolute rockstar and built out that sales team to just be very profitable and doing really well. Sarah Penna:But that first deal was $1,500, and that was just par for the course at that time. It was shocking to people coming from the outside and then once it clicked, it really clicked and you're like, "Okay, I get what we're doing here." But there was just a lot of duct tape and bubble gum. Chris Erwin:I think Max is going to be an interview on this podcast coming up. I have interviewed Dan Levitt. When I think of Dan, we talk about when I first interviewed him and I think he showed up in some shiny suit and Jason Szymanski in the back office is pointing. He's like, "Chris, we're launching a music vertical and we have a new interview candidate coming in." I would just look out the window and I would be like, "These characters." I was like, "I've never worked with any characters like this before." I come from Wall Street, so it's was like everyone's in a suit and tie. I see people coming in shiny suits and I'm just like, "I think this is the new world I'm in. I'm just going to roll with it." Chris Erwin:So, it was such a rollercoaster of fun. So, then exciting things are happening and eventually, we move into this big new office, I think on Lindblade in Culver City. We're closer to Maker. We're closer to Fullscreen. Then, we run a process to sell the company. I'm just curious to hear from you, Sarah. Bringing Steve on was probably like, that was a big decision for you, but then hiring an investment bank that's going to run a sales process, we're going to have new ownership and potential leadership. What was it like for you to make that decision? Sarah Penna:That was really hard. I just wanted to keep the party going. Like many young entrepreneurs, I think I tied my identity completely to this company. And my husband was in the next office, he was a client. We went home, we would talk about brand deals over dinner. My entire identity was Big Frame. All of my friends were in some way, shape or form involved in this company. My family would tease me when I'd go home for Christmas. They're like, "Are all of your friends under contract?" I was like, "Yeah, kind of." Chris Erwin:Maybe a nice way to go through life. Sarah Penna:Yeah. I mean, we know where we stand with each other. No, but I just, I was so immersed that the idea of losing control was hard. I think I also felt my limitations as a founder and that's hard to come up against when you're kind of, I don't want to say that I was arrogant, but I was really confident and I felt really good about how I was running things and running the company. Then, we got to a point where my limitations and our limitations became evident and that's hard. It was hard and it was also exciting because it is, under most circumstances, it's a great thing. I also just had never been through anything like that, so I let a lot of anxiety get to me. Sarah Penna:I let it completely consume me. I'll be totally transparent. I would cry on the bathroom floor, like, what am I doing? There was a lot of doubt. I think that was probably the biggest strain on Steve and I's relationship, is how to go about this and how to present in the room. That was a big source of stress for us. Who's going to present? Is it me? I've been out there kind of the face of the company. I've been doing all the panels, and the VidCons, and the press, and the creator. Or is it Steve, who is the CEO who, frankly, should be doing it? Chris Erwin:That was unclear. We brought in an executive coach to help us figure that out. Sarah Penna:We did. Ultimately, like many of these things, it just came about through relationships and less about going and pitching, and the relationship that I had kind of built and cultivated, and changing landscape. There were a lot of factors, but that was very stressful. Then, in New Year's Eve of 2013, while we were in the middle of this process, I found out I was pregnant. Chris Erwin:Just to pile it on. Sarah Penna:Just for fun. Thought that would be a great thing to add on to the plate at the time. It's so funny because I think back a lot to the moment where I told Steve that I was pregnant, I was hysterical. I couldn't even tell him. I was crying so hard. He was like, in a very nice way, "I don't understand why you're so upset. This is a good thing." I was like, "What?" I thought he was going to be so mad and that this was going to ruin everything. I tell that story only to say, I think that our culture makes young women feel like ... and I had a lot of people tell me, then opened up to me over the years, that they felt like they can't have kids because of ... that moment of, "Oh, my gosh, I have to now disclose this thing." Sarah Penna:Even if it's illegal to not move forward with something because someone's pregnant, you can still find other ways. So, I thought I had completely ruined everything and that was ... I'm very sad about that looking back, but Steve really was like, "This is awesome. I'm so happy for you. Don't even think about it. Nobody's going to bat an eye." That was true. I wound up giving a keynote at VidCon eight months pregnant and we sold the company, but that was very stressful. Also, I couldn't drink. It was a lot. We were celebrating and I was like, "You know what? I'm having a glass of champagne because I'm ... You all have been drinking through this very stressful process and I haven't." Chris Erwin:More like being pregnant was also a launching pad for you to launch the mom's vertical at Awesomeness- Sarah Penna:Yes. Chris Erwin:... which came thereafter but, yeah, just to add some context on some of the notes here. I remember in the MCN days, there was the early Awesomeness launch in 2011 and then it was sold to DreamWorks, I think, in 2012, and everyone got really excited. But then, the YouTube MCN winter hit and there was a lack of capital flowing into the space. People were saying like, "Are these businesses real? Are they viable? Are they just going to get consolidated into traditional media?" It was harder to raise capital, and there was a lot of doubt in the ecosystem. Then, in 2013, I think in the second half of the year, Disney bought Maker for $500 million. Then, we made a decision, we're like, "There's a moment in time here, let's hire an investment banker." Shout out to Brian Stengel. Sarah Penna:Yay, Brian. Chris Erwin:We kicked off a process in the second half of 2013 and sold in April of 2014 to AwesomenessTV. Look, I was very intimately involved in that process with you and Steve. I saw how hard it was on you guys. You guys were just carrying an incredible burden. I think something, too, like a theme of your career, Sarah, where you have this passion for overlooked communities. I think you getting into the digital fears, there's a way to service these new creator voices in an exciting way with new business models and new distribution models. I bet there was some fear of ... A lot of this business was your friends and your friends actually had equity in the company. Chris Erwin:You had given equity out to a lot of creators when you launched Cloud Media and Big Frame. What if all that was going to change with this new ownership? I think that was probably a moment that you were concerned about. I don't know if we'll ever make all these details public, but the sales process, I just remember like one week it would be super exciting. We're flying to New York for this big meeting with a traditional publisher. Conversations are going really well and then they completely flat lined and go nowhere. Then, the next week, it's like really exciting, but eventually got to a great result. Sarah Penna:At three in the morning, while we were all still at the Big Frame offices collapsed on the floor. Yes. Chris Erwin:We end up selling to AwesomenessTV. I think that was a very exciting experience for all of us. I think Awesomeness was, in a way, they were the Goldman Sachs of the YouTuber economy back then. They built an incredible team and network, and I think we all really learned a lot from Brian Robbins and Joe Davola. Just amazing creative visionaries. You also launched a mom's vertical while you're there with Snooki and JWoww, you do the corporate thing for, I think, two to three years then it's okay, what are you going to do next? I think that you start seeing another underserved community, which is the romance community, and you think about launching a company there. So, what's that quick story? Sarah Penna:While I was running the mom's vertical, which as you said, I think my big passion in life is finding underserved communities and overlooked communities and creating content around them. I felt at that time that the content that was out there for moms was just not great and it was a huge market. So, Brian had brought on a woman named Lisa Berger who comes from E! and has had a very long traditional media career. He brought her on to do the Go90 programming and the YouTube programming for the Awestruck, which is the mom's vertical. We hit it off and we have a great time together running this crazy thing, and we wind up optioning a romance novel and turning it into a series for Go90. Sarah Penna:Very, very, very long story short, we crashed Go90 because of how popular it was, despite everyone telling us it wasn't going to work. I'm a huge reader and I love romance. I was looking out at the landscape and saying, "You know what? I think romance is going to have a moment, like what Marvel did for geek culture, where now it's cool to be a geek." I think we're at this point, this is 2017. Trump is in office. Women are pissed off. We're sick of all of the stuff that we're like being disparaged. We're sick of all of the female characters in popular shows being killed off or assaulted or whatever. We just want happily ever afters. Everyone's disparaging this romance community as just sad cat ladies, single cat ladies eating bonbons. Sarah Penna:I was like, "We're going to go prove them wrong. Fuck this." Similar to the early days of YouTube, where I saw these influencers have a chip on their shoulder where, "Oh, you just think I am a single dude making videos in my mom's basement." There was a similar misconception about the romance novel fandom. The romance novel fandom is actually incredibly educated, diverse, not just in who they are, but where they live and their socioeconomic status. They're incredibly feminist and they know that it's fun and cheesy. They know that there's a wink and a nod. We set out to create a space to celebrate that, not make fun of it, not disparage it. Sarah Penna:It's a fascinating culture, a fascinating community. I was not part of it in the sense of participating in the fandom, but I've been a long time romance novel reader and I was in the closet about it because I was embarrassed. So, we banished the term guilty pleasure because we don't want anyone to feel guilty about reading romance. So, we set out and we created a digital platform and a newsletter, and then started optioning novels to turn into movies and TV shows. We got a first look deal with CBS. We have a deal with Audible and we have a deal with iHeartRadio. Our daily podcast is going to launch in February. So, really set out to just create a space where people who actually know and love romance are creating the content. Chris Erwin:I love that, Sarah. It's also very interesting, when you came to me and I was like, "Sarah, what are you thinking about? What's up next?" You told me about the romance community. I did a double take and I paused because I'm like, "Wait, this is such a huge community." I think in traditional media, think of all the rom-com movies, but nothing in digital. I'm like, "Yeah, this is totally overlooked. Why is no one else talking about this? This is huge." I think it's very interesting how you characterize it as ... yeah, often when I say, even to this day, "I'm going to watch a rom-com." I'm embarrassed as just an older male saying that, but why? Why do we say it's a guilty pleasure? Chris Erwin:Why is there any guilt about a really fun love story? When love is one of the number one drivers of happiness and a common theme that all of us talk about around the dinner table and with our friends. Sarah Penna:Why is being a horror fan, seeing people get murdered, why is that not looked down upon, but seeing people be happy is? Very interesting. Chris Erwin:Very interesting points about the romance community. So, you are at Patreon now. Are you still co-running Frolic? What is happening with Frolic Media? Sarah Penna:Yeah. So, Lisa has taken over and is helming Frolic. I continue to be a strategic advisor and obviously, care very deeply about the future of where that company goes, and cheerleading and championing them from the position that I am in now. Chris Erwin:I think it's a very exciting space. We interviewed Naomi Shah, the founder of Meet Cute on this podcast as well, which does these, call it like rom-com microcast. I started listening to those over the past six months and I absolutely love them. Bite-sized nuggets of just rom-com joy in audio form. So, I believe in it. Pay attention to RockWater's 2021 predictions about underserved communities because I think this could be ... potentially, we will publish this likely in the end of January. It could be a good cover note that you're sending to any potential investors or partners for you. Sarah Penna:Absolutely. Thank you. Chris Erwin:Believe in the thesis. Okay. So, before talking about Patreon, I just want to talk about another concurrent journey within your family in the media space, which is your husband, Joe. He's been a creator for over a decade. I think in the past few years, he was digital native on YouTube doing incredible stop motion biography, but always wanted to cross over. I think he's realized some incredible success recently. Why don't you tell us about that? Sarah Penna:Joe is just, I obviously am biased, but he has an incredible creative mind. He's good at everything he does, which is so annoying, but I love him for it. He is good at languages, and art, and music, and math, and all of that really combined and you can see that reflected in the fun, playful nature of MysteryGuitarMan. But like you said, ultimately, he really wanted to direct movies. When he first started down the journey, there was a trend of these influencer-helmed, one to two million dollar movies that would be VOD and make back their money. You'd put the how many subscribers that YouTuber had and how much we were going to sell it for, and set download on iTunes, and that was where his agency and his management team was kind of pushing him to. Sarah Penna:He said, "You know what? That's not really the path that I'm going to take," and wrote a movie called Arctic, which is a mostly silent movie helmed by a 50-something-year old Danish actor named Mads Mikkelsen. So, quite the opposite of an influencer-helmed comedy. Joe willed that movie into existence. There was every hurdle against him. He had to start from the bottom. His YouTube channel didn't help him because he wasn't doing an extension of MysteryGuitarMan. He didn't want to be in front of the camera and he did it, and that movie got into Cannes. We went to Cannes, and it premiered and got a 10-minute standing ovation. Chris Erwin:Whoa, I did not know that. A 10-minute standing ovation at Cannes? Sarah Penna:Yeah. Chris Erwin:Good for you guys. Sarah Penna:So, that was just ... walking that famous red carpet, and for me, it was wonderful because I ... He had finally gotten traditional management. I was no longer managing him. So, I actually got to go to Cannes just as his wife, as his plus one. I was not worrying about logistics and getting him to his interviews on time. I still was but I wasn't [crosstalk 00:47:45]. Chris Erwin:It takes a village to get Joe to an interview on time. Sarah Penna:Truly, especially in a foreign country. That's a whole other story. So, that was just a really incredible moment to see and he, off the heels of that, they announced at Cannes his next movie, which was called Stowaway, which had Anna Kendrick and Toni Collette, and Daniel Dae Kim, and Shamier Anderson in it. It premiered on Netflix last year. Now, he is working on so many new projects and so, hopefully we'll be shooting another one this year. He's loving it. He's very good at it. He has the personality to be a director. Very in control of his set, he's very calm, creative, collaborative and it's just very, very cool to see. You know what? He went through the grieving process of letting go of that YouTube channel and he's out on the other side and making things happen. Chris Erwin:That's awesome. I remember when we heard that news, there was a lot of text threads amongst the Big Frame community. I remember texting with Byron and with Max, and with Steve about, "Look, how awesome is this about Joe? Have you heard?" We know that he'd been working so hard and he was just such an incredible creator from day one. So, we're pumped for him and it feels like this is just the beginning for what he's going to do. Right? Sarah Penna:It really feels like he's on the trajectory, for sure. Chris Erwin:Yeah. So, look, you and Joe, as this media power couple continue to evolve. Speaking of the most recent step in your evolution, as we work to the final segment of this interview, Sarah, you guys moved to Santa Barbara, I think during the COVID pandemic. Then, you recently, someone that we've known mutually for a while, Avi Gandhi, you started talking to him at Patreon and saw an opportunity to join the creator team over there, which is your latest creator adventure. So, tell us about what excited you about moving to Santa Barbara and your new role at Patreon, and what you're doing over there. Sarah Penna:Yeah. So, I wanted to move to Santa Barbara for 10 years and it never was feasible or realistic, and I, like many people during the pandemic, had a very hard year. Living in LA just became very challenging. Jonah, my son, our son is, when the pandemic started was five, and now he's seven. We just felt if we were going to do it, it was now or never because he started having his best friends and it just becomes harder as they get older. So, we just pulled the ripcord and we did it with no plan, no idea if it was going to work out and it has been just an absolute dream come true. We love it up here and was fortunate enough to be able to join this incredible company, Patreon. Sarah Penna:I joined in November and like many things in my career, it just felt so right that I couldn't pass it up. A big driving factor was, obviously, it's very hard to leave my start-up and to leave Frolic. I did it in the best way I could, but for me, going to a place that really shares my values in that creator space, I started seeing the creator economy and the interest in it heating up in a way that I haven't seen in a long time. Similar to when I met Danny all those years ago, and I was like, "I need to be a part of this." I felt that the train was leaving the station without me and I wanted to get back into the creator space. Sarah Penna:I took a lot of time looking at what is the right company for me, for my values, and for what I want to do. Patreon is kind of a unicorn, a unicorn in the sense that it's valued at a unicorn status, but also a unicorn, for me, because it hit this very narrow target of what I was looking for. Chris Erwin:Just remind me, how long has Patreon been around for? Because I remember Patreon, early days of when I started Big Frame in 2012. Is that right? Sarah Penna:Yeah, eight years. Chris Erwin:So, now at Patreon, what team are you running there and what are you focused on for 2022? Sarah Penna:I live on the creator partnerships team and I run a team called Launch. We are responsible for giving creators white glove experience for launching their Patreon pages. We have teams that are going out and sourcing those creators. Once they come to us, they are pretty excited about the platform and we help them figure out what tiers are best for them, what banner image is going to look good, and really help them drive towards their launch date. These are creators that range in all kinds of sizes and all kinds of ... I'm talking to someone who makes leather, like leather wallets and leather goods, and we're talking to big YouTube creators and celebrities, and we're talking to everybody in between. Sarah Penna:It's just a really exciting time to be at a company like Patreon that's been in the creator space for so long, is helmed by a creator, and is going to continue to be a real player in the creator economy as it goes forward. Chris Erwin:It seems that there's incredible traction for your business where I think there was a recent announcement. The team is currently 400, but you're doubling the company to 800 people this year. Is that right? Sarah Penna:Yes, that's what they say. Chris Erwin:Well, look, I think the market tailwinds are definitely behind them. I think, yeah, it's a really exciting evolution. We've written about this extensively at RockWater. YouTube created these new business models for creators, where they can publish content online and then participate in ad revenue through YouTube's AdSense program. Then, the chance to distribute content to other social platforms and participate in ad revenue there and then doing talent deals, brand integrations, and getting paid off platform. Then now, I think there's this incredible movement with all these creators, the audiences that they bring, the fandoms that they generate, the engagement that they generate on these platforms, they're the real moneymakers. Chris Erwin:So, how do you give them more tools though, to also not only build these platform businesses, but their own businesses? So, Patreon doing that, allowing them to have direct relationships with their fans, get access to contact information, monetize in different ways behind a paywall, different types of subscription content, whether it's video or audio, whatever else. I think what you guys are doing is a beautiful thing. We need more companies thinking like you. So, I think that you guys are really well set up for success, and I'm excited, Sarah, for the different communities of creators that you guys can represent, that have a need, that don't have the tools from other platforms that are overlooked right now yet, again, going back to what you do best. Sarah Penna:Thank you. I absolutely agree with all of that. I have said for years, as some people, not many, but a lot of people in the creator space, you need to own your audience. Renting your audience is not sustainable. You need to build community. You need to not just be on a conveyor belt of content, You really need, as a creator in this space, the tools are there for you to build a sustainable business and to not be tied to the whims of platforms and algorithms. There's a big conversation about creator burnout. Patreon is positioned to help creators solve some of these big issues, big and, by the way, nuanced issues. It's not just, oh, these platforms are bad and we are good at all. Sarah Penna:These platforms are great and you need to build up audiences on your podcast and on your social. If you are able to have ... I'm a really big a fan of Seth Godin's 1,000 true fans idea. If you can build out 1,000 true fans who are on your Patreon, you might be covering your rent. You might be covering your rent plus plus, and you might be making a really good living. That's what we want. We want to empower creators and we're really set up to do that. It's just an exciting time to join the company. Chris Erwin:Before we wrap this up with the closing rapid fire round, Sarah, I just got to give you some big kudos here. You legitimately changed my life. I'm trying not to become emotional here. I look back on my past career over the past 10 years and everything that I've done, being able to found RockWater is a function of you, starting Cloud Media and Big Frame, and then taking a chance on me. I had a very different background than someone that you had ever typically hired before. I'm sure that you needed some convincing from the rest of your leadership team. Chris Erwin:But what I have learned with you, the pedigree that I've gained and the experience has not only been so personally transformational, all these new relationships that I've built, women that I've dated and just incredible friendships and all of the above, it's really set up an exciting career for me. Something that I wake up to, excited to do every day. I see a lot of incredible potential going forward. It's a function of you taking a chance on me and getting early into the digital video MCN days. So, I am very, very thankful. I think there's many people that have very similar sentiments to what I just shared. Chris Erwin:So, I'm probably speaking on behalf of many. So, big kudos to you, and particularly to call out, I don't come from a creative background. When I came in and was very systematic and operational, I wanted to scale the business, it took me a while. But seeing how you ran the creative team, how you nurtured the culture, when you brought in Rachel and Megan Corbett, and Lisa Filipelli, and Byron, and people that I spent a lot of time with and really learned an incredible amount from, it really all stems from you. So, Sarah, you have been an incredible person in my life. You did incredible things for all the talent at Big Frame. Chris Erwin:You are now doing the game again, with Frolic and with Patreon, and I wish you the best. As you know, anytime that you need anything, sometimes we don't talk for six months or a year, but when we do, we pick up very, very quickly. I am a massive supporter of everything that you do. So, call me whenever you have a need. Sarah Penna:Thank you. Now I'm crying. Thank you so much, Chris. That means a lot to me. Chris Erwin:Very well-deserved. Okay. So, now, let's move into closing rapid fire. Six questions. The rules are, you can answer in one sentence or in one to two words. Do you understand the rules? Sarah Penna:Yes. Chris Erwin:Okay. Here we go. Proudest life moment? Sarah Penna:Having my son Jonah. Chris Erwin:What do you want to do less of in 2022? Sarah Penna:Less complicated. Chris Erwin:What do you want to do more of? Sarah Penna:More space in my schedule. Chris Erwin:I like that. Advice for media execs going into 2022? Sarah Penna:Don't believe all of the hype and just keep your eye on the ball. Chris Erwin:Any future start-up ambitions, Miss Entrepreneur? Sarah Penna:God, I hope not. No, not as of right now. I am very happy not running a company right now. Chris Erwin:Not necessarily off the table. That's basically what you're saying. Sarah Penna:It's never off the table with me. Chris Erwin:Last one. This is an easy one. How can people get in contact with you? Sarah Penna:Sarah@patreon.com. Chris Erwin:Very easy. All right, Sarah, this was a true delight. Thanks for being on the podcast. Sarah Penna:Thank you so much, Chris. This was so much fun for me, too. Chris Erwin:Wow. That interview with Sarah just flew by. I felt like there were so many more things that we could have discussed. We'll have to do another podcast together. Yeah, I admit I got a little teary-eyed at the end there just going down memory lane with her. She was really formative in my career and, yeah, that really hit me at the end. I was not expecting that. All right. So, a few quick things. Our Livestream Commerce executive dinner is coming up. The date is now March 10th. We are 98% close to confirming that with our sponsor. But if you're interested in attending, shoot us a note. You can reach us at hello@wearerockwater.com. Chris Erwin:Also, we are hiring. We're looking for interns, undergrad and MBA level, and also a full-time analyst. We are growing all things creator economy and we need help. If you're interested, you can apply at jobs@wearerockwater.com. Lastly, we love to hear from our listeners. If you have any feedback on the show, any ideas for guests, just reach out to us. We're at tcupod@wearerockwater.com. All right, that's it, everybody. Thanks for listening. The Come Up is written and hosted by me, Chris Erwin, and is a production of Rockwater Industries. Chris Erwin:Please rate and review this show on Apple podcast and remember to subscribe wherever you listen to our show. If you really dig us, feel free to forward The Come Up to a friend. You can sign up for our company newsletter at wearerockwater.com/newsletter and you could follow us on Twitter @TCUpod. The Come Up is engineered by Daniel Tureck. Music is by Devon Bryant. Logo and branding is by Kevin Zazzali. Special thanks to Alex Zirin and Eric Kenigsberg from the RockWater team. 

Today I have someone who I really wanted to have on the podcast for some time now, and we finally made it happen. Let me introduce Modi. Modi's been voted one of the top ten comedians in New York City by The Hollywood Reporter. Modi is one of the comedy circuit's most sought-after performers. Modi has been featured on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, Comedy Central, Howard Stern Entertainment. The list goes on and on. Born in Israel, MODI moved to the United States at the age of seven. After attending college at Boston University, MODI worked as an investment banker and had no plans to become a stand-up comedian until one open mic night changed everything.MODI has appeared in several feature films and played leading roles in two: Waiting for Woody Allen, which won the LA Film Festival, and Stand Up, a feature-length film. According to Variety, MODI delivers a “naturally funny performance with a tremendous amount of energy on screen.” A regular performer at the New York and Los Angeles comedy clubs, MODI also headlines around the country and across the globe. He has toured in the United Kingdom, Holland, and Israel and performs in comedy festivals and special venues, including Montreal's Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Most recently, you've been seeing him trending on your social media feeds because he's been developing these incredible bits, which we delve into and learn about how he has developed these characters. I also get a chance to learn more about the man behind the laughs. And believe me, he's a real mensch!I had a blast interviewing him, conversing with him, and getting to know Modi on a deeper level. So enjoy this incredible podcast with the one only Modi.Connect with ModiInstagramWebsiteYouTubeFacebookTwitterSayMazelTov is where you can request personalized videos from your favorite Jewish creators and inspiring thought leaders. Our goal is that you have a personalized easy and professional experience all the while supporting a charity.Use promo code meirkay10 for 10% on your order!Don't forget to subscribe to The Great Day PodcastLove The Great Day Podcast? Want to find out how to support the show? Click the link below to join my new Patreon page.Become Patron on My Patreon Page HERE!Did I mention that I am now an author?! Check out my new book "A Kids Book About Optimism"I'm Meir Kay and Have A Great Day! Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephanie is an artist and producer originally from the Bay Area, CA. She received her BFA in Theatre from UC Santa Barbara before moving to Los Angeles. As a producer, Stephanie has worked on a variety of short films, music videos, features and live theatrical productions. The short films BOYS, (le) REBOUND, HAPA and MONOGAMISH have had successful runs in the festival circuit appearing in AspenShorts, Palm Springs International ShortsFest, LA Film Festival, Viennale, Outfest, and Hollyshorts to name a few. The feature THE LIVING WORST premiered at the Downtown LA Film Festival and was awarded Best Ensemble. To inquire about any of her projects or in regards to for-hire work:sann.oneill@gmail.comW: http://www.sannoneill.com/aboutAlso, you can check out my documentary The People of Brixton, on Kwelitv here: https://www.kweli.tv/programs/the-people-of-brixtonDamien Swaby Social Media Links:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/filmmaker_damien_swaby/Twitterhttps://twitter.com/DamienSwaby?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EauthorWebsite http://filmmakingconversations.com/If you enjoy listening to Filmmaking Conversations with Damien Swaby, I would love a coffee. Podcasting is thirsty work https://ko-fi.com/damienswaby​

Ashley Kate Adams, producer, Broadway actor, creative consultant, and writer, gets up close and personal in this interview on the word “RISK". She believes in its power, lives its messages, and loved sharing the ways risks have helped shape her life (the good and the bad!). Suzanne and Ashley explore her new best-selling book, #BYOP (Be Your Own Producer), and we are excited for you to listen to the ways you can live in “risk” and do it creatively and with wisdom!QUOTES: Risk represents having faith in the bigger picture and asserting your dreams.There is no such thing as a failure. There is only moving forward.Mentioned in the Show:#BYOP: Be Your Own ProducerAbout the Guest: Ashley Kate Adams, a Co-Founder of No Reverse Records, LLC, award-winning Actress, Producer and #1 Best-Selling Author, made her Broadway debut at the age of 23 in Tony Award Winning Revival of La Cage aux Folles. Proud teacher and #BYOP creative consultant to hundreds across the US including Billboard Top 10 album Frankie! The Musical. She has appeared on television in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix), Royal Pains (USA), Rules of Cool (Fullscreen), can be heard in True Detective (HBO), The Righteous Gemstones (HBO) in Logan Lucky, Gemini Man, Hillbilly Elegy and seen in films Pitching Tents (Hulu), 1 Message & Love (Best Actress 2018 NYTF).Her production company, AKA Studio Productions, created in 2011, has been seen in 150+ film festivals. Television/Films: Mulligan (2018 LA Film Festival, 1st Place Flickers RIIFF) Rules of Cool (Fullscreen) Capital Advice (ITV Fest) ACE (Toronto Inside Out Fest)Photo op (Winner SENE Film) Blindsight (LA Shorts) Absent Mind (Toronto International Shorts) Beauty Mark (LA FILM FEST) distributed by the Orchard.Where to Find Ashley:Personal WebsiteNo Reverse Records, LLC WebsitePersonal Instagram#BYOP InstagramAKA Studio Productions InstagramAbout the Show:There's a Word For That! is a weekly podcast that centers around a different word or expression each episode. Host Suzanne Dressler believes in pushing the envelope to explore why and how we use words and the ways this impacts our lives. With a diverse assortment of intelligent, creative, and exciting guests, TAWFT! will force you to analyze and consider words in an entirely original and eye-opening way. Even better? NOTHING is off-limits.Where to Find Me:InstagramTwitterFacebook

On today's episode, I talk to musician/poet/actor McKenzie Chinn. Originally from Fort Washington, McKenzie is a true triple threat. As an actor, she has appeared on Fox's Empire and The Big Leap, is a 2021 fellow in the  Sundance Directors Lab, and wrote, produced and acted in the film Olympia, which made its debut at the 2018 LA Film Festival. As a poet, her work has appeared in numerous publications and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and as a musician, she is part of the Growing Concerns Poetry Collective, whose second album BIG DARK BRIGHT FUTURES was released last fall. This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter.

Jordan Bruner is an artist and filmmaker from Virginia Beach, VA. Growing up she learned how to paint from her artist mother and on her twelfth birthday received a video camera. Having developed a love for painting, illustration, and movie making from her time experimenting as a child and studying at the Governor's School for the Arts in high school, she continued her studies in animation and filmmaking at VCU in Richmond, VA. Inspired by filmmakers like William Kentridge, Martha Colburn, Yuri Norstein and Jan Svankmajer whose personal styles are central to their films, Jordan moved to New York City in 2007 to pursue a career in animation. Jordan has continued to create films and paintings while also working professionally as an animation director for clients such as the NYTimes, Google, Eve Ensler, Amazon, and This American Life. In 2013 she was the recipient of the Art Directors Club Young Guns Award which honors creative individuals under 30 worldwide for their collective portfolio. Her films have shown at festivals worldwide including Pictoplasma and the LA Film Festival, and her illustration work has been honored by the Society of Illustrators and American Illustration. Jordan currently lives in Richmond, VA with her partner Zack, cat Pablo, and dog Zucchini. In this episode we discuss balancing commercial work with the personal, challenging definitions of success, and the importance of leisure, boredom and reflection within creative process. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ongoingness/support

This week host Paul Dergarabedian is joined by the creative team behind "What Josiah Saw," the latest film from director/editor/producer Vincent Grashaw. Paul is joined by Vincent and stars Robert Patrick and Nick Stahl. This episode covers: The many advantages of the creative freedom that only the world of independent film can provide  How vetting and matching the actors to ensure on-set chemistry is a wise choise for filmmakers How working "on-location" adds to the actors' immersive process  The differences between working on big-budget studio film and an independent feature  The actors' challenge of learning extremely long passages of dialogue when shooting on a tight daily schedule How hard work and persistence can pay off for actors & filmmakers in the long run   ABOUT THIS EPISODE'S GUESTS: Vincent Grashaw first broke onto the scene as producer of the independent feature film "Bellflower," which was one of the most buzzed about films to premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2011. Vince then wrote and directed his debut feature, "Coldwater," which premiered at SXSW 2013 and was distributed by Breaking Glass Pictures. Grashaw went on to direct his sophomore feature "And Then I Go," The film premiered at LA Film Festival and was distributed by The Orchard. "What Josiah Saw" is Grashaw's third feature film at the helm.   Actor Robert Patrick has worked with the top actors and directors throughout his storied career. His breakthrough role came as the legendary T-1000 in Terminator 2. He was the first actor in the history of motion capture and since then, he has worked on iconic films and television shows including "Die Hard 2," "Wayne's World," "Last Action Hero," "Fire in the Sky," "Cop Land," "The Faculty," "Walk the Line," "Bridge to Terabithia," "Spy Kids," "Flags of Our Fathers," "The Sopranos," "The Outer Limits," "Elvis," "The Unit," "The X- Files," "Sons of Anarchy" and "True Blood." He starred as Agent Cabe Gallow in "Scorpion" for CBS for four seasons and most recently was seen in "The Laundromat" and "Perry Mason." He is currently co-starring in the new series "Peacemaker." Actor Nick Stahl's impressive career credits include Robert Rodriguez's "Sin City," the franchise hit "Terminator 3," Todd Field's "In The Bedroom," and the lead of the HBO series "Carnivale." Nick has also appeared in Richard Loncraine's "My One And Only opposite Renee Zellweger and Kevin Bacon and in the feature film "Quid Pro Quo" alongside Vera Farmiga, and starred in the Sundance favorite "Sleepwalking" alongside Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson, and Dennis Hopper. Nick is currently shooting on-location a live-action feature film based on a Japanese Anime. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zainab Johnson, a stand-up comedian, actress, and writer is quickly being propelled as one of the most unique and engaging performers on stage and screen. In 2019, Zainab was named one of Variety's Top 10 Comics To Watch. Recently, she was one of the hosts for Netflix's new show "100 Humans". You can also catch her as Aleesha on the new comedy series "Upload" on Amazon prime. Zainab made her first late night stand up appearance on NBC's Late Night with Seth Meyers, and has also had appearances on HBO's All Def Comedy (2017), NBC's Last Comic Standing (2014), Arsenio (2014), BET's Comic View (2014), AXSTV's Gotham Comedy Live! She also just recently starred in a new web series titled Avant-Guardians. Zainab is a regular at the Improv Comedy Club in LA and the Comedy Cellar in NY, and has performed in the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival as one of the 2014 New Faces of Comedy and returned numerous times since.   MODI was voted one of the top 10 comedians in New York City by The Hollywood Reporter and is one of the comedy circuit's most sought after performers. Featured on HBO, CBS, NBC, ABC, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, and E! Entertainment, MODI has received rave reviews in The New York Times, Time Out NY and The New York Post. Born in Israel, MODI moved to the United States at the age of seven. After attending college at Boston University, MODI worked as an investment banker and had no plans to become a stand-up comedian until one open mic night changed everything. MODI has appeared in several feature films and played leading roles in two: Waiting for Woody Allen, which won the LA Film Festival, and Stand Up, a feature-length film. According to Variety, MODI delivers a “naturally funny performance with a tremendous amount of energy on screen.” A regular performer at the New York and Los Angeles comedy clubs, MODI also headlines around the country and across the globe. He has toured in the United Kingdom, Holland, and Israel and performs in comedy festivals and special venues, including Montreal's Just for Laughs Comedy Festival and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Hatem Gabr is an Egyptian/American producer who has served as the producer for some of the biggest live stand up comedy shows , including “Up close and Personal", " Live from Broadway”, "The New York Show", and “Crazy Sexy Comedy”. He is also the creator/producer of The Times Square Comedy Festival. He has appeared in many shows including Comedy Central's “Tough Crowd” with Colin Quinn, Race Wars, MLC, and more. Always hosted by Marina Franklin - One Hour Comedy Special: Single Black Female ( Amazon Prime, CW Network), Hysterical at FX on Hulu,  Trainwreck, Louie Season V, The Jim Gaffigan Show, Conan O'Brien, Stephen Colbert, HBO's Crashing, and The Breaks with Michelle Wolf.

Pop Culture Warrior - Episode 62 *Apologies for the 10-15 minutes of dead air to start this one. We were having some technical difficulties. Feel free to skip ahead. Welcome to the last show of June. What a month it's been! We have a ton of Movie and TV news to talk about and some pretty awesome trailers to check out. Also, join us in the second hour when we talk with the Director of the upcoming Disney+ Documentary “STUNTMAN”, Kurt Mattila. Produced by Dwayne Johnson, the movie chronicles the highs and lows of veteran Hollywood stuntman, Eddie Braun as he attempts what many argue is the most dangerous stunt in cinematic history. Following in the footsteps of his childhood idol, Evel Knievel, Braun reflects on having survived multiple car crashes, explosions, and death defying leaps over the course of his 30+ year career in film and television. Now, in his mid-50s and contemplating retirement, Braun decides to cap off an extraordinary career by recreating Evel Knievel's infamous unsuccessful Snake River Canyon rocket jump. “Stuntman” made its world premiere at the 2018 LA Film Festival, taking home the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature Film.

Our guest is actor Phoebe Dynevor, who plays Daphne Bridgerton in the steamy Netflix Regency drama “Bridgerton.” Dynevor talks about the passionate fanbase behind the show, tips the intimacy coordinator shared on set and shooting kissing scenes in the rain with costar Regé-Jean Page.For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter.

Our guest is Barry Jenkins, the director and showrunner for "The Underground Railroad," which is based on Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. Jenkins talks about his artistic vision for the show, why he chose a television format over film, and what he learned from making "Moonlight" and "If Beale Street Could Talk." For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter. Guest photo courtesy of GL Askew II.

"Exploring themes such as the man box and male loneliness (which happiness.com described as “the ticking time bomb that’s killing men”), RUB is a film anyone who’s struggled with feeling like an outsider can relate to."In this showcase episode of Actorcast, I speak with Micah Spayer, the actor who plays Neal in Christopher Fox's film, RUB. Micah and I discuss the themes present within the film, why they are important to explore today, and Micah's process for delving into this lead character. We also discuss what audiences should expect when going to see this film.For the last 13 years, Micah has traveled around the world as an actor. He has written, produced and directed several award winning stage plays and films, including his most recent short film: How to Order Happiness, which made an appearance at the LA Film Festival. He prides himself on working with good, creative people. He has a Bachelors in Musical Theatre from Western Illinois University. He is the father of a beautiful 1 year old girl and enjoys wine, jazz and art.You can learn more about Micah and RUB by visiting https://www.facebook.com/micah.b.spayer | https://www.facebook.com/rubfilm and https://www.instagram.com/rubfilm1/Sign up for the Actorcast Newsletter at Actorcast and join our membership to gain access to exclusive content at Become an Actorcast Premium Member | Actorcast. 

Circe is banished to live alone on an island and she … loves it! But who are all of these tourists and sailors making pit stops on her island? Circe turns them all into animals. Is being alone all it’s cracked up to be? Written and Produced by Tessa FlanneryPerformed by Stephanie March and Rebecca CunninghamExecutive Produced by Rebecca CunninghamStephanie March is currently starring in “House on Fire” on Lifetime/ A&E networks as a part of their Broad Focus programming. Stephanie stars as Debra Green in this “Ripped from the Headlines” adaptation of Ann Rule’s book, “Bitter Harvest”. Stephanie appeared in the Tony-nominated revivals of Death of a Salesman, Talk Radio, and Boy’s Life on Broadway and the movies, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Invention of Lying, Why Stop Now? and The Treatment. She Executive Produced and starred in the mockumentary, The Social Ones, which won Best Comedy at the LA Film Festival and Cinequest and is available in wide release. She had a few memorable moments in TV shows, 30 Rock, Grey’s Anatomy, Rescue Me, Happy Endings, and The President Show. She is best known as Alex Cabot on Law & Order SVU, where she met Rebecca Perkins, who was head of the Makeup Department. Rebecca and Stephanie joined forces to create what is now known as SHESPOKE. Stephanie lives in Manhattan with her husband, Dan, and TacoCat.For the Grownups!PatreonGirl Tales StoreRebecca’s NewsletterFacebookInstagramGirl Tales Grown-Ups Group

Our guest is actor Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Wanda Maximoff in "WandaVision." Olsen talks about the television sitcoms she watched while researching for the role and her approach to acting in the Marvel series. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter.

With the Oscars behind us, the 2021 Emmys season is kicking into gear. And we're looking back at our favorite conversations with TV stars and directors this season, including Steve McQueen, Kaley Cuoco, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Anya Taylor-Joy and Josh O'Connor. For more exclusive awards season coverage, visit latimes.com/envelope and sign up for our Envelope newsletter.

Jamie Wollrab is an actor, director, writer, producer, acting + voice coach, and the artistic director of the Triptych Group. Jamie Wollrab has been working professionally in the entertainment industry for over 20 years. He has founded three theatre companies in Texas, New York, and Los Angeles and has produced three feature films. He has been a part of over 100 theatrical productions and, for the last 10 years, has been the head of voice and movement of Warner Laughlin Studios in Los Angeles. He is also a proud member of the IAMA theatre company.  Jamie has also studied with and assisted, John Wineland in embodiment training for the past four years.  As an acting and voice and embodiment teacher, Jamie has taught his voice work at the Rama Institute, Sheila Kelley's S Factor, and John Wineland's weekend intensives. Jamie currently teaches his own scene study class at the Pico Playhouse while simultaneously coaching ‘A-List' celebrities, series regulars, Broadway actors, graduate and undergraduate actors, and hundreds of artists young and old. Jamie has coached privately for years on such shows as: Once Upon a Time, Pan Am, Shameless, Outlander, Scandal, New Girl, Will & Grace, Last Resort, The Last Ship, Justified, Transparent, and many more. He has recently created and starred in the short film Punching Bag written and directed by Jamie Anderson which premiered at the La Film Festival and Portland film festival.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Linda Goldstein Knowlton is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, working in both documentary and scripted feature films, as well as in television. Linda directed and produced WOMEN AND HOLLYWOOD, one of the six, one-hour documentaries for the Emmy-nominated PBS MAKERS: Women Who Make America series. Prior to that, she produced CODE BLACK, Best Documentary winner at LA Film Festival and the Hamptons International Film Festival, and the basis for the new CBS one-hour drama of the same name. Previously she directed and produced SOMEWHERE BETWEEN, which won the Sundance Channel Audience Award at the Hot Docs Film Festival, and was released theatrically in over 80 cities across the US. The film was chosen as one of 10 films for the 2012 Sundance Film Forward: Advancing Cultural Dialogue program. For her directorial debut, Linda co-directed THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SESAME STREET, which debuted at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival in completion and aired nationally on PBS. Linda started her career producing feature films, including the award-winning WHALE RIDER and THE SHIPPING NEWS. Today, we talked to her about her most recent documentary, WE ARE THE RADICAL MONARCHS. The film follows the first troop of Radical Monarchs, an alternative to the Scout movement for girls of color, aged 8-13, for over three years, until they graduate. The film also documents the Co-Founders, Anayvette Martinez and Marilyn Hollinquest, struggle to respond to the needs of communities across the US and grow the organization after the viral explosion of interest in the troop's mission to create and inspire a new generation of social justice activists. Stream now on PBS until 8/19!

Think there's only one way to break in? You won't after watching this interview with Aaron Ginsburg! He could win a prize for the most outrageous way of breaking in. Aaron Ginsburg (now on The CW's THE 100) is a writer/producer who has worked in television, film and video games for over a decade. Along with his longtime writing partner, Wade McIntyre, he was recently a Co-Producer on NBC's DO NO HARM, he wrote the next installment in the popular family comedy HOME ALONE franchise (HOME ALONE: THE HOLIDAY HEIST), and he is currently co-writing a new comic for SKYBOUND (The Walking Dead) entitled CLONE. Ginsburg & McIntyre have also written for FOX's quirky comedies THE FINDER and THE GOOD GUYS, and Ginsburg spent three months in Bogotá, Colombia producing USA Network's BURN NOTICE prequel feature, THE FALL OF SAM AXE. Their comedy short, A NINJA PAID HALF MY RENT, was an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival several years ago and where it went on to be featured at dozens of other festivals (including HBO Aspen Comedy Arts Festival, SXSW and the LA Film Festival). Ginsburg & McIntyre sold the 1/2 hour single-camera comedy CROWDED APARTMENT to SPIKE TV, and wrote the dark indie thriller INSIGHT (starring Justified's Natalie Zea, Chuck's Adam Baldwin, and Christopher Lloyd) which was released in over 40 theaters and is currently streaming on Netflix. In the gaming world, Ginsburg & McIntyre wrote the script for Activsion's mega-hit videogame, CALL OF DUTY 2: BIG RED ONE which won the prestigious award for Outstanding Achievement in Story and Character Development from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. For the past 7+ years, Ginsburg has directed LA's hit stage show, THE THRILLING ADVENTURE HOUR at Largo at the Coronet. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @DrLawyercop Transcript from Aaron's guest chat on the TV Writer Chat: CLICK HERE Buy Gray's book for only $4.99! Look for it on Amazon – How To Break In To TV Writing: Insider Interviews. Didn't get your questions asked? Make sure you follow Gray on Twitter (@GrayJones) so you can get the scoop on who is being interviewed and how to get your questions in. Also check out our TV Writer Twitter Database to find Twitter addresses for over 1,200 TV writers. Find our previous episodes and other resources at www.tvwriterpodcast.com or on Gray's YouTube channel. First published June 28, 2013.

Eddie Braun has been in the film industry since he was 17 years old and it all started by meeting his hero, Evel Knievel. Following the same career path, Eddie would eventually perform a stunt that Evel tried & failed. His famous Snake River Canyon jump was successfully completed which can be seen in his new film "Stuntman", an LA Film Festival winner. Eddie talks about dealing with fear, SWAG & going all in. You've seen his work in all of the Rush Hour movies, Transformers: Dark of the Moon and many other films. You can find more info on Eddie & Stuntman Movie at www.stuntmanmovie.com and his account, @crashforcash on social media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dallas Jackson is a producer of Thriller. Thriller is about a childhood prank that comes back to haunt a clique of South Central Los Angeles teens when their victim returns home during their high-school Homecoming weekend. Thriller is an American slasher film directed by Dallas in his directorial debut. The film was produced by Divide/Conquer and is being released by Blumhouse Productions. The film is scheduled to premiere at the LA Film Festival on September 23, 2018.   This show is sponsored by Experiment 27. Get the discovery call script & questions template HERE.   In this episode you'll learn: [01:33] How did Dallas get to produce Thriller [05:30] What's a meeting with Blumhouse like [09:01] Dallas sold Shady Tales to MTV [13:33] Finding a niche for your projects [16:35] How did Dallas' role for Thriller evolve [19:25] Who did Dallas put on the team first [24:25] Which roles for the movie were filled first Links mentioned: Thriller (2018) Brought to you by Experiment 27. Find us on Youtube.   If you've enjoyed the episode, please subscribe to The Alex Berman Podcast on iTunes and leave us a 5-star review.   Get access to our FREE Sales Courses.

Host Marlena Willis talks with filmmaker, Ana Joanes, whose film, Wrestling Ghosts, is about the tools we can use, including Nonviolent Communication, to become better parents. It follows the epic journey of Kim, a young mother who, with the help of her partner Matt and the support of therapists, works to confront her traumatic childhood to build a stronger bond with her sons. Victor Lee Lewis, one of the featured healing practitioners in the film and who works with Emotional Freedom Technique, which uses tapping on acupressure points to clear out trauma, will also appear as a guest. The film will premier at the LA Film Festival on September 27 and then have showings in Oakland on the September 29 and Santa Cruz on September 30. Ana Joanes is a documentary filmmaker dedicated to inspiring conscious action and systemic change through film. Her previous works include Generation Meds, an exploration of our fears and misgivings about mental illness and medication, and Fresh, which celebrates the farmers, thinkers and entrepreneurs who are reinventing our food system. Before dedicating herself to filmmaking, Ana was a lawyer. She founded Reel Youth, Inc., a video production program for youth coming out of detention and other underserved youth. Ana is the mother of three children, and with Wrestling Ghosts, she hopes to contribute to a shift toward a more compassionate world. Victor Lee Lewis, MA, is the Founder and Director of the Radical Resilience Institute, and Radical Resilience Coaching and Consulting. He is a Progressive Life Coach, trainer, speaker, and social justice educator. Victor brings a unique socially progressive vision to the work of personal growth, personal empowerment, and emotional health. He is best known for his inspiring leadership role in The Color of Fear, an unusually powerful video about racism.     The post Wrestling Ghosts: A Conversation with Ana Sofia Joanes appeared first on KPFA.

Rue McClanahan and Bea Arthur in "Fast & Furious?" According to Justin Lin, drawing inspiration from "Golden Girls" isn't as weird as you might think. Recorded live at the LA Film Festival.

Elvis hosts Rebecca Yeldham, Director of the Los Angeles Film Festival, David Ansen, Artistic Director for the festival, to talk about this year's event.