Podcasts about Student Academy Awards

Today we're threading together sewing, and fate with some of the extraordinary people behind one of the most innovative and visually striking films of the year—Sew Torn. It's a thriller. A dark comedy. And a stitched-together cinematic wonder that explores how every decision unravels a different destiny.In Sew Torn, Barbara Duggen—‘The Mobile Seamstress'—stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong. Faced with a suitcase full of cash and two injured men, she must choose what's next Each decision plays out in a unique timeline, with wildly different and increasingly dangerous consequences. The result is a story of grief, survival, and redemption—where thread becomes both weapon and lifeline.Joining me are the father-and-son creative team behind the film: Freddy Macdonald, the 24-year-old - youngest-ever Directing Fellow at the American Film Institute. Freddy's debut feature Sew Torn premiered at SXSW and headlined the Locarno Film Festival's Piazza Grande. His thesis film, Shedding Angels, won a Student Academy Award and was shortlisted for a BAFTA. Sew Torn was acquired by Vertigo Releasing and Sunrise Films and opened theatrically nationwide Alongside him is his father and producing partner Fred Macdonald—a seasoned media executive and writer whose companies have collaborated with Disney, DreamWorks, Lionsgate, and more. As former CEO of Olive Jar Studios, Fred led creative for award-winning theme park media and advertising campaigns, including a CLIO Gold-winning Coca-Cola spot.Also joining us is the magnetic Irish actor, Eve Connolly. A graduate of Dublin's Gaiety School of Acting, Eve launched her screen career in Into the Badlands, and has since appeared in The Other Lamb, Vikings, and River Wild. In Sew Torn, she brings grit, emotion, and inventiveness to her role as Barbara—a woman who sews her way out of impossible circumstances.We'll talk about how sewing literally powers the film—from embroidered “Talking Portraits” to stitched title cards to intricate Rube Goldberg-style thread rigs. And we'll explore how the film's visual and emotional complexity reflects the choices we make—and the ones that make us.(3:27) Hear a clip from the movie that sets the scene for the whole movie. Fred and Freddy comment on it. Hear how the concept for this film was Freddy's entrée to the American Film Institute. No Country For Old Men had something to do with this!(6:33) What was it like to get a call from Joel Cohen? Fred explains. The three things Fred heard on the initial call from a friend Peter Spears, Joel Cohen wants to meet, Searchlight wants to buy the short film, Rich Klubeck from United Talent Agency (UTA) wants to represent Freddy as a director. This all happened while Freddy was still a high school senior.(10:17) How did the whole movie launch from the simple idea of a lost button? And by the way…there were NO computer-generated effects in the movie. (13:30) What's it like for Freddy and Fred to work together? Do they always agree? agree? Freddy learned stop motion animation at the age of nine…from his dad. At the same time Fred taught Freddy to write films! (17:11) Three altering decisions. Why this story structure? Freddy explains the difficulty in making the feature length film out of the short. (19:49)How long did it take from beginning to end to make the film? Well…Freddy was 18 when they started – and just turned 24 as it was released! (20:24)Freddy and Fred explain the Rube-Goldberg contraptions they built. No-tricks…everything was in camera…with a small budget too! And…what was their OMG moment?! (23:46) The embroidered talking portraits…Fred and Freddy talked about these innovative elements in the movie and how they were created. Learn how BERNINA was essential in creating these and how they all worked together. Hear about the Metler introduction and how this made such an impact in the movie (27:46) Location, location, location. How did the town where they shot the movie affect the feeling and cinematography of the movie? Learn about this town and the people who live there…and how some of them were extras in the movie. (31:03) Barbara's journey…what influenced her arc? Physical want + emotional need. (32:25) This deeply physical film leans surprisingly heavily on non-verbal. How did Freddy and Fred make this work? Also, hear about Eve's audition for her part and what she did to win the role.(35:06) Sound design and the music score were deeply important to this movie. Learn how Jacob Tardien the music composer created the sound that added so much to the film. And learn how that sound was made.(37:32) What was the toughest scene to film and how did they approach it? And how did no dialog carry this critical 6 minutes?(40:02) There are three very distinct stories in this movie…how were they filmed? Well, Freddy, as the script supervisor, explains how they put all of this together and maintained continuity.(41:24) Any special behind-the-scenes stories that can be revealed just for this podcast? Oh yes…listen to Fred's story about an actor that maintained character…all the time!(45:38) What's next for Freddy and Fred? Working together is at the top of this list. Do they have one in the works…yes, yes they do! And Fred would like a slightly bigger budget for the next film!(46:50) Anything we didn't ask that they wish we had?! Not a thing.(47:40) How can you reach Freddy and Fred? www.macdonaldentertainment partners.com. (48:13) Now…meet Eve Connolly(48:50) Eve talks about what drew her to the script. The short film had a lot to do with it!(49:45) Eve tells of the initial conversation she had with Freddy and Fred. Their explanation of wanting emotional depth for Barbara was a large draw.(51:33) How did Barbara prepare for this role? Years of working as an actor prepared her…but finding something to identify with was even more important. Once on set…she's ready to go and she's in the moment!(52:46) Hear Barbara's favorite clip form the movie…and the pivotal conversation that tells so much. Now Barbara shares what this meant to her and why.(55:28) This incredible physical role…How did Eve do this?(56:27) The rigs that were created in the film…Barbara tells all. How did she learn to build and manage these? Does Eve sew?!(58:41) The dance in the movie…Barbara tells of doing this dance and how she felt doing. How did she audition for this? Over ZOOM…and the dance…it was a natural for her…and very emotional.(1:01:39) Location–Location-Location. How did this affect her performance?(1:02:30) And that haunting stillness?(1:03:41) What part of Barbara's character stayed with Eve? That very strong connection with her mother…and the fact that she did this even though it was quite intimidating. Eve know the potential for this film and wanted to do justice to this creation. Overcoming her nerves was pretty big for her!(1:05:56) Did this experience change how Eve will play future roles?(1:07:07) What was her favorite of filming. The cast, the crew…all the people involved in the movie. Definite respect for Freddy as her director. Oh, and singing High School Musical every day before filming!(1:08:11) Her favorite part of the movie…refer back to the clip we played! And filming the scenes on the road.(1:09:19) Any behind the scenes stories? She talks about the car. And yes, it wasn't a prop…it's a real thing!(1:10:51) What's Eve's dream? Not what you might think. What's next…she's developing a series in Ireland.(1:11::51) Anything we didn't ask?(1:12:03) How can you reach out to Eve? @eveconnolly on Instagram. Our Thanks to Freddy and Fred Macdonald and Eve Connolly for their time and conversation.You can now order Sew Torn to be released on June 13th on Apple+TV. Be sure to subscribe to, review and rate this podcast on your favorite platform…and visit our website sewandsopodcast.com for more information about today's and all of our Guests.

Freddy Macdonald is a Student Academy Award winner and the youngest Directing Fellow ever accepted to the AFI Conservatory. Freddy's AFI admission film, SEW TORN, was acquired by Searchlight Pictures, and it received an Oscar-qualifying theatrical release nationwide alongside READY OR NOT. SEW TORN follows a seamstress who gets tangled in her own thread after stealing a briefcase from a drug deal gone bad. In an escalating game of cat and mouse, her different choices lead to drastically different outcomes along the way. In this interview, we talk about his decision to attend film school (AFI), the creation of the short film SEW TORN as an application piece and its unexpected success, getting recognition from Joel Cohen and advice from mentors, the challenges of adapting the short film into a feature-length movie, and much more. Want more? Steal my first book, INK BY THE BARREL - SECRETS FROM PROLIFIC WRITERS right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we're giving away 100,000 copies this year. It's based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Fred and Freddy Macdonald sit down with me to talk about their latest movie, Sew Torn. They share what it was like working together. We chat about how unique the film is and why people should check it out. In addition, we talk about their father and son relationship. They discuss how each of them have helped them grow into the people they are. Lastly, we finish the interview with the Fatherhood Quick Five.  About Freddy Macdonald Freddy Macdonald is a Student Academy Award winner, and the youngest Directing Fellow ever accepted to the AFI Conservatory. His feature film debut, Sew Torn, will premiere at SXSW 2024. Freddy's AFI admission film, the Sew Torn proof of concept short, was acquired by Searchlight Pictures. It received an Oscar-qualifying theatrical release nationwide alongside Ready Or Not. Additionally, Freddy's AFI thesis film, Shedding Angels, won a Student Academy Award and was shortlisted for a student BAFTA. Freddy also directed 4 music videos for 3x Grammy winner Fantastic Negrito (including his performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert), and 3 viral documentaries following hardware hacker Joe Grand. Go see Sew Torn in theaters. Make sure you follow Freddy on Instagram at @fred.md. In addition, go to their website at macdonaldentertainmentpartners.com. About Fred Macdonald  Fred Macdonald is a writer, producer, and founder of several entertainment and media companies. Furthermore, over the years his companies have partnered with The Walt Disney Company, DreamWorks Animation, Lionsgate / Summit Entertainment, and Viacom. Macdonald was CEO and Chairman of Olive Jar Studios, a film production company with studios in Los Angeles and Boston. While helming the company, Macdonald creative directed theme park media (The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios), and 5 television commercials (Levi Strauss & Co., Samsung Electronics, and a Coca-Cola CLIO Gold winner that Macdonald creative directed with Spike Jonze). About Sew Torn  Barbara Duggen, ‘The Mobile Seamstress', is struggling to keep her fabric shop alive. After a botched sewing appointment sets her on a quest to replace her client's lost button, she unexpectedly stumbles upon a drug deal gone bad. Faced with two downed motorcyclists, guns, and a briefcase - Barbara is completely torn. She is forced to pick between three choices: commit the perfect crime, call the police, or drive away. The narrative presents the repercussions of all three decisions, and the deadly confrontations that result from each as she gets entangled with the case's owner. Using thread to free herself, Barbara stops at nothing to save her store.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ngq4hNcut_Q About The Art of Fatherhood Podcast  The Art of Fatherhood Podcast follows the journey of fatherhood. Your host, Art Eddy talks with fantastic dads from all around the world where they share their thoughts on fatherhood. You get a unique perspective on fatherhood from guests like Bob Odenkirk, Hank Azaria, Joe Montana, Kevin Smith, Danny Trejo, Jerry Rice, Jeff Foxworthy, Patrick Warburton, Jeff Kinney, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, Kyle Busch, Dennis Quaid, Dwight Freeney and many more.

In 2021, evidence of unmarked graves near an Indian residential school run by the Catholic Church in Kamloops. BC,  Canada sparked a national outcry about the forced separation, assimilation, and abuse many children experienced at this network of segregated boarding schools designed to slowly destroy the culture and social fabric of Indigenous communities. When Emily- a journalist and filmmaker- asked her old friend and colleague, Julian, to direct a film documenting the Williams Lake First Nation investigation of St Joseph's Mission, she never imagined just how close this story was to his own family. As the investigation continued, Emily and Julian traveled back to the rivers, forests and mountains of his homelands to hear the myriad stories of survivors. During production, Julian's own story became an integral part of this beautiful multi-stranded portrait of a community. By offering space, time, and profound empathy the directors unearthed what was hidden. Emily and Julian encountered both the extraordinary pain these individuals had to suppress as a tool for survival and the unique beauty of a group of people finding the strength to persevere.  The film is nominated for an Academy Award. It has already won two Critics Choice Awards.       Julian Brave NoiseCat  - Director    Julian is a writer, filmmaker and student of Salish art and history.  His first documentary, SUGARCANE, directed alongside Emily Kassie, follows an investigation into abuse and missing children at the Indian residential school NoiseCat's family was sent to near Williams Lake, British Columbia. A proud member of the Canim Lake Band Tsq'escen and descendant of the Lil'wat Nation of Mount Currie, he is concurrently finishing his first book, We Survived the Night, which will be published by Alfred A. Knopf in North America.     EMILY KASSIE Director, Producer, Cinematographer Emily Kassie is an Emmy® and Peabody®-nominated investigative journalist and filmmaker. Kassie shoots, directs and reports stories on geopolitical conflict, humanitarian crises, corruption and the people caught in the crossfire. Her work for The New York Times, PBS Frontline, Netflix, and others ranges from drug and weapons trafficking in the Saharan desert, to immigrant detention in the United States. . Her first documentary, I Married My Family's Killer, following couples in post-genocide Rwanda, won a Student Academy Award in 2015. Indian residential school history and its impact are not in the past. For more information on the film's impact campaign, please visit here. If you need support, the following resources are available: CANADA The National Indian Residential School Crisis Line provides 24-hour crisis support to former Indian Residential School students and their families toll-free at 1-866-925-4419. First Nations, Inuit and Métis seeking immediate emotional support can contact the Hope for Wellness Help Line toll-free at 1-855-242-3310,  UNITED STATES Call or text 988 

Today on What's My Frame I'm joined by Director, Brenna Malloy. Brenna has directed episodes of 9-1-1, 9-1-1: Lone Star, FBI, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Chicago Fire, FBI: International, and Chicago PD. Brenna served as Supervising Producer, as well as directed half of the first season of On Call for Wolf Entertainment and Amazon. Her MFA thesis film Rocket, a story about a female racecar driver, throws the audience into the world of 1950s dirt track racing. The half hour short earned a Student Academy Award in 2016 and screened in more than 40 festivals in eight countries. Before breaking in to television Brenna was a participant of Ryan Murphy's Half Initiative in 2018, and a fellow of the 2019-20 NBC Female Forward program. I had the joy of working with Brenna on my first episode of ON CALL and I became an instant fan of her work, her work ethic and the collaborative environment she creates for everyone on set. I'm so excited to have Brenna join us on the show, now let's get to the conversation! --- What's My Frame, hosted by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Laura Linda Bradley⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Join the WMF creative community now! Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@whatsmyframe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠IMDb⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠What's My Frame? official site ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠What's My Frame? merch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Akshit Kumar, the director of the short film "bonVoyage pour monVoyage," an experimental film animating Akshit's travels. The film received the bronze medal in the experimental/alternative category at the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear about the some of the Akshit's travels, the process of turning static drawings into animated scenes, and some of Akshit's favorite places to visit around India.Books mentioned in this episode include:Goosebumps by R. L. Stine Creativity Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed CatmullFilms mentioned in this episode include:"bonVoyage pour monVoyage" directed by Akshit KumarLittle Miss Sunshine directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie FarisFinal Destination seriesThe Devil Wears Prada directed by David FrankelGone Girl directed by David Fincher"bonVoyage pour monVoyage" is screening at the International Short Film Festival on Cultural Tourism in December, and is waiting to hear back from international film festivals.You can follow Akshit on Instagram @_aykay.k and the film @bonvoyage_pour_monvoyage.

Český krátkometrážní absolventský film Krajan se stal vítězem Student Academy Award v hlavní kategorii. Takzvaného studentského Oscara na slavnostním galavečeru v londýnském kině Odeon Luxe převzali režiséři snímku Pavel Sýkora a Viktor Horák, absolventi písecké Filmové akademie Miroslava Ondříčka.Všechny díly podcastu Dopolední host můžete pohodlně poslouchat v mobilní aplikaci mujRozhlas pro Android a iOS nebo na webu mujRozhlas.cz.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Aaron Johnson, the director of the short film "The 17%," a documentary about Colette Divitto, a young woman with Downs Syndrome and her successful cookie business. The film received the silver medal in the documentary category at the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear about the some of the people that Collete employs in her business, some of the films that inspired the world of this film, and some of the biggest challenges of creating the visual world of the film.Books mentioned in this episode include:The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest HemingwayArt of Living by EpictetusFilms mentioned in this episode include:"The 17%" directed by Aaron JohnsonThe Perks of Being a Wallflower directed by Stephen ChboskyGood Will Hunting directed by Gus Van SantCrip Camp directed by James Lebrecht and Nicole NewnhamThe Peanut Butter Falcon directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael SchwartzBaby Driver directed by Edgar WrightThe work of Denzel WashingtonGladiator II directed by Ridley Scott"The 17%" is waiting to hear back from multiple festivals and is eligible for the 97th Academy Awards.You can follow Aaron on Instagram @ajhoops and the film @the17percentfilm.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Florian Maurice, Maxime Foltzer, and Estelle Bonnardel, the directors of the short film "Au Revoir Mon Monde," an animated film about a man in a fish costume trying to reach the woman he loves before the world ends. The film received the gold medal in the animation category at the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear about the origin of the film in Florian's own life, some of the films that inspired the world of this film, and some of the biggest challenges of creating the visual world of the film.Books mentioned in this episode include:Divine Invasion by Philip K. Dick2001: a Space Odyssey by Arthur C. ClarkeThe Cursed KingsPréférence système by Ugo BienvenuFilms mentioned in this episode include:"Au Revoir Mon Monde” directed by Florian Maurice, Maxime Foltzer, and Estelle Bonnardel2012 directed by Roland EmmerichReady Player One directed by Steven SpielbergPacific Rim directed by Guillermo del ToroRogue One: A Star Wars Story directed by Gareth EdwardsMelancholia directed by Lars von TrierYour Name. directed by Makoto ShinkaiMemories of Murder directed by Bong Joon-hoThe Wickerman directed by Robin HardyThe Banshees of Inisherin directed by Martin McDonaghBlade Runner directed by Ridley ScottBoogie Nights directed by Paul Thomas AndersonBoyz N' the Hood directed by John SingletonTransformers directed by Michael BayThe Place Beyond the Pines directed by Derek CianfranceThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King directed by Peter JacksonShrek directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky JensonKung Fu Panda directed by John Stevenson and Mark OsborneBig Trouble in Little China directed by John CarpenterPuss in Boots directed by Chris Matthew MillerScrubs (TV show)"Au Revoir Mon Monde" has been presented at numerous film festivals around the world this year and is in the running for the 97th Academy Awards.You can follow the film on Instagram @au_revoir_mon_monde and follow the Florian @vaulfe, Maxime @grenade_bio, and Estelle @fat_mimi_the_third.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Rishabh Raj Jain, the director of the short film "A Dream Called Kushi (Happiness)," a documentary about a one young woman seeking an opportunity to escape a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh and receive education in the West. The film received the bronze medal in the documentary category at the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear about the origin of the film in Rishabh's investigative reporting in Myanmar and Bangladesh, how refugees have to adapt their language and lifestyle to try and fit into their host country, and how Rishabh's personal connection to the story affected how he put the final film together.Books mentioned in this episode include:Make No Law: The Sullivan Case and the First Amendment by Anthony LewisFilms mentioned in this episode include:"A Dream Called Kushi (Happiness)” directed by Rishabh Raj JainWaltz With Bashir directed by Ari FolmanSociety of the Snow directed by J. A. BayonaThe Settlers directed by Shimon DotanThe work of Rory KennedyThe work of Shah Rukh KhanThe work of Riz Ahmed"A Dream Called Kushi (Happiness)" was presented at the Tasveer Film Festival in October and is looking for other .You can follow Rishabh on Instagram @rishabh.jain403 and follow the film @adreamcalledkhushi.Read some of Rishabh's reporting work at the links below:Rohingya Women Detail Rape by Myanmar ForcesIndian farmers mark 6 months of protest with no end in sightThrough kids' eyes: Virus outbreak brings sadness, fear, joy

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Hannah Rafkin, the director of the short film "Keeper," a documentary about one man's effort to keep bees in the Bronx while raising his daughters as a single father. The film received the gold medal in the documentary category at the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear about how a small 5-minute project blossomed into this film, how Hannah built the trust necessary continue filming when Flynn got sick, and some experiences that didn't manage to make it into the film.Books mentioned in this episode include:The Bees by Laline PaullHow Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina ImblerCan't We Talk about Something More Pleasant?: A Memoir by Roz ChastFilms mentioned in this episode include:"Keeper” directed by Hannah Rafkin“Crush Icebergs” directed by Hannah Rafkin“The Clockmaker” directed by Hannah RafkinAll that Breathes directed by Salik RehmanMayor directed by David OsitHail Satan? directed by Penny LaneThe Talented Mr. Ripley directed by Anthony MinghellaBut I'm a Cheerleader directed by Jamie Babbit"Keeper" will be playing at DOCNYC next week on November 13th and 15th and there will be several screenings in New York later this fall.You can follow Hannah on Instagram @hannahrafkin and follow the film @keeperdoc to see when and where the film will be playing this fall. Find out more about Flynn's honey business @boogiedownbronxhoney and Flynn's daughter Alaura @alaura.flynn.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Jens Kevin Georg, the director of the short film "Crust" which tells the story of a young boy in search of his first scar. The film received the silver medal in the narrative category at the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear about the inspiration for the film, how he knew he had selected the right actor to play his lead, how he found a roller coaster to fit in his film, and Jens' own first scar.Books mentioned in this episode include:Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt VonnegutThe Metamorphosis by Franz KafkaFilms mentioned in this episode include:"Crust” directed by Jens Kevin GeorgMidsommar directed by Ari Aster2001: A Space Odyssey directed by Stanley KubrickSuperbad directed by Greg MottolaThe Royal Tenenbaums directed by Wes AndersonBanshees of Inisherin directed by Martin McDonaghKajillionaire directed by Miranda JulyHunt for the Wilderpeople directed by Taika Waititi"Crust" will be playing at the Alcine Film Festival in Spain and the Izmir Short Film Festival in Turkey both in November.You can follow Jens on Instagram @jens__georg and follow the film @kruste_film to see when and where the film will be playing this fall.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Sarah Blok, the director of the short film "Trouble" which explores the story of a family dealing with changing relationships amid the separation of the two parents. The film was a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear about the involvement of two actors in casting the film, how Sarah's background in playwriting contributed to the development of the characters in the film, and .Books mentioned in this episode include:Life Ceremony: Stories by Sayaka MurataFilms mentioned in this episode include:"Trouble” directed by Sarah BlokA Woman Under the Influence directed by John CassavetesPunch Drunk Love directed by Paul Thomas AndersonThe Double directed by Richard AyoadePoor Things directed by Yorgos LanthimosThe Big Lebowski directed by Joel CoenMoonlight directed by Barry Jenkins"Trouble" recently screened at the BFI London Film Festival and will likely be screening at other festivals throughout the fall and winter.You can follow Sarah on Instagram @bloksarah to see what she is working on.

In this episode, we explore the compelling artistry of Olivia Peace, a Student Academy Award-winning director and visual artist originally from Detroit, now residing in Los Angeles. Olivia's work is deeply informed by artistic experimentation, dreamspaces, and a profound respect for the ecosystems that shaped them. Their unique perspective merges will influence from hip hop, B-movies, and personal experiences with mental health, creating a distinctive narrative style that resonates with audiences.Olivia's journey in filmmaking began at Northwestern University, where they studied animation and interactive art. Their senior film, *Pangaea*, utilized a blend of live action and animation to examine the effects of ecological displacement on young children, particularly those from New Orleans. This innovative piece earned Olivia a fellowship with the Sundance Institute, as part of the year-long Sundance Ignite x Adobe 1324 Fellowship, providing them with invaluable mentorship and resources to further their craft.Continuing their education, Olivia obtained a master's degree in Interactive Media and Games from the University of Southern California, specializing in Worldbuilding. Their thesis project, *Against Reality*, an interactive experience built with AI neural networks, premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival and won the prestigious Student Academy Award. Simultaneously, Olivia's debut feature film, 'Tahara', premiered at the 2020 Slamdance Film Festival, receiving critical acclaim and later becoming a New York Times Critic's Pick upon its theatrical release in June 2022.As Olivia works on their next feature film, set in Detroit, they remain committed to exploring themes of critical imagination and taking bold creative risks in the face of loss and change. Their artistic journey invites audiences to look inward and reflect on their own narratives. If you're inspired by Olivia's work and want to support their future projects, don't hesitate to reach out. Join us as we delve into their unique approach to storytelling and the importance of community in the creative process.Olivia Peace's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliviajpeace/?hl=enOlivia Peace's Website: http://www.olivia-peace.com/Olivia Peace's ImDB: https://m.imdb.com/name/nm6499573/Olivia Peace's Twitter: https://twitter.com/oliviajpeace?lang=enSupport the showVisual Intonation Website: https://www.visualintonations.com/Visual Intonation Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visualintonation/Vante Gregory's Website: vantegregory.comVante Gregory's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directedbyvante/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): patreon.com/visualintonations Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@visualintonation Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@directedbyvante

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Kirsten Slemint, the director of the short film "Burnt Country" which explores the threat of wildfire in Australia and the indigenous population who works hard to help manage the threat. The film was a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear about the editorial decision to juxtapose fire with water throughout the film, the importance of strategic cultural burns in managing wildfire risk, and how to manage shooting in remote locations as one person wearing all the hats of a complex production.Books mentioned in this episode include:How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. KendiBraiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall KimmererFilms mentioned in this episode include:"Burnt Country" directed by Kirsten SlemintAll That Breathes directed by Shaunak SenPast Lives directed by Celine SongWe Are Still Here directed by Beck Cole, Dena Curtis, Tracey Rigney, Danielle MacLean, Tim Worrall, Renae Maihi, Miki Magasiva, Mario Gaoa, Richard Curtis, and Chantelle BurgoyneMrs. Doubtfire directed by Chris ColumbusDead Poets Society directed by Peter Weir"Burnt Country" just screened at the Santa Fe International Film Festival and will be at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival this coming weekend. It is currently showing at the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival in Monterrey, Mexico and Australia Independent Film Festival in Kirsten's home town of Brisbane, Australia. Later this fall you can check out the film at the Canberra Short Film Festival November 6th-20th, the Ealing Film Festival November 25th-30th, and All Living Things Environmental Film Festival November 22nd-December 8th.  Follow Kirsten on Instagram @kirstygrimm and the film @burnt__country.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Bartłomiej Błaszczyński, the director of the short film "Take Me to Her" which explores the story of a woman who has gone through an incredible loss, and struggles to deal with it. The film was a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear about the genesis of the story of the film, a tragic connection Bartłomiej and I share, and a joke about difficult names to pronounce.Books mentioned in this episode include:Boy's Life by Robert McCammonIce Jacek DukajMy Struggle by Karl Ove KnausgaardFilms mentioned in this episode include:"Take Me to Her” directed by Bartłomiej BłaszczyńskiThe Lion King directed by Rob Minkoff and Roger AllersThe Lord of the Rings directed by Peter JacksonSnatch directed by Guy RitchieThe Matrix directed by The WachowskisThere Will be Blood directed by Paul Thomas AndersonThe Big Lebowski directed by Joel CoenManchester by the Sea directed by Kenneth LonerganThe Bear (TV Series)Wolf of Wall Street directed by Martin ScorseseMoon directed by Duncan Jones"Fish and Chips" directed by Bartłomiej Błaszczyński"Take Me to Her" just screened at the Warsaw International Film Festival last week and you can check out the film at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival this November.Bartłomiej is not on Instagram, but you can connect with him on LinkedIn to stay in touch with what he is working on.

Send us a textIn honor of the Student Academy Awards that took place this past Monday October 14th, I'm providing a quick recap of the winners. You'll also hear a little bit of my interviews from earlier this year with two of the winners and some thoughts on the ceremony experience itself.Check out my previous interviews with Robin Wang and Birdy Wei-Ting Hung while you wait for some new interviews next week and the rest of October as we head into awards season!You can watch the entire ceremony on YouTube if you missed any of the acceptance speeches.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Tom Potter, the director of the experimental short film "Lullaby for the Lost" which explores the memories of a man who is beginning to forget his mother. The film was a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear some incredible thoughts on dreams and memories, some very manual tactics used to create the images on screen, and the blending of the music and sound of the film to create the soundscape.Books mentioned in this episode include:Sculpting in Time: Tarkovsky The Great Russian Filmaker Discusses His Art by Andrey TarkovskyThe Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick RubinFilms mentioned in this episode include:"Lullaby for the Lost” directed by Tom PotterThe Tree of Life directed by Terrence MalickSynecdoche, New York directed by Charlie KaufmanMy Winnipeg directed by Guy MaddinTwin Peaks created by David LynchFollow Tom on Instagram @tompotterr_ and the film @lullabyforthelost.bfs."Lullaby for the Lost" screened at the Watersprite Film Festival and the Greenwich International Film Festival and is still waiting to hear back on a number of other festivals. Follow Tom and the film at the links above to learn about upcoming festival screenings as soon as they are announced.

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Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Birdy Wei-Ting Hung, the director of the experimental short film "A Brighter Sunny Day for the Lady Avengers." The film looks at the experience of a young girl in 1980s Taiwan and was selected as a winner for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear how the film was inspired by two other films, how important formative film experiences are, and the importance of the sound to create the world of the film.Books mentioned in this episode include:Abject Pleasures in the Cinematic: The Beautiful, Sexual Arousal, and Laughter by Aaron KernerMinor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park HongFilms mentioned in this episode include:"A Brighter Summer Day for the Lady Avengers” directed by Birdy Wei-Ting HungThe Lady Avenger directed by Yang Chia-YunA Brighter Summer Day directed by Edward YangKill Bill Vol. 1 directed by Quentin TarantinoKill Bill Vol. 2 directed by Quentin TarantinoAmer directed by Hélène Cattet & Bruno ForzaniFemale Prisoner 701: Scorpion directed by Shunya ItōSuspiria (1977) directed by Dario ArgentoSuspiria (2018) directed by Luca GuadagninoLady Snowblood directed by Toshiya FujitaAll the Colors of the Dark directed by Sergio MartinoThe film showed at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX last month and can be seen this month at the Kaohsiung Film Festival in Taiwan from October 12-27.Read Birdy's essay about the two films that inspired her work at MaiFeminism.com.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Daniel Salas the director of the experimental short film "WIRED," a surreal look at the impact technology can have on a person. The film was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear how the film changed in the editing process, some of the challenges in shooting the film in just three days, and the importance of the sound supporting the visuals of the film.Books mentioned in this episode include:Monsters by Barry Windsor-SmithFilms mentioned in this episode include:"WIRED” directed by Daniel SalasVideodrome directed by David CronenbergMK Ultra directed by Joseph SorrentinoBlue Velvet directed by David LynchMulholland Dr. directed by David LynchParis, Texas directed by Wim WendersEraserhead directed by David LynchThe Fly directed by David CronenbergThe Elephant Man directed by David Lynch Follow Daniel on Instagram @des_alas for updates on screenings and festival selections this fall.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Zac Lazarou the director of the short documentary "The Undertakers," an beautiful look at the underappreciated world of vultures in Africa. The film was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to learn a bit about the important place vultures hold in the ecosystems, the importance of the music in creating the mood of the film, and the goal of the film as it relates to hope versus reality.Books mentioned in this episode include:Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert MacfarlaneFilms mentioned in this episode include:"The Undertakers” directed by Zac LazarouCow directed by Andrea ArnoldThe Lord of the Rings Trilogy directed by Peter JacksonCity of God directed by Ktia Lund and Fernando MeirellesPulp Fiction directed by Quentin TarantinoTrainspotting directed by Danny BoyleWinnie the Pooh directed by Stephen J. Anderson and Don HallJoker directed by Todd PhillipsThe Dark Knight directed by Christopher NolanAlien directed by Ridley ScottCheck out the film at the following film festivals this fall:Rotterdam Wildlife Film FestivalFollow Luke on Instagram @zacwildfilm.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Julia Grupińska, Tian Westraad, and Ezequiel Garibay, three of the five directors of the short film "El Ombligo de la Luna." The short animated film is a heartwarming story of a boy reconnecting with his long lost father and was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear about how the team found the perfect voice for one of their main characters, the meaning of the title of the film, and what movies the directors all agree on as some of their favorites.Books mentioned in this episode include:The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales by Bruno BettelheimManufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media by Edward Herman and Noam ChomskyOutliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm GladwellThe Ambassadors by Henry JamesFilms mentioned in this episode include:"El Ombligo de la Luna” directed by Sara António, Julia Grupińska, Bokang Koatja, Tian Westraad, and Ezequiel GaribayThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring directed by Peter JacksonThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers directed by Peter JacksonThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King directed by Peter JacksonWhiplash directed by Damien ChazelleThe King's Speech directed by Tom HooperThe Matrix directed by Lana Wachowski and Lilly WachowskiYou can check out the film on YouTube and find the work of Aldo Martínez who composed the music for the film on SoundCloud and Instagram.Follow the film on Instagram @luna.gobelins, Julia @juliagrupinska, Tian @tian.ouest, and Ezequiel @ezequiel_garibay.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Luke Purdye the director of the short documentary "Mail Order Queens," an intimate film about the world of beekeeping. The film was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to get a brief overview of honeybee history, the challenges of working with an animal like the honeybee, and just how many times a director can expect to get stung when making a documentary about bees and beekeeping.Books mentioned in this episode include:As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Laurie LeeCider with Rosie by Laurie LeeFilms mentioned in this episode include:"Mail Order Queens” directed by Luke PurdyeThe Blues Brothers directed by John LandisRatatouille directed by Brad BirdThe Truffle Hunters directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory KershawIo Capitano directed by Matteo GarroneGood Will Hunting directed by Gus Van SantHarry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone directed by Chris ColumbusCheck out the film at the following film festivals this fall:Grierson AwardsFollow Luke on Instagram @lukepurdye and send him a message to get information about private screenings in October. You can also check out his website at https://www.lukepurdye.com/.

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Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Loïc Girault and Anna Danton, two of the creators of the film "Coquille," an animated short that follows an adorable little hermit crab looking for safety on the beach. The film was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear about how the inspiration for the film in Loïc's childhood, the challenges of creating realistic looking animated sand, and the importance of building relationships no matter what kind of creature we are.Books mentioned in this episode include:Incendies by Wajdi MouawadRich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon LechterFilms mentioned in this episode include:"Coquille” directed by Loïc Girault, Anna Danton, ETC.Memento directed by Christopher NolanBabylon directed by Damien ChazelleThe Witness directed by Alberto MielgoKubo and the Two Strings directed by Travis KnightLa La Land directed by Damien ChazelleMillennium Actress directed by Satoshi KonBatman directed by Tim BurtonFinding Nemo directed by Lee UnkrichShrek directed by Andrew AdamsonCheck out the film at the following film festivals this fall:Tirana International Film FestivalToronto International Film FestivalHeart of Gold International Short Film FestivalChicago International Film FestivalFollow the film on Instagram @coquille.movie and all of the creators @annaadrw @boldpictures_ @gatien_anim3d @gregoirecallies @lgirault_3d @justine.devys @maudz_art_est_la @chatnapandraw. Also subscribe to the ESMA YouTube channel to see the film when it publishes there later this year.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Roger Torres about his film "Irma," a personal story of family dealing with difficult choices that is based on his own life. The film was selected as a semifinalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear about how the intense personal experience that inspired Roger's film, how he used that to explore a unique storytelling angle, and the struggles of casting actors to play your own family members.Books mentioned in this episode include:Leadership Strategy and Tactics: Field Manual by Jocko WillinkBatman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight by Travis LangleyFilms mentioned in this episode include:"Irma” directed by Roger TorresThe Dark Knight directed by Christopher NolanThe Last of Us created by Craig Mazin and Neil DruckmannInception directed by Christopher NolanTaxi Driver directed by Martin ScorseseVideo Games mentioned in this episode include:Kingdom Hearts video game seriesUncharted video game seriesCheck out the film at the International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival in November. Follow Roger on Instagram @rog_torres and check out his YouTube series The Broke Filmmaker's Journey.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Luke Salewski about his film "The Lights Above," a genre crossing short film set in Los Angeles in the early day of 1942. The film was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear about how Luke and his team creatively sourced their period furniture, a last minute casting change, and how they came to find the 1939 Cadillac convertible that is featured in the film.Books mentioned in this episode include:Dracula by Bram StokerDune by Frank HerbertChildren of Dune by Frank HerbertThe works of John TrubyThe Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master StorytellerThe Anatomy of Genres: How Story Forms Explain the Way the World WorksFilms mentioned in this episode include:"The Lights Above” directed by Luke SalewskiBattle: Los Angeles directed by Jonathan Liebesman1941 directed by Steven SpielbergE. T. the Extra-Terrestrial directed by Steven SpielbergStar Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi directed by Richard MarquandJurassic Park directed by Steven SpielbergThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers directed by Peter Jackson"Jimmy" directed by Luke Salewski"Audio Description" directed by Luke SalewskiFollow Luke and the film on Instagram @lukejsalewski and @thelightsabovemovie and check out the film website at https://thelightsabove.com/.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Tomás Orrego about his film "Fever," an experimental short film that was selected as a semifinalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear about the bold design choices employed in the film, how the film evolved based on budget and time constraints, and how music and sound play a part in the film.Books mentioned in this episode include:Guide by Dennis CooperI Never Liked You by Chester BrownFilms mentioned in this episode include:“Fever” directed by Tomás OrregoThe Cabinet of Dr. Caligari directed by Robert WieneDr. Caligari directed by Stephen SayadianBean directed by Mel SmithDick Tracy directed by Warren BeattyRealm of Satan directed by Scott CummingsI Saw the TV Glow directed by Jane SchoenbrunThe Last Year of Darkness directed by Ben MullinkossonThe Nightmare Before Christmas directed by Henry SelickFollow Tomás on Instagram @fantomasengendro and check out his website https://www.tomasorrego.com.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Robin Wang about his film "Neither Donkey Nor Horse," a blending of historical fiction with science fiction. The film was selected as a finalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear about how the story of Dr. Wu helped Robin become unstuck during Covid lockdown, parallels between 1910 and 2020, and the meaning behind the phrase "neither donkey nor horse."You can check out Robin's film at the Telluride Film Festival this weekend on Saturday August 31st at 9 AM or the St. Louis International Film Festival in November.Books mentioned in this episode include:Northanger Abbey by Jane AustenSense and Sensibility by Jane AustenPersuasion by Jane AustenFilms mentioned in this episode include:“Neither Donkey Nor Horse” directed by Robin WangAlien: Romulus directed by Fede ÁlvarezAll Quiet on the Western Front directed by Edward Berger The Apartment directed by Billy WilderNomadland directed by Chloé Zhao4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days directed by Cristian MungiuA Separation directed by Asghar FarhadiBreaking BadEat Drink Man Woman directed by Ang LeeFollow Robin Wang on Instagram @robin_z_wang. 

In today's episode, I interview Lu Lu about her film "Invocation," a story of dealing with life's changes based on her own personal experiences. The film was selected as a semifinalist for the 2024 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear about the inspiration for the film rooted in her own experience, the importance of the Miao people in Guizhou to the development of the story, and what I think is the most practical dinner party yet recommended on The Oscar Project.Films mentioned in this episode include:“Invocation” directed by Lu LuKill Bill Vol. 1 and 2 directed by Quentin TarantinoThe Killing of the Sacred Deer directed by Yorgos LanthimosRaw directed by Julia DucournauCloudy With a Chance of Meatballs directed by Phil Lord and Chris MillerAnother Round directed Thomas VinterbergFrances Ha directed by Noah BaumbachFollow Lu Lu on Instagram @grooffe_llu.

“All of our emotions are there for a good reason. They're positive. They want to help. And a little anxiety is good. … All of society is saying, ‘Get rid of emotion. It's awful. It's evil.' It's not true.” In this episode, Mark welcomes Pete Docter, executive producer of Inside Out 2, and the Oscar-winning director of Monsters, Inc., Up, and Inside Out. Pete joined Pixar Animation Studios in 1990 at twenty-one years old as its third animator, and is now Pixar's chief creative officer. Mark and Pete discuss the ins and outs of Inside Out 2, including its themes about emotion, psychology, adolescence, and the discovery and acceptance of who we are. Pete reflects on the power of music to convey unconscious meaning, alongside the subtle and sophisticated animation techniques used by Pixar today. We learn about the new emotion characters (including Anxiety, Embarrassment, and Ennui), as well as those that almost made the cut. And Pete comments on the spiritual and moral dimensions that Inside Out 2 is able to explore. About Pete Docter Pete Docter is the Oscar-winning director of Monsters, Inc., Up, and Inside Out, and chief creative officer at Pixar Animation Studios. He most recently directed Disney and Pixar's Oscar-winning feature film Soul with producer Dana Murray and co-director Kemp Powers, which is now streaming on Disney+. Starting at Pixar in 1990 as the studio's third animator, Docter collaborated on and helped develop the story and characters for Toy Story, Pixar's first full-length animated feature film, for which he also was supervising animator. He served as a storyboard artist on A Bug's Life and wrote initial story treatments for both Toy Story 2 and WALL•E. Aside from directing his three films, Docter also executive produced Monsters University and the Academy Award–winning Brave. Docter's interest in animation began at the age of eight, when he created his first flipbook. He studied character animation at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in Valencia, California, where he produced a variety of short films, one of which won a Student Academy Award. Those films have since been shown in animation festivals worldwide and are featured on the Pixar Short Films Collection, volume 2. Upon joining Pixar, he animated and directed several commercials, and has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Animated Feature–winners Up and Inside Out and nominee Monsters, Inc., and Best Original Screenplay for Up, Inside Out and WALL•E. In 2010, Up also was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Show Notes Continuity and discontinuity in Inside Out 2 Pete Docter comments on the main character/setting of Inside Out series: Riley and what's going on inside her head. Some psychologists think there are 27 emotions Puberty and adolescence New emotions: Bringing Anxiety, Embarrassment, and Ennui (Boredom) into the picture Anxiety as the new protagonist Changing body and outgrowing an old sweater Riley's pimple: “That was something that Kelsey Mann, the director, was big on from the beginning. He would say, we were so used to seeing characters represented in this perfect, idealized way. And yet, when we look at the mirror, we realize, ‘Hey, I don't measure up to that.' That was kind of the message of the film from the beginning—is learning to accept yourself. You know, the flaws and all, because that's so much of our civilization is measuring ourselves against others. And especially that period in time growing up, you're suddenly socially aware, and where you fit in or don't.” From family to friends as the dominant group “All of our emotions are there for a good reason. They're positive. They want to help. And a little anxiety is good. Lisa L'Amour, who was a consultant on the film, her big thing is like, all of society is saying, ‘Get rid of emotion. It's awful. It's evil.' It's not true.” Researching the psychology of emotion for the film, and experimenting with various emotions as characters Anxiety as subtly controlling Schadenfreude almost made Inside Out and Inside Out 2 as a gag. Anxiety is not directly related to puberty. “Who are we? What are the things that make us who we are? Is it just our experiences, our beliefs, our actions that we take? And all of those start to get folded into the film.” “For me, the creative process is all about the nitty gritty details.” “So really that's just what I'm trying to do is for us in that room, as we're making it: Are we engaged? Are we emotional?” The complexity of guilt and shame Learning that sincerity—the truth of the character—is the key Special Effects work in Inside Out 2 The subtle and sophisticated storytelling device of Riley's eyes. How digital animation works today—more like a puppet than a drawing. Music as an unconscious communicator Dr. Paul Ekman: Emotions are largely under the hood. Soul (2020) and the philosophy of dualism as a Greek concept Embodied souls—a colliding, intertwined, inseparable reality Understanding the instrumentality of the brain The amazing amount of goodness that Pixar has injected into the world Pete Docter on working with Amy Poehler, Tony Hale, and Maya Hawke “Our emotions are really on our team.” Fear as a dominant emotion for the era we live in Joy vs Sadness or Joy vs Fear How Pete Docter's faith informs his approach to Inside Out “One other little bit of research we did that I was shocked by is that there's apparently a part of your brain that lights up especially when you watch animation.”

Ken Kwapis has been a motion picture and television director for four decades. Hedirected eleven feature films, among them A Walk In The Woods, Big Miracle, He's JustNot That Into You, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.Kwapis helped launch nine television series, including The Larry Sanders Show, TheBernie Mac Show, and The Office. He earned an Emmy nomination for directing the“Gay Witch Hunt” episode of The Office. He also earned an Emmy nomination for hiswork as a producer-director of Malcolm In the Middle. Kwapis contributed episodes tosuch shows Freaks and Geeks, Parks and Recreation, Santa Clarita Diet, and OneMississippi. Most recently, he directed the entire second season of Space Force.He is currently prepping the feature Thelma, based on the real-life story of the mother of John Kennedy Toole, author of A Confederacy of Dunces. Toole died before his novelwas published, and his mother Thelma spent over a decade trying to find a home for herson's masterpiece.In addition to his film and television work, Kwapis is the author of the memoir But What I Really Want To Do is Direct, published by St. Martin's Press.Kwapis studied filmmaking at Northwestern University and the University ofSouthern California. He won the Student Academy Award in Dramatic Achievementfor his USC film For Heaven's Sake!, a contemporary

İlker Çatak ist einer der größten deutschen Filmemacher, der sich in wenigen Jahren auch international einen Ruf erarbeitet hat. Schon für seinen Abschlussfilm „Sadakat“ (2015) bekam er den Student Academy Award in Gold, „Das gesprochene Wort“ (2019) und vor allem „Das Lehrerzimmer“ wurden mit deutschen und internationalen Filmpreisen überhäuft. Die faszinierende Abgründigkeit des „Lehrerzimmers“ wurde zuletzt auch mit einer Oscar-Nominierung bedacht. İlker Çataks kluger, feinsinniger Blick auf seine Figuren und sein starker Zugriff auf Geschichten zeichnen seine Filme aus, aber ebenso seine Fähigkeit, anderen den Raum für Höchstleistungen zu öffnen. So besetzte er die zarte, aber moralisch so selbstsichere Hauptfigur im „Lehrerzimmer“ mit Leonie Benesch, u.a. weil es ihm wichtig war, dass sie „erröten“ könne, wie er in einem Gespräch mit der FAZ erklärte. Dieses Jahr war İlker Çatak mit Wim Wenders und Sandra Hüller für den Oscar nominiert. Leider gelang es einigen Medien nicht, seinen Namen zu nennen, stattdessen schrieben sie von „Das Lehrerzimmer“ - Çatak musste mitten aus Hollywood ein paar Dinge über Namen und Politik klarstellen und fand viel Gehör und Zuspruch. Noch mit dem Jetlag vom Flieger zurück aus Hollywood spricht İlker Çatak bei Freiheit Deluxe über die Freiheit der gewählten Perspektive, über Serendipity, das Talent, besondere Momente zu erkennen und zu ergreifen - und natürlich über die Kunst des Filmemachens. Çatak reflektiert seine Auffassung, als Regisseur vor allem Kommunikator zu sein und Menschen zusammen zu bringen. Mit Jagoda Marinić spricht er aber auch über seinen Trugschluss, er könne seine Themen in Filmen verhandeln und müsse als Person nicht dazu Stellung beziehen. Das hat er dieses Jahr gelernt und Diskussionen ausgelöst. Jagoda Marinic Und İlker Çatak analysieren die Debatten rund um die Oscar-Nominierung und richten ihren Blick darauf, wie man zeitgemäß mit Diversität umgehen könnte - oder was dem im Wege steht. Etwa dass die „Sonderzeichen“ in ihrer beider Namen auch heute noch technisch das Podcast-System der ARD sprengen… Hier hört ihr, wie İlker Çatak jeden Tag daran arbeitet, mit offenem Blick auf die Welt zu schauen (8:53) welche Regieanweisung ihm Leonie Benesch von Michael Haneke übermittelte (22:10) was er von seinen Eltern als Migra-Kind auf den Weg bekam (33:08) welche Geschichten er gerne mal in den Medien lesen würde (47:01) wie sich sein Vater und er über die gemeinsame Arbeit an einem Film wieder annäherten (55:10) welche charakterliche Disposition ihm als Regisseur zu Gute kommt (1:02:50) mit welchen Widerständen er sich bei der Umsetzung von „Das Lehrerzimmer“ konfrontiert sah (1:13:44) wie wichtig für ihn ist, zu seinen Ängsten zu stehen - auch beim Filmemachen (1:25:53) Welchen Hollywood-Gossip İlker Çatak von den Oscars mitgebracht hat (1:40:10) FREIHEIT DELUXE mit Jagoda Marinić ist eine Produktion des Hessischen Rundfunks in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Börsenverein des deutschen Buchhandels.

You're gonna love this one, we've got Oren Soffer on the pod this week to talk about his work on The Creator and oh so much more! On top of its worldwide theatrical release, The Creator screened as part of the 2023 Energa Camerimage film festival, was on the shortlist for Best Cinematography at the BAFTAs, and has been nominated for two Academy Awards. On top of shooting hundreds of incredible commercials and music videos, two of Oren's other recent features premiered at the TIFF and TriBeCa film festivals in 2022. He has also shot multiple award-winning short films, including 'Opera of Cruelty,' which won a Student Academy Award, and ‘See You Soon,' which won the audience award at the Palm Springs International Shortsfest before subsequently premiering on Short of the Week and receiving a Vimeo Staff Pick. During his studies at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Oren was nominated for the ASC Gordon Willis Student Heritage Award, and was a finalist for the Arri Volker Bahnemann Award for Cinematography. Enjoy! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.frameandrefpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for everything F&R You can directly support Frame & Reference by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buying Me a Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Frame & Reference is supported by Filmtools and ProVideo Coalition. Filmtools is the West Coast's leading supplier of film equipment. From cameras and lights to grip and expendables, Filmtools has you covered for all your film gear needs. Check out ⁠⁠Filmtools.com⁠⁠ for more. ProVideo Coalition is a top news and reviews site focusing on all things production and post. Check out ⁠⁠ProVideoCoalition.com⁠⁠ for the latest news coming out of the industry.

In this week's episode, I interview Jean Chapiro, recipient of the Bronze Medal in the Documentary category at the 2023 Student Academy Awards. She was recognized for her film "Till We Find Them" which looks at the families of missing persons in Mexico as they look for their loved ones.Listen to hear Jean discuss what drew her to documentary film, the dangers of documenting the missing persons crisis in Mexico, and what her favorite documentary film is. Books mentioned in this episode include:Poeta Chileno by Alejandro ZambraFilms mentioned in this episode include:“Till We Find Them” directed by Jean ChapiroPan's Labyrinth directed by Guillermo del ToroE.T. The Extraterrestrial directed by Steven SpielbergEdward Scissorhands directed  by Tim BurtonThe Act of Killing directed by Joshua OppenheimerFour Daughters directed by Kaouther Ben HaniaDick Johnson is Dead directed by Kirsten JohnsonHarry PotterBeetlejuice directed by Tim BurtonGame of ThronesFollow Jean on Instagram @jean.chap

On today's podcast, Elon Musk's $55.5 billion pay deal gets cancelled by a judge in Delaware; the James Webb Telescope captures colorful pictures of galaxies; the Student Academy Awards are a big deal; and how to express ‘seeing double' followed by a discussion about the word ‘Doppelganger.'

With a more than 100 year history, movie making has a lot to teach us about collaboration and creativity in complex environments. How do directors bring together so many people with such different skills for months, sometimes years, to make a movie that holds together as a story that entertains and makes a profit? That's exactly what we asked Scott Rice, an Emmy-award winning film and television director, who has been teaching film at the University of Texas at Austin for 25 years. He teaches a course called “Script to Screen” with Academy-award winning actor Matthew McConaughey. We chat with Scott about how to get your creative process unstuck, how to find collaborators that amplify your skills and bring the right energy to a project, and the essential components for telling a compelling story, whether it's a feature-length movie or short, convincing pitch. Bio Scott Rice is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and commercial director whose clients include Mastercard, Subway, Vegas Tourism, Shell, Sears and the American Heart Association. He' s worked with talent like Glenn Close, Brett Favre and Matthew McConaughey with whom he co-teaches a film course at the University of Texas. He' s collaborated with agencies including JWT, R&R Partners, McGarrah Jessee, Archer Malmo, TM, Commerce House, Fenton and GDC. Scott's narrative work holds a staggering film festival record of 300 Official Selections and 85 Awards, including two Student Academy Award nominations. Comedy Central, CBS, Showtime, Hulu, Blockbuster and PBS have distributed his films. He has also directed projects for A&E, the Mental Health Channel, MTV Networks and Sony Pictures. Design Better “Office Hours” with Automattic: Dave Lockie This episode is sponsored in part by Automattic, the people behind WordPress.com, Woo, Pocket Casts, Jetpack, and more. Stay tuned after the interview where we chat with Dave Lockie, Web3 Lead at Automattic. Automattic is a fully distributed company with the goal of democratizing publishing and commerce so that anyone with a story can tell it. Dave talks about why he sees crypto as an extension of the heart of open source, and his perspective on how Automattic is a mission-driven business that cares about people's freedoms online. To learn more about working at Automattic, including current job opportunities, visit dbtr.co/automattic. *** Subscribe to DB+ (50% off) Subscribe to DB+ to get episodes a week early and ad-free. Plus, every month, you're invited to exclusive AMAs (Ask Me Anything) with big names in design and tech, from companies like Nike, Netflix, and the New York Times who will answer your questions directly. Early bird subscribers get 50% off for the first three months. Visit designbetter.plus to learn more and subscribe. *** Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show: American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for? Save 20% off your first order with American Giant using our promo code DESIGNBETTER at checkout. dbtr.co/americangiant Uplift Desks: For people like us who spend countless hours at our desk, ergonomics are an essential consideration. A standing desk from Uplift Desk can help you avoid the negative effects of sitting all day by improving circulation and reducing strain. Design Better can get a special deal by visiting UPLIFTDesk.com. Use the code DESIGNBETTER at checkout for 5% off your order. Free shipping, free returns, and an industry-leading 15-year warranty. They're a great company. Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds

In my third and final part of the Thanksgiving special, I interview four of the five creators of the animated short film "Boom," which won the Gold Medal in animation at the 2023 Student Academy Awards.Listen to hear the team discuss the process for developing the story, what they enjoyed about visiting Los Angeles, and some of the movies that have inspired them.Follow them on Instagram:Boom Short Film – @boom_shortfilmGabriel Augerai – @gabima_ruRomain Augier – @romainaugierrCharles Di Cicco – @karlbad_artLaurie Pereira – @laurie.pikaminYannick Jacquin – @yayajcqnBooks mentioned in this episode include:Works of Fyodor DostoevskyWorks of Marcel ProustRobinson Crusoe by Daniel DefoeLe Rouge et le Noir (The Red and the Black) by StendhalIm Westen nichts Neues (All Quiet on the Western Front) by Erich Maria RemarqueFilms mentioned in this episode include:“Boom” directed by Gabriel Augerai, Romain Augier, Laurie Pereira de Figueiredo, Charles Di Cicco, and Yannick JacquinTreasure Planet directed by John Musker, Ron ClementsPirates of the Caribbean directed by Gore VerbinskiPaprika directed by Satoshi KonChungking Express directed by Wong Kar-waiIron Man directed by Jon FavreauForrest Gump directed by Robert Zemeckis

In the my second of the three part Thanksgiving special, I interview Iain Forbes, recent recipient of the Silver Medal in the Narrative category at the 2023 Student Academy Awards. He was recognized for his film "Revisited" which explores how a family reacts when the father they thought was dead for 20 years suddenly returns to their home.Listen to hear Iain discuss the inspiration for the film, how he went about casting this film and one of the most interesting dinner parties we've come up with on the podcast. Books mentioned in this episode include:A Time to Every Purpose Under Heaven by Karl Ove Knausgård Films mentioned in this episode include:“Revisited” directed by Iain ForbesThe Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring directed by Peter JacksonIt's a Wonderful Life directed by Frank CapraThe Matrix directed by The WachowskisHarry Potter series

In the first of a three part Thanksgiving special, I interview Giorgio Ghiotto, recent recipient of the Gold Medal in the Documentary category at the 2023 Student Academy Awards. He was recognized for his film "Wings of Dust" which shines a spotlight on the activism of Vidal Merma, an independent journalist in Peru.Listen to hear Giorgio discuss the challenges of making a student documentary, why he became interested in documentaries to begin with, and what his favorite documentary film is. Books mentioned in this episode include:Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Films mentioned in this episode include:“Wings of Dust” directed by Giorgio GhiottoCartel Land directed by Matthew HeinemanShot Caller directed by Ric Roman WaughCreed directed by Ryan Coogler

A discussion of video of an AI-generated Star Wars sequel story that might've been. Plus Infinity Paws, Cocaine Cougar, the 50th Student Academy Awards and a debate about land acknowledgements. Hilarity ensues. 

On this week's episode, Writer Adam Pava (Boxtrolls, Lego Movie, Glenn Martin DDS and many many more) talks about his writing career, and why sometimes when he writes features, he doesn't always get credited. Tune in for much more!Show NotesAdam Pava on Twitter: https://twitter.com/adampava?lang=enAdam Pava on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1106082/Free Writing Webinar - https://michaeljamin.com/op/webinar-registration/Michael's Online Screenwriting Course - https://michaeljamin.com/courseFree Screenwriting Lesson - https://michaeljamin.com/freeJoin My Watchlist - https://michaeljamin.com/watchlistAutogenerated TranscriptAdam Pava:I think that's the main thing is have samples that show exactly what your voice is and exactly what makes you different than everybody else, and what you can bring to the table that nobody else can. I think that's the first thing, but to get those open writing assignments, I think it's just a cool errand to even try because they're just so risk averse to hire anybody that hasn't done it before. I think the better shot that you have is to make smaller things and then they'll seen you've done it. You're listening to Screenwriters Need to Hear This with Michael Jenman.Hey everyone, it's Michael Jamin. Welcome back for another episode. I may be retitling the name of my podcast. So I'm, I'm going to be vague for everyone, but I'm here with my next guest, Adam Pava, who's a very talented writer I worked with many years ago on show called Glen Martin, d d s, and he works. We'll talk. I'll let you speak in a second. Pava, you just relax. I'm going to bring you on with a proper introduction because you've worked a lot, lot of features, a lot of animation. So I'm going to run through some of your many credits. Some of them are credited and some of them just are not so credited. We're going to talk about that even though you've done the work. So I think you started early on on shows like Clone High, Johnny Bravo, I'm going to skip around.You worked with us on Glen Martin d d s, but then you've also done Monsters versus Aliens Dragons. I'm going to jump around, but wait, hold on. I'm skipping a lot of your credits, Pavo, a lot of the box trolls you've done, you work a lot with Lord and Miller on all their stuff, all the Lego movies, goblins. You have something in the works with Leica, which is one of the big animation studios which you're attached to direct as well, and then also some other shows. Let's mention My Little Pony dreamland. What else should we talk about? A bunch of the label, it's hard to talk about the credits because so many of 'em are things that are either in production or development that they're not supposed to talk about yet, or they're things that I was uncredited on. And so it's a weird thing.And why are you uncredited? How does that work? It's super different from TV and movies. So back when I worked in tv, I did tv. I mean, back when we worked together it was like what, 10, 15 years ago? Something like that. But I did TV for the first decade of my career and everything you work on, you're credited, even if you're just like the staff writer in the corner who says three words and doesn't make, get a joke into the script. You're one of the credited writers. Movies are a different situation. It's like one of these dirty secrets of Hollywood where they always want to credit one writer or a team of writers. Sometimes it'll be two writers that get the credit if both of 'em did a huge chunk of the work. But the thing that usually happens these days on big studio movies anyway is they will go through three or four writers over the course of the years and years of it being in development and all those writers who worked on it before the final writer or sometimes just the first writer and the last writer will get credit and all the ones in the middle won't get credit.Or it's like the W G A has these arbitration rules where it's like, unless you did a certain percentage of the final shooting script, you're not going to get credit at all. So even though the guy who brings catering gets credit and every person on, so will you arbitrate for credit or do you go into these projects knowing that you're not going to get credit? Usually I go in knowing that I'm not going to get credit or I will. Sometimes there'll be a situation. I did about a year's worth of work on the Lego movie, the first Lego movie, and Phil and Chris, Phil Lauren and Chris Miller who directed that and wrote the first draft of the script and the final draft of the script. They're buddies of mine and so I'm not going to arbitrate against 'em and I want them to hire me in the future and I love them and they really wanted, they're written and directed by title, and so of course I'm not going to arbitrate in that sort of situation.And also to be fair, I don't think I would win that arbitration because they wrote the first draft and it was already the idea and it was brilliant and it came out of their minds and it was awesome. And then they had me do four or five drafts in the middle of there where I was just addressing all the studio notes and all the notes from the Lego Corporation and all the notes from Lucasville and all that kind of stuff while they're off shooting 21 Jump Street and then they come back. So you were just doing it to move it closer and then they knew they were, yeah, exactly. They knew they were coming back onto it and they were going to direct it and they would do another pass. They would do multiple passes once it goes into storyboarding once it's green lit. So I was just trying to get it to the green lit stage, so they had written a draft and then I did a bunch of drafts addressing all these notes and then we got a green lit off of my drafts and then they came back on and they started the storyboard process and directing process.And the story changes so dramatically during that process anyway that the final product is so far removed from the drafts I did anyway, but it was a valuable, my work was needed to get it to that point to where they can jump back onto it. But very little of that final movie is anything that I can take credit for and I wouldn't want to take credit away from them on that. So I do a lot of that kind of work. Did they have other writers that worked on Legos movie as well, or just you? On the first one, it was them and me. There was these two brothers, the Hagerman brothers who had done a very early treatment, but that had set up the original idea for the movie of Allego man sort of becoming alive. So they got a story by credit, and then they definitely always have a stable of writers that they bring in to do punch up work and to just watch the animatic and give notes and stuff like that.So there's a whole bunch of people that are contributing along the way. Funny, they come from tv, so they really run it. They run it as if they're still on TV a hundred percent. They have their writers. And so I've gotten to work on a lot of their projects as one of their staff writer type people basically is the idea. So it's all uncredited work, but it's great work. They're such great guys and you're working on really cool things every time. And so now there's a new, in the last few years, the W G A started this new thing called additional literary Material credit. And so if Lego were to have come out now, I think I would've gotten that credit on it, but at the time, that didn't exist, so I got a special thanks. And how did you, oh, really? Okay. And how did you meet these guys?They gave me my first ever job before I knew you. I mean, I had written a movie script that was an animated movie. This is like 99 or 2000. I was just out of grad. I wrote it while I was in grad school. And Wait, hold on. I didn't even know you went to grad school. Did you study screenwriting in grad school? Yeah, I went to U S C screenwriting. Oh, I did not. I hide it from you. Why do you hide it? For me? I don't know. It's a weird thing where I feel like a, it's like I was in this weird secondary program that wasn't part of the film school. It was the master's of professional writing and screenwriting. And so people would get confused and I didn't want to lead them on, but also I just feel like it got me to a place and then I was like, I didn't want be part of a good old boys club where people are just hiring U S C people or whatever.That's the whole point of going to USC for Yeah, people ask me, should I go to film school, get an M F A, and my standard answer is, no one will ever ask for your degree. No one caress about your degree. The only thing they care about is can you put the words on the page that are good a hundred? But why did you, but what it did offer me, and I'll get back to how I met Phil and Chris in a little bit, but this is a good side conversation. It gave me an opportunity to do some internships on a couple of TV shows. And that was super, super valuable. So when I was at U SS C, it was 99 and 2000, and so I interned my first year on a little show called Friends, which was still on the air. I was on the air at the time.I was just the stage intern. So I was moving the chairs around during the rehearsals and fetching coffees and getting frozen yogurt for cast members or whatever, just shitting my pants, trying to be a normal human being around all these superstars and was not, I wouldn't say it was the best experience of my life. It was definitely one of those things where I was like, everybody was super intimidating and everybody was really busy and the cast were in the middle of a renegotiation, so they're all showing up late. It just felt like everyone was angry the whole time. And I was like, dunno if I want to work in tv. But there was one writer's assistant who was just like, yeah, because on the stage you're a writer, you need to be in a writer's room, you should be an intern in a writer's room.And I was like, oh. And then so I was able to get an internship on Malcolm In the Middle, which had just sold, it was in his first year, so it was a summer show. So I jumped onto that in the summer and was able to do that. And then in that writer's room, I was like, oh, these are my people. These are actual, wait, you were an intern. They let you sit in the writer's room one. It was like for doing all, getting the lunches and making the coffee and all that stuff. Linwood was nice enough to let me just observe in the room for one day a week just to, well, if I didn't have other stuff I needed to get done. So it was super nice as long as I didn't pitch or say anything and I was just, I never would.But it was cool to, that experience showed me that show was so well written and it was so tight and those writers were all geniuses or I thought they were all geniuses. And then I'd go in the room first, I would read the scripts and I would think, oh my God, I'd never be able to do this. And then I got in the room and I'm like, oh no, they're just working really, really hard and banging their head against the wall until they come up with a perfect joke. And then by the time it's done, it seems like it's genius. But it all was just really hard work, really long hours to get to that place. So that taught me like, oh, maybe I can be one of those people. If I'm just one cog in this room, I could do that. And so that gave sort of the confidence to do that.So I had done those. Getting back, I can loop back into the Phil and Chris thing now because this actually connects really well. I had done those internships. I graduated U Ss C and I had this script that I'd written as my final project or whatever, and it was an animated movie, and I thought you could just sell an animated movie, but I didn't know, they didn't teach me this in grad school that at the time they developed 'em all. It was like only Disney and Dreamworks were doing 'em at the time. This is 2000. And they just hire directors and sort of were an artist in-house to sort of create the stories or back then that's how they would do it. And so I sent it to some agents and the response was always like, Hey, you're a really funny writer. This is really good.I can't sell this. I don't know anybody that buys animated movies, but you should write a live action movie if you can write it as good as this. And so I wrote another movie that was Live Action, but it was silly. It seemed like it might as well have been an, I go back and read it now and I'm like, it's basically an animated movie, but it didn't say it was animated, it was live action human beings. And I submitted it to a small boutique agency at the time called Broder. I don't know if you remember them, Broder Crow, we were there. Yeah. And so Matt Rice was an agent there at the time, and he had on his desk, his assistant was Bill Zody. I dunno if you know him, he's a big name agent now, but he was an assistant at the time.He read that script that I wrote and was like, oh, you know who this reminds me of these other clients that Matt has, Phil and Chris. And so he passed it on to those guys and they were looking for a writer's assistant on Clone High because they had just sold their first TV show. They were a young hotshot writers that were just deal. And so I met with Phil and Chris, and they hired me as the writer's assistant on Clone High, which was like, they were the same age as me. They were just like, we don't know what we're doing. But they're like, you've been in a writer's room, you've been knock on the middle and I friends and you, I didn't know anything. I didn't know what I was doing at all, but it said on my resume that I had had these experiences.So they thought I would be a good writer's assistant for that reason. But they were the coolest dudes from the very beginning. They were just like, you're the writer's assistant, but also you should pitch in the room. You should act like you're another writer. We have a really small staff, we have seven writers, and you're going to get episode eight. I mean, it was crazy. They were just like, they gave me a lance and that never happens anymore. How did they get an overall deal when they came? Oh, it's the craziest day. So they went to Dartmouth, they made each other at Dartmouth and then they were doing cartoons while they were there studying animation. And one of Phil's, I think it was Phil, I think it was Phil won the Student Academy Award for a student film that he did. And it was written about in the Dartmouth Alumni magazine.And there was a development exec at Disney whose son went to Dartmouth and read that article and was like, Hey, called them in their dorm room. And we're like, if you guys ever go out to la lemme know. We'll set a meeting. And they literally, the day after they graduate just drove to LA and then called 'em up and we're like, we're ready to get hired. And it worked and they got hired, it worked. They got hired just to do Saturday morning stuff, and they did that for a little bit and everything they were doing was too crazy for Saturday morning, but it was like Disney. But then Disney was like, well, you can start developing stuff for adult Disney or for primetime stuff. And so they came up with the idea for Clone High, and it originally sold to Fox as a pilot to be after the Simpsons or whatever, but then it didn't get picked up and then M T V picked it up and then they had a show.So it's crazy what a trajectory their career has. Yeah, I know. And now they're running Hollywood. Yeah, pretty much. Pretty much. Yeah. They were good guys to meet right away mean honestly, it was like to become friends with them and just to ride their wake and get some of their sloppy seconds and some of the stuff that they don't want to deal with, it's honestly, it was great. Did they call you a lot with stuff like that? Hey, we don't want to do this. It's yours less now than they used to. I mean, there was a point where I was one of their stable guys that they would call. I think they have met a lot of people in the 20 years since then, but early on it was like, I mean, even their first movie was Claudio with a Chance of Meatballs, and they brought me on to help rewrite the third act at one point.And it was just from then on, they would always send me their scripts and just add jokes or to give feedback or whatever, and they've always been like that. And then I've noticed the last maybe six or seven years as they've gotten these huge deals and all their projects are now just these massive things, it's not quite the same relationship where they would just text me or email me and be like, Hey, read this. Now. It's like they have a whole team of people. They have a machine now, but we still are friends. And then things will come up where they'll hire me for things here and there. I wonder, honestly, I don't want to make this differe about them, but it's so interesting. I kind of think, I wonder what it's like to be that busy. It almost feels like, oh my God, I'm too busy.They're so busy. They're the hardest working people I know. It's like people always wonder how this stuff comes out so good. And it's not that, I mean honestly, it's just good because they stay up later than everybody. They never stop tinkering with things. They're never satisfied. They always think the next thing they do is going to ruin their career. And so they run on this fear that propels them that, I mean, they harness it. It's not like it's a secret. They know that this is what makes them great and utilizing all their friends utilizing, they're the kind of people that are the best idea in the room wins. If you could be the PA or the head of the studio and if you have a great idea, they're like, let's try it. And they also try a lot of stuff that doesn't work and they're given the leeway to go down a lot of dead ends and then realize that's not the answer, and then back up and then try it again and try it again and try it again.And that's how a lot of animated movies are done. And so it drives everybody crazy, but also creates amazing product. That's what, because I've interviewed a couple of guys who worked at dreamworks, which John Able who does a lot of the kung movies, and he describes it the same way. I was like, wow, it's so different from writing live. It's so different from writing live action. The whole experience sounds exhausting to me. Do you find it the same? Yeah, I mean when I first started in it, I was like, this is ridiculous. Why don't they just write a script and then shoot the script? And then over the years, I've learned to love the process. I mean, I was frustrated early on when I would realize how much gets thrown out and how much changes and how much. It's just, it's out of the hands of one writer.And I think a lot of it is also just ego thinking that you could do it better than everybody. And then once I embraced, oh no, you have a bunch of really brilliant storyboard artists and you have a bunch of really brilliant character designers and head of story and a director and all these different people who, and layout artists and even the animators themselves, they all add something so vital and valuable to it, and you learn stuff from each of their steps and then you're just given the leeway to be able to keep adjusting and adjusting until you get it right. And that's why animation comes out so much tighter often than live action is just because you've been able to see the movie so many times and keep tweaking and tweaking until you get it right. Now there is a point where sometimes I feel like you can take that too far and then it just becomes like, oh, we had a great version, four drafts to go and now we've lost our way, or we're just spinning our wheels or whatever.See, that's why I get lost sometimes. I've been in shows where you rewrite something to death and then someone says, we should go back to the way it was, and I'm like, what was the way it was? I don't even remember anymore a hundred percent, and I've stopped ever thinking You can do that. I used to think I would hold out hope though they'll realize that the earlier draft was better. They'd never do. It's like everybody forgets it, and then you just have to have the confidence to be like, well, we know we'll come up with something better together that it'll be from the collaborative mind of all of us. And then I think now I've seen actually the last few years, there's a little bit of a tightening of the belt budgetarily, and that leads to faster schedules. And so instead of having seven times that you can throw the story up from beginning to end on the storyboards, like the reels and watch this movie, you can only do it three times or so.That gives you a little bit more of a window of like, okay, we got to get it right in three drafts or whatever, in three storyboard drafts. And who's driving the ship then in animation? Is it not the director in this case, it's Lord Miller, but they're the writers. Well, Lord Miller are often the directors, and so when they're the directors, they're in charge when they're the producers, they're in charge When they're on the Spider Verse movies, for example, they're the writer or Phil writes them and then they hire directors. But Phil and Chris are the producers, but they're sort of like these super directors. They're very unusual. Yeah, it's not, yeah, that's an unusual situation. But other movies somebody do at dreamworks and there's somebody do at Leica Leica, it's like the director and the head of the studio, Travis Knight, who it's his sandbox and it's his money because he's a billionaire that funds the studio.He has the ultimate say, and so the directors are always working with him, but it's always collaborative. It's always like you get in a room. When I'm working at Leica, it's always like me, the director and Travis trying to figure it out, and he's trusted me to be, I feel like he doesn't trust a lot of people. He is kind of closed off in that way, but once you earn his trust, you will be in that room and you'll figure it out together or whatever. But every movie's different, and sometimes I'm on a movie just to help fix it for a little bit, and then I'm just a fix it person that comes in for a little bit. Sometimes I just add jokes. Sometimes I just, there's been movies where it was a mystery animated movie and they're like, can you just rewrite the mystery?I was like, what a weird assignment. But I had three weeks still. But in this case, they're calling you. How are you getting this work? Just reputation, they're calling you out of nowhere? Mostly now it's reputation. I mean, sometimes I'll be submitted to it. I mean, the first time it's always like you have to be submitted. And I mean, I can tell you how I got hired on box rolls. That was a big breakthrough to me. I mean, it was after I'd done, so Lego was obviously just having known and worked with Phil and Chris forever, and then they got hired on Jump Street, and they needed somebody that they trusted to dear the ship for a while while they're gone. And so I was able to do that, and that was a huge big break. It was like, you couldn't ask for that. I just, I'm the luckiest guy in the world.But after that, at Leica, they had a draft of a movie before it was called box Rolls, it was called Here Be Monsters, and it had been in development for years and years and years and gone through a bunch of writers and they hadn't quite figured it out. It was kind of a mess. It was a big sprawling story that had a lot of moving parts to it, and they had heard that on Lego, I was able to harness a lot of the crazy ideas that Phil and Chris had and put it into a structure that made sense. And so they asked me to come in and do the same thing, or before they even did that, I did a punch up. I got hired to do a punch up on that movie, and I knew that it was going to be a huge opportunity to impress them.I really, really wanted to work at Leica because at the time, they had only had Coralline come out and I loved that movie. And then I had seen maybe ParaNorman had come out or it hadn't come out yet, but it was about to, whatever it was, I knew it was a new animation studio doing really unique original stuff, and I got asked to be part of this round table, and it was all these heavy hitter Simpsons writers. It was like J Kogan and Gamo and Pross, all these people that you're like, these are all legends. They've done a million shows and they get hired to do punch up all the time. That's like their bread and butter, right? I'm not so sure anymore, but okay, no, no, but this is in 2011 or whatever.And I was like, I am going to take this script and analyze it and come up with character moments and come up with, I'm not going to be able to compete with those guys with the best joke in the room necessarily. I'll have good jokes to pitch, but I'm going to have like, oh, what if we adjust the character to be more like this? And where those guys were all, not those guys specifically, but the room in general, these were all guys who were maybe reading five pages ahead and then pitching off the top of their head. And I spent a couple of days writing jokes in the margin and ideas in the margin, and I killed in that room. I got a lot of stuff in and to the point where a few months later when they needed a big overhaul, they asked me to come in and do sort of what I had done on Lego, just take this big thing and hone it down into, so it was a rewrite job at the beginning, and then it turned into three years of working with the director in the studio to change that story.We threw everything out and started over basically a couple times over the course of those years end up, but how are you get paid? Are you getting paid on a weekly scale? Because I don't know how that would work. Do you get paid? It starts off with a draft and then it'll be a typical thing like a draft in two rewrites, but you quickly run through those and then they keep needing your work. At least they're not getting free work out of you. They're picking no, then it turns into either a day rate or a weekly rate, and that's where I bought my house.I made so much money on my day rate. They would literally just, Leica would call me and just be like, oh, we're going to record an actor in a few days. Can you just go through all their scenes and write three or four alts for every joke? Just have a bunch of stuff. And I would spend a few days doing that, and then a day rate, you get paid really, really well, that stuff adds up. Or they would be like, we just need one more pass on the third act, or we just need to go through the whole script and remove this character. And so all these little weekly assignments, and then you're just like, that was very lucrative doing it that way.Michael Jamin:Hey, it's Michael Jamin. If you like my videos and you want me to email them to you for free, join my watch list. Every Friday I send out my top three videos. These are for writers, actors, creative types. You can unsubscribe whenever you want. I'm not going to spam you and it's absolutely free. Just go to michaeljamin.com/watchlist.Adam Pava:You usually, because done so much animation and it sounds like you always set out to do animation, is that I did set out to do it, and then I didn't set out to only do it. I thought I could do both, but you kind of get pigeonholed a little bit. It's hard. I've gotten hired to write a few live action movies, but there were always a live action movie that had an animation element to it. It could be a hybrid movie or be a family movie that they think, oh, because you've done family work, you can do this. But nobody would ever hire me to just do a horror movie or whatever. And I don't know if I'd be the right guy for that either. I think my sensibility tends to be more animation based, but also, I think movies are such a different thing than TV where there's like, they're so expensive.If you're spending $80 million or whatever, you want to hire somebody that's done it before. So it's really, really hard for the studio bosses or even the lower level executives to fight to hire you if you've never done that kind of thing before. And so you get, it's not pigeonholed. I love doing it and I love the work, but it's also, I get why I get hired for certain things and not for other things. But also I feel super lucky because animation is one of the only parts or the only genres of film that has not shrunk over the years. Movies in general, they've stopped making live action comedies almost completely, except for stuff on streamers. They don't make rom-coms anymore. They barely make action comedies. It's like they make superhero movies and Star Wars movies, but then animation movies are evergreen. And so I feel really lucky that I sort of fell into this area that there is still work to be had.So yeah, I mean, you really have put together a really pretty impressive career. And I know not all your credits, not all your work is credited, so what I mean? Yeah, well, it's either uncredited or there's so many projects that died Vine. So it's like you read my, I said you that list of credits and it's like I'm looking at it over earlier today. Oh, it's just a list of debt projects, but that's expected. When you go into it, you go, okay, they're not all going to go. That's expected. It's all right. I was looking at my, I was organizing my, it's a strike, so I have time to do these things, organizing my folders on my computer and putting everything in, and I had over 150 folders of each. One is its own project, and not all of those are work that I've done.Some of them are like, I got sent this thing to pitch on, and then I had one meeting and it went away. And some of 'em I did a few weeks on, or some of 'em I just did day work on, but 150 projects over the years. Some of 'em I'm on for a year or two or three years. So it's insane. And so the hit ratio is super low of, I got really lucky when I transitioned out of TV and went into movies. It was like the first two things. Well, I sold a thing to Dreamworks that didn't get made, but then right after that, it was Lego and box trolls. They both came out in 2014, and I worked on both of 'em, and I was like, oh, this is going to be easy. You work on a movie and then it comes out and then it's cut to 10 years later and it's like nothing else is my name on it has come out.I've worked steadily. I've worked really well. I've been very happy. But it's definitely, it's a different thing than TV where you're just working and getting credited all the time. Well, yeah, but it also sounds like, I don't know, it sounds like to me, maybe I'm wrong. It sounds like you don't need to hustle as much doing what you do. No, I feel like it's the opposite because on TV you can get on a show and you're running for years, but on a movie you always know what's going to add, but they're coming to you. People are coming to you with offers, in other words. Oh yeah, sometimes. I mean, yes, the ones that end up happening, that's true. But there's so many that I'm just on a list at the studio, but I'm in a bake off with six other writers and I don't get it.So you put a lot of work so people don't know what to bake off is. So this is when you have to pitch to get the job and you have to put in several weeks of work. That's the worst. That's just the worst. And that's the majority of my life. Oh, is it? That's like, yeah. Yeah. So there's definitely, I mean, between Phil and Chris and Laika, I have, and a little bit of Dreamworks now. I'm doing my third movie for them right now. So that's pretty good over 10 years, three movies. But other than those places, it's always like you're getting sent stuff, but that doesn't mean they want you. It just means they want to hear a bunch of takes, and so you have to try to fight for the job if you really want it. Or I used to spend months or maybe eight months coming up with the take and having every detail worked out.And then I realized over time, they don't actually want that. They want a big idea and some themes and some ideas of what the set pieces are, and they want to know that you, I mean, honestly, it's, I don't even recommend that young writers go out for them because you're not going to get it anyway, because they're always going to go with somebody that has done it before. Especially, I mean, not always, if you might be the rare exception, but so much. Well, then what do you recommend to young writers to do? Dude, I don't know. I mean, I think you have to write great samples. I mean, I think that's the main thing is have samples that show exactly what your voice is and exactly what makes you different than everybody else, and what you can bring to the table that nobody else can.I think that's the first thing. But to get those open writing assignments, I think it's just a fool's errand to even try, because they're just so risk averse to hire anybody that hasn't done it before. I think the better shot that you have is to make smaller things, and then they'll see you've done, it's not even try to get these big studio things, get a small indie thing if you can, or make your own thing if you can, or just try to work your way up in a smaller way. I mean, all the big name directors out there all started on small indie movies. And I think that's got to be the same for writers now too. So many fewer movies. Is there anything that you're doing on the side just for the love of it that you're creating for yourself? Or is it, I haven't, in the last few years, I haven't.I've just been busy with work, but during the pandemic, I had plenty of time. Nobody was buying movies, and I am wrapped up on something and I had an idea that I thought was going to be my next big sale, and that it was an idea about a virus that went, it was a comedy thing, but it was this idea where it was sort of based on the idea that Christmas is getting longer and longer every year, where people put up their lights in decorations sooner and sooner, and you start seeing the stuff for sale in October or whatever. And so I was like, oh, it felt like Christmas was a virus that was slowly taking over the world. And I was like, what if it's a zombie movie, but Christmas is the virus? And so it was sort of a Christmas apocalypse thing where Christmas takes over the world and one family didn't get infected and had to fight back.So I was like, this is going to be a big seller. And then I was like, and then Covid hit, and it was like nobody wanted to buy a thing about a virus taking over the world, so I literally spent the pandemic. To answer your question, I wrote it as a novel. Instead, I wrote it as a middle grade novel, a y, a novel. Did you publish it? Not yet. We're trying. So we're out to publishers, and it took a while to figure out literary agents, which are very different world and everything, but the idea is to hopefully sell it as a book and then be able to adapt it as a feature. But yeah, it was so fun to write, and it was so freeing to not be stuck in 110 pages and to, I mean, I already had the whole thing outlined from the pitch when I was going to pitch it, so I knew the structure of it, so I just kept it as the structure of a movie, but I expanded on it and got more into the character's heads and that kind of stuff.But I had such a fun time writing that, and I was just like, man, someday when the work dries up, I am going to look forward to writing novels instead. And oh, yeah. The funny thing is when you describe the literary word going out to publishers, it's not that different from Hollywood. You think It is. It's not. It's the same hell. Oh, absolutely. But you and I haven't had to deal with breaking into Hollywood in a long time. And then in the literary world, they're like, oh, you've written movies. We don't care. We don't care at all. So it's starting over. And U T A tried to help a little bit, but they're like, we don't really know what to do. And then, so it's, I've been, my manager has been introducing me to editors and stuff, literary editors, and they've been really receptive, and it's been good trying to find the right one and the person I jive with. But it's very much like, oh, you're starting from scratch all over again. And for less money, no money. I mean, literally, I don't know how you would make a living off of this. I mean, I think we're spoiled a little bit, but what was the money they were telling you? Can you say, I don't want to say you don't, but it was basically about, it was less than a 10th that I would get paid on a movie.It was about my weekly rate. So I was telling you, I do weekly jobs on movies, and it's like if I do a weekly on a studio movie or I could sell a novel, or you could work five years on a novel, and I'm like, oh, this is not a way to support a family, but it was really fun. Someday when I'm just doing it for fun, I would love to do it. Wow, how interesting. Wow. So your best advice, because you're not an animator, you're not even an artist, are you? No, I don't draw or anything. I just love animation. I just always loved animation. So I don't know. I think when I was in seventh grade when the Simpsons started, and that blew my mind, and I was like, I remember telling my dad, I think I want to write on this. It was the first time I recognized, oh, people are writing these jokes. It was very, I think, more self-aware than most comedy was. And I was in junior high and I was just like, I want to be a writer on a show like this. I never was a writer on that show, but a bunch of other stuff.Now, as far as directing, because I know you're attached to possibly direct this project, where does your confidence come from that to direct? I mean, I don't know if I have confidence in it. I mean, I would want to co-direct it. In animation, you often get paired with another, if you're a writer, you'd get paired with an experienced animation director who comes from the visual side. So either an animator or a store wear artist or visual development artist. And I just feel like some of the projects I've been doing, you sort of act as more than just a writer anyway. You're sort of meeting with the creative heads all the time, making these big decisions that affect the projects. And at a certain point, I'm like, well, if I write something, that project that I, that's at life that I was attached to, it probably won't even happen at this point.It's been a few years, and it's kind of sitting there waiting for Travis to decide if he wants to make it. But it was a personal project to me, and it was like this would be the one that I was like, I would really want to see this all the way through. And I'm sure at that studio at this point, he's, Travis himself who runs the studio, is kind of directing all the latest projects anyway, so I would be co-directing with him. And so he would really be in charge, and I would just be, they're up in Seattle, right? Portland? Yeah, Portland or in Portland, yeah. So do you go up there a lot for Yeah, when I'm on a project, so usually it's like if I'm just writing it before it's green lit, which is most of the time I'll just fly up there for meetings just to get launched or whatever, and then go back up after I turn it in to get notes. But if it's in production on box trolls, and then there's another upcoming one that I did a bunch of production work on, they'll fly me up there to work with the board artists and stuff. And that's a crazy, that place is so nice.It's like a wonderland. I mean, it's like this giant warehouse downstairs that they have all the stages and they're all covered with black velvet rope, I mean black velvet curtains. So to keep all the light out and everything. And that's where they're moving all the puppets and everything, the stop motion. And then upstairs it's like the offices, and it just feels like a corporate office building with cubicles and stuff. It's very weird. But you go downstairs and it's like there's people animating, there's this huge warehouse where they're building all the props and they're like armature section where they're adding all the skeletal armature to the You never went with us to, because Kapa was like that in a cup of coffee in Toronto when we did Glen Martin. Yeah, it was amazing though. Similar. But Kapa is doing it on a budget, and these guys are spending so much money, it's not a viable way to make money to make these animated stop motion animated movies.They don't do it to make money. He does it. He loves it. Oh, really? Oh my gosh. Yeah, because Travis Knight is the son of Phil Knight who've gone to Nike, so he's got sort of a lot of money, and it's his hobby shoe money. He's got shoe money, but he is a brilliant animator. He is a super smart, interesting dude who wants to make things that are different than anybody else. And so it's an amazing place to work because nowhere else do you ever have the conversation of like, oh, we could do this if we wanted to do it, where more people would see it, or we could do it this way, which is cool and we want to do this. It's fun and weird.Not that he doesn't care about an audience, he does care about an audience, but it's not most important to him is making something that's awesome to him for the art. And so it's a very different way of looking at things. But I've been in situations there where it's like we're doing upstairs, doing a rewrite with me and the director changing the whole third act or whatever, and then I go downstairs and just tour the stages and the workshops, and I'll meet a puppeteer who's like building this giant puppet who's telling me this is the biggest puppet that's ever been created in Stop motion, and here's the 17 different places where I can articulate it. And I'm just thinking like, dude, we cut that yesterday upstairs. Oh no. And he's been working on it for a month. Oh, no. But I can't say anything. I'm just sort of like, oh, yeah, that's awesome.It's so great. You're doing great work. Anyway, I'm going to get back upstairs. That's so heartbreaking. But they burn through so much money just doing it all by hand. It's so crazy. But it's so beautiful, so I love it. And so you were literally upstairs, they gave you a small office and you just start typing? Yeah, that's literally, I mean, usually when I'm there, it's like they just put me in some random cubicle that nobody else is using or it's not a cubicle, a little office that is or whatever, somebody office. And you'll stay there for a few days or a few weeks or what? Yeah, exactly. Depending on how much they need me. So it either be a few days or a few weeks. And then on box rolls, I was up there. I would be up there for a week, relining some stuff, and then I'd come back home for two weeks and write those pages up.And I mean, I'd be writing in the evenings after the meetings and stuff too, while I was up there. But when we are rewriting, it's a train that's moving and it's like the track is you're running on a track and you got to keep pressure. What did you think of staying there in Portland? Did you like it? I did it. It's hard because my family's here and life is here, but if that movie had gone that I was attached to Coder Act, we were planning on moving there for that for three or four years. That's how it would take. Interesting. Would you have sold your house here or just rented it out? I'd have rented it out, I think. Interesting. Yeah, you, it was like we were having all these conversations, and then it's the longer it goes, we're like, that's probably not going to happen.We don't have to think about this right now. How interesting. That's so key. It really takes that long, man. Oh yeah. They're so long. And then also, it's like there is this weird thing in animation where it's not uncommon for a movie to go through two or three directors over the course of its many years in production. So it's like, why? I know. Just because they're beasts. And sometimes in the same way that you're changing the story so many times over the years, sometimes you make such a drastic change that it's no longer the vision of that director, and it's just not a right fit anymore. And I've seen that happen on a lot of movies that I've been on. I mean, Boxtrolls didn't end up with the same two directors that it started with. One of the two stayed on it, but the other one didn't.Oh, no, this sounds very frustrating to me. It sounds It does. And then other movies up there have gone through different directors, and so I was like, even if I had gotten hired as the director, I was in the back of my head. I always knew this might not last even if I'll do my best and I'll try to make it work. But you haven't even started and you're finding I'm being fired. Yeah, totally. But I mean, it's a weird thing. It's not TV where you're on a show for a year and then hopefully you get the second year if you get one. It's like in movies, they fire and hire different writers all the time, and so directors less, but writers, it really is pretty common. I've been on both sides of it where it's like, I used to take it really harder, fired off a movie.You're like, oh my God, did they not like the draft? I did. And usually it's like, no, we liked it, but now there's a director on it and they want to take a different direction. Or Oh, the director has a friend that they want to work with that they work with as a writer. Or other times I've been that guy that a director has brought on to rewrite somebody else, and I always try to be super nice about it. Now that I've seen both sides of it, I always try to reach out to the previous writer and be like, Hey, I just want you to know it's in good hands. Or sometimes if I'm the one that's fired, I reach out, be like, Hey, if you want to know where the skeletons are buried, happy to get in lunch with you. Just to be like, here's the pitfalls to look out for.This is where people don't realize that people on the outside just don't realize what it's actually like when you're the writer. You're a successful working writer. And I think they have a very different vision of the reality of a hundred percent. I didn't know the job was, I thought the job was going to be writing the whole time. Most of the job is it's playing politics with the studio and the executives and the director and Well, what do you mean politics, getting navigating the notes? What do you mean? Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's like the notes, but also the personalities. It's like a lot of the job I feel like is to go in and to make everybody feel comfortable with where you're taking it. Because you walk into a room and sometimes you could feel like, oh, the director thinks they're making a very different movie than the head of development thinks.Then that's different than what the producer thinks. And that's different than what the head of the studio thinks. It's like I've been in a room where it's like Jeffrey Katzenberg is just like, guys, guys, guys, you're all thinking about this all wrong. And you just have to be like, okay, how can I find solutions that makes everybody happy, that make everybody happy? And that's a huge part of the job. I mean, honestly, when I did the Lego rewriting with Phil and Chris, that's what the whole job was, was just like, how do I make Warner Brothers who didn't know what they had? They thought it was a toy commercial. They were very skeptical of the whole thing, Phil and Chris, who wanted to make some beautiful art. And it was cool with cool ideas. And Lego Corporation who wanted to make a toy commercial and Lucasfilm who didn't want their characters to be in it, and DC who didn't know whether they should be or not.And you're just like, how do I get in a room? And and usually if you come up with a great gag or great joke that articulates the, that illuminates the tone of the thing. So they all go, oh, okay. That's the thing. So the round of notes, like you're saying, oh, it's incredible, but for everybody and everyone's got conflicting. I don't even know walking into that job, and all I care about is I don't want my friends, Phil and Chris to think I fucked up their movie because they're trusting me just so I keep it moving. But I would think even for them, it's like, how do I get this movie made when I have so many competing notes and to their credit account, great, but still that is a hundred percent to their credit, they have a genius ability to, not only are they great writers and great directors, I think more than that, they have this sense of how to make everybody in a room think that the ideas came from them.It's like, yeah, they're great at, they'll go into a room, I think sometimes having some ideas in their pocket, but it feels like the room came up with the ideas together, and then everybody's like, yes, we did it. Pat ourselves on the back. And everybody, the executives' seem happy. But sometimes it actually does come out that, I mean, those brainstorm sessions really do create a new idea, and sometimes it's them trusting the process that that's going to work out. And sometimes I think they literally are like, well, we can go this way or this way, but I know it'll be easier if they think they had the idea. So let's go this way for now. And then later they know it's going to change a thousand times anyway in the storyboards, and then they could figure it out for real later. Because all these see people like that.They're very well paid, but in my opinion, they're earning every penny of this a hundred percent. They're earning every, it's not that easy. This job, I feel like I've gotten better over the years where I've taken my ego out of it. I used to have a much bigger ego, you might remember, but I feel like I can be, now, I can just go in a room and be like, I'm just going to try to help. I'm just going to be like, how could I make everybody feel comfortable? How can I make everybody feel like we're on the right page together and create this thing? I know that it's like the process is going to take years and years, and the relationship is more important than the individual story note or whatever. It's like that's what's going to matter over the long term of this project.It's that we all trust each other and that we can make something great together. And that's more important than fighting for a joke or fighting for a story moment or a take, or even exactly, either. It's about fighting the relationship, and I've said this before, it's about the relationship is the most important thing, and sometimes you have to sacrifice what you think is the best story, the best moment for the greater good of the relationship. A hundred percent. A hundred percent. Wow. I feel like this has been eyeopening even for me, and I feel like my eyes are fucking opened. You know what I'm saying?We've done some movie work, but obviously we work mostly in tv, but the movie side, the movie side was never really appealing. I remember because we shared the same agent for our futures, and I remember he gave us a conversation. I was like, I dunno if I want to work in movies again. It's weird. It sounds hard. It's different because in TV you're the boss, right? I mean, when you're the showrunner, you're the boss. Yeah. You've been there for a long time. And in movies, you're never the boss. I mean, I gave up on, I mean, before I worked with you, there was one TV show I ran and I co ran with my friend Tim, and we were the bosses, and I hated it. I did not enjoy it. It was like all the meetings and all the decisions and the budgets and the interpersonal relationships and all that stuff.I was like, I was not good at it back then, and I don't know if I'd be better now, and I just was like, you know what? I just want to be part of a team and I want to be a writer. And it's like in movies, that's what you are. You're just part of this big team in a different way. I mean, I guess when you're a staff writer or coming up through the ranks and tv, you're part of a team too, but you can be like, you're also a much more integral part of the team, the one writer on it at the time. Or in movies, you're like, when you're the writer, you're the writer and they all look to you for that one job. Or if you're on a staff when I'm on a show with you or whatever, you might look to me for one type of, it's very different. I'm a cog in this room.It's never, you never have to be a hundred percent on your A game every day for you can showing it in a little bit coast. Wow. Adam Paval, what an interesting conversation. This is enlightening for me. Very enlightening. Yeah, man. Are you having everybody on from the old days, Brian? Well, I had Alex Berger on a while ago. We talked a little bit about that script that you guys wrote together. Well, there's two things on Glen Martin. You were always pestering me to do a musical. Yeah, I think, I don't know how to write a musical. And you're like, this is why I've work in animated features. I've written three musicals since I, so lemme let you do the movie. I was like, dude, I don't know how to do so go ahead and knock yourself out. That was fun. And then you guys came back with that Christmas episode. I thought you guys both hit it out of the park. I was like, let's shoot it, let's shoot it.I think it took, because that was all second year stuff and it took a little bit of time to figure out tonally what we were doing and then just to get a little crazier. And then, I mean, those episodes were like, yeah, I could be a little bit more myself of writing the weird stuff that I wanted. I mean, the other one I remember fondly is that weird Funshine episode. Was that the musical one or was that, I don't remember. Dude, fun cine was, it was like the planned community in Florida that was basically celebration Florida and they all realized that everybody was on being drugged and were lactating out of their breast and all that. Oh, that's right. Now I remember the guy, there was a scene where there's a pregnant man or something. It was fucking nuts. And I was like, oh, now we're writing the show that I could write.The first year, I think it was a little bit more like I was a little square pa in a round hole where it was like I didn't have a family at the time and it was a family show. It was about a dad and a mom trying to navigate their crazy kids and I was like, I don't know what the fuck. Crazy in that show. It's a shame. We didn't do more seasons. We weren't nuts. It was fun. It was a fun time. For sure. I got some of the puppies right over there, so see, yeah, I got the one you gave me of me that one from the college episode. Oh right, the college episode. That's right. We put you in. You ran the gauntlet I think, didn't you? I think that, yeah, that's exactly right. Funny. Yeah, funny. Adam, Papa, where can people, is there anything want, we can plug people, find you.Are you on social media? Is there anything? I'm not super active. I'm on Twitter. You can find me on Twitter. Adam Papa or Adam or whatever it's called now. X X, I'm on X, but don't really, I'm not super active on it. I don't have anything to plug. Everything's going to come out in four years. Yeah, right. Yeah. Look for Adam Papa in four years when something drops to the movies. That's the process. Dude, thank you again so much for doing this. This was a really interesting conversation. I haven't talked yet, spoken to anybody about this kind of stuff. You are a wealth of information. Alright. Yeah, it's fine. Everyone, thank you so much. Until the next episode drops, which will be next week. Keep writing.Phil Hudson:This has been an episode of Screenwriters Need to Hear this with Michael Jamin and Phil Hudson. If you're interested in learning more about writing, make sure you register for Michael's monthly webinar @michaeljamin.com/webinar. If you found this podcast helpful, consider sharing it with a friend and leaving us a five star review on iTunes. For free screenwriting tips, follow Michael Jamin on social media @MichaelJaminwriter. You can follow Phil Hudson on social media @PhilaHudson. This podcast was produced by Phil Hudson. It was edited by Dallas Crane Music by Ken Joseph. Until next time, keep writing.

Oren grew up between the United States and Israel nurturing hobbies in painting and photography, building LEGOs, and voraciously watching movies. These activities laid the groundwork for what would eventually become a love of cinematography and a passion for crafting bold, cinematic imagery.Last year, Oren wrapped filming on the feature film ‘The Creator,' directed by Gareth Edwards, along with cinematographer Greig Fraser ASC ACS, slated for release on September 29 2023. Two of his other recent features premiered at the TIFF and TriBeCa film festivals in 2022. He has also shot multiple award-winning short films, including 'Opera of Cruelty,' which won a Student Academy Award, and ‘See You Soon,' which won the audience award at the Palm Springs International Shortsfest before subsequently premiering on Short of the Week and receiving a Vimeo Staff Pick.During his studies at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, Oren was nominated for the ASC Gordon Willis Student Heritage Award, and was a finalist for the Arri Volker Bahnemann Award for Cinematography. Oren has also shot hundreds of commercials and music videos for a variety of clients including Nike, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, HBO, Foot Locker, Grey Goose Vodka, Doritos, Kohler, Wilson Tennis, Marriott Hotels, ACE Hardware, Crest, Viacom, and Universal Studios.EPISODE LINKS: Oren's Website: orensoffer.com Oren's Instagram: @orensofferdpMORE ABOUT “NO SET PATH” Website: nosetpath.com Instagram: instagram.com/nosetpath YouTube: youtube.com/@nosetpathFOLLOW DREW ENGLISH Website: drewenglish.comInstagram: instagram.com/drewenglishh LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drewenglish Twitter: twitter.com/thedrewenglish

The Writers Guild of America and the major Hollywood studios are closing in on a deal that would end a 145-day strike that has roiled the film and TV business and caused thousands of job losses. Animals Gone Wild. A Cal State Northridge student's documentary film led to the discovery of 10 half-siblings after she found out she was conceived using a sperm donor.The film, “#2276,” directed by student Sara Sims, 22, is now a finalist in the prestigious nationwide Student Academy Awards.Sims set out to make a documentary about her roots and along the way, she learned much more than she could've ever imagined about her story. Man Stress is harder than lady stress and everybody knows it. That's right — stressed-out male workers who feel under-appreciated could be twice as likely to develop potentially deadly heart disease, according to a paper just published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

We are live, on-location at the TCL Chinese Theatre for the 19th annual Oscar Qualifying ⁠HollyShorts Film Festival⁠, as the official podcast partner. These shorter, special episodes are with selected filmmakers. In this episode Hae sits down with Eugen Merher (writer/director) & Alexander Wolf David (composer) of the film “The Boy Who Couldn't Feel Pain” which was nominated for a Student Academy Award last year 2022.   Logline:  ‘The Boy Who Couldn't Feel Pain' is set in Grants, New Mexico and tells the fictional small-town legend of Chester, a street fighter who can't feel any pain. When Annie, a bowling alley employee who just moved into town challenges him for a fight, things begin to change. Eugen discusses his self-made stabilization arm attached to a pickup truck (a poor man's Ukrainian arm) for some running shots. How did they work with talent with this set-up? The actor had to run for about 8 hours, stop & go.  As a film school project, the New Mexico market was accommodating to their low budget.  Alex Wolf David, Composer had to create a sound of “legend” and “awkwardness” for the character. Alex improvises musically and Eugen would listen to what feels right.  They also found a local instrument made of a cigar box to give the appropriate sounds.  Their 4:3 aspect ratio was a choice driven by the simple and small world story of the main character.  Instagram:   @eugendirector (https://www.instagram.com/eugendirector/) @mortihochberg (https://www.instagram.com/mortihochberg/) @lephilipon (https://www.instagram.com/lephilipon/) @catfishjean (https://www.instagram.com/catfishjean/) @delilah_constanza (https://www.instagram.com/delilah_constanza/) @dylansprayberry (https://www.instagram.com/dylansprayberry/) @ernstli (https://www.instagram.com/ernstli/) @alexanderwolfdavid (https://www.instagram.com/alexanderwolfdavid/) @robinharff_audio (https://www.instagram.com/robinharff_audio/) @manuport (https://www.instagram.com/manuport/) @filmakademie_bw (https://www.instagram.com/filmakademie_bw/) @tempomedia.de (https://www.instagram.com/tempomedia.de/) @marc_angele @alex.antholzner (https://www.instagram.com/alex.antholzner/) @dookovspook (https://www.instagram.com/dookovspook/) @wolfsrudelmusic (https://www.instagram.com/wolfsrudelmusic/) @floyd_audio (https://www.instagram.com/floydaudio/) @hyve.audio (https://www.instagram.com/hyve.audio/) @paul_pedro @sarahheidelberger @doncamillo53 Can't make it to the festival in person? Watch the films at https://bitpixtv.com/programs/hsff-23-pre-roll-final-87100d and use code HSFF2023CFA for 20% off!  For our listeners, CFA has teamed up with ⁠We Make Movies⁠ to get you a discount on production management services, including access to comprehensive production insurance and workers' comp for your next shoot. Visit ⁠wemakemovies.org/insurance⁠ and use code CFA23 on your intake form for 10% off your quote. Follow us wherever you listen to your podcasts to keep up to date on new episode releases.  A huge thank you to our sponsors: Apogee, FilmTools, Rosco, Lightstone Rentals, Deity, Canon, and First Mile Technologies. Website: https://⁠www.cinematographyforactors.com⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/cinematographyforactors⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@cinematographyforactors⁠ ⁠Cinematography for Actors⁠ is a community aimed at bridging the gap between talent & crew through our ⁠weekly podcast⁠ & community events. Our weekly show supports the filmmaking community through transparent, honest & technically focused interviews with the goal of elevating the art of effective storytelling. Join the CFA Community, sign up to our newsletter: ⁠https://mailchi.mp/e27e1a2bc895/newsletter⁠ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cinematographyforactors/support

Garin Hussenjian received her BA in English with an emphasis in creative writing from UCLA in 1996. In 1999, she completed her MFA in Film from Art Center College of Design and in 2000 her short film, Single Moments, was nominated for a Student Academy Award. Initially working in film production as an independent freelance producer and unit production manager, she branched out to work in a variety of fields. This included founding her own Japanese stationery importing company, managing an aerospace engineering company, and most recently, working for the City of Beverly Hills. Within the City of Beverly Hills, she's held many roles including Public Information Coordinator, Community Outreach Manager, and Deputy Director of Special Projects. To every role, Garin brings some common threads – being an expert listener and communicator, bringing out the best in individuals so teams can achieve their goals.

We had the pleasure of interviewing Halima Lucas, a highly accomplished filmmaker and screenwriter. Halima shared her personal background and journey in the entertainment industry with us. From Stockton, California, Halima is a heart-driven LA-based filmmaker and TV writer who graduated from the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. Her short film, Amelia's Closet, became a finalist for the 43rd Student Academy Awards and won the 2017 American Black Film Festival HBO Short Film Award. After the success of her film, she was selected for Ryan Murphy's Half Initiative TV Director Shadowing program and the Break The Room fellowship. In the latter, she helped develop and write the web series East of La Brea, which was produced by Paul Feig's Powderkeg, premiered at SXSW in 2019, and won at Urbanworld Film Festival. She was then selected for the 2018-2019 Nickelodeon Writing Program and landed a development deal on a live-action multi-cam project. Currently, Halima is a Story Editor/Co-Producer on Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur and continues to create content for all ages. Her most recent project, the short film Plan LMNOP, was made in collaboration with GFS, Endeavor Content, Deutsche Bank, and LA Frieze and was officially selected for Urbanworld Film Festival and Martha's Vineyard AA Film Festival.During our interview, Halima shared how her early accolades and experiences influenced her career path and the themes and messages in her work. She also talked about her personal reason for choosing USC and explained the criteria for acceptance into the University. We dove deeper into her work on the Marvel animated series "Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur." Halima shared how her film work led her to write for the show and how she balances her roles as a producer and writer. We also discussed the importance of representation and diversity in the entertainment industry and how it has evolved throughout her career.Halima's talent and passion for storytelling are inspiring, and her journey in the entertainment industry serves as a testament to the importance of following one's heart and pursuing one's dreams. We are excited to see what Halima has in store for the future and are grateful for the opportunity to learn from her experiences.HALIMA'S SOCIALS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/HalimaLucasInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/halimalucas/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/halimalucas/OUR SOCIALS:Twitter: https://twitter.com/FatherSonGalaxyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/fathersongalaxyFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/FatherSonGalaxyWebsite: https://fathersongalaxy.com/Media Kit: https://fathersongalaxy.com/media-kit-2/Spreadshop (Merchandise) https://fathersongalaxy.myspreadshop.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/fathersongalaxy

Caroline Friend is fresh out of film school and already making waves in the industry.  In this episode, Leslie and Caroline discuss all things film and festivals.  You're gonna love it.About Caroline:Caroline Friend is an award-winning director and writer. Caroline earned her degree in Film Production and History from the University of Southern California. Her latest film, Under Darkness, was a finalist for the Student Academy Awards®, premiered at Telluride Film Festival, and won the Horizon Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Her work has been recognized by the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and the Television Academy, as well as supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Adrienne Shelly Foundation, Panavision, and Steven Spielberg's Shoah Foundation. She continues to seek meaningful true stories to bring to audiences.  TOP FESTIVALS & AWARDS:Student Academy Awards® - Finalist, 2019Telluride Film Festival - Official Selection, 2019Sundance Film Festival - Horizon Award Winner for Directing, 2019Director's Guild of America - Jury Award Winner for Student Film, 2019Television Academy (Emmys) - College Awards - Best Drama Nominee, 2019Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival American Pavilion - Best Student Film, 2020Film Pittsburgh Presents: The Robinson International Short Film Competition - Award Winner 2020