Episode 115: Monica Levinson, Producer, Production Executive

This episode is generously sponsored by:

Monica is the President of Production for ShivHans Pictures and comes from a long line of working women in her family. In fact, her grandmother owned a liquor store and her mother started the First Women’s Bank of Maryland.

Monica produced Bruno, Borat and Zoolander (to name a few), and she was the production supervisor on Private Parts. Check out her IMDB, you will be impressed.

We got real about the business and how to balance self-preservation with ambition in this male-dominated industry.  When do you speak up vs when do you send your message through other channels? Do you want to be right or do you want to be effective?

Episode 114: Tricia Lee, Director

This episode generously sponsored by: 

Tricia is a Canadian film Director, who earned her US Green Card as an Artist of Extraordinary Ability. She has 3 award-winning feature films, 2 webseries and 11 shorts under her belt which can be found on various digital platforms. Meeting Mommy, for example is a moving and powerful film about a father and daughter coping with a life twist they didn’t expect. Find it here.

We talked about finding your voice as a director and an artist, learning to write your own stories, and Tricia’s upcoming projects. She is very disciplined in her process.

Also, Tricia's short film Affection will be having its world premiere at the Oscar-Qualifying LA Shorts International Film Festival on July 29, 2018.

You can learn more about Tricia here: wwwtricialeedirector.com.

Episode 113: Sarah McGrail, VFX Producer

This episode generously brought to you by:

Sarah is the Director of VFX Sales at Picture Shop and has been a Supervising VFX Producer for the last decade. She is a wealth of knowledge of that side of the business, which is a side not that many people are expert in.

Some of her credits include Veep, House of Cards, Orange is the New Black – basically my streaming queue.

And she taught me the word sanctamom. Talk about descriptive…

Episode 112: Allegra Clegg, Production Executive, Producer

This episode is generously sponsored by:

Allegra is the Senior Vice President of Physical Production at Paramount Pictures. Before becoming an executive, Allegra was a Producer and Production Manager on no less than four Transformer movies, along with Paranormal Activity 4 and a favorite of mine, The American President. If you need to see even more credits, here is the link to her IMDB page. She is a serious badass. One might even call her the Michael Bey whisperer.

We talked about what it took to rise to the top of the production world and how she made the shift to a studio job. What is important? What matters? What factors into your important career decisions?

Episode 111: Jeanette Volturno, Production Executive

This episode is generously sponsored by:

Jeanette is the Head of Production for Blumhouse. Her credits include Get Out, Insidious, The Purge, Paranormal Activity and approximately eleventy-hundred other things. She is also the founder of Catchlight Films and an entrepreneur. She has several projects that she will tell us about.

Jeanette’s story starts with a fiery redhead who could light up Las Vegas with her power and goes through visual effects, horror films and releasing a software app for worldwide filmmakers, and even collaborating with yours truly on an audio series. She has her hands in a lot of pots and makes it look pretty easy. I assure you, it’s not.

And this important tidbit: Lure them in with snacks.

EP 110: Heidi Basch-Harod, Executive Director Women's Voices Now

Heidi Basch-Harod is the Executive Director of Women’s Voices Now, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which uses the medium of film to advocate for global women’s rights. They carry out their mission with an annual online film festival, a free streaming archive of international women’s rights based films, educational programs, screening events, and multimedia workshops.

She has spent her career as a human rights activist and also is a producer of the award-winning feature documentary Honor Diaries, and the highly-acclaimed short film, In Search of America, Inshallah.

Among other quotables, she said this, “no matter who you are or where you’re from women have incredible capabilities for survival.” Isn’t that the truth?

Episodes 108 & 109: Dana Belcastro and Debra Bergman, Production Executives

Dana Belcastro is EVP Feature Production at Twentieth Century Fox and Debra Bergman is EVP Production and Head of Production Scripted at Paramount TV. They are also the co-founders of the Women’s Production Society – the organization for female top-level production executives. We talk about their journey up through production and to the top of the studio machines.

There was a moment in the last year when they realized as a body of women they are powerful, and are in a unique position to create some change. So, that is exactly what they are doing.

We talked for so long and about so many topics, this will be two episodes. This can be your week to binge on female production executives.

These women are formidable.

Episode 106: Carrie Maurer and Nina Gianelli, Heart Headed Entertainment

Carrie and Nina are Producers and Founders of the production company called Heart Headed Entertainment. They came up through talk shows and unscripted and then took their careers into their own hands to both have more meaning in their work and to create a more manageable work and life model.

We talked about working in “talk” – you have no idea how much teeth come into it - and how complimentary medicine and healthy living has influenced both their company and their desire for a sustainable life inside of this business. This hour flies by…

You can find Carrie and Nina in all of these places:

https://www.facebook.com/heartheadedent/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/heartheadedentertainment/

https://www.instagram.com/heartheadedentertainment/

Episode 104: Prarthana Joshi - Filmmaker

Prarthana (PJ) is a Production Designer, Producer, Editor – Artist. She moved to California from India several years ago to attend film school and then work in the film industry. She has been working here ever since, until recently, when her green card was denied, and she has to leave the country this very week. This is a story of immigration, the pursuit of art, and the agency of people to live and work where they desire.

Also, PJ is a producer on this project. Please follow and join the cause: https://www.seedandspark.com/fund/the-apple-tree#story

Episode 101: Kayden Phoenix, Filmmaker, Writer, Director, Producer

Kayden is a filmmaker – Writer, Director, Producer. Kayden is a native Angelino, Chicana, activist, storyteller. She is all about diversity and inclusion. A passionate and prolific filmmaker (6 shorts just last year), she hires female crews, and believes in a rising tide raising all boats.

Kayden is currently working on a series of films about Latina superheroes, which sounds like something you have not seen before. She’s not describing her characters as "strong" female leads because that should be inherent.

I know I say this a lot, but Kayden is another one you should be watching.

And here are more ways to reach Kayden:

IG: @kaydenphoenix

FB: /phoenixkayden

aphoenixrises.com

Episode 97: Sujata Day, Actor, Writer, Producer, Director

Sujata is an Actor. She is known for her roles as Sarah on HBO’s Insecure, and as CeCe in the precursor to that show, Awkward Black Girl. She is also a Writer, Producer, and Director and has several other shorts and series produced as well as more projects in development.

We talked about what it’s like to be a woman of color in Hollywood when you don’t really fit into other people’s preconceived notions. We also talked about this year’s very promising pilot season that features many characters of color that are not caricatures, but rather real people. Things are looking up!

Episode 95 Melissa Vitello, Filmmaker

Melissa is an independent filmmaker. Her film “Speak Now” is available on Amazon Prime, and she has several more projects going at the same time.

She writes, directs and produces, and we discuss the life of an indie filmmaker. Her husband is her business partner and we also talked about balancing work and home and when you get to win the tie breaker.

You can find Melissa here:

Instagram: @francescanatalephoto

Twitter: @darkheartwriter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/darkheartfilms/
 

The Sound of Settling: https://www.facebook.com/soundofsettlingmovie/?ref=bookmarks

Newsletter sign up: http://eepurl.com/b3ct39

Episode 94: Heidi Philipsen, Actor, Writer, Director

Heidi is an actor, director and producer, and is currently releasing her feature film called “Darcy,” that is making its rounds on the film festival circuit and will be screening at the Socially Relevant Film Festival in NYC as the Closing Night Film on Thursday, March 22nd, 8 p.m.

Heidi has a very interesting story that takes her to Germany after college, where she got her start in television before coming back to the United States. Now a gentle word of warning. We do talk about adult themes in this episode in the #metoo genre, so if you usually listen in the car with your kids, perhaps you listen with your headphones in.

To find out more about Heidi:

www.heidielizabethphilipsenmeissner.com

www.personaeentertainmentpictures.com

Episode 92: Lisa Cordileone and Amy Dellagiarino, Writers/Producers/Actor

Lisa is an Actor/Writer/Producer and Amy is a Writer/Producer/Actor and together they are creating a film and multimedia project called “Freelancers Anonymous.” These women are super smart and have their eye on the very big picture. Lisa was in the much-acclaimed web series called Easy Abby and is an accomplished voice over talent, among many other credits.  Amy’s credits include CollegeHumor.com, An Emo Bromance, Break In, and a children’s book series called Jenny Morgan: Certified Genius.

They tell us as much as they can about their project and their process.  Any more and they’d have to kill me. That’s fair, I guess.

Come listen and have a laugh with us. We cracked up a lot.

You can follow Freelancers Anonymous and find out more here:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FA_themovie (@FA_themovie)

IG: https://www.instagram.com/freelancersanonymous/ (@FA_themovie)

FB: https://www.facebook.com/freelancersanonymous/ (@freelancersanonymous)

https://www.freelancersanonymousmovie.com/

Episode 91: Christina Kallas, Director, Writer, Professor

This episode is brought to you by...

Christina is a Writer, Director, and a Professor. Her latest film The Rainbow Experiment recently debuted at Slamdance to much acclaim. Her first film, 42 Seconds of Happiness won numerous awards, including Best Feature Film at WTxFF in Texas, Best Ensemble Cast at Harlem IFF, Indie Spirit Award and Best Ensemble Cast at Princeton IFF, just to scratch the surface.

She has been teaching at Columbia University’s and Barnard College’s Film Programs since 2011, and is the author of six books, including Creative Screenwriting: Understanding Emotional Structure and Inside the Writers’ Room (Palgrave/Macmillan, 2010 & 2014).

She has a unique perspective on the writing process, actors, and multi-protagonist filmmaking. She has the voice of an artist.

Episode 90: Lynelle White, Writer, Director

This episode is brought to you by: 

Lynelle is a Writer and Director, whose first writing job was on Army Wives. Her first actual job was as a pilot in the Air Force. She flew the plane that refuels other planes while IN THE AIR. She is currently one of six participants the Film Independent Episodic Writers Lab.

Originally, she wanted to be a space pirate. Like Han Solo.

She has a BS in Engineering and an MFA in Screenwriting.

She was already a grown up while the rest of us were trying to figure out who we were in our 20s.

Not to brag, but this is a really good conversation.

Episode 88: Marilyn Anderson, Writer

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Marilyn is a Writer with many TV and Film credits and her most recent book, “How to Live Like a Millionaire When you’re a Million Short.” Her book answers one of the biggest questions of the Universe, “How does Marilyn live?” You can find it here. She has written on Murphy Brown, FAME, Friday the 13th and many others.

She started life as a scientist and then had one lucky break after another. She has a million stories and she cracks me up. Doesn’t everyone book a Broadway show their first week in New York?

Episode 87: Chelsea Steiner, Writer/Director

Chelsea is a Writer/Director and is currently producing her webseries called Thank You, Come Again. You can find her (NSFW) Indiegogo campaign here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/thank-you-come-again-sex-lgbt#/  

Chelsea came up as a film and television writer while also being a sex educator and diversity advocate. While working her day job as the Social Media Manager at The Pleasure Chest in West Hollywood, she looked around and realized this was show that writes itself. So, she wrote it and has set out to produce it.

I was admittedly nervous to interview Chelsea, as at heart I am a WASPY girl who grew up in Catholic school and would certainly never discuss sex publicly. But Chelsea is a smart, open, and talented woman who gave a very interesting interview and helped me mature just a little bit more. But, do listen to the episode with your headphones in and don’t play it in the car during carpool.

Episode 86: Shannon and Tia Ayers

Shannon and Tia are writing/producing partners under the company Borndreamer. They came up separately through production and comedy, while still making viral videos and other projects together, until they decided to relaunch the company their mother started years ago. Together, they made the film Firm with a Purpose, which was the Audience Favorite at the Women in Comedy Festival in 2017, and screened last night at the Women in Film Annual Shorts event.

We had a funny and thoughtful conversation that ranged from competitions and collaboration, to motherhood and bias.  What does success really mean? And if you say, “Well, I guess I’m a badass,” are you?

They are launching a podcast called Sister Stuff soon, where they will be telling stories, talking about their journey in filmmaking and trying to make each other laugh. You can follow them and find out more at borndreamer.com. 

Episode 84: Amanda Upson, Producer

Amanda is an Attorney turned Film Producer, whose first film Magnum Opus is available now on Amazon Prime. Amanda is incredibly determined, and when she puts her mind to something, she gets it done. Everything can be figured out.

And here is something we should impart to all of our children, especially our girls – take opportunities to fail. It is so important. If you are too afraid to fail, you won’t take chances and do the things that really scare you. And that is where the real success lies.

Magnum Opus is streaming everywhere, including on amazon prime (http://amzn.to/2zbuTqY), iTunes (http://apple.co/2ybu0zy), google play, etc.  Please follow and share on social at:

 https://www.facebook.com/MagnumOpusMovie

 https://twitter.com/MagnumOpusMovie 

and you can find the trailer here: http://www.magnumopusmovie.com/trailer/ (sharing is caring, and every time a person shares or clicks buy, an attorney saves her soul).