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 107: Deborah Wolff, Producer, Author

Deborah is a television producer – think The Mole, The Amazing Race, and Fear Factor. And then she wrote a book about it called One Year of Reality and How It Nearly Killed Me: My Life Behind the Scenes. And I believe her. She showed up in a sling. She has stories. She told a couple of them to me on the show and to get the rest, buy the book.

And you can find Deborah in all of these places:

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

LinkedIn:   www.linkedin.com/in/digitaldebwolff

Twitter:  @pkrmama

Wordpress:  prodmaven.wordpress.com

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 105: Alexis Giostra, Productivity Alchemist

Alexis Giostra is a Productivity Alchemist, whose focus is on helping people (mostly women) do less to accomplish more. Who doesn’t want and need that? I found our conversation incredibly juicy, as we delved into things like quantum physics, and law of attraction, and the seven hermetic principles of the Universe. Very woo. Very LA.

Alexis Giostra is a thought leader in the field of productivity and she is the subject of Alexia Anastassio’s (EP 80) next documentary. You can learn more about her here: http://www.strangecharmed.com/ and you can order her planner here: https://amzn.to/2qJnkX1

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 103: Stevie Wynne Levine - Executive Producer

Stevie Wynne Levine, acts as the SVP of Production & Development for Mythical Entertainment and spearheads all creative initiatives for Rhett & Link. A Webby, Streamy, and Shorty Award-Winning Executive Producer, Stevie was named one of Variety’s “Hollywood’s New Leaders.” The only bummer was that particular issue of Variety had the giant portrait of Harvey Weinstein on it. Because he ruins everything.

She was an integral part of building the Internet's most-watched daily show, "Good Mythical Morning," serving as Executive Producer for the past five years, along with overseeing the duo's scripted show, "Rhett & Link's Buddy System," their podcast, "Ear Biscuits," and various other pieces of content racking up billions of views.

Previously Stevie was fortunate enough to produce for some of YouTube’s top talent and leading new media companies including Mondo Media, Studio71, and Red Hour Digital.

She is a force to be reckoned with and a talent to watch.

Episode 102: Carina Chocano, Writer

Carina is a Writer and wrote the book called You Play the Girl - On Playboy Bunnies, Stepford Wives, train wrecks, and other mixed messages. Carina has written for tons of magazines and was a film critic at the LA Times, Entertainment Weekly and Salon.

She is whip smart and we had a fiery conversation about feminist cultural theory. We deconstructed the system that promotes discrimination, and the subtleties that make us question ourselves for decades before looking outward. Hold on to your hats.

After all, if you can't talk about the system without getting offended or taking it personally, how are we ever going to talk about anything?

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 100: Sherry Lansing, Filmmaker, Executive, Philanthropist

Sherry Lansing is the subject of the biography, ”Leading Lady - Sherry Lansing and the Making of a Hollywood Groundbreaker,” by Stephen Galloway, out in paperback today. Sherry has had a long and successful career as a filmmaker, Studio Head, and philanthropist. She was Chairman and CEO of Paramount Studios for 12 years, after being the President of 20th Century Fox. Some films made under her watch include Forrest Gump, Braveheart, Titanic, The Accused, First Wives Club…and the list goes on.

She is the founder and CEO of The Sherry Lansing Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to cancer research, health, public education, and encore career opportunities.

She is also a co-founder of Stand Up To Cancer, an initiative which funds multi-institutional cancer research “dream teams.”

In addition, she serves on the University of California Board of Regents and on the boards of the Broad Center, the Broad Museum, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the Carter Center, Encore.org, the W.M. Keck Foundation, the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, and the Pacific Council on International Policy.

Among her awards and honors are…

National Women’s Hall of Fame

Stem Cell Action Leadership Award, World Stem Cell Summit

Patron of the Arts Award, Screen Actor’s Guild

American Association of Cancer Research Humanitarian Award

Big Brothers and Big Sisters Legacy Award

Outstanding Woman in Film, Women In Film

Economic Equity Award, Women’s Equity Action League

Horatio Alger Humanitarian Award

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, 79th annual Academy Awards

In this episode, Sherry talks about coming up through the ranks, the keys to her success in the midst of a lot of “noise”, and her secret meeting with Jimmy Carter.

Episode 99: Hilary Wagner, VP Production Finance, CBS

Hilary is the Vice President of Production Finance at CBS Studios. Here’s a story about how the entertainment industry lures you in. If your first couple of jobs are Seinfeld and Waiting for Guffman, are you really going back to corporate audit? Of course not.

Hilary tells her story of how she worked her way up through production accounting, to production finance on the studio side with a brief stint in the production department.

She’s now at the point in her career where leadership and mentorship has become as important as getting the numbers right. It’s legacy time, and when you can see big trends in the industry and are positioned to make a difference, you do.

Episode 98: Natasha Feldman, Actor, Host, Chef

Natasha is an Actor, Host and a Chef. She has a cooking show called Nosh with Tash, which you can find here. She started out as an actor and studied abroad but kept getting distracted by the farmer’s markets and the freshly baked bread.

Her mission is to make cooking accessible and fun for people who like to eat. Which is everyone. Not only is she incredibly charming and a great host, she is also very well educated and really knows what she’s talking about. Her first show was called Cinema and Spice and got picked up by Yahoo.

I think she’s the next big TV food person, but I’ll let you be the judge.

She also has a great sense of humor about her internet trolls.

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 96: Laurie Lieser, Producer

Laurie is a Creative Producer. She is a producer on the shows “The Magicians,” “Aquarius” and “Trumbo.” She is a self-described schtunk from northern Indiana who can’t believe her luck in being completely in the action in Hollywood.

Be grateful, work hard, get involved.

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 93: Lily Mercer, Writer

Lily is a Writer. She started out as an actress in the theatre, is a fellow Violet (NYU) and runs a female writer’s group called Bechdel Babes Writing Partners.

Her group is putting on a FREE industry only showcase welcoming Producers, Directors, Showrunners, and Literary Managers/Agents on March 22nd and 23rd. I’m going, meet me there. Get your ticket here: http://www.bbwritingpartners.com/showcase.

We talk about Lily’s mid-career change (a familiar theme in my circle), a bit about ‘kids these days’ and the importance of keeping arts in schools, and the vital need for women to be front and center in telling the stories.

And this career changing moment: “How are the kids? Pass the salt.”

And I had a big sense memory while I was editing. Voices are distinct.

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.