Groovy Guide to Careers in Filmmaking: Recent Episodes
Groovy Like a Movie
Executive Producer Brent Altomare regularly speaks to students about what it takes to become a professional in the film making industry - what he finds is that most students know only a small fraction of the jobs that are available in television and film.
This week Brent speaks with Kathryn McDermott, teacher at The Motion Picture Institute in Troy, Michigan, to learn how she went from being a secretary, to Vice President of Feature Productions at Columbia Pictures, to teaching the next generation of filmmakers.
You probably know this week’s guest as the sexy, sultry beauty from many horror movies. But don't let her beauty fool you, this girl is whip smart and one of the top bug wranglers in Hollywood. This week Brent speaks with Diana Terranova, Union Bug Wrangler, to find out what the life of a bug wrangler is like and how she got her start.
Handling labor relations and resolving disputes for a living takes a very special personality. This week Brent speaks with Ed Duffy, Business Agent for Teamsters Local 399, to find out what the union does for its members and how it evolved over time.
Productions have hundreds of details that require attention. One you don’t want to forget is production insurance. When you remember it the day before your shoot, you’ll need a good agent who can analyze your needs. This week Brent speaks with David Karubian, Lead Broker for Movie Insure, to learn how to assess a production’s risk.
Production is an industry with a lot of expensive toys and one that draws a lot of attention. You want your crew and actors focused on their jobs, not worrying about gear walking away or on lookers ruining a shot it took hours to set up. This week, Brent speaks with Anne Crew of Crew Protection Services for an inside look at the film security industry and what it takes to make a good guard.
So exactly how do you train a bird to hit several marks in succession and end up on an actor’s shoulder? It’s not as hard as you might think, if you’ve been training them for years. This week Brent speaks with Benay Karp, owner of Benay’s Bird & Animal Rentals, to learn how she developed this very specific skill set.
Film and video has all kinds of niche businesses and rental cars for the production industry is one of them. This week Brent speaks with Ryan DeFlavio, Director of the Studio Division of California Rental Car to find out why the ‘white glove’ treatment matters and gets results.
All the work and half the glory, that’s the life of an assistant producer. This week Brent speaks with James Cooper, Assistant Producer for Buck Productions, to learn why great producers are made, not born.
Creating sounds specific to moments in time on screen is the task of a foley artist. This week Brent speaks with Leslie Bloom, one of the partners at Alchemy Post Sound in New York, to learn why foley is part performance art and part contact sport.
The advent of digital cameras gave birth to a new niche in the industry, the D.I.T. This week Brent speaks with Robert Meacham, who’s been working with digital cameras since they first came about, to see what a day in the life of a D.I.T. is and how they got their name.
Vice President of Development and Productions for Fox 2000 Pictures is arguably one of the heaviest hitting titles we’ve had on our podcast, but exactly what do they do? And how do you get that job? This week Brent speaks with Marisa Paiva to learn what goes on inside the world of studio productions and how they work with their filmmakers.
Can you cut a live show on the fly? Can you handle multiple people screaming in your ear at once? Then you might make a good TD. This week Brent speaks with Joe Kroll, a Los Angeles-based Technical Director, to find out what a day in the life is like.
Screw cash. Networking is king. This week Brent speaks with John Duffy, Line Producer and Founder of Facebook’s Vets on Set, to hear how networking and a lack of fear can take you from Mailman to feature-film Line Producer.
Royalty free music has changed the face of both commercial and cinematic productions, but can it make you a living and how do you go about getting started? This week Brent speaks with music composer Tim McMorris to answer those very questions, and learns you don’t have to say goodbye to your artistic dreams while you pay the bills.
This week Brent speaks with Jodi Cilley, founder and president of The San Diego Film Consortium, to find out how to bring people together to create a thriving film industry.
How exactly do you knock over a house with wind? Use a jet engine! This week Brent speaks with Steve Bolan, owner of Jet Air, to learn how to create massive weather effects like dust storms and fog banks using a Harrier jet engine.
Hungry crew and talent is not something you want on a shoot. This week Brent speaks with Sue Berry, Head of Client Services and Part Owner of Kit & Kaboodle, to find out what the life of a crafty is all about.
Finding the right person for a role or campaign can take a lot of time. That's why you need a good Casting Director on your team. This week Brent speaks with Henry Jaderlund of Jaderlund Casting to find out what a Casting Director does and why you have to own it if you want to be it.
If you want to get your story made in Hollywood, you’re going to need some help. This week Brent speaks with Wendy Kram, Producer and Owner of LA4Hire, to find out how she helps get her client’s materials looking right, in front of the right people and how having a Producer in your corner can help open doors.
Grips are some of the busiest people in the industry. This week Brent speaks with Greg Flores, Key Grip and founder of Grip Rigs on Facebook, to find out exactly what a Key Grip does, why they’re so necessary and what you need to know to become one.
Think you’re ready to manage a creative team and interact at the top level with studio directors and producers? This week Brent speaks with Jason Hall, PreViz Supervisor, about how to walk both sides of the line, manage unique personalities and still find your own creative outlets.
Locations can be actors in and of themselves and present an entirely different set of problems to deal with. This week Brent speaks with Welton Jones, Location Manager, to find out what his job is like and how he got his start.
First one there, last one to leave and in charge of the whole circus is the life of a good production manager. This week Brent speaks with Janie Brown, Production Manager, to learn what skills you need to cultivate if you want to make a career out of this critical position.
Previsualization is a critical part of any production's success. This week Brent speaks with Jahkeeli Garnett, Senior Previz Artist for all six seasons of Star Wars The Clone Wars, to learn how it's used, what you can gain and what you need to know to become one.
At some point, you have to spread your wings and fly. This week Brent speaks with three former interns to see what they’re doing now and if interning provided any real experience, other than how to quickly order at Starbucks, to help launch their careers.
There are many aspiring writers in L.A., but not many start their own company renting studio space and high-end, green-friendly production vehicles and support gear. This week Brent speaks with Wes Bailey, Founder and CEO of Sirreel Studio Rentals, to find out how life can sometimes have its own plan for you.
No mean feat to risk an established career on one side of the country to test your skills and resolve in the big leagues. This week Brent speaks to David Litz, Director of Photography, for advice on how to transfer your career to a different city.
Child actors have special rules that need to be followed. Top among them is having a studio teacher on set. This week Brent speaks with Rosemarie Anthony, a veteran studio teacher, to find out just what her job entails. Here’s a hint—It’s a lot more than teaching.
At least the crew knows what’s for lunch. This week Brent speaks with Cindy Epstein, Food Stylist, to find out why that burger on TV looks so much better than what you unwrap.
There’s more to a film festival than just the films. This week Brent continues his discussion with Lee Ann Kim and Brian Hu from PAC-ARTS.org and looks at the business side, from both the director’s and festival’s viewpoint.
What does it actually take to get accepted to a film festival? This week Brent speaks with Lee Ann Kim and Brian Hu from PAC-ARTS.org to find out what they look for in submissions and provide us with advice on how to get your work accepted to a festival.
Capturing audio in the field can be a tricky thing. Especially when the department may not be too high on the director's priority list. This week Brent speaks with Kristopher Dennett to find out what a field audio tech's day is like and why quiet diligence pays off.
Career change is something that's likely to happen. This week Brent speaks to Lee Ann Kim, Executive Director of Pacific Arts Movement, to find out how to re-invent yourself and make your ideas reality.
Wanting to be a Hollywood actor or actress is a bit like wanting to be a professional sports star. Many aspire, but few ever achieve the goal. This week Brent speaks with Marisol Nichols. You've seen her in 24, Vegas Vacation, Felony, Law & Order and many other shows and films. Listen and find out what advice she offers the aspiring thespian.
So exactly how do they get all these cool computer effects into the finished movie? This week, Brent speaks with Sean Falcon to learn what a compositor does and how to get started in the business.
The title Camera Op covers a lot of ground, but specialites do exist. This week Brent speaks with Ron Hirshman, a sitcom camera op, to find out what a day on set is like, how sitcoms are shot and why it's as close to a 9-5 gig as you're going to get in production.
If you have an inquisitive mind and a thorough knowledge of the post production industry, you might make a good reporter. This week Brent speaks with Randi Altman, Editor In Chief, Post Magazine, to find out what skills a video journalist needs, where journalism is heading and how to get your start.
Before moving forward with the new year, Brent recaps the key things we learned in 2012 about how to get a job in the film and video industry.
Like being in charge? Like running crews and making sure the schedule is met? Then First A.D. might just be for you. This week Brent speaks with Brian Bennhoff from Crooked River Productions to find out what an Assistant Director does and exactly what the letters “DGA” after his title mean.
It's a jungle out there and this week Brent speaks with Cheryl Shawver, owner of Animal Actors of Hollywood, to see just how you fill that jungle with professionally trained animal actors. And you thought your talent was tough to work with!
So you shot across several days and all your shots are lit different. Who is going to fix that for you? This week Brent speaks with Colorist Cody Cuellar, part owner of Red Sky Pictures, to find out just what the color correction process entails, why it is so important and how you can become a top-tier colorist yourself.
Cool guns, futuristic body armor and sci-fi gadgets. Things Hollywood needs a lot of. That's good for Paul Pearson, owner of Custom Movie Props. You've seen his work in movies and on TV. This week Brent speaks with Paul to learn what today's custom movie prop industry is like.
Operating a jib camera can be tricky. But there is no question that it adds production value. This week, Brent speaks with Mark Koonce, Owner of Jib Works, to find out what this area of camera specialty is like and what a camera jib can add to a production.
Everyone has an opinion about movies, right? But what makes one person’s opinion more valuable than anothers? This week, Brent speaks with Ryan Jay of RyanJayReviews.com to find out the answer to that very question.
Crashing cars and lighting things on fire is fun! But sometimes dealing with safety issues and logistics is not. This week Brent speaks to Chris Barnes, Stunt Coordinator, to learn just what a stunt coordinator does and how to get started in the Hollywood stunt business.
With 20 years of experience and many broadcast shows under her belt, Penny Patrick is the ideal guest for finding out what it takes to be a script supervisor. This week, Brent talks to Penny to learn how she got her start, what her job is like and how to land a script supervisor job of your own.
Let’s face it, someone has to read the words right? This week Brent speaks with Ari Ross to find out just what the life of a voice over talent is like and how to make a living at it.
Advocating for an entire regional film and production industry is not an easy task. But it can be accomplished and accomplished well. This week Brent speaks with Rob Dunson, Director of Production for the San Diego Film Commision, to see just what his job entails.
It’s always good to have an entertainment lawyer on your side looking out for your interests. This week Brent speaks with Larry Zerner of Zerner Law, an L.A.-based entertainment lawyer and copyright attorney.
“Producer” can be an ambiguous term. This week Jacob Mosler, DGA, tells us what being a producer entails and how to walk both sides of the creativity versus budget line.
This week Brent talks to Paul Fabbrini, owner of Telecue Teleprompting, to find out just how important a teleprompter is to a production and what kind of gear you need to make a living at it.
As a rep for the world's largest music library, Joel can get you anything. This week he talks to Brent about what the job is like and the path that lead him there.
Everyone has to start somewhere, right? This week Mike Jines tells us what its like to start at the ground floor and what kind of personality you need if you intend work your way up the food chain.
Sound in films is one of the most important things you’ll never notice. Unless its wrong. This week, Robert Mason tells us about the art of sound design and how a Sound Designer pays their bills.
So you’ve assembled your team and now it’s time to explain how the creativity all comes together. Greg High, an artist, illustrator and this week’s guest tells us why storyboards are just the thing and how you can make a living working with pens and pencils.
Every story has to have a place to happen. This week, Jeff Van Gonka, owner of Vanmark Scenic clues us in on what it takes to be an Art Director and what exactly an Art Director does.
Lights, camera, action! Notice how “lights” come first? In this week’s episode, Nicholas Calabria, owner of Calabria Productions introduces us to lighting design and how to make a living at it.
A production’s costumes set the period, define the characters and contribute to the mood. This week Jeannie Galioto, a Southern California Costume Designer, tells us how she uses costumes to get an audience involved and just what it takes to make a living at it.
A single still photo can capture an emotion in a way no amount of video or film ever can. This week Will Ullman, a Southern California Freelance Photographer and Designer, shares his love of still photography and how he’s actually able to make a profit.
It’s always nice when your spouse supports what you do. But what do you do when you have to work with your spouse? This week Jen and Donnie Eastman, a Southern California Videographer/Producer husband and wife team, tell us how they manage their schedules, projects, clients and family life to keep the checks coming in.
You could argue actors and actresses have to hustle harder than anyone else. So how do they do it? This week Erin Cronican, a working actress and singer in New York, gives some tips about how to make it in a very competitive facet of the production industry.
Staging a live show for thousands people can be quite an undertaking. This week Peter May, a Live Show Producer from the east coast, tells us how he got into the business, became a success and has no plans to stop doing what he loves.
Career paths in film and video production you may not have thought of. Brent Altomare, owner and Executive Producer of Groovy Like A Movie, interviews a new guest every week so you can learn about the hundreds of positions and skill sets needed in the production industry.
Executive Producer Brent Altomare regularly speaks to students about what it takes to become a professional in the filmmaking industry - what he finds is that most students know only a small fraction of the jobs that are available in television and film.
Executive Producer Brent Altomare regularly speaks to students about what it takes to become a professional in the filmmaking industry - what he finds is that most students know only a small fraction of the jobs that are available in television and film.
There’s no point in using talent if they don’t look their best. This week Melissa Street, a well-known makeup artist, tells us how she got her start and offers advice for others thinking about this path.
Chances are if you’re shooting, you need gear. This week Martin Banks, owner of Video Gear, tells us just what it takes to keep the industry supplied with what it needs.
What does it takes to start a talent agency and keep it growing? This week Nancy Washburn, owner of Artist Management Agency, answers just that question.