Hollywood Wolfpack With Kaia Alexander: Recent Episodes
Kaia Alexander
Hollywood Wolfpack Look behind-the-scenes in the exciting careers of working pros, and find out their secrets to navigate the ever-changing landscape of the entertainment business. Join your host Kaia Alexander, writer/producer and founder of the Entertainment Business School. Find out why in this profession you need a wolfpack. Special guests include above-the-line writers, directors, showrunners, execs, actors, producers, attorneys and more. For more information: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ About Host Kaia Alexander Kaia Alexander is the CEO/founder of the Entertainment Business League and Entertainment Business School. She was a development executive on the feature films JUST FRIENDS, PEACEFUL WARRIOR, THE GOOD NIGHT, and HACHI: A DOG'S TALE. She was mentored by comedian Garry Shandling. She's an award-winning Harper Collins novelist, for her historical novel Written in the Ashes. As an animal lover and native of Southern California, there are always surfboards on her car and fur on her sleeves. She’s proud to be the BQ in LGBTQ. You can find out more about Kaia on her IMDB and Twitter @ThisisKaia Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A
Christopher Monfette is a television writer, producer, and comic book author who worked as supervising producer on the first five episodes of Star Trek: Picard's second season and as co-executive producer on the rest of the second season and on the third season. He previously worked as staff writer and story editor on Terry Matalas' science fiction series 12 Monkeys (2015-18), starring Aaron Stanford, Todd Stashwick, and Kirk Acevedo. @cwmonfette https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4808201/ Connect with your host Kaia Alexander:
https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/
https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A. Get career training and a free ebook “How to Pitch Anything in 1Min.” at www.EntertainmentBusinessLeague.com
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https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5328709/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_q_sullivan%2520fitz Sullivan "Sully" Fitzgerald, a native of Niagara Falls, NY, is a graduate of Syracuse University's Newhouse School with a BS in Television, Radio & Film and a minor in Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises. He is an alumni of the highly-competitive Television Academy Foundation Internship Program and was assigned to the drama development department of ABC Studios, Fitzgerald was excited by the fast-paced, writer-driven world of dramatic series. Not only did the world of television appeal to his professional interests, but it addressed his creative desire to write. Fitzgerald is currently working as a story editor on the Paramount+ reboot of Criminal Minds and has sold a graphic novel entitled The Ferryman to Aftershock Comics. However, he has experience in several writers rooms in a supporting capacity including: Criminal Minds (CBS), Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders (CBS), Nashville (ABC), and State of Affairs (NBC). He also worked as a Development Associate at Erica Messer Productions for several development cycles. https://twitter.com/sullyfitzgerald Connect with your host Kaia Alexander:
https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/
https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A. Get career training and a free ebook “How to Pitch Anything in 1Min.” at www.EntertainmentBusinessLeague.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Andrea Ciannavei is a writer/producer in LA. She’s currently a Co-EP on THE CORPS for Netflix, Sony and Norman Lear with showrunner Andy Parker. Her original pilot LIFE SUPPORT was optioned by Universal TV with Danielle Brooks (ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK), Jessica Goldberg (THE PATH, AWAY) and director Jesse Peretz (ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, GLOW). Shows include Mayans MC (FX Networks), The Path (Hulu), American Odyssey (NBC Universal), Copper (BBC America), Borgia (Canal Plus). Andrea graduated from NYU Tisch and Juilliard. She’s a proud member of WGA and sits on the boards of the Writers Guild Initiative and Empower Survivors Now. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0161859/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
Connect with your host Kaia Alexander:
https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/
https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A. Get career training and a free ebook “How to Pitch Anything in 1Min.” at www.EntertainmentBusinessLeague.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Stuart Volkow is a producer and technology strategist. After a career as a Hollywood executive working for Academy Award- winning producer Mike Medavoy, he transitioned to working for various governmental agencies, including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, where he gained his TS/SCI clearances. He now serves as a Project Manager at the UC San Diego Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences and specializes in science communications. He has several projects in development. https://www.linkedin.com/in/svolkow/
Connect with your host Kaia Alexander:
https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/
https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A. Get career training and a free ebook “How to Pitch Anything in 1Min.” at www.EntertainmentBusinessLeague.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Lastine Entertainment Law is helmed by attorney Joshua R. Lastine. Joshua helps actors, production companies, writers, producers, directors, animators, social media influencers, and podcasters negotiate their deals, protect their work, and maximize their revenue streams. His passion for show business, its players, and its creators drive him to be a strategic negotiator, fierce advocate, and practical problem solver. Joshua understands how to structure and close deals that will shape the entertainment industry’s future. Recent examples include critically acclaimed streaming series, musicians’ NFTs, and Metaverse mixed-reality productions.
https://lastineentertainmentlaw.com/
https://twitter.com/LastineLaw
Connect with your host Kaia Alexander:
https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/
https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A. Get career training and a free ebook “How to Pitch Anything in 1Min.” at www.EntertainmentBusinessLeague.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Alexa Alemmani started her career as an actor, working in independent features, as well as hit shows such as Masters of Sex, Lucifer, The West Wing & more, she’s most well known for playing Allison on the Emmy winning AMC Drama Mad Men for four seasons, for which she won a SAG Award. As a writer, she launched her career with the pilot Appletown, which landed on the Tracking Board’s Young & Hungry List. On the television side, with her writing partner, she staffed on TNT’s hit show The Librarians and sold a pilot: Mansfield Park to Tornante Media. On the feature side, she and her writing partner wrote Something Blue, the sequel to the breakout hit Something Borrowed (Kate Hudson) for Black Label Media, as well as the book adaptation of Serpent’s Bite by Warren Adler (War of the Roses) with Grey Eagle Films. They recently sold their feature I Won’t Be Home For Christmas to UCP for USA Networks. Their feature Lion in the Library is in pre-production with Level Forward & Prodigal Entertainment. As a producer she has overseen and/or produced ten shorts, and is in active development on two micro-budget features. . Alexa is an adjunct professor of Screenwriting at USC., and also teaches screenwriting at New York Film Academy for both BFA & MFA students. She has had speaking engagements with Women in Film, Brian Patacca, and Caricon among others. She serves as a Backstage Expert, and was recently a contributing writer to The Sentences That Create Us: Crafting a Writers’ Life In Prison. She is a graduate of Vassar College with a degree in theater and history.
https://www.alexaalemanni.com/
https://twitter.com/AlexaAlemanni
Connect with your host Kaia Alexander:
https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/
https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A. Get career training and a free ebook “How to Pitch Anything in 1Min.” at www.EntertainmentBusinessLeague.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
David O’Donnell has extensive experience in dramatic documentary film and television, as a vice president, executive producer, producer, writer, and development executive, overseeing everything from development and pitching to pre-production, production, post, and deliverables for a variety of streamers and networks. Currently he is Vice President of Current Production and Executive Producer at Jupiter Entertainment, overseeing exemplary creative teams in Jupiter’s Knoxville and New York offices, producing a broad range of documentary films, specials, and series across multiple genres. He also has a senior leadership role in Jupiter’s employee development, workflow efficiency, and future planning initiatives. After teaching for five years, David shifted to television and film production, and for the last 20+ years he has been honored to lead teams who develop, produce, and deliver important, buzzworthy, and ratings-grabbing programming that viewers across the globe love. He has written and produced an independent feature film distributed worldwide and has had several spec screenplays optioned.
Jupiter's company website: https://jupiterent.com/
IMDb page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1236699/
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/djodonnell99/
Connect with your host Kaia Alexander:
https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/
https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A. Get career training and a free ebook “How to Pitch Anything in 1Min.” at www.EntertainmentBusinessLeague.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Filmmaker & Marketing Analyst Kawika Hoke is changing the way indie films do business by challenging the norms that have maintained the status quo of Hollywood. His goal is to educate and push indie filmmakers to keep ownership of their films, distribute and connect with audiences personally on their own terms. He launched Manawa Kau, A Hawaiian Motion Picture Company intent to get Hawaiians on the islands and mainland United States back to work.
https://kawikahoke.com/
https://808mokumoku.com/
Connect with your host Kaia Alexander:
https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/
https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A. Get career training and a free ebook “How to Pitch Anything in 1Min.” at www.EntertainmentBusinessLeague.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mark Blutman is the writer/producer of such television series as Boy Meets World, Girl Meets World and Apple TV+’s Ghost Writer. He is also the writer of such feature films as Ten Wishes , Last Man on Earth and Friend of the Family. Mark has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards.
twitter.com/BlutmanMark
https://www.instagram.com/markblutman
Deadline Article
Connect with your host Kaia Alexander:
https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/
https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A. Get career training and a free ebook “How to Pitch Anything in 1Min.” at www.EntertainmentBusinessLeague.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Matt Firman is a freelance Photographer, Filmmaker, Writer, Producer, & Co-Founder of Story Prism Jon Firman is an expert at taking high-concept ideas and executing on them; of making sense of the abstract, the facts and figures and finding the story within. He is Co-Founder of Story Prism. https://www.storyprism.io/ This is arRoundtable discussion about ChatGPT as a storytelling tool, ethical/moral concerns and how the future of moviemaking could be decentralized. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
UK writer/producer of "The Rosy Cross: The Rebels Who Wrote Shakespeare" on how he has orchestrated his career from a secondary school teacher to attaching A-list talent to his new show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
NCIS Hawaii co-producer and WGA strike captain on the wheelworks of network TV from the writer's chair, and his perspective on the strike. Connect with your host Kaia Alexander:
https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/
https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A. Get career training and a free ebook “How to Pitch Anything in 1Min.” at www.EntertainmentBusinessLeague.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Originally from Philadelphia, David attended that city’s “Fame” high school, Creative And Performing Arts, where his classmates included QuestLove and Boyz II Men. He then graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York, and worked as a graphic designer for ad agencies, designed book covers, movie posters, and indie film titles.He impulsively moved to Los Angeles in 2000 and became a stand-up comic for a while, performing at The Improv, The Vancouver Comedy Festival, and in sketches on “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson” and “The Showbiz Show with David Spade”. But he tired of comedy clubs after a few years and focused on writing instead. In 2006, his “Will & Grace” spec made it to the semi-finals of the Warner Bros. Comedy Workshop.Switching to drama, he optioned the book “Minamata” (and the life rights of the author), about the experiences of journalist W. Eugene Smith photographing mercury poisoning victims in Japan. He wrote the screenplay in six weeks, and it got him a literary manager. Then Johnny Depp’s company came on board to produce with Depp himself as the star. “Minamata” premiered at the Berlin Film Festival in 2020 and is now an Oscar favorite, streaming on HULU, Amazon Prime, and iTunes. It also stars Bill Nighy, Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano.His follow up, DREAMERS (based on the book “John Lennon Vs. The US”), is about John Lennon’s immigration battle with the Nixon administration which legally set the stage (many years later) for DACA/The Dream Act.David was recently hired by the director of “Minamata”, Andrew Levitas, to rewrite a script about the two brothers who owned Adidas and Puma and who battled each other for decades. That project, “Adidas V Puma”, is currently out to actors and mentioned in “The Hollywood Reporter” in early March 2021.https://scriptanatomy.com/david-kessler/@EvrythngGldnBksConnect with your host Kaia Alexander:https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/https://twitter.com/thisiskaia Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Karina Manashil is the President of MAD SOLAR, having begun her career in the mailroom at William Morris Endeavor where she became a Talent Agent. Manashil represented notable clients including Scott Mescudi, known by his stage name, Kid Cudi, and built her career taking talent into new arenas. In 2020, she partnered with Mescudi and Dennis Cummings to launch MAD SOLAR, which is backed by BRON Studios. The first production released under the banner was the Amazon documentary, “A Man Named Scott” from director Robert Alexander. Manashil then went on to Executive Produce SXSW fan-favorite “X”, along with its highly anticipated prequel, “Pearl”, and the recently announced sequel, “MaXXXine”. All three films are directed by Ti West and distributed by A24. “Pearl” had its world premiere at the 2022 Venice Film Festival, followed by a screening in the Midnight Madness program at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival and released Manashil is an Executive Producer on the critically acclaimed Netflix animated series directed by Fletcher Moules, “Entergalactic” which was released alongside its album of the same name from Kid Cudi on September 30th 2022. Manashil is a native of Los Angeles and graduated from Chapman University with a BFA in Film Production. https://twitter.com/karinamanashil IG: @LionKarina
Glenise Mullins began her career in post-production and worked as an assistant editor before breaking into screenwriting. Her credits include: SHIFT, Lord of Rings: The Rings of Power, Warrior on HBO MAX, Star Trek: Discovery on Paramount +, Surface on Apple TV @gleniseme
Graduate of Lehman College in New York City, Behr studied Mass Communications and Theater, and was offered a playwriting scholarship at Brandeis University. Instead, Behr elected to move to Los Angeles and pursue a career in writing comedies for television and film. However, instead of comedies, Behr made his mark in television dramas. His first job as a television writer was for the James Garner television series Bret Maverick (1981), and he later served as story editor for the series Jessica Novak (1981). Behr's writer/producer credits also include the series Fame (1982), Once a Hero (1987) and The Bronx Zoo (1987). Behr's relationship with Star Trek began as a producer for Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) during its third season. At the end of the season, Behr left the series to pursue screenwriting. Three of the feature films written during this period are currently in development. Behr returned to Star Trek in 1993 as a supervising producer for the pilot of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) and became a co-executive producer in the second season . His diverse talents and experiences as a writer led him to the position of executive producer late in the third season. Behr played a key role in the development of the popular alien race, the Ferengi. He wrote the book "The Rules of Acquisition", which is a humorous compilation of the guiding tenets of Ferengi culture. Behr also co-wrote a collection of short stories and fables based on the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition entitled "Legends of the Ferengi", which was published by Pocket Books. After DS9 ended its seven-season run in 1999, Behr went on to produce other television fare such as the science fiction drama Now and Again (1999) and the Jason Alexander comedy Bob Patterson (2001). Connect with your host Kaia Alexander: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Ben Lustig & Jake Thornton burst on the scene when their spec WINTER’S KNIGHT sparked a 5-studio bidding war before selling to Sony for 7 figures. A fantasy-adventure about a Viking warrior whose epic journey leads him to become the legendary Santa Claus, the script established the duo as imaginative masters of adaptation. Since then, they have penned multiple projects for Sony, Amazon, Universal, and Warner Brothers, including a sci-fi adventure inspired by the life of H.G. Wells, an animated series about werewolves in ancient Rome, and a pilot based on the juggernaut videogame franchise, Final Fantasy. In 2020, Ben and Jake sold their spec script, THE PRINCESS, to 20th Century Studios and Hulu with Original Film and Derek Kolstad producing. Starring Joey King and directed by Le-Van Kiet, production was underway by summer 2021, and in July of 2022, the film made its debut on Hulu. Ben and Jake Write A Movie on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4mUZho9eE8AwTLD5fiLGvw/featured
https://twitter.com/Ben_Lustig
https://twitter.com/jakethornton
https://www.facebook.com/lustigthornton
https://www.jakethorntonwrites.com/
Connect with your host Kaia Alexander:
https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/
https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Chad Darnell is a casting director/actor/writer/producer and director. As a casting director, he has cast local talent in the southeast on such projects as MAGIC MIKE XXL, SELMA, FLORIDA GIRLS, LIZZIE, KILLERMAN, LIVING THE DREAM, CRIME STORY, and BEAST OF BURDEN. He most recently finished the films ONE FAST MOVE, THE STENOGRAPHER and THE OTHER ZOEY. His film THE UNDERTAKER’S WIFE (Shannyn Sossamon, John Brotherton) will premiere Fall 2022 and he will direct his screenplay THE INTELLIGENT this summer in Los Angeles. As an actor, he most recently appeared on stage in Atlanta as “Hedwig” in HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH and as “David O. Selznick” in MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS, and as "Dan" in CLOSER in Atlanta, January 2022. Darnell lives in Atlanta and is recently finished his first novel BUYING THE FARM. @ChadDarnell https://chaddarnell.net/ Connect with your host Kaia Alexander:
https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/
https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
A seasoned industry insider, Claudia Boutote is Founder of Red Raven Studio a boutique publishing strategy, marketing and literary agency. Her vision contributed to the success of more than 120 New York Times bestsellers. She held leadership positions at a variety of major publishing houses, including HarperCollins, Workman and St. Martin’s Press. For more: www.redravenstudio.com Claudia Boutote has worked with a variety of leaders, luminaries, and iconic global brands, including Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, Kim Krans’ The Wild Unknown Tarot, Make-A-Wish Foundation, March of Dimes, The History Network, and Prometheus Entertainment. Prior to launching Red Raven Studio, Claudia was SVP, Publisher, at HarperCollins, where her innovative strategies and tactics propelled more than 120 books onto the New York Times Bestsellers list. While at HarperCollins, she rebranded and revitalized the 40-year-old West Coast group, expanded the division into the wellness business, and launched HarperElixir, an imprint for the conscious-living category. Claudia Boutote worked with a diverse roster of authors, experts, and companies while in senior editorial and marketing posts at major publishing companies, including Workman Publishing, McGraw-Hill, Scribner, Dell/Delacorte, St. Martin’s Press, Seventeen, and Good Housekeeping. She was the recipient of corporate achievement awards for “Innovation” and for “Editorial Excellence.” An expert at visualizing the possible and achieving big-picture results, Claudia Boutote has worked with a variety of leaders, luminaries, and iconic global brands, including Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, Kim Krans’ The Wild Unknown Tarot, Make-A-Wish Foundation, March of Dimes, The History Network, and Prometheus Entertainment. Prior to launching Red Raven Studio, Claudia was SVP, Publisher, at HarperCollins, where her innovative strategies and tactics propelled more than 120 books onto the New York Times Bestsellers list. While at HarperCollins, she rebranded and revitalized the 40-year-old West Coast group, expanded the division into the wellness business, and launched HarperElixir, an imprint for the conscious-living category. Claudia Boutote worked with a diverse roster of authors, experts, and companies while in senior editorial and marketing posts at major publishing companies, including Workman Publishing, McGraw-Hill, Scribner, Dell/Delacorte, St. Martin’s Press, Seventeen, and Good Housekeeping. She was the recipient of corporate achievement awards for “Innovation” and for “Editorial Excellence.” Connect with your host Kaia Alexander: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Guy Guido is a writer - director who's first feature film is Madonna and the Breakfast Club (2019) available on Amazon Prime and Hulu. He also wrote and directed the short Physical Attraction (2015). His scripted narrative feature film Lovin' Brooklyn is in development.
https://twitter.com/guyguido
https://www.youtube.com/GuyMGuido
Connect with your host Kaia Alexander: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Writer/Producer Richard Kahan was born and raised in the open prairies of Canada, and has worked in film and television for over 25 years. Richard got his start as an actor and appeared in over 100 hours of television and various films, starring opposite the likes of Dennis Hopper. In addition to his series regular role on USA Network’s Emmy-nominated THE 4400, he made dozens of guest appearances including THE MENTALIST and GREY’S ANATOMY. Richard followed his passion for writing and producing, under the wing of his mentor, prolific writer/producer/showrunner Ira Steven Behr. Richard worked on Sony Television/Starz multi Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated series OUTLANDER, writing one of the highest rated episodes of the hit series. Richard went on to produce LUCKY, a feature film that marks the final performance of screen legend Harry Dean Stanton, with a supporting cast that includes David Lynch, Ron Livingston, Ed Begley Jr., Tom Skerritt, and Beth Grant. The film, which is also the directorial debut of celebrated character actor John Carroll Lynch, made its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. LUCKY was received with both critical and financial success, selling to Magnolia Pictures for theatrical release in North America, as well as over 50 international markets. In addition to his work on LUCKY and OUTLANDER, Richard wrote and produced THE ELEVATOR, a web series starring William Shatner, adapted Christal Presley’s successful memoir THIRTY DAYS WITH MY FATHER, was hired to write and produce LIFELINE, a feature film for Academy Award-winning The Lagralane Group (Netflix’s ICARUS) and produced KILLING ELEANOR, a feature film starring Jenny O’Hara, Annika Marks, Jane Kaczmarek, Betsy Brandt, and Camryn Manheim, released by 1091 in October. Most recently, Richard was hired to write PONZI: PURE AND TRUE, a feature film based on the preeminent Charles Ponzi biography by Donald Dunn, and is currently writing on AMC and Spectrum’s highly anticipated television series BEACON 23, based on Hugh Howey’s bestselling novel, and set to star GAME OF THRONES’ Lena Headey. Connect with your host Kaia Alexander: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Phillip Rosen received a B.A. in Economics from Vassar College in 1980, and a J.D. from Stanford Law School, Phillip launched his career as an attorney for PolyGram’s music division, where he negotiated and drafted music publishing agreements and handled copyright matters. He subsequently spent five years at RCA, as Business Affairs Manager and Director of Program and Talent Negotiations, working in the arenas of pay, cable and syndicated television. Entering the Los Angeles market as Vice President of Business Affairs and Legal Affairs for New Line Cinema in 1989, Phillip ascended to Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs. During his seven-year tenure he was responsible for business affairs and legal duties for over fifty motion pictures including the Nightmare on Elm Street and House Party series, as well as the Jim Carrey comedy The Mask and the Brad Pitt thriller Seven. From 1997 to 1999, Phillip was a partner in charge of the motion picture and television department in the Beverly Hills office of Baker and Hostetler, LLP. Phillip is currently a principal of Rosen Law Group, representing producers, writers, directors, television production companies, film production companies, talent and distributors in a transactional capacity. Over his career Phillip has taught entertainment law courses at UCLA, Hastings Law School as well as the Entertainment Law Capstone course at Southwestern Law School. Phillip is a member of the New York and California Bar Associations. https://www.rosenlawgrp.com/ Connect with your host Kaia Alexander: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Scott Gardenhour is a feature film producer and co-founder of the Emmy award-winning commercial production company 'The Institute'. Gardenhour began his career working on large scale music videos and commercials. He produced many award-winning commercials including the 'Aaron Burr' and 'Baby & Cat' spots for the original 'Got Milk?' campaign winning numerous awards including a Clio and Gold Lion. He later joined Propaganda films, one of the world's most influential production companies that launched the careers of David Fincher, Simon West, Spike Jonze, Dominic Sena, Michael Bay, and Mark Romanek. Under his leadership, the Commercial Division was awarded the Palme d'Or in Cannes for 'Best Commercial Production Company'. After co-founding The Institute, Gardenhour guided the company with campaigns for Nike; Asahi; Mercedes; Victoria's Secret; and Audi, a Gold Lion winner in Cannes, to name a few. The Institute was also awarded an EMMY for Hallmark's 'Required Reading'. Invited to speak at the Wharton School of Business, Gardenhour talked about the discipline of brand marketing and its potential to inform the development, production, and marketing of entertainment projects. Gardenhour's film work includes; Armageddon, Coyote Ugly, Pearl Harbor, Jumper, Pain and Gain, and 13 Hours.
Rich Talarico is a 20+ year WGA member and two-time show captain who also served as strike captain during the 2007-2008 strike. He is a Peabody® Award winning and four-time Emmy® nominated writer and producer best known for his work on Key & Peele. Rich wrote and produced on shows like MADtv, Review, Saturday Night Live & The Tonight Show. Rich is an alum of Chicago's Second City. Rich appeared in featured roles on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, MADtv, the feature film High Fidelity and numerous TV ads including A&W Root Beer's classic commercial, "Mr. Dumass.” more at richtalarico.com . Rich is a WGAw Show Captain for Key & Peele Rich’s recent interview I just did with latenightist, that explains the issues I’m campaigning on https://latenightist.com/q_and_a/pay-your-writers-a-q-and-a-with-rich-talarico-of-key-peele/ Rich's official campaign site for his WGA Board Seat Campaign: https://elections.wga.org/2022/rich-talarico WHY RICH IS RUNNNG FOR THE WGA BOARD Comedy writers have not been and are not being appropriately paid by the studios, and we need the Guild's help in this fight. Unfair use and numerous, MBA violations affects not just Key & Peele, but virtually all comedy writers, including many of the most known, most beloved shows. Royalty payments are distributed to heirs, and heirs of heirs. We need systemic change as companies continue to egregiously violate the 5 minute promotional clip exemption in our contract. Additionally, WGA writers’ material is being unjustly exhibited on www.cc.com as an "Archive" (but we are not being paid archival rates) and according to MBA, "archival is not promotional." We need fair back pay for any and all Archival Postings exhibited on the cc.com. In addition to seeking better transparency between the studios and WGA, I pledge to advocate for improved communication between writers and the Guild. OVER-PROMOTION & THE ABUSE OF THE 5 MIN PROMO CLIP RULE First, what is a clip? The industry standard on what a promo clip is, has long been established as “Merv Griffin” style bits to entice the audience to watch/buy. Longer than something you would see on a talk show is too long. And, Viacom flooding the promotional space with hundreds upon hundreds of “promo” clips (many of which are illegally over the five minute limit) destroys us financially and will ultimately devastate all comedy writers’ livelihoods. You consume a sketch show differently than you would consume a sitcom or drama. A clip from a sitcom or drama would entice you to watch the full episode or season, which you would theoretically have to pay for, while a sketch show clip would entice you to watch more sketches, which are currently available for free. This is not promotional use. This is not a fair and reasonable reading of the MBA "promo exemption clause." While the MBA is silent on the number of clips that can be used as excerpts, it is not fair and reasonable to gobble up whole shows and display them as “promotional.” The clips fail to be excerpts-- if the entire show can be watched for free in excerpt form. The promotion, in our case, is the exhibition. As we've argued since 2013, five to ten clips per season should be sufficient to entice an audience to buy. Originally, the Guild backed us on this, but have since chosen to ignore these violations. Key & Peele only has 298 sketches in total. As of December, 2020 (just on YouTube) there were over 350 “promotional” full-sketch uploads and Viacom continues to add more day by day. Of these 350+ uploads, there are (at least) 35 compilations which include bundles of Key & Peele sketches, some of these are longer than the length of full episodes. There are also uploads that exceed seven, eight, and 12 hours. This does not even account for Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and other platforms where there are also hundreds of millions of “promotional” streams.
Mark & Anna Casadei are a retired military family of the U.S. Air Force and a filmmaking team from Nashville, Tennessee. Together, they have written numerous award-winning screenplays. Mark has directed/produced both corporate commercials and short films and Anna has authored over 30+ feature screenplays and produced several short films. They are currently contracted on two romantic comedies with MPCA and their current thriller/horror film, The Benefactor, is starring Malcolm McDowell with David Carson directing and Mark & Anna producing. Their buddy comedy script is in development with a UK production team and is set to start filming late 2022. Anna has her masters in screenwriting certificate from UCLA and has been in the forefront of creating local film opportunities with Mark to hire more women both in front of and behind the camera. Mark is also an accomplished Broadway musician and stage director and hires military veteran talents to act or take on vital behind-the-camera roles. Connect with your host Kaia Alexander: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Born in Australia, with a childhood in Macau, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur, Paris Herbert-Taylor fed on a mixture of British education, American TV, and Asian culture, She grew up to be a global story seeker interested in finding the humor in cultural and generational divides. As a freelance producer she has worked across mediums, and with a range of budgets, with a goal to create a safe, fun, and collaborative environments for talent and the brands. Paris spent the last decade working in Film and Television in Toronto and Los Angeles. https://www.parisherberttaylor.com https://twitter.com/ohparis
AE Jones is a television literary manager at Stagecoach Entertainment, where they keep the rapidly shifting television market in constant perspective for clients, placing them on such shows as THE EQUALIZER (CBS) and the upcoming WALKER: INDEPENDENCE (CW). Jones is also the associate producer of the award-winning short film “Enough Room” – their first project developed intentionally to include gender & racial diversity in front of and behind the camera that mimicked the true demographics of Los Angeles. Their experience spans above and below the line representation, television production, and business and creative development with companies such as Kaplan Stahler, Paradigm, NBCUniversal, Red Bull Media House, and Manatt, Phelps, and Phillips, LLP. AE uses these experiences to advise their writing clients on how to develop creative and business opportunities to grow their careers in pragmatic, equitable, and inclusive ways. In addition to their work as a manager, Jones is a volunteer mentor for #StartWith8Hollywood and Boston University’s Career Advisory Network. https://www.enoughroomproject.com/ https://twitter.com/NESlumberParty
Steph Herold, MPH, is a Research Analyst who studies the portrayal of abortion on television and in film as part of the Abortion Onscreen team. Steph has over fifteen years of experience in the reproductive health, rights, and justice fields, and has won several awards, including the Rosie Jimenez Award from the Women’s Medical Fund. Steph has co-authored a dozen peer-reviewed publications and grey literature papers mainly focusing on abortion onscreen, abortion stigma, and self-managed abortion. Steph currently serves on the Board of Directors of All-Options. Her past board tenure includes serving on the Advisory Board of ReproAction, the Board of Directors of the New York Abortion Access Fund, the inaugural Steering Committee of the International Network for the Reduction of Abortion Discrimination and Stigma, and the Board of Directors of ACCESS: Women’s Health Justice. Steph earned her MPH from Columbia University and her BA from Bryn Mawr College.
@StephHerold
stephherold.com
https://www.ansirh.org/about/staff/steph-herold-mph
Connect with your host Kaia Alexander: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ https://twitter.com/thisiskaia Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Connect with your host Kaia Alexander: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ https://twitter.com/thisiskaia Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Jeff Porter has spent his years in Los Angeles furthering the ingenuity, creativity and drive which guided him through his collegiate career at UNLV, during which he founded the non-profit Music and Film Development Center which teaches youth about music and film production, as well as the business behind it. His passion for film, in its myriad facets, has exposed him first hand to the blood sweat and tears of running a set from the ground up as well as the countless hours spent as an editor for many projects. It is what led him to Los Angeles, working his way up from scouting films to to selling them. It was there, in a kind of baptism by fire, which Jeff learned about the distribution and financing side of film, working his way up from film scout to president. In the process; finding distribution and or financing for over fifty plus films, managing a team of film scouts, as well as a team of acquisitions executives, overseeing the logistics of several theatrical releases, in addition to cultivating relationships with all of the major domestic and international distributors. Jeff’s drive and focus have been much fed by the unparalleled satisfaction of being able to help filmmakers and producers find distribution and audiences for their opuses. True to the ethos which was the impetus for his non-profit, a part of the job that brings Jeff great satisfaction, has been traveling to the different film festivals and sales markets around the globe to provide a voice and audience for independent filmmakers, as well as educating them on the nuances of film distribution, finance and business development - via panel discussions and workshops.
www.porterpictures.com
www.instagram.com/porter_pictures
Connect with your host Kaia Alexander: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
David H. Steinberg grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut, entered Yale at age 16, and earned his law degree from Duke University, where he served as editor-in-chief of the law review. After four years of entertainment law in Atlanta and New York, he abandoned his legal career to attend USC's Peter Stark Producing Program. Before graduating, Steinberg sold his first spec script called Slackers, which was made into the 2002 film. After the sell, Steinberg was immediately hired by Universal to write the first two drafts of American Pie 2. Filmography Steinberg also wrote After School Special, a story about three high school friends who attempt to make a porn movie. The movie was eventually released under the title National Lampoon's Barely Legal. In addition, Steinberg wrote the seventh film in the American Pie series, American Pie Presents: The Book of Love, released in 2009. Steinberg wrote and directed the short film The Babysitter, starring Academy Award winner Brie Larson, which went viral with over four million views on the now-defunct Atom Films before achieving immortal status on Funny or Die. His feature film directorial debut Miss Dial stars Robinne Lee and Sam Jaeger and premiered at the Macon Film Festival on February 16, 2013, where it received the Audience Choice Award. It was released on DVD and VOD by Phase 4 Films in 2013. He wrote DisneyToon Studios' Tinker Bell and the Pixie Hollow Games, which premiered on the Disney Channel and the DreamWorks animated feature film Puss In Boots. He also wrote the live-action body-switching movie Furry Friday for New Line Cinemas and created and executive produced a TV pilot for ABC Family called Phys. Ed. @DavidHSteinberg https://www.instagram.com/davidhsteinberg
Mark Stolaroff is an LA-based independent producer with an over 25 year career in the film business. A frequent collaborator with writer/director Henry Barrial, Stolaroff has produced all five of Barrial’s features, including Some Body, Barrial’s feature debut, which premiered at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival in Dramatic Competition and was released theatrically by Lot 47 Films; True Love, a Sundance Screenwriters Lab project; Pig, a sci-fi thriller that appeared in over 35 film festivals worldwide winning 10 awards and released by Kino Lorber; The House That Jack Built, which premiered at the 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival, winning 8 awards, and released theatrically by Vega Baby; and DriverX, which opened theatrically through IFC Films/Sundance Selects in November 2018. Stolaroff was a consulting producer on Meera Menon’s (Equity) Farah Goes Bang, which premiered in the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival and won the Nora Ephron Award. And he produced Adam Ripp’s (Gang Tapes) film Devil’s Whisper, which was released by Sony in 2017. Stolaroff is considered an expert in micro-budget filmmaking and is the Founder of No Budget Film School, a unique series of classes specifically designed for the no-budget filmmaker. Stolaroff has lectured on low budget and digital filmmaking throughout the world and at many of the major film festivals. He has taught film classes at UCLA Extension, the Maine Photography Workshops, and The Learning Annex and has written for Scientific American, Filmmaker, MovieMaker, Sight & Sound, Film Festival Reporter, and Film Arts Magazine. He has been on countless filmmaking panels over the last two and a half decades and has sat on the juries of numerous film festivals. He was on the Advisory Board of HBO's US Comedy Arts Film Festival and currently serves on the advisory board of Filmmakers Alliance. Stolaroff founded No Budget Film School in 2005, and in addition to teaching his classes, has lectured at many major film schools, including USC, UCLA, Chapman, The University of Texas, CalPoly, and Columbia College Chicago. Stolaroff was formerly a principal at IFC’s Next Wave Films, a finance and production company that provided finishing funds to exceptional low-budget features, including the first films of Christopher Nolan, Joe Carnahan and Amir Bar Lev. He was a producer on several Next Wave projects, including Jordan Melamed’s Manic, starring Don Cheadle, Joseph Gordon Levitt, and Zooey Deschanel.
Twitter: @Stolaroff
facebook.com/stolaroff
facebook.com/nobudgetfilmschool
facebook.com/groups/MakeNoBudgetFilms
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Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Sample some of the best American films over the past forty years and there's a good chance Mike Medavoy played a role in the success of many of them. From agent to studio chief to producer, he has been involved with over 300 feature films, of which 17 have been nominated and 7 have won Best Picture Oscars®, as well as numerous international film festival awards. Medavoy began his career at Universal Studios in 1964. He rose from the mail room to become a casting director. In 1965, he became an agent at General Artist Corporation and then vice-president at Creative Management Agency. Joining International Famous Agency as vice-president in charge of the motion picture department in 1971, he worked with such prestigious clients as Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Terrence Malick, Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Gene Wilder, Jeanne Moreau, and Jean-Louis Trintignant. United Artists brought him in as senior vice-president of production, in 1974, where he was part of the team responsible for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Rocky (1976), and Annie Hall (1977), which won Best Picture Oscars® in 1975, 1976, and 1977, respectively. Other notable films included Apocalypse Now (1979), Raging Bull (1980), Network (1976) and Coming Home (1978). In 1978, Medavoy co-founded Orion Pictures where, during his tenure, Platoon (1986), Amadeus (1984), RoboCop (1987), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), The Terminator (1984), Dances with Wolves (1990) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991) were released. In 1990, after twelve successful years at Orion, Medavoy became chairman of TriStar Pictures, where he oversaw such critically-acclaimed box office hits as Philadelphia (1993), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Cliffhanger (1993), The Fisher King (1991), Legends of the Fall (1994) and Steven Spielberg's Hook (1991). As chairman and co-founder of Phoenix Pictures, Medavoy has brought to the screen The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), U Turn (1997), Apt Pupil (1998), The Thin Red Line (1998), The 6th Day (2000), Basic (2003), Holes (2003), All the King's Men (2006), Zodiac (2007), Pathfinder (2007) and Miss Potter (2006), among others. These films have received numerous nominations, won two Golden Bears at the Berlin Film Festival, five Golden Satellite Awards, a cinematography award for John Toll from the ASC and nominations from the DGA and WGA for Terrence Malick. "The Thin Red Line" and "The People vs. Larry Flint" each received Oscar® nominations. The Entertainment Business Wisdom podcast and its hosts are providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity during these interviews does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the Entertainment Business League LLC or its hosts. The views expressed by guests are their own, and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Any views or experience shared by guests and the hosts has been shared for the betterment of the intended audience. Views expressed on the program by guests are the views and opinions of the guests and do not represent the views, interests, opinions or position of the podcast, its hosts, or the company. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact the legal dept. of the Entertainment Business League LLC.
"This Just In" is a new monthly segment about the industry, trends, the market, and featuring "Take 5 for Writers" on what's hot.
Reed Martin is a former adjunct professor at NYU's Stern School and Columbia Business School. Previously, he has worked as Director of Marketing at Independent Pictures, the New York-based production company of Cary Woods (producer of the dancehall comedy "Swingers" starring Jon Favreau and Heather Graham.) Martin is also a former researcher at Harvard Business School, where he co-authored business cases with the senior faculty. Finally, Martin is a graduate of the management trainee program at 20th Century Fox Film in Los Angeles who received an MBA in marketing from Columbia Business School and a master's degree in business reporting from Columbia Journalism School. His two favorite movies include the uplifting documentary "MERU" (2015) and the underrated Kevin Bacon comedy "The Big Picture" (1989).The Reel Truth details the pitfalls, snares, and roadblocks that aspiring filmmakers encounter. Reed Martin interviewed more than one hundred luminaries from the independent film world to discuss the near misses that almost derailed their first and second films and identify the close shaves that could have cut their careers short. Other books may tell you the best way to make your independent film or online short, but no other book describes so candidly how to spot and avoid such issues and obstacles as equipment problems, shooting-day snafus, postproduction myths, theatrical distribution deal breakers, and dozens of other commonly made missteps, including the top fifty mistakes every filmmaker makes. From personal experience and his years as a freelance reporter covering independent film for USA Today and Filmmaker magazine, Martin uncovers the truth about the risks and potential rewards that go with chasing celluloid glory. Whether you're writing a screenplay, looking for financing, about to start shooting, or thinking about investing time and money (or someone else's money) in an independent film, The Reel Truth is a must-read.
Amazon listing for "The Reel Truth" http://goo.gl/rFiA39
https://twitter.com/TheReelTruth
Connect with your host Kaia Alexander: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Austin Highsmith Garces was born on March 31, 1981 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Dolphin Tale (2011), Scream: The TV Series (2015) and Criminal Minds (2005).
https://www.austinhighsmithofficial.com/
https://www.instagram.com/iamoyster
@AustinHighsmith
https://www.instagram.com/miracletreebook/
Connect with your host Kaia Alexander:
https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/
https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Lee Jessup is a career coach for screenwriters, specializing in guiding emerging and professional scribes toward long-standing and prolific screenwriting careers in both TV and feature writing. She also provided consulting services to NBC International, and the Universal Writers Program. Her coaching clients include everyone from showrunners and A-list studio writers to contest winners, TV writing fellows and writers just starting out. She is a consultant for Final Draft’s Big Break Contest, and the author of the best selling books Breaking In: Tales From the Screenwriting Trenches and Getting It Write: An Insider's Guide to a Screenwriting Career.
https://leejessup.com/
https://twitter.com/leezjessup
Connect with your host Kaia Alexander:
https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/
https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Oh Canada! Originating from the snowy north, Hayley has travelled and trained all over North America. Winning awards for her signature dark comedy writing style, she has carved out a place in the world of film and TV. A graduate of Humber College with a degree in Comedy Writing and Performance, she has worked with such names as Andrea Martin (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), Robyn Duke (Saturday Night Live), and Allan Guttman (Second City). Hayley Simpson is a voice actor and writer, who has travelled the world writing and performing. Along with founding Funny Laugh Productions, a micro-budget film/writing production company, she has strived to write works that highlight diverse perspectives and stories. Website:hayleysimpsoncomedy.com/ Twitter: @HayleyComedy Instagram: @Hayleysimpsoncomedy Connect with your host, Kaia Alexander: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ https://twitter.com/thisiskaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
MADISON HATFIELD (she/her) is a writer, actor, and filmmaker based in Atlanta. Her debut feature Pageant Material, co-written with Jono Mitchell, premiered at the 2019 Atlanta Film Festival. Their award-winning short Jenna Gets An Abortion premiered in 2020. In 2021 she co-wrote, produced, and acted in the feature films Miles From Nowhere and Courtney Gets Possessed (which she also co-directed) in addition to writing and producing three shorts including Post-Citrus, her solo directorial debut. Miles from Nowhere and Post-Citrus premiered at the 2022 Atlanta Film Festival. She and Mitchell are adapting a to-be-announced queer YA novel for Walden Media. As an actor, she has been featured on Atlanta, Dynasty, and the upcoming Showtime series The First Lady. She is represented by The Gotham Group for literary and Stewart Talent as a performer. www.madisonhatfield.com https://twitter.com/madhat31 Connect with your host Kaia Alexander: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ @ThisisKaia Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Danny Manus is an in-demand script consultant, mentor, and CEO of No BullScript Consulting (www.nobullscript.net), and was ranked in the “Cream of the Crop” Script Consultants by Creative Screenwriting Magazine. He is the author of “No BS for Screenwriters: Advice from the Executive Perspective” and was named one of Screencraft’s “25 People Screenwriters Should Follow on Twitter”.
His clients include finalists and winners of numerous prestigious contests including the ABC/Disney Fellowship, Austin Film Festival, PAGE Awards, Final Draft Big Break, Nashville Film Festival and Scriptapalooza. He has worked with over 2,000 writers and has consulted on produced projects including Strangerlands starring Nicole Kidman, I, Frankenstein starring Aaron Eckhart, Satanic Panic starring Rebecca Romijn, and In-Lawfully Yours (Netflix) starring Marilu Henner. In 2017, he was a Consulting Producer on the TV pilot Millennial Rules, starring Olivia D’Abo.
Danny has taught seminars and workshops across the country at Austin Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, Producer’s Guild of America, NY Film Academy, LA Film School, Great American Pitchfest, Kansas City Film Festival, Screenwriting Expo, Florida Writer’s Conference, The World Series of Comedy, Santa Fe Screenwriting Conference, Willamette Writers Conference in Portland, Las Vegas Writers Conference, Oklahoma Film & Music Conference, The Writers Store, Central Coast Writers Conference, Vancouver Pitchmart, Scriptwriters Network, Sherwood Oaks College, LA Valley College, etc., and to groups in LA, NY, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, Idaho, Iowa, Phoenix, Nebraska, Albuquerque, etc. He’s also appeared as a guest on BBC Radio, Film Courage, and popular podcasts including Indie Film Hustle, Sell Your Script, Write Hot, and On the Page.
Danny is also a screenwriter and was the Director of Development for Clifford Werber Productions (A Cinderella Story) where he sold the family adventure project “To Oz” to United Artists, and was instrumental in developing numerous projects including Sydney White starring Amanda Bynes and Just Add Water, starring Dylan Walsh, Jonah Hill, Melissa McCarthy and Danny DeVito. Danny was previously a Development Consultant for Eclectic Pictures (Lovelace), which had a deal with Millennium Films, and the Director of Development for Sandstorm Films, formerly run by writer/director J.S. Cardone, which had a first-look deal at Sony Screen Gems and a development deal with Top Cow Comics. He was instrumental in developing a number of films for the company including the #1 Box Office hit The Covenant, as well as 8MM2 and Sniper 3. Danny interned at Columbia Tri-Star in the Television Development department and at 20th Century Fox Casting.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannymanus/
https://twitter.com/DannyManus
Find your host Kaia Alexander: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ @ThisisKaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Cara J. Russell is a prolific screenwriter with a background in journalism. Her movies can currently be seen on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Drama, Lifetime, UPtv, PixL TV, and more. As of this writing, she has 10 + screenplay projects in development with various producers and production companies. In addition to her screenwriting, Cara works as a Creative Development Executive for MPCA (Motion Picture Corporation of America), a film production company in Los Angeles that is a world-leading producer of Christmas and family-themed movies and television entertainment. As a Creative Development Executive, Cara has read and given extensive notes on hundreds of scripts. She works on the production side of film and TV projects for networks and streamers from the initial pitches through the shooting drafts. A large part of her job is working with writers and helping them get their scripts into sellable shape for buyers such as Netflix, Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, Paramount, ABC, CBS, HBO Plus, NBC Peacock, Disney Plus, Lifetime, and many more. Working on both sides of the table gives Cara a unique perspective. She found herself giving the same notes over and over again to new writers and decided to write a screenwriting book. The purpose of this book is to help screenwriters who already understand basic structure and story elements but their scripts need a lot more work to get them into sellable shape. Cara explains the notes that are commonly given to writers by Development Executives on their submitted scripts to help you identify and solve those issues before you submit your script to a production company or studio. Knowing the right people, people who are willing to read your spec and/or are looking to hire writers for open writing assignments, doesn’t do you any good unless you can deliver a strong, professionally formatted, well-written, amazing script. You usually only get one shot to have your project read, and it is important to make sure your screenplay is in the best possible shape!
Cara is the author of Make Your Script Sellable: The Art and Business of Screenwriting, available on Amazon. This is the book Cara would have wanted and needed when she was first starting out in her professional screenwriting career. Take it from someone who has been there, and works on both sides of this wonderful, maddening, exhilarating, creative industry, you can make your screenwriting dreams come true! Although glamorous, the entertainment industry is a business. This book affords an understanding of the elements of what makes a successful, sellable screenplay, It covers the business side of the movie industry and includes how to pitch your project, handling notes meetings, and delivering subsequent revised and properly formatted drafts to the production company. @carajrussell https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ @ThisisKaia
Produced by Stuart W. Volkow P.G.A.
Kelly Krause is a screenwriter, producer and "talking head" known for 'Bone Detectives' and 'Quest for the Lost Ark'. She is the Co-founder of Disaster Capital, a boutique genre film lab and production company. Her genre work has earned accolades through PAGE, Shore Scripts, Roadmap Writers, and Screencraft. Prior to entering the film industry, Kelly worked as an archaeologist, historian and media consultant, engaging audiences with immersive cultural narratives via exhibitions, TV programs, digital media, and creative non-fiction. https://www.kellylkrause.com/ https://www.nyxhorror.com/ @KellyLynnKrause
Find Kaia Alexader: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ @ThisisKaia
Eric Rogers is a prolific television, film, and comic book writer whose produced credits include the Emmy-winning FUTURAMA and NYPD BLUE, as well as POLLY POCKET, S.M.A.S.H., BRICKLEBERRY, UGLYDOLLS, STRETCH ARMSTRONG, WANDER OVER YONDER, KINGDOM BUILDERS, TEEN TITANS GO!, and LITTLEST PET SHOP. Eric is the Co-Creator, Executive Producer, and Show Runner for the new sci-fi/action-comedy series from Hasbro Studios, MICRONAUTS, which will premiere in 2020. He was also the Creator, Executive Producer, and Show Runner for Netflix's SKYLANDERS ACADEMY, based on ActiVision-Blizzard's best-selling "Skylanders" video game series. Eric is a 2011 Writer's Guild of America Award nominee for his FUTURAMA script, "The Silence Of The Clamps". He hopes the WGA never realizes they obviously made some sort of grave clerical error with this nomination.
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Barnet Bain is a Canadian filmmaker, executive coach and educator. Select film credits include Milton’s Secret (director, writer) based on the novel by Eckhart Tolle, Oscar-winner What Dreams May Come (producer), Emmy-Award nominee, Outstanding TV Movie, Homeless to Harvard (executive producer), The Celestine Prophecy (writer, producer), and The Lost and Found Family (director). Barnet is a member of the Transformational Leadership Council and a founding member of the Association of Transformational Leaders. Barnet served as an adjunct professor at Columbia University, Teachers College and is a member of faculty at Esalen Institute and Kripalu Center. He is the author of the Book of Doing and Being: Rediscovering Creativity in Life, Love and Work (Atria, 2015), and The Third Story: Awakening the Love that Transforms (Spindrift, 2013). Barnet is an official partner with ‘Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Foundation’ which enjoys participation of millions of community, corporate, and educational leaders annually, including President Obama, who are using Barnet’s creativity content in their 2016-2017 curriculum for communities, schools and corporations. For more info:www.barnetbain.com https://www.facebook.com/barnet.bain/ Read Barnet's new book: The Book of Being and Doing
Find Kaia Alexander at: https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ @ThisisKaia
Glen Mazzara is the Creator, Executive Producer, and Showrunner of A&E's new series, DAMIEN, based on the classic horror film, THE OMEN. Mazzara was most recently Executive Producer and Showrunner for seasons two and three of AMC's record-breaking series and AFI Top Ten TV Program (2012), THE WALKING DEAD. The series earned him two Saturn awards, a Bram Stoker award for Superior Achievement in a Screenplay for the season three finale as well as a Writer's Guild of American nomination for his writing on season one. Mazzara's body of work includes AFI, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning series THE SHIELD, for which he earned a Peabody Award, CBS' NASH BRIDGES and NBC's LIFE. He ran season two of TNT's medical drama HAWTHORNE and created the series CRASH, the first scripted drama on STARZ. On the feature side, Mazzara has written THE OVERLOOK HOTEL, a prequel to Stanley Kubrick's classic film, THE SHINING. The film, which Mark Romanek is attached to direct, is currently in development. An advocate and practitioner of diversity in front of the camera, in the director's chair, and in the writers' room, Mazzara is co-chair of the Writers Guild of America's (WGA) Diversity Advisory Group and has been working to improve television employment opportunities for writers of diverse backgrounds. Passionate about mentorship, Mazzara is a co-founder of the WGA Staff Writer Bootcamp and is a frequent speaker at the WGA, the Writers Guild Foundation, the WGA Showrunner Training Program, and the WGA Writers Access Project. He has taught classes and seminars at colleges across the country and is a frequent speaker at professional conferences both in the U.S. and overseas. He is a proud member of his alma mater, New York University's Mentoring Network and received their inaugural Mentor of the Year Award. He also gave the commencement speech to Tisch School of the Arts in 2013. Mazzara recently served as an advisor for the Sundance Institute's Episodic Story Lab and is on the Board of Trustees for the Humanitas Prize. Mazzara currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife and three sons.
Jay Tavare describes himself best when he says he is a storyteller and a citizen of the world. Jay's acting performances in several Oscar winning films--with some of our era's most talented and acclaimed directors and actors--are the natural outcome of his eclectic life experiences and the direct result of his intense focus on excellence and dedication to authentic characters. Jay's onscreen roles include: Pathfinder (Marcus Nispel, 2007) as Black Wing, with Karl Urban and Clancy Brown * The Missing (Ron Howard, 2003) as Kayitah, with Cate Blanchett and Tommy Lee Jones * Cold Mountain (Anthony Minghella, 2003) as Swimmer, Jude Law's Cherokee half brother and fellow Confederate army warrior * Adaptation (Spike Jonze, 2002) as Matthew Osceola, the enigmatic Seminole orchid thief opposite Meryl Streep * Street Fighter (1994) as Vega, the devilishly handsome and lethal Spanish Ninja * Into the West (Steven Spielberg, 2005 mini-series) as Chief Prairie Fire opposite Keri Russell * CSI Miami season finale, Going Ballistic (2009) as Manny Ortega. For his role on CSI Miami Jay performed all his own stunts for the episode, including an astounding world class 23 story controlled free fall (more than 200 feet!) which was awarded an Emmy nomination. This sort of feat has given Jay an onset reputation as a bit of a daredevil. But it is more accurate to say he is master of an impressive repertoire of physical skills. Jay does not promote himself as a stuntman, but his experience as an athlete and dancer gives him the rare ability to create seamlessly believable characters by preparing and performing his own stunts when the role calls for it. It's no surprise directors and fellow actors recognize him for this.
www.jaytavareacademy.com/
www.facebook.com/jay.tavare
www.instagram.com/jaytavare/
https://www.carolekirschner.com/ Having worked as a senior level television development executive for eighteen years (including at CBS and Steven Spielberg’s first Amblin Television), Carole has heard over 5,000 pitches, read more than 3,000 scripts, bought hundreds of projects and was involved in developing dozens of television series. She is the Creator and Director of the CBS Diversity Writers Mentoring Program, and is the Director of the Writers Guild of America’s Showrunner Training Program. Her book, Hollywood Game Plan: How to Land a Job in Film, TV and Digital Entertainment , published by Michael Weise Publishers, is taught in colleges around the country. Buy it on Amazon: Hollywood Game Plan: How to Land a Job in Film, TV and Digital Entertainment.
Katie Taylor is President and CEO of Taylor Casting and has been a casting director for over 20 years. She specializes in sports, comedy, beauty, “real people”, babies, kids and families with a strong focus on diversity & inclusion. She believes that there is a place in the industry for all abilities, ethnicities, body shapes and identifications. Read more about Katie Here: https://shoutoutla.com/meet-katie-taylor-casting-director-mom-backyard-farmer/ @CastingKatie www.katietaylorcasting.com https://www.instagram.com/taylorcasting https://www.facebook.com/taylorcasting2
The Entertainment Business Wisdom podcast and its hosts are providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity during these interviews does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the Entertainment Business League LLC or its hosts. The views expressed by guests are their own, and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Any views or experience shared by guests and the hosts has been shared for the betterment of the intended audience. Views expressed on the program by guests are the views and opinions of the guests and do not represent the views, interests, opinions or position of the podcast, its hosts, or the company. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact the legal dept. of the Entertainment Business League LLC.
9X Produced Screenwriter (Features) Dave Rose (AKA David Rosiak) was born on September 28, 1974 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. He is a writer and actor, known for Leftovers (2014), The Storm (2009) and Thirsty (2009). @dave__rose Your Host: Kaia Alexander @ThisisKaia https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ The Entertainment Business Wisdom podcast and its hosts are providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity during these interviews does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the Entertainment Business League LLC or its hosts. The views expressed by guests are their own, and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Any views or experience shared by guests and the hosts has been shared for the betterment of the intended audience. Views expressed on the program by guests are the views and opinions of the guests and do not represent the views, interests, opinions or position of the podcast, its hosts, or the company. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact the legal dept. of the Entertainment Business League LLC.
Carson Lee Kressley was born on 11 November 1969 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. Growing up, he was very interested in horses and owned his first pony (named Sparky) when he was five years old. Carson still loves horses and is now a world champion equestrian. In 1987, he graduated high school and went on to study at Gettysburg College from which he graduated in 1991 (magna cum laude and phi beta kappa) with degrees in Finance and Fine Arts. Following his college graduation, Carson worked as a stylist for Ralph Lauren for many years before auditioning for Queer Eye (2003). In 2004, after Carson's first year with "Queer Eye", the show won an Emmy for "outstanding reality program". Post "Queer Eye" Carson appeared as the critically acclaimed host of "How to Look Good Naked" and a fan favorite contestant on Dancing with the Stars 13th season. In April 2012 Shop NBC launched Carson's collection of affordable glamour wear, "Love, Carson". Buy Carson's Book: Does This Book Make My Butt Look Big?: A Cheeky Guide to Feeling Sexier in Your Own Skin & Unleashing Your Personal Style The Entertainment Business Wisdom podcast and its hosts are providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity during these interviews does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the Entertainment Business League LLC or its hosts. The views expressed by guests are their own, and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Any views or experience shared by guests and the hosts has been shared for the betterment of the intended audience. Views expressed on the program by guests are the views and opinions of the guests and do not represent the views, interests, opinions or position of the podcast, its hosts, or the company. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact the legal dept. of the Entertainment Business League LLC. https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/
James Moorer is an author, screenwriter, producer and motivational speaker who loves to find a way to succeed. James has also worked as an actor and voice talent on numerous projects. He's passionate about finding the story within the story and helping writers find their own given greatness. His other passion is being the San Fernando valley's expert on finding the best Pancakes. www.RoadmapWriters.com https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ The Entertainment Business Wisdom podcast and its hosts are providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity during these interviews does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the Entertainment Business League LLC or its hosts. The views expressed by guests are their own, and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Any views or experience shared by guests and the hosts has been shared for the betterment of the intended audience. Views expressed on the program by guests are the views and opinions of the guests and do not represent the views, interests, opinions or position of the podcast, its hosts, or the company. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact the legal dept. of the Entertainment Business League LLC.
International speaker Jen Grisanti is an acclaimed Story/Career Consultant at Jen Grisanti Inc., a 13-year Writing Instructor for Writers on the Verge at NBC, a former 12-year studio executive, including VP of Current Programming at CBS/Paramount. Jen is the author of three books, Story Line: Finding Gold in Your Life Story, TV Writing Tool Kit: How To Write a Script That Sells, and Change Your Story, Change Your Life: A Path To Your Success. Jen Grisanti's program Story Therapy is available for a limited time at a discount of $200 off for our listeners at this link until Feburary 15th, 2022. https://jen-grisanti.mykajabi.com/offers/FJ5WNgji/checkout 2022 STORY THERAPY EVENT AND STORYWISE 6-WEEK TV PILOT WRITING TELESEMINAR Jen's 13th Annual Storywise Teleseminar starts on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, and goes through March 23, 2022. This seminar is a live and interactive event that includes story instruction, pitching, and an opportunity to get feedback from top working TV writers. Classes begin LIVE on Tuesday, February 15th at 7:00 pm PST ONLINE. Want to learn all of the things that Jen taught in Writers on the Verge at NBC? Check out her Storywise 6-Week Teleseminar that includes an eight-module story instruction training series called “Story Therapy: How To Write A Story That Sells.” She gives writers full breakdowns for 5 shows and a breakdown for one feature. You'll take a deep dive into several story tools that could lead you to a sale. She designed the story modules for “Story Therapy” and the 6-week program to help you write a compelling script in six weeks. She teaches you how to write at a level that will help lead your script to a sale, get staffed on a show, place in a writing competition or get into one of the various writing programs. To date, 97 pilots sold from writers that took part in this experience and her one on one consults.
Ryan Knighton is an internationally acclaimed blind author, screenwriter, journalist and performer . His two memoirs, Cockeyed and C'mon Papa, received numerous award nominations, including the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humor. He has contributed to the American radio programs This American Life and The Moth, and has written for The New York Times, Outside, Esquire, The globe and Mail, Popular Mechanics, The Observer, The Believer, Men's Health, Afar, Vancouver, Vice, The Sunday Telegraph, The National Post and Salon, among other newspapers and magazines. His travel writing has taken him around the world and earned him two Thomas Lowell Awards, an Eddie/Aussie Award and a James Beard Media Award nomination. He is also a Sundance Screenwriting Lab fellow and the recipient of the 2009 Alfred Sloan Prize from the Tribeca Film Institute for the feature adaptation of his memoir Cockeyed, which Ryan Reynolds is attached to direct. As a screenwriter, Knighton has written for Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox, and has created several original pilots for FX. Most recently he has served as a producer writer for three seasons on the network drama In the Dark. Knighton is a sought after public speaker and storyteller who has performed at theaters, conferences and universities around the world, including NASA, the University of London, UCLA and MIT. He lives on Vancouver Island in the village of Ucluelet. Surfing is his preoccupation. @ryanknighton
Zimran Jacob is an Indian American drama television writer originally from the San Francisco Bay Area. After graduating Cum Laude from Chapman University with a B.A. in Screenwriting and studying at NYU, USC, and UCLA, he moved out to Los Angeles where he began to work in the finance department at Gaumont Television, which released Narcos, Hannibal, Hemlock Grove, and F is for Family during his tenure at the company. Zimran's job at Gaumont led him to Marvel in the writer's room on the Netflix show, The Punisher where he was able to contribute to the story in his role on the support staff as the Showrunner's Assistant. During his time at Marvel, he pitched two stories which became produced episodes. Zimran sold his feature SWAG to 19f Productions where Kevin Pollak is attached to direct. He was a PGA Diversity Workshop Fellow in 2019 and was a Semi-Finalist in both the 2018 and 2019 Austin Film Festival. Most recently, he brought enthusiasm to his job as Showrunner's Assistant for October Faction on Netflix. He writes dark Shakespearean dramas featuring Machiavellian characters, tribal power struggles, and is addicted to crime stories. Zimran brings a breadth of knowledge and a unique background to all his projects. He created a software company that he sold. He has worked as a financial advisor and an NBA journalist. On top of that, he was a nationally ranked chess player and can do that cool thing where you play a few games at the same time. Zimran's Reading List:
Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success, Phil Jackson
The 50th Law, Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson
Mastery, The Laws of Power, Robert Greene
The Talent Code, Daniel Coyle, John Farrell
1984, George Orwell
Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, erek Perkins, Yuval Noah Harari
How to Be an Antiracist, Ibram X. Kendi
Caste (Oprah's Book Club): The Origins of Our Discontents, Isabel Wilkerson, Robin Miles
The Ramayana
The Odysssey, by Homer Homer and Robert Fagles
Inglorious Empire: What the British Did to India, by Shashi Tharoor
Peoples History of the United States, Howard Zinn, Jeff Zinn,
Powerhouse: The Untold Story of Hollywood's Creative Artists Agency, James Andrew Miller, Kirby Heyborne
Your Only As Good As Your Next One, Mike Medavoy
The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander, Karen Chilton
Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting
Screenwriting: The Sequence Approach, Paul Joseph Gulino
Film Scripts Two,
Marc Sotkin began his writing career in 1976 and has been a staff writer and producer on more than 350 episodes of various situation comedies for every television network. His credits include Executive Producer and Head Writer of Laverne & Shirley, The Golden Girls, as well as co-writing and producing two Garry Shandling specials for Showtime. He has been honored with multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, and Cable Ace award nominations and has won a prestigious Writers Guild Award. Marc was an early adopter and started creating content for the web in 1997 as Founder and CEO of Talentstream.com. In 2008 he began writing, producing and appearing in 109 episodes of his weekly Boomer Alley videos. In addition he hosted Boomer Alley Radio which aired weekly in Los Angeles, Colorado, and podcast to the world. He has written three novels, The Comatose Adventures of Lenny Rose, With Time Off For Bad Behavior, and Kinda Dirty Paris Confessions. He co-created and launched a multi-media ebook, The Improbables which is free and available for download. In 2013, after years of participating in spin classes, Marc became a certified spin instructor and taught his popular class at Colorado Athletic Club/Flatirons. In 2014 he received his NASM certification as a personal trainer. In 2018 Marc moved to Santa Fe, NM, and began teaching spin classes at The Genoveva Chavez Community Center. He recently co-wrote a new non-fiction book, Hacking The Aging Process, that is available for free download here. https://marcsotkin.com/ https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ The Entertainment Business Wisdom podcast and its hosts are providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity during these interviews does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the Entertainment Business League LLC or its hosts. The views expressed by guests are their own, and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Any views or experience shared by guests and the hosts has been shared for the betterment of the intended audience. Views expressed on the program by guests are the views and opinions of the guests and do not represent the views, interests, opinions or position of the podcast, its hosts, or the company. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact the legal dept. of the Entertainment Business League LLC.
In 1980, after receiving a B.A. in Economics from Vassar College and a J.D. from Stanford Law School, Phillip launched his career as an attorney for PolyGram’s music division, where he negotiated and drafted music publishing agreements and handled copyright matters. He subsequently spent five years at RCA, as Business Affairs Manager and Director of Program and Talent Negotiations, working in the arenas of pay, cable and syndicated television. Entering the Los Angeles market as Vice President of Business Affairs and Legal Affairs for New Line Cinema in 1989, Phillip ascended to Senior Vice President of Business and Legal Affairs. During his seven-year tenure he was responsible for business affairs and legal duties for over fifty motion pictures including the Nightmare on Elm Street and House Party series, as well as the Jim Carrey comedy The Mask and the Brad Pitt thriller Seven. From 1997 to 1999, Phillip was a partner in charge of the motion picture and television department in the Beverly Hills office of Baker and Hostetler, LLP. Phillip is currently a principal of Rosen Law Group, representing producers, writers, directors, television production companies, film production companies, talent and distributors in a transactional capacity. Over his career Phillip has taught entertainment law courses at UCLA, Hastings Law School as well as the Entertainment Law Capstone course at Southwestern Law School. Phillip is a member of the New York and California Bar Associations. https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/ The Entertainment Business Wisdom podcast and its hosts are providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity during these interviews does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the Entertainment Business League LLC or its hosts. The views expressed by guests are their own, and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Any views or experience shared by guests and the hosts has been shared for the betterment of the intended audience. Views expressed on the program by guests are the views and opinions of the guests and do not represent the views, interests, opinions or position of the podcast, its hosts, or the company. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact the legal dept. of the Entertainment Business League LLC.
Joel Zwick is a director and producer, known for My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), Tango Shalom (2021) and Elvis Has Left the Building (2004). He worked on the television series Perfect Strangers, Full House, and Family Matters, His father was a cantor from an Orthodox background, and Zwick had his bar mitzvah at an Orthodox synagogue. Zwick went to Brooklyn College ('62), where he taught in the School of Film. Zwick was active in the Off-Off-Broadway movement at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club, which was founded by Ellen Stewart in 1961. He worked with the La MaMa Plexus company at the East Village theater and on tour both domestically and internationally. He performed with La MaMa Plexus in Jan Quackenbush's Inside Out in 1968. https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com The Entertainment Business Wisdom podcast and its hosts are providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity during these interviews does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the Entertainment Business League LLC or its hosts. The views expressed by guests are their own, and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Any views or experience shared by guests and the hosts has been shared for the betterment of the intended audience. Views expressed on the program by guests are the views and opinions of the guests and do not represent the views, interests, opinions or position of the podcast, its hosts, or the company. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact the legal dept. of the Entertainment Business League LLC.
Glen David Brin is an American scientist and author of science fiction. He has won the Hugo, Locus,Campbell and Nebula Awards.His novel The Postman was adapted into a 1997 feature film starring Kevin Costner. Brin is best-known for shining light — plausibly and entertainingly — on technology, society, and countless challenges confronting our rambunctious civilization. His best-selling novels include explorations of our near-future in Earth and Existence. Other novels are translated into 25+ languages. His short stories explore vividly speculative ideas. Brin's nonfiction book The Transparent Society won the American Library Association's Freedom of Speech Award for exploring 21st Century concerns about security, secrecy, accountability and privacy. As a scientist, tech-consultant and world-known author, he speaks, advises, and writes widely on topics from national defense and homeland security to astronomy and space exploration, SETI and nanotechnology, future/prediction, creativity, and philanthropy. Urban Developer Magazine named him one of four World's Best Futurists, and he was appraised as "#1 influencer" in Onalytica's Top 100 report of Artificial Intelligence influencers, brands & publications. https://www.davidbrin.com/ @DavidBrin
Kaia Alexander worked as a development exec on the films Just Friends, Peaceful Warrior and The Good Night. She's an award-winning novelist (Written in the Ashes, Harper Collins 2016), feminist and historian, producer/director and screenwriter who runs a global group for womxn writers called Writing with Kaia. Her directorial debut (coming in 2021) is the documentary feature, Chalice: Wise Women Rise. She was mentored by and worked for comedian Garry Shandling. She/her/hers and BQ in LGBTQ. Surfer. Mom
https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/entertainment-business-school/ https://entertainmentbusinessleague.com/
Cindy Begel is a Writer-Producer who has worked on staff or freelance for over 30 classic sitcoms and some not so classic. Her background includes both multi and single camera series, animation, and was one of the writers for the hugely popular film, "The Flintstones". She's worked for Garry Marshall, Norman Lear, even Bill Cosby... Shows include: Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Mork & Mindy, Joanie Loves Chachi, The Jeffersons, Head of The Class, Alice, Married With Children, Mama's Family, The New Leave It To Beaver, The Days & Nights of Molly Dodd, The Martin Short Show. Co-creating the animated series "The Kids From Room 402, she also co-wrote all 52 episodes. Most recently, she wrote for the Muppet Babies on the Disney Channel. Cindy has recently finished a darkly comedic semi-autobiographical novel called, "Morgan Keller Takes A Deep Breath": A determined young woman struggles to hide a devastating health secret that threatens to destroy both her career as a TV comedy writer and her (finally!) head-over heels first love. imdb.com/name/nm0066703/ @CindyBegel The Entertainment Business Wisdom podcast and its hosts are providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity during these interviews does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the Entertainment Business League LLC or its hosts. The views expressed by guests are their own, and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Any views or experience shared by guests and the hosts has been shared for the betterment of the intended audience. Views expressed on the program by guests are the views and opinions of the guests and do not represent the views, interests, opinions or position of the podcast, its hosts, or the company. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact the legal dept. of the Entertainment Business League LLC.
Writer/Producer Richard Kahan was born and raised in the open prairies of Canada, and has worked in film and television for over 25 years. Richard got his start as an actor and appeared in over 100 hours of television and various films, starring opposite the likes of Dennis Hopper. In addition to his series regular role on USA Network’s Emmy-nominated THE 4400, he made dozens of guest appearances including THE MENTALIST and GREY’S ANATOMY. Richard followed his passion for writing and producing, under the wing of his mentor, prolific writer/producer/showrunner Ira Steven Behr. Richard worked on Sony Television/Starz multi Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated series OUTLANDER, writing one of the highest rated episodes of the hit series. Richard went on to produce LUCKY, a feature film that marks the final performance of screen legend Harry Dean Stanton, with a supporting cast that includes David Lynch, Ron Livingston, Ed Begley Jr., Tom Skerritt, and Beth Grant. The film, which is also the directorial debut of celebrated character actor John Carroll Lynch, made its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival. LUCKY was received with both critical and financial success, selling to Magnolia Pictures for theatrical release in North America, as well as over 50 international markets. In addition to his work on LUCKY and OUTLANDER, Richard wrote and produced THE ELEVATOR, a web series starring William Shatner, adapted Christal Presley’s successful memoir THIRTY DAYS WITH MY FATHER, was hired to write and produce LIFELINE, a feature film for Academy Award-winning The Lagralane Group (Netflix’s ICARUS) and produced KILLING ELEANOR, a feature film starring Jenny O’Hara, Annika Marks, Jane Kaczmarek, Betsy Brandt, and Camryn Manheim, released by 1091 in October. Most recently, Richard was hired to write PONZI: PURE AND TRUE, a feature film based on the preeminent Charles Ponzi biography by Donald Dunn, and is currently writing on AMC and Spectrum’s highly anticipated television series BEACON 23, based on Hugh Howey’s bestselling novel, and set to star GAME OF THRONES’ Lena Headey. entertainmentbusinessleague.com
The Entertainment Business Wisdom podcast and its hosts are providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity during these interviews does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the Entertainment Business League LLC or its hosts. The views expressed by guests are their own, and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Any views or experience shared by guests and the hosts has been shared for the betterment of the intended audience. Views expressed on the program by guests are the views and opinions of the guests and do not represent the views, interests, opinions or position of the podcast, its hosts, or the company. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact the legal dept. of the Entertainment Business League LLC.
The Entertainment Business Wisdom podcast and its hosts are providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity during these interviews does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the Entertainment Business League LLC or its hosts. The views expressed by guests are their own, and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Any views or experience shared by guests and the hosts has been shared for the betterment of the intended audience. Views expressed on the program by guests are the views and opinions of the guests and do not represent the views, interests, opinions or position of the podcast, its hosts, or the company. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact the legal dept. of the Entertainment Business League LLC.
Will Nix produced the Academy-award nominated animated film, THE PROPHET, with Salma Hayek, based on the spiritual bestseller from Kahlil Gibran.” He is Chairman/CEO, Creative Projects Group® is a Producer with extensive experience in the entertainment, media, sports, and intellectual property fields, as well as a Partner in LOHAS Advisors/Capital which focuses on Social and Environmental Impact Investing. He is a member of the Producer's Council of the PGA, a founding member of its Social Impact Entertainment Task Force and member of its Diversity, Education, Independent Film, Documentary and Animation Committees. He is also a Founding Member and Co-Executive Director of the SIE Society
A graduate of Wellesley College and UCLA's Graduate School of Film & Television, Giese completed a short documentary and two short films including the Student Academy Award finalist, "A Dry Heat". She was awarded a Master of Fine Arts degree in film production in 1994. She wrote and directed the British feature film, When Saturday Comes (1996), starring Sean Bean, Emily Lloyd and Pete Postlethwaite. This film, shot on location in Sheffield, England for Capitol Films, was released theatrically around the world in 1996. Giese also wrote, directed and produced the digital feature film, Hunger (2001), her contemporary adaptation of Nobel laureate Knut Hamsun's 1890 existentialist masterpiece. The San Francisco Examiner called the film "A champion", "A shot-on-video wonder" and named it the "The pick of the pack" at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival. In addition, she has written two original feature films and is attached to direct the futuristic thriller, "Matching Blue", as well as the feature film media satire, "Justice". Giese re-wrote North Star (1996) (uncredited), directed by Nils Gaup (Pathfinder (1987) (aka Pathfiner)), and starring James Caan, Christopher Lambert and Catherine McCormack. She also wrote the original feature drama, "The Life Story of Che Guevara", and adapted the British novel, "Free To Trade", for Capitol Films. Giese is the recipient of numerous awards including two Cine Eagles, a Kovler Writing Award, a Spotlight Award, First Prize at the American International Film Festival, a Charles Speroni Scholarship, and an MPAA Award of Excellence. She lives in Beverly Hills and is a member of the Directors Guild of America. The Entertainment Business Wisdom podcast and its hosts are providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity during these interviews does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the Entertainment Business League LLC or its hosts. The views expressed by guests are their own, and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Any views or experience shared by guests and the hosts has been shared for the betterment of the intended audience. Views expressed on the program by guests are the views and opinions of the guests and do not represent the views, interests, opinions or position of the podcast, its hosts, or the company. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact the legal dept. of the Entertainment Business League LLC.
Linda had several careers in her life before her current one as a Writer for television dramas. She has been a political writer, a TV news producer, a journalist, and a feminist activist. (She wrote a powerful article about female genital mutilation in America, which you can read here: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1995/10/female-circumcision-comes-to-america/306051/.) Some of her TV writing/producing credits include The Education of Max Bickford, State of Affairs, In Plain Sight, NCIS and Chasing Life.
Sample some of the best American films over the past forty years and there's a good chance Mike Medavoy played a role in the success of many of them. From agent to studio chief to producer, he has been involved with over 300 feature films, of which 17 have been nominated and 7 have won Best Picture Oscars®, as well as numerous international film festival awards.
Medavoy began his career at Universal Studios in 1964. He rose from the mail room to become a casting director. In 1965, he became an agent at General Artist Corporation and then vice-president at Creative Management Agency. Joining International Famous Agency as vice-president in charge of the motion picture department in 1971, he worked with such prestigious clients as Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Terrence Malick, Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Gene Wilder, Jeanne Moreau, and Jean-Louis Trintignant.
United Artists brought him in as senior vice-president of production, in 1974, where he was part of the team responsible for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Rocky (1976), and Annie Hall (1977), which won Best Picture Oscars® in 1975, 1976, and 1977, respectively. Other notable films included Apocalypse Now (1979), Raging Bull (1980), Network (1976) and Coming Home (1978). In 1978, Medavoy co-founded Orion Pictures where, during his tenure, Platoon (1986), Amadeus (1984), RoboCop (1987), Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), The Terminator (1984), Dances with Wolves (1990) and The Silence of the Lambs (1991) were released. In 1990, after twelve successful years at Orion, Medavoy became chairman of TriStar Pictures, where he oversaw such critically-acclaimed box office hits as Philadelphia (1993), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), Cliffhanger (1993), The Fisher King (1991), Legends of the Fall (1994) and Steven Spielberg's Hook (1991).
As chairman and co-founder of Phoenix Pictures, Medavoy has brought to the screen The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), U Turn (1997), Apt Pupil (1998), The Thin Red Line (1998), The 6th Day (2000), Basic (2003), Holes (2003), All the King's Men (2006), Zodiac (2007), Pathfinder (2007) and Miss Potter (2006), among others. These films have received numerous nominations, won two Golden Bears at the Berlin Film Festival, five Golden Satellite Awards, a cinematography award for John Toll from the ASC and nominations from the DGA and WGA for Terrence Malick. "The Thin Red Line" and "The People vs. Larry Flint" each received Oscar® nominations.
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Kaia talks to her friend Juliet Landau who grew up in the entertainment business, but became successful all on her own (even in spite of the narcissists that surrounded her). She's a multi-hyphenate powerhouse: actress, director, writer and marketer- and now also an educator. She opens the kimono to reveal some of things she wish she would've known earlier in her career, and how she has navigated her success, as well as writing/directing, and starring in her new, groundbreaking film A PLACE AMONG THE DEAD.
Juliet Landau is an actress, director, producer and writer. As an actress, highlights include her role as Drusilla on Joss Whedon’s BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER & spin-off ANGEL and co-starring in Tim Burton’s ED WOOD as Loretta King. Last season Juliet recurred in Amazon Prime Video’s #1 television series, BOSCH, as Rita Tedesco. She's currently recurring as ‘Cordelia’ on TNT’s CLAWS. Juliet just helmed her visionary, feature film directorial debut, A PLACE AMONG THE DEAD which has been picked up for worldwide distribution by Modern Films. She co-wrote and stars in the venture. With Gary Oldman, Ron Perlman, Robert Patrick, Lance Henriksen, Joss Whedon and best-selling author Anne Rice, appearing for the first time in a movie. Also in the works and partially completed is THE UNDEAD SERIES. Think Jerry Seinfeld’s COMEDIANS IN CARS GETTING COFFEE… This is VAMPIRES IN COFFINS GETTING BLOOD! … It’s the only series ever to gather the A-list of the genre together. Every one of the talented artists in A PLACE AMONG THE DEAD came back to participate in her series, as did Tim Burton, Willem Dafoe and many other notables. Other acting work includes starring opposite Whoopi Goldberg in THEODORE REX as well as starring in over 20 other films, appearing in many more, guest-starring frequently on television, extensive voiceover work in features, tv, video games and garnering rave reviews for her roles in the theater. Juliet’s previous directorial efforts include two short subjects. TAKE FLIGHT explored Gary Oldman’s creative process and was produced by Gary. DREAM OUT LOUD featured interviews with Guillermo del Toro, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Rian Johnson. Both projects were produced with her husband Deverill Weekes under the Miss Juliet Productions banner. Landau co-wrote two issues of the ANGEL comic book for IDW. She is now penning the companion coffee table book to THE UNDEAD SERIES called BOOK OF THE UNDEAD. modernfilms.com/aplaceamongthedead
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