Mark Gill joins us for an in-depth conversation about the world of independent and studio producing, outlining his career trajectory along the way. Starting out as a journalist, Mark quickly pivoted to publicity, a job which put him in touch with the film industry. Soon, Mark was working for influential companies such as MGM, United Artists, and Miramax. Working in various roles on films such as Pulp Fiction,The English Patient, Law Abiding Citizen, Olympus has Fallen, and Unhinged, Mark steadil...
Nov 07, 2023•35 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Jack Binder joins us to discuss independent and studio producing, two fields which he has operated in for several decades with great success. Jack speaks to working with his brother – comedian, writer, director, and actor Mike Binder – as well as working on several solo projects. He discusses the importance of being a good collaborator, as well as producing both internationally and domestically. Producing films such as Reign Over Me and First Reformed, Jack has a knack for identifying strong sto...
Oct 24, 2023•45 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Rob Barnum joins us to discuss independent producing, his collaboration with writer and director J.C. Chandor, the challenges of producing at all levels, and how the world of independent producing has changed post-streaming. Barnum has produced many films over the years, successfully navigating the ever changing landscape of independent film, making such films as All is Lost and Margin Call. Chatting with Matthew, Rob reflects on these changes and what it means for producers, independent project...
Oct 10, 2023•42 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Bobby Goldstein joins us for a hilarious, quick-witted conversation surrounding the creation and production of his now infamous show Cheaters, which ran for twenty-one seasons and continues to live on through syndication. His do-it-yourself attitude and extensive business savvy makes for an extremely informative episode on producing independent television. His secret: “work like prayer won’t help, and pray like work won’t help.” Bobby is currently working on creating a feature film adaptation ab...
Sep 26, 2023•38 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Bill Mechanic is one of the most successful studio executives of all time, and has been instrumental in the development, production, and distribution of some of the most influential films of the 20th and 21st century. Now CEO and Chairman of Pandemonium Films, Bill and Matthew discuss his storybook career, from the glory days at Paramount, to the building of Disney, to becoming the CEO and Chairman of Fox Filmed Entertainment, where the studio would earn seventy-two Oscar nominations in six year...
Sep 12, 2023•43 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Joe Lewis joins us for a highly informational conversation surrounding Joe’s career, his approach to independent producing, and how he got his start by understanding the current state of the industry while simultaneously looking towards the future. Earning his first credit helping create Comedy Central’s Tosh.O, Joe would go on to produce Transparent, Fleabag, Mozart in the Jungle, and 100 Foot Wave. Joe and Matthew discuss the benefits of independent producing, the importance of confidence, and...
Aug 29, 2023•33 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Jeff Sackman joins us on the podcast exuding an air of calm. His keep-it-cool attitude is what made Jeff successful as a producer of American Psycho (2000) and the other 96 movies he’s made over his career. Preaching a gospel of “cutting through,” which he describes as having the smarts to compete without big studio capital, his former company Think Films afforded Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination and led to the inception of A24. In this episode, Jeff talks about the biggest disappointment of his...
Dec 09, 2020•48 min•Ep. 18
Today on the podcast we have another legendary industry veteran, producer, and manager: Craig Baumgarten (@craig_baumgarten). Craig’s story makes Hollywood dreams seem possible. He moved to Hollywood because of a “feeling” and met superstars like Richard Gere by hosting parties at a fancy house he was crashing at. Though jobless at the time, he climbed his way to an executive role at Paramount, and went on to produce classic films like Hook (1991) with Robin Williams and Shattered Glass (2003). ...
Dec 02, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 17
Kris Rey (@kriseykrisrey) is known for her improv-heavy, run-and-gun indie films that have established her as one of the most unique modern filmmakers to watch today. Brought up in the state of Illinois, Rey began her career studying documentary filmmaking, which gave her an eye for naturalistic performances and grounded narratives that now saturate her films. In this episode, she breaks down her inspiration for creating her upcoming feature I Used to Go Here ; the effect of COVID-19 on releasin...
Nov 25, 2020•56 min•Ep. 16
David Dalsmalchian (@dastmalchian) is a triple threat – writer, actor and producer, appearing in independent films and major blockbuster hits alike. This quality makes him the perfect actor for films like The Dark Night (2008), Ant Man (2015) and Prisoners (2015) where he plays disquieting yet distinctive characters. However, success was not easy. His persistent persona, which brought Animals (2013) to SXSW, comes from pulling himself up by the bootstraps after battling his heroin addiction. In ...
Nov 18, 2020•59 min•Ep. 15
“They don’t thank you for being a good little boy or girl. They thank you for results,” says today’s guest Mike Paseornek. If you don’t know Mike by name, you definitely know him for his work. From American Psycho (2000) to Hunger Games (2012) to La La Land (2016), there is no genre outside of Mike’s repertoire. Now, after 25 prolific years as Lionsgate’s President, Mike leaves his executive title behind for a three-year producing deal with Lionsgate. In this episode, Mike talks about the “start...
Nov 11, 2020•55 min•Ep. 14
Kim Winther is one of the most respected and well known Assistant Directors in the business. Beginning his career as the Third Assistant Director in 1981 on the film Silence of the North (1981), he worked his way up to becoming the 1st AD on massive films such as Independence Day (1996), Godzilla (1998) and Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005). He has worked in a vast variety of genres, from classics and comedies, including Little Women (1994) and Cool Runnings (1993) to apocalyptic actions, such as The Da...
Nov 04, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 13
If you thought you were an industry veteran, try stacking yourself up to Mark Damon. Starting his entertainment career in 1954, Mark has bounced from stage acting, to starring in Westerns in Italy, to executive producing his own films. Mark has produced and acted in over 70 films and has been awarded 10 Oscar nominations for films like Das Boot (1981) and Monster (2003). “A businessman at heart,” Mark left his acting career behind and founded the Producers Sales Organization to distribute domest...
Oct 28, 2020•55 min•Ep. 12
Ever wonder who makes made-for-TV-movies, frequently seen on the SyFy channel? Meet Paul Bales, whose charming self deprecation makes you want to love every poorly rated film he’s ever produced. Paul is one of the masterminds behind Sharknado as the COO of The Asylum, a low budget film production company, distributor and studio. He has produced over 200 films and written 10 more. While producing low-budget monster movies may not seem as glamorous as winning your ticket to the Oscars, as Paul say...
Oct 22, 2020•43 min•Ep. 11
You may not recognize the company, but you will certainly recognize the shows. Andrew Fried (@Andrew_Fried) is the founder and CEO of Boardwalk Pictures, the premiere unscripted television company behind shows such as Chef’s Table (2015-2019), Cheer (2020) and The Goop Lab (2020). A pioneer in the short form docu-series’ that you see all over Netflix and Hulu today, Andrew has traveled across the world making content and has earned three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction...
Oct 14, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 10
Neil Marshall (@neilmarshall_director) is an Emmy-nominated director, writer, editor and producer, known for cult films such as The Descent and his work on hit shows like Game of Thrones . Marshall supported himself for eight years as a freelance editor before hitting his stride with two films: Dog Soldiers and The Descent , which put him on the map as a top-notch horror director who blends hyper-stylized violence with thematic complexity. After his success with the latter, Marshall was listed o...
Oct 07, 2020•56 min•Ep. 9
Known for her director driven work, you have surely seen her star-studded casts on the silver screen. Jessica Kelly has been a casting director for over 10 years and worked on over 140 titles, casting across acclaimed television projects such as Ramy (2020) and Euphoria (2019) to independent and blockbuster films including John Wick (2014), Midsommar (2019), Hereditary (2020) and Precious (2009). Jessica takes us through packaging and casting in today’s world, her creative process, how she asses...
Sep 30, 2020•40 min•Ep. 8
In this episode, we talked to Barry Josephson (@barryjayj), the man whose five-year persistence made the iconic Men In Black (1997) possible. For all of you in the wrong field, Barry is living proof you can still make it big in entertainment. Before he was working with stars like Will Smith and Harrison Ford, he worked in the music industry. He’s found success as President of Columbia Pictures and executive producer on noteworthy productions such as Enchanted (2007) and Bones (2005-2017). Howeve...
Sep 23, 2020•47 min•Ep. 7
If you don’t know him by name, you know him by his iconic film editing. Barry Brown is the Oscar-nominated editor whose work on classics like Do The Right Thing and BlaKKKlansman put him on the map as one of Spike Lee’s sharpest collaborators. Having grown up in the deep South, Brown’s work has always been rooted in social consciousness, striking a balance between engaging entertainment and important activism. In this episode, Brown breaks down the process behind getting his upcoming film Son of...
Sep 16, 2020•57 min•Ep. 6
Randall Emmett (@randallemmettfilms) is living out every film buff’s dream. He has produced hundreds of films, two Martin Scorsese films, The Irishman (2019) and Silence (2016), and he has the pleasure of affectionately calling him “Marty.” After working with Scorsese, Randall is more in touch with filmmaking than ever. He will make his directorial debut this year for Midnight in the Switchgrass starring Megan Fox and Bruce Willis. Plus, he has recently starred alongside his fiance La La Kent in...
Sep 09, 2020•39 min•Ep. 5
In today’s very special episode, we sit down with Swedish actor and action movie-star Dolph Lundgren (@Dolph_Lundgren). You’ve seen him “try to break” Rocky – but what you may not know is that he is a savant. After earning his Masters Degree in Chemical Engineering in Australia, Dolph turned down a PhD at MIT to pursue acting. The decision was well worth it – just a few years later, he would make his near feature debut as Ivan Drago in Rocky IV (1985), leaving behind a well paid engineering care...
Sep 02, 2020•47 min•Ep. 4
Today’s episode changes up the pace as we sit down with legendary Director of Photography Robert Yeoman. After Yeoman's first break into cinematography on To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) as a second unit director of photography, he became Wes Anderson’s go to live action DP, including films such as Bottle Rocket (1996), Rushmore (1998), and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), the latter of which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. On today’s podcast, Yeoman discusses his w...
Aug 26, 2020•56 min•Ep. 3
Vince Jolivette is an Emmy Award-nominated producer and actor who has established a unique path for himself in Hollywood. As co-founder of Rabbit Bandini Productions alongside his business partner James Franco, Jolivette has produced critically-acclaimed films like The Disaster Artist , Spring Breakers and BondIt-financed King Cobra . After arriving in Hollywood during the 1990s renaissance of independent filmmaking, Jolivette met Franco at Playhouse West, where their friendship turned into a cr...
Aug 19, 2020•49 min•Ep. 2
You definitely will recognize the name Creed Bratton (@CreedBratton) from the hit sitcom The Office (US). But what you may not know is that Creed plays a fictionalized version of himself, and his story goes far beyond his time cracking some of the most memorable jokes in the show. Creed came from a family of musicians, and went on to travel across Europe with the band The Young Californians. Later he joined the legendary band The Grass Roots before pursuing a career in acting – and the rest, as ...
Aug 12, 2020•39 min•Ep. 1
Each week on Greenlit, we dive into how your favorite movies and TV shows were able to be made with stories from those who were there. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Aug 03, 2020•2 min
