In our season finale, the importance of reinvention is never clearer than in the stories from playwright Gordon Farrell's career, where he had to keep coming back to what drew him to writing in the first place in order to continue moving forward. Gordon Farrell's play, "The Lifespan Of A Fact," starring Daniel Radcliffe, Tony-Award winner Cherry Jones, and Emmy Award winner Bobby Cannavale performed on Broadway from 2018 to 2019. It was co-written with Jeremy Kareken & David Murrell, directe...
Oct 01, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Season 3Ep. 20
Opportunity may only knock once. But if you open the door without asking second-guessing yourself, then the phone may start ringing off the hook. And you just might find yourself with as long and respected a career as actor Eric Balfour. Eric Balfour is a true Angelino, one who embraces everything the City of Angels has to offer. As a lover of the ocean he is an avid surfer and supports many environmental causes. His charitable endeavors include Surfrider, Oceana and Sea Shepard. As a lover of f...
Sep 24, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Season 3Ep. 19
There are an infinite number of stories to tell, an infinite number or worlds to explore. But sometimes one just burrows into your brain and won't let go, squirming into every daydream and idle conversation, demanding to be brought to life. And writer-producer Pete Jones believes those are the ones worth pursuing. An up and coming filmmaker who got his big break thanks to the Miramax sponsored competition "Project Greenlight," Peter Jones went from production assistant and insurance salesman to ...
Sep 17, 2024•52 min•Season 3Ep. 18
Some people might think that in a business as cutthroat as entertainment, ruthless cunning is the only thing that'll get you ahead. But writer-director Pete Jones is a living example to the contrary. An up and coming filmmaker who got his big break thanks to the Miramax sponsored competition "Project Greenlight," Peter Jones went from production assistant and insurance salesman to director and screenwriter almost overnight when he was awarded $1 million with which to produce his debut feature "S...
Sep 10, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 17
The entertainment business has always been in a state of flux, from the earliest days. Whether that means technologicial, social or structural change, cinematographer Michael Goi says the harder you fight against it, the faster you become irrelevant. Michael Goi, ASC, ISC was born and raised in Chicago, where he established himself in the fields of documentaries and commercials. He has directed numerous television shows such as "Avatar: The Last Airbender", "Big Sky,", "The Rookie", "Kung Fu", "...
Sep 03, 2024•1 hr 27 min•Season 3Ep. 16
In writer/producer/showrunner John Glenn's view, there should really only be one reason you go into show business: a love of storytelling. Anything else gets in the way of the most important task at hand, and that is doing the work you should already love. John Patrick Glenn is an American screenwriter, producer, and show runner who has worked with a multitude of A list actors, producers, and almost every studio and network in film and television. Glenn launched his screenwriting career in 1999,...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Season 3Ep. 15
Hope may be hard to come by in any corner of the world these days. But writer-producer Chap Taylor and producer Evan Astrowsky try their level best to help us keep our chins up in our first show business roundtable for season 3. Chap Taylor has written screenplays and television pilots for all of the major Hollywood studios. He's worked for such producers as Brian Grazer, Scott Rudin, Irwin Winkler, Arnold Kopelson, and for directors Wes Craven and Ridley Scott. He co-wrote the Paramount feature...
Aug 20, 2024•43 min
Egos abound in the business of show. But if you aim to be like writer/directors John and Dave Chernin, then you'll have to accept that there are always new ways of doing things and different approaches to storytelling that you are totally unaware of and should probably embrace. Brothers John and Dave Chernin started their television careers as writers for the hit comedy IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA (FXX). The duo co-wrote 10 episodes while on the ALWAYS SUNNY writing staff, and departed aft...
Aug 13, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Season 3Ep. 14
Most people can only dream of having the kind of career producer/director Denise Di Novi has enjoyed. And she says a lot that came down to the fact that she never lost faith in the idea that this was what she was meant to do. Denise Di Novi is an award-winning film and television producer whose projects have grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. Di Novi counts among her producing credits pictures such as Heathers , Little Women , Practical Magic , Crazy, Stupid, Love , Focus , The Sky is Eve...
Aug 06, 2024•59 min•Season 3Ep. 13
The puppet masters who control the industry's purse strings may have some trepidation these days about taking risks on big ideas. But music video producer Phil Botti argues that still shouldn't prevent you from coming up with what he calls "aspirational content." Phil Botti has executive produced and commissioned thousands of hours of highly impactful short and long-form digital and broadcast content, amassing hundreds of billions of views and impressions across music videos, social media, tv sp...
Jul 30, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Decades-long careers with a single employer are pretty hard to come by in the entertainment industry. But writer-producer and fellow NYU alum Phil Botti is a shining example of how mixing competence with kindness can be the ultimate survival skill. Phil Botti has executive produced and commissioned thousands of hours of highly impactful short and long-form digital and broadcast content, amassing hundreds of billions of views and impressions across music videos, social media, tv spots, multi-came...
Jul 23, 2024•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 11
Creativity is a mysterious, ethereal force in the universe that can be harnessed only with a tremendous amount of effort. As writer, musician and comedian Brendon Small knows, learning to wield it in your favor is a hell of a thing. But once you do, unlimited potential opens up to you. Brendon Small is the mind behind the Squigglevision classic Home Movies as well as the death-metal cartoon Metalocalypse . He’s also a talented voice actor with a resume that includes Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The V...
Jul 16, 2024•55 min•Season 3Ep. 10
You can spend your whole life fighting to be the next big star and still end up with nothing. Or you can double down on whatever makes you weirdly uniquely yourself, like comedian, musician and co-creator of Adult Swim's Metalocalypse and Home Movies Brendon Small did, and there's a decent chance it might resonate enough with people that you build a dedicated following around the world. Brendon Small is the mind behind the Squigglevision classic Home Movies as well as the death-metal cartoon Met...
Jul 09, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 9
Shortcuts are an illusion and if you want your passion to lead to success, you need to put in the work. But, actor David Dastmalchain notes, more than that you need to fully realize what it is you're trying to achieve if you want others to follow you on the quest to make that idea a reality. Actor, writer, and producer David Dastmalchian has had supporting roles in a number of superhero franchises: he portrayed Thomas Schiff in The Dark Knight (2008), Kurt and Veb in the Ant-Man franchise, Abra ...
Jul 02, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In our latest episode of bonus content, Alex sits down with his daughter Ali to wrap their minds around Chat GPT, technology in the arts and the piss-poor quality of writing done by computers. Alex Keledjian Alex Keledjian is the creator of Project Greenlight, a documentary television series where executive producers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck gave first-time filmmakers a chance to direct their first feature film. In 2018, Alex wrote and directed the film High Voltage starring David Arquette and...
Jun 27, 2024•30 min
Whatever shape they may take or media it manifests in, success in pretty much every collaborative art form in existence boils down to the same basic principles. Generosity. Patience. And as genius guitarist Owen Barry knows, filling the role that's needed most to maintain harmony, rather than just waiting for your moment to shine. Owen Barry has been a working musician for over 25 years. Born in the UK, now based in Los Angeles, Owen has worked as a session musician with hundreds of artists worl...
Jun 25, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 3Ep. 7
The first ever time someone steps on a movie set, be they actor, director, writer or whoever, can be extremely precarious. Producer Javier Gonzalez says humility is always the safest move because it brings out the best in others, as it did for Clint Eastwood in his 1971 directorial debut and today's "B-side": Play Misty for Me . Javier Gonzalez is a Mexican-American, El Paso, TX-based, Emmy-winning and Sundance Grand Jury Prize- winning Producer whose films and series have been selected for the ...
Jun 18, 2024•48 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Filmmaking requires a wide array of factors to come together in perfect alignment, not the least of which are things like funding, favors and finding a place to do it. That's why producer Javier Gonzalez leaves no stone unturned when setting a project in motion. Javier Gonzalez is a Mexican-American, El Paso, TX-based, Emmy-winning and Sundance Grand Jury Prize- winning Producer whose films and series have been selected for the Cannes, Venice, Sundance, Toronto, South by Southwest, New York, Rot...
Jun 11, 2024•57 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Your creative voice comes from your identity and experiences. So it's only natural that creative geniuses like Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal mine their own lives for their work. He's been fortunate enough to tread a path that few get to follow. Phil has garnered a cult like following for his Netflix series SOMEBODY FEED PHIL , which released it’s seventh season on Netflix on March 1. In the series, Phil takes viewers with him as he travels and discovers new cities through cultur...
Jun 04, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 3Ep. 4
In a new series of bonus content, Alex sits down with his daughter Ali to get the "youth perspective" on the state of cinema. Their inaugural conversation covers this year's Academy Awards winners and losers. Alex Keledjian Alex Keledjian is the creator of Project Greenlight, a documentary television series where executive producers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck gave first-time filmmakers a chance to direct their first feature film. In 2018, Alex wrote and directed the film High Voltage starring Da...
May 30, 2024•47 min
Life is marathon, not a full blown sprint. And as development executive Michael Forman knows full well, there is no "making it" in show business, because search for success never really ends, and stamina beats speed any day. Michael Forman has been a Senior-level development executive and Executive producer for two decades. As a studio exec, he helped establish the television departments of Brillstein-Grey and Virgin Produced. As a Broadcast Network executive, he worked at both NBC and UPN; In h...
May 28, 2024•54 min•Season 3Ep. 3
One of the hardest lessons you can learn is that sometimes, the number one thing people are looking for is a person who's willing to do the job no one else will do, and do it with a smile on their face. As as television executive Michael Forman knows, it's that level of ego sublimation that's the key to long-term survival in show business. Michael Forman has been a Senior-level development executive and Executive producer for two decades. As a studio exec, he helped establish the television depa...
May 21, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Any career that's worth a damn is full of barriers and bends in the road where you have no idea what's coming up ahead around the curve. But as actress, singer, journalist and film lover Carla Renata knows, it's what you do when something is blocking the path to what you want that makes you who you are. A proud Howard University graduate, Carla Renata aka The Curvy Critic has had reviews and/or op-ed’s published in Variety, The Cherry Picks, Sundance.org, Sotheby’s, The Wrap, RogerEbert.com and ...
May 14, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Season 3 of How I Got Greenlit launches Tuesday, May 14! Alex Keledjian Alex Keledjian is the creator of Project Greenlight, a documentary television series where executive producers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck gave first-time filmmakers a chance to direct their first feature film. In 2018, Alex wrote and directed the film High Voltage starring David Arquette and Luke Wilson. MAX launched the latest season of the Emmy-nominated TV series Project Greenlight from executive producer Issa Rae and Mir...
May 07, 2024•1 min
In this special episode marking the end of season 2, Alex and Ryan ditch the traditional format in favor of a funny, freewheeling conversation about everything from the timeless brilliance of Looney Tunes to the thin line between taking inspiration from your artistic heroes and outright stealing from them. Alex Keledjian Alex Keledjian is the creator of Project Greenlight, a documentary television series where executive producers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck gave first-time filmmakers a chance to ...
Nov 07, 2023•51 min•Season 2Ep. 33
A life has many ups and downs, and the life of Jim Keledjian, father of Alex, is no exception. His story of rags-to-riches-to-rags-to-riches through the worlds of city planning and real estate investment is full of timeless gems of universal wisdom, including how to recognize opportunity in even some of the most obscure places. Jim Keledjian formed the privately held development firm, Associated Ventures LLC, which was involved with the development and management of affordable senior housing. In...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 32
Writer-producer Marc Guggenheim approaches his work from a place of trying to please the ten-year-old version of himself who loved sci fi and superheroes. So he was the perfect guy for Warner Bros. and DC Comics to tap to not just play in, but help build its cinematic sandbox. Marc Guggenheim is an American screenwriter, television producer, comic book writer, and novelist. After a romantic comedy script led to a few meetings with producers, he moved to California to pursue a career as a screenw...
Oct 24, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 31
Some of the best storytellers in the world led entire lives before getting into the writing business. Writer-producer Marc Guggenheim made the leap from writing legal briefs to legal dramas and sci-fi superhero sagas like The CW's Arrow , The Flash and Batwoman . Marc Guggenheim is an American screenwriter, television producer, comic book writer, and novelist. After a romantic comedy script led to a few meetings with producers, he moved to California to pursue a career as a screenwriter. A scrip...
Oct 17, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 30
The three rules of real estate become reel as director Brad Anderson explains how he takes inspiration from films like his B-side choice, Nicolas Roeg's "Don't Look Now" (1973), to make the places he shoots (whether it's a train, insane asylum or the coast of Spain) just as important as the actors and the plot. Brad Anderson is an American film director, producer and writer. A director of thriller and horror films and television projects, he is best known for having directed The Machinist (2004)...
Oct 10, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 29
The studio system often tries to dictate the type of movies a filmmaker is allowed to make. But uncompromising storytellers like writer-director Brad Anderson are never afraid to steer their career in whatever direction they choose. Brad Anderson is an American film director, producer and writer. A director of thriller and horror films and television projects, he is best known for having directed The Machinist (2004), starring Christian Bale, psychological horror film Session 9 (2001). His next ...
Oct 03, 2023•57 min•Season 2Ep. 28
