All Episodes

448 - 25 Years After 9/11: The Doc Narrated by Gary Sinise | Michael Gier on Losing Everything and Starting Over at 40

SUMMARIES - Julius Ritter - The Permissionless Revolution & When Zero Dollars Isn’t Zero Vision

Bonus Episode: 48 Hour Film Project Winner Allison Alonzo on How to Make a Film in 48 Hours

447 - What Money Can’t Fix on a Film Set, Why People Need People, and Creative Sets, AI, and Staying Weird - Nichole Marie Lim

SUMMARIES - Keith McDaniel - How he made "The Clinton 12," Cast James Earl Jones, and Why Local Beats Bigger

446 - Isabel Hagen on Making 'On a String', Winning Tribeca, Cancel Culture, and Surviving Stand‑Up

Film Brief - Who Is Stan Smith? - The Man Behind the Three Stripes

SUMMARIES - Alexis Gambis - CRISPR, Cinema, and Identity—The Human Story of Science

445 - Indie Talk - The Death of Physical Media, Infoist Religion, Fall Film Festivals, AI in Education, and Reaching 300K Subscribers

SUMMARIES - Jeffrey Pittle - Why Art Is Never Finished, The Secret Lost Chaka Khan Video, and How Serving the Work Builds a Lasting Creative Legacy

444 - Oscar Boyson on Directing Our Hero, Balthazar, Working with The Neistat Brothers, Empathy Machines vs. Validation Machines, and Failing in Public

Mistakes In The Making - The Creative Pivot That Made Barbie a Billion-Dollar Film

SUMMARIES - Nathaniel Nuon's Unconventional Philosophy on Filmmaking Tech (The Uber Analogy and the Viagra Principle)

443 - X-Men ’97 Cast - Rogue, Morph & Nightcrawler Walk Into a Podcast: The Voice Acting Craft Behind X-Men '97

442 - Illuminai Studios Founder Jesse Weglein on Being Laid Off at Pixar, Why AI Is the Brush, Not the Artist, and Animation's Next Frontier

SUMMARIES - Actress Christine Woods - How to Walk Into Any Audition Room and Completely Flip the Power Dynamic in Your Favor

441 - How YouTube Lore Is Rewriting the Hollywood Playbook, Why George Lucas Is Right, and the New Rules of the Box Office (Your Father's IP Is Dead) - Indie Talk

SUMMARIES - Caroline Locorriere - Camera Appropriateness, Script Architecture, and the Three Pillars of Craft

440 - Nick (Goes Solo) on What Matt Damon and Oscar Boyson Can Teach Us About Making It

Film Brief - Toy Story 5 - Andrew Stanton's Return: Why Pixar's Boldest Creative Bet Is a Story About Growing Up

SUMMARIES - Josh Bishop - Follow Your Heart, Not the Money: Jim Jarmusch's Advice That Changed Everything

439 - Daril Fannin - The Wild Story Behind A24's Acquisition of Undertone and the New Rules of Independent Film in 2026

SUMMARIES - Magali Barbe - How a Visual Effects Hoax Became a Philosophical Masterpiece

438 - Kevin Goetz - On Audience Testing 5,000+ Films, How He Became Hollywood's Most Powerful Audience Whisperer, and How to Use Audience Testing to Enhance Your Film (Not Destroy Your Vision)

Spider-Noir | Is Nicolas Cage's Spider Noir the Most Vulnerable Superhero Ever Created?

SUMMARIES - Danielle Vega - Child Star, Emmy Nominated Actress, and the Long Game of Resilience

437 - Stephen Marinaccio DGA UPM & Line Producer - What It Really Takes to Make a $100M Film, Lessons from 80+ International Projects, and How to Budget Like a Pro

SUMMARIES - Jennica Schwartzman - How to Build a Multi-Hyphenate Career Without Sacrificing Your Family

436 - Elsa Ramo - Entertainment Lawyer & Strategist - Why Entertainment Lawyers Need to Be in LA, The Hidden Costs of Not Hiring an Entertainment Lawyer, and Creative Vision vs. Commercial Reality

Mortal Kombat II | Why Mortal Kombat II Works (Film Review)

SUMMARIES - Sevan Najarian - How Crowdfunding and Community Rallied to Save 'Mars'

435 - Kanye Deserves More Credit, Jaafar Jackson’s “Michael” Performance, “Interest Tentpoles” and a Chat with The Napa Boys, Nick Corirossi & Armen Weitzman

LOCKS by Ryan Coogler (Movie Review)

SUMMARIES - Robert Broadhurst - The Ethics of White Filmmakers Addressing Race: Boundaries and Responsibility

434 - Filmmaker Motke Dapp - How He Built a Crew with $500, What It Really Takes to Direct Films, and How to Handle Creative Conflict and Compromise on Your Film Set

Mistakes In The Making w/ Emmy-nominated Actress Danielle Vega - How to Turn Your Biggest Career Mistakes into Stepping Stones Toward Success

SUMMARIES - Nick Lopez - How He Got 12 Million Views on YouTube Crafting Memorable Short Films

433 - Mark "Markiplier" Fischbach - His Journey from YouTube Creator to "Iron Lung" Box Office Success

Papillon (Butterfly) | How Oil Paint Animation Brings Holocaust Memory to Life

SUMMARIES - Valerie Jane Parker - How to Build Emotional Armor Against Constant Film Industry Rejection

432 - Indie Talk - 2026 Oscar Snubs, Ben Affleck Controversy, and Google's Micro Drama Strategy

The Devil Is Busy | Inside America's Most Controversial Healthcare Documentary (Film Review)

SUMMARIES - Teri Ritter - Behind Closed Doors: How the Creative World Actually Functions

431 - Amy Hill - How to Survive Toxic Film Sets, Staying Employed in Hollywood for Decades, and the Value of Saying Yes

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You - Rose Byrne's Career-Defining Performance

SUMMARIES - Derek Estlin Purvis - How to Finance Your Film Without Begging for Cash (3-Pillar Method Revealed)

Jefferson White - What Does It Mean to Make It?

Jefferson White - Clear the Set - Wong Kar-Wai, Foreign Films, and Nashville Hot Chicken

Jefferson White - Things We Should Know - Can You Name the Only Iowa-Born BAFTA, Oscar, Globe & Emmy Winner?

Jefferson White - Audience Polls - Jefferson White on Joaquin Phoenix, Sean Penn, and Transformative Acting

Jefferson White - Filmmaker Q&A - What Secret Model Did Jefferson Steal from Hollywood Legends?

Jefferson White - Story Is King - The Reality of a Career Actor and Creating Intimate Stories Using Thoughtful Cinematography

430 - Jefferson White, (Yellowstone, Chicago PD) on How to Make a Professional-Looking Feature Film for $60K, Scratching Lottery Tickets in Film, and How Constraints Drive Creative Innovation

IRON LUNG | How Markiplier Mastered Minimalist Horror Filmmaking

#18 - SUMMARIES | Kali Bailey - How to Rebrand Yourself from Crew Member to Director

Yelena Popovic: What Does It Mean To Make It?

Clear The Set: Why Yelena Hates The Wolf of Wall Street

Filmmaker Q&A: How Wiz Khalifa and 50 Cent Backed a Saint's Story

Audience Polls: From Jihad to Jesus - Exploring Faith as Film Antagonist

Story Is King: The Miracle Hurricane - How Divine Intervention Saved a Film Production

429 - Yelena Popovic - "Moses the Black” Writer & Director on She Mixed How Hip-Hop and Orthodox Christianity and Why 50 Cent and Omar Epps Believed in Her

SINNERS | Folklore, Horror, Rhythm & Blues (Movie Review)

#17 - SUMMARIES | Tim Duggan - How to Get Hired in Creative Fields Using the 'Rule of Three' Psychology

Emma Parks: What Does It Mean To Make It?

Clear the Set: Emma Parks on Almost Famous, Godfather Guilt, and Coraline Nightmares

Things We Should Know: Can You Guess the Only Person to Ever Win Olympic Gold AND an Academy Award?

Filmmaker Q&A: Beyond the Classroom: What Film Schools Miss About Real-World Filmmaking

Audience Polls: Why Are 62% of Film Fans Choosing Netflix Over IMAX?

Story is King: Emma Parks' Filmmaking Evolution From Festival Circuit to Feature Funding

428 - Emma Parks - "Dirty Towel" Actress & Writer - From NYU to 1.1 Million YouTube Views & Is Film School Actually Preparing You for the Real Entertainment Industry?

Deepfaking Sam Altman | What Happens When You Try to Deepfake Sam Altman? (Movie Review)

#16 - SUMMARIES | Kd Amond: Perfection is the Opposite of Done: Indie Horror Filmmaking Secrets

Things We Should Know - The Secret History of America's First Comic Book

Producer Papa Bear's Favorite Clip 2025: Dominic Hoffman Reads the Best Poem of the Year

Nick's Favorite Story 2025: The Power of Belief: How One Father Changed a Filmmaker's Life

Chris' Favorite Clip from 2025: What Happened When Leonardo DiCaprio Read My Script Page by Page?

Our Favorite Show Tropes 2025: Greetings, Backgrounds, and Bragging Rights!

427 - The Annual Clip Show: Our Favorite Show Moments From 2025

Avatar: Fire and Ash | The Human Heart in Conflict: James Cameron's Philosophical Approach to Filmmaking (Movie Review)

#15 SUMMARIES | Motke Dapp: What Kills More Independent Films Than Bad Reviews or Low Budgets?

Perfect Pairing: “PERSONA” Actress & Producer Shanti Lowry on Race, Art, Authenticity and Making Movies on Your Own Terms

Making It: Creating Films That Heal and Liberate with Tia A. Smith

What Classic Hitchcock Film Is Tia Too Embarrassed to Admit She's Never Seen?

Things We Should Know: Gospel Music Hall of Fame Secrets with Producer Tia A. Smith

How to Transition from Film School to Major Network Producer

Is Music Production Really Easier Than Making Films?

What Happens When Your Dream Job Disappears Four Days After Moving to NYC?

426 - Tia A. Smith - Veteran TV and Film Producer - Why She Almost Quit After 4 Days in New York, How to Create Your Own Path in the Film Business, and Why Pre-Production is Everything

One Battle After Another | The Emotional Depth of Paul Thomas Anderson's Latest Masterpiece (Movie Review)

What Does It Mean to Make It? Lessons from Indie Film Veterans Michael Mendelsohn and Zair Montes

Clear the Set: Michael Mendelsohn's Top Films and Hidden Cinema Gems

#14 - SUMMARIES | How Chris Conner Built a 20-Year Career Behind the Curtain

Which Hollywood Film Took 48 Years to Complete Due to Financial Disasters?

Trust and Verify: Michael Mendelsohn's Formula for Financing Auteur Cinema

Why Do 55% of Film Producers NEVER Get Paid Backend Money?

The Art of Risk-Taking: Why Studios Call Michael Mendelsohn for Difficult Projects

425 - Michael Mendelsohn - Financier and Producer of True Romance, Reservoir Dogs, Lord of War, and The Matrix on Making Cinema: Lessons from Hollywood’s Top Indie Financier

424 - Hayder Hoozeer - BAFTA Award Winning Producer on How To Go From Set Runner to Producer, Networking, Value Creation, and Making Your Next Big Move

The Last Independent Automaker: Joe Ligo and the Power of Creative Constraint (Movie Review)

#13 - SUMMARIES | Frances Lebar: Taika Waititi, Creative Chaos, and Building Worlds