Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa

Latest Episodes:

Lynette Howell Taylor - Academy Award Nominated Producer of A STAR IS BORN Mar 23, 2021

Show notes

Lynette Howell Taylor is an Academy Award and Emmy nominated producer and founder of 51 Entertainment.

She produced Bradley Cooper's directorial debut A STAR IS BORN, which was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Lynette served as Executive Producer on Derek Cianfrance's HBO limited series I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE starring Mark Ruffalo, which is based on the best-selling novel by Wally Lamb, and earned Ruffalo an Emmy for Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series. She produced the 92nd Academy Awards Ceremony alongside Stephanie Allain.

Lynette has produced over 25 movies in the last 15 years including:

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC, written and directed by Matt Ross and starring Academy Award-nominee Viggo Mortensen.
Brie Larson's directorial debut UNICORN STORE.
BIG EYES directed by Tim Burton
Ryan Fleck's Oscar nominated HALF NELSON
Derek Cianfrance's THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES and his Oscar nominated BLUE VALENTINE.

Special Episode - "Just Shoot It" Podcast Interviews Me! Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

**A special episode!**

Matt Enlow and Oren Kaplan are directors and hosts of JUST SHOOT IT podcasts and I am honored to be episode #259.

When I was flirting with the idea of starting AOP, I frequently returned to their show. They've been at it for 6 years, which is mad impressive.

Enjoy this chat about my journey, all things producing, and the lessons I've learned in almost two years of doing my own podcast.

Check them out!

https://justshootitpodcast.com/

Matt Enlow is a director working in comedy / mrmattenlow.com

Oren Kaplan is a director and VFX artist / www.orenfilm.com

Jolene Rodriguez - President at Broken English Productions Mar 10, 2021

Show notes

Jolene Rodriguez is the President at Broken English Productions, the newly launched film finance arm of Grandave Capital. They launched last June with a focus on movie and TV projects centered on Latinx stories, told by Latinx filmakers.

Previous to this new role, she was development and production executive art Sony's Screen Gems' for over a decade.

During her tenure, Jolene leveraged her position to build an impressive list of industry contacts, A-list talent, producers and film financiers. She played a critical role in setting up an Untitled Gabrielle Union rom-com, and Untitled Gigi Guerrero Latinx horror.

Jolene recently Executive Produced the 2019 high profile Cannes Marché feature, Keyhole Garden starring Zoe Saldana.

During her more than 10-year tenure at Screen Gems, Jolene was able to build an impressive list of industry contacts, A-list talent, producers and film financiers. She played a critical role in setting up an Untitled Gabrielle Union rom-com, and Untitled Gigi Guerrero Latinx horror.

In addition, she is on the Advisory Board of the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF).

She's was recognized as one of the Powerful and Influential Latinos in Entertainment of 2019 by the Imagen Foundation. The non-profit encourages the positive portrayals of Latinos in all forms of the entertainment media and to reward the excellence of those entities or individuals whose productions elevate the image and status of all Latinos.

Jolene's origin story is inspiring as well. She held down a full time college class load, part time job, part time internship, while also parenting her two babies, one of whom was two weeks old at the start of her internship at Sony.

If that doesn't say B O S S, I don't know what does… This week, we chat:

How to stop making excuses for your dreams
Navigating the high highs and low lows
Her wish for Latinx stories in the next decade

Paige Simpson - Head of Production & Development at Scrap Paper Pics Feb 16, 2021

Show notes

Paige Simpson is the Head of Development and Production at Rachel Brosnahan's production company, Scrap Paper Pictures, which has a first look TV deal with Amazon Studios.

They recently produced YEARLY DEPARTED, is a one hour comedy special hosted by Phoebe Robinson starring Rachel Brosnahan, Tiffany Haddish, Patti Harrison, Natasha Leggero, Sarah Silverman, Natasha Rothwell, and Ziwe. The special serves as a funeral for the year 2020 where our comedians deliver eulogies about what we've lost this year including casual sex, TV Cops, wearing pants and everything in between.

Previously, Paige was the Manager of Scripted Television and Production at Will Packer Media. While there, she worked on AMBITIONS for OWN and BIGGER for BET+, along with numerous other development projects.

She also previously worked at Showtime Networks in Original Programming on The Affair, Billions, SMILF, Black Monday, Masters of Sex, and Dice.

Before that, she worked for Viola Davis in many different facets.

Paige graduated from Spelman College, majoring in Biology but found her true passion in storytelling while interning at BET with Tracy "Twinkie" Byrd and Michelle Adams in casting.

During her internship, she assisted in casting Fruitvale Station, Being Mary Jane, and The Start-Up. Paige's enthusiasm and love for this industry is palpable. I love that we seem to be cut from the same cloth; both having to blaze our own paths.

I laughed. I cried (during editing). It was refreshing to commiserate and celebrate the ups and downs of the hustle. The hour flew by as we discussed: •Lessons from working with the queen @violadavis •The importance of keeping a group around you that loves and pushes you •Depression & self worth

Mynette Louie - Producer of I CARRY YOU WITH ME and SWALLOW Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

Mynette Louie is an Emmy-nominated, multiple Spirit Award-winning producer. A few of her movie credits include:

Heidi Ewing's I Carry You With Me (Sony Pictures Classics, Winner of Sundance 2020 NEXT Innovator & Audience Awards, New York Film Festival selection)

Carlo Mirabella-Davis' Gotham Award-nominated Swallow

Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour's Black Box (Amazon Studios/Blumhouse)

Karyn Kusama's The Invitation (SXSW 2015, Drafthouse/Netflix)

Knowing no one in the film industry, Louie began her film career by producing three NYU Tisch graduate thesis films–all written and directed by women–though she did not attend the school. She also worked at the Hawaii Film Office, where she authored the state's production tax credit, oversaw the $7.3 million renovation of the state-owned film studio, and developed programs to foster local independent filmmaking.

Mynette is on the Board of Directors for Film Independent and serves as an advisor to the Sundance Institute, SXSW, Tribeca, and IFP. She was named one of Business Insider's "12 Movie Producers at the Top of Their Game to Watch in 2020 and Beyond," Ted Hope's "21 Brave Thinkers of Truly Free Film," and Indiewire's "100 Filmmakers to Follow on Twitter." Mynette won the 2013 Independent Spirit Piaget Producers Award and is a member of the executive and diversity committees of the Producers branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

A native New Yorker, Louie graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard University, where she studied Chinese literature and film.

@carolinagroppa @mynettelouie www.angleonproducers.com

DeMane Davis - Producer & Director of QUEEN SUGAR and CLARICE Jan 19, 2021

Show notes

DeMane Davis is a television director and producer. She wears many hats. In fact, her mother would say "she doesn't have enough heads for all the hats that she wears."

A special thanks to Women in Film for inviting me to host this lovely event.

Our time together filled with me, and certainly the participants, with immense joy, as her positive energy is absolutely infectious.

DeMane vibrates on a wavelength of gratitude and possibility. She believes in manifestation. So, it's no surprise that years ago, Ava DuVernay slid in her DMs and invited her to direct two episodes of the second season of her groundbreaking TV series Queen Sugar which airs on OWN.

The magical and powerful Ava has changed the landscape by only hiring female directors and specifically hiring first-time female directors. She asked DeMane to be the producing director of season three where she also go to director.

Ava's done a ton of heavy lifting, but we agree that all of us must do your part to achieve gender parity on set.

Last year, Davis produced and directed the last two episodes of the four-part Emmy-nominated Netflix limited series "Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker." The period drama starred Octavia Spencer, Blair Underwood & Tiffany Haddish.

She is a co-executive producer and will direct the two-part season finale of the highly anticipated 2021 series, "Clarice." The show shares the untold personal story of FBI Agent Clarice Starling as she returns to the field in 1993, one year after the events of "The Silence of the Lambs."

Oh, and DeMane managed to get her start by directing her first two features while holding down a full time job as a copywriter in advertising. She leaned into all of those contacts to help manifest those projects. One of which became LIFT, starring Kerry Washington in her first leading role. Both of her films premiered In Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival and internationally at Edinburgh.

She's truly unstoppable.

I absolutely adored this conversation and hope you also take away golden nuggets like:

-How a producing director differs from a showrunner

-The importance of doing it with joy

-How to fill your own well to keep your soul alive in the hustle

Beijos,

Carolina

Erin O'Malley - Executive Producer of BLESS THIS MESS Dec 15, 2020

Show notes

Erin O'Malley is one of the coolest, raddest ladies you will ever meet. She's a five-time Emmy nominated television and film producer and director. More importantly, she also has a healthy obsession with Broadway musicals. Which I am not mad at.

If you recall the famous character Molly Shannon created on SNL, Sally O'Malley, you'll know why I saved Erin to be episode 50!

As you'll hear me gush, Erin's resume is extremely impressive, so saddle up.

Her producing credits include Da Ali G Show starring Sacha Baron Cohen which earned a Primetime Emmy nomination; The Sarah Silverman Program; Curb Your Enthusiasm, which earned four Primetime Emmy nominations as well as four Producers Guild Award nominations; The Grinder starring Rob Lowe and Fred Savage, and One Mississippi, the critically raved about Amazon Studios series starring Tig Notaro, New Girl starring Zooey Deschanel, Single Parents staring Taran Killam, Leighton Meester, and Brad Garret, and Bless This Mess starring Lake Bell and Dax Shepard. Also as a television director, O'Malley has directed episodes of Fresh Off The Boat, Speechless, New Girl, Single Parents, Bless This Mess and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Phew, right?

Empowering LGBTIQA+ and BIPOC men and women is one of her core values. Hearing her talk about her approach to the work, to the humanity of producing, was incredibly inspiring.

She has been nominated for a Women's Image Network Award for Outstanding Show Produced by A Woman for her work producing New Girl. Bless This Mess was awarded a ReFrame Stamp by Women In Film as a mark of distinction in hiring female identifying people in four out of eight key arenas in production.

A graduate of USC's School of Cinema-Television, Erin has made her roots in Los Angeles where she lives with her wife and two daughters.

This week, we chat how Larry David helped her with a big learning curve, what it's like to be responsible for 400 individual jobs, and the path of a non-writing producer in TV.

Can't wait to hear what you think of this week's episode!

Beijos,

Caca

Constanza and Domenica Castro - Producers/Founders at 271 Films Nov 19, 2020

Show notes

Constanza and Domenica Castro are sister filmmakers from Mexico City and founders of 271 Films, a creative production company based in Los Angeles.

Collectively, their worked has garnered over 2 billion views and they've produced numerous award-winning videos, short films, and commercial content that have been featured on MTV, Billboard, The New Yorker Screening Room, Nylon, Vice, Vimeo Staff Pick, Short Of The Week, and MTV Clubland, BET Networks.

They have produced content for world-renowned brands such as Gillette, TopGolf, Nuu Mobile, Rothy's, Viacom, Coca-Cola, Under Armour, New Balance, Tumi, and Abbot Nutrition. Their work with Sandwich Video for Rothy's, a sustainable shoe company, got featured in AD WEEK. Their latest work can be caught on BET as they did some promos for BOOMERANG, with Lena Waithe.

Their latest narrative project, Brittany Snow's directorial debut, MILKSHAKE can be seen at film festivals through 2020 and premiered online Nylon.com.

They've produced music videos for artists Becky G, Die Antwoord, Boogie, Lil Jon, and One Ok Rock.

Their films have played festivals worldwide, including AFI Fest, Tribeca, Berlin, Sarasota FF, Palm Springs, Seattle FF, Austin FF, Rhode Island FF, New Hampshire FF, Newport FF, Atlanta FF, Nantucket FF, Hollyshorts, Nordisk Panorama, and many others, as well as the prestigious Tribeca Chanel THROUGH HER LENS program.

They are drawn to stories that put a spotlight on marginalized communities, question the status quo, push boundaries and provoke, inspire and entertain the audience. Their MO is to do things RIGHT.

Can't wait to hear what you think of this week's episode!

Beijos,

Caca

Ross Dinerstein - Founder & CEO of Campfire and Producer of THE INNOCENT MAN Oct 26, 2020

Show notes

Ross Dinerstein spent his childhood immersed in the magical world of Blockbuster videos shelves and darkened movie theaters. Born and raised in Houston, his love for story ultimately led him to the big apple and in 2001 where he began his career in acquisitions at Miramax Films.

And yes, he did cross paths with Harvey Weinstein.

If you listened to episode 45 you may be thinking, "wait didn't you already talk to a Ross at Campfire?" And you would be right. Leave it to Ross Dinerstein, the founder and CEO of Campfire, to have TWO Rosses at the same company.

Fifteen years into his career, he has produced or executive produced over forty projects – both scripted and nonfiction. His films have premiered at the most prestigious film festivals in the world including Sundance, South by Southwest, Tribeca, and Toronto. There are far too many impressive producing credits to list, but some highlights are a personal favorite, the doc JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI, the Emmy-nominated short form series SPECIAL on Netflix, and the non-fiction crime docuseries, THE INNOCENT MAN based on John Grisham's only nonfiction book.

He pursued the rights to that book for 10 years. Which reminds me of a quote from one of my favorite philosophers, Seneca "The things hardest to bear are sweetest to remember.

Things take time. Art takes time. It's important to remember the tremendous energy, patience, and endurance behind most projects that once began as an idea and now are lucky enough to exist on your screen.

So, this week we dive deep into the creative risks requires to run and sustain a young company like Campfire, how to avoid repeating past mistake, and how how to balance being patient and proactive.

Lizzie Nastro Adler - Head of Development at Emily Mortimer's company, King Bee Productions Oct 13, 2020

Show notes

Lizzie Nastro Adler is currently the Head of Development for King Bee Productions, the production company created by Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola. King Bee has a first look TV deal with eOne Entertainment.

She most recently produced I Am a Town, a documentary feature directed by artist Mischa Richter, shot on 35mm, which premiered at MoMA Doc Fortnight 2020.

She produced Skate Kitchen, a feature film written and directed by Crystal Moselle which premiered at the 2018 Sundance FF and was released nationwide by Magnolia Pictures. She is a producer on Betty, an HBO TV show, based on Skate Kitchen, currently in pre production on its second season. Additionally, she produced White Echo, the third collaboration with writer/director Chloë Sevigny. The short premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in the main selection.

She produced One Cambodian Family made in conjunction with Refinery 29's Shatterbox Anthology and TNT, starring Emily Mortimer. The short film premiered at the Sundance FF in 2019 and is in development as a series.

Nastro spent nine years at IFC Films as Director of Acquisitions & Co-Productions before becoming an independent producer. Some of the deals she negotiated include Lena Dunham's Tiny Furniture, Medicine for Melancholy directed by Barry Jenkins, The Pleasure of Being Robbed by the Safdie Brothers, and Myth of the American Sleepover, directed by David Robert Mitchell.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected