Angle on Producers with Carolina Groppa

Latest Episodes:

Rishi Rajani - President at Hillman Grad Productions / EP on BOOMERANG and TWENTIES Jul 02, 2020

Show notes

Rishi Rajani is a voracious book reader and creator of protest art. He is President of Film/TV at Hillman Grad Productions, Lena Waithe's production company.

Born in London and raised in Upstate NY and Portland, Oregon, Rishi discovered his love for producing while studying at NYU.

He got his start as an intern at 20th Century Fox's book to film division. Realizing that he needed to be in LA to actually become a producer, he packed up and landed in the mailroom at UTA.

He admits that while the assistant path is challenging, it is one he recommends since it's an apprenticeship.

By 2018, he became President of Lena Waithe's company and they have been breaking ground even since. He was an Executive Producer on the shows BOOMERANG and TWENTIES, produced the Sundance award winning film THE 40 YEAR OLD VERSION, and continues to manage Hillman Grad's ever-growing slate of films, TV shows, podcasts, commercials, and music videos.

While inclusion and diversity are a focus of every studio and production company mandate these days, few are practicing what they preach.

Rishi, Lena, Alex Philips and the Hillman Grad team are invested in changing the narrative by giving new filmmakers a voice and creating content that pushes culture forward.

This week, we chat why creating protest art matters, how to level up, and our mutual optimism that the Black Lives Matter movement will bring drastic and tangible changes to our world.

Oh, and an exclusive! He also reveals the title of his memoir whenever he gets around to writing it: BROWN BOY LEARNS A LOT OF THINGS: THE LIFE STORY.

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

Beijos, Caca

Mel Jones - Indie Film Producer behind DEAR WHITE PEOPLE and BURNING SANDS Jun 26, 2020

Show notes

Mel Jones is a multitalented producer and director.

A Howard University graduate, she earned her MFA at the American Film Institute in Producing. Jones worked in development at Participant Media under producer Jonathan King and marketing guru Ricky Strauss. A Project Involve Fellow, Jones assisted veteran producer and LA Film Festival director, Stephanie Allain – a gig which turned into a five-year stint as producer of Diversity Speaks, one of the festival's signature programs.

You may recall the legendary Stephanie Allain from episode 14 of the podcast. Give it a listen!

She served Producer on Wade and Jesse Allain-Marcus' FRENCH DIRTY, Gerard McMurray's BURNING SANDS and Clark Johnson's Netflix original film, JUANITA.

She made her directorial debut with LEIMERT PARK, an indie episodic that premiered at Sundance 2018.

During our hour together, she shares her journey on growing from an assistant to a producer at Homegrown Entertainment, dives deep into how she became an Associate Producer on Justin Simien's Sundance hit, DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, and divulges her secret to being a freaking ray of sunshine.

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

Beijos,

Caca

Bronwyn Cornelius - Producer of CLEMENCY, 2019 Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner Jun 17, 2020

Show notes

Bronwyn Cornelius is a Sundance and SXSW Grand Jury Award-winning producer. She is also a fellow list maker and paper store enthusiast.

A champion of diverse storytellers, she is currently developing Kenyan political thriller The Czar; a feature adaptation of the YA novel When We Collided, starring Laura Marano; comedy sketch series A Brief History of Misogyny in partnership with Nina Tassler; a dramedy series Mad About Men written by Kit Steinkellner, and a comedy series inspired by her time working on Wall Street.

During our hour together, Bronwyn shines a light on following your intuition, how life changes after winning Sundance, and how to keep going when things get difficult.

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

-Caca

Sarah Anthony - Documentary Producer of 2018 Sundance Grand Jury Winner THE PRICE OF FREE May 27, 2020

Show notes

Sarah Anthony is a dear friend and an award winning documentary producer.

She produced the Netflix film Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator. She was the lead Producer on the Grammy-winning HBO documentary series, The Defiant Ones, and on The Price of Free (formerly titled Kailash), a documentary about child slavery which won the 2018 Sundance Festival Grand Jury Prize.

Sarah began her documentary career in London, with films on subjects ranging from the Iraq war to the Ming Voyages of the 1400's. She was Associate Producer for PBS FRONTLINE on The Age of AIDS, a four hour series covering the history of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In 2007 Sarah moved to Los Angeles and joined Exclusive Media as the Co-head of Documentary Features.

Public art, music and social reform make her heart sing.

At Exclusive she supervised development, production and distribution on multiple documentaries including Martin Scorsese's George Harrison: Living in the Material World, Billy Joel's Last Play at Shea, and the Academy Award-winning Undefeated.

Sarah has worked extensively with director Davis Guggenheim and the Emerson Collective on a variety of social justice issues, from immigration reform to re-designing the American high school system.

This week, we discuss how she manages being on the front lines of telling stories that impact change, our mutual love for budgeting, and how George Harrison helped her become a better human.⁣

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

Beijos, Caca

Dejan Poletan - Fashion/Print Producer & Creative Director May 13, 2020

Show notes

Dejan Poletan is a producer and creative director in the world of fashion and print.

Growing up near Frankfurt, Germany, he knew at a young age that he wanted to become an agent of change. Dejan graduated from the London College of Fashion with a degree in branding. In London, he intensified his creativity while working with prestigious brands such as Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Karla Otto, Ralph Lauren, Selfridges & Tom Ford.

Now days, he works out of New York & Berlin on creative, strategic, and production focused projects for editorial, fashion, and beauty.

Dejan is constantly searching for innovative ways to tell stories that are more beautiful and meaningful.

He recently produced the Vogue' Greeces anniversary issue with Bella Hadid on the cover

During our hour together, we compare the sprint of print shoots to the marathon of film/TV production, discuss what the fashion world really thinks about models vs. influencers, and he shines a light on the challenges of having to start over in NYC when he moved from London.

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

Beijos, Caca

Jacqueline Dalunde - Founder & Executive Producer of apparentlyjack May 08, 2020

Show notes

Jacqueline Dalunde is the founder and Executive Producer of apparentlyjack, a production and development company based in LA.

I've known Jack for quite some time and feel fortunate to consider her a friend and ally. She was one of my first interviews when I started the pod. I was a HOT MESS. Talk about mistakes. I had major technical issues, the room we chose was echo AF. I felt really embarrassed. Think: overly dramatic/existential "why even bother doing this" vibes.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Yet, she stayed cool, calm, and collected. Classy lady. ⁣⁣ We decided to re-record, however, mostly because it's been a year and a half since and so much has changed in her life.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ She now lives in Sweden, which proved serendipitous timing. Nordic countries have been able to keep production active during Covid-19, so she gives us an insider look as to what that means.

Her background spans almost every aspect of the filmmaking process from development to delivery, in both the branded and Independent film/television spaces.

She got her start in 2011 working with producer Chris Gibbin. Together, they collaborated with top cinematographers in the business (Wally Pfister, Janusz Kaminski and Phedon Papamichael) on a content series called Advanced Filmmaking.

Some time later, she became Head of Production at LA-Based Agency Something Massive. She built the video & photo departments from the ground up while developing/producing features, shorts and branded content for Fortune 500 companies.

With 10+ years in the film and advertising industries, Jacqueline decided to go out on her own to form the content studio apparentlyjack. It's mission is to produce and develop cinematic storytelling and storyline driven content in a variety of formats.

During our hour together, Jack shines a bright light on the importance of talking to each other. Seems obvious, but you'd be surprised.⁣⁣ It is only through discussion (and action), that we can de-stigmatize mental health, grow from our mistakes, and get closer to achieving inclusion and gender parity in front and behind the camera.⁣⁣

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

Beijos, Caca

Stacey Feinberg - Producer & Investor of the Broadway Musical JAGGED LITTLE PILL Apr 29, 2020

Show notes

Stacey Feinberg is a producer and investor who is extremely passionate about supporting women.

She came into my life recently, and when a mutual contact mentioned she was an investor and producer on JAGGED LITTLE PILL on Broadway, I knew I had to talk to her. Especially after my last episode with Tony Award nominated producer Rachel Sussman.

Stacey sunk her teeth into business while assisting her father at his pioneering Sports and Entertainment Law Firm, Bob Woolf Associates.

In 1998, she co-founded the hedge fun JLF Asset Management, which on Barron's 2007 list of the top 30 hedge funds in the world. In 2008, Stacey pivoted to pre IPO investing. Some her early stage investments include Facebook, Zico Water, and Peloton.

All of that is impressive and make my head spin, but what I love MOST about Stacey is that after making enough money to not only be monetarily incentivized, she shifted her focus to funding and empowering female entrepreneurs.

As she likes to say, women don't need a hand out, they need a hand up.

She's kind, she's generous, and she's also keeping her finger on the pulse of business by guest lecturing at Harvard Law School and executive programs like The Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports. It helps her stay current in today's rapidly evolving marketplace.

During our hour together, Stacey shines a light on where her fire comes from, why trusting your gut is crucial, and her advice to budding investors.

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

Beijos,

Caca

Rachel Sussman - Co-Producer of the Tony Award nominated play WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME Mar 24, 2020

Show notes

Rachel Sussman is a Tony Award-nominated theater producer who believes in hope, not optimism.

Rachel has been on my radar for a while and our interview was almost a year in the making. She got busy, then I got busy, and then the universe finally carved out a time for us to record last Saturday, after Covid-19 turned our world upside down.

She also happens to be in quarantine with her BFF, the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel herself, Rachel Brosnahan. She is a delight of a human who radiates positivity. She is exactly what the show (and I) needed this week.

The world is a bit scary right now, so how are you doing? How are you feeding your soul? Normally, we try to take life one moment at time. Right now, it's more like one breath at a time.

So, no matter what you are feeling during this uncertain time, know that it's OK. I'm here for you. I got you. And we will all get through this together.

If you are a freelance artist, here is a wonderful resource guide.

Now back to Rachel. She was born in Detroit and raised by a family of artists. Theatre has always been a tremendous part of her life, and lead her to study acting at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

Shortly into her journey, she realized creative producing was the jam. In our chat, she outlines what a creative producer does in the theatre world. A co-producer of the Tony-nominated play WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME, she illuminates the process of taking a show from concept to Broadway.

This week, we discuss democratizing the knowledge of producing in the theater, being taken seriously as a queer, young woman, and the abundance mentality.

Enjoy!

Beijos,

Caca

Merri Howard - Co-Executive Producer of LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE Mar 18, 2020

Show notes

"What happens right now is that everybody wants to, you know, not get the coffee. Everybody has to pay their dues, and in paying your dues, it's about learning. That's what so important to me. It's like, you will get there. but you know, it's slow and easy and you don't want to be the person who goes in and basically gets the job in a year, year and a half but doesn't have the knowledge." - Merri Howard ⁣⁣ Merri Howard has thrived as a TV producer for over 30 years. ⁣⁣She became a part of the Shondaland family in 2011 working on SCANDAL since the pilot, along with THE CATCH and FOR THE PEOPLE. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Most recently, she was the Co-Executive Producer on Little Fires Hulu, a limited series for Hulu with Kerry Washington & Reese Witherspoon. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣The timing is ironic as so much of our chat is about slowing down.

We also discuss the importance of paying your dues, your attitude and perception, and all the little fires she had to put out on little fires everywhere.

Merri's generosity is palpable and I'm incredibly grateful we get to spend this hour with her.

Enjoy!

Xoxo,

Caca

Cory Bennett Lewis - Head of Production at Bad Robot Mar 03, 2020

Show notes

Cory Bennett Lewis is the Head of Physical Production at Bad Robot, J.J. Abrams' production company.

Nestled inside a beautiful glass box lovingly referred to as "Sugar Shack" (behind it's quintessentially J.J. headquarters), Cory gives us the three key ingredients for her recipe for success.

Ready?

Deep breathing (generous portions)
Visualization (to taste)
Naps (as often as needed)

Cory began her journey as a set PA. She was certain she'd walk the path of a DGA assistant director. Sometimes doors open and you just have to walk through them. And so when Tommy Harper, a 1st AD, took her under his wing, she walked in, closed the door, and has not looked back since.

Together, they worked as freelancers for eight consecutive years on many projects under the Bad Robot banner. Some titles include Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Trek Into Darkness and The Cloverfield Paradox.

You know, small indies that barely found success. :p

Eventually, Bad Robot gave them the keys to the physical production kingdom by bringing them in house. Eventually, Tommy left and Cory has stayed put ever since.

Cory and I met at a general, which is when people in our biz drink oodles of coffee or booze to "get to know each other." They can be awkward and uncomfortable, especially if there isn't a connection beyond the professional. Yet, Cory was so easy to talk to and has such a calm demeanor, that I became very curious about her. I am so grateful so let me poke her further and record it to share with you all!

This week, Cory dives deep into the transition from being a freelancer to going in house at Bad Robot. She talks about the two films she made that had the biggest impact on her life.

We also discuss what FORCE AWAKENS taught her about her marriage, being a woman in the sci-fi space, and the importance of tact.

As Bad Robot enters a new chapter via an exclusive deal with WarnerMedia reportedly worth $250 million, I'm excited to see what magic they will continue to create.

Beijos,

Caca

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