Catch A Break Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Way Back: Part Four Jul 02, 2020

Show notes

This is the fourth in our series about working in the age of COVID-19, and we're talking about what kinds of productions might be dipping their toes in first. What genres might have an easier time? Can reality and indie films pivot more quickly with smaller crews? And a big part of all of this is now that we know the protocols, how do you actually make them happen on the ground? The panel: Dwight Smith, Mission Control Medis Matt Miller, Vanishing Angle Dwjuan Fox, Decipher Entertainment Colleen Bell, California Film Commission

EP 208: Buying and Selling Part 2 Jun 30, 2020

Show notes

This episode is called "Buying and Selling, Part 2" and our guest panelists, Sherryl Clark and Peter Van Steemburg pick up the mantle from Adam Kolbrenner's Buying and Selling, Part 1 podcast and add their nuanced and experienced thoughts.

Sherryl Clark – President of Production, The H Collective

Peter Van Steemburg – Vice President of Acquisitions & Production at the Universal Pictures Content Group

This is the episode where Peter and Sherryl discuss the perspective of a buyer and a seller. We learn about the buyer's curatorial eye and the seller's entrepreneurial and indefatigable spirit.

We talk about the art of putting together "a seller's package and how to carefully balance the presentation and how oftentimes it's just the script that is needed. Do you add the cast, director and budget to the script or does the script stand on its own? How do you build a list for the right place to send your project? How do you partner with another producer or company and not compromise your vision?

We speak about how time, relationships and reputation will almost always get you entrée to the buyer or the seller and oftentimes, assistants and junior reps are the unsung heroes and strong advocates of student films and festival offerings. If a script does not get made right away, always remember good is good and its time will come.

Other enticing tidbits include: Don't overstay your welcome on someone's phone sheet and just as important, how do you get in the room where it happens and what do you do when you are in the room. You don't want to miss it!

The Way Back: Part Three Jun 23, 2020

Show notes

Several states have declared they are open for business, so why aren't we shooting yet? Let's talk about the pieces still holding us back.

Our panel includes:

Steve Berman, EVP of Production, Film Finances

Liz Jenkins, CFO, Hello Sunshine

Nicole Papincak, Attorney, Reder & Feig

Adrian Ward, Senior Director, Banc of California

Brian Kingman, Managing Director, Gallagher Entertainment

The Way Back: Part Two Jun 16, 2020

Show notes

Our panelists share how vendors are positioned and pivoting to work differently during the age of COVID. Panel: Shawn Gillsepie, CASHet, Sarah McGrail, Picture Shop, Mikel Elliott, Quixote, Kerry LaiFatt, GreenSlate, Hugh Calveley, Moxion.

The Way Back: Navigating the Film Industry in the Covid-19 Era Jun 09, 2020

Show notes

We interrupt this season to bring you a live speaker series on the pandemic and how we go back to work in the era of Covid-19.

COVID-19 changes everything - from on-set protocols to stories. How will productions adapt? We will explore the changes from several angles with experts managing the logistics on the ground.

Guests:

Jeanette Volturno

Malia Arrington

Sonya JF Barnett

Nancy Nayor

EP 207 Buying and Selling May 19, 2020

Show notes

We are thrilled to have Adam Kolbrenner – Founder of Lit Entertainment Group on the podcast.

Adam is uniquely qualified to speak about buying and selling in the Hollywood marketplace from his varied background as an agent, manager and producer.

Adam also has the distinction of being the top representative (manager or agent) of all Black List screenwriters cumulative in the history of the annual Black List. Kolbrenner has distinguished himself in discovering new voices. On the Lit management side, Kolbrenner represents top creators and filmmakers in the industry.

This is the episode where we discuss his dual roles in management and producing and how one enhances the other. It was a engaging conversation where we spoke about the importance of being true to yourself and picking your writing lane. Oftentimes, Los Angeles is still the place to hang your hat for feature and television work.

We also talk about how managers scour the world for great, underrepresented writers and then grooms them before launching their scripts out to the world. We find out what's sellable, how managers find the best teams to surround their clients, identify the right buyers and why hobbyists need not apply.

Take a listen to Adam's advice for casting aside illusions and embracing the "blue collar job" reality of the writer. We chat about how writers are busting their butts, always generating ideas or listening to studio pitches. Most of all, we hear about Adam's love for discovery, deciphering of what is unique and telling stories in a different way.

EP 206 Social Media Marketing May 13, 2020

Show notes

This episode is called "Social Media" and for those listeners who want an advanced tutorial into how to make social media work for you, this is a not to be missed episode.

Melanie Capacia Johnson – Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Tiny Horse

Maggie Glover - Digital Marketing Guru

How do you decide which social media goes to which channel? When do you layout your social media program in order to achieve your desired metrics? How do you increase brand awareness? What hashtags are more meaningful than others? Which accounts should you use for business and personal? How do you create yourself as a brand? What style is your social media feed?

We have a great panel discussion with Melanie Capacia Johnson and Maggie Glover who have decades of experience in production and marketing and think the world of social media is still the Wild Wild West.

Our panelists take the guesswork out of navigating your Instagram, Facebook, Redditt, Snapchat and even up your Tik Tok game. Ok, it depends on your dance moves, however, this episode will teach you how-to standout on Social Media. You will learn what KPI and SEO mean and how snackable bites are more applicable to fun, engaging content and not just a discussion about your cooking! You'll hear why these experts are pro-Kardashian and how to control the conversation from your posts.

They discuss the strategy of social media planning, the importance of talent deals that are social media friendly and how to create franchises around pre-existing IP. It's less about augmenting your brand and more about reaching your specific goals. You will learn why 100 dedicated followers are oftentimes more than important than 5,000 casual followers, how to build continuous engagement and why authenticity is key.

We help you get a handle on your various #handles on #FB #IG and others in this fast changing marketplace. In the words of Maggie Glover, size doesn't always matter.

#socialmediaexpertafterthispodcast #entertainmentinfluencer #tipstobuildyourfollowers

EP 205 Budgeting May 05, 2020

Show notes

On this episode we are talking about budgeting with Jeanette Volturno, Rick Osako, Jessica Malanaphy, and Shirley Davis, most of the team behind Catch A Break. We'll go line by line and talk about what it all means, and the not so obvious elements you don't want to forget while putting it all together.

EP 204 Indie Films Apr 28, 2020

Show notes

For this episode we are talking about independent films with Ray Mansfield and Sean McKittrick. Sean and Ray are producers and two of the founders of QC Entertainment. QC brought us the films Get out and Blackkklansman, just to name two very recent and wildly successful films.

EP 203 Crowdfunding Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

On episode 203 we'll be talking about crowdfunding with Emily Best and Jonah Feingold. First, Emily Best Emily is the founder and CEO of Seed&Spark, an online crowdfunding and subscription streaming platform for content creators and audiences that emphasizes diversity and inclusion. Then, we'll speak with Jonah Feingold. Jonah's viral Kickstarter backed short film BANGARANG broke the internet trending number one on Reddit.

We go through the phases of crowdfunding and talk about how great it can be when all the right elements come together.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected