Just Shoot It: A Podcast about Filmmaking, Screenwriting and Directing

Cinematographer David Vollrath https://www.davidvollrath.com/ talks about how he’s adapted to the ebbs and flows of the business. Sometimes you’re on top and getting hired over and over. And then it just stops.

But then Matt and Oren get David to delve into the lessons he learned from those experiences, how he survived it, and why it’s a necessary part of the creative/destruction process. If you keep getting hired for the same thing, well, then you’re always doing the same thing. And that gets stale. You need to grow, and that means not getting hired sometimes.

David has also worked on the art of staying in front of people, which has a lot to do with being in the right place at the right time. And he’s learned that by not forcing things to happen, you can avoid cringe situations and chance encounters that keep you top of mind in a weird way.

Matt, Oren, and Dave dive into what makes a Director easy for a DP to work with, and vice versa. And the reasons why getting hired sometimes has nothing to do with the right person and more about the politics in the background.

You won’t want to miss this episode if you’re dying for ways to build genuine connections in today’s increasingly transactional environment!!

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling

Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: New York's Pop Up Bagels is now in LA on Ventura Blvd

Oren's Endorsement: Tell your favorite barista about how another barista on a different shift gives you a discount. Also, the Target app can navigate you in-store.

David's Endorsement: Lumen Coffee

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TikTok influencers @teppertoks and @nicolascurciowriter , hosts of the " Hollywood Hang" podcast, talk about balancing how to be an influencer while also being a creative.

And Matt and Oren get all the details on how they started and where their feeds lives today.

Kristen's main source of income had been making pitch decks for studios and production companies. And early on, she posted about how to create a pitch deck and the different people they are used to pitch. And Matt and Oren dive into how that turned into a job as a showrunner's assistant.

You won’t want to miss this episode if you’re dying to learn how to get on the blacklist and hear from two writers who have done it!

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling

Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: Watch the original "The Invisible Man"

Oren's Endorsement: "Club Kid", the movie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt38058097

Nick's Endorsement: Rub Lanolin Nipple Cream on your chapped lips. https://lansinoh.com/products/lanolin-nipple-cream

Kristen's Endoresement: The show "Team Moms: Baseball" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt41377479

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Requiem for a Dream” editor Jay Rabinowitz https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0704950/

joins Matt and Oren in discussing the art of working for top-tier auteurs. Jay’s work includes notable films like "The Tree of Life", "I'm Not There", "O'Dessa", "Is God Is", and "Coffee and Cigarettes".

Matt and Oren dive deep into what it means to stand in for the director's point of view and simultaneously speak for the audience. Jay calls this like being “the boulder in the center of the river”, where a single rush of water encounters a boulder, separates, and continues on as a reshaped form. In that realm, what does intentionality mean? And how is it different for Terrence Malick vs. Darren Aronofsky?

After first cutting his teeth editing network TV – 4 acts, commercial breaks, and the strict regime around how long each act must be – Jay spent 15 or so years cutting commercials. And there he learned the art of making a cut that speaks to everyone in the hierarchy: brand, agency, director, and all the personalities in between.

You won’t want to miss this episode if you love film and the collaboration of auter-ship!!

REFUNDS -- we will be refunding everyone who signed up for event which, unfortunately we had to cancel.

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling

Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yoko Okumura is back again! And she’s fresh off the release of her latest film with Universal Studios!!! Matt and Oren dive into what it was like to direct “The Last Kiss” and the art of working with Blumhouse.

Yoko imbues her unique style into everything she does. Colorful frames, an elevated look, and a lively reimagining and response to the last Hollywood cycle of muted, near monochromatic grit popularized over the last several years.

Oren and Matt get Yoko to reveal her latest struggle to shape a career as one of the rare few directors that Hollywood demands. And Yoko opens up about the challenges and the Everest-size task before her.

You won’t want to miss this episode if you've ever wondered whether the Quibi you directed is worth gold to your career!!!

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling

Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: "The Handmaiden" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4016934/

Oren's Endorsement: "Digger" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31450459/

Yoko's Endorsement: Script Notes Podcast of Craig Mazin breaking down "Finding Nemo" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i27IKil-LXw

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alrik Bursell, Liz Manashi, Matt & Oren have, made over 1,100 podcasts episodes – 600 by “Making Movies is Hard” and 547 for “Just Shoot It”.

What a shift it’s been from how they used to view the industry a decade ago, to how they view it today. There was a time when you could make a $100,000 short, get into Sundance, and that would launch you into a career as a full-time director. If only you had the determination, will, and creative desire to see it through.

And Matt and Oren dive into how family, kids, houses, and bills change that. A dose of perspective from Alrik and Liz opens a deep conversation into whether it was ever in the cards that they’d be the type of filmmaker the industry wants. Because it’s not all about the best idea, or the best execution. It’s also about having the best wrapper – how you present, the impression you make, your willingness to trade off, sell out, compromise, or whatever you want to call it.

You won’t want to miss this episode if you’re feeling the big chill from what you dreamed your career would be. And you will find sanguine company among those who share your insights and desire to elevate your craft as a filmmaker and artist.

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling

Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt & Oren talk about how nice it would be to have a career that drives itself. One where you the money keeps coming in. And the hustle is less.

You might think cruise control means not caring. But that’s not what this episode is about. Matt and Oren want to share some ways to keep caring. Ways to hack your dopamine system to stay motivated, maybe even ambitious.

Is that a bad thing?.

You already know that “hope” is not a business plan. But how can you deal with the depression, or better put, long lulls in dopamine fixes from landing jobs and being on set?

Creating output is definitely one way. And Matt and Oren have a lively chat about whether a short film can help your career as a commercial director. And how you can use a thoughtfully conceived short to your advantage when pitching jobs.

You won’t want to miss this episode if you’ve ever wondered, “Am I the only one not working right now?”

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling

Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: Canva.ai makes decks easier than using Photoshop, Illustrator, and Google Slides.

Oren's Endorsement: Intermittent fasting is really effective for weight loss.

Just Shoot It is co-hosted by comedy commercial directors Matt Enlow (mrmattenlow.com) and Oren Kaplan (directedbyoren.com).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wesley Wang talks about his short film that linked him with Darren Aronofsky – who was dying to convince Wesley to make turn it into a feature. And that’s how Wesley got his script idea to become a Sony Pictures film.

But after landing a spot in “Forbes 30 Under 30”, Wesley decided it was time to buck the studio system and create one on his own. His new studio is a seed fund for content creators making features, shorts, and pilots. The idea is to help filmmakers repeat the kind of success Wesley had at Sony. And that starts by making something audiences notice.

So he launched something like “Project Greenlight” for the internet age. Check it out at wesleywangmedia.com, and pitch your idea. All you have to do is make a 60-second pitch video, and you could land $100,000 in funding.

You won’t want to miss this episode if you’ve ever wondered what it means to be picked up by a big studio and be the overnight success dreams are made of. Does it mean giving up creative control? And is there a secret to navigating the studio process and notes from managers, studio, production, and many others with skin in the game!

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling

Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: "Good Luck Have Fun Don't Die" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1341338

Oren's Endorsement: Season 2 of "Chad Powers", the show https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31449991/ And Furikake Seasoning

Wesley's Endorsement: "The Secret Agent" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27847051/

Just Shoot It is co-hosted by comedy commercial directors Matt Enlow (mrmattenlow.com) and Oren Kaplan (directedbyoren.com).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Darge rickdarge.com talks about casting unique faces, running effective callbacks, and methods to find the best actor. And Matt and Oren dive into the secrets behind Rick’s elevated comedic-style, which is as much zany as contained for the brand.

Rick talks about the importance of clarity. So people who want to hire you know what you mean. But also so a spot hits the beats and tell the story in the 15 or 30-second time slot you need to. And Matt and Oren dig into how Rick creates standout commercials, from scripts that started life being average in quality.

Finally, Rick talks about how he turns his passion for running great callbacks, and collaborating with actors so they see the vision of the script, into a method for having great vibe checks, meetings, or pitches when he meets with agencies and brands for new work as a director. You won’t want to miss this episode if you’re wondering how your unique voice can be put to work in spots that fit your own unique passions and wierdness.

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling

Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: Lowes and Home Depot have sales for Halloween and now its the time to buy skeletons on sale

Oren's Endorsement: the Frame Set's video breaking down Rick Darge's Popeye's commercial. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVzItb8xKec

Adobe Premiere has a new AI footage generation tool

Rick's Endorsement: the movie "Buddy" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37281055/

Just Shoot It is co-hosted by comedy commercial directors Matt Enlow (mrmattenlow.com) and Oren Kaplan (directedbyoren.com).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Morris and Carlyn Hudson are back talking about their passion projects. In episode 493, you might remember Carlyn was just about to start shooting and Tom was about to shoot a feature starring his family of five kids. So Matt and Oren chat them up about where they are, what they learned, and how they balanced being working commercial directors with the demands of independent projects.

It starts with a discussion about style – what are the three words that define your style as a director? And Carlyn and Tom share with Matt and Oren the frustration of balancing bias and the need to convey a situation or story in a quick and culturally relevant way.

It’s different in a commercial than in a film. Why? Because there’s more time to tell the story when it’s what people came to watch, like a film or a TV show. But ads have to land quickly.

Commercials, though still very creative and directing them is an art in itself, aren’t what people come to watch. Like, no normal person decides to watch 20 commercials for entertainment. There’s no “20 commercials and chill”.

Taking notes is also much different. And Matt shares a story of vulnerability. And how that can feel challenging when your everyday life is directing work that someone else created. You won’t want to miss this episode if you’re looking to articulate your style as a commercial director, or developing your skills as an indie-filmmaker.

Just Shoot It is co-hosted by comedy commercial directors Matt Enlow (mrmattenlow.com) and Oren Kaplan (directedbyoren.com).

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling

Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: Plant a tree. Also, passion fruit vines.

Oren's Endorsement: Try to present your edits to clients. And show the cut twice before asking for feedback.

Carlyn's Endorsement: "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35298123

Tom's Endorsement: India's Tandoori in Burbank, CA on San Fernando Blvd.

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Mike Davidson, Head of Production at Callen https://thisiscallen.com/, joins Matt and Oren. After years with agencies like Leo Burnett, Wieden+Kennedy, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, and PXP, Mike is happy to be in a role that’s more production-focused while still being client-engaged.

And Matt and Oren chat about his journey from the digital, interactive, and web design side of creative to the TV commercial and production world. And he shares some unique insights that helped him level up as campaigns underwent a transformation to integrated and 360.

For Mike, choosing directors is about finding the right talent who can see the ad's strategic direction, the client’s purpose, as well as how the insanity of the idea is best suited to make things work. And he shares a producer’s perspective on choosing the right person for the directing job. And he describes the often necessary triple bid process, and why it works and sometimes doesn’t.

But Matt and Oren probe Mike on what a producer looks for in a reel. And Mike shares some key insights into what, unfortunately, may be making you appear generic. And it all leads to a fascinating conversation about AI, and how Callen uses AI and LLMs to make their bids more effective while still keeping creative solely the output of a human head.

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling

Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: "BlackBerry" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21867434/ currently on Netflix.

Oren's Endorsement: "Margo's Got Money Troubles" on Apple TV

Mike's Endorsement: "Patriot", the series on Amazon Prime

Just Shoot It is co-hosted by comedy commercial directors Matt Enlow (mrmattenlow.com) and Oren Kaplan (directedbyoren.com).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.