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

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.

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

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.

Matt and Oren layout their template for vibe checks. You won’t want to miss this episode if you’re dying to know how to make yourself standout. And you’ll learn ways you can be seen as the best director to pull things off. Without sounding like you have all the answers. And without appearing too desperate for work!

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

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

Matt's Endorsement: Find a cool indie movie theater when travelling. Watermelon popsicles from Johnny Pops

Oren's Endorsement: "The Hacks" episode of the Script Notes podcast mentions how a writing duo can find their way into the scene. And they talk about competency-porn, when you see an actor do their job really well.

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.

Dylan Meyer grew up in a film school. Well, kind of; her dad was a screenwriter. And Dylan chats with Matt and Oren about the benefits of growing up in an environment where the idea of working as a film director is not some flimsy dreamy.

Matt and Oren ask Dylan about the importance of being cost-effective. Does it make your script easier to produce? And Dylan shares the importance of “cost-effective-ness”, not only to producers, but to you as a filmmaker. How so? Bigger budgets often invite more adults into the room, more scrutiny, more confrontation, and more negotiation for what you want your film to be. And in this episode Dylan teaches you the right budget range for your movie, if you want to have the greatest amount of creative free range.

In shooting her new film, "The Wrong Girls", there were a lot of scenes where people are high. And Dylan talks about the cinematography, lenses, production design, and other creative and visual considerations that went into making it a believable, altered reality.

Dylan notes that directing forces you to confront your own strengths and weaknesses. And Dylan shares some tips for navigating your own next angst-filled, directing adventure! You won't want to miss this episode if you’re about to shoot the script you just wrote.

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

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

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

Matt's Endorsement: "Four Seasons", the show

Oren's Endorsement: "Widow's Bay" and "House of the Dragon" shows. And take hot dogs camping to keep the kids' happy.

Dylan's Endorsement: "Such Brave Girls", the show from the UK

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

Deondray Gossfield and Quincy LeNear Gossfield chat about how Lena Waithe loved their short film so much, she hired these “first-time directors” as director/producers on her show, “The Chi”.

It’s a fun episode about their very real journey of multiple successes, pivots, and frustration so great they nearly gave up on the industry. But after putting in thousands of hours and doing things they never really set out to do, like becoming the kings of unscripted, reality, competition shows, they built a skillset and way of working that is so impressive, you won’t want to miss it.

This episode is for you if you ever wondered, “Will I ever get hired again?” or “How can I possibly define my niche and brand when I have so many interests?!”

Help Matts' film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling

Help our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: Palomino Black Wing pencils. The "Superman" written and directed by James Gunn https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5950044/

Deondray's Endorsement: "If I had Million" book by Robin R. Hall. "I love Boosters" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30827810/

Qunicy's Endorsement: Ninja ice cream maker https://www.sharkninja.com/kitchen/frozen-treat-makers/ice-cream-makers. Using the Apple Vision Pro for editing. The Supernatural workout app for Oculus.

Oren's Endorsement: Reading.com app https://www.reading.com/ for teaching kids how to spell.

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.