Sarah May Bates https://www.sarahmaybates.com/ is an AI director, and she’s been getting lots of work! And Matt and Oren dive deep into how she makes that happen. She’s joined by actor Susan Song.

Sarah has a clear line for AI usage. And it comes down to what are you in this for? Do you love the organic aspect of filmmaking and discovery, where what you plan isn’t always what you get? Like, in a good way.

Because if you’re not, you might prefer the robotic precision of AI.

But be careful of being tricked into believing that’s what brands want, especially the top brands you want to work for.

At the end of the day, Sarah believes human oversight is at the core of what creatives do. Like, why would you want to have AI write your script, or even your email? That’s what you do, and that’s what makes you who you are!

Here’s the golden rule: if the medium is leading, then you are failing.

What does that mean? Don’t fall into the trap of creating AI for the sake of filling the request. Instead, Sarah recommends letting the creative work find what it wants to be!

This is the episode you want to hear as an actor, filmmaker, or anyone in the industry looking for some sense of purpose, foundation, and compass for what’s happening in AI!

Connect with Sarah at https://www.yaywithme.com

Connect with Susan on IG @sujjang012

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

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

Matt's Endorsement: Send Help https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8036976/

Nick Lutsko's song for the Manscaped Super Bowl Commercial https://www.local3news.com/local-news/update-chattanooga-artist-nick-lutsko-composes-song-for-national-super-bowl-commercial/article_dd5d9cd0-9c5a-4565-a1af-1dfe3d1ffdda.html

Sarah's Endorsement: The UPA Cartoon "Rooty Toot Toot" https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/the-70th-anniversary-of-rooty-toot-toot/ 

The documentary on the animation company UPA https://www.cartoonbrew.com/documentary-2/animation-mavericks-the-forgotten-story-of-upa-documentary-258284.html 

The book "Bird by Bird", by Anne Lamott https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/97395/bird-by-bird-by-anne-lamott/

Susan's Endorsement: See the Backstreet Boys at the Sphere, in Las Vegas

Oren's Endorsement: @stuffaboutadvertising on Instagram

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

Natasha Kermani talks about casting Sophie Turner in her latest film “The Dreadful” https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30842022/ and it’s amazing how she connected with Sophie and demonstrated why this project was a great fit for her trajectory as an actor.

But when Matt and Oren dig into the details of the one thing Natasha said in her letter that sealed the deal, they get a big surprise.

This is a great episode that explores Natasha’s love for the details, discovering Cornwall, and finding the right combinations of textures, imagery and dialect to tell this story. With Kit Harington and Marcia Gay Harden also on board, this was a film that had to deliver. And Natasha shot it in just 18 days.

Finding the right connection with a DP to make such a tight schedule work, without having to panic, can be tricky. And Natasha talks about how she never threw out the shotlist, but always stayed committed to rewriting each day, to keep the creative work intact with the vision.

From specialized dialects developed just for this film, to finding locations to which she specifically wrote scenes of the film, it’s an amazing story of an auteur at work. And through all of this she brought her daughter into the world, and you get to see her on the pod!

This is the episode that shows great work can be done while raising a family in LA. Yes, you too can find the time to make family and work as a filmmaker a lifestyle!

Find Natasha on IG @natakerm

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

Matt's Endorsement: Italian Paperclips from Dell'era Giuseppe https://www.delleragiuseppe.com/en/stationery/paper-clips/ 

Oren's Endorsement: Get a DIT who will upload to iCloud as you go without waiting til the end of the shoot.

Natasha's Endorsement: KUSC classical radio https://www.kusc.org/ and just listening t o the radio in general.

Chuck Kinnane's Endorsement from last time: Riehle's Select Popcorn https://www.selectpopcorn.com/

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Chuck Kinnane joins directly from Little Compton, Rhode Island. And he comes out straight on sharing the credit and pay from their latest feature, “Solo Mio”, starring Kevin James.

The Kinnane brothers have been living the dream as filmmakers. And they’re proof that years of work with YouTube videos, closed caption documentaries, and just making shorts, writing scripts and pitching ideas, can and does pay off, even today.

It’s the story of Chuck, who started by just shooting his first films at 10 years old. Then he was fortunate enough to share tastes, aspirations, and the willingness to tough it out, suck up your ego, and collaborate all in the name of what is best for the creative work product. It just so happened he didn’t have to go to film school to find his 7 partners and lifelong collaborators. 

Through luck, doing the work, and getting the work out there, the Kinnane brothers met Kevin James, became his co-creator, and then found themselves making an Adam Sandler picture along the way. 

This is a fabulous interview. If you like listening to humble, grateful people share the story of how success found them, you won’t want to miss this episode!

Find them on IG: @kinnanebrothers

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

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

Matt's Endorsement: Sound Guy on YouTube https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFH3phl5yd1WWTwZyLbn1tcCo0k-gB8BY&si=0PMQnRpXrarngzLV. Top Seedz Crackers. https://topseedz.com/collections/crackers

Oren's Endorsement: Trader Joe's Buffalo Ranch Popcorn. https://www.traderjoes.com/home/products/pdp/buffalo-ranch-popcorn-080927 Grok AI for video https://grokvideo.ai/

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

Producer Jonathan Burns https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanaburns talks about his methods for selecting the vibe that he presents to brands and agencies. And the different considerations that drive his every choice from kraft, to restaurants, crew decisions, and more.

Matt and Oren have worked with Jonathan on multiple occasions. And they talk about what separates a production manager who’s graduated “in title” to producer, from a producer who really can be more than a better production coordinator, and box checker.

It’s being good at being client-facing. And as an expert, Jonathan has gained a lot of knowledge about ways in which directors lose clients. And there are some missteps you’ll want to avoid.

How can you be compromising and easy to work with, and still be a commercial director that gets asked back? Should you do animatics, and does anyone care? What does it mean to stand up for your vision and not be a pain in the a** director?

If you’ve been dying for some mentorship as a commercial director, you won’t want to miss this episode!

Connect with Jonathan on IG: @jburnsfilm

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

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

Matt's Endorsement: Klizia 97 Stapler https://www.amazon.com/s?srs=20289756011&rh=p_89%3AEllepi

Oren's Endorsement: GQ Jordan Nutrition's recipe on Instagram for a power bar. After the Hunt VFX breakdown. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3faJNPWE9Q

Jonathan's Endorsement: Lemon Posset recipe on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@s_johnson_voiceovers/video/7377164596550896939?lang=en

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

How important is Sundance to your career as a commercial director? Matt and Oren talk about their experiences in Park City before the festival wraps up its last year in Utah.  

With Matt working to raise money for his latest film, “Bad Feeling”, there’s a lively discussion about whether making narrative films can advance your career as a commercial director. And the answer is, for some directors, it can make you stand out. But for others, there’s a better way.

Then Oren talks about his latest experience shooting outside Los Angeles. And Matt and Oren talk about how to handle the shoot schedule your AD creates. And they raise some good points about what to watch for when shooting out of order. Especially when working with athletes.

For example, in LA, actors and crews will help you manage issues related to continuity that have more to do with than just “was this there in the last scene”. 

It’s Oscar time, Sundance season, and the festival circuit is just kicking off! And if you’re looking to stay present in your work and while forging your career path forward, this is a great episode to help keep you grounded as the year gets rolling!

Help Matts' film: wefunder.com/badfeeling

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

Matt's Endorsement: The films "Marty Supreme" and "Hamnet". And also Jacobi Jupe's performance in the title role, Hamnet.

Oren's Endorsement: The show "Wonder Man" on Disney+.

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When Sergio Cilli https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1826186/ made his first AI film, it really didn’t get noticed. And neither did many others he made. Sure they were good. But what got noticed more was the one video he made, which showed why AI isn’t quite and why it’s not yet the monster filmmakers fear.

Sergio joins Kristyna Archer https://www.archer.vision/ to talk about making AI films. What works, what doesn’t, and how filmmakers can be ready for what comes next.

Matt and Oren dive into how much it costs, where commercial budgets might be headed, and how AI will be adopted into filmmaking and commercials. And Sergio and Kristyna bring two different perspectives.

Kristyna is an Adobe Firefly, an AI ambassador for Adobe, and has a background working with LED volume walls, Unreal Engine, and generally skews to the tech side of things. Sergio came from fear. It was only after his wife encouraged him to experiment that he discovered his desire to explore AI and filmmaking.

This is a conversation about AI that tackles the elephant in the room from a variety of perspectives from working commercial directors. And it’s not just talk, it’s commercial directors who’ve actually explored the tools and put out some stuff – that if it wasn’t impressive, it could cast a shadow on their directing careers. Or as Oren’s friend likes to say, it tackles the “elephant that AI’nt in the room”.

See Sergio’s AI Audition video at https://youtu.be/AEbqJj2hIjg

And find Sergio and Kristyna on Instagram @sergiocilli and @archerstudioooooo

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

Matt's Endorsement: MoldQuestVHS on Instagram @moldquestvhs

Oren's Endorsement: The Pitt on HBO and the video "Beat Any Escape Room- 10 proven tricks and tips" from Mark Rober https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwgaTYOx0RI

Sergio's Endorsement: "Extraordinary Things to Cutout and Collage", the book. https://www.mariarivans.com/extraordinary-things-to-cut-out-and-collage and Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee https://us.foursigmatic.com/products/original-mushroom-coffee

Kristyna's Endorsement: The Wonder App has a great community of artists, producers, conversation and more, https://app.wonderstudios.com/ And also the Endel App https://endel.io/ for people with ADHD. 

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

Eric Crepeau https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4145859 joins Matt and Oren after a gap of over 400 episodes to talk about sound design! What makes a good sound designer? And what makes a great sound designer? 

Eric is the OG Editor of "Just Shoot It!" and he's brought along a reel of outtakes that he's kept over the years! And he's dying to talk about 10 useful words when talking to sound designer.

And to kick it off Matt and Oren have a deep discussion about having coffee. Yeah, that LA tradition of meeting up for java, jo, latte, or matcha It's such a time old favorite that it's become. well, mundane. Sure people still do it and real deals get one. But can you still use it to make connections and find work? 

Well Matt and Oren have the answers. And you'll want to hear what makes a coffee invite worth taking. So if you're looking to get 2026 off to a quick start with some new possibilities for work and connections, this is an episode you have got to hear.

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

Matt's Endorsement: The Battery Daddy https://www.batterydaddy.com/ . The Away Travel Suitcase and Backpack https://www.awaytravel.com/

Oren's Endorsement: The super long oner on Extraction 2 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12263384

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

Matt and Oren are pulling together their year-end recap posts for social media. And they realize, “wow, there's a lot to reflect upon!”

LA is definitely enjoying a resurgence, of sorts. And while more productions are shooting in LA, a lot has changed over the past few years. And everything isn’t rosy.

So if you’re wondering what’s the right type of year-end social media recap, or what you should post that will win over the right people, then you won’t want to miss this episode!

Matt and Oren have some diverging opinions Like what you ask? Well…sure, it's cool to show your working and always on set. But if you only celebrate your own wins, are you being tone-deaf to the struggle it takes to get those opportunities? And what are some ways to make it more human?

Matt and Oren look at it this way. You have to post something intriguing so people who can hire you have you top of mind when the right gig comes. But what should you focus on? Tagging people? The best of your best? Family? Something else?

Finally, with the industry in its December-January slow-period, Matt’s been thinking about setting goals and starting new habits. And Oren shares why this time of the year is ideal for some deep internal probing.

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

Matt's Endorsement: 1. Moviemaker magazine. 2. Do puzzles

Oren's Endorsement: 1. Apple Podcasts now has 1.8x speed. 2. CineFix has a show on YouTueb My Best Shots. The Edgar Wright one is great. https://youtu.be/8u_kCQiZd7Y?si=-2O_zmNdTdbDDEgY 3. Airpods have ruined socializing, so try unplugging and see what happens. 4. The TV Show Pluribus on Apple TV. Episode 5 has insanely good cinematorgraphy. 5. "The Everything Big Book of Jokes" book for kids. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20362426-the-everything-big-book-of-jokes 6. Move time-killer apps to a place on your phone where they are hard to find.

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

The 2025 year-end Director's Panel is here! Each year, Matt and Oren have a little cocktail party with some of the past year's guests. It's a chance to reconnect and chat about what went well, what didn't, and what they're hopeful for in the coming year.

Carlyn Hudson, Jamaal Parham, and Mercedes Bryce Morgan participate in this first-ever, on-camera, live-to-tape panel. And if you've got questions about the impact of AI on Hollywood and the impact of how movies are getting funded on A-list talent, then this is an episode you won't want to miss!

Bringing together directors who have attended TIFF, worked with Jake Gyllenhaal, have films on Hulu, travel the globe, and know how to utilize the JOBS Act to fund films yields a diverse range of topics. And this crew talks about the need to do more with less, finding time to be creative, and further pushing the boundary of what's possible in an 8-hour shoot day. And yeah, AI is a big subject on everyone's minds. But is it really a threat? Or are we all whale hunters nearing extinction?

There's a lot of hope and ideas in this episode. Happy New Year, everyone!

Find Mercedes on IG @mercedesbrycemorgan or https://www.mercedesmorganfilm.com/

Find Carlyn on IG @carlynhudson

Find Jamaal on IG @jamaalparham and @jamsandbash

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

Matt's Endorsement: Fire extinguishers. AND, the fire department. 

Oren's Endorsement: Download everything from your phone related to your work projects, weekly () or on some fixed schedule) so you can find it later. Also, James Cameron's interview on "The Town" podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/part-1-james-cameron-on-avatar-misconceptions-ais-skynet/id1612131897?i=1000738091636

Mercedes's Endorsement: Photoshop's Remove Tool (currently in Photoshop Beta version)

Kind of like Harmonize.ai (which adds shadows and reflections when you add objects to photos)

Carlyn's Endorsement; Send words of affirmation to people you appreciate.

Jamaal's Endorsement: Akari Sauna with 2 locations in Brooklyn, NY, Greenpoint and Williamsburg https://www.akarisauna.com/. And use saunas as your time to develop creative ideas. Also the book "The Genius of the System: Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era" by Thomas Schatz https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780805046663/thegeniusofthesystem/

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

Bella Gonzales https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7543234/ brings a ton of insight about being a cinematographer on series like Pen 15, Fargo, Alien: Earth, and The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox.

It’s a really inspiring episode that made Oren want to pick up a camera and operate again. On the other hand, Bella is a self-described lighting-focused DP (Director of Photography). And her conversation with Matt and Oren details how her approach to cinematography enhances, and perhaps even creates, the world of the show more so than an operator-focused DP.

Bella also gets into the playbook for Fargo and the rules of the road that create its uniquely offbeat look. And Bella lays out how this makes audiences feel more like they are inside the story.

You won’t want to miss this unique episode with a cinematographer who passionately explains the techniques she uses in the art of her craft.

Find Bella on Instagram @bellagonzalesdp

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

Matt's Endorsement: Ethan Hawke on social media

Oren's Endorsement: a400 round base monopod https://www.ifootagegear.com/products/monopod-a400-roundbase

Bella's Endorsement: "The Duellists", movie by Ridley Scott https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075968

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