Matt and Oren take a hard look at the current state of the film and TV industry in the wake of the LA fires, pandemic, strikes, AI, and streaming. It’s some real talk about the challenges facing production, including tax incentives, union rates, and the ongoing struggle to keep jobs from leaving the LA area.

And they explore potential solutions to get more production peeps working regularly and keep productions from being forced into shooting in places like Austin, Atlanta, Columbia, Mexico, and everywhere else.

From analyzing the role of tax breaks to discussing union wage negotiations, this is an insider's perspective on what it will take for the industry to get more people working regularly.

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Matt's Endorsement: Use graph paper.

Oren's Endorsement: Sesame AI voice https://www.sesame.com/ 

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Geremy Jasper https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3017455/ , the visionary behind the stylized rock musical "O'dessa" on Hulu https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26304178 , shares the journey of bringing his ambitious project to life, from signing acclaimed talents like Sadie Sink and Regina Hall to crafting an original album for the film. 

Despite having just one feature under his belt, he successfully secured financing and brought his vision to fruition. OK, his feature did screen at Sundance, but still! Tune in as he reflects on the challenges, the motivation that kept him going, and the lessons he'll carry into his next endeavor.

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Matt's Endorsement: Buying wine from a local wine merchant can be a better value than purchasing at a grocery store.

Oren's Endorsement: For the best posture while sitting, your legs should be at a 90 degree angle. You can use a foot rest to help achieve this alignment.

Geremy's Endorsement: "The Boulet Brothers Dragula" the series, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6289132/ . It has fantastic art direction and costume design.

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Pete Chatmon is one of those select few directors who is constantly working as a director on TV episodes from Ghosts, to Yellowjackets, Chicago Fire, and lots more. He's the host of the podcast Let's Shoot.

Matt and Oren quiz Pete on how he sets people up to receive feedback and tough notes. And Pete talks about the importance of knowing what does not work, even though you thought it might. Off which , Oren shares how some brutal feedback changed his career for the better. 

But unsolicited honest feedback... hmm what about that? That's a tough one. And the guys go deep into this from both sides, giving and receiving. Like real deep. And they talk about what happens when the response to your note is "I'm not doing that."

But first, Matt talks about his latest shoot with Major League Baseball (MLB) superstars and what happens when you ask them to sing!

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Matt's Endorsement: Watch the early works of your favorite directors, like "She's Gotta Have It", Spike Lee's first film.

Oren's Endorsement: The podcast "Song Exploder" https://songexploder.net/episodes 

Also, once an avocado is ripe, if you're not ready to eat it, you can put it in the refrigerator.

Pete's Endorsement: The podcast "What Went Wrong" https://www.whatwentwrongpod.com/

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AWESOME EVENT! Help victims of the California wildfires (*) by attending a screening of a new episode of "Yellowjackets" with a discussion with Director Pete Chatmon at Let's Shoot at Dynasty Typewriter, Wed. Mar 19, 7:30 PM. Live and Streaming tickets are available at https://www.dynastytypewriter.com/calendar-squad-up?event-id=106932  

(*) All proceeds benefit the Altadena Community Preservation Fund.

ABOUT THIS EPISODE. Laura Murphy chats with Matt and Oren about directing her new film "F*** Marry Kill" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22528200 In this second of a two-part interview, hear about bringing your kids to set, does it work? How about when you're shooting in a different country?

Laura talks about her journey getting into commercials and the hurdles she overcame. And Matt & Oren chat with her about the future of indie filmmaking in light of Sean Baker's recent controversial opinion. On top of that, Laura shares her secrets to using improv to expand creativity, without killing the schedule.

You can find Laura at @bestlauraever on both Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

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Matt's Endorsement: Sara Dosa and Katia & Maurice Krafft's film "Fire of Love" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16227014

Oren's Endorsement: If you're on a plane, and your eye is suddenly all red, it might be a ruptured blood vessel in your eye, which is ok. So just chill out. 

Do you find yourself saying, "Alexa, turn off"? You can simply say, "Alexa stop". And that requires 1 fewer syllables to say.

The book, "The Anxious Generation", https://jonathanhaidt.com/anxious-generation/

Laura's Endorsements: Shotdeck https://shotdeck.com/

"Patriot", the series on Amazon Prime https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4687882

"Love Island: All Stars", UK Version https://pro.imdb.com/title/tt28959685

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Laura Murphy chats with Matt and Oren about directing her new film "F*** Marry Kill" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22528200 And they talk about the process to become a director on a film like this, is there a list you need to be on? And what can directors do to get on the "list"?

In this first of a two-part interview, you can hear whether being on time and on budget really makes a difference in the long run.  

As a bonus, Matt and Oren kick things off with some insights from Oren's latest commercial shoot. It was a mix of knuckle-gripping ups and downs with weather, appendicitis, and near over budget calamity. And Oren reflects on the most important decisions he made. And he shows what directors need to do on set, when everything around you is pooping the bed. 

You can find Laura at @bestlauraever on both Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

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Endorsements -- check next week for Matt's, Oren's, and Laura's endorsements! 

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Oren's on another commercial shoot and Matt's just started another new show! Everything's great, or is it? Matt and Oren chat about why the vision you pitch can be really, really hard in reality. Especially as budget, storyboard, timings, weather, and the nuances of handling this particular client unfold.

And the guys go deep into a discussion of the first principles of filmmaking, and when might be a good time to break or rethink them. 

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Matt's Endorsement:  Animator Joe Cappa, maker of "Meet the Boys" and "Haha You Clowns" has the greatest pacing of his soft, bone-dry jokes. https://www.youtube.com/@JoeCappa

Oren's Endorsement: Using a stylized LUT while shooting (even though it might be dialed back) instead of defaulting to Rec 709. Doing so generates a conversation around style and feel, while on set with the client and gets them comfortable with a more stylized look before post starts.

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First-time director Kyle Hausmann-Stokes IG @kylehausmannstokes https://www.instagram.com/kylehausmannstokes/ shares how he landed Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman for his film "My Dead Friend Zoe". https://mydeadfriendzoemovie.com

IG @mydeadfriendzoe https://www.instagram.com/mydeadfriendzoe/

And he chats with Oren and Matt about why his pitch was so successful. Hear the journey that led to the film’s big win at SXSW, as well as the ups and downs to maintain the project's momentum, land the rights to Rihanna's "Umbrella", and convince Travis Kelce to be an EP.

“My Dead Friend Zoe” opens on 700 theatre screens on Feb. 28, 2025.

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Matt's Endorsement: Cold Open for the SNL Music Documentary

Oren's Endorsement: Giggster can help you book locations and permits. https://giggster.com/

Kyle's Endorsements: The Shottr screenshot app https://shottr.cc/ and non-alcoholic beer from Athletic Brewing Co. https://athleticbrewing.com/ 

Veterans in Media & Entertainment https://vmeconnect.org/

The Mission Continues https://www.missioncontinues.org/

Bob Woodward Foundation https://bobwoodrufffoundation.org/

Every Town for Gun Safety https://www.everytown.org/

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Executive Producer (EP) Eric McCasline talks about building his new, top-tier production company, Good Times. https://ItsGoodTimes.com/ And he chats with Matt and Oren about how directors can get on the roster, win jobs, and why you as a director need to know your lane and understand how reps will pitch you. It's a "Moneyballl" game to get on and stay on, are you playing your game right?

The conversation goes deep into budgets, incentives, permits, fees as well as the shifting aesthetic of commercials. And the guys reveal why only top-tier work matters these days. So you gotta shoot way higher than the B-Team!!!

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Matt's Endorsement: https://www.kimgehrig.com/ 

Patrick Tomaso's video "Why don't movies look like *movies* anymore?" https://youtu.be/EwTUM9cFeSo?si=8MV4niF9L7o-Uh6F

Oren's Endorsement: Use Photoshop Generative AI and Midjourney to make edits to storyboards and animatics while staying consistent to your storyboard artists style.

Bring Cool Ranch Doritos to your party, seriously.

Eric's Endorsements: SteadfastLA https://www.steadfastla.com/ is helping rebuild Los Angeles.

"After the End of Art", a book by Arthur Danto https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691163895/after-the-end-of-art

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Director Andrew Kightlinger [email protected] and DP Idan Menin IG:@idanmenin talk about their film, from Sylvester Stallone's Balboa Productions, "Lost On a Mountain in Maine" https://www.lostonamountaininmainemovie.com/

Matt and Oren go deep about the tough trade-offs they made between budget, VFX, and the need to look realistic. And the guys delve into a wider discussion about the dance between great cinematography and awesome storytelling. Can you shoot on an iPhone and use it alongside an Alexa 35? Would you do it In a commercial, but not in a film and why? And how do you build a relationship between you, as director and your DP that elevates everyone's reel?

As always, Oren and Matt get behind the real story to working on a film produced by Sylvester Stallone. Don't miss these juicy details!!

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Matt's Endorsement: Go to a nice movie theater! 

Oren's Endorsement: Every Frame A Picture's video on YouTube, "Where Do You Put the Camera?" https://youtu.be/wa1O3nqW5hQ?si=ttIU6t8vY0JGhIOe

Andrew's Endorsement: "Paradise" on Hulu https://press.hulu.com/shows/paradise/

Idan's Endorsement: The liquid emulsion process for creating photographs on a silver-based, liquid photographic emulsion adhered to unconventional surfaces like wood blocks or concrete.

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Daniel Russel https://www.daniel-russell.com/ went from an assistant for Dave Meyers www.radicalmedia.com/us/directors/dave-meyers to directing music videos for Justin Timberlake and Jason Derulo. And he chats with Matt and Oren about the moves that built his career. 

What's the secret to pitching and landing impressive jobs? How can you work with a choreographer and inspire them to create the movement you need? And where can you find the best sources for visual inspiration? 

You won't want to miss these tips on building your career!

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Matt's Endorsement: "Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person" (Original title: "Vampire Humaniste Cherche Suicidaire Consentant") https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24216998/

Oren's Endorsements: "When the Jump Scare is Actually Clever" a YouTube video by Vanity Fair https://youtu.be/CNCeYM9bfOg?si=y8gk_qYcb589m80G

Daniel's Endorsements: 

"The Virgin's Bucket List" https://www.reelshort.com/movie/the-virgin-s-bucket-list-675110c567a002f3b1017570 

The pizza at Pura Vita https://puravitalosangeles.com/ 

Shoutout to the DJ's at KCRW https://www.kcrw.com/

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