MediaMaker Spotlight

The 48 Hour Film Project (48HFP) challenges its participants to create a short film from scratch on a single weekend. In this episode, host Candice Bloch sits down with Lisa Giles, the city producer for the Richmond 48 Hour Film Project. They discuss how the 48HFP came to be and grow to over 100 cities internationally, the fun details and parameters of the challenge, and more. It just may inspire you to want to join in on a memorable weekend of your own!

To learn more about this fantastic filmmaking extravaganza visit 48hourfilm.com.
And click here to learn more about the Richmond Film Network.

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

In this episode, Tara Jabbari speaks with fellow podcaster and freelance storyboard artist & illustrator, Jim Penola. They talk about his start in his career working in short films, features, commercials, music videos, and documentaries. They also bond over how they got to know each other through his podcast, shared passions over the film, “The Invitation” and more. 

You can follow Jim here:
https://www.instagram.com/jimpenola/?hl=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-penola-704536178/
https://twitter.com/jimpenola 

And his podcast that also featured the filmmakers and stars of the 2015 film, “The Invitation” and currently is about 2018 film “Destroyer”:
https://twitter.com/AnInvitation
https://www.instagram.com/invitation2invitation 

Support the show

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

Ahead of this year’s Academy Awards (airing on March 12th), host Sandra Abrams chats with WTOP’s entertainment reporter and award-winning movie critic, Jason Fraley, to discuss the front-runners of the Oscars race. Will the multiverse prevail with Everything, Everywhere All at Once or will the beautiful cinematography of All Quiet on the Western Front be the winner? Our guest is considered one of the best at picking winners, so tune in and have fun listening. 

Jason’s podcast, “Beyond the Fame with Jason Fraley” is available wherever you get your podcasts, as well as at: https://wtop.com/shows/beyond-the-fame-jason-fraley/

Support the show

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

Media directly impacts how people see themselves in the world. In this episode, host Candice Bloch has a conversation with Madeline Di Nonno, the president and CEO of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. They chat about the Institute’s mission, the valuable research and data they collect, and how that data is used to help reveal bias and create more equality. While it began with a focus on gender - “if she can see it, she can be it” - the Institute now focuses on gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQIA+, disability, age 50+, and body type. Listen to hear more about the progress that’s been made in representation, and areas that still need to see improvement.

You can learn more about this amazing Institute, their media bias research tools, and more at seejane.org

Support the show

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

In our season 3 premiere episode, host Tara Jabbari speaks with Sandi Harding, the General Manager of the very last Blockbuster in the world located in Bend, Oregon. They talk about the history of Blockbuster, its influence, and how the community of Bend as well as fans have helped keep this Blockbuster open. Enjoy listening to the memories, the business side of managing Blockbuster, and Tara geeking out.

You can learn more and order souvenirs from Blockbuster by visiting their website: https://bendblockbuster.com/

Support the show

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

Ahead of the 94th Academy Awards on March 27, 2022, board member Sandra Abrams sits down with two amazing women to discuss Oscar’s history on nominations of women in non-actor categories. Our guests are Dr. Rosanne Welch, Executive Director of the MFA in TV and Screenwriting Program at Stephens College, and Leslie Combemale, a syndicated film critic known as Cinema Siren, and the creator and host of WomenRockingHollywood - an annual panel at Comic Con in San Diego which highlights female filmmakers. The women reflect on female representation throughout Hollywood's and the awards show's history, how it has changed, and what they see for the future.

• For more information: https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies
• Dr. Rosanne Welch: https://rosannewelch.com/
• Leslie Combemale: https://cinemasiren.com/ and https://lesliecombemale.com/ and https://womenrockinghollywood.com/

(Episode originally released on 3/20/22)

Support the show

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

While so much of the effects we see on screen can be CGI, there will always be a home for the physical, tangible art of special effects. In this episode, host Candice Bloch sits down with Ben Eadie, an experienced special effects designer, prop maker, fabricator, and multi-talented inventor and creator. Ben has worked on such projects as Star Trek Beyond, Arrow, The Predator, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Prey, and Fraggle Rock. In their conversation, Ben chats about inventing solutions to problems, engineering cool props and effects both big and small, and the importance of making sure everything functions according to plan on set.

To get great tips and tutorials on prop making and more, check out Ben’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/BenEadie

You can also follow him on Instagram @dreadmakerroberts 

(Episode originally released on 10/16/22)

Support the show

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

C. Marie Taylor is the founder and president of Equity Through Action, a consulting company that helps organizations create equitable practices, policies, and mind shifts. In this episode, host Tara Jabbari talks with C. Marie about inclusion and diversity, films that have caused controversy, and the practice of examining the diversity in your own life. They discuss how people - from behind the scenes to the audience - need to see the humanity of each character, regardless of how they look, in order to understand the universal themes in stories. 

Learn more about Equity Through Action and get more resources here: https://equitythroughaction.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/equitythroughaction/ 

Connect with them and C. Marie, particularly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmarietayloreta/

(Episode originally released on 11/13/22)

Support the show

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

Clothes can make or break a scene without a character saying a word. In this episode, host Sandra Abrams chats with Screenwriter and Costume Designer, Alexandra Olivia Engelson. She shares her approach to putting together a wardrobe for independent films with small budgets, and what it means to be a wardrobe coordinate on big budget television shows such as Quantico and The Equalizer.

To learn more about Alexandra and her work, visit https://www.aoengelson.com/

(Episode originally released on 10/23/22)

Support the show

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Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!

While simply making a film is a passion project and can take years of work, getting your finished movie into a film festival can be nothing short of a miracle. In this episode, host Sandra Abrams takes a deep dive into film festivals and how to navigate the festival circuit for maximum exposure and a possible ticket to Hollywood. She  speaks with Heather Waters, who is the founder and producer of the Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) and runs the RIFF Arts Institute. In 2022, RIFF runs from June 7 to June 12. She then chats with Jon Gann, considered the guru of film festivals, who runs DC-based festival business, Reel Plan, and is the author of two books on the topic.

For tickets or to volunteer at the Richmond International Film Festival go to www.rvafilmfestival.com and for more information about Heather, visit: https://www.riffartsinstitute.org

You can learn more about Jon Gann's company at www.reelplan.com and his 2021 film, Miss Alma Thomas: A Life in Color here: www.missalmathomas.com.
His books, "Behind the Screens: Programmers Reveal How Film Festivals Really Work" and "So You Want to Start a Film Festival: Conversations with Top Festival Creators" are available on Amazon.

(Episode originally released on 5/8/22)

Support the show

---
Subscribe to learn more about filmmaking, production, media makers, creator resources, visual storytelling, and every aspect that brings film, television, and video projects from concepts to our screens. Check out the MediaMakerSpotlight.com show page to find even more conversations with industry professionals that inspire, educate, and entertain!

We on the Women in Film & Video (WIFV) Podcast Team work hard to make this show a great resource for our listeners, and we thank you for listening!