MediaMaker Spotlight

Originally released on Dec. 18, 2022.

Season two wraps up with this Holiday Special, where all three hosts – Candice Bloch, Sandra Abrams, and Tara Jabbari – discuss the mega genre of Christmas and holiday movies. The trio share fun facts, their personal opinions, and go over the results of Media & Monuments’ own holiday survey, which centered on movies related to “the most wonderful time of the year.” Here are a few highlights from the survey to get you into the holiday mood: Love Actually was voted favorite holiday rom-com, Miracle on 34th Street was voted favorite Santa-theme movie, and A Charlie Brown Christmas was the winner in the animated category.

Want to hear more results or find out if you got a shout out? Want to hear a lively debate on why Die Hard is or is not a Christmas movie? Tune in! While this is the last new episode for 2022, Media & Monuments will play reruns during their winter break,  and  return with season three in the new year. Happy Holidays from the WIFV podcast committee!

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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!

Making a career pivot after 15 years in one job takes guts and some financial planning. Then add to the mix several disabilities and it sounds impossible. In this episode, host Sandra Abrams talks to filmmaker, advocate, and podcaster, Ariel Baska. Ariel shares how she made the leap to a new film career in a niche genre: Queer Horror, and founded the Access:Horror film festival. Ariel explains why inclusion in front of and behind the camera helps everyone on set, not just those with disabilities. She also gives us some insight on the Film Event Accessibility Scorecard.

For more information about Ariel, visit: https://arielbaska.com/
Find her podcast, Ride the Omnibus, wherever you listen to your podcasts.
To learn more about the Film Event Accessibility Scorecard, visit: https://feaw.org/
Learn more about Access:Horror at https://www.accesshorror.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!

Host Tara Jabbari sits down with influencer Nikole Eva, aka Evasive on YouTube, for this episode. After studying film, gaining experience as an editor, and working towards being a comedy writer, Eva started her YouTube channel to get her name out there… and it has been working! Tara and Eva talk about the start of her YouTube channel, how to make money through the videos, copyright issues, the importance of engaging with comments to build your audience, and much more!

Evasive YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUGZFAqUNtF_kJF80XOa5zQ
For business inquiries email: [email protected]
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikole_eva_/ 

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 this episode, host Candice Bloch talks with the creative team behind the hit indie TV show, ‘Sexpectations.’ Writer Jenna St. John and Director Kevin Good shed light on how they took the series from story concept through production, post-production, and eventually out to audiences on major streaming platforms. They talk about their multi-year journey including self-funding, casting, the show’s message, technical aspects of using CGI, and more.

‘Sexpectations’ centers on an aspiring romance novelist and her quest to lose her virginity for the sake of her writing. Season one of the adult comedy is available for rental or purchase on AppleTV+ or Amazon Prime.

To learn more about the show, visit https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9470422/
Follow the show on Facebook and Instagram at https://www.facebook.com/SexpectationsTVShow and https://www.instagram.com/sexpectationstv/?hl=en

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!

Call Me Dancer is a multiple award winning feature documentary that follows Manish Chauhan, a charismatic street dancer from Mumbai, who dreams of becoming a ballet dancer despite his parents misgivings. In this episode, host Sandra Abrams chats with the filmmakers behind this inspiring film: director and producer Leslie Shampaine, co-director Pip Gilmour, and editor Jennifer Beman. They share their journey of how they made the project that took them from India, to the UK, NY, and Israel, and why it took over  five years to complete and edit. From humble beginnings, Manish’s life goes on a roller coaster ride as he navigates the dance world, Covid, and injuries to reach his goals with help from his curmudgeonly ballet teacher, Yehuda Maor. The documentary is in English and Hindi. 

Theatrical screenings of CALL ME DANCER begin at the Quad Cinema in NYC Dec 15-21. Check the film website for other dates and locations: https://callmedancer.com/see-the-film/

Film website: https://callmedancer.com/
Instagram for Call Me Dancer: https://www.instagram.com/callmedancermovie
Instagram for Manish Chauhan: https://www.instagram.com/manishchauhan02
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/callmedancermovie
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@callmedacnermovie

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!

Horror invades holiday in a genre mashup comedy! This episode, host Tara Jabbari speaks with director Tyler MacIntyre about his new horror-comedy, It’s a Wonderful Knife. Described as “It’s a Wonderful Life by way of Scream,” they discuss how story elements of the classic holiday film were infused into this killer thriller. Starring Jane Widdop, Jess McLeod, Joel McHale, Katharine Isabelle, William B. Davis, and Justin Long, It’s a Wonderful Knife opened in theaters on November 10th, 2023. It will stream on Shudder at a later date.

It’s a Wonderful Knife trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLdAYrG0xo0

Tyler’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/tmacfilm
Katrinawan PR accounts:
https://www.facebook.com/katrinawanpr/
https://twitter.com/katrinawanpr 

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!

Screen-based media by its very nature, relies on visuals. And as stories unfold on set, the art department is key in not only building those sets, but making them look the part for the world being created. In this episode, host Candice Bloch sits down with Betsy Zuck, an experienced Production Designer, Set Decorator, Lead Person, Set Decorator, fabricator, and beyond. They discuss not only those roles and what they mean, but Betsy draws on her experiences working on crews of all types and sizes to shine a light on the workflow and hierarchy of sets, as well as give some great tips and advice for those looking to break into production design. 

Check out more of Betsy’s credits at: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6826143/
Connect with Betsy on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/betsy-zuck-26110718/ 

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!

People with disabilities have been historically underrepresented in the entertainment industry. In this episode, host Sandra Abrams chats with U.K.- based actress, writer, and disability advocate, Melissa Johns. Johns explains how she landed the role as the brainy Miss Scott in the British detective series, Grantchester, where her disability (born without her right forearm and hand) is a non-factor, who she called first when she landed a role on the iconic soap, Coronation Street, and how her foundation is helping others with disabilities break down barriers in the entertainment industry. She also shares what happened when intimate photos of her were posted online and how she got her power back through writing. 

To learn more about Melissa Johns and her organization TripleC, check out: https://triplec.org.uk/

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!

When it comes to creating a story, where that story is told is very important. In this episode, host Tara Jabbari speaks with Kelly Stuart, a location manager for projects such as the award-winning film, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and television shows like True Blood, The Catch, and American Auto. In their conversation, Kelly talks about what her job entails, what she looks for in a location, how involved she is with other departments like safety and art, and what a person needs to be successful in a job like this. 

For more info on Kelly’s credits, visit her IMDb page at: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0835762/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

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!

You’ve only got one chance to get it right when the broadcast is live. In this episode, host Candice Bloch talks with Remote Operations Manager, Pam Chvotkin all about the fast-paced and intense world of live event coverage. Pam has years of broadcast production experience ranging from professional sports, to concerts, competitions, awards shows, and more. In the conversation, Pam shares her knowledge about the often chaotic but rewarding lifestyle that keeps one adaptable and ready for anything. After listening to what it takes, you’ll watch live programming with a better understanding and more respect for what goes on behind the scenes to make it happen.

To learn more about Pam and her work, visit www.pamchvotkin.com and to see some great behind-the-scenes content, follow Pam @reddusfoximus on the socials.

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!