Mentors on the Mic: Your guide to pursuing a career in the Entertainment industry

Gaylyn Fraiche started as a Script Coordinator on the CBS series Johnny Bago for Executive Producers/Writers Peter Seaman and Jeffrey Price and Executive Producers Robert Zemeckis, Frank Marshall and Steve Starkey.

Gaylyn’s first experience in feature films was as Oscar-Winning Director Curtis Hanson’s assistant on The River Wild, starring Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon. She worked for Hanson for almost two years through the release of the movie and through early development of L.A. Confidential. From there she worked as Oscar-Winning Director Kathryn Bigelow’s assistant on Strange Days.

She began working at Castle Rock Pictures for CEO Martin Shafer on such films as The Green Mile, Best in Show, Miss Congeniality, and Proof of Life. She was promoted to Creative Executive and Director of Development.

She also served as VP of Film and Television for Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine.

In this episode, we talk about:

•  Starting off as an assistant to Television Producers James Hirsch and Robert Papazian on 10 Movies of the week and 2 series, executive assistant to showrunner for CBS TV Series Johnny Bago, assistant to Curtis Hanson who is now an Oscar winning director (Hand who rocks the cradle), and Kathryn Bigelow on Strange Days

•   Reviewing Carrie Fisher’s script revisions on yellow legal pads

•  Watching dailies with Meryl Streep and her 2.5 year old daughter

•   The perfect response when a man would say something awful in front of her and being the only woman in many rooms

•   Whether she would recommend the assistant producer track

•  Assistant to President of Castle Rock Entertainment, Martin Shafer, from development through international release of Miss Congeniality, The Green Mile, Two Weeks Notice, etc, networking with Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock

•  Transition to Creative Director and then Director of Development for Castle Rock

•  Consultant for Tia Mowry for Motown christmas movie with Smoky Robinson and making movies with Hallmark and Netflix

•  Her role as Vice President for Film and Television at Hello Sunshine (Reese Witherspoon's production company)

•  How she got Nia Vardolis (who starred in My Big Fat Greek Wedding) to be in her movie

Guest:

IMDb LinkedIn Twitter

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

If you liked this episode, check out Actor/Director Tony Goldwyn (President Fitzgerald in Scandal)

Check out your Write your Dream Role Starter Kit by Emily Grace. Full Episode with Emily Grace here

Ben Feingold is the current CEO of Samuel Goldwyn Films, which licenses, releases and distributes art-house, independent and foreign films. Previous to working at Samuel Goldwyn, he was the President of Columbia TriStar Home Video and the Former President Worldwide Home Entertainment Digital Distribution and Product Acquisitions at Sony Pictures.

Samuel Goldwyn Films is dedicated to working with both world-renowned and emerging writers/filmmakers and committed to filmed entertainment that offers original voices in uniquely told stories. This is best exemplified by the Academy Award® nominated SUPER SIZE ME; the critically acclaimed feature debut by Francis Lee GOD’S OWN COUNTRY; SXSW winner MOST BEAUTIFUL ISLAND; Warwick Thornton’s Australian western SWEET COUNTRY starring Sam Neill, Bryan Brown, and Hamilton Morris; the Wim Wenders film, starring James McAvoy and Academy Award winner® Alicia Vikander, SUBMERGENCE; A BOY A GIRL A DREAM starring Omari Hardwick and Meagan Good; Sci-Fi/Fantasy PARADISE HILLS starring Emma Roberts; the horror/thriller film starring Patrick Schwarzenegger and Miles Robbins DANIEL ISN’T REAL; the road-trip comedy COME AS YOU ARE; action packed Scott Adkins lead film DEBT COLLECTORS; MR. JONES starring James Norton, Vanessa Kirby, and Peter Sarsgaard; the sea shanty true story FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS; epic drama WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS starring Academy Award® winner Mark Rylance, Academy Award® nominee Johnny Depp, and Robert Pattinson; FROM THE VINE starring Joe Pantoliano; LGBTQ+ teen comedy DATING AMBER; LUXOR starring Andrea Riseborough; and the Danish Oscar® Entry ANOTHER ROUND starring Mads Mikkelsen. Upcoming releases include RAMS starring Sam Neill; LGBTQ+ COWBOYS starring Steve Zahn and Jillian Bell; horror/thriller DREAMCATCHER; the food-centric FOOD CLUB; and THE GOOD TRAITOR.

In this episode, we talk about:

•  Being the savior behind the movie When Harry Met Sally

•  How NBC put Seinfeld on the air and cancelled it twice, but how Ben kept the rights to distribution when they sold it

•  Helped launch the DVD format and the digital business

•  Made a deal with Dave Chappelle to make one of his first concert movies in 2004 “for what it’s worth” with SHOWTIME

•  Created the first game show channel

•  Helped Will Packer make his first movie by giving him his first deal

•  Why men were the early adopters of DVDs

•  Turned down running Blockbuster twice because they had too much debt

• Making an offer for CODA (which went to Apple for $25 million) and competing with the big streaming platforms

•  Why a filmmaker should go with Samuel Goldwyn for distribution instead of a larger streaming platform

Guest:

LinkedIn

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

If you liked this episode, check out Actor/Director Tony Goldwyn (President Fitzgerald in Scandal)

Check out your Write your Dream Role Starter Kit by Emily Grace. Full Episode with Emily Grace

Happy Random Acts of Kindness Day! In this bonus episode, we dive into why 'random acts of kindness day' can be the strategy behind your networking. Learn what I do to network and maintain relationships as a podcast host and actor. While this is super effective for those in the Entertainment industry, I also teach this strategy to my communication clients who work in various industries.

In this episode, you will learn:

- My strategies that I use to network with various Mentors and peers in the industry

- Why networking is a long game

- What you can do right now to support and connect with people in your industry

Podcasts mentioned:

The Art of Kindness podcast by Rob Peter Paul

ZimExcellence with Vongai

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

If you liked this episode, check out Creating Atomic Habits Part 1 with special guest Kate Bone

Check out your Write your Dream Role Starter Kit by Emily Grace. Full Episode with Emily Grace here

Debra Granik is an American New York City-based independent film and documentary film director and screenwriter. She is most known for 2010's Winter's Bone, which starred Jennifer Lawrence in her breakout performance and for which Granik was nominated for Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, 2004's Down to the Bone, which starred Vera Farmiga, and 2018's Leave No Trace, a film based on the book My Abandonment by Peter Rock.

Winter’s Bone won Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic film at the 2010 Sundance film festival. 4 Oscar noms for best adapted screenplay, best actress in a lead role, best supporting actor, best picture. Jennifer Lawrence was nominated for Best Actress and Outstanding Leading Actress for the Golden Globes and SAG Awards, respectively.

Other projects Granik has in development include a documentary about life after being released from jail and the subject of recidivism in East Baltimore - that was to feature Felicia "Snoop" Pearson from The Wire and elements of her memoir, Grace After Midnight - but is now a documentary about four former inmates in New York City.

In this episode, we talk about:

•   How the production company for Winter's Bone pulled out at the last minute, which gave her and her partner the freedom to choose an unknown actress who was closer to the age range of the character

• Recruiting a fixer: how she develops or recruits a trustworthy group of informants to provide realism and honesty to her stories

•  How she started: graduated college with a documentary project about a guy in Waltham, MA

•  Meeting her producing partner and working on the feature film of Snake Feed: Down to the Bone

•  How she deals mentally and emotionally with intense, dark subject matter

•  How in Europe, they do a great job nurturing short films as opposed to here, it’s a calling card

•  Her journey as an independent filmmaker 

•  How projects get presented to her

Guest:

IMDb Wikipedia  

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

If you liked this episode, check out Executive Producer Director Jason Ensler

Check out your Write your Dream Role Starter Kit by Emily Grace. Full Episode with Emily Grace here

Is reading Atomic Habits on your to-do list? For a lot of people, it's that book everyone has been talking about that you've been meaning to read.

Look no further. Guest host and Actress Kate Bone joins us to discuss all things habits in this special 5 part mini series. In each mini episode, we will break down a part of Atomic Habits, complete with all of the tips and tricks outlined by author James Clear. Join us as we discuss temptation bundling, habit stacking, identity based habits, habit contracts, habit scorecard, implementation intentions, and more. We share stories on what has worked for us, what feels practical, and what we want to try.

Best part is that we are also hosting supplementary "Atomic Habit" integration sessions every week to discuss that weeks episode as a group. Join us this Sunday, Jan 29th, 2023 at 7pm as we integrate the principles within a supportive community. Sign up here for a chance to be entered in our raffle.

Listen to episode 1 in the series here, episode 2 in the series here, and episode 3 in the series here for more techniques on creating, maintaining and breaking habits.

Guest Host:

Instagram

Wonderwell Website

More about her

IMDb

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Is reading Atomic Habits on your to-do list? For a lot of people, it's that book everyone has been talking about that you've been meaning to read.

Look no further. Guest host and Actress Kate Bone joins us to discuss all things habits in this special 5 part mini series. In each mini episode, we will break down a part of Atomic Habits, complete with all of the tips and tricks outlined by author James Clear. Join us as we discuss temptation bundling, habit stacking, identity based habits, habit contracts, habit scorecard, implementation intentions, and more. We share stories on what has worked for us, what feels practical, and what we want to try.

Best part is that we are also hosting supplementary "Atomic Habit" integration sessions every week to discuss that weeks episode as a group. Join us this Sunday at 7pm as we integrate the principles within a supportive community. Sign up here for a chance to be entered in our raffle.

Listen to part 1 in the series here, part 2 in the series here and part 4 in the series here for more techniques on creating, maintaining and breaking habits.

Guest Host:

Instagram

Wonderwell Website

More about her

IMDb

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Is reading Atomic Habits on your to-do list? For a lot of people, it's that book everyone has been talking about that you've been meaning to read.

Look no further. Guest host and Actress Kate Bone joins us to discuss all things habits in this special 5 part mini series. In each mini episode, we will break down a part of Atomic Habits, complete with all of the tips and tricks outlined by author James Clear. Join us as we discuss habit stacking, identity based habits, habit contracts, habit scorecard, implementation intentions, and more. We share stories on what has worked for us, what feels practical, and what we want to try.

Best part is that we are also hosting supplementary "Atomic Habit" integration sessions every week to discuss that weeks episode as a group. Join us this Sunday at 7pm as we integrate the principles within a supportive community. Sign up here for a chance to be entered in our raffle.

Listen to episode 1 in the series here and episode 2 in the series here for more techniques on creating, maintaining and breaking habits.

Guest Host:

Instagram

Wonderwell Website

More about her

IMDb

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelleListen to episode 2 in the series here.

Guest Host:

Instagram

Wonderwell Website

More about her

IMDb

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Is reading Atomic Habits on your to-do list? For a lot of people, it's that book everyone has been talking about that you've been meaning to read.

Look no further. Guest host and Actress Kate Bone joins us to discuss all things habits in this special 5 part mini series. In each mini episode, we will break down a part of Atomic Habits, complete with all of the tips and tricks outlined by author James Clear. Join us as we discuss habit stacking, identity based habits, habit contracts, habit scorecard, implementation intentions, and more. We share stories on what has worked for us, what feels practical, and what we want to try.

Best part is that we are also hosting supplementary "Atomic Habit" integration sessions every week to discuss that weeks episode as a group. Join us this Sunday at 7pm as we integrate the principles within a supportive community. Sign up here for a chance to be entered in our raffle.

Listen to episode 2 in the series here.

Guest Host:

Instagram

Wonderwell Website

More about her

IMDb

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Born and raised in San Diego, California, Madison Shamoun’s passion for musical theater and talents for acting, dancing, and singing started when she was very young. Recognized for her star potential and undeniable talent, Madison is the recipient of two National Youth Theater Awards for Best Supporting Actress, for her performance as Lucy in “13” (2013) and Motormouth Maybelle in “Hairspray” (2015). Madison recently graduated from the University of California Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in Acting for Theater, Film, and Television. 

Following her graduation from UCLA, Madison’s acting career has continued to blossom. A member of SAG-AFTRA, she's worked with directors like Pamela Adlon, Catherine Reitman, Jody Margolin Hahn, and Ken Kwapis. Madison has been featured in guest star roles on ABC’s BLACK-ISH, Netflix’s BlackAF, and Disney’s Sydney To The Max. She has also appeared in FX’s ‘Better Things’ directed by Pamela Aldon, and Maren Morris’ music video ‘Girl’ directed by Dave Myers. Madison’s upcoming projects include the highly anticipated Amazon Original Series, The Lake, starring Julia Stiles, the CW’s All American, 7 Minutes In Hell and The Restart. She also recently starred in a short film for Tribeca’s 2019 YOUTUBE platform, and an MTV commercial spot for Coca Cola. Madison is represented by Buchwald and Brave Artists Management.

In this episode, we talk about:

•  The process of booking “The Lake” on Amazon Prime (with Julia Stiles, Jordan Gavaris)

• Getting larangytis for the chemistry read for “The Lake”

•  Building her team in advance of her major bookings

•  Staying in Canada alone for 3 months to film the series during the pandemic

•  How it felt to be top billing on the call sheet

•  Process for booking a self tape

•  How she has a coach for every type of script (dialect/accent coach, On Camera Coach, contemporary/artsy/A24 stuff, Multi cam person/comedy)

•  How much of herself is in her roles

•  How was it working with Julia Stiles and Jordan Gavaris

Guest:

IMDb Instagram 

The Lake on Amazon Prime

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle