The Non-Fiction United group is fighting for better conditions for our industry: from fair pay to safe work environments. Today I have on the founder of the NFU, Johanna Vanderspool, who is a showrunner and director who’s worked on shows like the BET Awards and Undressed. She’s joined by Toni-Ann Lagana, a freelance producer who’s worked on shows like Dancing with the Stars and American Idol and Jason Martinez, a longtime director/producer who most recently produced Temptation Island during the pandemic.
We talk about how Covid-19 has shined a light on core issues in our business, how rates have changed (or haven’t changed) over the years and how the whole industry is set up like a “mafia family” (!)
For more on the NFU:
http://www.nonfictionunion.com
Toni Ann’s article in THR:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/reality-tvs-overburdened-and-underrepresented-workforce-guest-column?fbclid=IwAR1ywYu0pRWLBpOMvMd7cGs0b-R3mVYnpGJLhV0Zrd5s5u9z4ssYTUEkyS0
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Non Fiction United: Johanna Vanderspool, Toni-Ann Lagana & Jason Martinez

TV & Film

It’s a bittersweet day as I say goodbye to Reality of Reality. It feels fitting that this farewell is on the 5th anniversary of my podcast — which started as a fun whim with Jenny Daly and turned into over 200 episodes of interviews with the best in the business. 
The why is simple: I’m just too busy with my core business to sustain the pace any longer. I realize that’s a lucky place to be — especially given how hard this last year has been for so many— and I don’t take it for granted. 
Thank you to Taste of Reality for believing in me and putting me on your fabulous network. Thank you to my stepson Kevin Clobes for composing the fabulous theme music. And a huge thank you to my editor and engineer Jesus Murillo who has been with me from day 1 and might be the nicest human being I know. He’s done late night edits, very early morning edits and many other annoying edits and has never ever complained. He is a rock star and I’m lucky to continue working with him on my other ventures. 
And finally, thank you to all my guests: it’s been an honor speak to every single person I’ve interviewed. I can honestly say I’ve learned something from everyone and I’m humbled by the experience. 
If you want to connect with me feel free to email me: aliza@ayr-media and/or follow me on IG at @realityaliza
xo

5 years of Reality of Reality – a farewell

Diona Vaughan Mankowitz is an Emmy nominated producer and casting director who founded Divergent Content in 2020. Soon after she founded the company, Ray Dotch, an Emmy winning Executive Producer and Showrunner, came on board and became Diona’s ipso facto partner.  The goal at Divergent is to use the voices of people of color behind the camera to support, amplify, and elevate diverse stories and talent. We talk about inclusivity and hiring in unscripted content, the history of racism in our industry, the importance of hiring Black producers for all kinds of shows and what the Sharon Osborne firing says about where we are right now as a culture.
Divergent content:
https://www.divergentcontent.com
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Diona Vaughan Mankowitz & Ray Dotch – Divergent Content

Today on the podcast – everyone’s favorite producer and all around human David Eilenberg. Dave is now Chief Creative Officer at ITV America where he’s guiding creative strategy, leveraging intellectual property, and helping grow the group’s six vertical production labels, including ITV Entertainment, Leftfield Pictures, Sirens Media, Thinkfactory Media, High Noon Entertainment and Good Caper Content.
Dave cut his teeth in this industry working on game shows which led him to The Apprentice – where he learned how to produce a competition show when all of NYC is a set. He went to help create Are You Smarter than Fifth Grader which was put together at lightening speed from pitch to series. He also talks about the pressure to reboot Queer Eye, what it’s like being the head of a massive company, where this business is headed and why we should be working with producers all over the country.
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David Eilenberg – CCO ITV America

Today on the podcast, Sirens Media President Mioshi Hill. Mioshi is a long time producer, starting on the production company side then going to Lifetime were she was VP of development overseeing shows like Little Women: LA, Finding Justice, Making a Model with Yolanda Hadid and Vivica’s Black Magic. She joined Sirens in January of  2021. The company is coming in strong this year with a great season of Real Housewives of New Jersey and the new show Wedding Coach which premieres April 7th on Netflix!
http://sirensmedia.com
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Mioshi Hill – President, Sirens Media

Andrea Blaugrund Nevins is a writer, producer and director who’s helmed the new documentary on FX/Hulu called Hysterical. This film is a great portrait of what obstacles female comedians face in the very male-dominated world of comedy. It profiles a wide range of hilarious and thoughtful women, as well as the newcomers who are breaking new ground and changing the game. Andrea and I also talk about her fantastic documentary Tiny Shoulders – rethinking Barbie also streaming on Hulu which examines 60 years of women through the lens of the iconic plastic doll. Hysterical premieres April 2 at 9pm on FX, streaming next day on FX on Hulu:
https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/hysterical
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Non Fiction United: Johanna Vanderspool, Toni-Ann Lagana & Jason Martinez

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