One Oh! One

Meredith and Kate sit down with student filmmakers from New Jersey. With their film submissions showcasing at Count Basie Teen + College Film Fest, we interview each director to talk about their film, the difficulties of low-budget filmmaking, and what's next for these incredibly talented individuals!

00:00 Introduction

00:29 Maura Collins and Mia Dimitry: "Panic"

06:59 Justin Marinelli: "Mr. Lonely Makes a Friend"

14:22 Arielle Borges: "Rock It!" & "Traffic" *Festival Winner

21:51 Tyler Izzo and Amanda Philipson: "The Envelope"

32:36 Sophia Montano: "Coffee & Cocoa"

35:28 Matthew McIntyre: "Keepsake"

41:30 Vinny Albano and John Stillwaggon: "Love, Aaron"

51:06 Lukas Cornine: "The Summer Wind"

58:32 Chris Zou: "Score" *Festival Winner

It's February! Love is in the air and what's not to LOVE about our favorite Multi Hyphenates: Actor, Producer, Voice Over Artist,Talent Booker and Hosts Extraordinaire Ashley Hearon-Smith and Keri Setaro. In this episode, we break down what it means to be a multi-hyphenate in our industry, and what it takes to pivot and transition to fulfill that creative need. Ashley and Keri give a no-holds-barred glimpse into the career of a multi-hyphenate. We are all so lucky to be able to do what we love, and we're aware that there is an unspoken privilege to be able to take certain career risks. We also touch on the Me Too movement, and discuss how not much has really changed; are the "adjustments" we see authentic or just for show? Bonus! Stay to the end for an awesome Meryl Streep story. 

This week's guest is someone who has such an invigorating energy that no wonder she has positively defied the frustratingly unshakable industry norms. Naomi is first and foremost a storyteller with a passion to make people feel, but she is also a devoted changemaker for women in the industry. Naomi is someone who has truly taken time to analyze her place in not just this industry, but in the universe, as she puts it, with a realization to create her own balance of happiness and success. Her TED talk, "What it's like to be a woman in Hollywood," has led the path forward for Naomi to be a trailblazer for the parity for which all of us fighting.

Two guests at the same time = twice the laughs in this episode with production managers Jennifer Haire and Gilana Lobel. Listen or watch along on our YT channel (Exit 74 Productions) to learn all about being a production manager and potential pathways one can take to becoming a UPM. With the years of experience that both of these ladies have had, Jen and Gilana utilized their down time during the height of Covid to write a wonderful, and necessary, handbook called Keys to the Production Office. Buy and read this book so that you can be prepared to perform above and beyond on your first gig on set!

Get a GRIP on reality. We absolutely love Melanie and her unflinching energy. She has quite an impressive job history as a best boy grip, working on huge budget films and TV shows such as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Walking Dead. This conversation does not shy away from the true hardships of working in production. With her years of experience, Melanie has decided to collect her stories and create a how-to book called Below the Line.  It will be for sale via Book Baby very soon! Don't worry - we'll share when it's released!

We are particularly excited about this episode. Meredith and Kate speak with Documentary filmmaker and Emmy Nominee Lisa D'Apolito about her journey making her film Love, Gilda. Lisa is the epitome of unwavering determination.

Without a doubt, our Season 2 kickoff guest Kristin Fairweather packs a fiery punch. Originally starting out in politics and having a coveted appointee position, Kristin made a complete career shift, utilizing all of her amazing skills to become a director/producer extraordinaire. We talk with her about being a director as she fights to include everyone involved from the get-go, and most importantly how she creates a safe and warm set. Kristin is also a mother of two girls, so we discuss the difficulties of juggling being a mom and working in this industry.

A DIT (digital imaging technician) is a role on set not to be confused with a data wrangler. A DIT works closely with the cinematographer to create an overall look for a film. It's a job that is both creative and technical. Matthew said it himself that he's been extremely lucky with his ability to get job after job, but it's really his bright and humorous personality that makes you want to work with him. Matthew has worked on some incredible projects, such as The Gilded Age, The Irishman, and Avengers: Endgame, just to name a few.

Yvonne Russo is an extraordinarily talented multi-hyphenate producer. She describes her position in a very distinct way; it's like being an architect; building a project from the ground up. She tells us she is currently working on 7 (!!!) projects, all in different stages, but you can hear how passionate she speaks about each one. Yvonne has been CRUSHING it from Day 1.

Russo is a member of the Sicangu Lakota Tribal Nation.

Hailing from Tasmania, Catherine Joy has made quite a name for herself here in LA. Not only is she an accomplished film composer, Catherine is also the founder and CEO of Joy Music House, a full service score production company AND she's the President for the Alliance for Women Film Composers. She also teaches film scoring for the NYU Steinhardt Masters program. Yeah. This woman is a powerhouse and she believes that creating community and being a part of a community of composers is of most importance in order to navigate the hardships of being a freelance creative.