The Callsheet

Episode 13 with Dave Asling

Dave Asling began his journey in remote Canada, making it all the way to LA while building miniatures and props for projects ranging from Elysium and iRobot all the way to The Mandalorian where his work was used in an entirely new way. As the hands-on owner of Creation Consultants, Dave's love of creative problem solving has led to the design and execution of hundreds of props and visual effects miniatures for countless productions. Dave's work has contributed to the nomination and awarding of visual effects Academy, Emmy and Gemini Awards and has been featured in advertising markets across North America.

https://www.creation-consultants.com

About The Callsheet:

After two decades working in and around Hollywood I've met some incredible people with unique stories of how they made it. Listen in as I chat with Directors, Writers, Producers, DPs, Creators and Designers of all the films and tv that you know and love. For the latest updates on the podcast, follow me on instagram @thatdirectoraj or join our new facebook page The Callsheet.

Callsheet theme by Evan Brau

About the Host:

Born in Flint, Michigan, A.J. Wedding created his first film in the 5th grade which helped push public opinion toward the first recycling program the city had ever seen. Realizing the power of filmmaking, he was hooked. After earning a B.F.A. from Western Michigan University, A.J. began reading scripts for Cruise/Wagner Productions at Paramount. He volunteered for every production he could, learning from the pros about producing, cinematography, lighting, directing, VFX and even ended up in front of the camera. He spent a great deal of time editing, including trailers for blockbuster films and pro-bono work for charities such as A Leg to Stand On. Eventually he was able to direct, and sold the series Infamous which he co-wrote with Craig Bonacorsi. A.J. has just launched Orbital Studios, a virtual production studio in Los Angeles. @orbitalvirtualstudios

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Episode 12 with Mark Poletti

Mark Poletti is American-born actor, director, and stunt coordinator currently based out of Los Angeles. ​Mark is on an incredible journey as both a martial artist and as a filmmaker. His dedication to the art of Wushu (Chinese Kung Fu) is outmatched only by his drive to succeed in the film industry. This is a great episode for anyone looking to get into the film industry as Mark and AJ discuss the current challenges of breaking in and how to overcome them.

About The Callsheet:

After two decades working in and around Hollywood, I've met some incredible people with unique stories of how they made it. Listen in as I chat with Directors, Writers, Producers, DPs, Creators and Designers of all the films and tv that you know and love. For the latest updates on the podcast, follow me on instagram @thatdirectoraj or join our new facebook page under the same name

Callsheet theme by Evan Brau

About the Host:

Born in Flint, Michigan, A.J. Wedding created his first film in the 5th grade which helped push public opinion toward the first recycling program the city had ever seen. Realizing the power of filmmaking, he was hooked. After earning a B.F.A. from Western Michigan University, A.J. began reading scripts for Cruise/Wagner Productions at Paramount. He volunteered for every production he could, learning from the pros about producing, cinematography, lighting, directing, VFX and even ended up in front of the camera. He spent a great deal of time editing, including trailers for blockbuster films and pro-bono work for charities such as A Leg to Stand On. Eventually he was able to direct, and sold the series Infamous which he co-wrote with Craig Bonacorsi. A.J. has just launched Orbital Studios, a virtual production studio in Los Angeles. @orbitalvirtualstudios

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Episode 11 with Fon Davis

In his three decade career, Fon Davis has worked on over 40 feature films, countless music videos, commercials, TV shows and other projects As an alumnus of the Industrial Light and Magic's Model Shop, Fon has worked on Starship Troopers, Galaxy Quest, and Pearl Harbor feature films, as well as the Star Wars, Terminator, Mission Impossible, and Jurassic Park franchises. In addition to his work in visual effects, Fon has also worked in several art departments on Disney's The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach, Christmas Carol, Mars Needs Moms, Laika Entertainment’s Coraline and Warner Brothers The Matrix series.

More recently, Fon worked on Interstellar, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium. Fon is currently a creative director at Fonco Studios, a celebrity judge on ABC's BattleBots, an instructor at the Stan Winston School, on shows including SuperFan Builds, Nerd Alert, Cake Masters, Starter Kit, Painter's Guild, and Adam Savage’s Tested. Fon is also a content creator and public speaker, frequently using his broad knowledge in entertainment and visual storytelling to share his experience and knowledge with the world.

Fon has actively participated and supported the education, VFX, SPFX, robotics, 3d printing, maker and geek culture communities through his work with disadvantaged youth programs, conventions around the world, the Visual Effects Society, Dwayne Johnson's Dwanta Claus organization, Glendale Unified School District, The Wounded Warrior Project, Expression College, Make: Magazine, The Make a Wish Foundation, Magic Wheelchair, and much more.

About The Callsheet:

After two decades working in and around Hollywood, I've met some incredible people with unique stories of how they made it. Listen in as I chat with Directors, Writers, Producers, DPs, Creators and Designers of all the films and tv that you know and love. For the latest updates on the podcast, follow me on instagram @thatdirectoraj or join our new facebook page under the same name

Callsheet theme by Evan Brau

About the Host:

Born in Flint, Michigan, A.J. Wedding created his first film in the 5th grade which helped push public opinion toward the first recycling program the city had ever seen. Realizing the power of filmmaking, he was hooked. After earning a B.F.A. from Western Michigan University, A.J. began reading scripts for Cruise/Wagner Productions at Paramount. He volunteered for every production he could, learning from the pros about producing, cinematography, lighting, directing, VFX and even ended up in front of the camera. He spent a great deal of time editing, including trailers for blockbuster films and pro-bono work for charities such as A Leg to Stand On. Eventually he was able to direct, and sold the series Infamous which he co-wrote with Craig Bonacorsi. A.J. has just launched Orbital Studios, a virtual production studio in Los Angeles. @orbitalvirtualstudios

ajwedding.com

Lisa and I dive right in to discuss her upcoming kids-action movie KID COMBAT, as well as her storied career as a Writer, Director and Producer. A veteran of the film industry, Lisa Arnold is an award winning Director, Writer and Producer with over 25 years experience in Film, Television and Stage. An advocate for family & purpose-driven films, Lisa strives to create stories that will entertain and inspire audiences through her visionary ability of storytelling. Her films include One Nation Under God, Caged No More, Camp Cool Kids, Because of Gracia, Beautifully Broken, God's Not Dead, This Is Our Time, Letting Go, Facing the Giants, Flywheel and Christmas Angel.

Acting is one of the most difficult parts of the business due to the lack of control over your career. John Tague has taken the reigns, creating content to show off the type of roles he wanted to play. Since then he's been on Blacklist, American Horror Story, Light as a Feather and CSI Cyber...

This Episode with Michael Nankin

TV Director Michael Nankin has directed episodes of Battlestar Galactica, Black Sails, The Flash, Defiance, Life Goes On and more! His journey is unique, and he gives us a great first-hand view of the process of directing for television.

This is the first episode we created during the worldwide pandemic, and thus it was done via Zoom so we could both stay home. Because of that, this is the first episode to also be available on Youtube as well as these podcast outlets. Check out the video and subscribe here: https://youtu.be/bHMkUkRKG8E

Theme Song by Evan Brau

Follow us on IG and Facebook @thatdirectoraj

About the host

Born in Flint, Michigan, A.J. Wedding created his first film in the 5th grade, which helped enable the creation of the first recycling program in the city. After earning a BFA from Western Michigan University, A.J. began his career reading scripts for Cruise/Wagner Productions at Paramount. He volunteered for every production he could get his hands on, learning from industry pros about producing, cinematography, lighting, directing, VFX and even ended up in front of the camera a few times on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Drake & Josh. A.J. worked freelance production for various companies including New Deal Studios, where he continued his on-set education. For the past several years he has been producing/directing commercials and ad campaigns for various brands including pro bono ads for the charitable organization, A Leg To Stand On. His last short film AILERON has seven nominations and 5 festival wins including Best Narrative Short and Best Director, most notably a Best Director win at the Boston International Film Festival.

Episode 7 with Ian Hunter, VFX Supervisor

Ian Hunter held an Oscar for the second time on the Academy stage just last year for his incredible work on First Man. Ian and I chat about how he got started, as well as how he approaches his work. Ian is the co-owner of New Deal Studios, where he and his partners Shannon Gans and Matthew Gratzner created stunning visuals for everything from Chris Nolan's Dark Knight to Martin Scorcese's Wolf of Wall Street.

About The Callsheet:

After two decades working in and around Hollywood, I've met some incredible people with unique stories of how they made it. Listen in as I chat with Directors, Writers, Producers, DPs, Creators and Designers of all the films and tv that you know and love. For the latest updates on the podcast, follow me on instagram @thatdirectoraj or join our new facebook page under the same name

Callsheet theme by Evan Brau

This episode is sponsored by Plotdevices.co, creators of the Storyclock Notebook. Visit their website and use the code DIRECTOR20 to receive 20% off your first order!

About the Host:

Born in Flint, Michigan, A.J. Wedding created his first film in the 5th grade which helped push public opinion toward the first recycling program the city had ever seen. Realizing the power of filmmaking, he was hooked. After earning a B.F.A. from Western Michigan University, A.J. began reading scripts for Cruise/Wagner Productions at Paramount. He volunteered for every production he could, learning from the pros about producing, cinematography, lighting, directing, VFX and even ended up in front of the camera. He spent a great deal of time editing, including trailers for blockbuster films and pro-bono work for charities such as A Leg to Stand On. Eventually he was able to direct, and sold the series Infamous which he co-wrote with Craig Bonacorsi. For the past few years, A.J. has been the commercial producer/directorfor Raleigh Enterprises, continuing to pursue a career as a director in film and television.

ajwedding.com

Episode 5 with Philip Lanyon

One of the best things about this show is getting to speak with people who have recently crossed the bridge into the industry. Philip grew up in Canada, a fan of Star Trek TNG, and is now the Director of Photography for the new Star Trek series, Picard, which is still in production on its first season. Getting to hear his thoughts at this formative stage is incredible! And honestly, we should all hope to have his heart.

About The Callsheet:

After two decades working in and around Hollywood, I've met some incredible people with unique stories of how they made it. Listen in as I chat with Directors, Writers, Producers, DPs, Creators and Designers of all the films and tv that you know and love. For the latest updates on the podcast, follow me on instagram @thatdirectoraj or join our new facebook page under the same name

Callsheet theme by Evan Brau

This episode is sponsored by Plotdevices.co, creators of the Storyclock Notebook. Visit their website and use the code DIRECTOR20 to receive 20% off your first order!

About the Host:

Born in Flint, Michigan, A.J. Wedding created his first film in the 5th grade which helped push public opinion toward the first recycling program the city had ever seen. Realizing the power of filmmaking, he was hooked. After earning a B.F.A. from Western Michigan University, A.J. began reading scripts for Cruise/Wagner Productions at Paramount. He volunteered for every production he could, learning from the pros about producing, cinematography, lighting, directing, VFX and even ended up in front of the camera. He spent a great deal of time editing, including trailers for blockbuster films and pro-bono work for charities such as A Leg to Stand On. Eventually he was able to direct, and sold the series Infamous which he co-wrote with Craig Bonacorsi. For the past few years, A.J. has been the commercial producer/directorfor Raleigh Enterprises, continuing to pursue a career as a director in film and television.

ajwedding.com

Marc Zicree is known by nearly everyone in the film and tv industry not just by his moniker of "Mr. Sci-Fi" but also as a connector of people on all levels of the business through his community building, weekly dinner known as 'The Table' that he has run free to anyone in the industry for the last 26 years. His television writing started in animation with shows like He-Man and Smurfs, leading to live action shows like Star Trek The Next Generation and Babylon 5. Also a best-selling author for The Twilight Zone Companion, as well as Cabinet of Curiosities, co-written with Guillermo Del Toro. Marc is currently executive producer and director of Space Command, a series that he financed via crowdfunding. A wealth of knowledge for anyone interested in the biz.

About The Callsheet:

After two decades working in and around Hollywood, I've met some incredible people with unique stories of how they made it. Listen in as I chat with Directors, Writers, Producers, DPs, Creators and Designers of all the films and tv that you know and love. For the latest updates on the podcast, follow me on instagram @thatdirectoraj or join our new facebook page under the same name

Callsheet theme by Evan Brau

This episode is sponsored by Plotdevices.co, creators of the Storyclock Notebook. Visit their website and use the code DIRECTOR20 to receive 20% off your first order!

About the Host:

Born in Flint, Michigan, A.J. Wedding created his first film in the 5th grade which helped push public opinion toward the first recycling program the city had ever seen. Realizing the power of filmmaking, he was hooked. After earning a B.F.A. from Western Michigan University, A.J. began reading scripts for Cruise/Wagner Productions at Paramount. He volunteered for every production he could, learning from the pros about producing, cinematography, lighting, directing, VFX and even ended up in front of the camera. He spent a great deal of time editing, including trailers for blockbuster films and pro-bono work for charities such as A Leg to Stand On. Eventually he was able to direct, and sold the series Infamous which he co-wrote with Craig Bonacorsi. For the past few years, A.J. has been the commercial producer/directorfor Raleigh Enterprises, continuing to pursue a career as a director in film and television.

ajwedding.com