Before she was shaping the ears of the next generation of filmmakers at USC, Midge Costin was considering marine biology. And before that, she was an Irish-German kid from Massachusetts singing in a choir who had never once thought about what a movie sounds like from the inside.

Then she did… and the industry has never been the same.

Renowned sound designer, sailor, educator, director, and all around awesome human being, the legendary sound designer and filmmaker, Midge, sits down with Chelsea and David and discusses her career and the work behind her film Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound– the documentary that finally gave sound the main character treatment it always deserved. We talk craft, philosophy, teaching, and what it actually means to build an entire emotional world out of something most audiences are never supposed to notice.

Midge bares her heart in this one. On what drew her to sound. On what it means to pass that love on to students. On the years it took to find herself and her craft and why it was worth every single one of them.

So strap on your seatbelts, because we’re spending the next hour thundering down this path called life.

John Watson has produced over fifteen features and hundreds of hours of television. He holds the Cubby Broccoli Chair in Producing at USC School of Cinematic Arts and he has been in rooms most filmmakers only dream about...

And he still had time to settle, once and for all, who his favorite student was.

In this episode of wip, Chelsea and David sit down with the legendary producer behind Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Backdraft, and decades of film and television that shaped the industry. They talk advanced productions at USC, what it mentorship through inquiry, and the myths USC students have been spreading about John's habits for years. He finally sets the record straight.

They also ask him about the spoof, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and he has thoughts.

And at the end, John Watson does something no mentor is supposed to do: he picks a favorite student... between David and Chelsea. The answer may shock you.

This one is for every film student who ever sat in his class and wondered if they were the one. Tune in!

For this episode, we welcome the one and only Susan Arnold: producer, storyteller, educator, and quite possibly one of the most joyful human beings to ever grace a film set. From the chaos of indie productions to the magic of 13 Going on 30, her career has been one of the most dynamic and fearless in Hollywood. She has the stories to prove it. She met a producing partner through her daughter’s mommy and me classes, found love on a film set, built a legacy across decades of filmmaking, and now lights the path forward for the next generation of storytellers as the illustrious chair of USC's School of Cinematic Arts. This conversation has everything: craft, heart, humor, and the kind of hard-won wisdom you only get from someone who has truly lived it all.

Sit back and relax to the melodious sounds of Susan’s and our laughs… because Susan Arnold is exactly the kind of work in progress we all aspire to be 🎬

For our first episode ever, we welcome filmmaker, Yong Duk Jhun: master of visuals, practitioner of optimism, and connoisseur of good food and vibes. He is an acclaimed South Korean director, cinematographer, film professor and beloved friend of the pod ,whose journey in film spans from East coast to the West with boundless energy and limitless creativity! Sit back, relax, and enjoy some popcorn (or, as we prefer, KBBQ) as we delve into his journey, including the process of crafting such beloved classics like Kung Fu Panda, The Croods, Veggie Tales’ Jonah, life, and so much more :)

As some bonus material, please enjoy these reference films and visuals, which are so graciously provided by Yong Duk himself (everybody say, THANK YOUUUU YONG DUKKK!!!):

• SVA Thesis reel (2000): https://vimeo.com/1201197609?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci
• Personal Reel: https://previsionstudios.com/reel
• Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQKHJhc-3EM
  

two filmmakers. one podcast. endless possibilities.

wip (work in progress) podcast is where creatives come to get real. filmmakers, musicians, authors, entrepreneurs, and everyone in between, sitting down for conversations that are honest, funny, a little chaotic, and genuinely human. we go deep on the creative process, the hard parts nobody posts about, and yes... we definitely get off track in the best way.

hosted by chelsea patricia ramirez + david willner. two filmmakers, USC SCA grads, and film-found buds out to take the town, take names, and bring friends up along the way.

so sit back, relax, and wip it!