The MAKE IT Podcast

WHAT IS FILM BRIEF?

Blending journalism with artistry, Film Brief transforms film analysis into an engaging and informative listening experience. The goal is to reveal what makes each movie or series resonate—on screen and behind the scenes. For listeners, it’s not just a review; it’s an exploration of the art of filmmaking.

BRIEF:

In this episode, Nick dives deep into "Iron Lung," the minimalist horror film directed...

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In this episode, we dive deep into filmmaker Kali Bailey's unconventional path to the director's chair, exploring what she calls the "Swiss Army Knife approach" - mastering every job on set before directing. The conversation reveals both the advantages and dangerous pitfalls of being too competent at jobs you don't actually want, including the psychological challenge of rebranding yourself in an ind...

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In this segment, we wrap up our conversation with filmmaker Yelena Popovic, writer-director of the upcoming film "Moses: The Black Movie." The discussion concludes with a thoughtful exploration of what it means to "make it" in the film industry and life in general. Yelena shares her perspective on success, defining it as finding peace and contentment while continuing the process of becoming.

We ...

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In this Clear the Set, filmmaker Yelena Popovic joins us for our "Clear the Set" rapid-fire Q&A segment, sharing her top three films, including "Empty" by Sydney Lumet, "The Asphalt Jungle" by John Huston, and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." She discusses films she's embarrassed not to have seen, movies everyone loves that she hates, and her go-to McDonald's cheat ...

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In this Filmmaker Q&A, filmmaker Yelena Popovic discusses her latest film "Moses the Black," which transforms the ancient story of a 4th-century Egyptian saint into a modern-day Chicago gangster narrative. She shares her journey of working closely with West Side Chicago community members, including former gang leaders, to create an authentic portrayal of urban transformation and redemption. The conversa...

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In this Audience Polls, we talk about faith-based films, revealing surprising results about how audiences perceive movies differently when protagonists versus antagonists have faith-based motivations. Filmmaker Yelena Popovic discusses the challenges of creating authentic faith-based cinema and shares insights from her film about St. Moses the Black. The conversation explores the difference between movies about rel...

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In this Story Is King segment, filmmaker Yelena Popovic shares her incredible journey from war-torn Yugoslavia to Hollywood, discussing her transition from fashion modeling to filmmaking and the miraculous events surrounding her hit film "Man of God." She opens up about overcoming 18 years of immigration struggles, single motherhood, and the dark moments that nearly ended her career before finding success a...

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This episode is brought to you by The Film Tech Program at Columbia State Community College. ENROLLMENT begins each fall semester. ...

WHAT IS FILM BRIEF?

Blending journalism with artistry, Film Brief transforms film analysis into an engaging and informative listening experience. The goal is to reveal what makes each movie or series resonate—on screen and behind the scenes. For listeners, it’s not just a review; it’s an exploration of the art of filmmaking.

BRIEF:

In this episode, host Nicholas Buggs explores Ryan Coogler's atmospheric horror film "Sinner...

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In this episode, Alex Ivey and Allison Inverness dive deep into the unconventional career journey of Tim Duggan, a filmmaker, photographer, and entrepreneur who went from failing flight school to becoming a successful creative entrepreneur. They explore his transition from technical perfection to meaningful artistic inquiry, his revolutionary "farmer mentality" approach to freelance business, and his philos...

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In this episode, we conclude our conversation with filmmaker Emma Parks, who becomes the first guest of 2026 to answer their signature question about what it means to "make it." Emma defines making it as being in a position to create the films you want to make and give performances that tell the stories you want to share with the world, emphasizing that while it takes time and work, the fulfillment of doing...

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In this episode, Emma Parks joins us to "Clear the Set" where she shares her top three films including Almost Famous, Good Will Hunting, and The Way Way Back. The conversation reveals her embarrassing admission of never having seen The Godfather despite watching an entire TV series about its making. Emma also discusses her complicated relationship with Coraline, which terrified her as a child but she recen...

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In this episode,we dive into our popular "Things We Should Know" segment with Producer Papa Bear at the helm. The conversation centers around a fascinating trivia question about the only person in history to win both an Olympic gold medal and an Oscar, which leads to an engaging discussion about sports and entertainment achievements. Guest Emma Parks shares her impressive background as a gold medal winner a...

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In this episode, filmmaker and actress Emma Parks join us for an engaging Filmmaker Q&A session. The conversation explores Emma's experiences making her coming-of-age dramedy short film "Dirty Towel," which tackles themes of sexual shame and empowerment while examining the universal struggle of owning personal decisions against parental expectations. Emma shares insights about her creative process, ...

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In this episode, we dive into Audience Poll results about preferred film release formats, revealing that 62% of viewers favor streaming exclusives over theatrical releases. The conversation explores why streaming has become the dominant preference, examining factors like rising theater costs, mobile viewing habits, and accessibility issues. The discussion also covers potential solutions for revitalizing the theatri...

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In this episode, filmmaker Emma Parks discusses her journey from creating the award-winning short film "Dirty Towel" during her senior year of college to developing it into a feature-length project. Emma shares her experience premiering at Tribeca Film Festival and the challenges of raising funds for her upcoming feature film, where she'll be writing, producing, and acting. The conversation explores the...

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In this episode, actress and filmmaker Emma Parks joins the show to discuss her award-nominated short film "Dirty Towel," which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and has garnered over 1.1 million views...

WHAT IS FILM BRIEF?

Blending journalism with artistry, Film Brief transforms film analysis into an engaging and informative listening experience. The goal is to reveal what makes each movie or series resonate—on screen and behind the scenes. For listeners, it’s not just a review; it’s an exploration of the art of filmmaking.

BRIEF:

In this episode, Nick explores "Deep Faking Sam Altman," a documentary by filmmaker Adam Bal...

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In this episode, Alex Ivey and Allison Inverness dive deep into the work and philosophy of filmmaker Kd Amond, exploring how she creates feature films on micro budgets that wouldn't even cover catering on major productions. They examine her journey from small-town Louisiana to becoming a multi-hyphenate filmmaker who writes, directs, produces, and edits her own psychological thrillers and horror films. The disc...