Just Shoot It: A Podcast about Filmmaking, Screenwriting and Directing

Mike Davidson, Head of Production at Callen https://thisiscallen.com/, joins Matt and Oren. After years with agencies like Leo Burnett, Wieden+Kennedy, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, and PXP, Mike is happy to be in a role that’s more production-focused while still being client-engaged.

And Matt and Oren chat about his journey from the digital, interactive, and web design side of creative to the TV commercial and prod...

Matt and Oren layout their template for vibe checks. You won’t want to miss this episode if you’re dying to know how to make yourself standout. And you’ll learn ways you can be seen as the best director to pull things off. Without sounding like you have all the answers. And without appearing too desperate for work!

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Dylan Meyer grew up in a film school. Well, kind of; her dad was a screenwriter. And Dylan chats with Matt and Oren about the benefits of growing up in an environment where the idea of working as a film director is not some flimsy dreamy.

Matt and Oren ask Dylan about the importance of being cost-effective. Does it make your script easier to produce? And Dylan shares the importance of “cost-effective-ness”, not only to p...

Deondray Gossfield and Quincy LeNear Gossfield chat about how Lena Waithe loved their short film so much, she hired these “first-time directors” as director/producers on her show, “The Chi”.

It’s a fun episode about their very real journey of multiple successes, pivots, and frustration so great they nearly gave up on the industry. But after putting in thousands of hours and doing things they never reall...

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Jeff Wadlow talks about his new film "The Devil's Mouth". And Matt and Oren get him to reveal how we went from a spec script for “Kick Ass 2” to directing the movie.

Jeff talks about his time at USC Stark and how understanding producing gave him an edge and also landed him a free 1967 Mustang to boot! What’s his formula for success: never accepting a blanket allocation for contingency. And he talks about the ways h...

Travis Braun talks getting on the Blacklist multiple times and why his film, “One Night Only” checked all the boxes to land there too

But first, Matt and Oren chat about social media, how to take advantage of the algorithm, and how to keep fresh ideas in your feed.

Travis didn’t start at film school, he went to a small journalism school in Indiana. But working in a writing room led to his first break. It wasn’...

Eric Appel talks about the benefits of improv experience and how it shaped his career, from his latest film “The Breadwinner”, which stars Nate Bargatze, Mandy Moore, and Colin Jost, to working with Weird Al and Aron Paul. 

And Matt and Oren chat with Eric about not being married to your own ideas and various methods to “yes and” with style. And they talk about the balance between being fully committed t...

Matt and Oren engage in a lively chat about how to create passion projects that advance your career and add to your reel. Do you know the 4 types of projects? What about the how to make them stand out?

And the guys dive into the balance between projects that get you recognition and those that build your craftsmanship. As well as some of the specifics of what makes a good spec commercial. And who can and should use a film as a spec c...

Oren's July went from being overbooked and bidding wars for his time, to nothing at all coming to fruition. And now he has free time on his hands... too much free time.

So Matt and Oren chat about the down times. Those time when it's easy to spiral into always wondering if you'll ever work again. You know the feeling.

And the guys talk about how to fight the sense of not being productive, when you’re not busy producing work.&nb...

With the year in swing and clients shooting, Matt and Oren talk about challenges they’re experiencing on set and some interesting solutions to some common problems to all commercial directors.

Matt kicks it off talking about the unique kind of loneliness you feel as the director on set.

All leaders experience it, but in the film and commercial world there are particular challenges that stem from working with crews and clients. ...

Robert Boocheck talks about the three ways commercial directors land jobs. But first Oren and Matt chat about California's Billionaire tax, its impact on the film industry, and why it is and isn't a great solution.

Then Oren and Matt dive deep and quiz Robert on making relationships in the industry and what's the best way to break into the commercial industry as a film director. Which take Robert into a discussion of times when the ...

Fallon Anderson, Creative Director at Tailfin agency https://tailfin.com/ talks about making a Super Bowl commercial and her method for elevating creative.

And Matt and Oren dive deep into her process, what she values, and how she chooses commercial directors to hire. And that spurs Fallon to disclose how hard the agency fights for the vision of the director and how she’s learned to prioritize which hill is worth dying on.

Oren...

Adam Carter Rehmeier talks about his latest film, "Carolina Caroline" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33365126/ , his journey as a dedicated crew member and the moves he made to create 3 features: his new release , "Snack Shack", and “Dinner and a Movie”.

And Matt and Oren get him to open up about getting past the gatekeepers and nay-sayers who like to say we can’t let you do that, because “you haven’t don...

Matthew Shear IG: @matthew_shear takes us on the journey to cast Amanda Peet, Alessandro Nivola, and Judd Hirsch in his directorial debut. In the midst of a long and successful career as an actor, should you ever write your own film? Does it even make sense to follow your agent's advice about making more content?

Matthew just wrapped as series reg, and Matt and Oren are curious about how and why he figured that making a film and get...

Greg Kort from Doner Advertising, Detroit https://www.doner.com/talks about the job of an agency producer and how it differs from a line producer, or any other kind of producer. And Matt and Oren get him to share what it means to be the connective tissue between multiple people -- whether brands, agency, or outside creatives -- and how being a creative producer can be more about balancing personalities and making different people h...

As a Creative Director at Kimmelot Labs, Joe Saroufim has worked with Janusz Kaminski and Matt Oren chat with him about the role of a Creative Director in maintaining the voice of the brand while pushing creative boundaries.

Joe talks about his background at film school and how working at an agency taught him to alter his writing to be more modular. Today, he thinks more about how the right combination of words can facilitate a cut ...

Matt and Oren chat with Creative Director JK Lyons about how you can stand out as a director. And they dive deep into what is in your reel, book, or portfolio. Does it make a statement about your personality? Can somebody tell this is truly you?

And they talk about actions you can take so that you're part of the CD's team, and not just a hire. Because at the end of the day, that is what makes you more pleasurable to work with.

Help M...

Matt and Oren talk about what they love to see from actors. How many takes should you do? What if you drop a line in an audition? And what’s the best way to ask questions?

It’s a great episode on the little things actors have done and gotten booked. As well as the mistakes actors have made that worked against them.

It’s funny, because Matt and Oren agree on a lot. But while some things are cringe to one of them, the...