The Producers Lounge

LeLoni Smith is a Los Angeles–based documentary producer and former Netflix Documentary Films executive known for high-impact nonfiction storytelling. Her credits include Halftime starring Jennifer Lopez, the Oscar-winning The Elephant Whisperers, and Netflix originals such as Kangaroo Valley and Racionais MC’s: From the Streets of São Paulo.

With a background in journalism, Smith rose from unscripted TV research and production...

Trey McClarnon is a Nashville native with a unique combination of skills and background. Trey is an experienced writer, producer, and filmmaker. Trey co-founded Best Part Productions with his brother, Chad, in Nashville in 2010. Since that time, Trey has produced numerous commercial and music videos. Additionally, Trey has co-written and produced original independent films through Best Part Productions.

Credits Include...

The He...

With over 20 years experience in film & video production, Marc launched his career Co-Producing & Directing the award winning Feature Film, AFTER ROBERTO, released in 2005 and filmed in Northern Italy. Marc has worked as a Producer, Creative Director, Production Manager, 1st & 2nd A.D., and Art Department Coordinator for Studio, Network and Independent projects. Most notably, in the Art Dept. for two Will Ferrell Featur...

Seth is a seasoned content acquisition specialist and creative executive with more than two decades of experience in independent film. Prior to Blue Harbor Entertainment, he served as the head of acquisitions and co-productions at Screen Media for more than 12 years, where he led the acquisition of many high-profile titles including The Outpost, Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, the Emmy-winning Street Gang: How We Go...

Hailing from San Francisco, CA, Jose Montesinos has been making movies since he received his first video camera at age 14. He continued to hone his skills through many DIY guerrilla films and attended film school at San Francisco City College.
In 2009, he was awarded the Mastermind Grant from the SF Weekly for being a standout local talent with his grind-house-style mock trailer for “Hell’s Kittens”.
Jose’s guerrilla/no-bud...

An award winning Producer highly regarded for aligning with startups, celebrities, educational institutions, high profile brands, and nonprofits to build award-winning media companies. Bayan is best known for partnering with actor Rainn Wilson to translate SoulPancake's mission into digital video. As Head of Production for SoulPancake between 2012 - 2018, Bayan led the development and creation of award-winning original program...

Music is Faster Does It by Kevin Macleod

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What happens when a kid obsessed with Spielberg grows up to produce for Hollywood’s biggest names? In this episode of The Producers Lounge Podcast, veteran producer Dan Kaplow joins us to share his wild ride through the film and television industry. From early inspirations and surreal career milestones to oddball requests from Dick Clark, Kaplow gives us a rare, behind-the-scenes look into what it really takes to survive—and thrive...

Join us for a captivating conversation with James Kerwin, award-winning filmmaker, writer, and theatre director known for blending science fiction with classical storytelling. Best known for his acclaimed noir sci-fi film Yesterday Was a Lie and his directorial work on Star Trek Continues, Kerwin brings a unique voice to both screen and stage. In this episode, we delve into his creative process, his passion for adapting Shakespeare...

Joe Zaso is a celebrated independent film actor, producer, and director known for his unforgettable work in cult horror, sci-fi, and action movies. With a career spanning over three decades, Joe has become a staple of the indie film scene, starring in and producing countless low-budget classics that have earned global fan followings. Inspired by Italian horror masters and the gritty charm of DIY filmmaking, Joe Zaso has carved out ...

Ciro Nieli is an award-winning animation director, producer, and showrunner best known for his work on Teen Titans (Cartoon Network), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Nickelodeon), and The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (Marvel/Disney). With over two decades in the animation industry, Ciro has developed original animated series, directed storyboard tests, and led creative teams at major studios including Disney, Nickelodeon, and W...

Evette Vargas is an award-winning writer, director, and producer featured in Forbes and named an Artist to Watch by The New York Times. She’s created content for Amazon, MTV, Bravo, and interactive experiences for Fast and Furious, Lord of the Rings, Madonna, and Wu-Tang Clan. Her digital series Dark Prophet, starring Henry Rollins, was Emmy-contending. Vargas currently serves as TV Development Executive at Hidden Empire Film Group...

Get ready to dive into the creative mind of Lynn Stevenson, an accomplished film and television producer, director, editor, and writer with a dynamic career across Hollywood and beyond. A San Francisco native, Lynn started her journey as a film editor before moving to Los Angeles, where she joined the prestigious Motion Picture Editors Guild and began producing theatrical trailers for iconic studios like Roger Corman’s studio, Hamm...

Rachid El Guerrab is an Emmy-winning producer, game developer, and VR storyteller whose groundbreaking work bridges the worlds of film, gaming, and immersive technology. As a key figure behind projects like the Oscar-nominated VR short Pearl and AAA video games like God of War, Rachid has pioneered interactive storytelling in virtual reality, 360° filmmaking, and next-gen gaming.

With a career spanning Google VR, Electroni...

Born in Pikeville, KY, Matthew Alson Thornbury moved with his family to southern California in the early 80s, where he began acting at age 4. After moving to Texas in 1989 and self-publishing a comic book at age 13, Matthew moved to Indiana in 1997 and attended the NYFA at UCLA at age 16. He majored in Cinema/Television at USC before starting his career creating media where he has produced, directed, written, edited and done VFX fo...

As C.O.O. and Head of Development for Roddenberry Entertainment, Trevor Roth works to develop and produce innovative science-fiction entertainment properties that remain true to traditions of the late Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek.

Roth serves as executive producer on the new CBS All Access series Star Trek: Discovery, as well as its upcoming companion series. Spearheading Roddenberry Entertainment's development p...

In 6th grade, when Grae, aka Ms. Moviefone, was arranging movie outings for all her friends, she picked the movie. Through the years studying film at the University of Texas at Austin, being honored by Sundance and the Director's Guild of America, and working as a filmmaker in Los Angeles, she realized how terrible she was at keeping her opinions to herself. The Popcorn Mafia podcast was born, and led to her becoming CNN'...

Ryan Paul James is an award-winning playwright, TV writer, and screenwriter. He has authored 12 plays that have been produced in various theaters around the world. One critic described him as “the Neil Simon of his generation,” which caught the attention of Simon’s manager, leading to Ryan signing with him.

Ryan has also contributed to several TV shows, and his pilot, The Comeback Kids, has won over twenty-five film and TV festival...

Grant Rosenberg has been involved in television and feature film development and production for the past forty years. The first part of his career was spent as an executive at NBC, Paramount Television and The Walt Disney Studios. In the second part of his career, he transitioned to hands-on writing and producing.

During his tenure at Paramount, he was involved in the production of such hits as MacGyver, Shogun and Winds Of War...