Greenlit

Jack Binder joins us to discuss independent and studio producing, two fields which he has operated in for several decades with great success. Jack speaks to working with his brother – comedian, writer, director, and actor Mike Binder – as well as working on several solo projects. He discusses the importance of being a good collaborator, as well as producing both internationally and dome...

Rob Barnum joins us to discuss independent producing, his collaboration with writer and director J.C. Chandor, the challenges of producing at all levels, and how the world of independent producing has changed post-streaming. Barnum has produced many films over the years, successfully navigating the ever changing landscape of independent film, making such films as All is Lost and Margin Call. Chatti...

Bobby Goldstein joins us for a hilarious, quick-witted conversation surrounding the creation and production of his now infamous show Cheaters, which ran for twenty-one seasons and continues to live on through syndication. His do-it-yourself attitude and extensive business savvy makes for an extremely informative episode on producing independent television. His secret: “work like prayer won&rs...

Bill Mechanic is one of the most successful studio executives of all time, and has been instrumental in the development, production, and distribution of some of the most influential films of the 20th and 21st century. Now CEO and Chairman of Pandemonium Films, Bill and Matthew discuss his storybook career, from the glory days at Paramount, to the building of Disney, to becoming the CEO and Chairman...

Joe Lewis joins us for a highly informational conversation surrounding Joe’s career, his approach to independent producing, and how he got his start by understanding the current state of the industry while simultaneously looking towards the future. Earning his first credit helping create Comedy Central’s Tosh.O, Joe would go on to produce Transparent, Fleabag, Mozart in the Jungle, and ...

Jeff Sackman joins us on the podcast exuding an air of calm. His keep-it-cool attitude is what made Jeff successful as a producer of American Psycho (2000) and the other 96 movies he’s made over his career. Preaching a gospel of “cutting through,” which he describes as having the smarts to compete without big studio capital, his former company Think Films afforded Ryan Gosling an Oscar nomination and led to the...

Today on the podcast we have another legendary industry veteran, producer, and manager: Craig Baumgarten (@craig_baumgarten). Craig’s story makes Hollywood dreams seem possible. He moved to Hollywood because of a “feeling” and met superstars like Richard Gere by hosting parties at a fancy house he was crashing at. Though jobless at the time, he climbed his way to an executive role at Paramount, and went on to p...

Kris Rey (@kriseykrisrey) is known for her improv-heavy, run-and-gun indie films that have established her as one of the most unique modern filmmakers to watch today. Brought up in the state of Illinois, Rey began her career studying documentary filmmaking, which gave her an eye for naturalistic performances and grounded narratives that now saturate her films. In this episode, she breaks down her inspiration fo...

David Dalsmalchian (@dastmalchian) is a triple threat – writer, actor and producer, appearing in independent films and major blockbuster hits alike. This quality makes him the perfect actor for films like The Dark Night (2008), Ant Man (2015) and Prisoners (2015) where he plays disquieting yet distinctive characters. However, success was not easy. His persistent persona, which brought Animals (2013) to SXSW, co...

“They don’t thank you for being a good little boy or girl. They thank you for results,” says today’s guest Mike Paseornek. If you don’t know Mike by name, you definitely know him for his work. From American Psycho (2000) to Hunger Games (2012) to La La Land (2016), there is no genre outside of Mike’s repertoire. Now, after 25 prolific years as Lionsgate’s President, Mike leaves his executive title behind for a ...

Kim Winther is one of the most respected and well known Assistant Directors in the business. Beginning his career as the Third Assistant Director in 1981 on the film Silence of the North (1981), he worked his way up to becoming the 1st AD on massive films such as Independence Day (1996), Godzilla (1998) and Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005). He has worked in a vast variety of genres, from classics and comedies, includi...

If you thought you were an industry veteran, try stacking yourself up to Mark Damon. Starting his entertainment career in 1954, Mark has bounced from stage acting, to starring in Westerns in Italy, to executive producing his own films. Mark has produced and acted in over 70 films and has been awarded 10 Oscar nominations for films like Das Boot (1981) and Monster (2003). “A businessman at heart,” Mark left his ...

Ever wonder who makes made-for-TV-movies, frequently seen on the SyFy channel? Meet Paul Bales, whose charming self deprecation makes you want to love every poorly rated film he’s ever produced. Paul is one of the masterminds behind Sharknado as the COO of The Asylum, a low budget film production company, distributor and studio. He has produced over 200 films and written 10 more. While producing low-budget mons...

You may not recognize the company, but you will certainly recognize the shows. Andrew Fried (@Andrew_Fried) is the founder and CEO of Boardwalk Pictures, the premiere unscripted television company behind shows such as Chef’s Table (2015-2019), Cheer (2020) and The Goop Lab (2020). A pioneer in the short form docu-series’ that you see all over Netflix and Hulu today, Andrew has traveled across the world making c...

Neil Marshall (@neilmarshall_director) is an Emmy-nominated director, writer, editor and producer, known for cult films such as The Descent and his work on hit shows like Game of Thrones. Marshall supported himself for eight years as a freelance editor before hitting his stride with two films: Dog Soldiers and The Descent, which put him on the map as a top-notch horror director who blends hyper-stylized violenc...

Known for her director driven work, you have surely seen her star-studded casts on the silver screen. Jessica Kelly has been a casting director for over 10 years and worked on over 140 titles, casting across acclaimed television projects such as Ramy (2020) and Euphoria (2019) to independent and blockbuster films including John Wick (2014), Midsommar (2019), Hereditary (2020) and Precious (2009). Jessica takes ...

In this episode, we talked to Barry Josephson (@barryjayj), the man whose five-year persistence made the iconic Men In Black (1997) possible. For all of you in the wrong field, Barry is living proof you can still make it big in entertainment. Before he was working with stars like Will Smith and Harrison Ford, he worked in the music industry. He’s found success as President of Columbia Pictures and executive pro...

If you don’t know him by name, you know him by his iconic film editing. Barry Brown is the Oscar-nominated editor whose work on classics like Do The Right Thing and BlaKKKlansman put him on the map as one of Spike Lee’s sharpest collaborators. Having grown up in the deep South, Brown’s work has always been rooted in social consciousness, striking a balance between engaging entertainment and important activism. ...

Randall Emmett (@randallemmettfilms) is living out every film buff’s dream. He has produced hundreds of films, two Martin Scorsese films, The Irishman (2019) and Silence (2016), and he has the pleasure of affectionately calling him “Marty.” After working with Scorsese, Randall is more in touch with filmmaking than ever. He will make his directorial debut this year for Midnight in the Switchgrass starring Megan ...