Sun, Jan 16, 2022
Bobby Roth is a writer, director and producer on shows like "Without a Trace," "Lost," "Prison Break," "Miami Vice," "Criminal Minds," "Grey's Anatomy," "Hawaii 5-0" and the critically acclaimed feature, "Pearl." He joins "Inspired Minds" to talk about his fascinating journey through Hollywood.
Sun, Jan 23, 2022
Singer-songwriter Freedy Johnston leads us into the infinite universe of music. This Perfect World, his major label debut released on Elektra Records, featured the radio hit "Bad Reputation," an alternative rock gem that launched into Billboard's Hot 100 list and crowned Johnston as Rolling Stone's Songwriter of the Year. His music appears on the soundtracks of "Kicking and Screaming" starring Will Ferrell, James Mangold's "Heavy" with Liv Tyler and the Farrelly brothers' "Kingpin" with Woody Harrelson.
Tue, Feb 15, 2022
Legendary "Star Wars" editor and "A Long Time Ago in a Cutting Room Far, Far Away" author Paul Hirsch discusses the craft, showmanship and evolution of film editing. The Academy Award-winner's credits also include "Carrie," "Creepshow," "The Empire Strikes Back," "Blow Out," "Footloose," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Planes Trains and Automobiles," "Steel Magnolias," "Mission: Impossible," "Ray," "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," "Life of Pi," "The Great Gatsby" and "World War Z."
Tue, Feb 22, 2022
In-depth interview with Diane Drake, WGA screenwriter and former Vice President of Creative Affairs for Sydney Pollack's production company, Mirage Enterprises. Drake wrote the smash hit romantic comedies "Only You" (Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr. and Bonnie Hunt) and "What Women Want" (Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt). As an instructor for the UCLA Extension Writer's program and author of "Get Your Story Straight; A Step-by-Step Guide to Screenwriting by a Million-Dollar Screenwriter," her wisdom has laid valuable groundwork for aspiring writers across the globe.
Sat, Mar 5, 2022
"The End of Getting Lost" author Robin Kirman expounds on storytelling technique, character development and integrating life challenges into her work. Earning a BA in philosophy from Yale College and an MFA in fiction from Columbia University, Kirman taught English at Columbia before writing her first novel, "Bradstreet Gate," which was published by Crown in 2015. Now behind powerhouses like Simon and Schuster and William Morris Endeavor, Kirman is adapting "The End of Getting Lost" for Amazon Studios, as a film produced by Dakota Johnson and starring Margaret Qualley and Paul Mescal.
Sat, Mar 12, 2022
Genein Letford, M.Ed is a bestselling author, corporate trainer, podcaster, TED Talks speaker and the CEO of CAFFE Strategies. Now one of America's most popular and innovative keynote speakers, her mission is to reignite the creative flame in people of all ages. Books include "16 Diamond Tools of Creative Thinking," "From Debt to Destiny: Creating Financial Freedom from the Inside Out," "I am Creative!" and "The 7 Gems of Creativity." Letford joins "Inspired Minds" to explore neuroscience and the meaning behind Intercultural Creativity.
Thu, Mar 24, 2022
Spiritual entrepreneur, human connection coach, Rabbi and "Showing up with Asher G" podcast host Asher Gottesman talks addiction-recovery and radical honesty. After losing a multi-million-dollar real estate business at the age of 33, Asher dedicated the rest of his career to helping others "restore wholeness" in their lives. Armed with a renewed sense of self, profound life experience and entrepreneurial passion, he founded Transcend in 2008, building an internationally recognized recovery community. Now sober twelve years and counting, he has counseled hundreds of men and women and built a renowned reputation, recognized by his three hallmark pillars of recovery: Accountability, Community, Unconditional Love.
Mon, Mar 28, 2022
Two-time Emmy award-winner, producer and "New York Times" bestselling author Phoef Sutton digs into the creative process onscreen and on the page. Some TV/film credits include: ""Boston Legal," "Cheers," "Kevin Can Wait," "Darrow and Darrow," "Past Malice," "Defiance," "Rob," "Valentine" and "The Soulman." He also wrote the Tony Scott cult classic "The Fan" starring Robert De Niro and Wesley Snipes, as well as "Mrs. Winterbourne" with Shirley MacLaine, Ricki Lake and Brendan Fraser. Novels include: "Heart Attack and Vine," "Wicked Charms: A Lizzy and Diesel Novel," "Curious Minds: A Knight and Moon Novel," "From Away," "Always Six O'clock," "Fifteen Minutes to Live," "Colorado Boulevard: A Crush Novel," "Crush," and "The Dead Man: Freaks Must Die - Slave to Evil - The Midnight Special."
Wed, Mar 30, 2022
Twice Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning director/producer Mark Mori explores the documentary side of Hollywood. His harrowing, world-renowned films, "Building Bombs," "Kent State, The Day the War Came Home," "Blood Ties: The Life and Work of Sally Mann," "The Atlanta Child Murders" and "Bettie Page Reveals All" have been both controversial and widely acclaimed. Earlier this year, his master catalog was released to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Music Box Films Home Entertainment libraries. Mori has also made documentaries for National Geographic, MTV, Discovery, Animal Planet, HBO, BBC, Fox TV and Turner Classic Movies. Future projects include: the COVID-19 social impact documentary "Blue Collar America" and "The Lost Print: The Making of Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons."
Fri, Apr 1, 2022
Neuroscience researcher, therapist, columnist, public speaker and Behavioral Therapeutics founder Marlowe Kaufmann M.Sc., tells her personal story and reveals the science and stigma behind mental health. In today's world with 450 million people struggling with addiction and mental health disorders worldwide, the topic is shrouded in stigma. She discusses this uneducated thinking and her comprehensive approach as a Behavioral Strategist. Kaufmann is a University of British Columbia graduate, Keynote Speaker for CBC Radio and Global News, a Contributing Writer for "Today's Parent Magazine," the Director of Mental Health Education at Living Well Now, Behavioral Therapist at Behavioral Therapeutics Calgary, Capital Campaign Director for the Neurological Wellness Association and CEO/Founder of Neuro INSights.
Wed, Apr 6, 2022
With "The Batman" storming through theaters, Executive Producer Michael E. Uslan dives into the origins of the franchise, its monumental impact and Bruce Wayne's drive to defend humanity. Uslan, a legend in his own right by bringing the Caped Crusader to the screen, has executive produced every Batman-related movie since Tim Burton's 1989 "Batman" with Michael Keaton, up to Matt Reeves' "The Batman" with Robert Pattinson. This includes "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" and "Joker," along with animated favorites like "The Long Halloween" and "The Killing Joke." After buying the film rights with producing partner Benjamin Melniker in his twenties, a ten-year battle to make the franchise a reality reflects the determination of Batman himself. His incredible journey is detailed in "The Boy Who Loved Batman: A Memoir" and a follow-up, "Batman's Batman: A Memoir from Hollywood, Land of Bilk and Money."
Wed, Apr 20, 2022
After 25+ years in Film Acquisition at HBO, where she served as SVP of Film Programming and responsible for the HBO Latino programming model, Doris Casap made a leap of faith and launched MOTHER FILMS as Founder/CEO, an independent production, sales and advisory company based in NYC.
Thu, Apr 28, 2022
Isabel Dréan is an award-winning screenwriter, director, and producer who likes to explore human nature's dualities of light and dark through psychologically intricate storytelling.
Raised by a single mother and now mother to two children herself, the theme of motherhood is an important and recurring one in her stories, with "Let Go" taking an uncompromising look at the devastating realities of losing a child. In general, Isabel is passionate about exploring female perspectives through thought-provoking narratives that cover various contemporary themes such as female revenge, #metoo, and women overcoming the impossible.
Her screenplay, "Rush of Blood to the Head "sees a woman escaping an abusive relationship via an unpredictable road trip, and in her Nicholl Fellowship quarter-finalist thriller, "The Wife of Frank B," she further investigates the harrowing effects of abuse through a boundary-pushing story exploring battered woman syndrome (BWS) with female empowerment at its core.
Isabel's expertise in handling darker themes has resulted in a prolific career as a writer and director of complex psychological horrors and thrillers. Her short film, "Let Go," which she both wrote and directed, won numerous awards including Best Short, Best Directing, and Best Cinematography at Los Angeles New Wave International Film Festival. Other award wins include Best Directing at HollyWeb Festival and Austin WebFest for her short format series, Manigances, about a famous novelist who employs a dinner party to orchestrate his own death. The series became one of the most-viewed online series in Canada and led to Isabel optioning the series to a major Hollywood studio.
In response to the inescapable pandemic gloom, Isabel has felt compelled to tell lighter-hearted, uplifting stories under romcom, holiday, and coming-of-age umbrellas. For the latter, she developed unique narratives from her own personal experience, including her screenplay for "Love Letter to Laos," in which an adventurous woman settles in Laos to open the first bookshop after the communist era. Originally from Montreal, but a global wanderer at heart, Isabel's love of travel has taken her beyond Laos to all corners of the world, immersing her in wonderfully diverse cultures that continue to influence and inspire her storytelling.
Breakthrough Entertainment & Vast Entertainment acquired FOUR of her scripts in the last twelve months. Two were produced and aired in 2021 and the others are all slated for production in 2022.
Raised by a single mother and now mother to two children herself, the theme of motherhood is an important and recurring one in her stories, with "Let Go" taking an uncompromising look at the devastating realities of losing a child. In general, Isabel is passionate about exploring female perspectives through thought-provoking narratives that cover various contemporary themes such as female revenge, #metoo, and women overcoming the impossible.
Her screenplay, "Rush of Blood to the Head "sees a woman escaping an abusive relationship via an unpredictable road trip, and in her Nicholl Fellowship quarter-finalist thriller, "The Wife of Frank B," she further investigates the harrowing effects of abuse through a boundary-pushing story exploring battered woman syndrome (BWS) with female empowerment at its core.
Isabel's expertise in handling darker themes has resulted in a prolific career as a writer and director of complex psychological horrors and thrillers. Her short film, "Let Go," which she both wrote and directed, won numerous awards including Best Short, Best Directing, and Best Cinematography at Los Angeles New Wave International Film Festival. Other award wins include Best Directing at HollyWeb Festival and Austin WebFest for her short format series, Manigances, about a famous novelist who employs a dinner party to orchestrate his own death. The series became one of the most-viewed online series in Canada and led to Isabel optioning the series to a major Hollywood studio.
In response to the inescapable pandemic gloom, Isabel has felt compelled to tell lighter-hearted, uplifting stories under romcom, holiday, and coming-of-age umbrellas. For the latter, she developed unique narratives from her own personal experience, including her screenplay for "Love Letter to Laos," in which an adventurous woman settles in Laos to open the first bookshop after the communist era. Originally from Montreal, but a global wanderer at heart, Isabel's love of travel has taken her beyond Laos to all corners of the world, immersing her in wonderfully diverse cultures that continue to influence and inspire her storytelling.
Breakthrough Entertainment & Vast Entertainment acquired FOUR of her scripts in the last twelve months. Two were produced and aired in 2021 and the others are all slated for production in 2022.
Wed, May 4, 2022
Adam Glass is an executive producer, screenwriter and comic book writer. Writing and producing credits include "Supernatural," "Cold Case," "Criminal Minds" and "In from the Cold," a new thriller on Netflix. As a comic writer, Glass wrote "Deadpool" and "Luke Cage" for Marvel Comics and "The New 52" phase of Suicide Squad in DC Comics.
Tue, May 10, 2022
Independent film producer Veronica Nickel discusses powerful stories, influencing audiences and her segue into documentary filmmaking. Credits include: the 2021 documentary "InHospitable," Netflix Originals "First Match" and "Uncorked, "A Kid Like Jake," "Stand Clear of the Closing Doors," "Dead Man's Burden," Wildflower" and "Moonlight," which won an Academy Award for Best Picture. Nickel was chosen to take part in the Sundance Institute Creative Producing Summit, LAFF Fast Track Lab, Tribeca All Access Lab and as a San Francisco Film Society fellow. While earning her MFA at Columbia University, she was awarded the Arthur Krim Award for excellence in producing.
Tue, May 17, 2022
William D. Cohan, a former senior Wall Street M&A investment banker for 17 years at Lazard Frères and Co., Merrill Lynch and JPMorganChase, is the "New York Times" bestselling author of three non-fiction narratives about Wall Street: "Money and Power: How Goldman Sachs Came to Rule the World," "House of Cards: A Tale of Hubris and Wretched Excess on Wall Street" and "The Last Tycoons: The Secret History of Lazard Frères and Co.," the winner of the 2007 FT/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award. His book, "The Price of Silence," about the Duke lacrosse scandal was published in April 2014 and was also a "New York Times" bestseller. His book, "Why Wall Street Matters," was published by Random House in February 2017. His most recent book, "Four Friends," about four of his friends from high school and what happened to them in their lives, was published in July 2019 by Flatiron Press. His new book, to be published in November 2022, is titled "Power Failure: The Rise and Fall of an American Icon." It is about the astounding rise and precipitous fall of the General Electric Company, once the world's most valuable and respected company. A former longtime special correspondent at "Vanity Fair," he is a founding partner of "Puck," a daily digital news and opinion publication. His focus at "Puck" is on Wall Street and the business world, writ large. He is a former columnist for the DealBook section of the "The New York Times." He also writes for "The Financial Times," "The New York Times," "Air Mail," "Barron's," "Bloomberg BusinessWeek," "The Atlantic," "Town and Country," "The Nation," "Fortune," "The Hollywood Reporter," and "Politico,"among other publications. He previously wrote a bi-weekly opinion column for "The New York Times" and an opinion column for "BloombergView." He also appears regularly on CNN, on CNBC, where is a contributor, on MSNBC and the BBC-TV. He has also appeared three times as a guest on the Daily Show, with Jon Stewart, The NewsHour, The Charlie Rose Show, The Tavis Smiley Show, and CBS This Morning as well as on numerous NPR, BBC and Bloomberg radio programs. He was formerly a contributing editor on Bloomberg TV. He is a graduate of Phillips Academy, Duke University, Columbia University School of Journalism and the Columbia University Graduate School of Business. He grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts and now lives in New York City and upstate New York with his wife and, on occasion these days, their two sons.
Thu, May 19, 2022
RCA Records Senior Vice President of Artist Development Nick Light has led the music industry in the production of major tours and special events for entertainment giants Warner Bros. Records, MCA, Sony Entertainment and Mercury. He has orchestrated and directed the production of major tours for a countless number of icons including Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, Beyonce, Neil Diamond, Green Day, Josh Groban, Faith Hill, Fleetwood Mac, Michael Buble, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Seal, The Eagles and Don Henley, The Who, Mary J. Blige, Blink-182, Bon Jovi, KISS, and many others. In this episode, Light reflects on his early days as a tour manager, his role as an executive, some crazy stories, the talent he's worked with and the ever-evolving music industry.
Tue, May 24, 2022
Janet Scott Batchler is the writer (with her partner Lee Batchler) of "Pompeii," "Smoke and Mirrors" and "Batman Forever," among many other projects. She was an Executive Producer on "Running for Grace," a lyrical indie about life and prejudice on a coffee plantation in 1910s Hawaii. The film, directed by David Cunningham and starring Matt Dillon and Jim Caviezel, was released in 2018. Janet moved into the world of directing with her award-winning short, "The Spittin' Image," based on the short story by Walt Wangerin, and has written and directed several other shorts. A graduate of the prestigious Directing Workshop for Women at the American Film Institute, Janet served on the Board of Directors of the Alliance of Women Directors for six years and is now an emeritus board member with the organization. As a guest speaker and teacher, Janet is on the Faculty of the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, where she teaches screenwriting to graduate and undergrad students, and has pioneered classes in Collaboration and Adaptation, as well as the division's most popular class ever, on The Harry Potter Franchise.
Sun, May 29, 2022
First slashing his way to the screen as a Bob Weinstein's assistant at Miramax Films, Richard Potter read Kevin Williamson's "Scary Movie" script one night, and insisted the film be made. He convinced Dimension Films to buy it, Wes Craven to direct it, the script was re-titled "Scream," and the rest is horror movie history. He also developed legacy titles such as "Halloween," "Hellraiser," and "Highlander" into their biggest and most successful releases with "Halloween H20," "Hellraiser: Bloodline" and "Highlander: The Final Dimension." Other films to his name: "Scream 2," "Mimic," "The Crow: City of Angels," "Nightwatch," "Phantoms" and "Diciembres." As an executive, Potter was Senior Vice President of Production and Development at Dimension, as well as Executive Vice President of Production and Development at Relatively Media. In this episode, he discusses The Beatles, the origin of the "Scream" franchise and why his "Night of the Animated Dead" serves as a love letter to George A. Romero's horror classic, "Night of the Living Dead."
Sun, Jun 5, 2022
A native of Los Angeles, Marilee studied philosophy at Yale before moving to Rome where she started her career in the film business as Francis Ford Coppola's philosophy tutor. She then worked in Italian TV as a director and development executive before returning to the US. Back in LA, Marilee started her career as a writer in commercials, writing treatments for many well-known directors, before turning to screenwriting. She has written primarily for film but has also developed several TV pilots both alone and with her writing partner, Reinhard Denke. They have optioned and/or sold over a dozen screenplays and pilots through their company, Mercury Media. Marilee is presently producing Reinhard's Blacklisted script, "Sex, Greed Money, Murder, and Chicken Fried Steak," in a co-production with Amicus Films in Dallas. The film is scheduled to begin production in early 2023. Marilee has also turned to fiction. Her first novel, "The Tutor" (loosely based on her experience as Coppola's philosophy tutor in Rome) was published by Rare Bird Books in the fall of 2019. Her lit agent is presently shopping her new novel, a psychological crime thriller, "He's Gotta Go." Marilee is the founder of the nonprofit, One Village Green, which promotes mental health and wellness in American kids and communities through content, community building and grants to families in need. Through One Village Green, Marilee has a recently launched a podcast, Wake Up. where she discusses the youth mental health crisis with a wide assortment of experts across the mental health sphere. She is also developing a documentary, "Good Little Dead Robots," exploring the same. Her other careers? Busy mother to two teen boys, one-time annual fund co-chair at her kids' school, gross-out cake expert, language lover (fluent French, Italian, Spanish), trained painter, and animal lover.
Fri, Jun 10, 2022
The saga continues with another "Scream" franchise legend. Her movies grossing over $1 billion at the global box office, veteran producer Marianne Maddalena started out Wes Craven's assistant on "Deadly Friend." Eventually becoming producing partners, the pair formed Craven/Maddalena Films and their work sliced through Hollywood as horror movie gold. Credits include: every "Scream" film, the upcoming sixth "Scream," "Scream: The TV Series," "Wes Craven's New Nightmare," "Red Eye" with Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy, "Vampire in Brooklyn" with Eddie Murphy, "Delirium," "The Hills Have Eyes" (2006 and 2007), "Cursed," "Dracula 2000," "The People Under the Stairs," "Shocker" and "Music of the Heart," which garnered two Oscar nominations; one for Meryl Streep as Best Actress and one for Best Song. Maddalena joins "Inspired Minds" to cover the horror genre, manifesting dreams, her early ambitions as a film producer and discovering the iconic Ghostface mask. Special thanks: Richard Potter.
Wed, Jun 15, 2022
A powerful force in both journalism and entertainment, CNN producer and "The Newsroom" star Margaret Judson joins us to discuss her career, ultimate truths and inspiration. She's now up for an Emmy (Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama series) for her work in the hit series, "Strut," for which she also recently won the Best Supporting Actress award at the New York Independent Film Festival. The series was also a participant in the Tribeca Film Festival. Margaret can also be seen in the HBO drama, "The Deuce," the ABC comedy, "Modern Family," and the supernatural thriller, "Bornless Ones." Judson's broadcast career began at the NBC Page Program, where she worked with television personalities such as Lorne Michaels, Jimmy Fallon and Brian Williams, before moving on to write and produce for prime time cable shows like "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" and "The Ed Show." She further contributes to the arts as a member of the Television Academy and as a Fellow for Tribeca Film Festival's Disruptor Foundation, alongside talents including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ava Duvernay and Fran Lebowitz. In addition to her passion for acting, Judson continues her work in journalism as a producer at CNN.
Fri, Jun 17, 2022
"Orange is the New Black" star Christina Toth, who played Annalisa Damiva in seasons 6 and 7, dishes on acting methods in front of the camera and under the bright theater lights onstage. Other TV and film credits include HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," Discovery's "A Crime to Remember," Prime's "Bumbld," BRIC TV's "All Hail Beth," "Consensus Reality," "Inside the Rain," "Crowddating," "Frankie: Italian Roulette," "Taste," "Disconnected," "Black Star," "Ovum," "Night Time She Lay Sleep," "Jane St.," "The Latents" and "Blooming Flowers." Christina is the resident artist of theatre company The Bridge Production Group. She performed in their productions of Richard 3 (Lady Anne), Red Light Winter (Christina), The Blue Room (woman) and most recently in the New York premiere of SEE YOU (The New Ohio Theatre), a play by French Canadian playwright Guillaume Corbeil. She's now on the Emmy ballot for her new television series, "Strut."
Tue, Jun 21, 2022
Sobey Road Entertainment Co-Founder and producer Andrew Trapani joins us to discuss his career path, music, film culture and producing in the horror genre. Credits include: "The Haunting in Connecticut," which opened at #2 at the box offices and went on to gross over $99 million, "Winchester," the supernatural horror film starring Oscar-winner Helen Mirren, "The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart," "Tamara," written by "Final Destination" franchise creator Jeffrey Reddick and "True Rights." In 2016, production began on a documentary about the Showtime era of the Los Angeles Lakers, which Trapani is producing in partnership with Lakers president Jeanie Buss. Trapani's projects in development include a remake of the 1981 film "An American Werewolf in London," a film adaptation of the Richard Brautigan novel "The Hawkline Monster," and a scripted sports drama series for Showtime which he is co-producing with legendary basketball coach Phil Jackson.
Sat, Jun 25, 2022
Neil D'Monte is an American artist, SAG-AFTRA film actor, musician, producer, creator of the Hellbilly clothing line, and director born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. A graduate of the USC School of Fine Arts, Neil began his career as a comic book and storyboard artist, which segued into a successful acting career. The multi-hyphenate made his feature film debut in 2003 with "Vampires Anonymous," followed by the box office blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." His theatrical training at Chicago's prestigious Goodman Theatre allowed him to develop his skill at portraying offbeat and eccentric characters, for which he is quickly gaining notoriety among his peers in the film industry. In addition to his work as an actor and as a sought-after artist, he is currently recording as a drummer with guitarist Peter DiStefano (Porno for Pyros/Satellite Party), industrial-metal band Tweaker and former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist/bandmate James Iha (A Perfect Circle), playing music festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza and SXSW. A staple at San Diego Comic-Con, Neil is also the co-creator/artist behind the graphic novel/vampire epic Clan of the Vein which was featured in the Lionsgate film "Cooties" and in MTV's "Teen Wolf" - Seasons 5 and 6. Neil's latest artwork can be seen in the Summer Blockbuster, "The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard," and on Netflix with Awesomeness TV/Paramount's "The F**k It List." Storyboard/concept artist credits include: "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," "Rambo: First Blood" and "Jurassic World."
Mon, Jun 27, 2022
Comedian Sarah Halstead talks career, the art of good comedy and performing standup across the country. Her Comedy Special, "RVs and Cats," is streaming on Amazon Prime with a widely popular comedy album released last year. Also host of the "Drinking During Business Hours" podcast, her "Bottle Shock Comedy" is featured at Hollywood Improv every month. Along with appearing in over ninety commercials, her film and TV credits include: "I Got The Hook Up 2," "I Am the Night," "Betrayed," Group-Ease," "The Album," "Baskets," "Blood Relatives," "Cry Wolfe," "A Chorus Line," "Deadly Sins," "Meet the Roommate" and "Walk the Past."