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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 delves into Paul Thomas Anderson's film 'One Battle After Another,' exploring its emotional depth, character dynamics, and critical reception. The discussion highlights the film's meditative pacing, the performances of Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and Teyana Taylor, and the importance of quiet storytelling in cinema. The episode emphasizes the significance of small battles in life and creativity, encouraging filmmakers to embrace the discomfort of the creative process.

TAKEAWAYS:

• Paul Thomas Anderson's film explores the scars we carry.
• The narrative is a meditation on personal wars.
• Leonardo DiCaprio's performance is restrained yet powerful.
• Sean Penn brings raw honesty to his role.
• Tiana Taylor's character offers emotional clarity.
• The film's pacing demands patience from viewers.
• Quiet storytelling is valuable in a noisy world.
• Small battles in life are as significant as big ones.
• Creativity involves navigating uncertainty and discomfort.
• Stories need intention and heart to resonate.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Paul Thomas Anderson

Leonardo DiCaprio

Sean Penn

Tiana Taylor

Coastal California

"One Battle After Another"

Ebook: "Mastering Film Marketing"

The MAKE IT Podcast

We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters. So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT

All Links: https://beacons.ai/themakeitpodcast

Hello, Hello!

In this segment, enjoy a double dose of wisdom from previous guest Michael Mendelsohn on what it means to "MAKE IT" as a creator, followed by filmmaker Zair Montes sharing hard-learned lessons from producing her film "Rumba Love." Michael emphasizes that making it means enjoying what you do across multiple jobs, while Zair details the costly mistakes and resilience required during her multi-year production journey. The episode offers valuable insights for indie filmmakers about both the mindset needed for success and the practical pitfalls to avoid.

We also talk about:

• The importance of securing full funding before beginning production

• Why contracts with cast and crew are essential before shooting

• How to handle scheduling conflicts and venue cancellations during production

• Managing international shoots and the complexities of filming in Cuba

• Strategies for dealing with missing footage and actor departures mid-production

Mentioned:

• Rumba Love (film)

• Golden Ceiba Productions

• Cuba/Havana

We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters.

So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT

All Links: https://themakeitpodcast.store

Hello, Hello!

In this segment, Michael Mendelsohn takes on our "Clear the Set" segment where he shares his top three films of all time, including The Godfather, The Matrix, and a French film by Luc Besson. The conversation explores Michael's film preferences, from movies he loves to ones he's embarrassed not to have seen, including his connection to Battlefield Earth through John Travolta. The discussion also covers his musical background with tenor saxophone and his favorite cheat day meal at a Los Angeles restaurant.

We also talk about:

• The arms dealing themes in Lord of War and its impact on audiences [0:01:35]
• Christopher Nolan's Tenet and the need for DVD extras to understand the film [0:04:24]
• The Wizard of Oz paired with Pink Floyd's "The Wall" album synchronization [0:06:55]
• Musical instruments and dating prospects with viola versus saxophone [0:11:15]
• Personal anecdotes about learning trumpet and self-consciousness in childhood [0:10:36]

Mentioned:

The Godfather

The Matrix

Little Mermaid

Nikita

The Professional/Leon

Red Sparrow

Lord of War

When Harry Met Sally

Battlefield Earth

Tenet

The Wizard of Oz

Luc Besson

John Travolta

Christopher Nolan

Miles Davis

Alfred Hitchcock

Honeys Kettle in Culver City

Pink Floyd's "The Wall" album

Tenor saxophone

Alto saxophone

Viola

clarinet

Trumpet

MGM

We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters.

So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT

All Links: https://themakeitpodcast.store

Hello, Hello!

In this episode, we explore the career wisdom of indie film producer Chris Connor, who has over 20 years of experience in film, political campaigns, and advertising. The discussion focuses on Connor's unique approach to maintaining anonymity in an industry built on self-promotion and his philosophy of letting work speak for itself. We examine his journey from Florida to Nashville, his decision to avoid Los Angeles, and the key lessons that have shaped his successful career.

We also talk about:

• The SWAT team incident during a student film that taught crucial safety lessons [0:04:33]
• Connor's mentorship philosophy of making yourself valuable rather than seeking mentors [0:05:20]
• Financial discipline strategies for surviving the feast-or-famine nature of film work [0:07:22]
• The self-funded pilot strategy used for "Still the King" starring Billy Ray Cyrus [0:08:22]
• Three essential rules for pitching projects successfully in the industry [0:09:06]

People, Places, Products, and References Mentioned:

Chris Connor (indie film producer) [0:00:23]

Raiders of the Lost Ark [0:01:38]

Cocoon (filmed near Indian Rocks Beach) [0:03:20]

Watkins College of Art in Nashville [0:03:36]

Witt's Barbecue on Nolensville Road [0:04:24]

Nashville SWAT team [0:04:33]

YMCA commercial [0:05:35]

Olympia Dukakis and Diane Ladd [0:06:28]

Hideout Pictures [0:08:16]

Billy Ray Cyrus [0:08:22]

"Still the King" (TV show) [0:08:22]

Blumhouse Productions [0:09:23]

"The Clever Leagues" project [0:09:36]

We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters.

So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT

All Links: https://themakeitpodcast.store

Hello, Hello!

Make It friends and family, Chris here to announce that starting today, with the episode you are about to hear, we’ll be publishing our segments and bonus content on this feed daily.

Why are we doing this? Because there’s a good chance you’re already listening to our episodes over the span of the week, we decided to publish our segments from each long-form episode to make it easier for you to enjoy the entire thing.

Also, Nick and I are always looking for new ways to spice things up, meet our audience in the middle, and improve the show for you. There you have it, daily goodness in segments and bonus content from Make It.

Of course, we’ll still be releasing longform episodes every two weeks on Friday—that hasn’t changed. Thanks as always for your support, and be sure to let us know what you think on any of our platforms at Beacons.

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In this Things We Should Know Segment, we host a trivia challenge on films with the longest production gaps due to financial struggles. Guest Michael Mendelsohn demonstrates his film industry knowledge by correctly identifying that an Orson Welles film took 48 years to complete. The conversation reveals the critical importance of film financing in both starting and finishing movie projects.

We also talk about:

• Various films that experienced extended production delays, including Megalopolis, Black Barbie documentary, Out of Africa, and Platoon [0:01:15]
• The challenges of defining criteria for measuring longest production times across different types of films [0:01:51]
• Michael Mendelsohn's personal experience financing Robin Hood: Men in Tights [0:05:00]
• The revelation that Michael may have used external help to answer the trivia question [0:06:55]
• Playful banter about collaboration and rhyming between the hosts [0:08:02]

Products, software, websites, people, or places mentioned:

• Netflix [0:06:17]
• Francis Ford Coppola [0:01:15]
• Orson Welles [0:03:28]
• Frank Marshall [0:05:58]
• Soho House [0:09:24]
• The Other Side of the Wind (film) [0:05:40]
• Megalopolis (film) [0:01:15]
• Black Barbie (documentary) [0:01:52]
• Apocalypse Now [0:03:30]
• Out of Africa [0:03:30]
• Platoon [0:03:38]
• Lord of War [0:03:42]
• Air Force One [0:03:50]
• The Fugitive [0:04:35]
• Robin Hood: Men in Tights [0:05:00]

We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters.

So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT

All Links: https://themakeitpodcast.store

Hello, Hello!

Make It friends and family, Chris here to announce that starting today, with the episode you are about to hear, we’ll be publishing our segments and bonus content on this feed daily.

Why are we doing this? Because there’s a good chance you’re already listening to our episodes over the span of the week, we decided to publish our segments from each long-form episode to make it easier for you to enjoy the entire thing.

Also, Nick and I are always looking for new ways to spice things up, meet our audience in the middle, and improve the show for you. There you have it, daily goodness in segments and bonus content from Make It.

Of course, we’ll still be releasing longform episodes every two weeks on Friday—that hasn’t changed. Thanks as always for your support, and be sure to let us know what you think on any of our platforms at Beacons.

---

In this Audience Polls segment, Nick presents shocking statistics from a 2021 producer sustainability survey, revealing that 55% of film producers received zero backend compensation over the past decade. Producer Michael Mendelsohn discusses why streamers rarely pay backend deals and how the industry's financial realities affect creative decisions. The conversation explores the tension between passion for filmmaking and the economic necessity of sustaining a producing career.

We also talk about:

• How 82% of producers would leave the industry due to a lack of money, while 87% stay for love of the work
• The impact of streaming platforms on traditional backend compensation models
• Why special effects can become a crutch when story and character development suffer
• The decline of Marvel movies after Disney's acquisition and factory-style production approach
• How AI should complement rather than replace character-driven storytelling

Mentioned:

• Dear Producer newsletter
• Producer Sustainability Survey Report (2021)
• The Lost Bus (Matthew McConaughey film)
• Lord of War film series
• Taylor Sheridan shows (Mayor of Kingstown, Landman)
• Marvel/Disney
• Avi Arad (Marvel producer)
• Bruce Lee (producer)

We are humbled to have a community of creatives who care deeply about our work. And your support makes our work possible. Every subscriber, rating, and review matters.

So, if you like what we're doing, please consider subscribing, rating, or giving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT

All Links: https://themakeitpodcast.store