Anchorman 2 Composer Andrew Feltenstein Plays It Straight.

Top shelf composers, songwriters, lyricists Andrew Feltenstein & John Nau own Beacon Street Studios in Venice, California. They’re the go-to guys for any musical genre, but certainly have made a name scoring for “Funny Or Die” titans Adam McKay and Will Ferrel. Credits include “Anchorman 2”, “The Spoils of Babylon” and more. Andrew and I […]

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“Nathan For You” Co-Creator Michael Koman On Running The Show.

The “Dumb Starbucks” episode of Comedy Central’s “Nathan For You” is an instant classic. Michael Koman is what we call the “showrunner” for the series. Along with co-creator and star Nathan Fielder, Michael leads the writers to invent bits, executes them and then deals with the network. It’s a laborious task steeped in creativity. Mr.

“Nathan For You” Co-Creator Michael Koman On Running The Show. Read More »

Theodore Melfi Directs Bill Murray In “St. Vincent”.

Writer/Director Theodore Melfi has been making commercials and indie films for a decade. So when he nabbed Bill Murray for the starring role of his script, he was more than ready to deliver. Listen to this great casting tale, his hanging with Jack Nicholson, and how his real life inspired his script that he hand-wrote

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Live From The Ad Age Small Agency Conference.

As a director, I’m hired by advertising agencies of all sizes. Some are huge, part of a global conglomerate, while others are nimble shoppes, but equally as creative. The big agencies are always in the trades, pitching and winning even bigger clients. But I wondered how these smaller agencies got their work. So I traveled

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Green Screen Animals’ Mark Shockley Has Already Filmed Your Beast.

Hear why David Fincher, J.J. Abrahms and myself use Green Screen Animals. Simple: Mark Shockley and his animal-loving crew shoot all kinds of creatures on green screen, and then license the footage to you. Best of all, they treat the beasts like the divas that they are. Mark only works with trainers and handlers that

Green Screen Animals’ Mark Shockley Has Already Filmed Your Beast. Read More »

Live On Tour, It’s SNL’s Digital Shorts Editor Adam Epstein.

For decades, the inspired and hilarious short films of Saturday Night Live have been the highlight of show. So what a treat to talk with Adam Epstein, the SNL film unit editor that pulls it all together, literally overnight. We chat about workflow, turnaround, teamwork and the amazing talent both in front of and behind

Live On Tour, It’s SNL’s Digital Shorts Editor Adam Epstein. Read More »

Tom Lowe Is A Producer By Day, And An Award-Winning Photographer By Night In The Mohave Desert.

Tom Lowe is an experienced line producer who produced a few of my epic Dodge spots for the Doner Agency this summer. Naturally, we chat about the creative problem solving the line producer brings to the shoot. His advice to new directors is invaluable. The first half of this engaging, tech-filled interview, we focus on

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Big Laughs With Comedian Turned Fox Executive Producer Steve Hofstetter.

Comedian Steve Hofstetter produces a stand-up comedy show for FOX. The show is called “Laughs” and it airs Saturday nights. Steve is busy fulfilling his order for the series. Bravo, I say. I met Steve through director/producer Dane Hanson and marveled at how they’re pulling the show together. Here’s the extended promo for the show

Big Laughs With Comedian Turned Fox Executive Producer Steve Hofstetter. Read More »

Hair & Make Up Artiste Judd Minter.

Judd Minter is one of my buddies off set. On set, he’s an attentive, detailed-oriented hair & make up artist at the top of his game. He has an acute awareness of not just the “looks” of the characters he creates, but also of the days’ schedule and comedic tone of the commercial we are

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Directing “A to Z” with Michael Patrick Jann.

Director Michael Patrick Jann brilliantly draws an analogy between directing and the art of ancient Chinese calligraphy. This is a must-listen episode. Michael knows comedy. Straight from film school to directing MTV’s “The State”, then onto “Reno 911” and countless commercials, he’s been directing the funny non-stop for 15 years. Today, Michael is an accomplished

Directing “A to Z” with Michael Patrick Jann. Read More »

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