The MAKE IT Podcast

This episode is brought to you by Anthropic. Claude is the AI for minds that don’t stop at good enough—it's the collaborator that actually understands your entire workflow and thinks WITH you, not for you. Ready to tackle bigger problems? Sign up for Claude Pro when you use our link – www.claude.ai/makeit This episode is brought to you by our e-book Mastering Film Marketing. Get your copy today at https://themakeitpodcast.com/products/mastering-film-marketing. Use the Discount code: NASHFILM20 for 20% off EVERYTHING at themakeitpodcast.com Hello, Hello! In this episode, Isabel Hagen joins us to discuss her work as a comedian, filmmaker, and classically trained violist. She explains how her freelance music career inspired the feature film On a String, which premiered at Tribeca and won Best Screenplay in the U.S. Narrative Competition. The conversation also explores comedy in the age of clips, creative persistence, protecting real people in fiction, film criticism, artistic identity, and what it means to make it. We also talk about: Turning experiences from weddings, funerals, and private music gigs into heightened comedic characters and situations. Why live comedy benefits from audiences putting their phones away while performers test unfinished material. Isabel’s process for becoming a stronger comedian through open mics, recordings, repeated performance, and daily review. The creative lessons she draws from Paul Thomas Anderson, including the scale of One Battle After Another and the score of Phantom Thread. How nostalgia, streaming overload, and the paradox of choice influence how audiences rewatch their favorite movies. People, Places, Products, and Websites Mentioned: People Isabel Hagen (isabelhagen.com) Brandon Tamburri William Primrose Paul Thomas Anderson Maria Bamford Marina Abramović Lana Del Rey Films & TV On a String The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon One Battle After Another Phantom Thread Happiness The Omen The Parent Trap Goodfellas Challengers Saltburn It's a Wonderful Life The Princess Bride Ferris Bueller's Day Off The NeverEnding Story The Dukes of Hazzard Companies & Organizations Joke Zero Tribeca Film Festival The Juilliard School NBC Symphony Orchestra Hollywood Walk of Fame Nashville Film Festival Substack Soho House Music Guns N' Roses "Welcome to the Jungle" Food & Places LaGuardia Airport Seattle 7th Street Burger Shake Shack Beecher's Handmade Cheese The Capital Grille MAKE IT Make It Academy Mastering Film Marketing (e-book) 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 www.themakeitpodcast.store/shop/support Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 reviews Who Is Stan Smith?, Danny Lee’s documentary about the tennis champion whose name became attached to one of the world’s most recognizable sneakers. The film moves from athletic achievement and fashion history to Stan Smith’s friendship with Arthur Ashe, humanitarian work, and commitment to players’ rights. The conversation ultimately asks what kind of signature each person leaves behind when fame and branding are stripped away. TAKEAWAYS: Smith’s rise from Southern California and USC tennis to former world number one. His 1971 U.S. Open victory, 1972 Wimbledon victory, five U.S. Open titles across singles and doubles, and eight championship Davis Cup teams. The open era of professional tennis and the movement for greater player control. Smith’s 1973 Wimbledon boycott after Nikola Pilic was suspended. The sneaker’s adoption by musicians, artists, designers, and fashion communities. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: The Film Who Is Stan Smith? Danny Lee Rebecca Halpern People Stan Smith Arthur Ashe John McEnroe Darryl "DMC" McDaniels Pharrell Williams Niki Pilić Products & Brands Adidas Stan Smith Run-DMC Institutions & Events University of Southern California US Open Wimbledon Davis Cup 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 us, or leaving us a review. Cheers, and best of luck on your filmmaking journey. #MAKEIT All Links: www.themakeitpodcast.store/shop/support Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 Subscribe: https://themakeitpodcast.store/shop/support Hello, Hello! In this episode, AI Hosts Alex Ivey and Allison Inverness dive deep into the world of filmmaker and Scientist, Alexis Gambis. He explains how a background in molecular biology can serve as a foundation for filmmaking rather than be an abandoned career. The conversation explores the Science New Wave, a movement that combines rigorous science with emotional storytelling, culture, and personal identity. It also examines CRISPR, de-extinction, creative practice, and the infrastructure needed to bring hybrid science films to audiences. We also talk about: The patience and observation skills Gambis developed while studying fruit flies. His father’s shift from engineering to painting and the role of family history in his films. The resistance Gambis encountered from both biology and film communities. Spike Lee’s mentorship and the fruit-fly drawing displayed beside a photo of Patrick Ewing. The Symbiosis initiative’s one-week collaborations between scientists and filmmakers. People, Places, Products, and References Mentioned: Alexis Gambis Spike Lee James Franco Jessica Chastain Tenoch Huerta Kurt Andersen Thomas Hunt Morgan Films & Projects The Fly Room (2014) Son of Monarchs (2020/21) The Next Jaguar Disposable The Color of Time Institutions & Platforms The Rockefeller University NYU Tisch School of the Arts Columbia University Labocine Imagine Science Films Science New Wave — Labocine Sundance Film Festival Alfred P. Sloan Prize Science & Concepts Symbiosis CRISPR Cas9 Thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) Woolly mammoth Asian elephant Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This episode is brought to you by our e-book Mastering Film Marketing. Get your copy today at https://themakeitpodcast.com/products/mastering-film-marketing. Use the Discount code: NASHFILM20 for 20% off EVERYTHING at themakeitpodcast.com Hello, Hello! In this episode, we dive deep into the cultural and philosophical battle between physical ownership and the digital future, using Sony's elimination of physical game discs and Xbox's pro-physical media stance as a launching point for a wide-ranging conversation about what we lose when we lose the tangible things we love. We pay heartfelt tribute to recently lost icons — including Dolly Parton, Tim Curry, Peter Cullen, Hayden Panettiere, and Michael Wright — reflecting on how physical artifacts, authentic storytelling, and genuine human connection define lasting legacies. We also cover upcoming film releases, fall film festival Oscar buzz, the Nashville Film Festival, and celebrate our milestone of 300K YouTube subscribers. We also talk about: The generational nostalgia crisis — what happens when the next generation's cultural touchstones are memes instead of physical media, Saturday morning cartoons, or vinyl records, and why that loss of human connection to art matters The University of Michigan's decision to eliminate grades in response to students using AI to complete coursework for them, and what that means for the future of education and creativity The Tennessee Titans' underwhelming $10,000 charity gesture for former star Chris Johnson (CJ2K), who was diagnosed with ALS, contrasted with Dolly Parton's 330-million-book donation legacy and what "real" philanthropy looks like The upcoming Netflix reboot of A Different World, why Kadeem Hardison's involvement gives fans hope, and what the show must get right to honor the original's legacy of hope, pride, and HBCU culture The "infoist" philosophy described in Yuval Noah Harari's 21 Lessons for the 21st Century and how it explains why tech companies are relentlessly pushing toward a fully digital, ownership-free world People, Places, Products, and Websites Mentioned: Products / Software / Technology PlayStation Xbox Spotify / Apple Music iTunes Netflix HP Funko Atari 2600 Sega Genesis ChatGPT Flock Safety Films / Shows / Music Mastering Film Marketing (ebook) On a String Black Zombie Anthony Bourdain Digger (Tom Cruise) A Different World Bel-Air Good Times The Five Heartbeats Blonde "Jolene" "Coat of Many Colors" "9 to 5" "I Will Always Love You" Boys Don't Cry (Frank Ocean magazine) — Blonde page The Rocky Horror Picture Show Annie The Transformers Smosh "Chocolate Rain" Charlie Bit My Finger Iron Lung Obsession Backrooms Peter Frampton 21 Lessons for the 21st Century Sapiens People Dolly Parton Tim Curry Peter Cullen Hayden Panettiere Michael Wright Chris Johnson (CJ2K) Frank Ocean Whitney Houston Elvis Presley Porter Wagoner Eminem Steve Jobs Yuval Noah Harari Kadeem Hardison Markiplier Kane Parsons Curry Barker Isabel Hagen Anthony Padilla & Ian Hecox Tay Zonday Paul Kuharsky Bill Cosby Places / Events / Organizations Nashville Film Festival Nashville, Tennessee Dollywood Telluride Film Festival New York Film Festival Venice Film Festival TIFF Sundance Film Festival Tribeca Film Festival HBCUs University of Michigan Make It Academy themakeitpodcast.com Target 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 www.themakeitpodcast.store/shop/support Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 Subscribe: https://themakeitpodcast.store/shop/support Hello, Hello! In this episode, AI Hosts Alex Ivey and Allison Inverness dive deep into the remarkable career of Jeffrey Pittle, a senior creative director, animator, and self-described "agent of transformation" who has spent over two decades working with industry giants like Disney, Universal, Warner Bros., and Nickelodeon. Drawing from the original MAKE IT interview, they unpack the audacious, humble, and often painful journey of a creative professional who built a unicorn skill set by refusing to stay in any single lane. From knocking on a comic legend's front door as a teenager to producing an Oscar-nominated Holocaust animated short, Jeff's story is a masterclass in surviving — and thriving — in the unpredictable business of creativity. We also talk about: How Jeffrey's childhood obsession with '70s Disney films, Jim Henson's Muppets, and the original Star Wars at a drive-in theater planted the seeds of his creative identity and gave him the cognitive leap to realize that making art was an actual, payable profession The critical balance between audacity and humility in a creative career — why having the ego to knock on a legend's door means nothing without the willingness to sit in a freezing car all night just to hold a parking spot for a film crane The dangers of tying your creative work to a proprietary tech platform, illustrated by the heartbreaking story of a technically stunning Chaka Khan music video that was locked away forever when the startup behind it went bankrupt Jeffrey's sharp critique of modern art schools, which excel at teaching technical craft but consistently fail to equip young creatives with the business skills — invoicing, taxes, pricing their time — needed to survive as professionals The philosophical paradox that closes the episode: if a masterpiece is created but legally sealed away from the public forever, does it still have value — or does the true worth of creativity lie entirely in how the process of making it transforms the artist? People, Places, Products, and References Mentioned: Jeffrey Pittle Will Eisner Bill Murray Caroll Spinney Chaka Khan Jim Krupa (NY puppet company) Daniel Alcheh Leonardo da Vinci Isaac Newton Steven Spielberg Films & Shows Pete's Dragon Winnie the Pooh Star Wars (1977) Scrooged (1988) Eureeka's Castle Deal or No Deal Wipeout The Tattooed Torah Companies & Organizations Nickelodeon Universal Pictures Nick Jr. School of Visual Arts QB (vertical video startup) Quibi Fish Eggs (Venice, CA) USC Shoah Foundation 11 Dollar Bill Platforms & Tools Adobe After Effects Fitbit Google Images MTV Places South Florida Boca Raton, Florida New York City Queens, New York Venice, California Los Angeles, California Moscow, Russia Concepts & Awards Eisner Awards Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film Motion capture Chroma key (green screen) Steampunk Jack of all trades, master of none Star Trek vs. Star Wars Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy