Shows
The Oscar Project Podcast3.37-Filmmaker Interview with Madison HatfieldSend us a textIn today's episode, I interview Madison Hatfield, the director and star of the short film "I Could Dom," a laugh a minute sex comedy about a young woman trying to figure out what exactly she wants in a relationship.Listen to hear about how the film was a bit of self discovery for Madison when it came to her people-pleasing personality, the importance of getting her male lead just right, and how important it is to help other artists whenever possible as we are all on our own journeys....2025-05-0630 min
The Oscar Project Podcast3.33-Filmmaker Interview with Lauren MelindaSend us a textIn today's episode, I interview Lauren Melinda, the director of the short film "Before You." The film tells the story of a young couple dealing with the loss of a pregnancy while simultaneously expressing joy about an upcoming birth.Listen to hear about the film's basis in Lauren's own experience of loss, the importance of looking back on difficult memories while also looking for the positives in life, and how she and her crew went about putting together some incredible practical effects shots in the film.Books mentioned in...2025-04-2224 min
The Oscar Project Podcast3.31-Filmmaker Interview with Emily SheskinSend us a textIn today's episode, I interview Emily Sheskin, the director of the short documentary "Livestreams with GrandmaPuzzles." The film focuses on the unlikely pairing of Twitch with jigsaw puzzles and premiered at the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival last fall.Listen to hear about the incredible community around jigsaw puzzling that continues to grow around the world, the importance of representation in the puzzle world, and how we would all benefit from reinforcing community connections in our lives.Books mentioned in this episode include:Lenin's Tomb: The Last Days...2025-04-1521 min
The Oscar Project Podcast3.26-Filmmaker Interview with Paul KowalskiSend us a textIn today's episode, I interview Paul Kowalski, the director of the short film "Sardinia," a dark look at what a world without humor could be like. The film screened at IndieShorts and won the Best Director Grand Prize at Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival in 2024.Listen to hear about the real world inspiration for the film, casting a group of strong actors that could each bring their own interpretation to the characters, and a set of book recommendations that should be required reading for any aspiring filmmaker.Books...2025-03-2526 min
The Oscar Project Podcast3.25-Filmmaker Interview with Jonathan HammondSend us a textIn today's episode, I interview Jonathan Hammond, the director of the short film "Fireflies in the Dusk," a clever genre bending comedy that brings the Victorian Age into the present day with hilarious results.Listen to hear about some of the films that inspired Jonathan's concept for the film, how he got his actors to buy into the absurd situations their characters would encounter, and what happens when an actor getting food poisoning in the middle of busy L.A. traffic.Books mentioned in this episode include:The...2025-03-1820 min
The Oscar Project Podcast3.21-97th Academy Awards Preview-Part 5Send us a textToday is the final episode in my preview of the 97th Academy Awards where I will have broken down every category over the course of this week. Today I am joined by Maria Banson from the Brunello Bombshell newsletter to break down all ten films nominated for Best Picture. I've listed the nominees below along with a few other films mentioned throughout the episode.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get all new episodes, and head over to my Substack to submit your guesses for my annual...2025-02-2846 min
The Oscar Project Podcast3.8 97th Oscar NomineesSend us a textThe nominees for the 97rth Academy Awards are here. Take a listen to hear the full list, some fun trivia facts about the nominees, and my personal thoughts on the films that made the cut as well as those that were snubbed.You can check out the full list of nominees on my Substack newsletter at theoscarproject.substack.com. While you're there, be sure to subscribe to the newsletter so you can get all the latest Oscar news and information and be notified of when you can submit your predictions in...2025-01-2313 min
The Oscar Project Podcast3.7 Underworld with Jeff KramerSend us a textToday's episode is my conversation about the 1927 film Underworld. My friend Jeff Kramer from The Death Star Human Resources Department Newsletter joins me to discuss the film and we talk about other films that start off with a heist like this one, how the idea of a mobster has changed over the last century of film, and some of the film techniques used in this film that are still relevant today.You can watch Underworld on YouTube and be sure to check out Jeff's newsletter.Other films mentioned in t...2025-01-2129 min