A Carolina Overshare

It's a Spooky Friday the 13th When My Associate Producer Interviews ME

October 13, 2023

Happy Friday, Dear Listener!

How are you? How are you holding up? It's been another heavy week so I hope you are finding grounding moments to settle your soul.All is well here...putting my focus on the things I can control and eager to enjoy a quiet winter break at home.

This newsletter is coming to you live from 30,000 feet somewhere over Texas en route to Miami! We are in the home stretch of production on the documentary I've been producing since the Spring. I'll be able to share more about it soon.Keeping this week short and sweet as I'm promoting an episode that features me and that's already awkward enough soooo. 😬

As y'all know, the podcast is a labor of love created during and in the in between times of my own crazy schedule. I feel tremendously honored to be a conduit for these conversations.If the show brings you value, I hope you'll consider supporting this it by buying me a coffee. ☕☕☕

Mad love to everyone who has already contributed! I see youuuu.

Thanks for listening, for being a part of my journey, and for doing this life thing with me!

HIGHLIGHT EPISODE

Well, this feels self indulgent but here goes nothing. I'm often asked to share my story, my journey and my experiences. Given my busy production schedule until the end of the year, I figured it could be a good time to turn the tables and bring you an episode featuring...me! 

So if you can't get enough of me talking, tune in and delight your ears as my associate producer Sarah Bockian puts me in the hot seat. Sarah joined the team six months ago at the start of the writers’ strike, and has been working behind the scenes with me to help bring these episodes to life.

She comes from the world of development and writers’ room support staff, having worked on comedies and dramas for both broadcast and streaming.As this is her formal introduction on the show, she’d like the listeners to know two things:

  1. She’s available for staffing (and also Showrunners’ Assistant and Writers’ Assistant positions)

  2. She was super congested during the recording of this episode, and she’s 90% sure her voice normally sounds less annoying.

She's the best. Hire her!In this episode, we cover everything from how this toothless 9 year old kid immigrated to America, dealing with egos at work, and the one set experience that still haunts me to this day.

PRODUCERS CORNER

AI is definitely at the top of everyone's minds these days. I encourage you to be curious and not fear the unknown. This article by the Financial Times is one of the best and clearest explanations of how large language models, like ChatGPT, works. 

Rebecca Green, producer behind Dear Producer and the Producers Union, wrote a very thorough, insightful, and informative piece on everything she's learned on the way to starting a producers union. It's a long but worthwhile read, so grab your coffee and saddle up!

Meanwhile, the petition to remove the last P from the AMPTP acronym is getting more traction as producers like Todd Garner, Jason Blum and Dede Gardner join in. Click to sign. "Our profession is being devalued.”

Written and directed by Maryam Keshavarz, The Persian Version won the US Dramatic Audience award at Sundance earlier this year. If you liked BARBIE – you’ll love her beautiful film!It reaches beyond the Iranian demographic and tells a global story. It is a sophisticated and fun film with a focus on universal intersectional themes such as sexuality, art, immigration, freedom, women and the interaction between cultures. 

SUPPORT FILMS WRITTEN, DIRECTED, PRODUCED BY AND STARRING WOMEN!!!

"You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you.”

– Mary Tyler Moore