First Act Break

Welcome to episode 32 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. In this episode, Tribeca feature film director Chris Merola breaks down exactly how he made his first feature film Lemonade Blessing and premiered it at the Tribeca Film Festival. He shares the full jour...

Welcome to episode 31 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Elijin Yoo, a USC film school grad and editor of vertical short dramas. He breaks down how a musician’s rhythm shapes pacing, coverage, and storytelling for TikTok/Reels-style narrativ...

Welcome to episode 30 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Mic Ferrante, an Emmy-Winning composer who's scored for the NFL, NBA, FAZE Clan, Kai Cenat and many more. He shares his experience going to music school and his recent career as a...

Welcome to episode 29 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, hosts Richard and Jiayang chat about building a life outside and surrounding filmmaking. It's a discussion that reflects how to live a healthy artist lifestyle. Timecodes: 00:00 Making movies...

Welcome to episode 28 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. This podcast has changed my life. One of the best decisions ever made. 25+ episodes later, here is everything I learned about running a podcast to help you guys get started on your own journeys. Timecode...

Welcome to episode 27 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Rhys Zemeckis, a USC film director with a passion for classic movies. He shares his experience growing up in a filmmaking family and lessons he learned about what makes a good film dir...

Welcome to episode 26 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Teddy Alvarez-Nissen, a recently graduated USC film director. He shares his experience breaking into Hollywood and how he made a movie with snails. We discuss the what it takes for a d...

Welcome to episode 25 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Phinehas Yoon, a professional actor with a recent lead role in a SXSW feature film. He shares his experience breaking into Hollywood. We discuss the what it takes for an actor to succe...

Welcome to episode 24 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Daniella Rafael, a USC film director and producer, who shares her experience making movies in the Middle East during geopolitical tensions. We discuss the behind the scenes of her danc...

Welcome to episode 23 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Flint Tanquary, an Emmy-Winning USC film director and vfx artist, who shares his stories behind the best sport hype video of all time. We discuss the behind the scenes of "Arrival...

Welcome to episode 22 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Kayla Cunningham, a USC film director and editor, who shares her insights on finding the right path starting from new. We discuss her thoughts on film school, experience in the Trojan...

Welcome to episode 21 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Noah Lee, a LA based freelance cinematographer and assistant camera, who shares his insights on building a career in cinematography. We discuss his thoughts on film school, and why he...

Welcome to episode 20 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Daeil Kim, a Sundance director and cinematographer, who shares his insights on life after college. We discuss his current career balancing both crafts, how his movie got into the Sunda...

Welcome to episode 19 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Daniel Han, a recent USC film school graduate, who shares his insights on life after college. We discuss his current career working on KPOP tour groups, things he had to unlearn after...

Welcome to episode 18 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Alex Li, a USC film director, who shares his insights on the Chinese movie industry. We discuss the differences between with it and Hollywood, stories from Chinese sets, and experience...

Welcome to episode 17 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Tammy Premchan, a freelance editor working in LA, who shares her insights on how to build an editing career in 2025. We discuss the art of editing, experiences at USC film school, and...

Welcome to episode 16 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Chase Shurtz, a professional camera assistant and cinematographer in LA, who shares insight on how to build a cinematography career in 2025. We discuss the state of the industry, how t...

Welcome to episode 15 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Emanuel Ortiz and Ethan Go, both USC film directors. The four of us share our experiences at USC film school, our philosophies in life, and advice for young filmmakers trying to build...

Welcome to episode 14 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Kim Krizan the screenwriter of Before Sunrise and a writing mentor. We talk about how to build a career as a screenwriter in 2025, her approach to crafting personal stories, and her ph...

Welcome to episode 13 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love.  Today, we bring on Makayla Lysiak an entrepreneur and TV writer/producer who has a large platform on social media to mentor aspiring actors and filmmakers. We talk about how to build a career in the TV...

Welcome to episode 12 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love.  Today, we bring on Adam Bloodgood‬ a USC film producer who transitioned into filmmaking after 12 years of professional ballet and have worked on multiple features and vertical short dramas. We talk abou...

Welcome to episode 11 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love. Today, we bring on Cece Mou a USC film producer who worked at Disney and camera operates for Jubilee. We talk about the how to step foot into the industry, her experience working on set and for Zach King...

Welcome to episode 10 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry, and help you build a career doing what you love.  Today, we bring on Justin Roh a USC film director who recently graduated and is now pursuing his dreams of directing full time. We talk about the what it takes to stay in the industry, his experience at...

Welcome to episode 9 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry.  Today, we bring on Harlow Schuman a USC film director who runs his own successful film production company Farlight Productions while still attending college. We talk about the what it takes to run such a company, his experience at USC, and philosophies...

Welcome to episode 8 of The First Act Break podcast, the show where we dive into the art, business, and hustle of breaking into the film industry.  Today, we bring on Lillian Lin, a recent USC film school graduate who is now working at CAA, the world's largest talent agency. We chat about how she got into the CAA mailroom and other big studio internships, as well as her experience working alongsid...