How I Got Greenlit

In the current era of prestige horror movies, does anyone really have anything to say? This week on the show, Alex Keledjian, creator of the hit filmmaking reality series Project Greenlight, and his cohost Sam Levine review the genre-bending supernatural thriller "Weapons" (2025). And they ponder how much the news of the day really belongs in movies that are supposed to scare us as allegory, not r...

Is slapstick making its way back into big budget studio movies? This week on the show, Alex Keledjian, creator of the hit filmmaking reality series Project Greenlight, and his cohost Sam Levine review the latest installment in a classic comedy franchise that reboots the series: The Naked Gun (2025)! Does the success of The Naked Gun mark a return to the silly comedy genre? Are audiences demanding...

Are audiences tired of dark themes and movies with a message? In the inaugural episode of season 4, Alex Keledjian, the creator of HBO's hit filmmaking reality series Project Greenlight, and his new co-host and fellow film nerd Sam Levine talk about the return of the "popcorn flick" as they break down the two big blockbuster movies of the summer: James Gunn's "Superman" and Marvel Studios' "The Fa...

Season 4 of How I Got Greenlit launches Thursday, August 21 with a new format and co-host. And it's coming to your podcast feed and on YouTube! Subscribe to @NextChapterPodcasts on YouTube for new episodes every Thursday. Alex Keledjian Alex Keledjian is the creator of Project Greenlight, a documentary television series where executive producers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck gave first-time filmmaker...

In our season finale, the importance of reinvention is never clearer than in the stories from playwright Gordon Farrell's career, where he had to keep coming back to what drew him to writing in the first place in order to continue moving forward. Gordon Farrell's play, "The Lifespan Of A Fact," starring Daniel Radcliffe, Tony-Award winner Cherry Jones, and Emmy Award winner Bobby Cannavale perform...

Opportunity may only knock once. But if you open the door without asking second-guessing yourself, then the phone may start ringing off the hook. And you just might find yourself with as long and respected a career as actor Eric Balfour. Eric Balfour is a true Angelino, one who embraces everything the City of Angels has to offer. As a lover of the ocean he is an avid surfer and supports many envir...

There are an infinite number of stories to tell, an infinite number or worlds to explore. But sometimes one just burrows into your brain and won't let go, squirming into every daydream and idle conversation, demanding to be brought to life. And writer-producer Pete Jones believes those are the ones worth pursuing. An up and coming filmmaker who got his big break thanks to the Miramax sponsored com...

Some people might think that in a business as cutthroat as entertainment, ruthless cunning is the only thing that'll get you ahead. But writer-director Pete Jones is a living example to the contrary. An up and coming filmmaker who got his big break thanks to the Miramax sponsored competition "Project Greenlight," Peter Jones went from production assistant and insurance salesman to director and scr...

The entertainment business has always been in a state of flux, from the earliest days. Whether that means technologicial, social or structural change, cinematographer Michael Goi says the harder you fight against it, the faster you become irrelevant. Michael Goi, ASC, ISC was born and raised in Chicago, where he established himself in the fields of documentaries and commercials. He has directed nu...

In writer/producer/showrunner John Glenn's view, there should really only be one reason you go into show business: a love of storytelling. Anything else gets in the way of the most important task at hand, and that is doing the work you should already love. John Patrick Glenn is an American screenwriter, producer, and show runner who has worked with a multitude of A list actors, producers, and almo...

Hope may be hard to come by in any corner of the world these days. But writer-producer Chap Taylor and producer Evan Astrowsky try their level best to help us keep our chins up in our first show business roundtable for season 3. Chap Taylor has written screenplays and television pilots for all of the major Hollywood studios. He's worked for such producers as Brian Grazer, Scott Rudin, Irwin Winkle...

Egos abound in the business of show. But if you aim to be like writer/directors John and Dave Chernin, then you'll have to accept that there are always new ways of doing things and different approaches to storytelling that you are totally unaware of and should probably embrace. Brothers John and Dave Chernin started their television careers as writers for the hit comedy IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILAD...

Most people can only dream of having the kind of career producer/director Denise Di Novi has enjoyed. And she says a lot that came down to the fact that she never lost faith in the idea that this was what she was meant to do.  Denise Di Novi is an award-winning film and television producer whose projects have grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. Di Novi counts among her producing credits pict...

The puppet masters who control the industry's purse strings may have some trepidation these days about taking risks on big ideas. But music video producer Phil Botti argues that still shouldn't prevent you from coming up with what he calls "aspirational content." Phil Botti has executive produced and commissioned thousands of hours of highly impactful short and long-form digital and broadcast cont...

Decades-long careers with a single employer are pretty hard to come by in the entertainment industry. But writer-producer and fellow NYU alum Phil Botti is a shining example of how mixing competence with kindness can be the ultimate survival skill. Phil Botti has executive produced and commissioned thousands of hours of highly impactful short and long-form digital and broadcast content, amassing h...

Creativity is a mysterious, ethereal force in the universe that can be harnessed only with a tremendous amount of effort. As writer, musician and comedian Brendon Small knows, learning to wield it in your favor is a hell of a thing. But once you do, unlimited potential opens up to you. Brendon Small is the mind behind the Squigglevision classic Home Movies as well as the death-metal cartoon Metalo...

You can spend your whole life fighting to be the next big star and still end up with nothing. Or you can double down on whatever makes you weirdly uniquely yourself, like comedian, musician and co-creator of Adult Swim's Metalocalypse and Home Movies Brendon Small did, and there's a decent chance it might resonate enough with people that you build a dedicated following around the world. Brendon Sm...

Shortcuts are an illusion and if you want your passion to lead to success, you need to put in the work. But, actor David Dastmalchain notes, more than that you need to fully realize what it is you're trying to achieve if you want others to follow you on the quest to make that idea a reality. Actor, writer, and producer David Dastmalchian has had supporting roles in a number of superhero franchises...

In our latest episode of bonus content, Alex sits down with his daughter Ali to wrap their minds around Chat GPT, technology in the arts and the piss-poor quality of writing done by computers. Alex Keledjian Alex Keledjian is the creator of Project Greenlight, a documentary television series where executive producers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck gave first-time filmmakers a chance to direct their fi...

Whatever shape they may take or media it manifests in, success in pretty much every collaborative art form in existence boils down to the same basic principles. Generosity. Patience. And as genius guitarist Owen Barry knows, filling the role that's needed most to maintain harmony, rather than just waiting for your moment to shine. Owen Barry has been a working musician for over 25 years. Born in t...

The first ever time someone steps on a movie set, be they actor, director, writer or whoever, can be extremely precarious. Producer Javier Gonzalez says humility is always the safest move because it brings out the best in others, as it did for Clint Eastwood in his 1971 directorial debut and today's "B-side": Play Misty for Me. Javier Gonzalez is a Mexican-American, El Paso, TX-based, Emmy-winning...

Filmmaking requires a wide array of factors to come together in perfect alignment, not the least of which are things like funding, favors and finding a place to do it. That's why producer Javier Gonzalez leaves no stone unturned when setting a project in motion. Javier Gonzalez is a Mexican-American, El Paso, TX-based, Emmy-winning and Sundance Grand Jury Prize- winning Producer whose films and se...

Your creative voice comes from your identity and experiences. So it's only natural that creative geniuses like Everybody Loves Raymond creator Phil Rosenthal mine their own lives for their work. He's been fortunate enough to tread a path that few get to follow. Phil has garnered a cult like following for his Netflix series SOMEBODY FEED PHIL, which released it’s seventh season on Netflix on March...

In a new series of bonus content, Alex sits down with his daughter Ali to get the "youth perspective" on the state of cinema. Their inaugural conversation covers this year's Academy Awards winners and losers. Alex Keledjian Alex Keledjian is the creator of Project Greenlight, a documentary television series where executive producers Matt Damon and Ben Affleck gave first-time filmmakers a chance to...

Life is marathon, not a full blown sprint. And as development executive Michael Forman knows full well, there is no "making it" in show business, because search for success never really ends, and stamina beats speed any day. Michael Forman has been a Senior-level development executive and Executive producer for two decades. As a studio exec, he helped establish the television departments of Brills...