How I Got Greenlit

One of the hardest lessons you can learn is that sometimes, the number one thing people are looking for is a person who's willing to do the job no one else will do, and do it with a smile on their face. As as television executive Michael Forman knows, it's that level of ego sublimation that's the key to long-term survival in show business. Michael Forman has been a Senior-level development executi...

Any career that's worth a damn is full of barriers and bends in the road where you have no idea what's coming up ahead around the curve. But as actress, singer, journalist and film lover Carla Renata knows, it's what you do when something is blocking the path to what you want that makes you who you are. A proud Howard University graduate, Carla Renata aka The Curvy Critic has had reviews and/or op...

Season 3 of How I Got Greenlit launches Tuesday, May 14! 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 first feature film.   In 2018, Alex wrote and directed the film High Voltage starring David Arquette and Luke Wilson. MAX launched the lat...

In this special episode marking the end of season 2, Alex and Ryan ditch the traditional format in favor of a funny, freewheeling conversation about everything from the timeless brilliance of Looney Tunes to the thin line between taking inspiration from your artistic heroes and outright stealing from them. Alex Keledjian Alex Keledjian is the creator of Project Greenlight, a documentary televisio...

A life has many ups and downs, and the life of Jim Keledjian, father of Alex, is no exception. His story of rags-to-riches-to-rags-to-riches through the worlds of city planning and real estate investment is full of timeless gems of universal wisdom, including how to recognize opportunity in even some of the most obscure places. Jim Keledjian formed the privately held development firm, Associated V...

Writer-producer Marc Guggenheim approaches his work from a place of trying to please the ten-year-old version of himself who loved sci fi and superheroes. So he was the perfect guy for Warner Bros. and DC Comics to tap to not just play in, but help build its cinematic sandbox. Marc Guggenheim is an American screenwriter, television producer, comic book writer, and novelist. After a romantic comedy...

Some of the best storytellers in the world led entire lives before getting into the writing business. Writer-producer Marc Guggenheim made the leap from writing legal briefs to legal dramas and sci-fi superhero sagas like The CW's Arrow, The Flash and Batwoman. Marc Guggenheim is an American screenwriter, television producer, comic book writer, and novelist. After a romantic comedy script led to a...

The three rules of real estate become reel as director Brad Anderson explains how he takes inspiration from films like his B-side choice, Nicolas Roeg's "Don't Look Now" (1973), to make the places he shoots (whether it's a train, insane asylum or the coast of Spain) just as important as the actors and the plot. Brad Anderson is an American film director, producer and writer. A director of thriller...

The studio system often tries to dictate the type of movies a filmmaker is allowed to make. But uncompromising storytellers like writer-director Brad Anderson are never afraid to steer their career in whatever direction they choose. Brad Anderson is an American film director, producer and writer. A director of thriller and horror films and television projects, he is best known for having directed ...

The WGA strike may be coming to its conclusion. But SAG still holds strong, A.I. lurks in the shadows and moviemaking ain't what it used to be. So producers Evan Astrowksy and Craig Perry, as well as entertainment lawyer Rose Meade Hart, sit down to talk shop. Craig Perry As a partner at Zide/Perry Entertainment, Craig Perry, produced Universal's American Pie franchise; New Line Cinema's Final Des...

Whether it's the fear of A.I. coming for your job or the fact that your third act stinks to high heaven, the writing life is full of worries and doubts. Luckily screenwriting mentor Brooks Elms has your back. Alex and Ryan talk to him about how to take notes, find hope for the future, and write honest stories driven by real humanity like Richard Linklater's "Before" trilogy: Before Sunrise (1995),...

This week Alex & Ryan conclude their talk with NYU film professor David Irving, in the second episode of a two-part series where they discuss Tod Browning's 1932 film "Freaks." David Irving is a director whose professional film credits include Night of the Cyclone (1990) with Kris Kristofferson and Marisa Berenson; C.H.U.D. II (1988) with Robert Vaughn and Gerrit Graham; The Emperor's New Clothes...

This week Alex & Ryan talk with NYU film professor and author David Irving, in the first episode of a two-part series. David Irving is a director whose professional film credits include Night of the Cyclone (1990) with Kris Kristofferson and Marisa Berenson; C.H.U.D. II (1988) with Robert Vaughn and Gerrit Graham; The Emperor's New Clothes (1987) with Sid Caesar and Robert Morse; Sleeping Beauty (...

This week Alex & Ryan talk with producer and director J Miles Dale, including a discussion of his choice of "B-Side": Brian De Palma’s 1974 movie “Phantom of the Paradise.” Academy Award-winning producer J. Miles Dale has been making movies and television programs for over 35 years. His productions have been honored with numerous awards including 17 Oscar nominations and 8 Golden Globe nominations...

This week Alex & Ryan conclude their talk with production designer Paul Rice, in the second episode of a two-part series where they discuss some of his favorite design work in film. Paul Rice is a multi talented and multi dimensional artist, designer, fabricator, and performer. Paul began his art career early, working at his father's parade float factory and attending an art magnet high school in...

This week Alex & Ryan talk with art director and production designer Paul Rice, in the first episode of a two-part series. Paul Rice is a multi talented and multi dimensional artist, designer, fabricator, and performer. Paul began his art career early, working at his father's parade float factory and attending an art magnet high school in Memphis, TN. He won a full scholarship to Pratt Institute i...

This week Alex & Ryan conclude their talk with writer-director Angie Wang, in the second episode of a two-part series where they discuss Niki Caro's 2002 film "Whale Rider."  Angie Wang is the writer-director of MDMA, an autobiographical ’80s crime drama starring Annie Q. and Francesca Eastwood, which is in theaters from September 14 through Shout! Factory. She was born in 1965 and holds a B.A. wi...

This week Alex & Ryan talk with writer-director Angie Wang, in the first episode of a two-part series. Angie Wang is the writer-director of MDMA, an autobiographical ’80s crime drama starring Annie Q. and Francesca Eastwood, which is in theaters from September 14 through Shout! Factory. She was born in 1965 and holds a B.A. with a triple major in Economics, Political Science and Psychology from Ru...

This week Alex & Ryan conclude their talk with creator-developer and television executive Eli Holzman, in the second episode of a two-part series where they discuss Robert Altman's 1992 film "The Player." Eli Holzman is the founder and CEO of The Intellectual Property Corporation and the President of Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction. Holzman began his career in 1996 at Miramax Films where he co...

This week Alex & Ryan talk with creator-developer and television executive Eli Holzman, who helped Alex develop and sell the original Project Greenlight, in the first episode of a two-part series. Eli Holzman is the founder and CEO of The Intellectual Property Corporation and the President of Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction. Holzman began his career in 1996 at Miramax Films where he co-founded...

Recently Alex and Ryan were invited as guests on the incredible movie podcast Cinema Splash Page. Give their episode a listen here and then go subscribe to Cinema Splash Page wherever your get your podcasts! Join us as Ryan and Alex share their thoughts on some truly obscure and fascinating 80s movies (Final Countdown, anyone? Ice Pirates?) and then discuss the advantages and disadvantages of film...

This week Alex & Ryan conclude their talk with movie and television producer Jamie Patricof, in the second episode of a two-part series where they discuss Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film "The Outsiders." Jamie Patricof is an accomplished independent film, tv, and documentary producer, and co-founder of Hunting Lane Films. His projects include Captain Fantastic (Viggo Mortensen); Blue Valentine (M...

This week Alex & Ryan talk with movie and television producer Jamie Patricof, in the first episode of a two-part series. Jamie Patricof is an accomplished independent film, tv, and documentary producer, and co-founder of Hunting Lane Films. His projects include Captain Fantastic (Viggo Mortensen); Blue Valentine (Michelle Williams, Ryan Gosling);The Place Beyond the Pines (Bradley Cooper, Ryan Gos...

This week Alex & Ryan conclude their talk with make-up and special effects artist Alex Noble, in the second episode of a two-part series where they discuss highlights from his work and some of his favorite movie make-up designs. From natural beauty to prosthetics and gore effects, Alex Noble’s make up expertise speaks for itself. Alex’s makeup skills include beauty, fantasy, character, ageing, hai...

Our series of roundtable discussions continues with a Q&A session featuring writers Anthony Jaswinski and Chap Taylor unpacking the state of their craft in the era of digital streaming content. Writer and Producer, Anthony Jaswinski wrote the summer sleeper hit (and box office success) The Shallows starring Blake Lively and Mary starring Gary Oldman and Emily Mortimer. Additionally, Anthony wrote...