Just Shoot It: A Podcast about Filmmaking, Screenwriting and Directing

Eric Crepeau https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4145859 joins Matt and Oren after a gap of over 400 episodes to talk about sound design! What makes a good sound designer? And what makes a great sound designer?  Eric is the OG Editor of "Just Shoot It!" and he's brought along a reel of outtakes that he's kept over the years! And he's dying to talk about 10 useful words when talking to sound designer....

Matt and Oren are pulling together their year-end recap posts for social media. And they realize, “wow, there's a lot to reflect upon!” LA is definitely enjoying a resurgence, of sorts. And while more productions are shooting in LA, a lot has changed over the past few years. And everything isn’t rosy. So if you’re wondering what’s the right type of year-end social media recap, or what you sho...

The 2025 year-end Director's Panel is here! Each year, Matt and Oren have a little cocktail party with some of the past year's guests. It's a chance to reconnect and chat about what went well, what didn't, and what they're hopeful for in the coming year. Carlyn Hudson, Jamaal Parham, and Mercedes Bryce Morgan participate in this first-ever, on-camera, live-to-tape panel. And if you've got question...

Bella Gonzales https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7543234/ brings a ton of insight about being a cinematographer on series like Pen 15, Fargo, Alien: Earth, and The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox. It’s a really inspiring episode that made Oren want to pick up a camera and operate again. On the other hand, Bella is a self-described lighting-focused DP (Director of Photography). And her conversation with Matt...

Tony Yacenda https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2829241/ , the director from "Chad Powers", "Dave", "American Vandal", and a ton of commercials, joins Oren and Matt. And in this episode, Tony gives us a look into how he jumped like four levels to get his first big break on American Vandal. Then Matt and Oren get Tony to share what it means to rebalance how you think about your role and what makes yo...

Commercial director NEDA joins Matt and Oren in their first-ever interview from Eastern Europe! NEDA talks about how she gets unique shots, even when working with kids. She shares how she balances freestyle with agency needs and discovers techniques to capture real moments where the kids are being real, and not pretending or acting. Then Matt and Oren get her to explore what type of director can p...

Simon Cellan Jones https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0148116 shares the story of his rise from the mailroom at BBC to become a director on "The Diplomat", "See", "Ballers", and "The Expanse". Then Matt and Oren get Simon to share some tips for working with star talent, like Mark Wahlberg, on his latest film "Family Plan 2". What's the difference between how Mark comes to set compared to Jason Momoa? And...

Ben Semanoff https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1032608/ shares how he made the break from camera operator to director. Lots of people want to do the same and you might be one of them. So you'll want to hear Ben tell you the one simple question too many people forget to ask.  Matt and Oren also get Ben to open up about what makes a camera operator stand out. And the three talk about how Be...

Jonah Feingold  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3783212/ talks about connecting with your parasocial audience to create the films you want to make. And he shares why he got in front of the camera in his latest film, "31 Candles." Matt and Oren get Jonah to talk about filming in New York and how a living city creates one-off opportunities that plus your scene. And the three chat about product...

Will Bridges https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2782297/ shares his method for making every meeting an opportunity. And he explains what he did that let him come from 10 years of working random jobs and trying to make shorts here and there, to becoming the newly discovered talent, suddenly writing for hit series like “Black Mirror” and “Stranger Things” as well as being a co-creator with Charlie Brooker....

Matt and Oren celebrate 500 episodes! That's basically one episode per week without dropping a beat, not even on Thanksgivings, since 2015. And while it's true "Just Shoot It" has changed a lot over the years. So too has the film & TV industry. It all started with a focus on auteur filmmaking. But the podcast took a definite shift towards commercial directing over the years. And while bot...

Seth Worley https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2124394/ made money selling tools for filmmakers. And Matt and Oren get him to talk about ways filmmakers can make side-income today. Can filmmakers make money selling plug-ins and stock footage? And if so, how? But why make side-income as a filmmaker or working commercial director? Simply put: AI. And the guys get into a broader discussion how AI will chang...

How do you define your voice as a director? John-Michael Powell https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3119508/  talks about his new film "Violent Ends" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6902560 and the career journey that brought it to theaters. When the entire faculty of his art college told him to give up on becoming an artist, John-Michael moved to Los Angeles. He landed his first job at Bunim-Murray Pro...

Maya ‘Mayachka’ Margolina https://mayachka.com/ talks about her work with luxury brands like Coach, Rihanna's Fenty, Mercedes Benz, and MCM and how she craft treatments that get her work. And she reveals her own struggle to avoid being derivative while acknowledging that everything is derivative, at least somehow.  In this episode, Oren and Matt unpack how Maya's unique cinematic form gets au...

Janek Ambros https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4471783/ doesn't use social media for self-promotion. And he tells up and coming filmmakers, you have to be annoying. Because in reality, that's what everyone in this industry is doing, including A-Listers. Besides if you're under 30, you're not supposed to know any better. So swing for the fence!! With a Sundance film under his belt and scores of othe...

Mercedes Bryce Morgan https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5521959/ talks about building the career that got her "Bone Lake" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26783625/ . From several Marshmello videos, episodes of Stargate Origins, and ten-by-tens, Mercedes has learned a lot. One of her techniques is the pre-pitch meeting. That's a get together (on zoom of course) prior to her pitch. Kind of like a creative br...

Matt and Oren reveal their backstory in this collab with G.G. Hawkins and No Film School.  https://nofilmschool.com/u/lostingraceland And you won't want to miss what it was like before smartphones , back when there was a barrier to entry to making video or film.  It was totally different from today. Or was it? OK today, almost anyone can use a smartphone and AI to create s...

Tom Morris https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2730235 / joins Carlyn Hudson - https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3972277 https://www.instagram.com/carlynhudson to talk about their views on making that signature feature film that everyone dreams of, one that is an iconic piece of IP that launches a Jordan Peele-career. And Oren and Matt dive into what that means when you start wanting to own a house, have kids,...

Matt & Oren dive into answering your questions. It's a new format and we hope it clicks! And whether it works or not, there's a new way you can let them know. There's questions from early career filmmakers. What is the one piece of gear filmmakers buy early on, but don't need? What's the best way to invest $100 in film gear? How do you write dialog that feels real? And questions about lif...

Marvel director Kat Coiro https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0192478 covers everything from working with day players to why directors have to take acting classes. Once an actor herself, Kat has mastered the art of infusing enthusiasm into every set and using that energy to supercharge collaboration.  Kat's worn every hat—writer, actor, director, producer, EP, and more. And while CAA found her b...

After an amazing DP/cinematographer has an unfortunate schedule change, Matt & Oren whip up a discussion about social media and listener notes about their websites. And Matt talks about how his LinkedIn post got noticed. And there's a surprising little twist that might make some listeners uneasy. Later, they dig into a listener question. And that leads to some banter about the must haves when...

Matt & Oren discuss the feeling dogging every freelancer: "Will I ever work again?" They dig into who they recommend when they can't take an awesome job, and how that has paid it forward in good ways. Maybe it's all about who you vibe with.  But what is that, exactly? And what if a brand or agency does a vibe check on you? Surprisingly, it's like a date, and more of sales pitch so be prep...

Matt's been getting wrapped up in analytics, and Oren's been updating his reel. So yeah, update your f**king website if you haven't! This week, we get into where to host your portfolio whether you want the best web host or video platform. And we dive into some honest talk about what defines you as a director, because trying to be everything just doesn't work. There are also some hot tips on things...

Director Emily Elizabeth Thomas joins Matt and Oren to talk about her journey from commercial success to directing vertical series and feature films. Meanwhile, Oren’s been updating his website and shares some valuable insights on what to include in your reel, what to leave out, and why it matters. And that leads into Matt sharing some insightful data on how many views a reel gets per day. Back to...

Jamaal Parham, part of the directing duo Jams and Bash, talks to Oren and Matt about how they approach their business without the cheesiness. From a start working exclusively with Broadway productions, they've become a CAA-recognized brand in sports comedy. Matt discusses how the dream of never looking at a spreadsheet isn’t realistic in filmmaking, or at least not in building a career in it. And...