The Producers Lounge

Kirsten Beyer is a bestselling science fiction author, television writer, and executive producer who has become one of the defining creative voices behind the modern Star Trek universe. She first made her mark with the acclaimed Star Trek: Voyager relaunch novels before moving into television, where she served as a writer and producer on Star Trek: Discovery, co-created Star Trek: Picard, and cont...

Kyle Rohrbach is Head of Production and Executive Producer at Dropout, where he has helped build some of the most successful comedy and unscripted series in digital television. With more than a decade in new media and television production, Kyle has played a central role in scaling hit formats like Game Changer and launching breakout series including Very Important People and Smartypants. His work...

Suju Vijayan is an accomplished television and film producer, director, and writer with a career spanning nearly three decades across documentary, reality television, and narrative film. She is best known for her senior story producer work on major franchises such as The Bachelor and The Amazing Race, as well as her consulting story producer role on HBO’s Gaming Wall St. Vijayan has built a reputa...

Reem Edan is an Iraqi-American content creator, award-winning writer and internationally touring stand-up comedian known for her unique brand of “Muslim-ennial” humor.    Since leaving a career in film marketing to focus on comedy, Reem has participated in several prestigious programs including the: NBC Late Night Writing Workshop, MGM Writing Program, Disney Television Discovers Talent Showcase,...

Born and raised in Warri, Southern Nigeria, Oboatarhe Ebiye Ikuku (Ebi Ikuku) is an executive producer, writer, director, and journalist. At 16, she moved to London to study journalism at the University of Lincoln, where early work with outlets including BBC Radio shaped her research-driven approach to storytelling. At 21, she relocated to Los Angeles, earning a Master of Fine Arts in Filmmaking P...

Deborah Todd is an award-winning writer, game designer, producer, director, and science content executive with more than 35 years of experience creating high-impact, multi-platform media at the intersection of storytelling, technology, education, and life sciences. A pioneer in children’s entertainment and serious games, she has designed, written, or produced 30+ published titles—three reaching ov...

W. Vito Montone is an award-winning multi-platform producer, founder, and strategist with over 30 years of experience in entertainment, education, healthcare, financial, and technology in B-to-B and B-to-C models. He has worked with Disney, General Motors, and Paramount, producing for stage, television, live events, and digital platforms that have grossed over $100M. He co-founded BrandU® and Bran...

LeLoni Smith is a Los Angeles–based documentary producer and former Netflix Documentary Films executive known for high-impact nonfiction storytelling. Her credits include Halftime starring Jennifer Lopez, the Oscar-winning The Elephant Whisperers, and Netflix originals such as Kangaroo Valley and Racionais MC’s: From the Streets of São Paulo. With a background in journalism, Smith rose from unscri...

Trey McClarnon is a Nashville native with a unique combination of skills and background. Trey is an experienced writer, producer, and filmmaker. Trey co-founded Best Part Productions with his brother, Chad, in Nashville in 2010. Since that time, Trey has produced numerous commercial and music videos. Additionally, Trey has co-written and produced original independent films through Best Part Produc...

With over 20 years experience in film & video production, Marc launched his career Co-Producing & Directing the award winning Feature Film, AFTER ROBERTO, released in 2005 and filmed in Northern Italy. Marc has worked as a Producer, Creative Director, Production Manager, 1st & 2nd A.D., and Art Department Coordinator for Studio, Network and Independent projects. Most notably, in the Ar...

Seth is a seasoned content acquisition specialist and creative executive with more than two decades of experience in independent film. Prior to Blue Harbor Entertainment, he served as the head of acquisitions and co-productions at Screen Media for more than 12 years, where he led the acquisition of many high-profile titles including The Outpost, Terry Gilliam’s The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, the...

Hailing from San Francisco, CA, Jose Montesinos has been making movies since he received his first video camera at age 14. He continued to hone his skills through many DIY guerrilla films and attended film school at San Francisco City College. In 2009, he was awarded the Mastermind Grant from the SF Weekly for being a standout local talent with his grind-house-style mock trailer for “Hell’s Kitten...

An award winning Producer highly regarded for aligning with startups, celebrities, educational institutions, high profile brands, and nonprofits to build award-winning media companies. Bayan is best known for partnering with actor Rainn Wilson to translate SoulPancake's mission into digital video. As Head of Production for SoulPancake between 2012 - 2018, Bayan led the development and creatio...

Music is Faster Does It by Kevin Macleod Subscribe Wherever Fine Podcasts Are Found - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1876234/episodes Follow Us on Social Media! Greater & Grander on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/GreaterGrander   Greater & Grander on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GreaterGrander   Greater & Grander on Twitter - https://twitter.com/GreaterGrander   Greater & G...

What happens when a kid obsessed with Spielberg grows up to produce for Hollywood’s biggest names? In this episode of The Producers Lounge Podcast, veteran producer Dan Kaplow joins us to share his wild ride through the film and television industry. From early inspirations and surreal career milestones to oddball requests from Dick Clark, Kaplow gives us a rare, behind-the-scenes look into what it...

Join us for a captivating conversation with James Kerwin, award-winning filmmaker, writer, and theatre director known for blending science fiction with classical storytelling. Best known for his acclaimed noir sci-fi film Yesterday Was a Lie and his directorial work on Star Trek Continues, Kerwin brings a unique voice to both screen and stage. In this episode, we delve into his creative process, h...

Joe Zaso is a celebrated independent film actor, producer, and director known for his unforgettable work in cult horror, sci-fi, and action movies. With a career spanning over three decades, Joe has become a staple of the indie film scene, starring in and producing countless low-budget classics that have earned global fan followings. Inspired by Italian horror masters and the gritty charm of DIY f...

Ciro Nieli is an award-winning animation director, producer, and showrunner best known for his work on Teen Titans (Cartoon Network), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Nickelodeon), and The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (Marvel/Disney). With over two decades in the animation industry, Ciro has developed original animated series, directed storyboard tests, and led creative teams at major studios i...

Evette Vargas is an award-winning writer, director, and producer featured in Forbes and named an Artist to Watch by The New York Times . She’s created content for Amazon, MTV, Bravo, and interactive experiences for Fast and Furious , Lord of the Rings , Madonna, and Wu-Tang Clan. Her digital series Dark Prophet , starring Henry Rollins, was Emmy-contending. Vargas currently serves as TV Developmen...

Get ready to dive into the creative mind of Lynn Stevenson , an accomplished film and television producer, director, editor, and writer with a dynamic career across Hollywood and beyond. A San Francisco native , Lynn started her journey as a film editor before moving to Los Angeles , where she joined the prestigious Motion Picture Editors Guild and began producing theatrical trailers for iconic st...

Rachid El Guerrab is an Emmy-winning producer, game developer, and VR storyteller whose groundbreaking work bridges the worlds of film, gaming, and immersive technology. As a key figure behind projects like the Oscar-nominated VR short Pearl and AAA video games like God of War, Rachid has pioneered interactive storytelling in virtual reality, 360° filmmaking, and next-gen gaming. With a career spa...

Born in Pikeville, KY, Matthew Alson Thornbury moved with his family to southern California in the early 80s, where he began acting at age 4. After moving to Texas in 1989 and self-publishing a comic book at age 13, Matthew moved to Indiana in 1997 and attended the NYFA at UCLA at age 16. He majored in Cinema/Television at USC before starting his career creating media where he has produced, direct...

As C.O.O. and Head of Development for Roddenberry Entertainment, Trevor Roth works to develop and produce innovative science-fiction entertainment properties that remain true to traditions of the late Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek. Roth serves as executive producer on the new CBS All Access series Star Trek: Discovery, as well as its upcoming companion series. Spearheading Roddenberry Ent...

In 6th grade, when Grae, aka Ms. Moviefone, was arranging movie outings for all her friends, she picked the movie. Through the years studying film at the University of Texas at Austin, being honored by Sundance and the Director's Guild of America, and working as a filmmaker in Los Angeles, she realized how terrible she was at keeping her opinions to herself. The Popcorn Mafia podcast was born...

Ryan Paul James is an award-winning playwright, TV writer, and screenwriter. He has authored 12 plays that have been produced in various theaters around the world. One critic described him as “the Neil Simon of his generation,” which caught the attention of Simon’s manager, leading to Ryan signing with him.   Ryan has also contributed to several TV shows, and his pilot, The Comeback Kids, has won...