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

Matt & Oren talk about how nice it would be to have a career that drives itself. One where you the money keeps coming in. And the hustle is less.
You might think cruise control means not caring. But that’s not what this episode is about. Matt and Oren want to share some ways to keep caring. Ways to hack your dopamine system to stay motivated, maybe even ambitious.
Is that a bad thing?.
You already know that “hope” is not a business plan. But how can you deal with the depression, or better put, long lulls in dopamine fixes from landing jobs and being on set?
Creating output is definitely one way. And Matt and Oren have a lively chat about whether a short film can help your career as a commercial director. And how you can use a thoughtfully conceived short to your advantage when pitching jobs.
You won’t want to miss this episode if you’ve ever wondered, “Am I the only one not working right now?”

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling
Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: Canva.ai makes decks easier than using Photoshop, Illustrator, and Google Slides.
Oren's Endorsement: Intermittent fasting is really effective for weight loss.

Just Shoot It is co-hosted by comedy commercial directors Matt Enlow (mrmattenlow.com) and Oren Kaplan (directedbyoren.com).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wesley Wang talks about his short film that linked him with Darren Aronofsky – who was dying to convince Wesley to make turn it into a feature. And that’s how Wesley got his script idea to become a Sony Pictures film.
But after landing a spot in “Forbes 30 Under 30”, Wesley decided it was time to buck the studio system and create one on his own. His new studio is a seed fund for content creators making features, shorts, and pilots. The idea is to help filmmakers repeat the kind of success Wesley had at Sony. And that starts by making something audiences notice.
So he launched something like “Project Greenlight” for the internet age. Check it out at wesleywangmedia.com, and pitch your idea. All you have to do is make a 60-second pitch video, and you could land $100,000 in funding.
You won’t want to miss this episode if you’ve ever wondered what it means to be picked up by a big studio and be the overnight success dreams are made of. Does it mean giving up creative control? And is there a secret to navigating the studio process and notes from managers, studio, production, and many others with skin in the game!

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling
Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: "Good Luck Have Fun Don't Die" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1341338
Oren's Endorsement: Season 2 of "Chad Powers", the show https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31449991/ And Furikake Seasoning
Wesley's Endorsement: "The Secret Agent" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27847051/

Just Shoot It is co-hosted by comedy commercial directors Matt Enlow (mrmattenlow.com) and Oren Kaplan (directedbyoren.com).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rick Darge rickdarge.com talks about casting unique faces, running effective callbacks, and methods to find the best actor. And Matt and Oren dive into the secrets behind Rick’s elevated comedic-style, which is as much zany as contained for the brand.
Rick talks about the importance of clarity. So people who want to hire you know what you mean. But also so a spot hits the beats and tell the story in the 15 or 30-second time slot you need to. And Matt and Oren dig into how Rick creates standout commercials, from scripts that started life being average in quality.
Finally, Rick talks about how he turns his passion for running great callbacks, and collaborating with actors so they see the vision of the script, into a method for having great vibe checks, meetings, or pitches when he meets with agencies and brands for new work as a director. You won’t want to miss this episode if you’re wondering how your unique voice can be put to work in spots that fit your own unique passions and wierdness.

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling
Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: Lowes and Home Depot have sales for Halloween and now its the time to buy skeletons on sale
Oren's Endorsement: the Frame Set's video breaking down Rick Darge's Popeye's commercial. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVzItb8xKec
Adobe Premiere has a new AI footage generation tool
Rick's Endorsement: the movie "Buddy" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37281055/

Just Shoot It is co-hosted by comedy commercial directors Matt Enlow (mrmattenlow.com) and Oren Kaplan (directedbyoren.com).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Morris and Carlyn Hudson are back talking about their passion projects. In episode 493, you might remember Carlyn was just about to start shooting and Tom was about to shoot a feature starring his family of five kids. So Matt and Oren chat them up about where they are, what they learned, and how they balanced being working commercial directors with the demands of independent projects.
It starts with a discussion about style – what are the three words that define your style as a director? And Carlyn and Tom share with Matt and Oren the frustration of balancing bias and the need to convey a situation or story in a quick and culturally relevant way.
It’s different in a commercial than in a film. Why? Because there’s more time to tell the story when it’s what people came to watch, like a film or a TV show. But ads have to land quickly.
Commercials, though still very creative and directing them is an art in itself, aren’t what people come to watch. Like, no normal person decides to watch 20 commercials for entertainment. There’s no “20 commercials and chill”.
Taking notes is also much different. And Matt shares a story of vulnerability. And how that can feel challenging when your everyday life is directing work that someone else created. You won’t want to miss this episode if you’re looking to articulate your style as a commercial director, or developing your skills as an indie-filmmaker.

Just Shoot It is co-hosted by comedy commercial directors Matt Enlow (mrmattenlow.com) and Oren Kaplan (directedbyoren.com).
Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling
Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: Plant a tree. Also, passion fruit vines.
Oren's Endorsement: Try to present your edits to clients. And show the cut twice before asking for feedback.
Carlyn's Endorsement: "Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35298123
Tom's Endorsement: India's Tandoori in Burbank, CA on San Fernando Blvd.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mike Davidson, Head of Production at Callen https://thisiscallen.com/, joins Matt and Oren. After years with agencies like Leo Burnett, Wieden+Kennedy, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, and PXP, Mike is happy to be in a role that’s more production-focused while still being client-engaged.
And Matt and Oren chat about his journey from the digital, interactive, and web design side of creative to the TV commercial and production world. And he shares some unique insights that helped him level up as campaigns underwent a transformation to integrated and 360.
For Mike, choosing directors is about finding the right talent who can see the ad's strategic direction, the client’s purpose, as well as how the insanity of the idea is best suited to make things work. And he shares a producer’s perspective on choosing the right person for the directing job. And he describes the often necessary triple bid process, and why it works and sometimes doesn’t.
But Matt and Oren probe Mike on what a producer looks for in a reel. And Mike shares some key insights into what, unfortunately, may be making you appear generic. And it all leads to a fascinating conversation about AI, and how Callen uses AI and LLMs to make their bids more effective while still keeping creative solely the output of a human head.

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling
Join the Just Shoot it Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: "BlackBerry" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21867434/ currently on Netflix.
Oren's Endorsement: "Margo's Got Money Troubles" on Apple TV
Mike's Endorsement: "Patriot", the series on Amazon Prime

Just Shoot It is co-hosted by comedy commercial directors Matt Enlow (mrmattenlow.com) and Oren Kaplan (directedbyoren.com).
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.