Film Disruptors Podcast

Sarah Smith is CEO of Locksmith Animation which she launched with Julie Lockhart in 2014 with backing from Liz Murdoch. Described as the UK’s only high-end feature animation studio dedicated to making films for a global family audience, Locksmith recently signed a major multi-year output deal with 20th Century Fox. In this episode Sarah shares how she built the business, moving into this entrepreneurial space from her career as a multi-award winning director and writer. She also talks about her time as a senior executive at Aardman Studios - where she was not only instrumental in securing a game-changing Sony Pictures Deal but for who she also directed the family classic and box office smash Arthur Christmas. In a wide ranging conversation, we also cover #TimesUp in relation to animation, new tech innovation in the space as well as Sarah’s powerful and practical tips for navigating the Hollywood machine. Discover more about this and other podcasts at www.futureoffilm.live

Alan Gershenfeld is a master storyteller, World-Builder and Game Designer who is currently Co-Founder and President of E-Line Media, an impact gaming company that builds games to help players understand and shape the world. In this conversation we discuss storytelling strategies, new synergies between games and films (Alan also has extensive film experience), VR, AR and the practice of World-Building, as Alan has recently partnered with Alex McDowell’s Experimental Design in this field. And we also talk about Impact and Alan shares the extraordinary case study of NEVER ALONE, showcasing the power of games to drive social change. Discover more about this and other podcasts at www.futureoffilm.live

Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël head up Felix & Paul Studios (@felixandpaul), the Emmy Award-winning immersive media entertainment studio based out of Montreal and L.A. Genuine pioneers of immersive storytelling and VR, Felix and Paul are artists, entrepreneurs and storytellers who originate gamechanging work across a variety of genres in partnership with organisations and individuals including Barrack Obama, Universal Pictures, Fox Searchlight, LeBron James and Cirque du Soleil. In this episode we get ‘under the hood’ of the Felix and Paul's creative and business strategy and explore the future and now of immersive media, including the commercial prognosis for VR in 2019. We also learn about their role as technologists and how the development of new tech in house forms a key function in their quest to create greater immersion and push the boundaries of storytelling. Discover more about this and other podcasts at www.futureoffilm.live

Kamal Sinclair (@kamalsinclair) is Director of the Sundance Institute’s New Frontier Lab Programme and an internationally recognised expert in new storytelling and Emerging Media. In this 2-part interview Kamal reveals how creators are embracing technologies like AI and VR in remarkable new ways to give life to their stories. In a conversation that covers film, arts and technology, we also talk diversity and Kamal eloquently deconstructs some of the pervasive myths and misconceptions around creators and entrepreneurs in technology and media. This is part two of two. Discover more about this and other podcasts at www.futureoffilm.live

Kamal Sinclair (@kamalsinclair) is Director of the Sundance Institute’s New Frontier Lab Programme and an internationally-recognised expert in new storytelling and Emerging Media. In this 2-part interview Kamal reveals how creators are embracing technologies like AI and VR in remarkable new ways to give life to their stories. In a conversation that covers film, arts and technology, we also talk diversity and Kamal eloquently deconstructs some of the pervasive myths and misconceptions around creators and entrepreneurs in technology and media. This is a two part episode. Discover more about this and other podcasts at www.futureoffilm.live

Melissa Silverstein (@melsil) is the irrepressible and inspirational change-maker and founder of Women and Hollywood; the initiative that educates, advocates, and agitates for gender diversity and inclusion in the global film industry. Towards the end of a seismic year in the battle for equality, Melissa shares her uncompromising take on the fight, the industry and what still needs to be done to make change happen. In a wide ranging interview, Melissa also talks about audiences, distribution, the Athena Festival (which she also runs) and shares her inspiring advice for emerging storytellers. Part Two of Two. Discover more about this and other podcasts at www.futureoffilm.live

Melissa Silverstein (@melsil) is the irrepressible and inspirational change-maker and founder of Women and Hollywood; the initiative that educates, advocates, and agitates for gender diversity and inclusion in the global film industry. Towards the end of a seismic year in the battle for equality, Melissa shares her uncompromising take on the fight, the industry and what still needs to be done to make change happen. In a wide ranging interview, Melissa also talks about audiences, distribution, the Athena Festival (which she also runs) and shares her inspiring advice for emerging storytellers. Part One of Two. Discover more about this and other podcasts at www.futureoffilm.live

“It's not tailoring the content for the audience… it's tailoring the audience for the content” Hanno Basse.
 As Chief Technology Officer of 20th Century Fox, Hanno Basse is at the nexus of Film, Tech and Hollywood. In this wide ranging interview, Hanno discusses how new innovations are changing the now and future of a studio; from green-lighting and the production process to distribution and direct-to-consumer strategies. Due to the sheer wealth of information in the interview, this episode is split in two with Part One broadly focusing on production and Part Two on distribution. Discover more about this and other podcasts at www.futureoffilm.live

“It's not tailoring the content for the audience… it's tailoring the audience for the content” Hanno Basse, CTO 20th Century Fox Corp. As Chief Technology Officer of 20th Century Fox, Hanno Basse is at the nexus of Film, Tech and Hollywood. In this wide ranging interview, Hanno discusses how new innovations are changing the now and future of a studio; from green-lighting and the production process to distribution and direct-to-consumer strategies. Due to the sheer wealth of information in the interview, this episode is split in two with Part One broadly focusing on production and Part Two on distribution. Discover more about this and other podcasts at www.futureoffilm.live

Habib Zargarpour is on a mission to revolutionise the film production process. Having been a two-time BAFTA winner and Academy Award nominee at Industrial Light and Magic, Habib then moved into gaming and game design winning awards whilst at Microsoft/XBox and Electronic Arts. Now with his new venture, Digital Monarch Media, Habib is implementing the technologies and strategies he developed in games to revolutionise the storytelling process in film. And he’s been doing this recently to empower storytellers like Steven Spielberg (for READY PLAYER ONE) Jon Favreau (THE JUNGLE BOOK) and Denis Villeneuve (BLADE RUNNER 2049). In this episode of FILM DISRUPTORS, I talk with Habib about how these new technologies liberate filmmakers to experiment creatively, build visual effects in real-time and make efficiency gains across the entire process. As we dive into the future of production, Habib also explains how these strategies can be used for films of all sizes and provides his powerful and compelling advice for emer

Jonathan Taplin has had a remarkable career in film, music, tech and writing including: - Producer of Martin Scorsese’s breakthrough hit Mean Streets (and many other films) - Manager of Bob Dylan and The Band - Founder of the first widely available VOD service (Intertainer) - Author of "Move Fast and Break Things: How Facebook, Google and Amazon have Cornered Culture and Undermined Democracy". In this episode I talk to Jon about his career, his views on the current state of independent film as well as his book "Move Fast and Break Things" and what this means for storytellers and artists in the new digital age. (35 mins) Discover more about this and other podcasts at www.futureoffilm.live

Jessica Lauretti is an artist, entrepreneur and thought leader based in New York City. She was until recently the Global Head of RYOT Studio - the award winning, global, creative studio for Oath. She is an award winning Creative Director and Executive Producer, international keynote speaker and serves on the Advisory Council of Google News Lab's Journalism 360 Program.  In this episode we explore the cutting edge of new storytelling including the future of Virtual and Augmented Reality, Brand Funding and new distribution strategies. Jessica also shares her advice for emerging storytellers as well as her future plans now she has announced her departure from RYOT Discover more about this and other podcasts at www.futureoffilm.live

This episode is a journey into the art of interactive storytelling with storyteller and artist Hervé Cohen. Specifically, we explore the poetic and fascinating work that is LIFE UNDERGROUND, the major new immersive art installation and interactive documentary. Talking to Herve from his studio in the Bay Area. we deep dive into his creative process, revealing how LIFE UNDERGROUND evolved into a multi platform experience - and the unexpected way that the project was funded - which again shows that new models are opening up for original stories and fresh visions. And if you haven't yet, you can experience LIFE UNDERGROUND here: www.life-underground.com.

This episode is a journey into the incredibly exciting possibilities of brand-funded storytelling with Kaaren Whitney-Vernon, Senior Vice President of Branded Entertainment at Shaftesbury. Kaaren is the brains behind one of the most successful branded projects of all time the lesbian-vampire story CARMILLA. Beginning life as a brand-funded web show the story has grown into an award-winning global franchise with a fanbase of millions that has spawned a crowd funded movie as well as a freshly signed book deal! In this conversation, Kaaren explains the exact process of how she partnered with Kotex, the north american feminine hygiene brand, to create a global franchise that not only was 100% brand (and fan!) funded but also that is owned owned exclusively by Shatfesbury. In a masterclass in not just brand funding but also audience strategy, Kaaren explains how she combines the “three Cs” to make compelling original stories that audiences love: Content, Conversation and Commerce. Discover more about this and

Glen Basner is founder and Chief Executive Officer of FilmNation Entertainment, a leading producer, distributor and financier of independent films. The company has quickly become a destination for many of the world's most renowned filmmakers including Denis Villeneuve, Steven Soderbergh, Terrence Malick, Pedro Almodóvar, Woody Allen, Jonathan Glazer, Jeff Nichols, J.C. Chandor, Rian Johnson, Morten Tyldum, Lenny Abrahamson, and John Lee Hancock.

Fabien Riggall is Founder and Artistic Director of Secret Cinema, the organisation that over the past ten years has pioneered an entirely new approach to showing movies. In a wide ranging and revealing interview, Fabien discusses the journey of Secret Cinema over the last decade and shares his vision for the future, including plans to bring SC's unique approach to audience engagement and world building into the production space. In this episode you will discover: - What Baz Luhrmann really thought of Secret Cinema's take on Moulin Rouge - How Secret Cinema have built their vast following and fan base - Secret Cinema's new approach to helping storytellers develop, create and exhibit new works - The insider view on how SC meticulously create their immersive worlds - The highs and lows of the organisation's first decade - Fabien's advice for emerging storytellers

Efe Cakarel is the Founder and CEO of MUBI, the pioneering independent film platform that recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. Joining me from MUBI’s London offices in Soho, Efe discusses his career, entrepreneurship and how MUBI continues to differentiate itself in an ever-evolving film-consumer landscape. In this episode you will discover: The inside story of why MUBI’s $50m China deal collapsed shorty after being announced last year - and how the company has built on that setback Why MUBI is disrupting typical acquisition patterns and buying all rights to new films How Efe went from the Turkish National Maths team to entrepreneurship and starting MUBI How MUBI uses data and programming skills to curate their film selection - and why this model differs from the approach of Netflix and Amazon

This episode is a trip to the forefront of VR storytelling with senior Tribeca curator and founder at Electric South, Ingrid Kopp. In a wide ranging and in-depth conversation with one of the world's leading experts in VR and immersive storytelling, you will discover: - How Ingrid and Tribeca are reshaping the way VR and immersive stories are curated and presented - Why '360 Video', Volumetric and Room Scale VR are so different and how these styles are being taken up by new storytellers - Ingrid's vision for African immersive African storytelling with Electric South - How VR projects are finding finance right now - The influence of Gaming and User Experience Design (UXD) on new storytelling and VR - Ingrid's advice for emerging storytellers Discover more about this and other podcasts at www.futureoffilm.live

This is the Special Extended Edition of my conversation with Alex McDowell, the visionary designer behind MINORITY REPORT, director at The World Building Institute and Professor of Practice at USC. There was simply too much good stuff too cram into the usual Film Disruptors run time so this version includes much more detail about Alex's practice in the art and science of world building, his work with corporations and other media and his career journey. Discover more about this and other podcasts at www.futureoffilm.live

Alex McDowell is the visionary designer behind MINORITY REPORT, director at The World Building Institute and Professor of Practice at USC. In this episode, we discuss Alex's pioneering work in the art and science of 'world building', discovering why this process is so powerful, how it works in practice and the benefits it can bring to projects both artistically and financially. In this episode you will discover: - What World Building is and how it can be scaled to fit all types of projects - Why the process of World Building is inherently non-linear and 'hyper-collaborative' - How Alex and his team developed the powerful and prescient design for Minority Report - How to apply World Building in practice for your project - Alex's advice for emerging storytellers Discover more about this and other podcasts at www.futureoffilm.live