The FilmUp Podcast

A man of many faces, Chris Bartlett has been a professional actor for 18 years. He’s known for featured and main characters in the Star Wars Disney+ universe: The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka and has appeared on LegoMasters, The Oscars, Jimmy Kimmel and The Orville. As a television actor, Bartlett has also specialized in performing through challenging costumes. His most notable character is the iconic C-3PO, originally played by Anthony Daniels. As an adult, he built a career in video games as a User Experience Director in such games as Gears of War, Call of Duty, Tomb Raider as well as several Star Wars projects. Chris is also a big supporter of the The Movember Foundation for men’s mental health, suicide prevention, and prostate cancer You can learn more by going to https://www.movember.com/

Stop motion is oftentimes an overlooked art form. It is something that takes considerable time, patience, and perseverance. Our next guest exudes all of those qualities and more! Please welcome Ben Treat to The FilmUp Podcast!  Ben is the visual artist behind the TikTok channel Franticframes with over 1.6M and 47M likes. Beyond that, he is a stop motion animator, working on projects for brands such as Toyota, Irish Spring, Adobe, Netflix and Samsung. While stop-motion has existed on the internet since its inception, Treat creates animations that are purposefully intricate, involving things like fluid and complicated movement. Almost all animations are followed by a behind-the-scenes TikTok and since each project takes so long to produce, his behind-the-scenes looks are shared as time-lapses. Ben is also a big supporter of Doctors Without Borders, So he is dedicating this episode to their organization. You can learn more by going to doctorswithoutborders.org.

We finally hit 100 episodes! To celebrate the occasion we have the truly revolutionary Paul Scanlan!Paul’s consistently at the forefront of innovation in the film industry. He is an Emmy Award–winning cofounder and CEO of Legion M, the world’s first fan-owned entertainment company. He also cofounded MobiTV, the trailblazing streaming service that earned an Emmy Award and transformed how people consume entertainment. Paul is also a big supporter of The Bob Woodruff Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that our nation’s veterans, service members, and their families have stable and successful futures.You can learn more by going to bobwoodrufffoundation.org and as always, all the details are listed in the description of this episode. We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who's been with us on this journey to 100 episodes. We wouldn't be here without all of the support we've received over the years and especially not without all of the listeners who tune in every week. We love you guys, and we can wait to keep bringing you great stories from great people in the film and television industries!

Today we're excited to be joined by Valentina Vee!Valentina Vee is an LA-based director and cinematographer, originally from Kazakhstan. She started her career as an assistant director for movies like Eric England’s “Get the Girl” and has directed and shot a variety of film and video projects, including "Dracula's Ex-Girlfriend," a Nebula Original. She has also directed and shot two seasons of famed photographer Elia Locardi’s travel show “Moments in Time.” Her commercial clients include Google, Meta, Nike, Adobe, Sony Pictures, and Dell. Valentina likes to create content that raises awareness for causes, encourages positivity, and promotes diversity in front of (and behind) the camera. Valentina is also a big supporter of the Entertainment Community Fund, a non-profit that provides a vital safety net and resources for professionals in the performing arts and entertainment industry, including actors, dancers, musicians, and behind-the-scenes workers. It offers emergency financial aid, affordable housing, healthcare counseling, career development, and senior care, ensuring stability and supporting the cultural vibrancy of the U.S. by addressing the unique challenges faced by these creative professionals. It provides financial assistance, housing, and healthcare to more than 17,000 individuals each year.You can learn more by going to entertainmentcommunity.org

A masterful storyteller, Henry Hobson is known for his epic narratives that challenge and engage the senses. From concept to edit, he creates richly cinematic story worlds that explore the depths of the human psyche using powerful character-driven performances.His award-winning body of work includes spots and campaigns for Adidas, Apple, Audi, Gillette, Pepsi, PlayStation, Reebok, the Marines, Under Armour, Xbox, and others. He has earned awards ranging from Cannes Lions, D&AD Pencils, AICP awards, and One Show accolades to a Director of the Year nomination by Shots magazine. Henry’s feature directorial debut, Maggie co-starting Arnold Schwarzenegger and Academy Award nominee Abigail Breslin, received praise at the Toronto, Tribeca, and Berlin Film Festivals. Henry is a big supporter of the non profit Women for Afghan Women. It’s a grassroots civil society organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of disenfranchised Afghan women. To learn more about ways to help, visit https://womenforafghanwomen.org.

Welcome back to The FilmUp Podcast - we are excited to kick off Season 6 with the talented Enora Hope. Enora is a 25-year-old French-American filmmaker, writer, and director. Self-taught, she began using digital platforms as her entry point into the film industry. Her short film The Last Wave, which explores domestic violence and the silence surrounding abusive relationships, received an award at the Nikon Film Festival. She also directed Kallisti, a near-future anthology short examining technology, control, and emotional dependency. Enora is currently developing her first international feature film and a television series, with work focused on social issues and the impact of technology on human relationships. With a combined following of over 2 million users. Enora Hope is also a big supporter of the Malala Fund, a non-profit dedicated to championing every girl’s right to 12 years of education. By investing in civil society organisations who are challenging the systems, policies and practices that prevent girls from going to school in their communities, the Malala Fund complements their efforts by advocating to expand and protect girls’ right to secondary education and secure resources for education.You can learn more by going to malala.org

Nicholas Jacobson-Larson is a Los Angeles-based musician and screenwriter. He is is Michael Buble’s musical director, arranger and conductor. With Michael, he has collaborated with a diverse array of artists and producers including Paul McCartney, Jon Batiste, Jason Derulo, Willy Nelson, Hannah Waddingham, Jimmy Fallon, Leon Bridges, Greg Wells and Bob Rock. As a film composer, he has written scores for the Oscar-winning QUEEN OF BASKETBALL, and dozens of other films directed by Ben Proudfoot for Breakwater Studios and the New York Times. He has also composed scores for Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, Annapurna Pictures, FX, Syfy, Now This, Funny or Die, Red Bull, Unity, Stept Studios, Microsoft, Oakley, The North Face, Columbia, Charles Schwab, and others.As a conductor, Nicholas has led recording sessions for LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND (Netflix), AMERICAN CRIME STORY (FX), THE HATE U GIVE (Twentieth Century Fox), and many other film and television projects, as well as live concertsAs a screenwriter With his writing partner Dalton Leeb, Nicholas wrote the screenplays for ENDURANCE (Netflix), HOT WHEELS (Warner Bros), THE FALL (Amblin), and THE FISHERWOMAN (Stampede) directed by Brian Kirk and starring Emma Thompson, Judy Greer and Marc Mancheca. THE FISHERWOMAN is currently in production for a 2025 release. The duo also wrote the 2017 Blacklist script, STRONGMAN, and have multiple other film and television projects in development. Nick is also a big supporter of the LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT EDUCATION FOUNDATION specifically the arts and music education, a non-profit that is committed to equitable arts access. Supporting the expansion of music and arts programs changes students' lives.You can learn more by going to https://lausdedfoundation.org/

Today we are thrilled to be joined by Michael J Ferns!Michael J Ferns has been obsessively making films since he was just 12 years old… with a “Best Director” Scottish BAFTA already under his belt by the age of 16. Starting out in TV entertainment and drama, (with two further BAFTA nominations) He has a natural ability to tell performance-led stories that has translated into his commercial work, having directed global campaigns for some of the world's biggest brands (Dove, Wren, Domino's, Budweiser, LinkedIn, Johnny Walker to name just a few). Blending cinematic photography with dynamic camera movements, he’s quickly becoming a very sought after name in the world of commercials in both the UK and beyond. He also has a feature film in development with some exciting people attached.Michael is also a big supporter of the The Weekend Club a non profit which organizes community and connection events for refugees and asylum seekers in his home city of Glasgow Scotland

American internet celebrity, filmmaker, VFX artist, podcaster, and competitive gamer, Freddie Wong! He is an award-winning film and television director with over a decade of experience behind the camera, specializing in action, comedy, and the occasional horse. He is best known for creating the viral, three-season cult classic Video Game High School, as well as the Hulu productions Dimension 404 and the incredible sRocketJump: The Show. Most recently, his feature film We’re All Gonna Die premiered at SXSW in 2024. Additionally, he can be heard on the popular tabletop RPG podcast Dungeons & Daddies.Freddie is a big supporter of - NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. You can learn more by going to https://www.nami.org/

Are you a fan of Mr. Beast or his latest show on Amazon, Beast Games? Well then you are going to love our next guest! Please welcome Jason Elliott to The FilmUp Podcast. With 21 years of industry experience, he started from the ground up as a cable wrangler and worked his way through nearly every aspect of video production. His expertise spans live events, ENG, multicam, sports, commercial, food, short and long-form narratives, reality, and IRL content.In late 2021, he joined MrBeast when the channel had 65 million subscribers. At the time, there was no formal camera team—only freelancers. He became the head of Camera for MrBeast’s main YouTube Channel where built and led the team, introducing new techniques and technology that helped shape its evolution. By the time of his departure, the channel had grown to 353 million subscribers.His latest accomplishment was serving as the Series DoP for Beast Games which is the largest competition show ever created. He worked to redefine competition TV, blending genres and crafting something entirely new.Jason is a big supporter of - Sharing Excess a non-profit that is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that uses surplus food to address food insecurity. You can learn more by going to: https://www.sharingexcess.com/

Arielle Zakowski is a film editor whose most recent movie, Sean Wang’s DÌDI (弟弟), won the Audience Award at its Sundance Film Festival premiere and was released theatrically to much critical acclaim. Arielle’s previous film, Sony Pictures’ screen-life thriller MISSING, was a massive creative editorial undertaking that earned nearly $50 million at the box office. Arielle also has extensive experience in documentary editing - she cut Dan Chen’s Emmy-nominated feature doc ACCEPTED, as well as David Gelb’s WOLFGANG for Disney - both of which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. She has also edited episodes of the Netflix shows CHEF’S TABLE, MAKING A MURDERER, and TRIAL BY MEDIA. Arielle has spent over a decade in the commercial/music video world where she was named a Rising Star in the industry by Shots Creative. Her short form work has been recognized by the Cannes Lions, the Emmys, and film festivals around the world.Arielle is also a big supporter of the Our Big Kitchen LA which makes and distributes meals to the food insecure around Los Angeles.You can learn more by going to https://woodstocksanctuary.org/

Jordan Brady has directed four feature films, (“Dill Scallion”, “Waking Up In Reno”) three full-length documentaries (“I Am Comic” trilogy), one Netflix comedy special (Maria Bamford) and 1300 commercials.A stand-up comedian in a prior life, he’s credited with originating the now-ubiquitous phrase “Bow Chicka Bow Wow” in the 80’s. In the 90’s, he hosted game shows on MTV, NBC and Comedy Central. His short return to stand-up was in 2016 to perform in Afghanistan for our U.S. troops while filming ""I Am Battle Comic."" Brady donated 100% of the profits from the film to veterans and military families.He’s the founder of both True Gent & Commercial Directing Film School and hosts the filmmaking podcast "Respect The Process."Jordan is also a big supporter of the Team Rubicon - a non-profit that is an all veteran/all volunteer disaster response team.You can learn more by going to https://teamrubiconusa.org/

In 2021 Alex Disenhof proudly joined the ranks of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), making him the youngest active member. Since his first breakthrough in the industry as the cinematographer for Michel Gondry’s 2012 Cannes Film Festival feature THE WE AND THE I, Alex has lensed over a dozen feature films and television shows spanning diverse genres. Highlights include the biggest budget television show in history - THE LORD OF THE RINGS: RINGS OF POWER, the cultural phenomenon WATCHMEN for HBO, an ASC Award nomination for his work on the pilot episode of THE EXORCIST, two Camerimage nominations (2020, and the 2014. His work in independent cinema has also featured films screened at the aforementioned Cannes, Sundance, Tribeca, Camerimage, and SXSW. In recognition for his work, Alex was named in Variety's ""Below the Line Impact Report"" in both 2014 and 2016, and in 2021 he became the youngest active member of the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers. Alex is a passionate storyteller who thrives in a collaborative environment. He believes that the values of respect, empathy, and kindness are just as important as artistic excellence in every project that he takes on. When he isn’t on location, Alex enjoys reading, snowboarding, hiking and biking with his wife Jacqueline and their children Abe and Juno and their two dogs Prim and Escobar. Alex is also a big supporter of the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary which is the Hudson Valley's home for rescued farm animals. You can learn more by going to https://woodstocksanctuary.org/

"Sklenar is best known for his breakout role as ‘Spencer Dutton’ in Taylor Sheridan’s 1923 for Paramount+ (the second prequel to Yellowstone), in which he stars opposite Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. The show broke records as the most-watched premiere ever on Paramount+. Most recently, Sklenar can be seen in Sony’s film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel It Ends With Us in the role of Atlas Corrigan. The film released on August 9, 2024 and grossed over $300 million at the global box office. Up next, Sklenar will be seen in Blumhouse and Universal’s upcoming thriller, Drop, and in the highly anticipated season 2 of 1923. In 2022, Sklenar won the “Best Actor” award at the Vienna Independent Film Festival for his role as Sean Graves in Futra Days. Additional credits include playing the role of Burt Reynolds in the series The Offer opposite Miles Teller; Adam McKay’s films Vice as Bobby Prentace; and Midway as George Gay.Brandon is also a big supporter of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence ., a non-profit that is dedicated to to leading, mobilizing and raising their voices to support efforts that demand a change of conditions that lead to domestic violence.You can learn more by going to https://ncadv.org/

Some might know him for his work on HBO's Def Poetry.Rafael Casal is a critically acclaimed Writer, Producer, Actor, and Poet. He made his Feature debut in "Blindspotting," which he wrote, produced, and starred in. The celebrated film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where Lionsgate won a major bidding war for the film. The movie was later turned into a series for Starz and Rafa was the Showrunner, Co-Creator, Writer and reprised his film role of Miles. He acted opposite Hugh Jackman in the Emmy-winning HBO film "Bad Education" and Ethan Hawke in Showtime's "The Good Lord Bird." He wrote music for the Apple series "Central Park". And you can see him most recently in Loki on Disney+. Rafa is also a big supporter of the BAVC - Bay Area Video Coalition, a non-profit that is an evolving coalition of passionate creators, activists, independent makers of all mediums and everyday people, effecting change one story at a time. You can learn more by going to www.bavc.org.

Welcome to The FilmUp Podcast, Your Home For All Things Filmmaking. I'm Aryeh, founder of FilmUp and with Co-host Nick Mahar, we we explore the journey of accomplished filmmakers and their road to success. Each podcast episode is dedicated to a non-profit of our guest’s choosing to both highlight our interviewee’s passion outside of filmmaking and bring awareness to a good cause. Our goal is to use Film to move the world Up - FilmUp. Come join us for this week's episode and let's explore the world of filmmaking together.

Bryan is a Grammy Nominated and award winning Brooklyn based director. He is a director, editor and writer working with artists like The Black Keys, James Bay, and James Arthur. He's gained notoriety for his original creative direction with artists and brands and has had work featured on CBS, Funny or Die, NPR, NOWNESS, Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. Bryan was also nominated for a People's Choice Country Award for "In Your Love" which is the first country music video to portray gay love on screen. Bryan is also a big supporter of The Trevor Project, an organization focussed on suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ young people. Providing information & support to LGBTQ 
young people 24/7, all year round. So he is dedicating this episode to their organization. You can learn more by going to https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Please welcome the fitness legend himself, Don Saladino to The FilmUp Podcast! Don has coached actors, athletes, & musicians for over 20 years. He has developed a reputation for training some of the biggest names in Hollywood for the big screen. Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Jake Gyllenhaal, John Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Anne Hathaway, Sebastian Stan, Liev Schreiber, Hugh Jackman, & David Harbour are among his roster of clients. He has been tapped as a fitness expert in publications such as Muscle & Fitness, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, & Men’s Fitness. He has also been featured in People, US Weekly, Origins, In Touch, Cosmo, & Shape; and has made appearances on The Today Show, Page Six TV, People NOW, E News, & WebMD. He sits on the advisory board of Men’s Health Magazine. Don lives in New York with his wife, Mel, and their two children, Amelia and Donny Jr. - & their pups Rigatoni & Sambuca. Don is also a big supporter of The Don Monti Memorial Research Foundation, an organization focussed on easing the pain and suffering of their patients, to help their families at a time of great need and ultimately to find a cure for all cancers... So he is dedicating this episode to their organization. You can learn more by going to https://www.donmontifoundation.org/

Get ready for a fun episode to kick off the new year!! Please welcome Wendy Kurtzman to The FilmUp Podcast! Wendy is an Emmy-nominated casting director who has helped launch the careers of many well known actors including such notables as Sandra Bullock, Reese Witherspoon, Patrick Dempsey and Evan Rachel Wood. She has more than 30 years of experience in feature films, movies for television, mini-series and theater and has worked with many distinguished directors such as Paul Schrader, Diane Keaton, Sally Field and Roland Emmerich, for whom she cast the blockbuster “Independence Day,” starring Will Smith. Prior to starting her own casting business, she was a casting executive at Lifetime and NBC. She began her career as an actress in musical theater and graduated with a degree in theater from UCLA. In 2013 Wendy launched College to Career Acting, to help emerging BFA/MFA artists navigate the transition from Academia into the Entertainment Industry. Her experience as both a performer and a casting director afford her a unique perspective into what it takes to succeed as a performer. Recently, Wendy joined PhilmCo Media as Head of Casting while also serving as Faculty at UCLA and Pace University where she teaches personal narrative, audition technique and transition to the Industry. Wendy is also a big supporter of ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE CIVIL RIGHTS LAW AND COMBATS ANTISEMITISM. So she is dedicating this episode to their organization. You can learn more by going to adl.org

Today we are thrilled to be joined by Keaton Heinrichs, Chris Williams, & Gary Marshall. Keaton, Chris, & Gary are some of the incredible executives behind Nant Studios. NantStudios is a state-of-the-art full service production ecosystem comprised of traditional, broadcast and virtual production stages. The company is based in Los Angeles with two campuses in Culver City and El Segundo. Past projects including,Avengers Endgame, Deadpool, WestWorld Season 1, and much more. A bit more on our Guests: Keaton - Before his tenure at NantStudios, Keaton honed his skills while working full-time at BoulderLight Pictures, a production and foreign sales company celebrated for its recent success BARBARIAN (2022). During his time at BoulderLight, Keaton assumed the roles of Creative Executive and Director of Foreign Sales. His responsibilities encompassed discovering talented directors and writers, nurturing feature- length scripts, overseeing nationwide film productions, and orchestrating international sales at renowned markets such as Cannes and AFM. Chris - With over 25 years industry experience, Chris started his career in visual effects as a Digital Artist, then moved to become a Digital Effects Supervisor working on various projects including, Sky Captain and World of Tomorrow. He later became the co-founder of Unit Eleven where he served as a Previs Lead (previsualization lead) on the Transformers franchise with Michael Bay. With a wealth of previsualization supervising experience under his belt, he moved onto The Mandalorian series where he has been developing revolutionary virtual production tools and utilizing real time technology to create innovative workflows for LED volume content. Working as Virtual Production Supervisor on over 40 projects at Nant Studios the further push for innovation contnues as Head of Production. Gary - Hailing from London, Gary has enjoyed a 20+ year multi award-winning career spanning feature film, commercials, games and location based entertainment. Coming up through the ranks of the 2000’s Soho post scene at MPC London, Gary went on to join the “Avatar” crew in 2009 at Weta Digital, New Zealand, where the first virtual production (VP) revolutions were taking place. That immersion in ground breaking production techniques eventually lead Gary back to London, where alongside luminaries of the industry Alfonso Cuaron, Chivo Lubezki and Tim Webber, Gary would lead the Framestore VP effort for “Gravity”. Here, he accelerated the adoption of real-time technology both as a visualization tool, and as an in-camera VFX solution. These novel workflows would sow the seeds of contemporary ICVFX LED workflows. Going all-in on real-time rendering, Gary relocated to NYC and led Framestore’s 2016 “Field Trip to Mars'' project - the single most awarded campaign at Cannes Lions ever. Answering the siren song of Hollywood, Marshall moved to Los Angeles and spent the next 4 years at Disney’s Advanced Research Group and leading The Third Floor’s global R&D team building bleeding edge real-time theme park attractions and VP tools, before joining NantStudios in 2020 to build the VP studio campus of the future. Nant Studios is also a big supporter of Walk to End Alzheimer’s through the Alzheimer’s Association. Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, Walk to End Alzheimer's is the world's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's care, support and research. So they are dedicating this episode to their organization. You can learn more by going to ACT.ALZ.ORG.