Mentors on the Mic: Your guide to pursuing a career in the Entertainment industry

Rosemary Rodriguez is a film and television director. In 2001, she wrote, produced and directed a feature film called Acts of Worship, about a young woman struggling with drug addiction. The film was nominated for, and won, numerous independent film awards and screened at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. In 2015, she directed the film Silver Skies starring George Hamilton. In 2004, she started directed Television on the show Third Watch. Her TV credits are numerous and include Law & Order, Rescue Me, Castle, White Collar, Blue Bloods, The Good Wife, Elementary, Jessica Jones, Sneaky Pete, The Tick, and more.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Her “late start” directing and saving money from her corporate job to fund her first film Acts of Worship

• How Acts of Worship is semi-autobiographical and how living on the streets fueled her in her path

• Her advice for any actor or creative

• Why she was overwhelmed at Sundance and how she started directing TV

• How she beats herself over “wasted time”

• Are directors part of the casting decisions in TV and how long she normally has to prepare for a given project

• How it took 20 years for her to direct a film she hasn’t personally financed

• Her definition of success and why it made me tear up

• How and why being a director informs what she chooses to read

Guest:

Wikipedia IMDB

Twitter: @rosemarydirects

Instagram: @rosemarydirects

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Andrew Calof is the President of Production and Development of Wayfarer Studios, most recently responsible for CLOUDS on Disney+ and led by JANE THE VIRGIN's Justin Baldoni. Prior to joining Wayfarer Studios, Calof served as Vice President of Creative Affairs at Amblin Partners. In his five years with the company he oversaw development and production of tentpole films such as OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY—directed by Josh Gordon and Will Speck—starring Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Kate McKinnon, TJ Miller, and Olivia Munn, as well as GHOST IN THE SHELL, directed by Rupert Sanders and starring Scarlett Johansson.

Prior to Amblin, Calof held the position of Vice President of Production at New Regency, where he oversaw the production of Academy Award-winning Best Pictures BIRDMAN, 12 YEARS A SLAVE, THE REVENANT.

At Paramount, he worked on Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, World War Z, GI Joe: Retaliation, and RANGO. As well as, NOT FADE AWAY and HANSEL & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Working at Paramount on Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, World War Z, GI Joe: Retaliation, and RANGO

• Discussing the particular brand and perspective of different production companies, comparing a New Regency film to a Paramount film to a Disney film to a Netflix film

• How taking bold, calculated risks was integral in producing Oscar winning films at Regency such as BIRDMAN, 12 YEARS A SLAVE, and THE REVENANT specialty movie that’s very commercial

• Best part about working with Amblin for one of his hero and Mentor, Steven Spielberg making films such as OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY, GHOST IN THE SHELL, and an upcoming Tom Hanks film

• His role at Wayfarer, working with Justin Baldoni (Jane the Virgin), and having 30 projects on the slate Ethos of Wayfarer how can they make an impact on the world in a positive way, diverse and disruptive

• How he works at maintaining the balance between the creative team and the executives on set

• Being great at dailies and how he was able to get creative in presenting them

• His favorite part about working in development and what that entails

• Starting off as a PA on an Indie film and how he got his next role

• His definition of success

About the Guest:

Linkedin

Wayfarer Studios Website

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Linda Mendoza is an Emmy nominated, Comedy Director Extraordinaire. Her credits are extensive, directing episodes of Scrubs, Gilmore Girls, The Mindy Project, The Good Place, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Ugly Betty, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Grownish, The Chris Rock Show, Girlfriends, The Bernie Mac Show, The Tick, Liv & Maddie, 30 Rock, and many, many more. She has also been the go to Director for many Comedy specials including Tiffany Haddish (Black Mitzvah and 6 episodes of They Ready), Katherine Ryan, Wanda Sykes, Jamie Fox's Laffapalooza, Caroline Rhea, and various Mark Twain Prize specials (Ellen Degeneres, David Letterman, Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Bill Cosby, Carl Reiner, and George Carlin). She has been nominated for 2 DGA Awards, a Primetime Emmy, a NAACP Award, and an ALMA Award (which she won).

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why she gave up $8k a month to work on SNL

• How Bernie Mac helped her transition into Narrative

• Her new TV Special, Yearly Departed, starring Tiffany Haddish, Sarah Silverman, Rachel Brosnahan, Natasha Leggero (Hosted by Phoebe Robinson) Comedy special features eulogies for the year 2020 with a line-up of all-women comedians discussing everything from casual sex to beige Band-Aids and everything in between that we've "lost" in 2020. - Premiering on Amazon Prime Video on December 30th, 2020

• Her first directing experience

• Her Comedy special 'pet peeves'

• Often being told that she was the first female director that a show has ever had

• Her Mentors, including Bruce Gowers (famous for Bohemian Rhapsody Music video)

• BTS on various Mark Twain Specials and Comedy Specials

• What makes her the best at what she does

• How a Mexican girl from Detroit, who everyone thought was Chinese, made it as a TV director

Resources:

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Mendoza

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0579318/

Yearly Departed: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13321268/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adetroitmendoza/?hl=en

Recommendation: If you like this Episode, check out Episode 1.17 to TV Director Jason Ensler (currently directing HULU's Love, Victor).

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Mentors on the Mic Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Winter Dunn is an award winning producer, director and actress. She produced Numa Perrier’s debut feature film, JEZEBEL which premiered at SXSW 2019 and was awarded Best Narrative Feature at the American Black Film Festival that same year. JEZEBEL has been acquired by Ava DuVernay and is currently streaming on Netflix.

Previously, Winter served as a producer / director for media maven Condé Nast Entertainment. Her celebrity video features for Vanity Fair, Vogue, Architectural Digest, GQ, Allure and other media brands have garnered over 60 million views and counting.

Most recently, Dunn directed season one of SoulPancake, Overbrook and 206 Productions’ upcoming docuseries, “All Her with Angela Rye'' for Quibi. Check out Winter Dunn Productions’ debut film, JUNEBUG, which premiered at the 2020 American Black Film Festival, streaming on FoxSoul and Tubi.

She is a 2021 Project Involve Directing Fellow with Film Independent.

In this episode we talk about:

• Landing her first PA gig for a Black independent production company

• The making of Jezebel from concept and production, to post and delivery

• Manifesting Netflix and SXSW for Jezebel, including what it was like when Ava Duvernay's distribution company ARRAY acquired the film in January 2020 and released it on Netflix.

• Going to SXSW and how the Jezebel team set themselves apart to sold out theaters

• Learning how to be a producer

• Working at Conde Nast and understanding how to execute specific brand voices (including her work with Kim and Kanye (Architectural Digest), Billie Eillish (Vanity Fair's: Same Interview, The Third Year), and more.

• How creating web series content evolved into creating longer form series and features

• Authentic portrayals of POC and the importance of telling Black stories by Black voices

• Her thoughts on being a Directing Fellow with Film Independent

IMDB Website Instagram

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle

Beau Black is currently writing music for 3 shows and 2 TV Features for Disney. He is an Emmy nominated composer, songwriter, musician, voice actor, and producer.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Being nominated for a 2017 Daytime Emmy Creative Arts Award for composing the song “Sisi Ni Sawa” from The Lion Guard

• Writing music for Commercials including m Commercials such as Aveeno (with Jennifer Aniston), Sally Hansen, HP, Google Play, Mercedes, Target, Samsung, McDonalds, Wendy’s

• Working on music for Miles from Tomorrowland (opening song), Penn Zero: Part time Hero (composed with Ryan Shore), The Lion Guard —> went to Number 2 on Billboard’s Top Soundtrack Albums chart, Mickey and the Roadster Racers, The Rocketeer (2019 TV Series) 11 episodes, Mickey Mouse Mixed Up Adventures, Jake and the Neverending Pirates

• Composing 93 songs for Disney's The Lion Guard

• Music Video for theme song for The Lion Guard with over 9 million views

• First album "Meant to Be"

• Singing on stage for thousands as a kid with his Dad, Jay Black from Jay and the Americans (responsible for "This Magic Moment" and "Cara Mia")

Resources:

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beau_Black

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6872541/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/beaublack5

Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQt9M4E4nXA

Host:

Instagram: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneMiller

Twitter: @MentorsontheMic @MichelleSimoneM

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mentorsonthemic

Website: www.michellesimonemiller.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/24mmichelle