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

Where do you fit in, as a director? That’s what Matt and Oren are talking about on this episode of Just Shoot It!

What does that mean? Think of this: what makes you just the right director for a certain script, or a certain commercial spot? Is it your ability to write quirky quick-paced dialogue and convince people to fund it? Or is it your unique way of shooting walk and talks that makes it easy for agencies to sell you to their brands?

In this episode Matt and Oren share about their journey to find out how they fit in. And that journey starts, believe it or not, with understanding that the journey exists. And that’s why the guys dive into why it can be so difficult to identify the elements of your filmmaking that are unique to your life experiences, point of view, and your personality.

And they also talk about the next step, which might even be harder. And that is, once you know who you are, how do you communicate it through your reel and track-record of projects in a way that makes sense to producers, agencies, and clients?

This is an episode you won’t want to miss that goes into the subtleties a-b-o-u-t your directing, that can be even more important to your success as your director. Not what you do to audiences, but how you get it across to people that can hire you.

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling
Help our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: John Wilson: How To Make a Podcast | Doomscroll https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLhBO-_I34k

Oren's Endorsement: Vehicle Motion Cues iPhone feature https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/iphone-comfortably-riding-a-vehicle-iph55564cb22/ios
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chandler Levack https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5576953 made 3 feature films. One with a $250,000 budget, and the last with a $30 million budget for Netflix. How did that happen?
Matt and Oren dive into how Chandler met Adam Sandler. And the answer is, she made herself the only director for the job.
Check out this amazing story from a Canadian filmmaker!

Help Matts' film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling
Help our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: "Akira" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094625/
Oren's Endorsement: "The Big Picture" podcast episode with Steven Spielberg https://open.spotify.com/episode/6p0EBj4y9VkLfNOcwFUJbP
Chandler's Endorsement: "Dead Lover" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27378311
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Annemarie Jacir has an amazing career that span directing for Hulu’s “Ramy” with comic Ramy Youssef, as well as jurying for Telluride, Cannes, and Sundance. And she chats with Oren and Matt about bringing her latest film “Palestine 36” to life.

Jeremy Irons stars in this Oscar-submitted film, Annemarie’s fourth, that played at TIFF and AFI. Set in Palestine in 1936, this historical fiction weaves between events in recent memory to tell a story about Palestinian villages’ revolt against British colonial rule.

And on the pod, Annemarie shares her love of filmmaking and the pursuit of their 8-year long project, the funding, the controversy, as well as the details and passion behind the production design and architectural accuracy. And she describes a level of commitment and passion far exceeding the Hollywood norm.

Yet when asked if this is a political film, the discussion transcends the cultural flashpoints. You won’t want to miss this episode if you want to understand “what is filmmaking”. Because on this episode Matt and Oren explore that question from perspectives film schools may not.

Find Annemarie on IG @annamariajacir or @palestine36film and the website is Palestine36.com.
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Help Matts' film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling
Help our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: 100 or 1000 Water balloon filler https://www.amazon.com/Water-Balloons-Swimming-Outdoor-Summer/dp/B0GWD8XGWK/
Oren's Endorsement: How to Speak by Patirck Winston, on YouTube https://youtu.be/Unzc731iCUY?si=82KVMF9jIyfDH-n9
Annemarie's Endorsement: A ceramic self-watering device for plants https://www.amazon.com/Reifier-10-Pack-Natural-Watering-Spikes/dp/B0BGQPKLCP
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You know them as BriTANick https://www.britanick.com/ and their latest feature, “Pizza Movie” debuts on Hulu on April 3! Now Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher join Matt and Oren and reveal how they keep new ideas flowing.

These guys have written for SNL and “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and they were the voice of Comedy Central. But they learned a lot shooting this feature, their first departure from a run-and-gun, indie style.

Working with DP Bella Gonzales highlighted both the freedom and constraints that come with a bigger budget. It was different, but at the end of the day, they found a way you can use to keep doing the things you always have, with your “travelling carnival family”.

Matt and Oren chat about the science of timing. What’s the cadence of comedy? Is there a science to timing and beats? And can you boil it down to a unifying theory of timing --- one where scary movies and funny movies are really the same art?

Best of all, there’s some honest talk about that constant feeling of “damn, what I’m seeing isn’t what I’m really, really happy with”. And strategies you can use to move on, and not let it hamper your work.

Follow BriTANick on https://www.youtube.com/c/britanick and https://www.patreon.com/BriTANicK
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Help Matts' film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling
Help our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: the director's commentary for the "The Witch" by Nick Robinson on YouTube

Oren's Endorsement: Go Kart kit for the Gyroor Hoverboard https://www.amazon.com/Rsq-Nylon-Shorts-Black-Medium/dp/B0FBLGQMSY?ref_=ast_sto_dp&psc=1

Brian's Endorsement: "Nasal Fresh MD" nasal flush

Nick's Endorsement: Playboy Magazine's Collection of Interviews With Directors: the Book
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Travis Wood & Alex Mallis are living the director’s dream! Their feature film "The Travel Companion" https://thetravelcompanionfilm.com/ premiered at Tribeca, they have distribution through Oscilloscope, and they’re touring theaters across the country. And now they're on to the next big thing, and this time the goal is to make one dollar on their next film.

And that’s how they start chatting with Matt and Oren about the importance of the metrics and ruler you choose to value yourself. And why that is so important as a filmmaker today.

Ten years ago, there were a lot more outlets looking for films. But if you were around then, you probably remember hearing the same thing about the market ten years before that! Fast-forward to eight years ago, and picture this – that’s the day Travis wrote an email to Oren, hoping to connect and pick his brain about how to get directing opportunities in LA.

Since then, Travis landed a Vimeo staff pick under their belt. And they took an idea they hatched at a film festival and turned it into a feature. But it was far from easy. And man, did they learn a lot about finding financiers, writing dialogue that sounds real, and how to keep having fun through the long years of waiting for people to respond and money to come in.

And Matt really keys in on the advice they have on how to keep control over your filmmaking process, even when everything seems like it’s dependent on others. This is an uplifting episode with a lot of great practical tips and ways to go about your filmmaking process in 2026!

Help Matt's film: https://wefunder.com/badfeeling
Help our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPod

Matt's Endorsement: Kurosawa's "High and Low" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057565/
Oren's Endorsement: The 12-liter dog poop trash can is the ideal size
Travis's Endorsement: Chip's Ahoy Cookies
Aaron's Endorsement: "Teddy Out of Tune" https://www.teddyoutoftune.com/ is re-releasing on Blu-ray
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.