The MAKE IT Podcast

“There are no more Jack Nicholson's. There are no more Marlon Brando's.” - Jessejames Locorriere⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

On this week's episode, we have a conversation with Jessejames Locorriere.

Jessejames is an actor and proud father, and we painted outside the lines a bit in this episode and chat about music, the mentorship of William H. Macy, the odd genius of Joaquin Phoenix, and we ponder the idea of Marlon Brando being a meme.

Jessejames acting career began nearly to 40 years ago when he started his studies at the Lee Strasberg Acting Institute in Manhattan at the age of eight. Years later, he went on to study with the Atlantic Theater Companies’ Practical Aesthetics Workshop at New York University.

With over 50 film/television credits, Jessejames is best known for his work in Ant-Man (Marvel), Banshee (Cinemax), MacGyver (CBS), Sleepy Hollow (FOX), Still The King (CMT), and Turn: Washington’s Spies (AMC).

Currently, you can watch Jessejames as “Henry” in the second season of Ozark (Netflix).
In the coming months, you’ll be able to catch him in the first episode of Dolly Parton Theater (Netflix), The Dead Center, a feature film recently acquired by Arrow Films, and soon he will be making an extraordinary appearance in The Escape Game’s interactive gaming experience, nationally.

Jessejames resides in Nashville, TN, where he teaches acting workshops and coaches actors for film/television.

You can learn more about Jessejames and his work at bonsai.film/filmmaker-spotlight 

New episodes are published every Tuesday.

Listen+Subscribe+Rate = Love 

Enjoy!

Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film or on social and the web at https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative

#MAKEIT

Links:

IMDb

FaceBook

Twitter

Jack Nicholson (actor)

Al Pacino (actor)

Robert DeNiro (actor)

On Golden Pond (film)

Josephine (film)

Rory Feek (writer)

Nashville Film Festival

David Mamet (writer)

Dog Day Afternoon (film)

William H. Macy (actor)

Caroline Locorriere (acting coach)

Nashville Acting Studio

Nashville Repertory Theatre

Ant-Man (film)

Martin Donovan (actor)

Marlon Brandon (actor)

Fargo (film)

Ozark (tv series)

Charlie Chaplin (actor)

Sam Rockwell (actor)

Joaquin Phoenix (actor)

I’m Still Here (film)

Casey Affleck (actor)

Shia LaBeouf (actor)

Heath Ledger (actor)

Alfred Hitchcock (director)

Thunder Road (short)

Thunder Road (film)

Another Version of You (film)

Strategy and Pursuit (film)

IMDb Pro

Sanford Meisner (acting teacher)

Lee Strasberg (acting teacher)

Acting: A Handbook of the Stanislavski Method by Lee Strasberg (book)

A Practical Handbook for the Actor by the Atlantic Theater (book)

Actor’s Access

On this week's episode, we have a conversation with Chad McClarnon.

Chad is a writer, director, producer, and cinematographer known for Daddy's Little Girl (2015), Bear with Me (2014), Still Sophie (2016), and Aembras (2017). Chad started his professional career as a still photographer when he was only fourteen years old. Chad founded Best Part Productions in 2010 with his brother Trey to pursue their lifelong dream of making movies together.

His short Daddy’s Little Girl is available on iTunes, Amazon, Verizon FIOS, and Google Play and his short  Aembras is in the Festival circuit right now; playing at the Rome International Film Festival beginning on November 2nd, 2018.

You can learn more about Chad and his work at bonsai.film/filmmaker-spotlight

Listen+Subscribe+Rate = Love 

Enjoy!

Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film or on social and the web at https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative

#MAKEIT

Ashley is an actress, a survivor, a mother, and a bad-ass rock star. Ashley's latest role is in the Psychological Thriller All Light Will End. She plays Savannah, a best-selling author with a famous mother and a troubled past. Savannah attempts to navigate her life as a writer while protecting her darkest secrets from the world. 

You can also see Ashley in the 2016 film Masterpiece, and the 2018 film Run With the Devil. 

You can learn more about Ashley and her work at bonsai.film/filmmaker-spotlight⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Follow Ashley and let her know how much you love her insights @asheira on #Insta.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

New episodes are published every Tuesday.⠀⠀⠀

Listen+Subscribe+Rate = Love 

Enjoy!

Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film or on social and the web at https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative

#MAKEIT

Links:

IMDb

Instagram

All Light Will End (film)

Ruby Rose (actress)

Ryan Gosling (actor)

AARON MUÑOZ is an actor, writer, producer, arts educator, cigar smoker, facial hair enthusiast, and proud husband & father.

As an actor, he can be seen in STRANGER THINGS, THE WALKING DEAD, CADILLAC RECORDS, CBGB, THE SAURUS, SEARCHING FOR FORTUNE, & ALL LIGHT WILL END. Theatre credits include The SoHo Playhouse (off-broadway), The Actors Theatre of Louisville, Geva Theatre, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, The Studio Theatre, Georgia Shakespeare Festival, About Face Theatre, Theatrical Outfit, & Improv Olympic.

He is the co-writer of LOST LAUGHS: THE SLAPSTICK TRAGEDY OF FATTY ARBUCKLE, which had it’s World Premiere at Merrimack Repertory Theatre, and is the co-creator of 2 HOUSEHOLDS, 2 ASSHOLES: SHAKESPEARE’S R & J, which premiered at the SoHo Playhouse in the New York International Fringe Festival. Muñoz is also the founding Artistic Director of Nashville Story Garden, an incubator for original projects that creates film, theatre and modern media from the ground up. Producer highlights include Mr. Mysterio Podcast (Best of Nashville), Love Song by John Kolvenbach (Critic’s Choice, Nashville Scene) and Once Upon a Time, a literacy project with Nashville Parks and the Nashville Public Library.

He is a proud member of SAG AFTRA, Actors Equity, and 2015/16 recipient of an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Tennessee Arts Commission. Aaron has been nominated for a Suzi Bass Award (Outstanding Lead Actor in A Play, 2014) and is an Associate Artist at Merrimack Repertory Theatre. He holds a B.A. from Columbia College Chicago and an M.F.A. from Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s professional actor training program.

Muñoz currently resides in Chicago with his wife Liz, daughters Mabel & Frances and their two dogs Lemon & Pumpkin.

Learn more about Aaron at the links below:

https://bonsai.film/filmmaker-spotlight

www.aaronmunoz.com

www.nashvillestorygarden.org

www.lostlaughs.com

insta/twitter: @stogiemunoz

Enjoy!

Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film or on social and the web at https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative

#MAKEIT

Links:

Website

Instagram

Twitter

IMDb

Nashville Story Garden (theatre company)

Stranger Things (tv series)

All Light Will End (film)

The Saurus (short film)

Drew Maynard (filmmaker)

Nelsan Ellis (actor)

Chris Farley (actor)

Robert DeNiro (actor)

Sheldon Patinkin (theater director)

Chris Blake (director)

Philip Seymour Hoffman (actor)

Josh was born on March 24, 1988, in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. He is known for the feature films All Light Will End (2018), Strategy and Pursuit (2018) and the web series Almost Balanced Foodie (2018).

Josh also has credits from internationally recognized independent films, music videos, promotional material, and has shot corporate content for clients such as The Boy Scouts of America, Billboard, Juice Plus, and his alma mater, Vanderbilt University. His work has screened and won awards at film festivals both internationally and domestically, including The Nashville Film Festival, Derby Film Festival, Tupelo Film Festival, HorrorHound Weekend, TISH, Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, Nashville Independent Film Festival, and The International Horror Hotel. He has been nominated for Best Cinematography at the 48 Hour Film Festival, the 54 Hour Film Festival, amongst others, and his work has been featured in international magazines and trade publications specifically detailing his use of camera and lighting to augment story and character.
​
In 2018, he co-founded the Nashville Independent Film Festival with director Chris Blake. He currently serves as the Programming Director.

Enjoy!

Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film or on social and the web at https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative

#MAKEIT

Links:

Website

IMDb

Instagram

All Light Will End (film)

Chris Blake (director)

Red Cameras

Roger Deakins (cinematographer)

No Country for Old Men (film)

Skyfall (film)

Emmanuel Lubezki (cinematographer)

The Revenant (film)

Birdman (film)

The Tree of Life (film)

Dan Laustsen (cinematographer)

The Shape of Water (film)

Vittorio Storaro (cinematographer)

The Godfather (film)

Apocalypse Now (film)

American Cinematographer

David Mullen (cinematographer)

The Love Witch (film)

Ask David Mullen Anything (red forum)

Roger Deakins forums

Shane Hurlbut courses

This week we have a conversation with director, writer, and producer Chris Blake. Chris is an award-winning screenwriter and director and in-demand script revisionist. He has done rewrites for indie-films and multi-million dollar features alike. He originally began his career in the music industry in 2007 and played the Vans Warped Tour alongside the bands Paramore and Thirty Seconds to Mars. Chris used that experience to transition into directing music videos.

Chris is also the co-founder of the Nashville Independent Film Festival (NIFF) and currently serves as the Artistic Director. Chris owns and operates Red Vessel Entertainment in Nashville, Tennessee.

Chris directed and wrote his first feature film, All Light Will End, in which Bonsai Creative came on as Associate Executive Producers and Project Consultants. All Light Will End will be available on iTunes on November 2nd.

Enjoy!

Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film or on social and the web at https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative

#MAKEIT

Links:

Instagram

Facebook

IMDb

All Light Will End (film)

The 48 Hour Film Project

Indie Film Producing by Suzanne Lyons (book)

Aaron Sorkin (writer)

Cameron Crowe (director)

Jerry Maguire (film)

Damien Chazelle (writer)

Whiplash (film)

La La Land (film)

Indie Film Hustle

Masterclass

Werner Herzog (director)

Dustin Hoffman (actor)

Helen Mirren (actress)

This week we talk with actor, writer, and photographer Brandon Hirsch. Brandon is a broad guy, and we loved exploring his wisdom. We believe you’re going to love this high-energy episode, too. 

Brandon Hirsch is an actor and producer, known for Atlanta (2016), The Baxters (2018) and Boulevard (2014). He has 40+ credits as an actor including a turn in our feature film #WildMan in the movie’s funniest scene.

You can learn more about Brandon and his work at www.bonsai.film/filmmaker-spotlight

Follow Brandon and let him know how much you love his insights @iambhirsch on #Insta and #Twitter and search “Brandon Hirsch” on Facebook.

Our conversation is available on Apple Podcasts. New episodes are published every Tuesday.

Listen+Subscribe+Rate = Love

Enjoy!

Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film or on social and the web at https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative

#MAKEIT

Links:

Instagram

Twitter

IMDb

Atlanta (tv series)

The Baxters (tv series)

LaKeith Stanfield (actor)

Alan Feinstein (acting coach)

Autumn Bailey-Ford (producer)

Kristopher Wente (actor)

Daniel-Day Lewis (actor)

Denzel Washington (actor)

Cate Blanchett (actress)

There Will Be Blood (film)

Backstage

IMDb Pro

Actor’s Access

Now Available @ApplePodcasts and at our page in our bio (bonsai.film/makeit)

Motke Dapp is an award-winning filmmaker (Director, writer, producer, editor, and sometimes actor, but only sometimes.) He is co-owner of Paper Ghost Pictures, which he runs with his business partner and producer, Ryan Hartsock. He is often hired as an independent director in Nashville, Cincinnati, and around the world.

His feature film  Other Versions of You, which he wrote and directed is currently in distribution via Gravitas Ventures.

Motke's most recent short film, The New Mister Princess, won Best Film and Motke won Best Writer at the 2017 Nashville 48 Hour Film Project. It won 8 awards in total including Best Cinematography, Best Ensemble Cast, Best Wardrobe, and Best Art Direction. It will represent Nashville at Filmapalooza in 2018 in Paris. The film is also the first official selection of the Nashville Film Festival for 2018.

You can learn more about Motke at his website motke.net, or at bonsai.film/filmmaker-spotlight

You can follow his #Insta page @motke and follow his film progression at IMDb and Facebook by searching “Motke Dapp.”

Our conversation is available on Apple Podcasts. New episodes are published every Friday.

Listen+Subscribe+Rate = Love

Enjoy!

Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film or on social and the web at https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative

#MAKEIT

Links:

Website

IMDb

Another Version of You (film)

Everyday Yeti (short film)

Contrary to Likeness (short film)

The 48 Hour Film Project

Dwayne Johnson (actor)

The Fall (film)

Lee Pace (actor)

Micah Simms (cinematographer)

Nashville Film Festival

Green Room (film)

Jeremy Saulnier (director)

Edgar Wright (director)

David Fincher (producer)

Every Frame a Painting (YouTube)

The Royal Ocean Film Society (YouTube)

Lessons from the Screenplay (YouTube)

Masterclass

Letterboxd app

In this week's episode, we speak with actor and writer Ted Welch. He shares his experiences working with and learning from William H. Macy, working in Los Angeles and Nashville, and being at a point in his career in which he can be picky about auditions and roles.

Ted's credits include True Blood, Justified, and The Help. He has created, written, and starred in several shorts, web series, and feature films; including Wild Man (Kate Upton, Christine Woods), All Light Will End (Andy Buckley, Sarah Butler, and Sam Jones), and Web-Series Almost Balanced Foodie (Marissa Kaye Grinestaff). 

He's currently working on Romantic Comedy, The Weekenders, directed by Sabyn Mayfield. 

Enjoy!

Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film or on social and the web at https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative

#MAKEIT

Links:

Instagram

IMDb

Jackie Phillips (producer)

Moonlight (film)

The Florida Project (film)

AWOL (film)

Duplass Brothers

Ethan Hawke (actor)

Denzel Washington (actor)

Bill Murray (actor)

John Hughes (writer)

The Bad News Bears (film)

Sam Rockwell (actor)

Moon (film)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (film)

Robert DeNiro (actor)

Meryl Streep (actress)

Brad Pitt (actor)

Margot Robbie (actress)

IMDb Pro

Masterclass

Bio:

Kali Bailey is a Nashville based Director and Editor who specializes in narrative storytelling. She bought her first camera at age 13 with money she bought picking up pecans in South Georgia and has been making films ever since.

Learn more about Kali on Instagram @whereiskalibailey and on the web at www.kalibailey.com.

Enjoy!

Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film or on social and the web at https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative

#MAKEIT

Links:

Website

Instagram

Aaron Sorkin’s Masterclass

Adobe Premiere Pro (software)

Avid Media Composer (software)

Tatyana Ali (actress)

Steven Spielberg (director)

Andrew Stanton (writer)

Coco (film)

Finding Nemo (film)

Stranger Things (tv series)

Film Riot (YouTube)

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (book)

Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull (book)

Save the Cat by Blake Snyder (book)

In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch (book)

Michelle is an L.A.based actress, comedian, singer, and producer. She has an MFA in acting from the Yale School of Drama, has studied improv and sketch at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade, and currently studies acting with Stephen Book in Improvisation Technique. Michelle performs stand-up comedy at The Comedy Store, The New York Comedy Club, and at The Federal Bar in NoHo where she produces and hosts Get Riffed, a music and comedy show with LA musician Nick Liberatore. A lover of music, she currently fronts an AC/DC tribute band (The ACBGs) and has been known to hop up on the drums on occasion. While she loves performing all genres, she has a not so secret passion for horror.

Michelle also hosts and performs at 'Get Riffed,' a unique music and comedy show created by Michelle and Nick Liberatore taking place at North Hollywood's Federal bar. An unforgettable night of entertainment featuring some of L.A.'s best performers. Veterans include Kevin Nealon, Joe DeRosa, Bonnie Root, and Jodi Miller. The next show is September 6th and features Mary Lynn Rajskub, The AC/BGs, Krista Allen, and more. All profits from ticket sales go directly to every performer. Grab yours now at www.getriffed.com.  For questions or booking inquiries contact sweetbearprodudtions@gmail.com

instagram: https://www.instagram.com/k.michellemcgregor/?hl=en

Enjoy!

Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film or on social and the web at https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative

#MAKEIT

Links:

Links:

Website

FaceBook

Acting in Film by Michael Caine (book)

Screen Actor’s Guild (SAG)

Tom Waits (actor)

Actor’s Access

Backstage

Isaiah Stratton is an actor and director, known for Homeland (2011), MacGyver (2016) and Mr. Mercedes (2017). With a penchant for finding the humanity in damaged characters, Isaiah Stratton is an actor who enjoys tackling roles in both film and television.

Enjoy!

Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film or on social and the web at https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative

#MAKEIT

Links:

Website

IMDb

Jenna Fisher (actress)

Casting Networks

Actors Access

Al Pacino (actor)

Ryan Gosling (actor)

Tom Hardy (actor)

Drive (film)

Lars and the Real Girl (film)

Helen Mirren Masterclass

Warrior (film)

Joel Edgerton (actor)

Making Movies by Sidney Lumet (book)

Rasheed Stephens is a Los Angeles-based Filmmaker and Stand-Up Comedian. Originally born and raised in the poor inner-cities of Atlanta, Georgia, Rasheed moved to Los Angeles California six years ago.  Since his arrival, he has immersed himself into the world of entertainment.  Over the past year, Rasheed has amazingly produced, written, and starred in three feature films (“Coffee & Cabbage”, “Suicide Roadtrip”, and “Induced Effect”) and in four short films all of which are currently circulating the film festivals. 

If you are out in LA, you can often find him and his fellow comedians and filmmakers at The Comedy Store where he is being featured on August 19th.

Enjoy!

Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film or on social and the web at https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative

#MAKEIT

Links:

Instagram

IMDb

Adult Interference (film)

Richard Pryor (actor)

Chris Rock (producer)

Eddie Murphy (actor)

Dave Chappelle (writer)

Jerry Seinfeld (producer)

Denzel Washington (actor)

Sidney Poitier (actor)

Terrence Malick (producer)

Spike Lee (director)

Martin Scorsese (producer)

Quentin Tarantino (writer)

Samuel L. Jackson (actor)

Raised in Riga, Latvia, David Perry is a partner and film producer at a boutique production company, Bella Veritas Productions (a commercial video executive producer at Fivestone Studios). He is also an investor and entrepreneur with a passion for telling extraordinary stories and bringing them to market in innovative ways. 

David has always been diverse, starting four companies ranging from media production to an organic food disruptor. He has produced over nine movies along with countless commercials and interactive experiences including augmented reality, virtual reality, projection mapping, and innovative applications for local and international companies. To his credit, many of these have garnered great success in their respective markets.

David’s focus is on the synergy of compelling stories with financial viability across a growing global audience. As it pertains to investing or producing slates of films, he preaches a diversification strategy for mitigated risk and maximized distribution upside.

David and his wife Elena have a son and daughter, and they reside in Nashville, TN.

Enjoy!

Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film or on social and the web at https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative

#MAKEIT

Links:

Bella Veritas Productions

Five Stone Studios

IMDb

Variety

The Hollywood Reporter

Deadline

Slated

Kickstarter

Kristopher Wente is an actor, writer, producer, and director that recently starred in the feature film, Other Versions of You (Audience Award Winner, Best Feature Film - Nashville Film Festival) and directed and wrote the short film, The Dark.  

You can find out more about Kris on his website www.kristopherwente.com. 

Enjoy!

Questions or Comments? Reach out to us at contact@bonsai.film or on social and the web at https://linktr.ee/BonsaiCreative

#MAKEIT

Links:

Website

Instagram

IMDb

Another Version of You (film)

Blackbird Theater

Alan Powell (writer)

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (book)

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield (book)

The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (book)

Jake Gyllenhaal (actor)

Paul Dano (actor)

There Will Be Blood (film)

Swiss Army Man (film)

Philip Seymour Hoffman (actor)

Joaquin Phoenix (actor)

Paul Thomas Anderson (director)

Edgar Wright (director)

Steven Spielberg (producer)

Guy Richie (director)

Alfonso Cuarón (writer)

Birdman (film)

The Revenant (film)

Sanford Meisner on Acting (book)

Masterclass

Welcome! In this episode, we announce and explain the what the podcast is, when you can start listening, and why we believe the podcast is so essential and how we expect it to help you (the independent creative film).

For more info navigate to https://bonsai.film 

Instagram: _bonsaicreative

Twitter: @_bonsaicreative

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bce-llc