Catalyst Storieroad

E11 - Festival Podcast Lounge: Breakdowns

Brittany Parker joins us in the 2021 Festival Podcast Lounge to discuss the short comedy, Breakdowns. 
 
Logline: Breakdowns is a mockumentary style digital series about Patty Lee Casting, a Minneapolis-based film and commercial casting office that pines for the good old days when the local film industry was booming.

E10 - Pitch World: Week Two - Pre-Pitch & Intros

It's week two of our new series of Pitch Classes with Carlo Gonzales-Moss! This episode focuses on PRE-PITCH & INTROS.
 
In this series, Carlo will teach you everything you need to know about the entire pitch process and will reveal the format and structure that he uses for each and every one of his pitches.
Carlo Gonzales-Moss is the Founder and CEO of MARANTY MEDIA, the startup that he created in order to demystify the art of pitching for creators all over the world. Prior to founding Maranty, Carlo was a successful writer, producer, and executive specializing in comedy and animation. He most recently served as the SR. DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AT THE RUSSO BROS’ OCTOPIE STUDIOS and CCO AT EXTRA CREDIT STUDIOS, the animation studio he co-founded in 2013. In the past, Carlo has developed, sold, and produced television and digital properties with a wide variety of partners, including NBCUNIVERSAL, WARNERMEDIA, VERIZON, TWITTER, CHARLIZE THERON, ERIC ANDRE, RONDA ROUSEY, FREEFORM, and SYFY, among others. Along the way, he also created THE MOST POPULAR GIRLS IN SCHOOL, an independent stop-motion series that ultimately became one of Youtube’s most popular and impactful scripted series ever, boasting more than 150 million views and 1 million subscribers.

E09 - Indie Panel: Casting Director Insights For 2020 Actors

Casting Directors, Erica Arvold & Cathy Reinking, and Actors Tonia Jackson & Miles Mussenden, chat about how industry experts are navigating the changes in today's casting process.
 
Topics include:
The New Future: * What are the permanent changes to the casting process going forward?* How does it impact the working process with producers? * Are there specific equipment/expenses actors should be incurring to best adjust to the new casting world? 
The Production Backlog: * How will production re-open in staggered stages around the country. How is this gap affecting the casting process? * How can actors adjust their routines to auditions as often as possible?* Advice you've received from the union and guilds.
Artistic Tips: * How should actors adjust their craft to this new casting method? * What are some general principles that have NOT changed?
Special thank you to our Institute sponsors: WDSE-WRPT & the National Academy of TV Arts & Sciences

E08 - Festival Podcast Lounge: Blue Cup Cafe

Shantal Freitas joins us in the 2021 Festival Podcast Lounge to discuss Blue Cup Cafe. 
 
Logline: Blue Cup Cafe is a dramedy series based on the book Blue Cup Cafe. It tells sweet and ordinary stories through the eyes of Aurora, the Waitress.

E07 - Indie Panel: 1 Digital Series With 1 Billion Views

The Catalyst Story Institute proudly presents: 1 Digital Series with 1 Billion Views. The story of how It's a Southern Thing went viral.
 
Learn from the team behind the series and pick up some tips on how to make your next series reach millions. Adam Schwartz, Matt Mitchell, Luke Porter, and Talia Lin are the primary team behind 'It's a Southern Thing's' viral comedy shows including "So True, Y'all," "The Kevin & Diana Show," and "Bless Your Rank." It’s a Southern Thing’s social channels have nearly 4 million followers and an average reach of 35 million people per month and more than 1 billion annual viewers. It’s a Southern Thing is a Birmingham, Alabama based media brand that serves up relatable humor, inspirational people, and fascinating stories that break the stereotypes and show the South as the culturally rich, diverse, down-home place it really is.
 
Thank you to WDSE-WRPT in Duluth and the National Academy of TV Arts & Sciences for supporting Catalyst Storieroad.

E06 - Pitch World: Week One

In this series, Carlo Gonzales-Moss will teach you everything you need to know about the entire pitch process and will reveal the format and structure that he uses for each and every one of his pitches.
 
Carlo is the Founder and CEO of MARANTY MEDIA, the startup that he created in order to demystify the art of pitching for creators all over the world. Prior to founding Maranty, Carlo was a successful writer, producer, and executive specializing in comedy and animation. He most recently served as the SR. DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AT THE RUSSO BROS’ OCTOPIE STUDIOS and CCO AT EXTRA CREDIT STUDIOS, the animation studio he co-founded in 2013. In the past, Carlo has developed, sold, and produced television and digital properties with a wide variety of partners, including NBCUNIVERSAL, WARNERMEDIA, VERIZON, TWITTER, CHARLIZE THERON, ERIC ANDRE, RONDA ROUSEY, FREEFORM, and SYFY, among others. Along the way, he also created THE MOST POPULAR GIRLS IN SCHOOL, an independent stop-motion series that ultimately became one of Youtube’s most popular and impactful scripted series ever, boasting more than 150 million views and 1 million subscribers.

E05 - Festival Podcast Lounge: Anthony Crawford - The Man The South Forgot

Tiffany Jackman swings by the 2021 Festival Podcast Lounge to discuss her documentary, Anthony Crawford: The Man The South Forgot. 
 
Logline: A Young African American Woman journeys to her ancestors’ South Carolina hometown to find out what tragically happened to her great-great grandfather Anthony Crawford. 

E04 - Catalyst Spotlight: Daniel Willis

Daniel is a writer/director who draws on his experience growing up on Chicago’s south side. He is a 2018 Film Independent Project Involve Directing Fellow and 2017 Sony Pictures Television Directing Fellow. His short films and television projects have screened at festivals around the world including The HBO Short Film Competition at ABFF, Urbanworld Film Festival, The Global Impact Film Festival, The LA Film Festival, The Chicago International Television Festival, SeriesFest (Best Writing - Public Housing Unit), The New York Television Festival, and ITVFest (Best of Fest - Public Housing Unit). Wednesday, Daniel’s latest short film, has been licensed by HBO. Daniel’s TV directing credits include ABC’s The Rookie, NBC’s The Blacklist, and ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy. On the writing front, Daniel recently served as Story Editor for two Lena Waithe produced comedy series: Twenties and Boomerang. Daniel will next direct 2 episodes of the new Freeform drama Cruel Summer. Wanna know how directing TV is different from film or how Daniel built on his Best of Fest win with us? Tune in to find out! This program is brought to you by Catalyst Storieroad's partners: the National Academy of TV Arts & Sciences and WDSE-WRPT Duluth, in collaboration with our individual donors. 

E03 - Indie Panel: Micro To The Max

How do you maximize your low budget production? What factors must you consider when choosing where to spend your money? Daymaker Productions Founder & CEO, Sofia Monroe, and Writer/Director, Dinh Thai, give us the inside scoop. 
 
Topics include:
What are the most important line items on a low budget production? What are common omissions?
What percentage of a buffer does a project need for unforeseen expenses?
Line Producer vs. UPM
Are there benefits (contractual, festival, etc.) to keeping a budget below a certain threshold?
Beyond crowdfunding and investors, what are other pathways to financial support?
Should a first time creator fit the budget to the vision, or the vision to the budget?
Thank you to Catalyst Storieroad's partners: the National Academy of TV Arts & Sciences, WDSE-WRPT Duluth, and Careers in Entertainment founded by Will & Jada Smith Family Foundation.

E02 - Festival Podcast Lounge: Adjunto

Felix Piñeiro & Rafael Franco discuss their short drama, Adjunto, in the 2021 Catalyst Content Festival Podcast Lounge.
 
Logline: A struggling artist in Chicago battles becoming a junkie again as a hurricane strikes his native Puerto Rico, while a new job forces him to overcome his public speaking fears.