Episode 65: Fran Lucci, Production Consultant, Options Trader

Fran is currently a Production Consultant, with a background in Production, Accounting, Marketing, and Music. She is also an options trader and she explains the whole thing. It’s a bit intimidating. Fran is both brilliant and talented. I have always said math and music are different sides of the same coin, and she proves this out.

Some lessons from musical theatre stick with you forever: when someone asks you if you can do something, the answer is always YES! (And then you sure better figure it out for real.)

If you agree to take something on, you take it on 100%.

…..and we may or may not sing.

Episodes 31 &33: The Women of Brothers and Sisters

This was my first panel, and I loved it.  I sat down with the following women who ran the show Brothers and Sisters which aired on ABC for 5 years:

Sarah Caplan – Executive Producer

Suzanne Geiger – Unit Production Manager/Co-Producer

Cynthia Pusheck – Cinematographer/Director of Photography

Sally Sue Beisel-Lander – 1st Assistant Director/Co-Producer

Denny Dugally – Production Designer

Ida Lee Henderson-Williams – Production Accountant

Melina Root – Costume Designer

We talked about everything from what it was like to work on a female team, the changing landscape of the business, sexual harassment, salary negotiation, and getting the band back together.  They were very forthcoming and I really felt like they let me in on something special.

And Sarah baked us a cake.  As you do.

It will be presented in two episodes. 

Episode 28: Nadja Rutkowski, Distribution Executive

Nadja is Senior VP, Sales, Marketing & Operations at Terry Steiner International. As such, she places films on airplanes and with the military. A worthy endeavor indeed, and yet perhaps the least interesting thing about her. She grew up in a divided Berlin and is still dealing with her immigration issues after being in the US for more than 20 years. She has a valuable perspective on immigration and on our current political climate.

This was recorded a couple of weeks after the election, but I don’t think much has happened since to assuage her concerns. Let me know what you think.

Episode 27: Penelope Spheeris, Director

Penelope Spheeris is a film Director. She is known for two parallel careers - one is of the Wayne’s World and studio picture variety, and the other is of The Decline of Western Civilization series about the Los Angeles Punk Rock scene. Basically, she is rock and roll. You can read up on her here.

We talked about her making omelets for Lorne Michaels as he told her about this live comedy show thing in New York he was thinking about doing. How she taught this kid Albert Brooks about filmmaking while he taught her something about funny.  How Richard Prior told her she was pregnant. You know, the usghe.

And, you can’t help who you fall in love with.

Episode 26: Lydia Dean Pilcher, Producer

Lydia is an Executive Producer and is the Founder and President of the production company Cine Mosaic. Her many credits include Queen of Katwe, Here One Minute, The Sisterhood of Night, You Don’t Know Jack, Amelia, The Darjeeling Limited, Iron Jawed Angels, Hysterical Blindness, just to scratch the surface.

Lydia is also a member of the Producers Guild of America and started their Women’s Impact Network.  She was key in producing the Ms. Factor Tool Kit which serves to debunk the many myths around the notion that female-driven content is not commercially viable. She also teaches a class at NYU that sounds so juicy, I may re-enroll.

She defines “badass” as this: not being afraid to be effectively subversive.  May we all be badasses.

Episode 25: Lia Dosik Carney, COO

Lia is the COO of the newly formed company, Topspin Content. She is also the former SVP of Production at Discovery Studios. She steadily worked her way up in the business, learned how to negotiate on her own behalf, and recently took a giant leap of faith. And she did it while raising twins.  No easy task. 

We talked about her journey, the benefits of coming from a long line of badass women, and how most things circle back to the need to be liked. And this: She who is brave is free.  That one got me.  Tattoo worthy, don’t you think?  

Episode 24: Karen Evans, Talent Manager

Karen is a Talent Manager. She manages mostly comedy writers, which makes sense, because she is very funny herself. Not to overplay it, but I think this episode is hilarious.  It’s like a little holiday treat, full of merriment and good laughs, more than it is a serious exposé of sexist Canadian radio hosts. 

Although it is that, too.  Karen started in radio, in Canada, with pink hair. She made it all the way to the morning show, where she laughed indulgently at whatever the male co-host said, and cheerfully took home 1/3 of the pay.

The way she tells it is much funnier.

She talks about her path to Los Angeles, to motherhood, and to a much more satisfying career, where she is the boss lady and works in her garoffice.  And did you know….whereas America is a melting pot, Canada is a mosaic?