Best Sean McNulty Podcasts (2025)

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How ‘Wicked’ Women Saved the Movies 32:58

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3h ago32:58

32:58

After ignoring weeks of theatrical disappointments, moviegoers fell under the spell of Wicked: For Good last weekend to the tune of almost $150 million in North America. Who does the industry have to thank for that total? Women, who made up 70 percent of the opening audience. Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey examine how the fairer sex ha…

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The Clock Strikes Midnight for Warner Bros. 34:48

8d ago34:48

34:48

How long before Warner Bros. becomes another studio swallowed up by David Ellison? With final bids for WBD due this week, all eyes remain on Paramount Skydance — despite the Comcast and Netflix red herrings. Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey break down why a Paramount–Warners mash-up now feels less like speculation and more like destiny. …

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BONUS EP: ‘The Rushfield Lunch’ with Mike De Luca & Pam Abdy on Making Box Office History in the Face of ‘Surreal’ Criticism 56:27

12d ago56:27

56:27

In this special bonus Ankler Agenda episode, Richard Rushfield chats with Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co-chairs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy about their journey to Warners, their record-breaking year at the box office and why their strategy paid off on hits from ‘Sinners’ to ‘Superman’ — all in the face of relentless negative headlines abo…

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AI Warning Signs — and How Hollywood Invited the Enemy Inside 36:33

15d ago36:33

36:33

Hollywood had its eyes on Web Summit Lisbon this week — where Tilly Norwood creator Eline van der Velden joined Ankler Media EIC Janice Min to showcase her AI “actress.” But Wild Sheep Content CEO Erik Barmack, our Reel AI columnist, tells Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey that the fixation on Tilly misses the far more consequential story…

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Bari Weiss, MS Now & the Sad Battle for the Last TV News Viewer (Age: 70) 42:52

22d ago42:52

42:52

Election Day had New York City’s Gen Z cheering in the streets as proud socialist Zohran Mamdani crushed the Democratic establishment (in the form of disgraced state governor-turned-flop independent candidate Andrew Cuomo) in the mayoral race. But as election results from New York, New Jersey, Virginia and elsewhere poured in Tuesday night, who was…

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Hollywood Alarm as Recession Indicators Rack Up 32:55

28d ago32:55

32:55

Thousands of jobs lost at Paramount Skydance and Amazon, quiet panic on the Warner Bros. Discovery lot, shoot days in L.A. on a continued decline — all while streaming churn, anecdotally, is becoming worse than ever as subscription prices skyrocket. As Hollywood embraced the most terrifying part of the industry during Halloween week — mass layoffs …

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Coming Soon: "Ankler Agenda with Elaine Low" 0:51

22d ago0:51

0:51

This Thursday, "The Ankler Podcast" relaunches as "Ankler Agenda," hosted by Elaine Low. Elaine, author of Ankler Media’s popular “Series Business” newsletter, will be joined weekly by her Ankler colleagues Sean McNulty, Natalie Jarvey and Richard Rushfield, in addition to a variety of expert guests, to break down the headlines, trends and creativi…

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Emergency Pod: WBD’s Endgame Era Begins 33:19

22d ago33:19

33:19

Another week, another industry-warping Hollywood shake-up. As Warner Bros. Discovery plants a “For Sale” sign in its yard, a Streaming Wars endgame is being unleashed. Is the billionaire class going to snap its fingers, Thanos-style, and squeeze the number of major studios through another round of M&A? Or is salvation coming instead for a storied s…

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The Shocking Revenge of Reality TV 29:35

1M ago29:35

29:35

A show filmed in real time, airing almost daily, and pulling in billions of viewing minutes a week? Prestige TV could never. But Love Island USA and other reality juggernauts are proving America is enamored again with the once declining genre. Elaine Low, Natalie Jarvey and Sean McNulty break down the market forces leading to this TV plot twist wor…

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10 Showrunners Shaping TV — Right as GPT-5 Rewrites Everything 29:48

2M ago29:48

29:48

The strangest thing about the new iteration of ChatGPT? The sudden and full-throated embrace by once-squeamish execs and writers, says Reel AI columnist Erik Barmick (just ask around about the “GPT-5 pass”). Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey dig into how writers and producers are using GPT-5, which jobs likely will vanish, and how guilds …

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Hollywood's Gen Z Blindspot, Starring Taylor Swift 29:42

2M ago29:42

29:42

Forget the government shutdown — President Trump is back to targeting entertainment, from YouTube’s $24.5 million settlement with him to a floated “100 percent tariff” on foreign-made films. Host Elaine Low, Sean McNulty, and Natalie Jarvey parse what a “Made in America” movie even is anymore, while Gen Z correspondent Matthew Frank (writer of our …

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Kimmelgate: 6 Days That Shook Disney 28:21

2M ago28:21

28:21

Six days. That’s all it took for Jimmy Kimmel to be yanked off the air by Disney under FCC pressure — and then rushed back after Hollywood revolted. Now Trump is circling, affiliates are defying ABC in a game of chicken, and Disney’s succession drama involving negotiators Dana Walden and Bob Iger is suddenly back in the spotlight. Elaine Low, Sean …

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Emergency Pod: The Kimmel Crisis & What’s Next 34:43

2M ago34:43

34:43

Late on Sept. 17, the news broke: Disney’s Bob Iger made the decision to “indefinitely” suspend one of its marquee stars, Jimmy Kimmel of Jimmy Kimmel Live! from ABC. The news followed FCC chair Brendan Carr’s suggestion that the federal agency would move against the company if its leadership didn’t take action against the host’s remarks about Char…

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The Netflix of Microdramas: Who Gets There First? 32:07

3M ago32:07

32:07

There’s a multibillion-dollar business growing right under Hollywood’s nose: microdramas, those soapy, 60-second episodes Gen Z binges on their phones with storylines that can sound like bad 'Twilight' fan-fiction. Vertical dramas are a booming market in China, and now entertainment vets stateside like Lloyd Braun and Susan Rovner are getting in on…

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Summer Duds, Fest Buzz: What the Hell is Happening to Movies 32:38

3M ago32:38

32:38

From Telluride mountaintops to Toronto’s Tim Hortons, awards season is officially here. Before jetting to TIFF, Prestige Junkie’s Katey Rich joined Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey to dissect the quirks of each fest and how they influence not just Oscar voters but box office, too. Plus: the crew autopsies a limp summer box office that fe…

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Love, Loss & Drama: Swift, Netflix, Paramount 29:46

3M ago29:46

29:46

And here you thought Hollywood might coast into Labor Day. Instead, summer’s final days delivered both the inevitable — Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s engagement — and the unexpected: Netflix OG veteran Peter Friedlander’s exit after 14 years. Elaine Low, Natalie Jarvey and Sean McNulty break down the business stakes of both before running through…

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How TV Became a 24/7 Sports Bar 31:06

3M ago31:06

31:06

Comedies, dramas, animation and reality may be Hollywood’s bread and butter, but when it comes to what Americans actually watch the most, it’s live sports — and now, an avalanche of shoulder programming to support it. As ESPN, NBCU and Amazon spend $76 billion on NBA games alone over the next 11 years, Manningcast spawns imitators and sports docs a…

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‘And Just Like That’... Streamers Want Rom-Coms, Agents Want Creators 30:24

4M ago30:24

30:24

It’s the end of an era — again — as the surprise finale of And Just Like That has fans bidding farewell (once more) to Carrie Bradshaw & Co. Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey share their takes on the messy send-off (spoiler warnings!), and why Hollywood romance isn’t going away like Aidan just yet. In fact, the once-dormant rom-com is in …

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Apple's ‘F1’ Brand Slam & Disney+’s Streaming Shakeups 29:00

4M ago29:00

29:00

Brad Pitt, fast cars and Expensify receipt management software logos: Three things that go great together… when you’re shoring up millions to fund your F1 movie. On this week’s episode, Dealmakers’ Ashley Cullins breaks down how ad viewing is down but brand spending is up in hits from F1 to Superman to Jurassic World Rebirth in ways that go far bey…

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Aidan Moore & The Redeemer Ukulele Group #29 - The Salvation Show 44:04

4M ago44:04

44:04

We're joined by Aidan Moore, a passionate ukulele enthusiast and SNA teacher at Redeemer Boys School in Dundalk and 4 of his music pupils for some chat and ukulele songs. Aidan founded the Redeemer Ukulele Group in 2018, providing free ukuleles and lessons. Teaching weekly at the Redeemer Community Resource Centre, he fosters creativity and connect…

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WBD Divorce, Netflix 'KPop' Frenzy: Film’s Split Screen Summer 33:37

4M ago33:37

33:37

After just three years, the newlyweds known as Warner Bros. Discovery are headed for splitsville. Who gets the house? The dog? Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey break down the Hollywood divorce — including the surprising answer to which new company (Warner Bros. or Discovery Global) is making more money, why the film studio is laying off …

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Gen X Career Crisis & Colbert Collapse 36:36

4M ago36:36

36:36

What do Stephen Colbert and an entire generation of Hollywood veterans have in common? They're both facing abrupt career disruption. Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey explore the existential crisis facing Gen X, as careers stall out amid consolidation, AI and a Boomer blockade — and reveal what’s coming next for millennials. Then, Lesley …

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Tony O'Kane #28 - The Salvation Show 1:07:41

4M ago1:07:41

1:07:41

Tony O’Kane, a Dundalk legend, shaped local football, hospitality and music. As Dundalk FC chairman in the early 2000s, he rescued the club from financial strife, paving the way for future success. With his wife, Dympna, he ran the Century Bar, a cultural hub hosting community events and music. A 1960s showband star with the Young Vikings, O’Kane r…

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The Epic Cable TV Swap Meet Begins 31:39

4M ago31:39

31:39

Elaine Low and Lesley Goldberg dive into the world’s biggest media swap meet about to start: the great cable TV sell-off. They reveal who’s selling the declining assets, who’s actually buying them and why. Elaine is also joined by Natalie Jarvey, Sean McNulty and Katey Rich, who keep score of the recent Emmy noms including the triumphs, snubs and w…

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Meet the 'New Paramount': Cindy, Crumbling Cable & Chaos 31:18

5M ago31:18

31:18

As the Paramount–Skydance merger lurches toward an Oct. 4 deadline, Elaine Low, Sean McNulty, Lesley Goldberg and Ashley Cullins break down the latest on who’s in, who’s out, what Cindy Holland will do when she takes creative control of Paramount+ as expected, and Hollywood buzz about “New Paramount”: Who’s actually buying shows and who’s riding ou…

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Druckmann Ditches HBO: ‘The Last of Us’ Faces a Creative Apocalypse 30:13

5M ago30:13

30:13

We kick off this holiday weekend on The Ankler Podcast with Matthew Frank exposing a rebellion brewing in film schools, where young cinephiles are shunning AI, while their mentors encourage them to embrace the new technology. Later, Sean McNulty breaks down the box office battles this July 4th, with Jurassic World Rebirth trying to take pole positi…

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Liam Gaynor #27 - The Salvation Show 1:11:08

5M ago1:11:08

1:11:08

In this episode we sit down and have a chat with Liam Gaynor - a beloved figure who brings Dundalk's heritage to life for tourists and locals alike. He has been leading walking tours with EPSO Dundalk for several years, with a focus on showcasing vibrant murals and the towns rich history. Also available to watch on Youtube - https://youtu.be/e2tAI_…

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Now It’s Spotify vs. YouTube — Plus Personal Struggles Post-L.A. Fire 30:06

5M ago30:06

30:06

This week: Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey unpack a wave of moves shaking up Hollywood. First, the team dissect Spotify’s latest push into video, including a leaked pitch deck showing the platform’s aggressive play to lure creators from YouTube — and what it means for the future of podcasts, revenue models, and digital windowing. Then, …

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'Broadcast Is Dead’ Isn’t a Hot Take—It’s Josh Richards’ Business Plan 24:45

5M ago24:45

24:45

Live from Cannes Lions, Like & Subscribe editor Natalie Jarvey interviews creator Josh Richards and CrossCheck Studios CEO Chris Sawtelle about building a Gen Z media empire on the back of TikTok stardom. “I don’t mean to be dramatic here, but broadcast television is dead,” Sawtelle, a former ICM agent, said to a packed crowd at ADWEEK House at Le …

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YouTube vs. Netflix: Rumble on the Riviera 32:22

5M ago32:22

32:22

On the ground at Cannes Lions, Janice Min and Natalie Jarvey join Elaine Low to break down the big Rumble(s) on the Riviera. First up: YouTube CEO Neal Mohan fired back at Netflix's Ted Sarandos in Janice’s newsmaking interview (come for the fight, stay for the sports, pod and AI talk); then it was all those creators stealing the thunder (and money…

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TV Tales: How ‘The Traitors’ Broke Through & Upended Reality 33:41

5M ago33:41

33:41

In the final edition of this season’s Hollywood Stories, Richard Rushfield got to talk about "The Traitors" — a show of which he is an unapologetic superfan — with executive producer Mike Cotton, the man who brought it to both the U.K. and U.S. Originally a Dutch format, Traitors landed in Cotton’s hands when he snapped up the rights and then “took…

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Creator Coup: CEO Neal Mohan on YouTube Beating Netflix Without Buying a Single Show 38:48

5M ago38:48

38:48

Live from Cannes Lions, Ankler Media CEO Janice Min hosts a rollicking, wide-ranging conversation with YouTube CEO Neal Mohan about the platform’s growing dominance — both on TV screens and across culture — as ad dollars and audience swing decisively toward creators and away from traditional entertainment. Now that YouTube claims a larger share of …

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Swipe, Pay, Cry: A $5 Billion Boom in 60-Second Soaps 30:01

6M ago30:01

30:01

Green shoots are rare in Hollywood these days, but some writers and actors are cashing six-figure checks in a format as questionable as its new Luigi Mangione series. Welcome to the world of microdramas: 60-second, phone-first serialized soap operas. Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey unpack the sudden rise of white-hot vertical series. Ho…

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TV Tales: 'Penis, Penis, Penis, Me' — Comedy Legend Nell Scovell Tells All 39:36

6M ago39:36

39:36

In this week’s Hollywood Stories, Richard Rushfield sits down with TV comedy legend Nell Scovell — creator of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and writer for everything from The Simpsons to Late Night with David Letterman. Before breaking into TV, Scovell sharpened her voice at Spy and Vanity Fair, where editors Kurt Andersen and Graydon Carter taught her…

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TV’s Top Directors: ‘Good American Family,’ ‘Severance,’ ‘Zero Day’ & ‘The Pitt’ 1:06:50

6M ago1:06:50

1:06:50

In this bonus episode of The Ankler podcast, the second of tworecorded live on May 18 at L.A.'s DGA Theater, The Ankler and the DirectorsGuild of America bring you a series of insightful and memorable conversations — presented by Threads — about the art of directing for television. You’ll hear Lesley Goldberg’s interview with Liz Garbus, who direct…

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TV’s Top Directors: ‘High Potential,’ ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ & ‘Hacks’ 50:00

6M ago50:00

50:00

In this bonus episode of The Ankler podcast, recorded live on May 18 at L.A.'s DGA Theater, The Ankler and the Directors Guild of America bring you a series of funny and memorable conversations — presented by Threads — about the art of directing for television. Lesley Goldberg interviewed Alethea Jones, who helmed the pilot for ABC freshman hit “Hi…

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Now Renting: 8 Million Sq Ft of Sadness 31:24

6M ago31:24

31:24

L.A. may have lost its crown as the world’s production capital, but it’s still sitting on 8 million square feet of sound stages. So what to do with all that excess space? Think bar mitzvahs, weddings, YouTubers and cover shoots. Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey explore how L.A.’s sound stages are the new dead malls and what that means fo…

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The 'American Idol' Pastor Who Helped Katharine McPhee and More Stars Shine 34:44

6M ago34:44

34:44

In this episode of Hollywood Stories: Tales From Television, Richard Rushfield takes us back to the heyday of the original “American Idol” in the aughts and early 2010s, when the Fox juggernaut dominated conversation everywhere from “Howard Stern” to the “Today” show and produced megastars like Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. But there was one…

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Mubi vs. Marvel: A New High-Stakes Film Era 31:36

6M ago31:36

31:36

Big-name agents haven’t been this bullish on indie film in years, while Marvel can barely crack $450 million per movie. So what’s changed? Dealmakers’ Ashley Cullins joins Elaine Low and Sean McNulty to dissect why optimism surged out of Cannes, and how Mubi, fresh off a splashy $24 million acquisition for Jennifer Lawrence’s latest, is viewed as a…

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Bruce Vilanch and the Wild World of 1970s Variety TV Spectaculars 44:36

6M ago44:36

44:36

For the second episode of Hollywood Stories’ sophomore season, Richard Rushfield talks to the brilliant and bawdy Bruce Vilanch, known as the longtime joke purveyor extraordinaire for the Oscars (plus the Emmys, Tonys and more). But before he became the go-to for Hollywood galas, Vilanch got his start in writing for the big variety shows and specia…

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Netflix, Disney+ & YouTube: The Fight to Babysit Your Kids 31:00

6M ago31:00

31:00

Netflix just picked up Sesame Street, but this isn’t just about Elmo. It’s a calculated move in the high-stakes fight for kids’ attention — and future subscribers. Elaine Low, Natalie Jarvey and Sean McNulty dig into why streamers like Netflix and Disney+ are doubling down on branded kids content while others quietly exit, and why Paramount+ has un…

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TV Tales: 'Big Mouth' Creators Nick Kroll & Andrew Goldberg Tell (Almost) All 57:36

6M ago57:36

57:36

Hollywood Stories is back! The Ankler pod series returns, this time focusing on untold tales from the world of TV as shared by the people who work in its trenches. In this debut episode of season two, Richard Rushfield hosts a revealing, in-depth interview with four creative minds behind Netflix’s hilarious, animated (but decidedly not-for-little-k…

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Upfronts: Less Glitz, Higher Stakes & a Fierce Fight to Win 31:55

7M ago31:55

31:55

Ad fab? Not quite. Still, even as the Upfronts lose glitz, stakes remain sky high. Ad buying happens year-round now, sure — but with Netflix, Amazon, and YouTube crashing the party and sports commanding ever-higher premiums, TV’s annual dog-and-pony is still a spectacle, drawing Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey to the scene in New York. …

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The Week Trump Terrified Hollywood 31:42

7M ago31:42

31:42

Really believe Trump wants to bring production back stateside? Or that California Gov. Gavin Newsom can work with him to do it? Think again, says Richard Rushfield, who joins Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey to break down the fantasy of a tariff or federal incentive, the impact already from the trade war, Newsom’s failings that precipita…

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What Deals in 2025 Reveal So Far 31:22

7M ago31:22

31:22

Overalls, first-look pacts and original films are making a comeback — on paper, at least. Deal volume is up, but value is down. And that original film revival? It’s starting to come from outside the studios. Ashley Cullins joins Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey to unpack her two-part series on current deal trends, from Sinners’ mid-budge…

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How Webtoon Is Building an IP Gold Mine 37:15

7M ago37:15

37:15

Natalie Jarvey, author of Ankler Media's creator economy newsletter, Like & Subscribe, sits down with Webtoon Entertainment COO David J. Lee and Wattpad Webtoon Studios' global head of entertainment, David Madden at NAB Show in Vegas. In this bonus episode they explore how Webtoon plans to expand the market for digital comics in the U.S. through Ho…

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Hollywood Jobs 2025: Good, Bad & Who’s Hiring 30:47

7M ago30:47

30:47

The rare creative exec job posting inspires a mad scrum, and TV writers are scrambling to get staffed. So Hollywood, why not consider the creator economy next door? Elaine Low, Sean McNulty and Natalie Jarvey discuss both how to stand out in traditional Hollywood, and how to stand out if sliding over to one of the many proliferating creator studio …

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IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT DOING IT, LISTEN TO THIS... (Mental Health) 2:55:08

7M ago2:55:08

2:55:08

Please read: Hi Everyone, My name is Christopher Antich and I want to say thank you for checking out this very important episode of People Talking Sitting Down (PTSD). If you are new here, People Talking Sitting Down is a men's mental health podcast, which started two years ago to raise awareness for the issues men deal with in silence, and to dest…

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AI, Hollywood and New Worlds of Storytelling 41:59

7M ago41:59

41:59

Hollywood writer and producer David Goyer — known for “Blade,” “Foundation” and his writing on Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” Trilogy — explores new formats of storytelling that are bridging the gap between AI and traditional entertainment through his latest franchise project "Emergence" and the AI-powered platform Incention, powered by the …

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Reality Check: Inside Non-scripted TV with Top Execs 40:46

7M ago40:46

40:46

The Ankler gets real about what’s happening in nonscripted TV, a diverse and thriving industry that includes documentaries, talent/competition/game shows and of course, reality TV. Boardwalk Pictures founder Andrew Fried, Pantheon CEO and Velvet Hammer co-founder Jen O’Connell, Propagate founder Howard Owens and Wheelhouse president of entertainmen…