On Production

Wrapbook

Join Cameron Woodward, Co-founder at Wrapbook, to discuss the intersection of creativity and commerce, and what the future holds for the production industry in commercial, film, TV, and more.

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S1 · E98
Tuesday · 47 min
Why Production and Festival Strategy Are the Same Job featuring Neil Champagne
Cameron sits down with Neil Champagne, Head of Development at Tinygiant, to unpack how an independent film moves from a promising script to a major festival and why that strategy starts much earlier than most filmmakers realize. Neil has over a decade of producing experience spanning television and independent film. His TV credits include Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (BBC America), Unspeakable (CBC/Sundance Channel, named a New York Times Best Series of 2019), Fargo (FX), The Girlfriend Experience (Starz), and Blackstone (Netflix). At Tinygiant, he oversees creative workflow across the company's commercial and scripted work, bridging story, capital, and execution. Under his leadership, the company has earned multiple New York Times Critics' Picks and maintains a 98% Rotten Tomatoes average across its film slate. Using Tinygiant's latest feature, She Keeps Me Young, which premiered in the U.S. Narrative Competition at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival, as a case study, Neil walks through the realities of producing a low-budget indie with an ensemble cast, finding locations that satisfy both the creative and financial demands of the film, and building a production model nimble enough to make ambitious work at the sub-$2 million level. The conversation then goes deep on festival strategy: why Neil is thinking about a film's festival fit from the moment he reads the script, how timing and programming tendencies shape submissions, why simply submitting to dozens of festivals is rarely enough, and what producers can do to ensure their film actually gets seen. He also breaks down the role of sales agents, publicists, earned media, and relationships with programmers once a film begins moving through the festival ecosystem. Ultimately, Neil makes the case that production and go-to-market strategy shouldn't be treated as separate disciplines. The creative identity of a film, including who directs it, what it's about, and who it's for, should be quietly informing every decision along the way, from scheduling and casting to which publicist you hire and which programmer you're sending your press release to. The festival premiere isn't where that thinking starts. It's where it surfaces. The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are solely their own and do not reflect the views of Wrapbook, its employees, or affiliates. ABOUT WRAPBOOK Wrapbook is the AI platform for production finance. Built for today’s fast-moving production landscape, Wrapbook brings payroll, spend, and accounting into one AI-powered system, giving production teams the tools they need to do more, faster. Built for features, TV, or commercials, Wrapbook helps the industry’s biggest production companies stay compliant, track every dollar in real time, and eliminate the paper-chasing that slows everything down. AI handles the busywork, reading invoices, flagging issues, and syncing data, so your team can focus on the work that really matters. But software is only half the story. Wrapbook pairs powerful automation with concierge support from industry experts who’ve worked on set and know what’s at stake. It’s how the best production teams scale smarter, protect their budgets, and keep their crews happy. See how Wrapbook is a force multiplier for production finance teams at www.wrapbook.com.
S1 · E97
August 11 · 37 min
Building a Sustainable Future for Indie Film featuring Jon Reiss & Marjan Safinia
Cameron sits down with Jon Reiss and Marjan Safinia to examine the structural challenges facing independent filmmaking—and why many of the assumptions that shaped the last two decades no longer hold. Jon is a filmmaker, author, and media strategist whose book Think Outside the Box Office has become a key resource for independent filmmakers thinking seriously about audience building and distribution. Through his company 8 Above, he creates custom audience-building strategies, theatrical experiences, and digital release campaigns for independent features and documentaries—and actively distributes films himself, most recently bringing The Librarians to over 200 theaters. He has consulted with hundreds of filmmakers and organizations worldwide, helped run the IFP/Gotham Filmmaker Lab for a decade, and founded the 8 Above Distribution Lab to teach filmmakers how to distribute and market their work. Marjan is an Iranian documentary filmmaker whose work—including Seeds and But You Speak Such Good English—has played at over 100 international festivals and been broadcast across North America, Europe, and the Arab world. She is the longest-serving president of the International Documentary Association and the only woman of color to have led the organization since its founding in 1982. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Documentary Branch and a Sundance Catalyst Fellow, she is also a board member of Chicken & Egg Pictures and co-hosts The D-Word, a leading online documentary community. Jon is also the co-founder and board president of the Future Film Coalition, formed in 2025 to unite independent film professionals and organizations in building collective power, securing visibility, and shaping public policy that ensures U.S. independent filmmaking continues to flourish. Marjan is an active member of the coalition. In this conversation, Jon and Marjan discuss how financing, distribution, discoverability, and audience behavior have fundamentally shifted—and why the biggest challenge facing independent filmmakers today isn't getting a film made, but building a sustainable path for it to reach an audience. They explore why distribution thinking needs to begin at the development stage, how marketing and audience strategy have become inseparable from production, and why the changing economics of streaming and theatrical exhibition make direct audience relationships more important than ever. Finally, Jon and Marjan discuss the Future Film Coalition's broader advocacy work, including efforts to address media consolidation, strengthen tax credit programs across the country, and make the case to policymakers and regulators that independent film is a significant economic force in communities across the United States. The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are solely their own and do not reflect the views of Wrapbook, its employees, or affiliates. ABOUT WRAPBOOK Wrapbook is the AI platform for production finance. Built for today’s fast-moving production landscape, Wrapbook brings payroll, spend, and accounting into one AI-powered system—giving production teams the tools they need to do more, faster. Built for features, TV, or commercials—Wrapbook helps the industry’s biggest production companies stay compliant, track every dollar in real time, and eliminate the paper-chasing that slows everything down. AI handles the busywork—reading invoices, flagging issues, syncing data—so your team can focus on the work that really matters. But software is only half the story. Wrapbook pairs powerful automation with concierge support from industry experts who’ve worked on set and know what’s at stake. It’s how the best production teams scale smarter, protect their budgets, and keep their crews happy. See how Wrapbook is a force multiplier for production finance teams at www.wrapbook.com.
S1 · E96
July 28 · 35 min
What Modern Production Finance Actually Demands featuring Jeff Caruso
Cameron sits down with Jeff Caruso, Wrapbook's SVP of Studio Sales and Success, for a candid look at where production finance has been—and where it needs to go. Jeff's path to Wrapbook is anything but theoretical. He started in hands-on production roles before moving into production finance at Summit Entertainment, then spent nearly 13 years at Cast & Crew helping studios and streamers manage the business side of their productions at scale. That combination—set experience, finance expertise, and deep familiarity with the tools the industry has relied on—gives him a uniquely clear-eyed view of why those tools have started to fall short. The conversation covers the real cost of fragmented systems and manual workflows: not just inefficiency, but risk that shows up at the worst possible moments. Jeff talks about what modern production finance actually demands, why budget-building that once took weeks is on the verge of taking hours, and what he's seen happen when technology and service fail to move at the speed of production. But the episode doesn't end with technology or trends. Jeff makes the case that no platform replaces the person who picks up the phone, understands the pressure, and says "I'm going to fix this for you." Because at the end of the day, a paycheck isn't just a paycheck—it's someone's car payment, their mortgage, their kid's tuition. The stakes are that real, and the people supporting productions need to treat them that way. The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are solely their own and do not reflect the views of Wrapbook, its employees, or affiliates. ABOUT WRAPBOOK Wrapbook is the AI platform for production finance. Built for today’s fast-moving production landscape, Wrapbook brings payroll, spend, and accounting into one AI-powered system—giving production teams the tools they need to do more, faster. Built for features, TV, or commercials—Wrapbook helps the industry’s biggest production companies stay compliant, track every dollar in real time, and eliminate the paper-chasing that slows everything down. AI handles the busywork—reading invoices, flagging issues, syncing data—so your team can focus on the work that really matters. But software is only half the story. Wrapbook pairs powerful automation with concierge support from industry experts who’ve worked on set and know what’s at stake. It’s how the best production teams scale smarter, protect their budgets, and keep their crews happy. See how Wrapbook is a force multiplier for production finance teams at www.wrapbook.com.
S1 · E95
July 14 · 43 min
How AI Is Changing the Green Light Decision featuring Tobias Queisser
Cameron sits down with Tobias Queisser, CEO and co-founder of The Cinelytic Group, to explore how AI is changing decision-making across the entire content lifecycle from development and packaging to marketing, distribution, and monetization. Tobias brings a unique vantage point to this conversation. Before co-founding The Cinelytic Group, he spent a decade as an investment banker advising on complex international M&A deals, co-founded a global investment fund in London, founded Arctic Pictures Limited as an international film production company, and co-founded Cosmo Media Labs, producing TV shows, games, and Web3-based brand experiences. That cross-industry background—finance, technology, and entertainment—is exactly what drove him to build the tools he felt the industry was missing. While much of the industry conversation around AI focuses on content creation, Tobias argues that some of the biggest opportunities sit on the business side. Drawing on his M&A background, he explains why filmmaking has historically lacked the analytical tools common in other industries, and how forecasting models, audience intelligence, and decision-support systems can help producers better understand risk before costs lock in. Cinelytic's proprietary models have achieved 97% accuracy on early 2026 domestic box office forecasts and are used to track streaming performance, franchise trends, and predictive signals for sequel success across major releases. The conversation covers everything from script evaluation and talent packaging to release strategy, windowing, marketing analytics, and audience sentiment, including a look at SocialSense360, The Cinelytic Group's real-time tool for tracking audience reactions to trailers and campaign content. Tobias also discusses how forecasting models should be used—not as a replacement for creative judgment, but as a way to test assumptions, explore scenarios, and bring more clarity to the business decisions surrounding a project. Please note: The views and opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are solely their own and do not reflect the views of Wrapbook, its employees, or affiliates. ABOUT WRAPBOOK Wrapbook is the AI platform for production finance. Built for today’s fast-moving production landscape, Wrapbook brings payroll, spend, and accounting into one AI-powered system—giving production teams the tools they need to do more, faster. Built for features, TV, or commercials—Wrapbook helps the industry’s biggest production companies stay compliant, track every dollar in real time, and eliminate the paper-chasing that slows everything down. AI handles the busywork—reading invoices, flagging issues, syncing data—so your team can focus on the work that really matters. But software is only half the story. Wrapbook pairs powerful automation with concierge support from industry experts who’ve worked on set and know what’s at stake. It’s how the best production teams scale smarter, protect their budgets, and keep their crews happy. See how Wrapbook is a force multiplier for production finance teams at www.wrapbook.com.
S1 · E94
June 30 · 22 min
How Santa Fe Works as a Production Hub featuring Andrew C. Griego
Cameron sits down with Andrew C. Griego of the Santa Fe Film Office to unpack how Santa Fe actually functions as a production hub inside New Mexico's highly competitive incentive system. Andrew grew up in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and developed a passion for film and broadcast journalism that started in grade school. He went on to study filmmaking at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, graduating with honors in 2013, before returning to New Mexico and building a career in the Locations Department. After joining IATSE Local 480, he worked his way up to Location Manager on large-scale features, television series, commercials, and documentaries, giving him a ground-level understanding of what productions actually need when they arrive in a region. He now calls Santa Fe home and brings that on-set perspective to his work at the Santa Fe Film Office. While the statewide incentive often gets the attention, the conversation focuses on the operational layer producers encounter once a project lands in Santa Fe. From municipal permitting and historic districts to local crew depth, qualified production facilities, and the realities of shooting in a city with a strong architectural and cultural identity. Andrew breaks down how productions structure around the state's incentive uplifts, why Santa Fe works especially well for episodic television and contained features, and what producers often misunderstand about the region beyond the "desert" stereotype. They also discuss the city's production infrastructure, local crew culture, rural filming advantages, and how Santa Fe coordinates with the New Mexico Film Office to keep productions moving efficiently. ABOUT WRAPBOOK Wrapbook is the AI platform for production finance. Built for today’s fast-moving production landscape, Wrapbook brings payroll, spend, and accounting into one AI-powered system—giving production teams the tools they need to do more, faster. Built for features, TV, or commercials—Wrapbook helps the industry’s biggest production companies stay compliant, track every dollar in real time, and eliminate the paper-chasing that slows everything down. AI handles the busywork—reading invoices, flagging issues, syncing data—so your team can focus on the work that really matters. But software is only half the story. Wrapbook pairs powerful automation with concierge support from industry experts who’ve worked on set and know what’s at stake. It’s how the best production teams scale smarter, protect their budgets, and keep their crews happy. See how Wrapbook is a force multiplier for production finance teams at www.wrapbook.com.
S1 · E93
June 16 · 42 min
What Production Accountants Catch Before Anyone Else featuring Patricia Beaury
Cameron sits down with Patricia Beaury, a production accountant who has been working in indie film since 2011. Her credits include My Mom Jayne, The Python Hunt, Pee-wee as Himself—winner of both an Emmy and a Peabody Award—and Anora, which won five Academy Awards including Best Picture. Her work spans narrative features and documentaries that have premiered at Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and Sundance. Patricia breaks down the real mechanics of production accounting: how cash flow, payroll, cost reporting, documentation, and approvals shape the day-to-day rhythm of a shoot. She shares how her background as a producer and line producer informs the way she reads a budget, spots trouble early, and brings narrative to the numbers so producers can make better decisions in real time. The conversation also gets into the workflows that make productions run more smoothly, from standardized templates and weekly cost report cadence to receipt tracking, P-card envelopes, and audit-ready recordkeeping. Patricia explains why payroll is the most important part of the job, how trust with department heads keeps accounting efficient, and why a strong producer-accounting partnership can make the difference between a stressful closeout and a clean, predictable finish. ABOUT WRAPBOOK Wrapbook is the AI platform for production finance. Built for today’s fast-moving production landscape, Wrapbook brings payroll, spend, and accounting into one AI-powered system—giving production teams the tools they need to do more, faster. Built for features, TV, or commercials—Wrapbook helps the industry’s biggest production companies stay compliant, track every dollar in real time, and eliminate the paper-chasing that slows everything down. AI handles the busywork—reading invoices, flagging issues, syncing data—so your team can focus on the work that really matters. But software is only half the story. Wrapbook pairs powerful automation with concierge support from industry experts who’ve worked on set and know what’s at stake. It’s how the best production teams scale smarter, protect their budgets, and keep their crews happy. See how Wrapbook is a force multiplier for production finance teams at www.wrapbook.com.
S1 · E92
June 2 · 33 min
Where Workplace Risk Starts on Set featuring Jesse Weinstein
Cameron sits down with Jesse Weinstein, a New York employment attorney and Partner at Phillips & Associates, to talk about workplace risk in film and television. Jesse represents employees and executives in sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and whistleblower matters, and has secured nearly $40 million in settlements for clients across industries, including high-profile individuals in entertainment. The conversation focuses on the systems that help productions avoid problems before they escalate: clear reporting pathways, visible leadership, strong documentation, and early cultural expectations that set the tone from day one. Jesse explains where risk most often begins on set, what warning signs producers should pay attention to, and how ambiguity in hierarchy or reporting can create room for abuse. They also discuss retaliation, liability, NDAs, and the cost of mishandling a complaint—not just in settlement dollars, but in legal fees, disruption, and reputational damage. For producers, UPMs, and anyone responsible for crew culture, this is a grounded look at how productions can build safer, more accountable sets from the start. ABOUT WRAPBOOK Wrapbook is the AI platform for production finance. Built for today’s fast-moving production landscape, Wrapbook brings payroll, spend, and accounting into one AI-powered system—giving production teams the tools they need to do more, faster. Built for features, TV, or commercials—Wrapbook helps the industry’s biggest production companies stay compliant, track every dollar in real time, and eliminate the paper-chasing that slows everything down. AI handles the busywork—reading invoices, flagging issues, syncing data—so your team can focus on the work that really matters. But software is only half the story. Wrapbook pairs powerful automation with concierge support from industry experts who’ve worked on set and know what’s at stake. It’s how the best production teams scale smarter, protect their budgets, and keep their crews happy. See how Wrapbook is a force multiplier for production finance teams at www.wrapbook.com.
S1 · E91
May 19 · 25 min
How Streaming Studios Make Decisions featuring Marc Resteghini
Cameron sits down with Marc Resteghini, producer and former U.S. and global head of TV development at Amazon Studios, to explore how projects move from pitch to greenlight inside a modern streaming studio. With a dual perspective as both an independent producer and a senior studio executive, Marc brings a rare inside-out view of the system. During his time at Amazon, he helped guide major titles like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Fallout from development through global release, building teams and processes that bridged creative ambition with business discipline. In this conversation, Marc breaks down what changed structurally as streaming studios evolved—from smaller, entrepreneurial teams to more traditional systems—and how decisions are actually made when creative instinct, data, and economic realities intersect. They discuss what truly drives a greenlight, how much weight data carries, and why creative conviction still plays a central role. The episode also dives into the producer’s side of the table: how risk is evaluated, what to anticipate before walking into a development room, and where budgets and schedules are quietly won or lost. If you want a grounded look at how today’s streaming studios think, evaluate, and build projects, this episode offers a practical view of the mechanics behind development, greenlight decisions, and the evolving relationship between creators and platforms. ABOUT WRAPBOOK Wrapbook is the AI platform for production finance. Built for today’s fast-moving production landscape, Wrapbook brings payroll, spend, and accounting into one AI-powered system—giving production teams the tools they need to do more, faster. Built for features, TV, or commercials—Wrapbook helps the industry’s biggest production companies stay compliant, track every dollar in real time, and eliminate the paper-chasing that slows everything down. AI handles the busywork—reading invoices, flagging issues, syncing data—so your team can focus on the work that really matters. But software is only half the story. Wrapbook pairs powerful automation with concierge support from industry experts who’ve worked on set and know what’s at stake. It’s how the best production teams scale smarter, protect their budgets, and keep their crews happy. See how Wrapbook is a force multiplier for production finance teams at www.wrapbook.com.
S1 · E90
May 5 · 28 min
Filming in Massachusetts featuring Meg Montagnino-Jarrett
Cameron sits down with Meg Montagnino-Jarrett, Director of the Massachusetts Film Office, to break down how one of the more straightforward incentive programs in the United States works in practice. Previously, Montagnino-Jarrett held the role of Film Liaison for the Cape Ann area of Massachusetts, where she played a pivotal role in developing the region’s film industry. A film producer and media veteran of the motion picture industry, she brings over three decades of experience to her current role. Montagnino-Jarrett joined the Film Office in December 2023 and has since overseen AMC episodic TV The Walking Dead: Dead City (Seasons 2 & 3), Barry Jenkins’ Sorry, Baby, A24’s The Drama and Tony, Apple TV episodic Widow’s Bay, and other current productions. Her impressive credits include iconic films such as Good Will Hunting and The Departed. Montagnino-Jarrett holds a Bachelor of Arts from Marquette University. The conversation focuses on how to think about the program economically and how producers should structure budgets and schedules to qualify without creating problems later. Montagnino-Jarrett walks through the real-world workflow—from registration and spend tracking to final certification—and highlights the small administrative details that can quietly delay or jeopardize a credit. They also cover where producers tend to misjudge the state, how to think about partial versus full relocations, and what types of projects tend to work best. Montagnino-Jarrett shares how Massachusetts positions itself against other incentive states, where the crew base is strongest, and what practical tradeoffs producers should consider when deciding where to shoot. ABOUT WRAPBOOK Wrapbook is the AI platform for production finance. Built for today’s fast-moving production landscape, Wrapbook brings payroll, spend, and accounting into one AI-powered system—giving production teams the tools they need to do more, faster. Built for features, TV, or commercials—Wrapbook helps the industry’s biggest production companies stay compliant, track every dollar in real time, and eliminate the paper-chasing that slows everything down. AI handles the busywork—reading invoices, flagging issues, syncing data—so your team can focus on the work that really matters. But software is only half the story. Wrapbook pairs powerful automation with concierge support from industry experts who’ve worked on set and know what’s at stake. It’s how the best production teams scale smarter, protect their budgets, and keep their crews happy. See how Wrapbook is a force multiplier for production finance teams at www.wrapbook.com.
S1 · E89
April 21 · 39 min
How Payroll Problems Become Production Nightmares featuring Kerry LaiFatt
Cameron sits down with Kerry LaiFatt, Vice President of Sales for Film and Television at Wrapbook, to explore the invisible infrastructure that keeps productions running: payroll and accounting. With a career that spans on-camera work, unscripted media conferences, and nearly a decade inside one of the industry’s largest payroll and accounting platforms, Kerry brings a rare perspective on how financial systems shape what happens on set. She explains why payroll isn’t just back-office processing—it influences scheduling, hiring, union compliance, and cost reporting—and how breakdowns in these systems don’t stay on paper; they surface in production. The conversation also examines what’s changed post-2020, from experience gaps and onboarding bottlenecks to the growing expectation that payroll partners provide operational guidance, not just processing. Kerry discusses the shift toward truly paperless, self-serve workflows and the emerging role of AI in reducing cognitive load across production finance, helping teams eliminate friction so they can focus on strategic decisions instead of cleanup. For producers, accountants, and studio teams navigating today’s evolving production landscape, this episode offers a practical look at the systems that quietly determine whether a production stays aligned or drifts. ABOUT WRAPBOOK Wrapbook is the AI platform for production finance. Built for today’s fast-moving production landscape, Wrapbook brings payroll, spend, and accounting into one AI-powered system—giving production teams the tools they need to do more, faster. Built for features, TV, or commercials—Wrapbook helps the industry’s biggest production companies stay compliant, track every dollar in real time, and eliminate the paper-chasing that slows everything down. AI handles the busywork—reading invoices, flagging issues, syncing data—so your team can focus on the work that really matters. But software is only half the story. Wrapbook pairs powerful automation with concierge support from industry experts who’ve worked on set and know what’s at stake. It’s how the best production teams scale smarter, protect their budgets, and keep their crews happy. See how Wrapbook is a force multiplier for production finance teams at www.wrapbook.com.
S1 · E88
April 7 · 1 hr 8 min
How to Keep a Film on Budget and on Schedule featuring Stephen Marinaccio
Cameron Woodward sits down with veteran line producer Stephen Marinaccio to talk about the part of physical production that quietly determines what actually gets made: the budget. Drawing on work across projects like Ghosts of Beirut and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, Stephen breaks down how line producers translate scripts into workable schedules, where budgets tend to drift from reality, and what it takes to keep a plan aligned once production is in motion. Beyond his decades of hands-on production experience, Stephen is also the longtime moderator of the Reddit community r/FilmTVBudgeting, where industry professionals share real-world insights about the craft of budgeting and physical production. That same commitment to modernizing workflows led him to co-found Line Budgeter, a next-generation budgeting platform built to address the limitations of legacy “digital paper” systems. The conversation digs into the practical mechanics of prep, from early scheduling decisions and department coordination to the production variables that most often create downstream cost problems. Stephen shares why visual effects, locations, setup time, and poorly modeled fringes can throw budgets off course, and why communication—especially between line producers, AD teams, department heads, and production accounting—matters more than any single tool. They also explore what modern budgeting should actually look like as productions get tighter and more complex—and how better systems can support smarter decision-making from prep through wrap. This is an episode you wouldn’t want to miss. ABOUT WRAPBOOK Wrapbook is the AI platform for production finance. Built for today’s fast-moving production landscape, Wrapbook brings payroll, spend, and accounting into one AI-powered system—giving production teams the tools they need to do more, faster. Built for features, TV, or commercials—Wrapbook helps the industry’s biggest production companies stay compliant, track every dollar in real time, and eliminate the paper-chasing that slows everything down. AI handles the busywork—reading invoices, flagging issues, syncing data—so your team can focus on the work that really matters. But software is only half the story. Wrapbook pairs powerful automation with concierge support from industry experts who’ve worked on set and know what’s at stake. It’s how the best production teams scale smarter, protect their budgets, and keep their crews happy. See how Wrapbook is a force multiplier for production finance teams at www.wrapbook.com.
S1 · E87
March 24 · 24 min
The Business of Building a Film Hub featuring Patrick Mulhearn
Cameron Woodward sits down with longtime Louisiana film industry leader Patrick Mulhearn, CEO and Partner at Irrevocable Designee LLC, to talk about what it actually takes to build a production ecosystem outside of traditional hubs. Drawing on experience across state government, studio operations, and consulting, Patrick breaks down the practical components that determine whether a region can sustain film and television production over time. The conversation explores the core elements behind a functioning production environment—from incentives and infrastructure to crew depth and the often-overlooked need for consistent work. Patrick also shares how incentive programs are evolving, what producers need to think about when evaluating states, and where projects can gain or lose value based on early decisions in prep. Beyond attracting productions, the episode digs into the longer game: developing local talent, supporting independent creators, and creating pathways into behind-the-camera careers. For producers, filmmakers, and anyone thinking about where and how projects get made, this is an episode you would not want to miss! ABOUT WRAPBOOK Wrapbook is the AI platform for production finance. Built for today’s fast-moving production landscape, Wrapbook brings payroll, spend, and accounting into one AI-powered system—giving production teams the tools they need to do more, faster. Built for features, TV, or commercials—Wrapbook helps the industry’s biggest production companies stay compliant, track every dollar in real time, and eliminate the paper-chasing that slows everything down. AI handles the busywork—reading invoices, flagging issues, syncing data—so your team can focus on the work that really matters. But software is only half the story. Wrapbook pairs powerful automation with concierge support from industry experts who’ve worked on set and know what’s at stake. It’s how the best production teams scale smarter, protect their budgets, and keep their crews happy. See how Wrapbook is a force multiplier for production finance teams at www.wrapbook.com.
S1 · E86
March 10 · 40 min
The Discipline of Less Is More for All the Empty Rooms featuring Matt Porwoll
We sit down with Emmy® and Sundance Award–winning cinematographer Matt Porwoll to explore documentary cinematography as an operational discipline—not just an artistic one. Over the past decade, Matt has built a body of work that spans some of the most acclaimed nonfiction films and series of the modern era, including Cartel Land (Academy Award–nominated and winner of Best Cinematography at Sundance, Cinema Eye Honors, and the Primetime Emmys), Showtime’s The Trade, and Tigerland, which premiered in competition at Sundance. His work has appeared across HBO, Showtime, Amazon, Netflix, Apple TV+, CNN, PBS, and more, and is known for blending immersive vérité with precise visual storytelling. In this conversation, Matt draws on his experience across features, episodic documentaries, and high-pressure field shoots to explain how access, trust, crew size, sound realities, and budget constraints shape what’s possible in the frame. Using the Oscar-nominated short All the Empty Rooms as a focal point, he walks through the logistical and ethical considerations of filming in deeply personal spaces, the importance of small-footprint crews, and the production decisions that protect both the story and the people involved. From setup time and data discipline to collaboration with editorial, this episode offers a practical look at how award-level documentary work is built from the ground up. ABOUT WRAPBOOK Wrapbook is the AI platform for production finance. Built for today’s fast-moving production landscape, Wrapbook brings payroll, spend, and accounting into one AI-powered system—giving production teams the tools they need to do more, faster. Built for features, TV, or commercials—Wrapbook helps the industry’s biggest production companies stay compliant, track every dollar in real time, and eliminate the paper-chasing that slows everything down. AI handles the busywork—reading invoices, flagging issues, syncing data—so your team can focus on the work that really matters. But software is only half the story. Wrapbook pairs powerful automation with concierge support from industry experts who’ve worked on set and know what’s at stake. It’s how the best production teams scale smarter, protect their budgets, and keep their crews happy. See how Wrapbook is a force multiplier for production finance teams at www.wrapbook.com.
S1 · E85
February 24 · 22 min
How Maryland Is Attracting Big Shows and Indie Films Alike with Catherine Batavick
We sit down with Catherine Batavick, Acting Director of the Maryland Film Office, to explore what it really takes to attract and support major film and television projects at the state level. Catherine shares how a film office operates behind the scenes, connecting producers with locations, crew, permitting agencies, and community partners, and what makes a region competitive in today’s incentive-driven landscape. Over the years, the state incentive program she oversees has helped generate more than $1 billion in economic impact through projects such as House of Cards, VEEP, We Own This City, Lady in the Lake, and Special Ops: Lioness. In this conversation, Catherine walks through the practical realities of producing in Maryland: permitting timelines, local crew depth, location diversity, and how the tax credit actually works in real-world scenarios. She outlines an ideal application timeline for independent features in the $1–$10 million range, explains how the state supports both large-scale series and Maryland-based independent films, and details how productions can monetize tax credits to fund post-production. She also shares how Maryland balances limited incentive funds to support both major studio projects and homegrown filmmakers. Beyond logistics, the episode explores the broader shift in the unscripted and independent production landscape, and how Maryland positions itself as an efficient, collaborative, and cost-effective alternative to larger production hubs. ABOUT WRAPBOOK Wrapbook is the AI platform for production finance. Built for today’s fast-moving production landscape, Wrapbook brings payroll, spend, and accounting into one AI-powered system—giving production teams the tools they need to do more, faster. Built for features, TV, or commercials—Wrapbook helps the industry’s biggest production companies stay compliant, track every dollar in real time, and eliminate the paper-chasing that slows everything down. AI handles the busywork—reading invoices, flagging issues, syncing data—so your team can focus on the work that really matters. But software is only half the story. Wrapbook pairs powerful automation with concierge support from industry experts who’ve worked on set and know what’s at stake. It’s how the best production teams scale smarter, protect their budgets, and keep their crews happy. See how Wrapbook is a force multiplier for production finance teams at www.wrapbook.com.
S1 · E84
February 10 · 35 min
The New Reality of Reality Television with Michelle Van Kempen
We sit down with television producer and NPACT General Manager Michelle Van Kempen, whose career has helped shape the unscripted landscape for nearly three decades. As an executive at FilmGarden Entertainment, Michelle oversaw more than 2,000 episodes of television, developing and producing series for major networks while learning firsthand how to run unscripted shows at scale. Now, through her work at NPACT and as founder of Women in Nonfiction, Michelle supports the production companies and professionals behind much of the U.S.'s unscripted content. In this conversation, she shares what it takes to keep shows on time and on budget, how to lead production teams with flexibility and foresight, and why the producer’s role is often about planning for spontaneity. She also reflects on the evolution of the unscripted business model—from a commission-heavy era to today’s shifting mix of buyouts, co-productions, brand partnerships, and short-form experimentation. Whether you’re running shows, pitching buyers, or trying to build a long-term career in nonfiction, this episode offers a look at the challenges and opportunities of producing in a fast-moving, post-streaming world. ABOUT WRAPBOOK Wrapbook is the AI platform for production finance. Built for today’s fast-moving production landscape, Wrapbook brings payroll, spend, and accounting into one AI-powered system—giving production teams the tools they need to do more, faster. Built for features, TV, or commercials—Wrapbook helps the industry’s biggest production companies stay compliant, track every dollar in real time, and eliminate the paper-chasing that slows everything down. AI handles the busywork—reading invoices, flagging issues, syncing data—so your team can focus on the work that really matters. But software is only half the story. Wrapbook pairs powerful automation with concierge support from industry experts who’ve worked on set and know what’s at stake. It’s how the best production teams scale smarter, protect their budgets, and keep their crews happy. See how Wrapbook is a force multiplier for production finance teams at www.wrapbook.com.
S1 · E83
January 27 · 52 min
Why Film Editing Is Emotional Work with Viridiana Lieberman
We sit down with Viridiana Lieberman, an award-winning editor and director behind some of the most acclaimed nonfiction films and series of the past decade. Her work includes The Sentence, Call Center Blues, and most recently The Perfect Neighbor—Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature Film, as well as winner of the US Documentary Directing Award at Sundance 2025 and the Critics Choice Documentary Award for Best Editing. With a style marked by precision, restraint, and emotional clarity, Lieberman’s projects consistently push the boundaries of what a documentary can be. In this conversation, Viridiana shares how she approaches the craft of editing not just as a technician, but as a storyteller and partner in the filmmaking process. She reflects on her years-long creative collaboration with director Geeta Gandbhir, the unique editorial challenges behind The Perfect Neighbor, and why she believes documentaries can feel as cinematic as narrative film. We also talk about the editorial mindset she brings to directing her own work, including her debut feature Born to Play, and how that perspective shapes how she receives footage from other teams. Throughout the episode, Lieberman opens up about how nonfiction editors help define structure, tone, and trust—on both sides of the screen. For anyone working in documentary or nonfiction production, this is a conversation rich with insight on the power of restraint, the value of long-term collaboration, and what it takes to build stories that last. ABOUT WRAPBOOK Wrapbook is the AI platform for production finance. Built for today’s fast-moving production landscape, Wrapbook brings payroll, spend, and accounting into one AI-powered system—giving production teams the tools they need to do more, faster. Built for features, TV, or commercials—Wrapbook helps the industry’s biggest production companies stay compliant, track every dollar in real time, and eliminate the paper-chasing that slows everything down. AI handles the busywork—reading invoices, flagging issues, syncing data—so your team can focus on the work that really matters. But software is only half the story. Wrapbook pairs powerful automation with concierge support from industry experts who’ve worked on set and know what’s at stake. It’s how the best production teams scale smarter, protect their budgets, and keep their crews happy. See how Wrapbook is a force multiplier for production finance teams at www.wrapbook.com.
S1 · E82
January 13 · 1 hr 3 min
What It Takes to Turn a Bestseller into a Box Office Hit with Bob Bookman
We are joined by legendary literary agent, producer, and manager Bob Bookman, whose career has spanned over five decades at the intersection of publishing and film. From discovering the source material for Jurassic Park and The Silence of the Lambs to helping bring A Beautiful Mind to screen, Bob has been instrumental in shaping how great writing finds its way into cinema. In this conversation, Bob reflects on how he identifies truly cinematic material, what makes an adaptation viable, and how the process of getting a film made has evolved—from pre-streaming theatrical logic to today's algorithm-driven systems. He shares stories behind major projects, including the 25-year journey to produce The Burial and how A Complete Unknown came together with Timothée Chalamet and Searchlight. He also breaks down the complexity of rights deals, why strong material isn’t always easy to adapt. Whether you’re a producer, manager, agent, or simply someone navigating the shifting ecosystem of development and IP, this episode offers a candid, detailed look at what it really means to bring a story from the page to the screen. About Wrapbook Wrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place. Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team. For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay. Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry’s top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more. Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg’s WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital. Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/
S1 · E81
Dec 26, 2025 · 40 min
The Producer’s Role in a Changing Film Economy with Tom Butterfield
We’re joined by producer and production executive Tom Butterfield, whose 17-year career has spanned studio collaborations, independent features, and public sector funding bodies on both sides of the Atlantic. As the principal of Culmination Productions, Tom has produced a diverse slate of films including The Critic, Cellar Door, The Banker, and Die in a Gunfight. He brings a uniquely grounded perspective on what it takes to get a film made. In this conversation, Tom unpacks the realities of producing in today’s market. He compares the financing and development models between the UK and US, offers candid lessons from multi-year development journeys, and explains how casting factors into packaging decisions. We also dive into his philosophies on creative collaboration, managing talent relationships, and the producer’s role as a problem-solver. Tom also reflects on industry shifts—from the decline of mid-budget theatrical films to the rise of streamer-era economics—and how organizations like Producers United are helping redefine the producer’s role in today’s evolving landscape. About Wrapbook Wrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place. Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team. For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay. Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry’s top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more. Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg’s WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital. Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/
S1 · E80
Dec 12, 2025 · 41 min
Future-Proofing Your Studio in a New Era of Production with Joel Pilger
We sit down with creative entrepreneur and studio advisor Joel Pilger. After running Impossible Pictures for two decades—serving major clients like Disney, Nat Geo, and Ford, Joel now helps creative studios and production companies around the world build sustainable, purpose-driven businesses without compromising their creative identity. In this conversation, he shares what it takes to lead a creative business in today’s landscape of remote teams, tighter margins, AI disruption, and increased competition. Joel unpacks the most common pitfalls creative studio founders face, especially around sales, marketing, and pricing. He explains why growth doesn’t have to mean dilution, how studios can structure their teams for creative freedom and financial discipline, and why the future belongs to lean, elite, highly specialized teams who know how to deliver at scale. Whether you're running a five-person shop or scaling beyond 20, Joel offers practical insights on navigating the “anxious middle,” setting smart financial guardrails, and focusing on what he calls your "genius." This episode also dives into how studios can escape commoditization by shifting from order-takers to trusted experts, developing proprietary methods, and building community with both clients and peers. About Wrapbook Wrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place. Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team. For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay. Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry’s top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more. Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg’s WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital. Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/
S1 · E79
Nov 28, 2025 · 30 min
Filming in Wisconsin: What the New Incentives Mean for You
We explore how Wisconsin is emerging as a new destination for filmmakers. We sit down with filmmaker Nathan Deming and veteran studio executive Suzanne Jurva, two key voices behind the recent passage of groundbreaking film incentive legislation in the state. Together, they break down how this bipartisan initiative came to life, what it means for the state’s creative economy, and why it could serve as a model for regional film development elsewhere. Nathan shares his experience shooting in Wisconsin while splitting time between LA and the Midwest, and how the lack of infrastructure highlighted the need for change. Suzanne, whose career spans DreamWorks, independent film, and tech, discusses how her studio background shaped her advocacy efforts and why she believes the state is uniquely positioned to support both indie and studio-level productions. This episode dives into the real challenges of regional filmmaking—from crew access to gear rental—and how smart, community-driven policy can unlock growth. We also explore the early impact of these changes, the importance of post-production and training ecosystems, and the broader economic ripple effect of investing in film. About Wrapbook Wrapbook is a smart, intuitive platform that makes production payroll and accounting easier, faster, and more secure. We provide a unified payroll platform that seamlessly connects your entire team—production, accounting, cast, and crew—all in one place. Wrapbook empowers production teams to manage projects, pay cast and crew, track expenses, and generate data-driven insights, while enabling workers to manage timecards, track pay, and onboard to new projects from any device. Wrapbook brings clarity and dependability to production payroll, while increasing the productivity of your whole team. For crew: The Wrapbook app eliminates the headaches of production payroll by providing a fast, transparent, and secure solution for workers to complete startwork, submit timecards, and track pay. Trusted by companies of all sizes, Wrapbook powers payroll for some of the industry’s top production companies, including SMUGGLER, Tuff, and GhostRobot. Our growing team of 250+ people includes entertainment and technology experts from SAG-AFTRA, DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and more. Wrapbook is backed by top-tier investors, including Jeffrey Katzenberg’s WndrCo, Andreessen Horowitz, and A* Capital. Get started at https://www.wrapbook.com/

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