Episode Summary

Growing up in Wellington, New Zealand, with parents in the police force and government, a career in film and TV wasn’t exactly on the radar for Georgia Rippin. But after studying law and Māori at Vic, she made a bold leap to New York, armed with only a suitcase, a dream, and a few blocks of Whittaker’s chocolate that she used to slip into mailrooms of the biggest studios on the planet. That scrappiness paid off: Georgia wound up producing mid-form shows (those 10- to 20-minute episodic pieces that can eventually scale into full series), teaming up with major networks, and ultimately founding Kold Open, a platform reshaping how creators monetise their IP and get discovered.

In this episode, Georgia digs into the pitfalls of legacy media, why YouTube fails episodic creators, and how AI-driven product placement might unlock new revenue streams for independent filmmakers. She also shares the real story of how she broke into the industry, from dressing like an assistant to cold-knocking on studio doors, and why she believes being just the right amount of naïve can be an entrepreneur’s superpower. Finally, she offers insights for fellow Kiwis eager to chase creative careers on the world’s biggest stages.

Time Stamps

00:00 – Intro

02:16 – From legal briefs to scripts: Why she picked New York over LA

04:18 – Mid-form explained: How shows like Workaholics and It’s Always Sunny began

08:01 – Why YouTube’s algorithm hurts episodic creators—and how Kold Open fixes it

10:20 – Cracking the first big studio deal: Lessons in hustle, grit, and chocolate bribes

14:19 – Being ‘productively naïve’: Georgia on forging a path without industry connections

18:07 – AI’s silver lining for indies: New tools that help with coloring, sound, and distribution

25:37 – Rise of FAST channels: Why “free TV” is the next frontier for content creators

31:53 – The founder journey: Building a startup in NYC and hitting sustainable revenue

35:54 – AI-driven ad placement: Adding a digital Pepsi cup post-production (and getting paid)

40:48 – Advice for aspiring Kiwi creators: Collaboration, comedic storytelling, and never giving up

Resources

- Kold Open – Georgia’s mid-form platform: https://www.koldopen.com

- Georgia Rippin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-rippin/

- Viva La Dirt League (NZ’s comedy YouTubers mentioned): https://www.youtube.com/c/VivaLaDirtLeague

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