When Proximity’s co-founder and head of nonfiction Pete Nicks and creative executive D’Angelo “D’Lo” Louis met through their friend Ryan Coogler, they connected as Bay Area creatives and through their shared experience of incarceration. Pete is a director and producer whose award-winning films The Waiting Room, The Force, and Homeroom serve as a trilogy of urgent and immersive documentaries that explore health care, criminal justice, and education in Oakland, California. His upcoming documentaries, produced with Proximity Media, include Stephen Curry: Underrated and Anthem. D’Lo is a filmmaker and music manager who got his start as an assistant on Space Jam: A New Legacy, Judas and the Black Messiah, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Most recently, he was an associate producer on Creed III. On this special episode, Pete and D’Lo sit down to talk about their experiences for the first time (2:44), including how they found their way to creative work (13:15) and why it’s important for them to share their stories (21:45).Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com.CONNECT WITH PROXIMITY MEDIA:Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. We’re also on YouTube.Learn more at ProximityMedia.com.Text PROX to 510-998-3176 or head to subtext.to/prox for updates on new episodes and latest projects from Proximity Media.CREDITS:In Proximity is a production of Proximity Media.Producer: Paola MardoExecutive Producers: Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Paola MardoTheme Song and Additional Music: Ludwig GöranssonSound Designer and Mix Engineer: Ken NanaEpisode Editor: Cameron KellProduction Assistant: Polina Cherezova

Proximity founder Ryan Coogler talks all about podcasts with Roman Mars, host and creator of 99% Invisible, a sound-rich narrative podcast about architecture and design. They discuss holding pandemic meetings about the business of podcasting (3:47), Roman’s journey from science to public radio to 99% Invisible (5:10), finding the balance between being an artist and business owner plus why Roman believes a producer is the highest form of worker (9:56), collaborating on the Judas and the Black Messiah Podcast (14:29), the read-to-tape system (18:42), and Prox Recs that include a good coffee table book that will impress your friends and how to make great radio (25:19).Learn more, get links to the films and podcasts discussed, and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com.CONNECT WITH PROXIMITY MEDIA:Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. We’re also on YouTube.Learn more at ProximityMedia.com.Text PROX to 510-998-3176 or head to subtext.to/prox for updates on new episodes and latest projects from Proximity Media.CREDITS:In Proximity is a production of Proximity Media.Producer: Paola MardoExecutive Producers: Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Paola MardoTheme Song and Additional Music: Ludwig GöranssonSound Designer and Mix Engineer: Ken NanaEpisode Editor: Cedric WilsonProduction Assistant: Polina Cherezova

From assistant desks at Interscope Records to the Def Jam C-suite, Tunji Balogun and Archie Davis share their journey as music industry executives. Tunji is CEO and Chairman of Def Jam Recordings while Archie is Def Jam’s Chief Creative Officer and Proximity Media’s Co-Founder and Co-Head of Music alongside Ludwig Göransson. Tunji was a rapper before transitioning into music marketing and A&R, signing artists like Childish Gambino, SZA, and H.E.R. Archie was a leading architect on the Black Panther and Wakanda Forever soundtracks, the award-winning Wendy’s We Beefin? EP, and the Judas and the Black Messiah soundtrack and Academy Award-winning original song “Fight For You” by H.E.R. They explain what A&R really means (1:52) and discuss navigating careers in the music business (4:22), aspiring to be the greatest executive and rapper alive a.k.a. Jay-Z (23:10), the Black Panther soundtracks and Tunji’s Nigerian roots (27:06), their top 5 space albums (35:55), and Prox Recs (38:04).Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com.CONNECT WITH PROXIMITY MEDIA:Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. We’re also on YouTube.Learn more at ProximityMedia.com.Text PROX to 510-998-3176 or head to subtext.to/prox for updates on new episodes and latest projects from Proximity Media.CREDITS:In Proximity is a production of Proximity Media.Producer: Paola MardoExecutive Producers: Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Paola MardoTheme Song and Additional Music: Ludwig GöranssonSound Designer and Mix Engineer: Ken NanaEpisode Editor: Cedric WilsonProduction Assistant: Polina Cherezova

Grab your Moleskine and spreadsheets! It’s time for a screenwriting masterclass with writer, director, and producer Aneesh Chaganty and writer, producer, and Proximity founder Sev Ohanian. Aneesh and Sev first broke out with the independent thriller Searching which premiered in 2018 at Sundance where it won several awards and was acquired by Sony Pictures. The film grossed $75 million worldwide and Sev and Aneesh went on to collaborate on the screenplay for Run (2020), the story for the Searching sequel Missing (2023), and an upcoming movie they talk a little bit about on the show. They break down their writing partnership (2:12) and process including the blue skies phase (8:00), outlining (12:21), feedback (15:30), and research (18:45). They end with Prox Recs for making movies and finding a writing partner (26:05).Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com.CONNECT WITH PROXIMITY MEDIA:Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. We’re also on YouTube.Learn more at ProximityMedia.com.Text PROX to 510-998-3176 or head to subtext.to/prox for updates on new episodes and latest projects from Proximity Media.CREDITS:In Proximity is a production of Proximity Media.Producer: Paola MardoExecutive Producers: Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Paola MardoTheme Song and Additional Music: Ludwig GöranssonSound Designer and Mix Engineer: Ken NanaEpisode Editor: Judybelle CamangyanProduction Assistant: Polina Cherezova

Tessa Thompson has starred in television shows, independent films, and blockbuster Hollywood movies like Selma, Dear White People, Westworld, Thor: Ragnarok, Thor: Love and Thunder, and the Creed trilogy. She is also a producer and entrepreneur as the founder of the production company Viva Maude. She speaks with Proximity Media’s head of television Kalia King about navigating the ins and outs of the entertainment industry including attending general meetings (1:18), the importance of finding your people (7:50), career transitions from acting to producing (10:37), reality TV (13:47), authentic storytelling (19:10), and their Prox Recs (26:55).Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com.CREED III is in theaters now.CONNECT WITH PROXIMITY MEDIA:Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. We’re also on YouTube.Learn more at ProximityMedia.com.Text PROX to 510-998-3176 or head to subtext.to/prox for updates on new episodes and latest projects from Proximity Media.CREDITS:In Proximity is a production of Proximity Media.Producer: Paola MardoExecutive Producers: Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Paola MardoTheme Song and Additional Music: Ludwig GöranssonSound Designer and Mix Engineer: Ken NanaEpisode Editor: Shana DaloriaProduction Assistant: Polina Cherezova

From Fruitvale Station to Black Panther to Creed III, Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler’s cinematic partnership has shaped culture and broken box-office records. They reflect on their first meeting for Fruitvale Station (2:41), going to their first boxing match to prep for Creed I (12:39), what they’ve learned from building and running their own production companies (16:14), and their Prox Recs (27:57).Learn more and read the transcript of this conversation at ProximityMedia.com.CREED III is directed by Michael B. Jordan and is now playing only in theaters.CONNECT WITH PROXIMITY MEDIA:Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. We’re also on YouTube.Text PROX to 510-998-3176 or head to subtext.to/prox for updates on new episodes and latest projects from Proximity Media.CREDITS:Producer: Paola MardoExecutive Producers: Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Paola MardoTheme Song and Additional Music: Ludwig GöranssonSound Designer and Mix Engineer: Ken NanaEditors: Shana Daloria, Paola MardoProduction Assistant: Polina Cherezova

In Proximity is a podcast about craft, career, and creativity from Proximity Media, the production company whose credits include Creed III, Judas and the Black Messiah, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever podcast and soundtrack, and more. New episodes drop every Sunday starting March 12th.Learn more  and read transcripts at ProximityMedia.com.Follow @ProximityMedia on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.